 Date: Friday May 27th, 2016 Time: 7:00-8:00 PM Location: Panel Room 3 Join A-To-J Connections as they dissect the ins and outs of the Visual Kei scene around the world! From X JAPAN, BUCK-TICK, and MALICE MIZER to Mejibray, BugLug, and Dir en grey, we will cover it all and everything in between! This panel will cover topics such as the fandom, the various sub-genres, and the style that goes hand-in-hand with VKei! Expect information, videos, giveaways and lots of fun! This panel will have something for everyone, fan and newcomer alike! Another summer over, and what better way to end it than with SacAnime? SacAnime Summer 2016 promised “pop culture with an anime twist” and it provided! SacAnime Summer 2016 was full of all-star guests, including John Dimaggio (Futurama, Adventure Time), Wendee Lee (Cowboy Bebop), J. Michael Tatum (Black Butler, Ouran High School Host Club, Hetalia, Borderlands, etc), Courtnee Draper (Bioshock Infinite), and an “Aladdin” cast reunion! Other guests included DJ Jinrei, DJ Minikoma, Selwyn Ward (Power Rangers Turbo), Roger Valasco (Power Rangers Turbo), Catherine Sutherland (Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Power Rangers Turbo), Hilary Shepard (Power Rangers, Star Trek Deep Space Nine), Blake Foster (Power Rangers Turbo), Nakia Burrise (Power Rangers), Rick Farmiloe (animator – The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin), Norman Felchle (artist), Travis Willingham (voice actor for Marvel shows), Sam Riegel (voice actor), and Brina Palencia (voice actor). There were K-Pop dance battles, a “Geek Fashion Show”, and even a workshop on how to do DIY cosplay for cheap! Other events include a Cosplay Masquerade, Power Rangers Turbo Reunion, and Pokemon Go gatherings. Check out some of the photos below, taken by the wonderful photographer Tom! Also, Tom filmed the entirety of the Cowboy Bebop Reunion Panel and it can be found here! Cowboy Bebop Reunion Panel See you all at SacAnime Winter!
-Kelsey  Date: Saturday September 3, 2016 Time: 10:00-11:30 PM Location: LP1 (Room 201A) Hosts: Tiffany, Molly, Paloma, and Manuel Everyone knows J-Pop idols as cute, positive role models with music that matches their bubble-gum image, but the world of idols isn't always that simple! A-To-J Connections continues its popular "IDOL" series of panels with this look at the dark underside of the idol industry! Besides genre-breaking groups like BiS, Babymetal, Deep Girl, and Ladybaby, we will also cover topics such as highly talked about scandals, the dark side of the fandom, and the tragedy of Okada Yukiko. Fan and curious newcomer alike, this panel will have something for everyone!  Date: Saturday September 3, 2016 Time: 3:30-5:00 Location: LP3 (Room 202A) Hosts: Tiffany, Molly, Garwye, and Manuel Are you a fan of shows like Love Live, IDOLM@STER, Wake Up Girls, or Aikatsu? Then we have the panel for you! A-To-J Connections has spent hundreds upon hundreds of hours watching and absorbing nearly every idol anime out there to bring you this panel that features only the best of 2D idols! From the beginnings of Macross to the success of shows like AKB0048, we will cover it all and also discuss topics such as idols as voice actors, voice actors who evolve into idols, and the future of the genre! Fan and curious newcomer alike, this panel will have something for everyone!  Power Morphicon 2016 has come and gone but the event is still fresh in my mind. I got the chance to attend the convention this year and I can truly say it's been one of the greatest experiences of my life. I want to thank Polo, the guitarist for Eyeshine (which is the band of Mighty Morphin Power Ranger alum, Johnny Yong Bosh), for giving us this amazing opportunity.
 Date: Saturday March 19, 2016 Time: 8:00 - 9:30 PM Location: Live Programming 1 (Brittany) Idols and Idol Groups have taken the Japanese music scene by storm since their first appearance in the 70s and 80s and have attracted the attention of Western fans ever since. Ever wonder what makes them tick and how they attract legions of devoted fans around the world? If so, join A-To-J Connections as they dissect various aspects of the “idol equation” and examine topics such as the fandom, the audition/graduation system, career-ending scandals and just what exactly it means to be an idol. We will track Idol history from the Golden Age of 80s to the current Idol Sengoku Jidai! This presentation will feature loads of information, pictures, videos, prizes and will be hosted by many experts in various fields of idol fandom and its history! Panel will take place Saturday March 19 from 8:00-9:30 PM in Love Programming 1 (Brittany) Panel will be hosted by Manuel and Garwye with a special guest host, Greg Hignight of Tune In Tokyo!  Date: February 14, 2016 Time: 2:00-3:30 PM Location: Live Events 3 Are you a fan of Morning Musume '15, Juice=Juice or ANGERME? Or were you a fan of Aya Matsuura, Mini Moni or W many years ago? Well, join A-To-J Connections as they examine one of the most popular collections of Idols in Japan, Hello! Project! From Morning Musume's formation during the Sharam Q Asayan auditions to the formation of recent groups like ANGERME and Juice=Juice, we will cover it all! Expect an opening performance from some of our talented panelists, lots of fun and information, and more than a few surprises! Perfect for both fans and newcomers alike! Panel will take place on Sunday February 14 at 2:00 in Live Events 3 Hosts: Manuel, Tiffany, Heidi, and Marjorie  J-POP Summit Day 2 started off in a similar fashion to Day 1 (A recap of which can be found HERE) with the high-energy workout song "Domobics" courtesy of Tokyo Performance Domo! (A special unit made up of Tokyo Performance Doll and NHK mascot Domo.) By this point attendees would have heard this song both on the main stage and several times from the NHK booth and I am not ashamed to admit that it had grown on me and both myself and many in the audience had memorized most of the call-and-repeat parts to the song. Check it out HERE if you're interested in seeing what the fuss was about.
 J-POP Summit returns to San Francisco's Fort Mason for another year of entertainment, music, and more!
 Date: Saturday January 30, 2016 Time: 1:00-2:30 PM Location: CCP2 (Ballroom B) Japanese Idols have been a constant presence on the Japanese pop music scene ever since their appearance in the 70s/80s. Over the years Idols have experienced varied levels of popularity and today idol music is arguably the most popular genre in Japan. Whether you're a fan of groups like AKB48 and Morning Musume '15 or idol anime such as Love Live and IDOLM@STER you are more than likely familiar with the colorful world of Japanese Idols. The music might be catchy and the idols' personalities might be infectious, but there are certain elements that might not be as accessible to Western audiences. Why are Idols so popular? Why do they graduate as they get older? What is the deal with the audition system? Why do some Idol careers end in scandal? All these questions and more will be answered in A-To-J Connections' new panel focusing on J-Pop Idols within the context of Japanese Culture. We follow an imaginary idol from audition to graduation and closely examine just what it means to be an idol. This panel is the perfect introduction to the world of idols and is a continuation of our popular "IDOL 101" series of panels. This panel will also feature live performances from A-To-J's own idols marisuga and Tiffany Fujii! Panel will take place on Saturday January 30, 2016 from 1:00-2:30 PM at CCP2 (Ballroom B)! Hosts: Tiffany, Molly, and Manuel |
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