VIZ Media, the largest publisher, distributor and licensor of manga, graphic novels and anime in North America, unveiled plans for Neon Alley, a 24-hour anime channel featuring the world’s best titles set to debut on game consoles this fall. The service will be available in the United States and Canada. (more…)
Anime producer and distributor Right Stuf, Inc. and Nozomi Entertainment unveiled their events schedule for Anime Expo 2012, which takes place June 29-July 2, at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, California. (more…)
VIZ Media celebrates its return to Anime Expo® 2012 with an array of fun booth attractions, product giveaways, special guest appearances, and exciting panel discussions scheduled to take place throughout the unique 4-day Southern California event. Anime Expo is the nation’s largest anime convention and will take place at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, CA from June 29th to July 2nd. VIZ Media will be located in Booth 1401. Information on Anime Expo is available at: www.anime-expo.org. (more…)
NEW PEOPLE, a dynamic entertainment destination bringing the latest examples of Japanese popular culture to North American shores, is proud to present the U.S. premiere of the EVANGELION POP-UP MUSEUM as part of the 2012 J-POP Summit Festival. This special time-limited special exhibit, to be staged inside the venue’s 3rd Floor SUPERFROG Gallery, launches on Saturday, August 25th and is co-produced by Nippon Television and NEW PEOPLE. (more…)
In a few weeks California will be lucky enough to have one of HoriPro’s hottest singers, May’n, live in concert for her ROCK YOUR BEATS World Tour. If you’re a fan of anime you should know her as Sheryl Nome’s singing voice from Macross Frontier and for her OP and ED songs for series like Aria the Scarlet Ammo, Phi Brain, and most recently, Accel World. Her last American appearance was at Anime Expo 2010 in Los Angeles. This is your chance to see her again and this time, up close and personal.
First up, the dates:
June 21 (Thursday) 7:30pm (doors 6:30pm), at Key Club in West Hollywood [link]
June 23 (Saturday) 2:30pm (doors 1:30pm), at Yoshi’s in San Francisco [link]
Tickets are $40 presale, $50 at the door, and $100 for a special VIP ticket that includes early entry and meet and greet. The VIP tickets are limited in number and as of writing at least a few are still available for both San Francisco and Los Angeles.
May’n, born Mei Nakabayashi, started her career after being scouted by HoriPro’s Talent Scout Caravan. In 2008 she changed her artist name to May’n as an expression of her desire for her music to be the main theme to everyone’s lives. Her first breakout role was the singing voice of Macross Frontier’s Sheryl Nome. Since then she has done numerous sold-out concerts in Japan and the rest of Asia and has provided songs for numerous anime series, films, and games. In March of this year she released her third solo studio album, HEAT.
Fanime this past Memorial Day weekend was lucky enough to have Nobu Yamamoto, executive VP of HoriPro’s US offices and David Cirone of Resonance Media in attendance to give fans more information and answer any questions. A special video message from May’n herself was included and can be seen here:
If I had to guess a few songs what we hear… Diamond Crevasse (Macross Frontier, stated to be her favorite of the series), Brain Diver (Phi Brain), Chase the world (Accel World), and HEAT of the moment. I’m going to hold out for Universal Bunny, which happens to be my favorite.
In addition we have a couple more slightly hidden messages for Los Angeles and San Francisco fans:
No subtitles but the gist of things is that after receiving so many warm feelings from her fans she wants to share hot-blooded rock with everyone around the world. As it is her first time traveling to San Francisco, May’n is incredibly excited! The only rules are to listen to her songs a lot so you can dance and sing together with her at the concert!
To get a head start on things you may want to check out iTunes [link] where all of her solo albums as well as the May’n Street EP and Chase the World single are available (although HEAT is missing a couple of songs). You’re also on your own for the Macross Frontier songs but let’s just say where there’s a will there’s a way.
HoriPro is putting these two concerts as their foray into the hard-to-crack American market. Success here opens the door for future tours and other talent from HoriPro (and possibly other artists from Victor Entertainment who currently act as May’n’s record label) coming over from Japan.
We’re looking at an approximately two hour show with full band accompaniment. The size of these venues means you’ll be in close quarters, something that a lot of previous concerts have not been able to replicate so these two shows are very special. Even at AX in 2010 you could only get so close and that’s only if you were press or very fortunate in your ticket placement. After the show is a one hour meet and greet where you can say a few words of appreciation, give gifts if you have any, and have one item of your choice autographed.
A short exchange between Nobu and David:
“You’ll be able to see and touch her.”
“You might want to be more specific.”
“Uh… shake hands.”
A video detailing the tour goods that would be available was recently released on youtube. Items range from a photo-filled pamphlet, a long towel for those times you get really pumped, or a suitcase belt to help keep your stuff secure because you bought too much.
Here’s a full(?) list with the yen prices (availability and price subject to change; some items may not appear on the American tour stops) as well as the poster that is behind May’n:
Photo pamphlet (2000 yen)
Long towel (”muffler towel”) (2000)
T-shirt (2 designs, 3500 each)
Suitcase belt (3000)
Umbrella (2500)
Folding fan (1500)
Mascot Coin Case (”Chikyuu-kun”) (Earth-kun) (1500)
Giant badge (1000)
Clear file (800)
Cover stickers for ID cards (600 for the set)
Vinyl Bag (800)
Bracelet light (like a glowstick) (300)
Tray (for things like chocolate, coins, etc) (price unavailable)
Not presented:
Carabiner Pouch (2500)
Cellphone strap (1200)
Tote bag (1500)
My personal staple and proof of existence has always been the ubiquitous tour shirt. There are two colors, black and orange, and each has its own unique front and back design. I have to admit, I’m kind of tempted to buy both. Hopefully at a price point like $30 more in line with American tours (hint, hint).
For more information please visit the official tour site [link] and check out May’n’s twitter feed at @Mayn_USA.
The current list of overseas (non-Japan) tour stops for the ROCK YOUR BEATS tour include:
June 21 - Key Club (Los Angeles)
June 23 - Yoshi’s (San Francisco)
July 6 - Huamei Zixin International Theater Chengdu (China)
July 8 - Hangzhou Redstar Theater (China)
July 27 - Beijing MasterCard Center (China)
July 29 - Shanghai Luwan Stadium (China)
September 7 - Zeche Bochum (Germany)
September 8 - Le Divan du Monde Paris (France)
September 16 - Mapo Art Center Seoul (South Korea)
September 23 - Kowloon International Exhibition Center (Hong Kong)
I’ll see you in San Francisco. Make sure to bring a glowstick or two (perhaps a couple of superbright Ultra Orange glowsticks to go with the rest of your glowsticks as it’s one of the tour’s primary colors) and study up on the songs!
Anime fans might be familiar with the Japanese band Steropony who have contributed opening and ending songs for series such as Gundam 00, Tegami Bachi, and the second season of Darker than Black. Formed in 2007, Stereopony has quickly gained popularity and currently consists of vocalist and guitarist Aimi Haraguni, bassist Nohana Kitajima, and drummer Shiho Yamanoha. They were joined by supporting guitarist Mao for the tour. Stereopony is no stranger to the United States with appearances at SXSW in 2009, AnimeNEXT in 2010 and Anime Boston in 2011. Their third album, More! More!! More!!!, was released in December and the two Limited Edition versions include a DVD with footage at either AnimeNEXT or Anime Boston.
Stereopony stormed the west coast starting off in Seattle for Sakuracon and then heading south to California for shows in San Francisco, West Hollywood, and Santa Ana before heading back to Japan. The Sakuracon concert was simulcast via Nico Nico and both free and premium members were able to watch them no matter where in the world they might live.
Unable to make the trip to Seattle, I was elated to learn that they would be heading to San Francisco and made sure to clear my schedule. In fact, San Francisco received a Stereopony double shot with an in-store show at Amoeba Records on a Monday followed by a full concert at mainstay venue Slim’s on the following Tuesday.
I got to Amoeba Records just as the sound check was going on and pushed to my spot just in front of the stage. People were strewn about the CD racks and in the aisles. The set lasted about an hour and I enjoyed it as short as it might be. Consider it a teaser for tomorrow night. A meet-and-greet occurred after the show with anyone who purchased the Limited Edition of their newest album, More! More!! More!!! guaranteed autographs and a bit of time with the band.
Left to right: Shiho, Nohana, Aimi
Tuesday presented on and off rain throughout the day. At around 7pm I filed in with the rest of the attendees after picking up my photo pass from the ticket booth. The night would start with opening act All Ages, a San Francisco punk band who have opened for Japanese veterans like The Pillows and Noodles. They had fun out there, adding balloons to the mix as well as having bassist Tom Yamashita jumping among the crowd and even onto the bartop. For tonight their album A New Kind of Citizen was free and they had plenty to go around.
Tom Yamashita of All Ages
A minute past nine marked Stereopony’s entrance onto the stage to a full crowd and rousing applause. They started off with the familiar “effective line” before launching into the rest of the set. This was roughly twice the length of the Amoeba set and included a mix of both old and new songs and included all of their anime-related songs to date. Fans would constantly jockey for position to be as close as possible to their favorite members but it never felt like I was in a mosh pit. A few of the attendees I was near had forgone earplugs and while they could barely hear, they declared it was worth it. I had made sure to bring mine, especially important since I was right next to one of the speaker stacks.
With any luck they’ll be coming back to the United States again and a venue near you. The girls returned to Japan to finish off the More! More!! More!!! tour which bookended their U.S. tour dates.
Here’s the setlists for both the Amoeba Records and Slim’s show:
Amoeba (4/9/2012):
1. effective line (Hydrangea ga Saiteiru)
2. I do it (Hydrangea ga Saiteiru)
3. Stand By Me (new single, not yet released)
4. Tsukiakari no Michitsurube (OVER THE BORDER) (from Darker than Black)
5. Viva La Viva La (More! More!! More!!!)
6. Hoshikuzu Kantera (OVER THE BORDER)
7. Hitohira no Hanabira (Hydrangea ga Saiteiru) (from Bleach)
Count by album:
Hydrangea ga Saiteiru: 3
OVER THE BORDER: 2
More! More!! More!!!: 1
single: 1
Slim’s (4/10/2012):
1. effective line (Hydrangea ga Saiteiru)
2. Sweet Blue (Hydrangea ga Saiteiru)
3. Hana Hiraku Oka (More! More!! More!!!)
4. Chiisana Mahou (More! More!! More!!!) (from Tegami Bachi Reverse)
5. Super Girl (More! More!! More!!!)
6. fuzz (Darker than Black - Tsukiakari no Michitsurube single)
7. Never Look Back (OVER THE BORDER)
8. Namida no Mukou (Hydrangea ga Saiteru) (from Gundam 00)
9. It’s a wild world (Tegami Bachi Reverse - Chiisana Mahou single)
10. Hanbunko (OVER THE BORDER)
11. stand by me (new single)
12. Tsukiakari no Michitsurube (OVER THE BORDER) (from Darker than Black)
13. I do it (Hydrangea ga Saiteiru)
14. Viva La Viva La (More! More!! More!!!)
15. Hoshikuzu Kantera (OVER THE BORDER)
encore. Hitohira no Hanabira (Hydrangea ga Saiteiru) (from Bleach)
Count by album:
Hydrangea ga Saiteiru: 5
OVER THE BORDER: 4
More! More!! More!!!: 4
single: 3
A very special thanks to Sony Music’s Ryu Nakamura for giving Animesou this opportunity.
Memorial Day Weekend? More like Fanime weekend. Here’s this year’s report: FanimeCon 2012. Here is also the report for Stereopony’s concert in San Francisco. Last but not least, here is a write up pertaining to May’n’s concert in California later this month.
There were two things very noticeable for this year’s convention. The first is the construction happening to the McEnery Convention Center that included removal of the trademark fountains out front. The second were the registration lines. Fanime started inauspiciously with a blackout that consumed most of Thursday’s preregistered badge pickup time, meaning Friday’s lines were forced to absorb the bulk of pickups. Saturday’s onsite registration lines seemed to stretch for more than half of the downstairs lobby and multiple hour wait times were not uncommon going into the late afternoon.
Feels like we’re missing something important.
This year marked the return of printed schedules in a pocket format, which was missing last year. Granted I used my smartphone 90% of the time because it was more conveniently sized, but since this isn’t an option for a lot of attendees it is very appreciated. 2012 also included a new event hosted by Fanime, the Clockwork Alchemy steampunk convention, in the nearby DoubleTree hotel but in my two days I did not have the opportunity to take a look.
Guests
Kia Asamiya
The guest list for 2012 included names like artist Kia Asamiya, the man behind series like Martian Successor Nadesico and Silent Mobius, seiyuu Mai Aizawa, martial arts expert Ric Meyers, and English voice actor David Vincent. Hiroyuki Yamaga, now on his 15th visit, brought along fellow GAINAX employees Shigeto Koyama and Mamoru Yokota. Yamaga’s trademark “Yamaga Party” allows Fanime attendees to get up close and personal with the guests and this time around had a tea ceremony theme.
Autographs were a little different this year and were held at the nearby Fairmont Hotel, a 5-10 minute walk from the convention center. This year I elected for only two autographs, one from the lovely Mai Aizawa and the other from the veteran artist Kia Asamiya.
Mai Aizawa
One thing of note is that Kia Asamiya was doing full-blown drawings for attendees, which meant that his turnover rate suffered immensely. Only the first ten or so people in line would be able to walk away with one of his illustrations in their hands. I opted for an autograph only which was still met by a significant wait. For those who were lucky enough (or dedicated enough to show up more than an hour ahead of time) to be part of that small number, it was worth it.
She was followed by Igaguri Chiba, alter-ego of Yomi, vocalist for Japanese visual kei band NIGHTMARE. Compared to NIGHTMARE, Chiba’s music is much more upbeat and regardless of the occasional intrusion of heavy metal riffs and bass drumming, the music always felt fun. It can be summed up best by a comment I heard directly behind me: “What am I watching?” You didn’t know what was going on half the time but you were having an infectious sort of fun. I’m not sure it is possible to have anything but fun watching someone sing and dance as a half-naked Pikachu accompanied by two large muscular men in speedos.
The night was rounded out by recorded footage from the Niconico Cho-kaigi concert from the end of April. The segment was titled “Vocaloid Allstars” and included fan-favorites like Luka Luka Night Fever, Popipo, and Alice in Musicland. While we’re on the topic of music and concerts, May’n has an upcoming pair of events later this month on the 21st in LA and 23rd in San Francisco. Check out more info here.
Stage Zero
Fanimaid Maid Cafe
Fanime’s maid cafe is a place for con-goers to take a load off and have a little fun by being doted on by their very own maid. Food and drinks are served and attendees have the chance to play a few lighthearted games with their maids. Photo opportunities are a given and all smiles were had by guests. If you’ve ever wanted to be called “Goshujin-sama” or “Ojou-sama,” this is where you go.
Cosplay
One of the mainstays of the anime convention is cosplay and compared to other types of conventions where attendees dress up, it seems that anime conventions have the highest attendee to costume ratio. Dressing up as your favorite characters is an extension of your love for them or for a series. With this in mind you can use the number of people cosplaying a certain series to judge the popularity of a series.
It is also interesting in that trends rise and fall very quickly in cosplay; a series with many cosplayers one year can have few the next as another series takes its place. Others just continue to grow like some sort of unstoppable juggernaut. One thing I did notice was the growing popularity of Tiger and Bunny. About a year ago it was largely unknown in America, but this quickly changed.
Mami and Sayaka from Madoka, still going strong
Iron man.
Alien with working tongue
A shot from cosplay battles
Godoka
Abe Lincoln takes a break next to Jin.
Not cosplay, but it’s a Blastoise made out of pipe cleaners.
Usually held on Sunday evenings, Fanime’s Masquerade is where enterprising groups can take their cosplay a little further. With a little help from the black-clad stage ninjas, you will see dancing and comedic skits. Free for attendees, the Masquerade never fails to attract a huge crowd and the San Jose Civic Auditorium was packed to the rafters to watch fans dressed as characters from Puella Magi Madoka Magica, Sailor Moon, Code Geass, and others perform onstage.
Cherry from the Angel Hearts Idolm@ster group
Not even in the masquerade can Mami get a break
Our dear departed Soul Calibur characters sing Hakuna Matata
Cat ears that move via brain waves
Artist Alley has your usual array of prints and craft goods. Booths here have a more personal touch to them and you can go as far as commissioning many of the artists here for a unique piece of art. You can find some more esoteric items like handmade lolita headbands and dry-erase board speech bubbles. I’m always impressed by the quality of some of the booths here. A lot of these artists have really put the time into perfecting their craft and you can’t go wrong with a purchase here.
No, they are not for sale.
Gaming
Gaming at Fanime is an around the clock affair open 24 hours a day. No matter what time it might be, if you’re looking to play a game or two, you’ve found the right place. There are a variety of arcade games ranging from Para Para Max to Time Crisis to Initial D. Console games include modern fighters like Skullgirls on PS3 to old classics like Tetris on the NES. Practically every generation and system from 8-bit onward is represented here. A few computers were also available to play games like Melty Blood and Touhou. The late-night DDR freestyle sessions were quite popular and had a crowd ringing the area.
The face of a man on a mission
Parting shots
This year I was only able to attend Saturday and Sunday, but it was still a good time. I met up with friends I hadn’t seen in a while and caught up with some of the faces I see at almost every California convention. In a way that’s what Fanime is about. It is not just the convention and its guests of honor that make up Fanime. It’s your friends, the acquaintances you know, and having a good time together.
The one thing I can ask is “Please get more computers for onsite registration.” Fanime has been growing year after year and with its spot as the lone major northern California convention this year (as Wondercon had moved to Anaheim, hopefully just for 2012) it was inevitable that attendance would grow. Things definitely felt more crowded this year. Last year I was able to waltz up to the onsite registration on Friday with about a ten minute wait but this year was definitely brutal for new attendees, especially on Saturday. I counted a dozen or less computers available to handle hundreds of attendees. It feels remiss to mention another convention but San Diego Comic Con, while many magnitudes bigger and better funded, know they have to field a veritable army of computers to handle the huge line of preregistered attendees.
May 24-27 are the dates for Fanime 2013. We’ll see you there.
VIZ Media will participate in the upcoming same-day worldwide release of Volume 13 of NEON GENESIS EVANGELION on November 2nd. The newest volume of the acclaimed sci-fi action manga (graphic novel) series (rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens) will hit retailers across North America and will carry an MSRP of $9.99 U.S. / $12.99 CAN. The volume will also be available on VIZManga.com and the VIZ Manga App for the iPad®, iPhone® and iPod® touch, and will be available for $4.99 U.S. / CAN. (more…)