Key points adapted from Japan Expo website: http://japan-expo.org/art-1363-en-autographs.html

• All autograph sessions require a confirmed coupon [ticket].
• Confirmed coupons may be obtained from the Autograph Desk.
• Morning autograph sessions tend to be first come first serve basis. (http://japan-expo.org/art-1410-en-schedule.html)
• Afternoon autograph sessions tend to be lottery based. (http://japan-expo.org/art-1410-en-schedule.html)
• You may only enter the lottery once per day per guest.
• You may only get 1 autograph a day per guest.
• Many guests have more than 1 autograph sessions a day.

 Exceptions

• Premiere attendees may retry the lottery multiple times (if failed) for a guest using their premiere coupons.
• Premiere attendees have a total of 15 coupons. (http://japan-expo.org/art-1326-en-ticketing.html)
• Exhibitors, professionals, and amateur artists/young creators are not eligible for either of these [autograph session] methods. 

Ticket information is as follows:

Los Angeles

The Downtown Independent
251 S Main St
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 617-1033

Date: August 31st, 2013
Time: 11:00AM - 1:00PM
Tickets: $20
http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/440640

New York City

Anthology Film Archives
32 Second Avenue
New York, NY 10003
(212) 505-5181

Date: August 31st, 2013
Time: 2:00PM - 4:00PM
Tickets: $20
http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/440667

Announced at GamesCom during Sony's Press Conference, the system will be coming out later this year in the United States on November 15th for $399. This, of course, is a convenient launching period as it is during shopping season.

Without a doubt, the console will be one of the hottest items on the market. According to Andrew House (President and Group CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment), the PlayStation 4 already has over one million pre-orders worldwide. I can only imagine the craziness that will ensue leading up to Christmas, especially on Black Friday.

T-ONO: First could you please introduce yourselves, and describe yourself in one word?
T-ONO: では、まず皆さんに軽く自己紹介をお願いします。それともし自分を一文字で表すのならどの文字で表しますか？

Shino: My name is Shino, if I would to describe myself in one word it would be "smile" because many people tell me I have a great smile.
Shino: お名前は紫乃です、自分のことを一言で表すのなら私は笑顔が良いといわれるんで、「笑」という漢字一文字です。

Nonchan: I'm Non-chan! If you write my name in Kanji, it uses the kanji for "hope" so I think I would describe myself as "hope."
Nonchan: のんちゃんです、自分を一文字で表すなら望（のぞみ）っという名前なんですけど、希望の望でのぞみなのでその字（「望」）かな？

Shiori: I am Shiori, Starmarie's dance and I am pretty weird, so I guess if I describe myself in one word it would be "weird."
Shiori: 栞です、Starmarieのダンスも私の性格もちょっと変わっているので、一文字で表すなら「変｣で。

T-ONO: How did you form the group Starmarie, and where did you get the name from?
T-ONO: スターマリーという名前はどうやって選んだのですか？

Shiori: We had a lot of choices for the group name, so the other ex-members of Starmarie, the producer, and I discussed it and chose Starmarie because it sounded good. So yes, we chose this name just because it sounded good and no particular reason. We were formed in 2008, 5 years ago and there was 2 other people other than me in the group. However two of the members quit, and a month later Nozomi joined and later Shino joined. That's how we were formed the group we have today.

Shiori: グループの名前はいくつか候補があって、今初期メンバーじゃないんですけど、初期のメンバーの中と社長と話あってStarmarieというのは響きがいいというだけのフィーリングだけなんですけど、それで決まりました、意味よく効かれるんですけど、意味はまったくないです。結成したのは２００８年で五年前なんですけど、その時はメンバーが３人で私と後二人他のメンバーがいて、それから色々１ヶ月で望が入ってきて、その後紫乃が入ってきて今の３人の体制になりました。

T-ONO: It's been 5 years since you debuted, has your style in music changed? If so, how?
T-ONO: ２００８年から５年もたっていますが、昔と比べて曲調は変わりましたか？もし変わっているのでしたら、どういう風に変わりましたか？

Shino: In the beginning, we were a brighter and happier group. Our group has a title of being "The fantasy unit," so we were making songs that were upbeat and sounded happy. However, we now make songs that are darker fantasy themed. A lot of the people die in our lyrics or gets cursed. Some of our songs are about haunted mansions. The imagery of the songs became significantly darker, and even our performance has changed. Before we were dancing like the everyday idol with cute dance moves. Now people tell us that our dance is "unique" and we are performing dance that is between creepy and cool. So yes I think we have changed a lot in this 5 years.
Shino: 最初のほうは明るいハッピーな、私達はファンタジーユニットという名前がついているんですけど、すごいハッピーの意味でのファンタジーで曲調も歌詞も明るいイメージだったんですけど、今はすごいダークなファンタジーなイメージの曲が多くて、結構曲の中で人が亡くなってしまう、呪われてしまったり、お化け屋敷の曲があったりとか、結構ダークなイメージの曲がすごく多くなってきて、フリも昔は結構アイドルっぽいかわいらしいフリだったんですけど、今はちょっと変わってるねって言われる気持ち悪い、格好いいの間ぐらいの結構すごい変わってるって言われるダンスをしていて、結構変わったと思います。

T-ONO: I heard this is your first time in L.A. Are there any particular places you want to go?
T-ONO:ロサンゼルスは初めてという事を聞きましたが、ロサンゼルスに着いたら絶対行きたい場所はありますか？

Shino: We actually went to Hollywood. We've always dreamed of going, and it was really fun!I love Disney and we found a Disney Cafe in Hollywood and I was so happy! I saw Donald Duck's foot print and that just made my day.
Shino：行きたかったハリウッドに昨日行けて、ものすっごい楽しくて、ディズニーがすごい好きなんですけど、ディズニーのカフェに行けて、それでとてもうれしかったですし。あとハリウッドでドナルドダックの足跡を見つけてすごいうれしかったです。

Nonchan: There were so many autographs of famous actors, just like what we saw on TV and got me excited!
Nonchan: 有名な俳優さんのサインいっぱいあって、テレビで見る光景を見れて大興奮しました。

T-ONO: So does that mean you feel like you've accomplished your goals in L.A?
T-ONO:つまりもう行きたい所には行ったということでしょうか？

Shiori: Oh wait, I haven't still eaten a big American size hamburger yet! [laughs]
Shiori: あ、でも後はおっきいハンバーグを食べたいですね！（笑)

T-ONO:What was your first impression meeting your fans in the US? How are they different from the Japanese fans?
T-ONO:アメリカのファンに始めてお会いしてどう思いましたか？日本のファンとアメリカのファンとはやはり違いますか？

Nonchan: Well, first when we got up on stage, everybody was really quiet, so I was worried if they would be mean to us, but when we started MCing, people cheered "yeah!" and "Woooh!" and I felt that's an American thing and made me happy. Also it surprised me when I saw a few people do "Ota-gei"(Japanese otakus' cheering dance). I realized how much Japanese culture is getting known in the United States and I was happy that people are getting to know Japan more.
Nonchan: そうですね、すごい最初出たときに皆さん静かだったので、なんか冷たかったらどうしようって思ってたんですけど、私がMCをしているときに「イエーイ」とか「ヒュー」とか言って下さって、そういうのってアメリカならではと思うので、そういうのがすごくうれしかったし、現地の方たちがすごいヲタ芸を踊ってて、それがすごいびっくりしました。日本の文化がここにも来ていると思って、すごいうれしくなってよかったです。

Shiori: Also when we shook hands with the fans, Japanese people are usually pretty shy, but the people over here were so friendly, it felt like I were there friends already and felt joyful.
Shiori: 握手とかのときも、日本の方って恥ずかしがりやの人が結構多いんですけど、こっちの方はすごいフレンドリーで明るくて、なんか昔から友達だったような気持ちになるぐらいすぐ仲良くなれそうで、うれしかったです。

T-ONO: Now that you have seen an American anime convention, how do you feel seeing these people interested in Japanese culture?
T-ONO：こういうアニメコンベンションでアメリカの人たちのこういう風な、コスプレやアニメに情熱を向ける姿を見て、どうおもいますか？

Shiori: I have heard it before that anime was getting popular in the US but I didn't really believe it until I saw it with my own eyes. It made me happy seeing people interested in our culture and when people talked to us in Japanese and told me anime made them interested in studying Japanese, it made me happy!
Shiori: 初めてみたんですけど、こんなに日本のアニメが広がっているのを目の当たりにして、話は聞いていたんですけど、すごいうれしくなりましたし。なれない日本語を一生懸命みなさんがたくさん話しかけてくれたり、アニメが好きで日本語勉強しているんだという方が結構いらっしゃったりですごいうれしかったです。

Nonchan: Seeing people not Japanese dressing up as a character that I know from an anime was just exciting! It was really fresh to me!
Nonchan: なんか自分が知っているアニメのキャラクターの格好をしている外国人の方を見るのがなんかすごい、おおおーー！とすごいなーとすごい新鮮でした。

Shino: The surprising thing is that there were people who dressed up like a normal Japanese student in uniform and wearing school uniforms.
Shino: びっくりしたのが、日本の学生の格好した方がいたり、なんかあのう、日本のアニメにあるスクール水着を着ている方がいてびっくりしました。

T-ONO: In all the songs in Starmarie, which songs do you think best represent yourselves?
T-ONO: Starmarieの曲でどの曲が一番自分たちにをあらわしていると思いますか？

Shiori: Well we didn't perform it today, but the song "Namida no Pan koujou Konseru ・ Kamata" I think would be the song that represents us. It's one of the songs that people get crazy when we perform in Japan and it was the song that changed our style into a darker fantasy style. The song is about a couple who eloped but got into an accident and dies. However after they die they became ghosts and opened a bakery. This song itself has a real dark image to it and I feel that shows us as Starmarie.
Shiori: えーっと、今日はやらなかったんですけど、「涙のパン工場コンセル・カマタ」という歌があって、その曲からすごいダークの方向に行くきっかけになった曲があるんですけど、日本のライブでは一番ぐらいに盛り上がってみんなが騒いでくれる曲なのでそこから自分たちの路線がすごいダークの方向に決まっていたのかなという所あって。歌詞がかけおちした二人がそのバスで事故で亡くなってしまって、その後に幽霊になってパン工場を経営してるという歌なんですけど、その歌詞自体がダークなんでそういうところが自分たちを表しているかなと思います。

Nonchan: Umm, I think the song we performed today "Mitsuboshi Restaurant Paul kara no Shoutaijyou" (The Three-Starred Restaurant/ Paul's invitation) would describe us. It's also the first song we shot the PV (promotional video) for and the PV for that is pretty weird too. We become dolls in the video and we wore different wigs when we shot the video and that was my first time doing any shoots like that. In Japan if you hear Starmarie, it's usually this song, so I think this song represents us the most.
NonChan：えっと、今日やった「三ツ星レストラン・ポールからの招待状」という曲がすごいあってるなと思うんですけど、初めてPVを撮った曲でそのPVもすごい変わった感じで、私達が人形になっちゃって、かつらを被ったりそうやってPVを撮った初めての作品なので、日本でもStarmarieと言ったらこの曲っていってもらってるんで、私達をあらわすならこの曲かなと思います。

Shino: Yeah I think "Mitsuboshi Restaurant Paul kara no Shoutaijyou"(The Three-Starred Restaurant/ Paul's invitation) would best represent us too. I felt like this song boosted Starmarie and changed our image completely. We actually had a 1 month break, and this song was the song we worked on during that break and it was a great hit. People told us we changed in a good way and congratulated us for it so I have good memories about this song too.
Shino: はい、私も「三ツ星レストラン・ポールからの招待状」という曲が私達をあらわしてるなと思っていて、この曲をきっかけにStarmarieがスピードアップしていったというか、イメージがすごいがらっと変わったといいますか、１ヶ月休業期間がありまして、その休業期間で一生懸命鍛えてその語のステージに備えてがんばった曲が「三ツ星レストラン・ポールからの招待状」で１ヶ月の休業後に発表したんですけど、その曲を発表したときの皆さんの反応がすごい良かったのを覚えてて、すごいスターマリー変わったねって祝ってもらえたのがあの曲なのですごい思い出もあります。

T-ONO: What made you want to become an idol? Also who inspired you to become an idol?
T-ONO:アイドルになるきっかけ教えてもらえますか、それともしいるのなら影響された芸能人は誰だと思いますか？

Nonchan: Since I was little, I loved idol groups especially Morning Musume, and I always dreamed of being in that bright and wonderful world of an idol. I wanted be an idol where people see me and talk about how great the dancing is or which songs they like. So that is why I became an idol.
Nonchan: 私は小さいときからアイドルグループが大好きで、ハロープロジェクトさんのモーニング娘。さんがとても小さいときから好きでこういうきらきらした世界になんか自分も入っていきたいなと思ってみんなにこの曲いいとかダンスが素敵と思ってもらえる存在になりたいと思ってそういうのがきっかけでこの世界に入りました。|

Shiori: When I first started in this industry, I didn't want to be a singer so I don't really have anyone that inspired me to be an idol. However, when I was little in about elementary school, I was a really shy girl. I started going to dance lessons and started to talk with the dance teacher a lot and became much more outgoing. Since then, I started to express myself more and became an idol.
Shiori: 私はもともと最初にこういう芸能活動を始めたときに歌手になりたいという目標がなかったので、影響された歌手の方とかはいないんですけど、小学生ぐらい時からすごい人見知りで人前でしゃべるのとかすごい苦手とかだったんですけど、その時にダンスを習い始めて、そのダンスの先生と接しているうちにすごい明るい、自分の意見をバシバシ言っても大丈夫みたいな気持ちになったので、それからは積極的に芸能活動とかもしていくようになってもっと自分のことを表現していきたいなというきっかけになりました。

Shino: Me too, I don't have anyone that inspired me. Originally since I was small, I really wanted to be a nurse. I didn't want to be anything else but a nurse and even went to a high school for nursing. One day when I was watching YouTube, there were a bunch of videos people posted of themselves dancing and I started to practice their dance moves in my own living room. I started to enjoy doing it. I loved to go out in public a lot too, so my dream of being a nurse has just disappeared and I wanted to become an idol.
Shino: 私もとくに誰っているわけじゃないんですけど、もともとは私、もっと小さい頃から看護師になりたくて、それ以外にはならないってぐらい本当に目指していて、看護師の高校とかにも通っていたんですけど、ある日突然YouTubeを見ていた時に、YouTubeに今たくさん踊っている方がアップされているじゃないですか、その映像をすごい見てて、映像を見て自分も真似して踊るってことを自分も家で好きでやっていて、それやっているうちに踊るの楽しいなって思い始めて、元々結構人前に立ったりするのが好きなので、やりたいとおもって、ずっと夢、看護婦の夢もどこかに消えてしまい、それぐらいアイドルがやりたいと思ってやったのがきっかけです。

T-ONO: We see that you all are wearing a unique fashion of clothing, would you talk about your costumes?
T-ONO:とても変わった衣装を着ていることに気がついたのですが、すこしその衣装のことについて話していただけませんか？

Nonchan: There is a gothic lolita brand "Opera the ☆Dream House" we are collaborating with them so they make our costumes for these events. People who dress in lolita fashion usually wear a dress or a skirt, but we wanted to emphasize the Japanese aspect so they made our costumes for Anime Expo like Jibeis(Japanese style male clothes)....
Nonchan：オペラ座チョコレートさんていうロリータ服のゴスロリの服のブランドとコラボして、こういう服を作ってもらっているんですけど、今日のアニメエキスポとかでも見てても、大体こういう格好している人って、ドレスとかスカートとかなんですけど、私達はちょっと日本を意識して和要素を取り入れた甚平っぽい・・・

Shino: You mean Yukata (Japanese style girl clothing.) [laughs]
Shino: 浴衣でしょ（笑

Nonchan: Yes Yukata! Like a Yukata!! So yeah we wanted people to see this lolitaish Japanese style.
Nonchan: 浴衣だ！！浴衣っぽい！こんな感じのふりふりも見てほしいなと思います。

Shiori: Yeah, we wanted to show more of the Japanese aspect because we came from Japan. Usually we don't wear clothes like this; however, to show people the Japanese style, we added the lolita style in this Japanese traditional clothing. For me I have a bunch of candies on my dress, and the three of us have a slightly different theme. Nozomi has a really dotted smooth coloring and Shino has more ribbons and looks much more closer to the lolita fashion.
Shiori:そうですね、日本から来たという印象、普段いつもこういう格好じゃないんですけど、日本の印象をすごい皆さんに与えるためにこういう和要素を取り入れた着物の衣装なんですけどその中にロリータの要素を入れて、私の場合はお菓子がたくさんついてたりして、それぞれ三人もすこしずつ色が違ったりするんですけど、望のやつはドットで淡い色だったりするんですけど、紫乃のはレースとリボンでこてこてのロリータってかんじで、３人の衣装も違った感じになってます。

Shino: When people see us for the first time, they think our performance is going to be cute because of the cute clothings. However our stage is wild and dark, we even keep straight faces during the performance and not even smile a bit. When people think of Japanese idols, they would probably imagine AKB48 or Morning Musume; however, we wanted to show that we are different from them. The difference between how we look and how we perform is one of the things we worked closely on.
Shino: 結構最初初めて見る方は、すごいかわいらしい衣装なので、かわいらしいステージをやるかとおもわれるんですけど、私達のステージはダークで激しくて、顔も真顔なんですけど、ニコニコせずにこっちの方が思うアイドルというのはAKB４８さんとかモーニング娘。さんとか、そことは違うぞというイメージも持ってほしくて、この最初見たときはすごい可愛らしいのに激しくかっこよくダークに踊るというのがすごいこだわったところですね。

T-ONO: Do you have any future ongoing project that you can tell us?
T-ONO:なにか近々やるライブ等ございましたら、おしえていただけませんか？

Shino: We are having a Starmarie one-man live on August 11th. it's going to be our 5th anniversary, and we are going to do this live on the location we did our first one man live. That is going to be the first live we would be performing after we get back from Los Angeles so I hope we can bring back the techniques we have acquired here to Japan and show it off!
Shino: ワンマンライブが８月１１日に新宿でやるんですけど、５周年記念ということで初ワンマンを行った場所で５周年記念ワンマンライブを８月１１日でやるんで、ロサンゼルスから帰ってきてすぐにやるワンマンライブなんですけど、成長して帰ってきてできるようにしたいなと思います。

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Interview conducted by Salvador Mateos. Translations by Arthur Arends.

Gen Con 2013 featured all things geeky, with a huge emphasis on gaming, more specifically role-playing. From tabletop board gaming to live action role-playing, Gen Con pretty much had everything covered. They even had a section dedicated to Japanese animation (anime), although it was somewhat paltry in comparison to the bigger areas in the convention center. Like many other conventions, Gen Con had no shortage of cosplayers. Themes of costumes range from fantasy to anime. There were a lot more people strutting around in regular medieval armor and clothing similar to that found in Dungeon and Dragons campaigns. Gen Con also held a costume contest and costume parade on Saturday for cosplayers to show off their costumes.

The vendor's area of Gen Con 2013 is comparable to any of the larger conventions in the United States, such as Anime Expo. There were a lot of exhibitor booths with demos of games, making the vendor's area an enjoyable area to go to during down time. Several of the booths also had more kid friendly areas that children could enjoy. There were different vendors that sold dice, figures and even a small selection of anime themed merchandise often found at anime conventions. Familiar Japanese companies like card company Bushiroad were also present during Gen Con weekend.

One large drawback to Gen Con is that many of its events cost money to attend. While tickets are fairly affordable (two dollars for a generic ticket), the costs can rack up if you're planning on attending many events. On the other hand, the amount of events hosted during Gen Con is crazy. I personally paid about sixteen dollars to attend a one hour LARP-ing dungeon crawl ran by a company called Nero. It was a lot of fun being able to hit "monsters" with foam swords. You could've been a spellcaster, but throwing seed packets aren't nearly as fun as hitting people with swords. I also paid for a general ticket that allowed me to play a game of mammoth Settlers of Catan by Mayfair Games. Unlike the regular Settlers of Catan board game, I played against strangers on a "huge carpet" version complete with large dice, cards, roads and settlements. Mayfair Games had a whole area to themselves for huge games of Catan and also gained a Guinness World Record for "The Most People Playing Settlers of Catan Simultaneously" (1,012 players). Prominent sponsors like Mayfair Games and Paizo Publishing received huge areas in the convention hall for marketing purposes.

Perhaps another draw of Gen Con is that the events not only are restricted to the convention center and surrounding hotel's, but also spread to local eateries such as Scotty's Brewhouse and the Colt's Bar and Grille where special menus themed around Gen Con were prepared for that weekend. Individuals who ate at Scotty's Brewhouse from their Gen Con menu would obtain a limited edition dice and could also enjoy decorations themed after Paizo Publishing's Pathfinder franchise. Sun King Brewery also participated by having a special beer called Flagon Slayer.

Overall Gen Con 2013 was fantastic, as a third time attendee I was pleased with the amount of tie-ins the convention had with local food joints and the game areas were fantastic. If you are into games of any kind, Gen Con is definitely for you. I look forward to attending the growing event next year.

Gen Con 2013 featured all things geeky, with a huge emphasis on gaming, more specifically role-playing. From tabletop board gaming to live action role-playing, Gen Con pretty much had everything covered. They even had a section dedicated to Japanese animation (anime), although it was somewhat paltry in comparison to the bigger areas in the convention center. Like many other conventions, Gen Con had no shortage of cosplayers. Themes of costumes range from fantasy to anime. There were a lot more people strutting around in regular medieval armor and clothing similar to that found in Dungeon and Dragons campaigns. Gen Con also held a costume contest and costume parade on Saturday for cosplayers to show off their costumes.

The vendor's area of Gen Con 2013 is comparable to any of the larger conventions in the United States, such as Anime Expo. There were a lot of exhibitor booths with demos of games, making the vendor's area an enjoyable area to go to during down time. Several of the booths also had more kid friendly areas that children could enjoy. There were different vendors that sold dice, figures and even a small selection of anime themed merchandise often found at anime conventions. Familiar Japanese companies like card company Bushiroad were also present during Gen Con weekend.

One large drawback to Gen Con is that many of its events cost money to attend. While tickets are fairly affordable (two dollars for a generic ticket), the costs can rack up if you're planning on attending many events. On the other hand, the amount of events hosted during Gen Con is crazy. I personally paid about sixteen dollars to attend a one hour LARP-ing dungeon crawl ran by a company called Nero. It was a lot of fun being able to hit "monsters" with foam swords. You could've been a spellcaster, but throwing seed packets aren't nearly as fun as hitting people with swords. I also paid for a general ticket that allowed me to play a game of mammoth Settlers of Catan by Mayfair Games. Unlike the regular Settlers of Catan board game, I played against strangers on a "huge carpet" version complete with large dice, cards, roads and settlements. Mayfair Games had a whole area to themselves for huge games of Catan and also gained a Guinness World Record for "The Most People Playing Settlers of Catan Simultaneously" (1,012 players). Prominent sponsors like Mayfair Games and Paizo Publishing received huge areas in the convention hall for marketing purposes.

Perhaps another draw of Gen Con is that the events not only are restricted to the convention center and surrounding hotel's, but also spread to local eateries such as Scotty's Brewhouse and the Colt's Bar and Grille where special menus themed around Gen Con were prepared for that weekend. Individuals who ate at Scotty's Brewhouse from their Gen Con menu would obtain a limited edition dice and could also enjoy decorations themed after Paizo Publishing's Pathfinder franchise. Sun King Brewery also participated by having a special beer called Flagon Slayer.

Overall Gen Con 2013 was fantastic, as a third time attendee I was pleased with the amount of tie-ins the convention had with local food joints and the game areas were fantastic. If you are into games of any kind, Gen Con is definitely for you. I look forward to attending the growing event next year.

Comprising from video game series such as Ace Attorney, Langrisser, Grandia, and Lunar, the crowd was definitely immersed in a variety of musical themes – whether it be adventurous, tragic, uplifting, etc. Take, for example, the "Objection Theme". Despite being someone who has never played an Ace Attorney video game, the song had me rocking to its stirring beat, not only hyping me up in the process but also encouraging me to buy into the musical journey that I was to embark on with Noriyuki. This ability to express and dictate a mood, whatever it may be, is a characteristic that I truly admire about his work.

As a component of the concert, it must be duly noted that leading up to the convention, Noriyuki gave attendees the opportunity to select the music to be played at his event. As a result, a poll was set up on Japan Expo USA's facebook such that a number of musical titles were made available for fans to vote for. Noriyuki's appreciation towards his American fans shined in such a regard, reflecting a desire to be in tune with them. I, for one, appreciated the effort. When Noriyuki struck the introductory notes to "Farewell to Sue", a song I casted my vote for, my heart could not had help but wrench.

But perhaps the highlight of the concert, at least personally, had to be the segment where entries from the Lunar series were performed. Lunar Silver Star Story was my first video game for the Sony PlayStation and remains today as one of my all-time favorite titles. To hear selections from the series, it goes without saying that they had an immense, nostalgic impact. I was sincerely moved by the performances of “Wings” and “Battle of Light and Shadow” from Lunar Silver Star Harmony and “Rondo of Light” from Lunar 2: Eternal Blue Complete. A great deal of my love for video game, and, quite frankly, my identity is defined by these tunes and will continue to resonate in such fashion thanks to Noriyuki Iwadare.

In addition to Noriyuki and his band, the concert also featured a few special guests. At one point, character designer of the Ace Attorney series Tatsuro Iwamoto came on stage and drew a sketch while a performance was being given. And towards the latter half of the concert, Yuka Hosio, a vocalist, accompanied the band, assisting with musical presentations from the Lunar and Grandia series.

{youtube}zj2qY9hs570{/youtube}

As a final number, which resulted from a chant of "encore" from the audience, Noriyuki, alongside Yuka and his band, performed "Theme to Grandia”. Fans, including myself, crowded the stage for the finale. As I stood there, several feet away from a man I have idolized for over a decade, thoughts of gratitude and acknowledgement overcame me. There was no other place I would have wanted to be.

Without a doubt, Japan Expo USA, as a whole, is one of the grandest experiences that I have ever been fortunate enough to be a part of. To ensure that I did not miss a beat, I found myself constantly checking the programming schedule. Very few conventions get me to do this. Yet, if there was one individual who had me on my heels, it would have to be Noriyuki Iwadare. His performance exceeded expectations, and I await the day he returns to America for another inspiring showcase – or better yet, the day we cross path once more but in Japan. Here’s to that.

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T-ONO: Please introduce yourself for our readers.

Iwadare: I am Noriyuki Iwadare and I am a Japanese video game music composer.

T-ONO: You have been consistently composing music for many popular video games since 1990, what drives you to compose music for so many different genres of games?

Iwadare: Honestly, I am not picky about music, as I actually appreciate all genres; in addition to movies and animation. So when it comes to compose music, what's most important is for the audience to feel what I'm feeling, but also the situation (or event) that's occurring in front of them. I want them to be driven or motivated to complete that task.

T-ONO: How old were you when you decided that you wanted to be a musician and were there any particular bands or composers that inspired you?

Iwadare: When I was little, I used to play the piano. When I went to elementary school I was in a brass band. In high school, I started to write my own music. Even though I went to a musical university, I always knew that I wanted to write my own compositions. At that time I wasn't really a composer, but then I started writing my own music. My inspiration probably comes from my childhood when I used to listen to a lot of classical music like Brahms and Beethoven.

T-ONO: You've composed music for a lot of different mediums, including visual novels with Wind: a Breath of Heart and the Ace Attorney series to Tokyo Disney events, is there a huge difference in the creative process when writing a composition for an event as opposed to a video game?

Iwadare: There's no real change in mentality when composing for live events as opposed to video games. It's just small technical or professional differences between doing something for a live event and doing something for a video game. For a live event, like Tokyo Disneyland for example, I need to raise the tension of the audience and they need to be given the spirit of the parade. It also needs to be very Disney-like. In those terms, I tailor my music to those needs.

For visual novels, I try to setup the music within the framework of the title or the background from the official scripts and go from there. Within the scripts themselves there are often notations that call for different types of music like sadness. So I try to compose the best fit for them.

T-ONO: With Ace Attorney 5 coming out soon, how do you personally feel the music has evolved since the inception of the series in 2001?

Iwadare: For Ace Attorney 5, I was finally given the power to compose my own music and could write the music as I wanted it to be. Since the art style for Ace Attorney 5 is a little bit sharper and realistic, I thought about putting more orchestrated music into it rather than synthesized electronic compositions like 3 and 4. The new hardware has definitely given me more freedom to compose since the hardware has the ability to store more "real" music.

T-ONO: In every Ace Attorney game, there seems to be an evolution of the "OBJECTION!" theme that makes it unique from the previous games; however, in Ace Attorney 5: Dual Destinies, "OBJECTION! 2013" borrows its motif from "OBJECTION! 2004." How did it feel to return to a theme that you wrote almost ten years ago?

Iwadare: This was actually all CAPCOM's decision. There's been a general progression or evolution of the "OBJECTION!" theme since 2001. [hums a chord of the objection 2001/2013 motifs]

There's always been a consistent set of notes to it. For Ace Attorney 5, I was originally thinking of changing it; however, CAPCOM liked the version from [Ace Attorney] 3 and suggested to please stick to it.

In Layton vs. Ace Attorney, the OBJECTION theme was the same as [Ace Attorney] 1. So maybe CAPCOM wanted to differentiate between the two themes.

T-ONO: Did you have any input in regards to the soundtrack for the Ace Attorney film adaptation or the Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 remixes? If not, what did you think of them?

Iwadare: I had nothing to do with those mixes. The Takarazuka Revue, as you know they've performed a musical for the Ace Attorney series as well; as recent as last month I believe. I also had no part in that; however, I've seen them (live) and they're really fun.

T-ONO: For Japan Expo, fans had a chance to vote on what songs you should play at your upcoming/you played at your concert. Was this your idea or Japan Expo's?

Iwadare: It was actually my band's idea. Even though I know the Ace Attorney games are renown in America, I wasn't sure what other games were released in America. I also wanted to know what the fans wanted to listen to as I wasn't sure what songs I should put on this list. Even two years ago, we had a concert in Japan and had a poll for fans to see what songs they wanted to put in. When I compared the two lists together, they were very different. There was actually a lot more Ace Attorney requests in America, so the band was like we need to put in more Ace Attorney into our concert.

T-ONO: Are you excited to perform here in the United States?

Iwadare: I'm very excited.

T-ONO: If there is one take-home message for your fans who are watching your concert, what would it be?

Iwadare: When I perform, I am always having fun and so I want my audience to have fun too.

T-ONO: Do you have any special messages that you would like to say to your fans who couldn't make it?

Iwadare: This is my first time in America. However, if you want me to come to your hometown convention please call us. We'll try to make it there if our schedule permits. However, if you can't make it here we will also be having a concert on September 25th in Japan. Thank you very much!

_{Interviewer: Jason Young
Photographer: Roger Lee}

T-ONO: First off, what are your impressions of Japan Expo so far?

Iwamoto: It's kind of hectic right now trying to get everything for the presentation but having seen the massive amount of fans coming... I'm really excited for it.

T-ONO: Is this your first time in America? If not, what other places have you had a chance to visit?

Iwamoto: I've been to Alaska before, but it's my first time in California.

T-ONO: Speaking of America, for the English localization of the series Capcom set the Ace Attorney series in Los Angeles. Were you aware of this? If so, did you ever take this change of location into consideration when creating characters?

Iwamoto: Yes, I was aware of the (English) series taking place in Los Angeles, but I do not know why especially when you have the character Kenji in the game, who is coming from America.

T-ONO: In Ace Attorney 5, the game has moved from 2D characters into 3D characters. What's your opinion on the switch from 2D to 3D? Do you think it was a good idea or simply an inevitability for the series to go?

Iwamoto: For me personally, I love 2D games but seeing all the camerawork in 3D games is pretty amazing. Also, with all of the Ace Attorney games out so far, we're running out of scenarios and by switching to 3D, we would have more options and choices for scenarios.

T-ONO: Your Japan Expo biography states that you're biggest weak point is drawing "moe" girls. As a fan of Maya (Mayoi) and Trucy (Minuki), did you have any particular trouble with their designs? How long would you say that it took you to design them as opposed to a more fatherly figure like Detective Gumshoe (Itonokogiri Keisuke)?

Iwamoto: For me personally, drawing Maya and Trucy... For cute girls and beautiful girls, there is a set of limited styles and faces that you could possibly draw and having fatherly-figures like Detective Gumshoe, there are more options, styles and faces that you can draw with them. So I'm sure that it's not just me but rather other artists that run into the same problem.

T-ONO: There's been Ace Attorney musicals and more recently a film adaptation, what's been your favorite aspect about seeing your character designs come to life?

Iwamoto: When we were first creating this game, there was such a small team and seeing it "floated on" by such a large crowd or wave... I'm happy for it but it's a little bit scary... Definitely scary.

T-ONO: Out of all the characters you've drawn, whom would you say that you identify with the most and why?

Iwamoto: For me personally, I like the character Godot and the final boss for the original Ace Attorney (Manfred Von Karma). The reason why I like the final boss was because I was offered to create the character, so I put all of my effort into creating this character and making him perfect. So there's the reason why he and Godot are my favorite characters.

T-ONO: Any last words for fans who couldn't attend Japan Expo?

Iwamoto: To all my fans that couldn't make it, this is still the first Japan Expo so hopefully it'll grow bigger and that there will be more to come. Hopefully I'll get called back for more Japan Expos and come back to America. To everyone else, talk to me on Facebook or Twitter saying 'I wish I could come', but I really wanted to meet them face to face.

_{Interviewer: J.M. Alcala
Photographer: Roger Lee}

 T-ONO: How has your Japan Expo USA experience been so far?

Kozaki: I have to say the American attendees and fans are outgoing and friendly. They are very approachable and approach me very easily. So I feel like I haven’t traveled very far, I feel like I’m just meeting a bunch of friends. It’s been a lot of fun so far.

T-ONO: You designed several of the mascot characters for Japan Expo USA and we couldn't help but notice that there was a white robot. Could you comment on that?

Kozaki: Oh, the white robot? It’s actually a robot character [Robosaki] that appears in one of my current works called Donyatsu.

T-ONO: We know that you‘ve worked with mechanical designer, Shigeto Koyama and I can’t help but notice that robot seems somewhat reminiscent of his work.

Kozaki: Oh yes, I’ve worked with Mr. Koyama several times in the past and we have a pretty good relationship. I asked Mr. Koyama for his advice and critique on my robot's design.

T-ONO: In regards to Donyatsu, you’ve stated in previous interviews that the design originally came from drawing a cute character for a friend. Where did the concept for the overall story come from?

Kozaki: Actually long before I even came up with the idea for Donyatsu, I’ve always wanted to draw something in the Sci-Fi genre but also set in the present day world. It was always brewing in the back of my mind and then I came up with the character Donyatsu. I wanted to have a world not populated by humans, but by these mascot characters with a Sci-Fi theme. I merged the two into what is now the comic strip.

T-ONO: Are you surprised with the relatively popular that Donyatsu has gained?

Kozaki: When I first discussed with the publisher about the concept, I have explained I’d like to see it expand into a two-minute anime short just prior to a main feature film and actually I kind of got some silent laughter back, like “heh...”

Sure enough, soon after that it did actually become an anime and we had all these character goods, it had actually come along the way I had envisioned it.

T-ONO: Can you tell us about how you recently came to design figure maker Good Smile Company’s new mascot?

Kozaki: The project came about when a designer from Good Smile Company, Mr. Usa who actually has his own mascot character named Usa. We were talking about doing a collaboration project between Usa and Donyatsu and this kind of came about as a side project.

T-ONO: Having worked in anime, video games, and manga, which of the mediums do you enjoy more?

Kozaki: I would say it’s really hard for me to choose which medium I enjoy more over the other because they are all equally fun for me, and yet equally challenging.

T-ONO: Outside of some of the characters you've designed for other projects, it appears your artwork tend to feature more petite female characters with leaner frames. Could you please comment on that?

Kozaki: Actually I would say the drawings I do personally really depends on my mood at the time or what I enjoy seeing. Perhaps the petite frames was how I felt at the time was the more ideal woman or more appealing. In fact recently, I would say I like women with a little more meat on them who are athletic in terms of the thighs; whatever I fancy at the time gets reflected into my art more than anything else. 

T-ONO: Moving on to talk a little about the Fire Emblem Awakening for the 3DS, the game featured a large cast of characters. During the development, were there any characters that you had designed that you liked who were dropped you could describe?

Kozaki: When the game was in the rough beginning stages, I would receive the rough outlines of what each character was like and I drew a ton of faces. What happened next is they picked and chose which faces they thought would go with which personality of the characters. So there were plenty of characters that were dropped, or at least facially, but I have to say there were none that I really regretted. In fact, some of them I actually used on other projects as well.

T-ONO: What is your preferred choice or medium? (tablet, pen and paper, etc.)

Kozaki: When I draw manga, I do at least all the rough outlines and line work by hand, but when I design character for games, because the final product is much smaller than my actual drawings, i start on my computer.

T-ONO: Lastly, some words for your fans.

Kozaki: I would love to continue working on projects that will hopefully reach America and not just my Japanese audience. I hope you will all enjoy seeing my work; not just what you’ve seen so far, but also my future works.

_{Mr. Kozaki's thank you to all The-O Network reader!}

If you are a fan or like to learn more about Mr. Kozaki, visit his DeviantART, website, and twitter.

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Unlike most series I have reviewed, Pandora Hearts is an odd series that I can't really define its genre very well as there are equal amounts of mystery, intrigue, action-elements, comedy, supernatural, and drama mixed into it. Perhaps it was to appease all types of people within the anime-viewing crowd, but overall to me it seems like the plot keeps switching moods every second. In a way, this begins to hinder the storytelling from truly shining as the plot cannot keep a mood long enough to set up a substantial plot development effectively. As a result, the anime seems to drag on after the first four or so episodes.

The introductory episodes are done very well and keep the viewers engaged. Unfortunately, the subsequent episodes have very little in plot-development. This is frustrating given that so many questions are brought up within the beginning arc. What plot development there is also seems to suffer from pacing issues, as normally the big reveals and details are brought to light at the very end of the episodes and all in one sitting. The prior sections to these reveals are mostly either fluff or additional complex scenes that make very little sense. Combined with clichés and typical shonen tropes, the episodes leave very little impression.

There is also the fact the series' cliffhanger ending only opens up more questions and answers only a few. This sort of ending is more suited to lead towards a second season, but seeing as there is none in production, the plot seems to have an abrupt and rather confusing end.The characters and Chains in Pandora Hearts are all based a little from the familiar "Alice in Wonderland" theme. In particular, I enjoyed how they handled Alice and her additional character as the notorious "Black Rabbit" (or B-Rabbit). The setting of the world is interesting and well done, I just wish that some of the characters were developed better throughout the course of the series. In particular, I felt that Oz was the main issue. He knows nothing about what's around him and has very little drive to figure out what is happening due to his "I accept everything and everything" attitude. As a result, not only does Oz not know what's going on, but the viewers don't as well.

Given the plot and character shortcomings, I have to applaud Pandora Hearts for trying a backwards storytelling approach. It certainly isn't easy to explain a vast amount of history, but the way they tried to execute it was pretty interesting. The execution is similar to that of Baccano!, where it skips time periods in order to fill in gaps of the overall story. In Pandora Hearts, this is done through flashbacks as the majority of the plot builds upon what happened during the Tragedy of Sabrie. The main issue is, I think is that they don't answer as many questions as they should be doing while explaining the flashbacks. There is not a lot of connections being made between the present and the past.

The art animation for Pandora Hearts is pretty good at first. The character designs look promising and the setting is gorgeous. Later on through the series, you'll notice a drop in quality: more static scenes, substandard fight sequences, and lots of recycling going around with the background artwork. On top of this, there is more guassian blur misuse and filter noise than I can shake a stick at. At first I thought that my TV was being finicky as I noticed that the noise filter was very prominent. However, I did some more research online and it says that the filter is intentional by the studio. There is even a little text warning on the 2nd Volume DVDs of Pandora Hearts that is being licensed by NISA. I can understand that the filters are meant to soften the heavy shadows and stark (and quite drab) color palates, but the filters are very noticeable to the point of being annoying. I'm also dismayed by the fact that the character designs look so washed out with the color palates they chose. Instead of vivid colors like a typical anime, the color design on this series uses very desaturated ones. This makes viewing harder for individuals with TV screens that aren't as bright. There also seemed to be some animation hiccups with the fight scenes as the animations were rather short and had some awkward camera angles.

The famed Yuki Kajiura composed a magnificent original sound track. The battle-themes are fast-paced and the main melody "Lacie" is very haunting. The epic soundtrack matches the scope of the project perfectly. It is orchestral-based with some electronic elements thrown in. Despite this, the score fits in very well with the 19th century European vibe of the setting. My favorite tracks from the OST are "Contractor" and "Blood Rabbit," both of which are fight themes.

The limited edition NISA release of Pandora Hearts is separated into two volumes. The DVD sets are housed in large and sturdy chipbox sets complete with a book detailing character designs and more. Like most NISA releases, the audio is in Japanese with English subtitles. Despite this, I found the Japanese dub to be quite enjoyable as all voice actors portray their respective characters well. Special features include omake animation shorts released in the Japanese version of the DVDs.

Overall, I found Pandora Hearts to be somewhat inferior to its manga counterpart. There were obvious pacing issues in the anime and the lack of answers given at the end of the series doesn't help. The characters at least had interesting designs and the original soundtrack was fabulous. The series is still worth a try watching. It just may seem rather slow paced.

 Things I loved:

- Character and Chain Design

- Flashback Approach with Storytelling

- The original soundtrack by Yuki Kajiura is AMAZING.

- Setting and "Alice in Wonderland"

- Japanese dub is well done.

Things I disliked:

- Slow pacing

- Lots of questions, few answers

- The ending

- Character development

- Noise filter on animation

Disclosure: A review copy was provided by the distributor.

_{Please note: images and the Japanese transcription were removed at the request of the publisher.
追伸：画像と日本語の記事は編集者の要望で取り除きました}

T-ONO: You’ve been an animator, a mangaka, and a character designer. Which of these works do you find the most interesting?

Sadamoto: They are all around the same to me. It's actually enjoyable to be able to do all of them, so it's hard to distinguish what would be the most enjoyable to do.

T-ONO: With the advances in digital art technology, how has that changed or affected your work?

Sadamoto: I started using digital software during the fifth volume of the Evangelion manga. For me it was much easier since I can edit and make changes. Also the ability to combine two pictures I drew separately, the ability to change and fix the colors of the picture, and making the adjustments for the best combinations became much more easier with the development of digital art technology.

T-ONO: Has this impacted or affected your overall art design or style?

Sadamoto: I think my style has changed but not due to using digital tools. It changed because my hand started to get use to the drawing and also due to my change in hobby. I think, that has changed my style.

For example, the black and white pictures in the comics, I don't use any digital drawings for those and if you look at the first volume and the last volume, the art style of those hand drawn pages are different. My style still changed a lot from the beginning to end even if I use little to no digital tools, so I think time was the factor that changed my design rather than the development of digital art.

In regards to animation, using the new Evangelion movies as an example, most of the robot scenes are done digitally by using cel shading and creating the CG for it. So the basic of drawing them and showing them would change compared to hand drawing them. From that standpoint, digital tools has changed the way animation is done today.

T-ONO: Since we’re on the topic of Evangelion, the series had adopted a lot of Christian themes into the story. In the very last chapters of the manga it appeared there was a new introduction of Buddhist or Eastern ideas such as reincarnation.

Sadamoto: First off, for the original animated series of Evangelion, we, including the director [Hideaki Anno], all didn’t know a whole lot about Christianity but it seemed interesting so we went ahead and started the project. While the anime was airing, we started to learn more about the content and started to add more ideas from Christianity, for example the appearance of Lilith, and even adding some new stuff at the last episode of the series. We just kept on giving out new ideas that we learned while the show went on, although it's pretty ironic to talk about it now.

Regarding my manga, I really wanted to separate it from the anime. So i decided to not research it at all. Some of the ideas may have came from Shinto... hmm now that I think about it, there isn't much reincarnation involved in Shinto. Well it could be the Eastern way of thinking, the thought of where does the soul goes. So I didn't do any research about religion for the manga.

T-ONO: So you incorporated more of your own personal thoughts and opinions on the various topics such as life?

Sadamoto: When looking back at human history, human evolution, you can see a very important relationship between parent and child. When humans want to evolve their own genes, a man would meet and fall in love with a talented women and make a new baby who is evolving genetically. So I believe that's how humanity has evolved in our history.

When humans decided to evolve as a species, they can only live up to maybe 100 years. So they would experience anything as much as they can within the 100 years, and pass that knowledge to their child. And the cycle of doing that would eventually evolve the DNA of the species. In comparison, the Angels are already in their complete form, and out of all the Angels, Kaworu is the ultimate form of the Angels. Kaworu becomes interested in the way human evolves and thinks that the humans should inherit this planet, and that's how he feels towards Shinji. How I feel for the overall story of Evangelion, is that humanity is pretty amazing.

T-ONO: With the Evangelion manga complete, are there any future or current projects you can discuss?

Sadamoto: There are things I can tell you vaguely but I can't tell you in depth. Well the manga has ended, but I am going to do the final touches for the comic [the final volume release] until the end of this year. While doing that, I will be doing the character design for the new Evangelion movie that is coming out in the future. Also I would love to be in part of any new projects for Gainax, like manga, design, or even a simple illustration.

T-ONO: We look forward to seeing your new works.

Sadamoto: Thank you.

_{Special thanks to Emmanuel Bochew for interpreting.}

_{Interview conducted by Theodore Mak
Translated and transcribed by Arthur Arends} 

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SPECULATION (Guesses & Opinionated comments):
I am very psyched about this upcoming game. Ranging from sci-fi to fantasy to love-comedy to mystery, this game is definitely going to include variety of novels that Dengeki has dished out.

We've also seen Dengeki appearing in several other games such as Dengeki Gakuen RPG: Cross of Venus for the Nintendo DS and their collaboration with Z.H.P. Unlosing Ranger VS Darkdeath Evilman. Referring to these two works, I can expect that at least the Toaru series and Kino's Journey will be included in the game (possibly Misaka Mikoto and Kino as playable characters?)

Unfortunately, it seems as of now that Leafa and Wihelmina are not playable characters, but rather are support characters; unless the game allows playable characters to be chosen as support characters. I personally was hoping for a two-on-two tag-team fighting game like X-Men vs. Street Fighter.

This game may include some SEGA game elements as one of the maps did have familiar WWI-styled tank from Valkyria Chronicles lining up. This is merely a guesswork with no confirmation, but the tanks do look very convincing and I personally cannot recall a series with such tank designs.

Personally, I would like to see characters from Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere, Durarara!! and Baccano! make an appearance in the game. The three titles have strong reputation and prominent characters for a fighting game.

Furthermore, I would also like to see the game to include novels from Dengeki Bunko that have yet to be green-lit on the TV screen, such as Black Bullet. The game may also include characters from the upcoming animus Strike the Blood and Golden Time.

Again, these are merely speculations and guessworks of mine and yet to be confirmed. What do you think of the upcoming game and who do you think should come up the fighting ring?

 T-ONO: Is this your first time at an anime convention in the US?

Kise: Yes this is my first, unfortunately I haven’t had a lot of time to look around, but it looks fun.

T-ONO: A lot of animators adorn their desk with objects like toys and figures. What kind of desk ornaments do you have?

Kise: Oh yes, Masked Rider figures. [laughs]

T-ONO: Are you a fan of Masked Rider?

Kise: I am, my child started watching it and I only became one recently through him.

T-ONO: Who or what inspired you to get involved in animation?

Kise: Star Blazers (Space Battleship Yamato) was the first anime that got me into the animation industry.

T-ONO: Blood: The Last Vampire was one of early series to utilize digital animation. What do you think were some of the biggest changes in techniques?

Kise: Regarding animation, many things are still drawn by hand so that hasn't changed, but digital tools mostly affects production in ways such as the ease of coloring. There were teething troubles that were a little confusing at first, but the overall effect was positive.

T-ONO: We are seeing more anime series that blur the lines between 2D and 3D animation techniques. What is your opinion on this change?

Kise: Overall, I think that it is a positive trend fusing 2D and 3D. However,  it really depends on each series itself. When producing a mech based series, it is easier to work in 3D, but when we do, animators often have trouble doing the 2D rendering.

T-ONO: On that note, were there were any challenges involved with the 3D and 2D techniques in Ghost in the Shell: Arise?

Kise: We were able to utilize most of the technology that was used in Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex because the staff had largely remained the same. Thus we were well prepared for the challenge of switching between 2D and 3D without any issues.

T-ONO: Seeing as this is the first major series that you are directing, what was it like?

Kise: The first thing that hit me was confusion because of the different structures and tasks between animating and directing. I have to deal with that and more simultaneously when before, I just worried about one aspect such as drawing or the story.

T-ONO: What are some of the themes that you really wanted to focus on in Ghost in the Shell: Arise?

Kise: There is no one theme that I set my heart on, but I really wanted to bring out the freshness and the liveliness of the characters themselves. That is my goal.

T-ONO: Has the changes and improvement in modern technology affected mecha design?

Kise: We now have new examples and the current technology allows us to design mechs a lot easier than when we were limited to 2D.

T-ONO: The first episode of Ghost in the Shell: Arise is focused primarily on the Major, Motoko Kusanagi. Will any of the future episodes focus on different characters?

Kise: The anime revolves around the Major. I would like to explore the other characters like Batou and Sato in depth but given the time constraints, we will be keeping the spotlight on the Major. We’ll work in as much background as we can for the supporting cast.

T-ONO: Since the last Ghost in the Shell series, the Major's design has changed. Could you tell us about the design choices that were made such her red jacket and features?

Kise: We considered how to portray the freshness of the character, and the first thing we came up with was to cut her hair shorter to give her some more personality. As for the clothing, I really wanted to draw legs and buttocks so we put her in pants to emphasize the lines of her lower body and animated that. [laughs]

The color of the jacket was rather serendipitous and the colors (red and black) we chose just seemed to fit.

T-ONO: What tips or pointers can you give to aspiring animators who are animating a fight scene?

Kise: It’s pretty hard to answer, but the first thing needed is a vivid imagination to the level where you can imagine the movements.

When we get into specifics with regards to action, you must have some contrast. To emphasize speed, one must first show something slow so that the contrast is readily apparent.

T-ONO: Are there any future or current projects that you are working with us that you can share?

Kise: I am still focused on Ghost in the Shell: Arise and right now I have no other projects.

T-ONO: Is there anything you would like to say to your fans?

Kise: I look forward to meeting American fans for the first time. I hope that we can all have fun and enjoy Ghost in the Shell: Arise together.

_{Interview conducted by: Theodore Mak and Stanley Fung
Translator: Arthur Arends}

For those that are familiar with Suda 51's previous works, Killer is Dead definitely follows in the footsteps of its predecessors with its unique vision while standing quite tall on its own. With a theme of "love and execution, you can bet that there will be quite a lot of blood while also charming the ladies.

Plot-wise, Killer is Dead seems rather straightforward: Mondo Zappa, a thirty-five year old man who works as an executioner for a company called the Bryan Execution Firm. Receiving contract assignments, Mondo is sent out by the firm to carry out hits for their clients with his katana, Gekkou, in tow. Along the way, we learn little bits of Mondo's past, his dreams and why the moon is so important though one glaring detail, which is Mondo's cybernetic left arm called Musselback, is curiously never discussed in-game. As with most of Suda 51's games, expect many twists and turns along the way for Mondo and his friends, but don't expect to always like them as these games can be quite divisive.

Combat in Killer is Dead feels deeper than Suda's previous works, as Musselback can be customized with upgrades that are purchased by gems that are earned by defeating Wires, which are the main enemies of the game. Aside from Musselback, most of the up-close-and-personal fighting is done with the business end of a katana, which are performed by button combinations. Gems can also be used to give Mondo access to more offensive and defensive abilities via upgrades. A few subweapons can be earned by working through the game's 'Gigolo Mode,' which requires Mondo to charm a few ladies with a gift...or three.

The music for Killer is Dead was composed by none other Akira Yamaoka, who is mostly known for his work on the Silent Hill series. I found the music to be great, particularly the jazzy tune used during the loading screens. For gamers who bought the first run physical copy of Killer is Dead, they were treated to a rather nice limited edition that included a twenty-five track soundtrack; unfortunately the disc doesn't contain all of the music that can be heard in-game.

The main issues with the game is definitely the screen tearing, which is inescapable whether the game was digitally bought or is being played off a disc, and the length of the game. With only twelve missions, Killer is Dead is very short but the additional missions, along with Gigolo Mode and DLC content, help with the replayabiltiy though not everyone will be satisfied. The plot, while engaging, is also a bit on the shallow side and borderline non-sensical. Finally, Gigolo Mode is something that can definitely turn off some gamers as it can be found offensive (though I actually found it humorous) as you are tasked with seducing women who have next to no personalities. Once you do successfully achieve your goal of getting the girl, Mondo will have to check with them periodically as if you neglect them, they will contact you while in the middle of a job, which incidentally reminded me of a dating sim of sorts.

Overall, Killer is Dead is probably at the top of list for Suda 51 games as it feels much more satisfying than his previous efforts. Combat feels more competent, the art direction with the cel-shaded style looks fantastic and the music is great too. Sure there are flaws, but I can overlook them for what is a very fun and very bloody action game.

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Things I Loved:

• Satisfying combat
• Wonderful graphics
• Great music
• Cool & interesting characters

Things I Hated:

• Screen tearing
• Length of game
• 'Gigolo Mode'
• Paper-thin plot

Disclosure: A review copy was provided by the distributor.