Centering around the protagonist Okabe Rintaro, whom has a classic case of chuunbiyo or 'delusions' that he's a mad scientist, he along with the seven other members of the Future Gadget Club discover a way to send text messages, called "D-mails," into the past using real-world items: a microwave and an old IBN-5100 computer. Along the way, the audience learns about the hopes, fears and dreams of the eight members who attempt to change their past. We have Okabe's childhood friend Mayuri Shiina, the neuroscience protege Kurisu Mikase, the moe-loving otaku Daru, the mysterious texter Moeka Kiryu, male "trap" Ruka Urushibara, feline-waitress Faris Nyannyan and the energetic shop girl Suzuha Amane. By utilizing the game's somewhat cumbersome cell phone texting "gameplay" system, players can navigate to other 'timelines' and endings, although they mostly intersect with the game's linear storyline. And while most of them are just two to three hour arcs in length, each of the game's individual endings add something to the overall impact of the story. Just be sure to follow a walkthrough as getting to these endings require players to send the right text.

Par for the course with most time travel tales, the butterfly effect kicks in after the members start sending texts to the past and it begins to string together a perpetuating loop of despair that entraps Okabe, including everything from being chased by CERN to trying to prevent the death of a certain character. Those of you who've seen the series know exactly what I'm talking about and since the visual novel is told from the first-person view of Okabe, the ability to read his thoughts as he tries to escape different world lines, while retaining his past memories, adds an extra layer of tension and hopelessness that simply can't be translated on-screen. When Okabe, or more or less the player, is forced to make tough decisions during the second half of the game, this sort of introspective look into his mind makes everything that much more devastating and emotional.

As great as the time loop story and characters are, one thing that separates Steins;Gate from other time travel stories is that the writer Naotaka Hayashi (Bravely Default) wove an insane amount of real-world science and phenomenons into the story. For example, in the first half of the game Okabe is receiving messages from a time traveler by the name of John Titor; a "real" world figure who appeared on several internet bulletin boards between the year 2000 and 2001. As MAGES President Shikura Chiyomaru wrote to his new overseas audiences, "this realism creates fear, which lets us empathize with the characters."

Taking a real-world approach to their stories is something that Nitro+ and 5pb are renown for and when it works, as it does in Steins;Gate, mixes in an extra layer of uniqueness and makes the story that much more special. Additionally, since there is a wide amount of real world science and theories in the story, a fully translated glossary of terms allows the reader to dive into the scientific world behind Steins;Gate without having explanations becoming overbearing by inscribing everything into the game's written narrative. It also provides a translation of the net and otaku terms that people may or may not otherwise be familiar with, so prepare to use the glossary quite a bit.

Art wise, Huke's (Black Rock Shooter) unique designs look great in the game's native widescreen 720p resolution screen. Rather than relying on simple fills and gradients as with most visual novel sprites, Huke's designs are textured with noise and filters that gives the characters a gritty feel, something akin to the animated series Gankatsuo. Their one-of-a-kind character sprites are fantastic even when set to fill a 1080p screen and never get old even after hours of reading.

Additionally, the soundtrack by Takeshi Abo does more than an adequate job providing appropriate ambient noise for each scene. Although it may not be as strong as his previous endeavors with KID's Infinity series, some of the songs are memorable including the opening theme, "Gate of Steiner" and its more tender counterpart "believe me." For fans of Japanese animation, the game's Japanese-only dub features some of the biggest names in the industry including Kana Hanazawa, Halko Mamoi and Mamoru Miyano all of whom do a fantastic job handling the emotional complexities of the various characters.

As a fan of the time travel genre, with Chrono Trigger and most of Kotaro Uchikoshi's Ever 17 taking root as two of my top video games of all-time, I've always been fascinated with people facing overwhelming odds against time to try and achieve the impossible or try to prevent a dystopic future. Knowing that there's an inevitable fate out there for our heroes and watch them fight to change it has always been a beautiful concerto of destiny, determination and ingenuity that typically results in a cathartic release that is quite simply powerful.

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If you love anime, time travel or just fantastically written stories that pack an emotional punch, this game is for you. Highly, highly recommended.

What I Loved:

● tightly-packed time travel story that doesn't succumb to breaking its own established rules

● amazing character interaction

● agonizing watching Okabe make hard choices

● the fragility of human interactions and the butterfly effect

● powerful and emotional decisions and choices

What I Hated:

● seemingly trivial choices affect the game's endings

● walkthrough reading is required to reach the game's true ending

● feels more linear than some other visual novels

VIZ Media

• Blood the Lad dub cast:

The dubbed version of the series will run on VIZ Media's Neon Alley streaming service. Chris Cason wrote the English script while the dub was directed by Kirk Thornton.

Bryce Papenbrook as Staz Charlie Blood; Xanthe Huynh as Fuyumi Yanagi; Kira Buckland as Hydra Bell; Cristina Vee as Mamejiro; Ben Diskin as Wolf; Johnny Yong Bosch as Braz D. Blood; Jason Baker as Yoshida the Mimic; Lucien Dodge as Akim Papradon; Patrick Seitz as Franken; Erik Scott Kimerer as Hydra Knell; Wendee Lee as Neyn; Keith Silverstein as Hydra Heads; Richard Epcar as Wolf Daddy; Ben Pronsky as Chief Goyle; Julie Ann Taylor as Officer Beros; Taylor Henry as ONIQLO Store Manger; Derek Stephen Prince as Sabao; Caitlin Chang as Mayu; Kyle Hebert as Dek; Brian Beacock as Shamkid; Matthew Mercer as Sam; Erica Mendez as Jasmine; Todd Stone as Roy

Sailor Moon:

• Sailor Moon classic series will be released as uncut blu rays with a new dub as well as subtitles (and is also currently being streamed online at VIZ's Neon Alley Online page). The story, characters, and names will not be changed from the original Japanese version.
• Season 1 part 1 (ep 1-23) will be released in the fall and contain dual language tracks.
• The dub cast has been approved by Naoko Takeuchi, Sailor Moon's creator.
• VIZ Media plans to stream on Monday on Neon Alley and Hulu) 2 eps per week Plans for Limited edition BD/DVD combo pack and standard edition have been made. The newly announced Sailor Moon Crystal will be streamed on Hulu and Neon Alley. More Sailor Moon announcements will occur at AX, including the announcement of the dubbed cast/staff.

Crunchyroll

• Crunchyroll is still working on building manga library with collaboration from Kodansha and Cork.
• A stimulpub of manga The Tenth Prism by Masahito Soda was announced.
• The films Princess and the Pilot, The Ring of Curse, Ichi 1: Orign will be added soon to Crunchyroll.

FUNimation

• The English dub case for the bouncy-ninja action series Senran Kagura was announced.

ASUKA – Felecia Angella; KATSURAGI – Brittney Karbowski; IKARUGA – Alexis Tipton; HIBARI – Megan Shipman; YAGYU – Bryn Apprill; HOMURA – Monica Rial; HARUKA – Teri Rogers; MIRAI – Lara Woodhull; HIKAGE – Kara Edwards; YOMI – Trina Nishimura; ADR DIRECTOR – Jerry Jewell; ADR ENGINEER – Cris George

The series will be available July 29, 2014.

• HAL movie dub cast

HAL – Chris Burnett (Romeo x Juliet's Romeo, Shiki's Toru Muto); KURUMI – Bryn Apprill; RYU – Todd Haberkorn; ADR DIRECTOR – Mike McFarland; ADR ENGINEER – Kenneth Thompson

The movie will available Fall 2014.

• Hellsing Ultimate vol. 9 and 10 are coming Fall 2014.

Aniplex

• The English dub cast for Kill la Kill, production staff and physical release announcements will occur during May 28th Aniplex Live Show.
• Exclusive figures will coming soon to the Aniplex store.
• Monogatari season 2 comes out this summer (June 24th).
• The Servant x Service complete DVD set is coming soon.
• The English dub for Magi 2 is currently in the works with open auditions being held at Anime Expo 2014.
• A Sword Art Online II premiere event will occur at Anime Expo 2014 and will feature author Reki Kawahara and character designer abec.

Streaming details are as follows:

Sword Art Online II takes place one year after the events of Sword Art Online, Kirito is approached by the Japanese Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communication Department "VR Division" to investigate an incident known as the "Death Gun" in a VRMMO called Gun Gale Online (GGO). Rumor has it that if a player is shot by a mysterious avatar wielding a jet black gun that they would lose their life in the real world. He joins forces with a mysterious sniper named Sinon and enter a tournament known as the "Bullet of Bullets" to try and attract the attention of "Death Gun."

Fore more details about Sword Art Online II, please visit:

http://www.swordart-onlineusa.com/

https://www.facebook.com/SwordArtOnlineUSA

Details below:

Gurren Lagann the Movies: -Childhood's End- and –the Lights in the Sky are Stars- will be released in a double feature Blu-ray set on July 15th. The box set will include both movies on two Blu-ray discs, each with their own key visuals of the movies. The films will be digitally re-mastered. More details can be found at: http://www.gurrenlagannthemovieusa.com/

Puella Magi Madoka Movies Part 1 –Beginnings- and Part 2 –Eternal- will be available on Blu-ray and DVD on July 15th. As a retelling of the original television series, the films will be available in a DVD/Blu-ray set (4 discs total) and contain trailers, TV CM collections and textless openings and endings. Both movies will also be available as individual DVD releases. More information about the upcoming release can be found at: http://www.madokamagicausa.com/

For fans of Anohana, Aniplex will be releasing its film adaptation Anohana –the Flower We Saw That Day the Movie- in three different editions: a Collector's Edition set, standard Blu-ray and standard DVD. All three sets will feature the original Japanese language track, along with both English and Spanish subtitles, textless openings, trailers and TV commercial collections. The CE will also have a compilation music CD, post cards, a Menma poster and deluxe booklet. For more details, visit: http://www.aniplexusa.com/anohanamovie

Lastly, Hiromu Arakawa's Silver Spoon will be available in a complete DVD set on July 15th with eleven episodes featuring original Japanese audio with English subtitles on 3 DVD discs. Bonus material will include textless openings and ending in addition to trailers and commercials. For more information on the upcoming Silver Spoon DVD set, visit: http://www.aniplexusa.com/silverspoon

The main premise of the game revolves around the idea that Metallia, the self-styled Great Swamp Witch, wishes to cover the world in swampy glory and wishes to subjugate it. In order to do so, she summons a terrifying familiar called the Hundred Knight. In reality, it's just really the player, who takes up the role of an adorable squeaking blob of darkness armed with an oversized helm and a foraged sword. Your job is quite simple: invade various lands and reach the gigantic pillars at the end of each stage to make them bloom. However, a journey is not a journey without various enemies to stand in your way as each pillar has its own guardian that is enchanted with the pillar's magic in order to protect it. In addition, there are also various other witches in existence that try to thwart your plans. Once these pillars are bloomed, the land will be covered in swamp and The Great Swamp Witch Metallia is one step closer to world domination.

The story though is a major downside to The Witch and the Hundred Knight: It's a predictable storyline and unfortunately follows a very linear formula in the game. Traversing through each level and defeating the bosses, the story is slowly revealed through very lengthy cut scenes. There are a lot of these cut scenes to sit through, making it difficult to tell the story in a way that flows cohesively without interrupting gameplay.

The characters presented in the game are rather one-dimensional and expected if you've played previous NIS games such as the Disgaea series or even Mugen Souls. There is always the big bad boss in charge that wants to take over the world or prove themselves (Metallia), the ever-obedient servant or butler (Arlecchino), and so on and so forth. This does not stop these characters in being cheeky and fun to watch, but it can get a little bit predictable.

In my opinion, The Witch and the Hundred Knight has an amazingly addictive base battle system at its core. The game has typical hack and slash gameplay for an action RPG but also adds several elements to shake things up from time to time.

The first thing is that as Metallia's minion, you are bound in contract to her and you essentially cannot live withou

t depending on her. If you leave your master's side for too long, you'll die. So because of this fact, you are forced to think carefully about your GigaCal usage. GigaCals are used up in a myriad of different ways, particularly by walking. If you use your stamina bar for attacking and running, it only replenishes if you have GigaCals to sacrifice as well. The GigaCal monitoring system strikes a delicate balance between fighting off enemies and conserving your GigaCals.

Thankfully, there are ways to replenish your GigaCals by either mapping out destinations or consuming enemies. You can also use either your Grade Points or teleporting when you reach min-pillars that are unlocked throughout the dungeon. Oftentimes, I found myself just teleporting back to base to "bank" my experience points and items and refuel up totally on GigaCals.

Like any NIS game there's a lot of customization to be had with both your attacks and your equipped weapon. Each weapon also has a different attack pattern and special effect so there's a lot of fun to be had in figuring out what combinations to use in different situations. For example, hammers can break defenses while spears have a wide, arcing range, so choose what's best for taking out your enemies.

Besides this, there are also other quick-time events in battle such as dodging at the right time that allow you to beat up on opponents in slow motion or by using attack skills. I found skill casting was cumbersome due to the cast times or damage output. In the end I was content to just pummel mindlessly away at enemies with my default attacks and dodges.

Boss battles are handled a little bit differently than most games. While you still have your different boss patterns, there's also a special bar that indicates their guard defense. During battle, this bar will constantly fluctuate, so you'll need to time your attacks carefully. With this said, I found the bosses to be a very welcome challenge as there are a variety of different attack patterns and monster behaviors.

With the amount of systems that are presented in the game, it is also very annoying to see that there is very little explanation of the systems or they simply go unexplained such as using AP to trigger a strong attack or how your "stomach inventory" works.

Both long strategic turn-based battles and the usual beautiful 2D sprites that are standard NIS fare are no more. The Witch and the Hundred Knight is an almost fully 3D-made title. The only real 2D art you'll see are the wonderfully made drawn sprites of the characters made by Takehito Harada. The 3D models aren't too bad of quality as they are more anime-esque in feel, but I still personally prefer the rich 2D visual experience that NIS is well known for. The art direction is fairly straightforward yet offers a lot of unique character designs and overall setting. However, the dungeon designs are a little bit sparse looking at times which is a change from the tightly-packed and artistically well-made SRPG maps that I'm used to seeing from the developers.

Another thing to note is that the original soundtrack is also composed by a long-time veteran of NIS, Tanpei Sato. The melodies are composed in a similar vein to flagship games such as the Disgaea series in a whimsical way, which suits the game just fine. In terms of voice acting, the English cast does a fine job of portraying their characters. In particular, there are some hilarious moments as the voice over for Metallia has several choice words bleeped out and censored due to their profanity. One feature that I did appreciate was the fact The Witch and the Hundred Knight has dual audio tracks for both English and Japanese. Huzzah.

The Witch and the Hundred Knight is a really interesting game in the fact t's something new and familiar at the same time in the sense that they chose to explore new a new battle system, but there's the trademarks of familiarity for an NIS title. There's a large amount of customization that is typical for the title along with the dark humor that the developers are known for. The music and art all but scream Nippon Ichi. With the fact that this is a new foray into a different gameplay type, there are sadly quite a lot of things that could be improved on. Some systems are sadly not explored to their full potential or feel under-developed, and the way that the story is executed seems to falter in an action-based game as this.

Overall though, if you over look the blunders with story and character, The Witch and the Hundred Knight is still fun once you get into it and offers a decent gameplay experience that should satisfy fans of action-rpg games.

Pros:

● addictive action-combat

● customization for weapon combos

● art direction

● familiarity as a NIS game

● dual audio

● Metallia is hilarious

● Many different gameplay systems

● Raiding villages / taking over houses rewards you with items.

● Bosses are a challenge.

Cons:

● Faltering storyline.

● GigaCalorie counting is annoying.

● Some systems are rarely used or have little impact on gameplay.

● Spells can seem useless.

● Fun can wear off as the action-combat system begins to be monotonous in later stages.

● Lack of instructions on several systems / bit of a learning curve.

Guests for Fanime this year included Japanese industry guests from GAINAX Takami Akai,, Noir and Hiroyuki Yamaga, director and character illustrator Hiroyuki Kanbe (Oreimo, Devil Survivor 2); English voice actors J. Michael Tatum and Chantal Strand; musicians Raj Ramayya and Home Made Kazoku; popular voice actress and cosplayer Kira Buckland and finally, returning Guest of Honor Giles Poitras. Aside from the ever popular Guest of Honor panels and MusicFest, you could catch a number of the guests for autographs.

Rounding out the fan experience, Fanime included something for everyone with providing useful workshops, cosplay gatherings, a gaming area for people to relax and enjoy, various video rooms and of course, both the Dealer's Hall and Artist Alley to provide the means for proving one's loyalty to their fandom of choice. With the newly renovated convention space, most of these things were centrally located within the convention center halls but alas, not everything was as smooth as it could've been.

In 2013, the Fairmount hotel became the unfortunate host of "Registrationageddon" as attendees waiting to pick up their badges were forced to shuffle between rooms at the hotel for several hours due to both problems with computers as well as loss of space at the convention center from the renovations. With the completion of the renovations to the convention center however, FanimeCon was able to utilize the San Carlos Grotto as the new and improved Registration area. With easily marked areas, registration took minutes rather than the hours it did in the previous year. Also improved for the fan experience were the meeting areas for both cosplay gatherings and photo areas, since again, areas that were under construction were open once more. Finally, there were more sitting areas for people to relax throughout the convention center. Unfortunately, the use of space now created some perplexing choices as well.

Rather than Guest of Honor panels being held in Marriot as usual and autographs being in the Hilton, this year, the Marriot was host to solely speed dating, autographs and the manga lounge while the Hilton was used for FanimeCon staff purposes. Panels this year were held at the Fairmont instead, leaving the dances to be in the convention center itself while the Black & White Ball was held next to the Tech Museum. Another curious choice was the utilization of Halls 1 and 2, with Hall 1 being closed off and connected to Hall 2 for use as the Artist Gallery and food court (which in reality, was mostly just one food stand); the other use of the space in Hall 1 was for two charity bounce houses. Artist Alley, which was relegated to an outside tent in 2013 was back in the convention center but unfortunately, it was now located in the cramped Grand Ballroom; with no windows and just two doors for access, the room was more than a little unbearable when filled to capacity. Hall 3 was used once again for gaming but this time, to make use of the space, it seemed that FanimeCon staff chose to use have far more tables and chairs to utilize it as a rest area versus it being used as tabletop gaming as intended. The number of arcade machines seemed to be the same while the console and PC gaming area was expanded a tiny bit. Finally, despite the expanded walkways within the convention center itself, due to Stage Zero as well as constant stoppages in traffic flow to accommodate for photo taking, getting to Point A to Point B seemed to take more work than usual. As an attendee, I can appreciate the lengths that FanimeCon went to try to improve making the convention center as the central hub but at the same time, it was quite frustrating just maneuvering around all the bodies as well as shaking my head at the inefficiently-used spaces.

If there were things I could change about the convention this year, it would solely go towards building upon what strides were made this year. On the attendee end, registration was wonderful as far as I could tell, but I would definitely re-purpose the space once the initial rush of attendees passes through; you could easily cut the room's space in half for registration while using it for possibly other things. Hall 1's activities would've been better suited where the dances were located this year while the dances themselves should've been held in the Fairmont. Artist Alley would've been ideally suited for Hall 1's location and you can still open up the Dealer's Hall as it was used this year. Hall 3 is traditionally for gaming, but there are lots of wasted spaces solely to create a 'large' space; condensing the arcade area a bit would allow for either a bit more flow or possibly another use. Stage Zero, despite being a very popular hub on the main concourse, should literally be moved to the Grand Ballroom itself, which is also centrally located. In moving Stage Zero, traffic on the concourse should flow as well as allow for all the photos you want. Panels would be better suited for the Marriot but I can see why the Fairmont was used. All of FanimeCon's operations would actually be great if it used the operation areas that can be seen in Hall 3, since the glass can give a clear view of what's going on below.

As for being entertained, more guests are welcomed, particularly those on higher-profile projects as they can always be a big draw for fans that are on the fence about attending. The video rooms are nice, but are all of the rooms actually needed to show movies/anime episodes non-stop? The bigger rooms used to pull double-duty during off-hours in previous years, so there's no reason as to why they cannot do that once again.

In the end, FanimeCon has proven why it's one of the top anime conventions as it continually creates an experience that lives by their motto of being "by fans, for fans". To many, it's also the convention that marks the start of the heavy-hitting summer convention scene so lots of people use it as their testing ground in meeting friends new and old. As FanimeCon continues to try to deliver the best fan experience it possibly can, a few changes can certainly go a long way.

Here's to another twenty years, FanimeCon.

When they first started the event there were no sessions for LGBT folks, but this year they were finally able to fully book their own event. Straight folks also turned out in droves and it seems that yet again they had to turn people away due to the lack of space. Unlike last year, the Fanime staff finally moved the event to a less traveled part of the convention and mixed it in near the autograph lines at the Marriott. This long overdue change probably did a lot to negate the hostile attitudes that build up during the long waits. Last year was especially bad since having people lined up by the elevators invited a small number of people passing by making insults and mocking the people in line. In fact last year was so awful that I was treated with suspicion when requesting an interview. Apparently the staffers assumed I was some disgruntled fiend plotting to cause them physical harm. I wish I was lying when I say that even during the interview one staffer was hovering behind me ready to stage a heroic intervention. They had never heard of our humble outlet, but thought it reasonable to assume that I was some kind of malevolent madman. It was more believable to them that a random rogue would create a whole set of fake business cards for the express purpose of storming their event.

Luckily this year the atmosphere was much more jovial. Not only were there no insults exchanged, the people in line were able to look out the windows and take in the sights. If one was so lucky to have been in the line for the last session on Saturday they would have had an excellent vantage point to witness a local bigoted protestor get harangued by folks expressing same sex affection and staging a counter protest of sorts (mostly in the form of exposing the wisdom of Raptor Jesus). While the line is a big part of the event, it is by no means the only part.

Once you get registered they put you in a room with about nineteen other folks. The rules are simple: you don't have to give out your name, you have five minutes to hold a conversation (you get a warning at the 2.5 minute mark), and you can only choose three different people. Should any of the three people you list have you listed in their top three then the Fanime staff will send you each other's contact information. If this sounds a bit off from commercial speed dating it is. Their mission statement seems to aim towards helping people find the ONE instead of playing the numbers game. This may or may not be a good thing on the account that both parties will know that it is unlikely that the other person is seeing anyone else from the event, but on the other hand dating has always been a numbers game. Restricting the number of matches to three means you can play up the serendipity factor if you do hit it off with someone, but if not well considering the fact that people come from all over means that the odds of a lasting relationship are bit slimmer.

In terms of demographics the event essentially caters to the college age crowd which considering the crowd that they service, hardly comes as a surprise. This just means that if you are still in school, you can make a connection based solely on shared interests and physical attraction. If however you are farther removed from your days in academia your chances are even slimmer. Still the mere act of advertising your single status might even net you a connection from someone who isn't a participant. In fact one gentleman in my group was actually approached after the event. So if you are looking for a connection and have time to spare it is be worth looking into Fanime speed dating, the odds are long but at least you can claim the fickle finger of fate given how the rule of three is in play.

For those unfamiliar with the election, fans voted for who is going to appear on the Senbatsu (concerts, performances, events, etc.) for AKB's 37th single, while the 17th to 32nd members joined the Undergirls for the B-side track. The 33rd to 48th place members join the Next Girls for the 2nd-B side track, while the 49th-64th will be featured as the Future Girls on the 3rd B-track. Lastly, the 65th to 80th place girls will join the Upcoming Girls for the 4th B-side track.   

Check out the results below:

[Center 1st]

1. Watanabe Mayu - AKB48 Team B : 159,854 votes

[Senbatsu 2nd-16th]

2. Sashihara Rino - HKT48 Team H : 141,954 votes
3. Kashiwagi Yuki - AKB48 Team B/NMB48 Team N : 104,364 votes
4. Matsui Jurina - SKE48 Team S/AKB48 Team K : 90,910 votes
5. Matsui Rena - SKE48 Team E/Nogizaka46 : 69,790 votes
6. Yamamoto Sayaka - NMB48 Team N/AKB48 Team K : 67,916 votes
7. Shimazaki Haruka - AKB48 Team A : 67,591 votes
8. Kojima Haruna - AKB48 Team A : 62,899 votes
9. Takahashi Minami - AKB48 Team A : 57,388 votes
10. Suda Akari - SKE48 Team E : 48,182 votes
11. Miyawaki Sakura - HKT48 Team KIV/AKB48 Team A : 45,538 votes
12. Miyazawa Sae - SNH48 Team SII/SKE48 Team S : 44,749 votes
13. Yokoyama Yui - AKB48 Team K : 40,232 votes
14. Ikoma Rina - Nogizaka46/AKB48 Team B : 40,089 votes
15. Shibata Aya - SKE48 Team E : 39,264 votes
16. Kawaei Rina - AKB48 Team A : 39,120 votes

[Under Girls 17th-32nd]

17. Matsumura Kaori - SKE48 Kenkyuusei : 37,967 votes
18. Watanabe Miyuki - NMB48 Team BII/SKE48 Team S : 36,108 votes
19. Kitahara Rie - AKB48 Team K : 34,666 votes
20. Iriyama Anna - AKB48 Team A : 34,002 votes
21. Kodama Haruka - HKT48 Team H/AKB48 Team K : 33,545 votes
22. Minegishi Minami - AKB48 Team 4 : 33,162 votes
23. Kizaki Yuria - AKB48 Team 4 : 30,154 votes
24. Muto Tomu - AKB48 Team A : 30,097 votes
25. Moriyasu Madoka - HKT48 Team KIV : 27,054 votes
26. Takajo Aki - AKB48 Team B : 24,415 votes
27. Tomonaga Mio - HKT48 Team KIV/AKB48 Team B : 23,766 votes
28. Takahashi Juri - AKB48 Team B : 23,612 votes
29. Yamada Nana - NMB48 Team M/SKE48 Team KII : 23,299 votes
30. Oya Masana - SKE48 Team S : 21,984 votes
31. Takayanagi Akane : SKE48 Team KII/NMB48 Team BII : 21,972 votes
32. Kato Rena - AKB48 Team 4 : 21,877 votes

[Next Girls 33rd-48th]

33. Fujie Reina - NMB48 Team M : 20,956 votes
34. Futamura Haruka - SKE48 Team S : 20,881 votes
35. Umeda Ayaka - NMB48 Team BII : 20,658 votes
36. Kojima Mako - AKB48 Team K : 20,415 votes
37. Furukawa Airi - SKE48 Team KII : 19,315 votes
38. Tashima Meru - HKT48 Team H : 18,875 votes
39. Anai Chihiro - HKT48 Team H : 18,825 votes
40. Kinoshita Yukiko - SKE48 Team KII : 18,822 votes
41. Yagura Fuuko - NMB48 Team M/AKB48 Team A : 18,596 votes
42. Ota Aika - HKT48 Team KIV : 18,143 votes
43. Shiroma Miru - NMB48 Team M : 17,745 votes
44. Isohara Kyoka - SKE48 Team E : 17,616 votes
45. Tano Yuuka - AKB48 Team K : 17,608 votes
46. Iwanaga Ami - SKE48 Team E : 17,479 votes
47. Sasaki Yukari - AKB48 Team 4 : 16,726 votes
48. Motomura Aoi - HKT48 Team KIV : 16,449 votes

[Future Girls 49th-64th]

49. Iwasa Misaki - AKB48 Team K : 16,100 votes
50. Kimoto Kanon - SKE48 Team E/HKT48 Team KIV : 16,022 votes
51. Okada Nana - AKB48 Team 4 : 15,873 votes
52. Kuramochi Asuka - AKB48 Team B : 15,443 votes
53. Ichikawa Miori - NMB48 Team BII : 15,045 votes
54. Yamada Mizuho - SKE48 Team KII : 14,942 votes
55. Furuhata Nao - SKE48 Team KII/AKB48 Team A : 14,634 votes
56. Oba Mina - SKE48 Team KII : 14,555 votes
57. Ishida Haruka - AKB48 Team K : 14,358 votes
58. Jonishi Kei - NMB48 Team N : 14,194 votes
59. Yabushita Shu - NMB48 Team BII : 14,119 votes
60. Sakaguchi Riko - HKT48 Team H : 12,937 votes
61. Kotani Riho - NMB48 Team N/AKB48 Team 4 : 12,913 votes
62. Nishino Miki - AKB48 Team 4 : 12,824 votes
63. Uchiyama Natsuki - AKB48 Team B : 12,749 votes
64. Matsuoka Natsumi - HKT48 Team H : 12,569 votes

[Upcoming Girls 65th-80th]

65. Nagao Mariya -AKB48 Team K : 12,448 votes
66. Iwatate Saho : AKB48 Team 4 : 11,873 votes
67. Murashige Anna - HKT48 Team KIV/NMB48 Team N : 11,586 votes
68. Umemoto Madoka - SKE48 Team E : 11,538 votes
69. Yamauchi Suzuran - SKE48 Team S : 11,510 votes
70. Maeda Ami - AKB48 Team A : 11,117 votes
71. Tanabe Miku - AKB48 Team B : 11,041 votes
72. Yoshida Akari : NMB48 Team N : 10,982 votes
73. Yakata Miki - SKE48 Team S : 10,733 votes
74. Abiru Riho - SKE48 Team KII : 10,092 votes
75. Saito Makiko - SKE48 Team E : 10,089 votes
76. Ogasawara Mayu - AKB48 Team B : 9,946 votes
77. Kobayashi Ami - SKE48 Team E : 9,931 votes
78. Miyazaki Miho - AKB48 Team K : 9,674 votes
79. Komada Hiroka - HKT48 Team H : 9,609 votes
80. Oshima Ryoka - AKB48 Team B : 9,561 votes

Source: AKB48 Official Site

The main premise of Attack on Titan centers around the appearance of mysterious giant humanoids with a penchant for human flesh, after a century of peace, of the surviving humans forced to live behind two hundred-foot tall walls of stone. Though there are rumors of humans living beyond the walls, most of humanity has taken to living behind one of three walls: Wall Maria (the outermost one), Wall Rose (the middle one) and Wall Sina (the innermost one); the walls themselves also serve as an inadvertent divider between those who are rich and those who are less fortunate.

At the center of the story's plot is Eren Jaeger, the young son of a doctor and his wife. By Eren's side are his adoptive sister, Mikasa Ackerman, and their best friend Armin Arlert. Together, the three of them live within the walls of Wall Maria, though both Eren and Armin long to venture outside of the walls. With each passing day, Eren longs to join the Survey Corps, one of the three divisions of the Military, in order to both fight the Titans that roam the land but to also see the world beyond his stone "cage". One day, a mysterious two hundred-foot tall Titan suddenly appeared and had attacked Wall Maria, which allowed several smaller Titans to flood the town, including a Titan that was encased in armor. Once the attack commenced, Eren and Mikasa rushed home to find their mother but instead, witnessed her being devoured by a Titan. From that point, Eren had sworn vengeance to avenge his mother as well as kill every Titan in his path as he vowed to join the Training Corps and become a member of the Survey Corps. Eren's path towards the Survey Corps takes many twists and turns that will surprise even the most seasoned anime viewer.

In Part One of FUNimation's Attack on Titan collection, episodes 1-13 have been collected on two discs for both Blu-ray and DVD formats. Included as well are: dual languages (Japanese and English), Making of Attack on Titan (which is in English), Chibi Theater: Fly, Cadets, Fly! (voiced in Japanese though subtitled in English), an eyecatch gallery and textless versions of both the opening and ending themes. The collection itself also comes in three flavors: a regular edition that consists of both copies of the Blu-ray and DVD, a limited edition, which features the same discs with bonus features but also a twenty-four page digibook and lenticular art card and finally, a FUNimation exclusive collector's edition that included four pins and two necklaces on top of the items from the limited edition. Though there is a price difference between the three packages, it's nice to have choices that appeal to how much you like Attack on Titan.

Watching the Blu-ray version, colors popped and the visuals were quite clear but thanks to the added clarity, one can easily see how the production budget varied from episode to episode as there were elements that were downright ugly. The translation choices of FUNimation's staff were great, as I do prefer "omnidirectional gear" when describing the 3D gear that the Military Corps uses to maneuver as well as maintaining many of the Germanic names in their correct forms. Subtitles were clear and easy to read but what was a bit curious as to how the subtitles would obscure cast names during the opening and ending animations. Sound in both Japanese and English were well done, as it was interesting to hear the characters in both languages, while also hauntingly grotesque as you could hear bones crunch and blood spattering with clarity that you wish you hadn't heard. One grievance I did have though with the English dub was the odd omission of closed captioning, as that just struck me as weird thing to cut out.

Attack on Titan itself is quite a captivating series, from the mystery of the Titans, to the trials of Eren and his friends and all of the literal gut-wrenching action in-between. The story offers many twists and turns while not shying away from the rather graphic depictions of violence – both from the humans and the Titans themselves. It's actually refreshing and hopefully the plot continues without having to rely on too many tropes. Overall, FUNimation did a commendable job with not only their English translations and dub, but also providing a good value for fans to watch. Both the limited and collector's editions will certainly appeal to more hardcore fans, but again, having a choice is nice. Visuals were clear, colors were bright as well as corrected from some of the errors during the initial airing in Japanese and the translation was solid. A few hiccups with the placement of subtitles, the weird omission of closed caption text and the rather bare-bones treatment of the regular edition set are probably the only downers in the set but in all, hopefully some of these things can be ironed out in future releases.

Pros:

• Engaging story and characters

• Solid translation and voice-work for both Japanese and English staff

• Choice in sets offered for fans – from casual to hardcore

Cons:

• Sloppy placement of some subtitles during the opening/ending visuals

• No Closed Caption text when watching English dub

• Regular edition set is very bare-bones

• Story pacing is a bit erratic

• Some parts are overacted a bit.

Disclosure: A review copy was provided by the distributor.

The proceeds from the fundraiser will help finance a special Tokyo Girls' Style TV documentary in San Francisco highlighting their debut U.S. appearance with full of Sunflowers at Union Square in San Francisco in addition to interviews and other special J-POP SUMMIT Festival appearances. The documentary will be co-produced with SPACE SHOWER TV.

For the documentary, the group will be distributing replica sunflowers to concertgoers attending their concert on Saturday evening and will ask the audience to wave them in concert when they perform the song "Himawari to Hoshikuzu" (lit. Sunflowers and Stardust). Their hope is to envelope the entire area with a sea of sunflowers and capture the grand spectacle on video.

Pledge "Seeds" start at $19.00 and Tokyo Girls' Style plans to thank their contributors with a variety of premium items including behind the scenes performance, backstage photos, DVDs of the San Francisco concert, autographed goods and more. With only eight days remaining in the campaign, the group has currently received 3,100,000 seeds with a grand goal of $4,000,000.00. Although the top two tiers are currently sold out, there is still plenty of time to donate for their middle tier of $293 which includes five candid photos of the cute idols along with an invitation into the seating lottery for the after meeting event, private mini concert and handshake/photo event.

For more information on the campaign, please visit: http://tokyogirlsupdate.com/crowd/en/single.php?project_id=286
For more information on the group, visit: http://tokyogirlsstyle.jp/tokyogirlsstyle_en
For music videos visit: http://www.youtube.com/user/TokyoGirlsStyle

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About TOKYO GIRLS' STYLE

"We want to express the joy of music by singing and dancing!"

The group was formed on Jan. 1st, 2010. 5-membered dance&vocal girls group from Avex, which hasn't produced girls group for a long while, and consisting members are Ayano Konishi, Miyu Yamabe, Hitomi Arai, Yuri Nakae, and Mei Shouji. They had a lot of experiences, and aim to become a group which is active not only in Japan but also in the entire Asian region.

They started performing periodic concerts twice a month, and their main activity is live concerts; their 1st Japan Tour was held in May, 2011. They released the 1st album. In October, the tickets of their first hall concert in Nakano Sun Plaza on December 24, 2011 were sold out. Not only their live performance earns popularity, but also they get high evaluation. For example, their 2nd album release "Limited addiction" released in Mar 2012 was nominated for the record shop grand prix. On Apr 30, 2012, they held the 2nd JAPAN TOUR in six cities across Japan. At their final live on May 20 in Hibiya open-air concert hall, they announced in front of 3,000 people that they would hold Nippon Budokan performance. They succeeded in it on Dec 22 last year and they established a record of the youngest girls' group of Nippon Budokan performance since their average age was 15.

Their 11th single "ROAD TO BUDOKAN 2012 ~ Bad Flower ~" was at the 4th of Oricon weekly ranking. From this, three singles to the 13th single "Get The Star / Last Forever", ranked in Top 10 in series. They held the 3rd JAPAN TOUR in Zepp halls from Apr of 2013. Furthermore, they started their first crown TV programs in the BS Fuji. The linked lives were held at Kobe International Hall and Shibuya Public Hall. They received a good reputation with their performance including illusions, which was different from the past.

They held their performance in Nippon Budokan on December 22 of the second consecutive year, 2013! In Budokan, they showed a more splendid and better stage than the previous year. In their 5th year of 2014, they will held their 4th national tour "Royal Mirrorball Discotheque"! They will do the performance with the remix sound source different from before! They go forward with an activity concept referred to as "We will tell you the joy of music with singing and dancing"! On the production side, they have received songs by Rock Musician and LUNA SEA bassist J, Koide Yusuke from BaseBallBear who wrote the music and lyrics for a song, and with additional contributions from Hachioji P and Kikuo from VOCALOP, they have broadened their range in music, as well as additional music activities as solo members features as vocals in Maltine Girls Wave etc.

And finally with already two movies in 2014, casting all 5 members ( A Film Directed by Yamato Yuki "Your dream in 5 seconds" In Theaters from March 8th~・ A True Horror Film "Ghost Stories at School - Curses of Kotodana" In Theaters from May 23rd) new challenges have been presented and their activities besides music is also gathering a lot of buzz and attention.

Also one of their main concepts to enter the Asian market has been fulfilled with their album released in Taipei and Hongkong. Ranking in the TOP 10 J-POP chart in France, and with additional overseas activities planned for this year, they will strive to become a group that performs from Asia to all over the world!

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Tickets can be purchased at Live Nation Concerts.

 2014 J-POP SUMMIT FESTIVAL AND MOSHI MOSHI NIPPON PRESENT DIVERSE NEW SIDES OF JAPANESE POP STYLE WITH "KAWAii!!" THEMED FASHION AND MUSIC EVENTS

San Francisco's Annual Summertime Japanese Pop Culture Extravaganza Spotlights An Array Of Edgy Fashion Shows, Live Music Performances And Unique Shopping Opportunities

San Francisco, CA, June 24, 2014 – The 2014 J-POP SUMMIT Festival, San Francisco's premiere celebration of Japanese pop culture, music, fashion and film, announces the return of a variety of "KAWAii!!" themed fashion shows, contests and live performances showcasing edgy new sides of Japanese pop style along with autograph and meet-and-greet opportunities with some of the J-Pop fashion world's fastest rising stars.

Japan's unique "Harajuku culture" has evolved into "KAWAii" culture, which focuses on ever-evolving new forms of "cute" couture and is having tremendous impact on international pop/rock music and fashion. "KAWAii" is a word often used to comment on style and fashion and has become part of the daily vernacular of the youth culture of many countries.

This year's KAWAii!! events are supported by Consulate General of Japan in San Francisco and presented as the first collaboration with the MOSHI MOSHI NIPPON Project, a new initiative developed by ASOBISYSTEM, a prominent entertainment company based in Harajuku, Tokyo widely known for managing pop icon Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, to promote a wider range of Japanese pop culture on an even bigger, more global level. Additional information on the MOSHI MOSHI NIPPON initiative is available at: http://moshimoshi-nippon.jp/en.

Also returning will be the J-POP SUMMIT KAWAii!! Pop-Up Shop. A colorful Kawaii!! fashion boutique stocked with a wide selection of unique items from some of the hottest labels imported straight from Tokyo will be open inside NEW PEOPLE (MARUQ on Mezzanine Floor). NEW PEOPLE is the renowned Japanese pop culture entertainment complex located at 1746 Post St. San Francisco, CA 94115 in the heart of the city's Japantown district. More details on are available at: http://www.j-pop.com/2014/harajuku-kawaii.

"POP is Our Tradition" is the theme of the 2014 J-POP SUMMIT and the annual Festival has always showcased the strong influence of pop culture on modern fashion in Japan, which has become an epicenter of some of the world's newest trends. The J-POP SUMMIT has become one of the largest events in the United States dedicated to showcasing the many sides of Japanese pop culture and fandom. Attendance in 2013 exceeded 80,000 people.

MOSHI MOSHI NIPPON Presents KAWAii!! Events & Special Programming

KAWAii!! FASHION CONTEST
Saturday, July 19th, 1:00pm, Pagoda Main Stage, Japantown
This year, the J-POP SUMMIT will hold a special fashion contest where contestants can show off their own Kawaii fashion style! The Festival welcome Una, Ayumi Seto, Akira and Misa Kimura as judges! The winner will receive KAWAii!! an assortment of premiums including "Aymmy in the batty girls' products. Additional information on this event is available at: http://www.j-pop.com/2014/harajuku-kawaii.

"AYMMY IN THE BATTY GIRLS" FASHION SHOW
Saturday, July 19th, 1:00pm, Pagoda Main Stage, Japantown
Models Ayumi Seto, Misa Kimura, Una and join others from Bay Area to showcase the colorful summer collection from Seto's brand new fashion line, "Aymmy in the batty girls." Many of the same outfits featured in the show will be available to purchase at KAWAii!! Pop-Up Store located inside the NEW PEOPLE building (Mezzanine Level).

AKIRA LIVE PERFORMANCE
Saturday, July 19th, 1:00pm, Pagoda Main Stage, Japantown
J-POP SUMMIT fans can catch Akira, a popular model and singer in a special solo live set. She notably debuted as a model for "KERA," a popular gothic fashion magazine, and quickly became one of the top models in Japan. Akira is also a pop singer and her debut single, "Aoki Tsuki Michite," is featured as the ending theme of the popular anime series, Black Butler ‾ Book of Circus. Her music and striking gothic-androgynous style have captured legions of fans both in Japan and internationally and her debut album is slated to release on July 30th. For more information please visit: Akira.

UNA LIVE PERFORMANCE
Saturday, July 19th, 6:30pm-8:30pm, J-POP LIVE at UNION SQUARE
Sunday, July 20th, 12:45pm, Pagoda Main Stage, Japantown
Una is a charismatic model well-known in the Harajuku scene for her unique and edgy fashion style. She launched pop music career with her first single "Juicy Juicy" last year and went on to release digital mini album, "True of Lights/Danse Danse." Una participated in "U-EXPRESS LIVE 2014″ in Saitama and appeared with Katy Perry, Kyary Pamyu Pamyu and released her newest "BOOM BOOM BOOM," in April. She brings her danceable groove to J-POP SUMMIT for a special concert performance not to be missed! For more details, please visit: UNA.

AYUMI SETO AUTOGRAPH & PHOTO SESSION
Saturday, July 19th, 3:00pm, NEW PEOPLE Mezzanine
Sunday, July 20th, 2:00pm, NEW PEOPLE Mezzanine
Ayumi Seto, a fashion model and designer of her own new brand, "Aymmy in the batty girls," will hold a special autograph/photo session on both days of J-POP SUMMIT! Each day, the first 50 customers to purchase "Aymmy in the batty girls" products during festival will receive a pass! For more information, please visit: Ayumi Seto.

KAWAii!! POP-UP SHOP AT NEW PEOPLE
Saturday, July 19th & Sunday, July 20th, 11:00am-6:00pm
NEW PEOPLE Mezzanine
Visit NEW PEOPLE's retail store, located inside the MARUQ boutique the venue's Mezzanine Floor, will offer exclusive lines of fashion apparel, designs and accessories imported strait from Tokyo! Don't miss the new summer collections of "Aymmy in the batty girls," a new fashion brand inspired by a unique mix of 60s and 70s Americana popular culture, punk and rock fashion designed by model Ayumi Seto.

KAWAii!! MEET-UP AREA Presented By MOSHI MOSHI NIPPON
Saturday, July 19th & Sunday, July 20th, 11:00am-6:00pm
KAWAii!! TENT, Post Street, Japantown
MOSHI MOSHI NIPPON will host a special tents located on Post St. in the heart of the J-POP SUMMIT Festival action where Kawaii fans can gather and meet! Get special info about the latest Kawaii trends, check out new merchandise, and meet other fans and models! More information will be updated at: www.j-pop.com/2014/harajuku-kawaii.

This year, the J-POP SUMMIT offers a wide variety of programming including FREE live concerts by top J-Pop and J-Rock artists on the Pagoda Main Stage in Japantown and also at the special "J-POP LIVE at UNION SQUARE" concert on the evening of Saturday, July 19th in San Francisco's historic downtown commercial intersection. J-POP SUMMIT will also present a variety of special Guest of Honor appearances, sake-tasting and fine foods events at the POP GOURMET Food Festival, and first-run theatrical film premieres at NEW PEOPLE Cinema that launch the second annual Japan Film Festival of San Francisco (JFFSF). Complete details on key events and major attractions are available at: http://www.j-pop.com and www.JFFSF.org.

Stay tuned for additional J-POP SUMMIT Guest of Honor, programming and event announcements!

About J-POP SUMMIT Festival
Launched in 2009, J-POP SUMMIT Festival is an annual street fair held in San Francisco, CA that celebrates Japanese popular culture. By introducing the latest in Japanese music, film, art, fashion, gaming, anime, food, as well as niche subcultures, the festival has become a prominent platform to showcase the latest pop trends and creative innovations from Japan.

The 5th annual J-POP SUMMIT held in July 2013 welcomed more than 80,000 attendees, making it one of the largest Japanese festivals in the United States. In addition to the original Festival held in Japantown, new attractions include the J-POP LIVE AT UNION SQUARE concert in downtown San Francisco, the Bay Area's premier dedicated Japan Film Festival of San Francisco, and sake-tasting and fine foods events at the POP GOURMET Food Festival, which have each further enriched the experience. Additional information about J-POP SUMMIT Festival is available at: J-POP.com.

We start with three new recruits who are hired to work for a government office building in Mitsuba (fictional), Hokkaido. Each of the new recruits has their own story of why he/she applied for the job, but no one has a more unique story like Lucy (...) Yamagami. Well you noticed the (...), that's because her name is somewhat unique in length. When she was born her parents wanted to give her a special name but they couldn't decide on one, two or three. So they gave her the name Lucy Kimiko Akie Airi Shiori Rinne Yoshiho Ayano Tomika Chitose Sanae Mikiko Ichika ... Yamagami. So what does that have to do with her working at the office? Well you see she is seeking revenge against the public servant who approved her birth certificate. Definitely a logical plan wouldn't you say?

As for the other new recruits Yutaka Hasebe is a slacker and just has no real motivation, but he comes from a long line of public servants in his family. He teases Lucy for having her name and is seen going around to every girl he meets and asking for their email. While Saya Miyoshi is shy and quiet, she is twenty-four and just out of college. She is placed in the front desk, which is more like an information desk, where she has to listen to people talk and can't stop them due to her being shy and polite. Also there are other characters such as Megumi Chihaya who is working as temp due to her other obligations which mostly revolves around cosplaying and comiket. Then we have the supervisor Taishi Ichimiya who is supposed to be somewhat of a boss to the recruits, but he is more of a push over. Then we have the section chief of the health and welfare department, but the twist is he is shy to the point that he works in the office by remote access through a stuffed rabbit doll.

At the beginning of the anime it seemed to me like it would be closer to the anime Genshiken which was a good thing since that series was a fun all around "slice-of-life" series. I was also happy to read that the main character Lucy who is voiced by Ai Kayano who also voiced Menma in Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day, which I enjoyed watching. Also one more voice talent that I was thrilled to see in this series was Mai Nakahara who voiced Saya Miyoshi, the shy college graduate, known from her role in Clannad as Nagisa Furusawa. I got excited when one of the characters showed interest in anime and cosplaying, thinking they will relate this series to the otaku culture, but no luck. So I was sitting there episode after episode hoping it would start to pick up or show a defined path it would take.

I understand that each series has its own style and pace, but Servant x Service was lacking a little bit for my taste. As for the development of the characters I think that thirteen episodes are not enough to try to develop the seven plus characters. I would really like to see a second season where we find out about all the questions and issues that were hinted or uncovered through the course of the series. The only thing this anime made me do was look into the manga since I know that manga usually feature storylines that don't make it into the anime for numerous reasons. So I guess I will start to read the manga and hope that this anime gets a second season.

Strictly speaking, Servant x Service doesn't have a clear plot like other animes that you might be familiar with and it seems like it isn't finished at the end. I place this anime in a category pretty much by itself as it is more along the lines of the typical American sitcom you watch once in a while on TV. I suggest watching this with an open mind and not to expect your typical anime story. With that said I don't recommend it for fans of action, magical or fantasy anime; this is for the fans of drama with a wide open plot.

Pros:

• Unique genre, comedy sitcom feel to it

• Interesting characters, reminds me of Genshiken

• Only thirteen episodes

Cons:

• Anime ended without a real closure ending

• Series ended with a sort of pause

• Needs more character developing plot (needs a second season)

• Pace of anime was somewhat slow paced

Disclosure: A review copy was provided by the distributor.

Other features will include:

• Live tweets, hot off the convention floor
• Gorgeous cosplay photos from our talented team of photographers
• Video recordings of the press conferences of your favorite Guests behind closed doors
• Fantastic giveaways
• And more

With a cornucopia of action-packed panels, concerts and more, AX'14 is sure to set the bar for future years to come. So be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter for all things AX!

To enter into the contest to meet Tomomi Itano:

1) Purchase VIP Pass A or B by July 11th 5pm PST ☞ VIP Pass
2) People who are eligible will receive the email from us with a link to Entry Sheet.
3) Complete the Entry Sheet and submit by Monday, July 14th (12:00pm PST).
4) The Lucky 50 winners will be notified via email by Monday, July 14th.
*Specific location and the ticket to the autograph session will be given at VIP Pass booth when you pick up your pass.

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About Tomomi Itano:

Born in Kanagawa, Japan in 1991. Tomomi Itano joined AKB48 in 2005 as an original member. In 2011, while continuing her activity as a core member of AKB48, she made a solo debut with song Dear J. Only six months later, she released her 2nd single Fuini and it reaches the top on Japan's 'Oricon' single chart. Since then, she has constantly released her singles, 10nen-go no Kimi e, 1%, and little, and they all were instant hits. In 2013, she graduated from the group and has been focusing on her solo career.

Since her first model appearance in a fashion magazine in 2008, she has become a fashion-icon among the younger generation. In 2011, she became the fashion brand celebrity icon for "Samantha Thavasa."

In 2012, she appeared in TV commercials for 22 companies, and she set the record for that year. She is one of the busiest young artist in Japan today.

For more information on the J-POP Summit Festival 2014, visit: http://www.j-pop.com/2014/

Though he has been hard at work on Mighty No. 9 with his current company, Comcept, the Rockman series has never been far from his thoughts as he considers Mighty No. 9 his "spiritual successor" to the Rockman series. Ever wonder why Mega Man's boots look the way they do or why he's known as "The Blue Bomber"? Other tidbits such as his view on how mainstream games have become accepted in our culture, how come game development is still difficult in Japan and why fan input is so important for the development of Mighty No. 9 are all answered by the man himself.

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You're appearing in K: Missing Kings film. What do you bring through the new character of Yukari Mishakuji, and how did they approach you to do this role?

Masakazu Morita: [Yukari Mishakuji] is a new type of character in K. One of the reasons this character is a new type, is that this is a very pretty male character. However, he talks like he's a female. That being said, this character doesn't fit in the typical mold of the effeminate male type. He just happens to talk like a female. He's actually a very strong character. There is a character named Kuro, who has already been in the series, and Yukari's ahead of him.

In this theatrical release, the battle between the two will be the focus of the film. It's not that Yukari wants to defeat Kuro though, but the reason is a secret. In fact, the motives for his actions are not very obvious throughout the movie. One thing that is obvious is that beauty is the key to everything he does. So when that was presented to me, it was a little bit difficult since I didn't know the full motives behind the character. You probably know that the weapons in K is a katana. As such, Yukari was designed to fit the beauty of the katana and the samurai. That's something that I really want the overseas fans to look for.

You've acted in a lot of anime roles, including Ichigo from Bleach and Barnaby Brooks Jr. from Tiger & Bunny. You were also in several video game roles including Tidus from Final Fantasy X. Of the two, do you prefer acting in video games more or anime?

Masakazu Morita: As someone who enjoys both, I don't have a particularly strong preference. However, one thing that is interesting about games is that when I act I end up recording the entire storyline all at the same time. So there is definitely a more concentrated effort. This is an aspect of game recording that I really like.

On the other hand, with animation, there is more of a fan interaction over Twitter or through fan letters. These fan interactions are something that I really enjoy.

With games, they're self-paced and every player plays at his or her own pace and progress on their own so that they all end up having a different experience. However, with anime they all have a shared experience of watching that same episode. As an actor, I really like having that common experience amongst the people who experience it.

In a related question, if you were to fast forward career ten years into the future, which of the many roles you've played would you say best represents your legacy as a voice actor?

Masakazu Morita: Hmmmm....let's see. Well I'm forty-two this year, and I did the role of Tidus maybe around twelve or thirteen years ago. I loved him then, and I still love him now. However, if I think of what I might be doing ten years from now then the characters that I'm doing now may not represent me all that well at that time.

As I age, I will surely have a chance to play middle-aged men or even older-aged men. As I age, I would love to be able to play much more mature characters and have success at those roles. [phone ring] Haha, somebody's phone is ringing. Ah, that must be John. Haha.

As someone who's had an extensive career in voice acting, you must have had tons of interactions with other voice actors. Can you share any memorable instances or experiences with us between you and your fellow voice actors while recording an anime series?

Masakazu Morita: Just like in any other entertainment industry, including Japan, things happen every day. So something extraordinary might be happening but we've become so accustomed to it that we may have become numb to it. So we don't really know what's extraordinary anymore.

Not so much as a voice actor, but as a live action actor who's been on the stage, there were several instances where I think back to myself "that wasn't so good, I was just dead on the stage."

Let me rephrase that question. How about your most fun memories?

Masakazu Morita: This was in a relationship to a game that I was working on- [phone rings] Hi John. Haha. Anyways, there was an event for a game that I was working on where there was an event that required us to sing. Since I was in a marching band in high school, as a drummer, I was able to draw from that experience and create a formation for the seven of us to perform in. This was something memorable that I experienced recently.

Marching in itself is very difficult as there are lots of techniques involved, which is something that you can't teach yourself overnight. However, the fellow actors I was working with really impressed me in that they were able to learn the entire formation in about an hour and a half.

Was there a big difference in recording the role of Tidus in Final Fantasy X versus reprising his role Dissidia Final Fantasy?

Masakazu Morita: When I reprised the role of Tidus in Dissidia, over ten years had passed since I played Tidus in Final Fantasy X, which at that time there was no Tidus, so initially I was unsure if I could voice the character in the same way.

At the time when I first recorded Tidus, I believe I was only twenty-six or twenty-seven. Since that time, my voice has changed a bit and I was a bit concerned that it would be the same voice. In between the time I recorded Tidus, I had recorded voices for Ichigo from Bleach and Keiji Maeda from Sengoku Basara, which were both voices in the lower range. I thought that these roles may have affected my vocal chord since they were lower.

When I returned to Tidus, I tried my best to record it similarly to what I had originally done. I was really glad when the voice director came to me and told me that my voice hadn't changed. It's so good to be really young throughout haha.

In Saint Seiya: the Hades Chapter, you stepped into the role of Pegasus Seiya. How was it playing that character? Did you take any cues from Toru Furuya or did the voice director give you some specific directions? How was it working on that series?

Masakazu Morita: There wasn't a whole lot of direction. I didn't talk to Furuya-san and he didn't give me any advice, nor did the voice director give me any special instructions on how to play him.

I think when Furuya-san's Saint Seiya came out, I was in eighth grade and I was really a huge fan of Saint Seiya and Pegasus. To create the character, I got my inspiration from the original work.

In Japan right now, there is a full CG version of Saint Seiya and Pegasus is currently being played by another voice actor. However, I would love to reprise that role and continue to provide dreams and hopes for the children who really enjoyed that series.

Can you tell us about your role in Sengoku Basara: Judge End?

Masakazu Morita: Judge End actually just started yesterday, and in comparison with the other Sengoku Basaras, the role might be a little bit quieter. My character doesn't actually appear until the later episodes.

Since it just aired, I'm really curious to see what the fan reaction is going to be like. I'm curious but it's also a little bit frightening as well. One thing that I will say about this Sengoku Basara is that this particular iteration has very powerful artwork, and I believe this strength will be conveyed to people who watch the show.

Keiji is actually one of the main characters in the game, but do you feel as though he may have taken a back seat in the anime?

Masakazu Morita: Haha, I think you stepped on the mine. In number two, along with a movie, Keiji was the main character however since then it feels as though he isn't the main character. In number three there was Ieyasu, who was one of the principle leads and I've been wondering when Keiji's turn would be coming. However, story has progressed since then I'm worried that may not happen.

You've had a very long and extensive career, but what would you say was your most difficult challenge either in your career or hobbies? And of all the roles you've played, which character would you say that you're the most connected to personality-wise?

Masakazu Morita: It's really an interesting thing. The easiest, hardest and character that I like the most is Tidus. While I've played a lot of roles, Tidus was the only one where I didn't really have to do any character study.

When I first played the role in Final Fantasy X, I was really just acting as myself. Although it was initially easy, at one point I began to feel quite scared. Since Final Fantasy is such a popular series worldwide, I felt that a lot of people would get to know me if I acted as myself. So had people not liked that character, it would have been like they were denying me. That was a very fearful thought.

To tell you how similar Tidus and I are, I hid some of the lines during the original recording and just reacted how I would interact with the other characters on screen. In many cases, they were exactly the same as what I would say personally. So in the end, the choice and the thought process with Tidus were really all the same. I realized that if this character was not accepted by fans around the world, then fans would be denying me and everything that I've done so far. That was extremely scary.

Tidus was me and I was Tidus and we were both one in the same. The only thing I could do was do the best that I could so that's what I did. As an optimist, I did realize that if everyone hated Tidus, then I would just need to wake up the next morning and do the complete opposite. Then everyone would love me! I realized that was a great way to succeed.

I think that really goes for anyone. If people don't really like the way that you currently are, you can just turn everything that was black today into white tomorrow and everyone would love you for it. I think that sort of mentality has definitely led to the person that I am now.

In the end, everyone loved Tidus so I still don't really know if what I had been doing was good or bad or what. I don't really know if I'm doing the right thing, so I may have missed out on the opportunity to mature.

Did you expect that American fans would be able to fill such a large room for the Kill la Kill event?

Ami Koshimizu: Well, we were hoping for that and were glad that there was such a huge turnout. So wish fulfilled.

Ryoka Yuzuki: Likewise I was really glad about the turnout. When we do events in Japan, a lot of fans tend to be more reserved and when we were debuting the English dub of episode one there were a lot of cheers when someone's favorite character appeared on-screen. This really made our day.

At the concert, you two stated that this was the first time you two cosplayed. How did it feel putting them on for the first time? Did it help you feel closer to the characters?

Ami Koshimizu: It was somewhat embarrassing, but it does help you feel a little bit closer to the character. I do hope that I didn't disillusion anyone's expectations about how their favorite character should be. Since I don't have the height like Ryouka, I may have disillusioned some people.

During the Kill la Kill event, you had a chance to the hear the voices of Ryouko and Satsuki in English for the first time. What were your impressions of the voices?

Ami and Ryoka: It was very exciting!

Ami Koshimizu: It wasn't just our characters. When we heard the voices of the other characters, we were impressed with how closely the English cast matched the Japanese cast.

Ryoka Yuzki: It was very nice revisiting episode one as well.

At the event, Ryoka stated that the character designs might have been inspired by the voice actresses. Did you inspire the design?

Ryoka Yuzuki: Well it may have been more of a fluke, since we were hired after the character designs were completed. I, myself, wouldn't choose actors based on how they look, but how they sound. It is entirely possible that they had the character design in mind when they were hiring us. Otherwise it's really just a fluke and it's also a fluke that I have fake eyebrows.

What further plans do you have here in California after the convention?

Ami and Ryoka: We need to get food, go shopping and buy gifts and souvenirs since we've only been to the hotel and the convention so far.

Is Disneyland a possibility?

Ami Koshimizu: I definitely want to go to Disneyland, but schedule wise it is not possible. However, there is the other task of enjoying American meat and I will have plenty of that. The red meat is especially nice, it's nice and tender.

What anime characters did you like growing up? Do you try to emulate them in your performance?

Ami Koshimizu: Lum-chan from Urusei Yatsura is one of my favorite anime characters. Her performance does not influence my voice acting, but I definitely love her character. My father was actually a big fan of Urusei Yatsura. I was almost named Lum instead of Ami. However, since my father ran a meat shop that would not have been an appropriate name.

If you could voice any other character from Kill la Kill or any other anime series who would it be?

Ami Koshimizu: For Kill la Kill, perhaps Mako or Guts.

Ryoka Yuzuki: Guts is also voiced by the same voice actor who does Tsumugu Kinagase.

As a Californian, I definitely recommend going to In-N-Out. It's really big amongst the guests. Anyways, you guys seem really different from the characters you portray on-screen. Particularly that you're so light and cheerful when you're so badass in the anime. Is it hard for you to become an entirely different person when acting.

Ami and Ryoka: Our true selves are not bad ass or scary, but are very gentle. However, tension is usually very high when we record.

This question is for Satsuki. Your voice as the character is insanely low. What did you have to prep yourself to get yourself to that level?

Ryoka Yuzuki: Perhaps I have to get myself into it by submersing myself into the character. By doing that, it would project an image of being strong. The real me though, is quite opposite of that. So I thought it would be hard to exert myself into the role.

For example in episode one, Gamagori's yell was insanely loud and the recording director told me to follow that up as much weight as possible. So I decided to put all my effort into producing a low voice. When you stand next to his voice actor, you can feel your script vibrate from the strength.

This question is for (Ami) Koshimizu. You were just cast as Sailor Jupiter for Sailor Moon Crystal. However, this is not your first time playing a school girl. You also played as Hibiki Hojo in Suite PreCure. Now you're working with the director of Suite PreCure and as another voice actress from the series. How do you feel about working with them again?

Ami Koshimizu: When I was a child, one of my favorite shows was Sailor Moon and never dreamt that I would be cast in the series. So this really feels me with a lot of happiness. I do believe that the magical girl genre is something that should be enjoyable for little children to watch and I love the idea of being part of it.

I hope that a child watching Sailor Moon Crystal might grow up and be inspired to work with me on a future show.

I'm sure that there will be many fans for the English version of Kill la Kill. Can you tell us what your favorite scene is?

Ami Koshimizu: Kill la Kill is such an intense show, that you'll miss out if you blink. So I can't really say that there's really a favorite scene. Try not to breathe either, but try not to die too.

As cast members we do have moments of intenseness. We do have really intense recording sessions. For example, the battle with Ryouko against Gamagori during the battle against the Elite Four and the final battle in the last episode. I'm sure that the English actors will experience this intensity as well.

Ryoka Yuzuki: For anyone who hasn't Kill la Kill, you must watch it until episode three. There's a nice transformation scene. As for us we put a lot of effort into episode twenty-five so there's another one.

If you could describe the other voice actors outside of the recording studio, like Mako's and the Elite Four's, what would it be and why?

Ami and Ryoka: A lot the voice actors are as they are.

Ryoka Yuzuki: Especially Mako.

Ami Koshimizu: It's very uncanny the way Mako's voice actress looks and acts. Her personality it's just like her.

When you act in such a large series such as Kill la Kill, fans often give gifts to show their appreciation. What are some of the stranger gifts that you've received?

Ami Koshimizu: Gutsu!
Ryoka Yuzuki: Aaaah, Gutsu!
Ami Koshimizu: Yah, we received a Gutsu wearing a Senketsu uniform. Gutsu!!! It was very cute.

This question is for Ami. As a fan of Kallen from Code Geass, if she were to have a Geass what do you think it would be and why?

Ami Koshimizu : Hmmmm...Kallen with a Geass? Let me think about that one. I personally would hope that she would have a Geass that could instill happiness onto others.

Sushio was quite funny on stage, but when he's in the studio is he making jokes or is he often off to the side like we saw him on the stage just drawing?

Ami and Ryoka: This was the first time that we saw Sushio in that kind of mood. However, the other day we did see him during an interview that we did together. So perhaps the fact that he's quiet is an act that he puts on or maybe it's the other way around. Perhaps he's a very shy boy or a being shy is an act.

Both of you have had an extensive career in voice acting, like Ami's who's worked a lot with Jun Fukuyama, can you tell us if there were any specific voice actors or actresses that you've really enjoyed working with over the years?

Ami Koshimizu: For someone with the same gender, that would be Yuzu! If someone from the opposite gener, that would be Nobuyuki Hiyama. I'm very happy that that I got to be in the same cast as him in Kill la Kill.

You two look amazing in your cosplay. How does it feel to see so many guys and girls dress up as a character you played because they admire you so much? Also, were you shocked with any of the nudist beach cosplays here at Anime Expo?

Ryoka Yuzuki: Thank you!

Ami Koshimizu: Wonderful! Everyone in cosplay is so great. Especially with all of the boobs that you can see, just like the anime! That's not something you would see much of in Japan. Also there's so many pikachu cosplay that are great. Again that's not something you would see in Japan. There's a lot of variations on it. There's this one cosplayer in a suit and wearing pikachu ears.

Earlier today, you had an autograph session where there were a lot of fans who lined up inside and outside to try and meet you two. How did it feel seeing them there?

Ami Koshimizu: I was very glad to see that there was such a nice turnout. However, time was so limited that it's regrettable that we couldn't sign for everyone. So if we get another chance to be invited back to AX, we hope to sign more so everyone gets a chance.

What item(s) were you surprised to see your fans asking you two to sign?

Ami Koshimizu: There were so many scissor props that were big and heavy. I was a bit hesitant to ruin the props, but I guess those were things that the fans wanted signed.

Can you two talk about a particular favorite moment that you two shared while recording the series?

Ami Koshimizu: For me that would be episode three, where we shared a mutal transformation scene. However after the original recording, Yuzu said to do it over again. That's where I really felt a connection between our characters. That's definitely something that I recall.

Ryoka Yuzuki: In the studio, I can tell that Ami's character, Ryuko, really falls in love with her uniform Senketsu. I have a crush on her character so I had a very deep jealousy against that process.

How did it feel watching the first episode after you two finished recording it?

Ryoka Yuzuki: It was quite moving to see the final product, episode one. Especially since I didn't see it originally since I was in the recording studio. However when you see it with sound effects, music, closing and opening, you see a really intense show and it made me really happy that we were involved in the production.

There was a bit of reflection for me though since there were parts where I felt that I could have done better. However, that was because we had to compete against the intensity of the animation. So in the end, we considered Sushio our main rival.

What would you two tell people who criticize or dismiss Kill la Kill for being overly misogynistic or "fan servicey"?

Ami and Ryoka: For anyone who is familiar with old school Japanese animation, we could say that there were a lot of hot-blooded anime characters who would fight for their principles. That's the reference that Kill la Kill is all about. If you look at anime today, there's so much self-censorship that you can't tell if there's an up or down, action and violence.

If you look at Kill la Kill, you have to wonder who's going to be in charge of all this graphical depictions also you may see a lot of exposed skin; male and female alike. However, you see a lot of this exposed skin without feeling any eroticism. Moving on, Kill la Kill is a show where the characters fight without compromise to achieve their principles. That is the main gist of the show. So despite the negative connotations that you might see a lot of skin, that's not what the show is about. You can see that by watching that.

As you previously referenced, Kill la Kill has a very old school atmosphere. How did it feel to recreate something like this and did you have to conduct any research in order to get yourself into character?

Ryoka Yuzuki: Just as Ryuko says in the show, "get naked and get going." It is a show where you undress your heart and expose what you really are. Each recording session was like that, where everything was a match.

Ami Koshimizu: As for me I watched Gunbusters and Kazuki Yao was one of my role models.

Have you ever thought about branching your career into other mediums aside from anime? Like music, TV shows, films, etc.

Ami Koshimizu: Well, I really like the musical Les Miserables. I inspired and actually did do a lot of opera, but I never got good at singing so I decided that wasn't for me.

Ryoka Yuzuki: Well, Frozen is really popular right now. So perhaps I can do something with frozen like "Let it Go!" For me though, Wicked is my favorite musical so maybe something like that. Something that involves two principle female leads. How about we ask them to make something new though? Like chibi character Ryuko and Satsuki outside of Kill la Kill. Just the two of them outside. Maybe it can involve some singing. Maybe we can ask Mr. Nakajima to do something like that.

disclosure: we were not able to take pictures at the press conference, unfortunately, due to the request of Ami, Ryoka and their management

T-ONO: Can you tell us why you came to Anime Expo this time?

Tsukigami: Last year, we released this Moe Headphone at Summer Comiket. Apparently this year we got it kickstarted for an English release. Because of the kickstarter, we are here to spread the words of Moe Headphones.

T-ONO: What were your reactions when you saw so many people that recognized your work?

Tsukigami: I was really surprised. I am really happy that a lot of people know of my work. Probably because there is the internet and through social media content, they are getting to know my work.

T-ONO: Is this your first time in America or Los Angeles?

Tsukigami: This is my second time. The first time I was here, I was sightseeing. Last time I came over I was able to go to Long Beach, UCLA, Hollywood, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills basically all the sightseeing locations. For this year, I'm just going to concentrate on Anime Expo.

T-ONO: So, this is your first time at Anime Expo?

Tsukigami: Yes.

T-ONO: First time at an American convention?

Tsukigami: Everything, first time.

T-ONO: What are your thoughts on Anime Expo?

Tsukigami: Surprisingly, it's not that much different than Japanese events.

T-ONO: Was there anything memorable that you've shared with your fans?

Tsukigami: There is this limited doujinshi that I produced in Japan. It's really rare to get it in Japan because it's limited, but someone bought that limited doujinshi to here. I was really surprised and wondered how he got it. It's amazing that people in America were able to get their hands on some of these items.

T-ONO: What kind of mediums or techniques do you use? Draw first, then scan? Digital art?

Tsukigami: It's all digital. Even the rough drawings are done digitally.

T-ONO: Tablet?

Tsukigami: The actual tablet has a screen so it's like drawing on paper.

T-ONO: Was it a bit different transitioning from drawing on that tablet to drawing sketches for the fans?

Tsukigami: Sometimes I would draw manually. I try to make it consistent so there won't be a difference between the two. I practiced drawing manually a lot so there won't be any differences

T-ONO: Are there any current or future projects you're working on?

Tsukigami: Right now, I do a lot of magazine artwork. In the future, I want to work on animation.

T-ONO: Are there any particular animation studios or companies that you would like to work with?

Tsukigami: [Haha] There are some studios that I don't want to work with, but I do want to work with most of the studios.

T-ONO: How much research did you do for the Moe Headphone Reader?

Tsukigami: I bought every one of them. Even the things that were not in the book, I actually bought them. There were around 10 of them. I listened to each one and some of them were not good. I took out the ones that were bad and that is how I narrowed it down to six headphones.

T-ONO: How did you decide to place the girls with the headphones?

Tsukigami: I would look at the maker of where the headphone came from. For instance, the France one, it's actually from France. I wanted to use the white girl aspect with a little bit gorgeousness to match the image. For the wireless one, it feels like it's made for a worker which is why it has an office lady style girl. The Italian, like their cars, it's a really nice hot type girl.

T-ONO: Where else can we purchase your book?

Tsukigami: Currently, we have not decided yet. Please look forward to the release.

T-ONO: What would you want your American fans take away from your book?

Tsukigami: For the beginners who are looking at headphones, it is important to look at sound quality. As beginners, you don't really understand sound quality so I actually want them to focus on the designs. Outside of the six headphones that I presented in the book, try to find one that you like based on the designs and enjoy your headphone.

T-ONO: Is there any possibilities of future books featuring headphone girls?

Tsukigami: Not really scheduled currently.

T-ONO: Any final message to your fans that couldn't make it to Anime Expo?

Tsukigami: I can't really say, but please come next time. I don't know if I'm coming next time, but if I'm coming and you're coming, let's shake hands!

T-ONO: Thank you very much.

Tsukigami: Thank you very much.