The 2013 J-POP SUMMIT FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES THE LAUNCH OF THE FIRST ANNUAL JAPAN FILM FESTIVAL OF SAN FRANCISCO AT NEW PEOPLE CINEMA

Exclusive Premieres Include Dreams For Sale, Himuzu, Lesson Of The Evil, Library Wars, Platinum Data, Space Battleship Yamato And More At First-Ever NorCal/Bay Area Dedicated Japanese Film Celebration; Festival Will Welcome Library Wars Director Shinsuke Sato As Guest of Honor

San Francisco, CA, May 21, 2013 – The 2013 J-POP Summit Festival, the popular yearly San Francisco summertime Japanese Pop Culture celebration, has announced the launch of the Japan Film Festival of San Francisco, the first fully-dedicated annual Japanese film event for Northern California and the S.F. Bay Area.

The week-long Japan Film Festival of San Francisco will take place at the NEW PEOPLE Cinema beginning Saturday, July 27th through Sunday August 4th. The festival will also be a prominent feature of the 2013 J-POP Summit Festival, taking place across Japantown on Saturday and Sunday, July 27th and 28th. A complete schedule and advance ticket information is available on www.jffsf.org.

Tickets are $13.00 per film unless otherwise indicated. NEW PEOPLE Cinema is located at 1746 Post St. (cross street is Webster St.) in the heart of San Francisco’s Japantown.

Nine live-action films representing a vivid cross-section of the best in recent Japanese cinema will have their exclusive U.S. and/or San Francisco premiere at NEW PEOPLE. The Japan Film Festival of San Francisco will complement this press release in coming days with a subsequent announcement detailing an exciting slate of anime feature films also set to receive their U.S. and/or San Francisco premieres.

Live-action films include director Miwa Nishikawa’s Dreams for Sale, Sakuran director Mika Ninagawa’s Helter Skelter, Sion Sono’s award-winning masterpiece, Himizu, architect/author Kyohei Sakaguchi’s documentary, How To Build a Mobile House, director Takashi Miike’s Lesson of The Evil, director Shinsuke Sato’s Library Wars, actor Kazunari Ninomiya’s Platinum Data, the samurai adventure of Rurouni Kenshin, and Space Battleship Yamato, based on one of Japan’s greatest anime properties (known in the U.S. as Star Blazers) and a must-see for any sci-fi aficionado. Films will be presented with their original Japanese dialogue with English subtitles.

The Japan Film Festival of San Francisco is also honored to welcome Director Shinsuke Sato, who is also known for his 2011 blockbuster, GANTZ, for a special in-person appearance for the exclusive U.S. premiere of his newest film, Library Wars. Sato will participate in a special Q&A session with the NEW PEOPLE Cinema audience and also appear as a Guest of Honor during the 2013 J-POP Summit Festival.

The Japan Film Festival of San Francisco is presented in conjunction with the 2013 J-POP Summit, taking place Saturday July 27th and Sunday July 28th across the city’s historic Japantown district to celebrate the phenomenon of Japanese pop culture with a colorful array of live bands and artists, panel discussions, film premieres, edgy fashion shows and DJ dance events, celebrity appearances and more. The J-POP Summit Festival is hosted and organized by NEW PEOPLE in cooperation with the Japantown Merchants Association. In 2012, the two-day event attracted nearly 65,000 attendees. More information is available at www.J-POP.com.

Japan Film Festival of San Francisco Live-Action Program:

DREAMS FOR SALE – S.F. PREMIERE!!!
Saturday, July 27th, 7:00pm
Written and directed by Miwa Nishikawa, who’s SWAY and Dear Doctor were screened at numerous film festivals around the world, Dreams for Sale is a richly evocative drama about a couple that lose everything in a fire and attempt to make a fresh start by swindling others. Wife Satoko (Takako Matsu) and her husband Kanya (Sadawo Abe) run a small eatery in a corner of Tokyo, but on the 5th anniversary of its opening, a fire erupts in the kitchen and burns the place to a cinder. In desperate need of cash, Satoko and Kanya embark on a hilarious and heartwarming marriage scam in an attempt to put their lives back on track.

HELTER SKELTER – S.F. PREMIERE!!!
Saturday, August 3rd, 4:20pm
Sakuran director Mika Ninagawa’s live-action adaptation of the eponymous shojo manga by Kyoko Okazaki utilizes brilliantly colored visuals to depict the descent of an outwardly perfect but inwardly unstable star that reigns over the entertainment world. Top model Liliko (Erika Sawajiri) captivates the public with her beauty that is the envy of all who look upon her. However, her appearance has been entirely engineered through plastic surgery. Complications arise from the numerous operations and begin to eat away at Liliko both physically and psychologically, sending her into a downward spiral.

HIMIZU – S.F. PREMIERE!!!
Sunday, August 4th, 1:10pm
Sion Sono’s award-winning masterpiece is based on Minoru Furuya’s manga “Himizu,” named for a species of a Japanese mole. Set after the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, all 14-year-old Yuichi Sumida (Shota Sometani) wants is to live a decent life. But his environment keeps dragging him into the mud. Keiko Chazawa (Fumi Nikaido), a classmate of Yuichi, harbors a severe crush on him and sticks around despite being berated by him. One day, the yakuza comes by Yuichi’s home and tells him to pay off his father’s debt. Yuichi already heartbroken by his mother’s abandonment and abuse from his father nears a tipping point. A string of incidents occurs that brings Yuichi’s world to a screeching halt. Is there light at the end of the tunnel?

HOW TO BUILD A MOBILE HOUSE – U.S. PREMIERE!!!
Saturday, July 27th, 1:30pm
With the appearance of the famous “Zero Yen” architect, Kyohei Sakaguchi, the documentary, How to Build a Mobile House, makes its U.S. premiere in his favorite city, San Francisco!  Screening attendees will also be invited to his free workshop to build a Mobile Green House with him during the J-POP Summit Festival. Kyohei’s numerous books include “Tokyo Zero Yen House, Zero Yen Life,” inspired by the exuberant creativity of street dwellers. This documentary delves into the roots of dwelling, and living, through the unique activities of this architect who “does not build.” Sakaguchi, who devised a nest-like abode that fits the size of the human body, apprentices himself to a Tama River Robinson Crusoe who actually lives on a riverbed. The film depicts the completion of a mobile house for only $260.00 in materials.

LESSON OF THE EVIL – S.F. PREMIERE!!!
Saturday, July 27th, 4:20pm & Tuesday, July 30th, 7:00pm
Directed by Takashi Miike, Lesson of the Evil is a twisted psycho thriller based on a bestseller novel by Yusuke Kishi. Hasumi is a popular teacher among students at Shinko Academy, a private high school, and well respected by the faculty and the PTA. However, a student named Reika feels something menacing lurking beneath his shining reputation. While Hasumi brilliantly solves one problem after another, from a teacher-student sexual harassment to group cheating to bulling, he starts to take control of the school. As the problems go away, Reika becomes uneasy about the way they are solved. Tsurii, an unpopular teacher in the school, despises the popular Hasumi and starts investigating Hasumi’s past and discovers that Hasumi is a real psycho.

LIBRARY WARS – U.S. PREMIERE!!!
Friday, August 2nd, 7:00pm & Saturday, August 3rd, 1:10pm
** Featuring special in-person appearance by Director Shinsuke Sato
Library Wars is based on the bestselling novel and manga series by Hiro Arikawa. Set in the year 2019 in Japan, a new law is passed to crack down on free expression, which allows for the government to create an armed force to find and destroy objectionable printed material. Meanwhile, to oppose this oppressive crackdown, the Library Force is created. The Library Force includes instructor Atsushi Dojo (Junichi Okada) and Iku Kasahara (Nana Eikura), who work to protect the libraries. A fierce battle soon ensues between these two groups.

PLATNUM DATA – U.S. PREMIERE!!!
Thursday, August 1st, 7:00pm & Saturday, August 3rd, 7:00pm
J-Pop artist Kazunari Ninomiya (Gantz, Oscar –nominated for Letters from Iwo Jima), stars in Platinum Data, the biggest film to be released n Japan in 2013 and directed by Keishi Ohtomo (Rurouni Kenshin). Ryuheo Kagura (Kazunari Ninomiya) is an exceptional scientist working at the National Police Agency’s Special Analysis Research Institute. After solving series of complex criminal cases, he is assigned to investigate the murders of several people connected to the newly developed DNA forensics. Yet, when the faint trace of evidence left at the scene is analyzed through the DNA forensic system, it identifies himself as the offender. With no such memory, he decides to flee and the pursuer becomes the pursued. Is Kagura guilty or innocent? Should he trust in science, or in himself? Does he represent hope for humanity or despair? Platinum Data holds the key…

RUROUNI KENSHIN – S.F. PREMIERE!!!
Sunday, July 28th, 6:30pm & Thursday, August 1st, 4:00pm
A new live-action film adaptation of creator Nobuhiro Watsuki ‘s samurai manga that has sold over 57 million copies, been translated in 23 countries, and also inspired a popular animated series. Rurouni Kenshin follows the adventures of a slight and mild-mannered young man who was once an assassin working for anti-Shogunate forces but vows to abandon killing following Meiji revolution in Japan, and devotes his sword-wielding talents to helping others.

SPACE BATTLESHIP YAMATO – WEST COAST PREMIERE!!!
Sunday, August 4th, 3:20pm
A stunning live-action adaptation of the famed space opera originally created by Leiji Matsumoto that laid the foundation for the entire Japanese science fiction anime genre. A brave young crew journeys into space on a fateful trip to save the human race as it teeters on the brink of extinction. Five years have passed since the alien Gamilas first began assaulting Earth with radiation bombs in 2194. Most of the human race is now gone. Susumu Kodai (Takuya Kimura) joins other survivors of the Earth Defense Force in the mighty Space Battleship Yamato in search of a device that can restore the devastated planet. Although director Takashi Yamazaki first gained prominence with his heartwarming film, Always: Sunset on Third Street, his background is in science fiction and his talents for VFX shine in this acclaimed film based on one of Japan’s greatest sci-fi properties.

NEW PEOPLE Cinema is a 143-seat cinema located in the underground floor of NEW PEOPLE in San Francisco. Equipped with a cutting-edge HD digital projection and THX®-certified sound system, NEW PEOPLE Cinema is home for local film festivals and entertaining events. www.newpeoplecinema.com

About J-POP SUMMIT FESTIVAL
The J-POP SUMMIT FESTIVAL is an annual Japanese Pop Culture celebration that features live bands and artists from Japan, pop culture panel discussions, film premieres, fashion and DJ dance events, and celebrity appearances. The Festival is hosted by NEW PEOPLE in cooperation with the Japantown Merchants Association. In 2012, the two-day event attracted 65,000 attendees. More information about the J-POP Summit Festival is available at J-POP.com.

 

AKB48 32nd Single General Election First Day Preliminary Results are out! Rino Sashihara leading in votes!

With the first day of sales of AKB48′s 31st CD single “Sayonara Crawl” selling over 1.4 million copies, fans who made the purchase were able to vote on their members they feel deserve to be the top 16 members  and will represent the 32nd single (note: Members who purchased the “Sayonara Crawl” get to input their vote of who will be the ace center for the upcoming AKB48 CD single but it’s also used as a barometer to show one’s popularity of the fans).

The first day general election preliminary results are a shock to longtime fans as AKB48 members who have dominated the polls in past few years have now dropped out of senbatsu, while a few are hanging in the top 10.

It’s important to note that these are only first day results and are expected to change.

As of now, the first day results show that Rino Sashihara is #1 and results are expected to change.

1. Rino Sashihara (28,563)
2. Mayu Watanabe (14,885)
3. Yuko Oshima (14,000)
4. Jurina Matsui (13,656)
5. Yuki Kashiwagi (12,887)
6. Rena Matsui (12,177)
7. Haruka Shimazaki (11,832)
8. Aya Shibata (11,530)
9. Yui Yokoyama (10,616)
10. Miyuki Watanabe (9,163)
11. Akari Suda (8,753)
12. Sae Miyazawa (8,567)
13. Sayaka Yamamoto (8,097)
14. Tomomi Itano (7,407)
15. Mariko Shinoda (7,126)
16. Yuria Kizaki (6,891)
17. Kaori Matsumura (6,616)
18. Minami Takahashi (6,598)
19. Ami Kobayashi (6,536)
20. Haruna Kojima (6,502)
21. Madoka Umemoto (6,055)

The following are the first day results in Japanese:

本日のAKB48劇場公演にて「AKB48 32ndシングル 選抜総選挙」の速報（1位～64位）を発表させていただきました。

下記が速報結果となります。

※発表させて頂くチーム表記ですが、5月22日現在で、【発表】されている表記とさせて頂いております。

1 位 指原 莉乃　28,563票
2 位 渡辺 麻友 　14,885票
3 位 大島 優子 　14,000票
4 位 松井 珠理奈　13,656票
5 位 柏木 由紀　12,887票
6 位 松井 玲奈　12,177票
7 位 島崎 遥香　11,832票
8 位 柴田 阿弥　11,530票
9 位 横山 由依　10,616票
10 位 渡辺 美優紀　9,163票
11 位 須田 亜香里　8,753票
12 位 宮澤 佐江　8,567票
13 位 山本 彩　8,097票
14 位 板野 友美　7,407票
15 位 篠田 麻里子　7,126票
16 位 木﨑 ゆりあ　6,891票

17 位 松村 香織　6,616票
18 位 高橋 みなみ　6,598票
19 位 小林 亜実　6,536票
20 位 小嶋 陽菜　6,502票
21 位 梅本 まどか　6,055票
22 位 梅田 彩佳　6,030票
23 位 薮下 柊　5,539票
24 位 兒玉 遥　5,096票
25 位 斉藤 真木子　5,051票
26 位 峯岸 みなみ　4,875票
27 位 入山 杏奈　4,864票
28 位 高柳 明音　4,824票
29 位 大矢 真那　4,703票
30 位 中西 優香　4,654票
31 位 上西 恵　4,640票
32 位 松本 梨奈　4,493票

33 位 川栄 李奈　4,457票
34 位 古川 愛李　4,392票
35 位 武藤 十夢　4,195票
36 位 片山 陽加　4,118票
37 位 高城 亜樹　4,114票
38 位 北原 里英　3,507票
39 位 矢方 美紀　3,277票
40 位 磯原 杏華　3,272票
41 位 多田 愛佳　3,259票
42 位 田島 芽瑠　3,080票
43 位 木下 有希子　3,072票
44 位 市川 美織　2,948票
45 位 山田 菜々　2,872票
46 位 大場 美奈　2,868票
47 位 山下 ゆかり　2,864票
48 位 金子 栞　2,821票

49 位 森保 まどか　2,809票
50 位 前田 亜美　2,761票
51 位 朝長 美桜　2,740票
52 位 藤江 れいな　2,710票
53 位 菊地 あやか　2,704票
54 位 倉持 明日香　2,699票
55 位 岩立 沙穂　2,685票
56 位 石田 晴香　2,665票
57 位 岡本 尚子　2,660票
58 位 阿部 マリア　2,595票
59 位 矢倉 楓子　2,535票
60 位 鈴木 紫帆里　2,492票
61 位 宮脇 咲良　2,482票
62 位 岩佐 美咲　2,406票
63 位 田野 優花　2,394票
64 位 木本 花音　2,275票

 

Yoko Kanno to debut “PIANO ME” concert at Otakon 2013

Baltimore, MD (May 15, 2013) – The renowned composer will present the world premiere performance of her new project, “PIANO ME”, at Otakon. For this concert, the simple intimacy of one performer with one instrument will be enhanced by experimental live visuals that respond to her performance. To see a sample of that performance, you can see it on our website at http://www.otakon.com/.

While studying at Waseda University, Yoko Kanno made her first debut as a member of “Tetsu 100%” which was released from CBS Sony. After the group split up, she became a composer/arranger for commercials, animation, movies, games and TV series. Known as a great master of animation music, her best works include Ghost In The Shell: Stand Alone Complex, Cowboy Bepop, MACROSS Frontier, Genesis of Aquarion, and The Vision of Escaflowne. She has also written and produced songs for artists such as SMAP, May’n, YUKI, Miki Imai, Maaya Sakamoto, Kyoko Koizumi, Crystal Kay, T.M Revolution, Shione Yukawa, Chitose Hajime, YOSHIKA, ORIGA and more.

Her recent performances include in 2008 the “Galaxy Tour” for MACROSS Frontier as well as in 2009 for the “YOKO KANNO SEATBELTS / Chojiku Tanabata Sonic” event of which both were sold out almost immediately.

For the recently released movie Petal Dance which came out in April 2013, she wrote a piano soundtrack which she performs herself. The piano score will be released from her own label PIANO. In summer 2013, she plans to release a score of “Song of departure, which is A Cappella Arrangements for Male Voices.”

Otakon 2013 will be held August 9­11 at the Baltimore Convention Center in Baltimore, MD.

ABOUT OTAKON AND OTAKORP, INC.: Now entering its twentieth year, Otakon is an annual celebration of Japanese and East Asian popular culture, and also one of the largest gatherings of fans in the United States. Otakon celebrates popular culture as a gateway to deeper understanding of Asian culture, and has grown along with the enthusiasm for anime, manga, video games, and

 

New changes in store for AKB48, SKE48 and NMB48, the new team shuffle announcement at Budokan

At the Budokan concert held on April 28th, AKB48 theater manager Tomonobu Togasaki announced the new Team Shuffle for 2013.

Togasaki began with the announcement that AKB48 will be performing at the Yahoo! Auction Dome, Sapporo Dome, Osaka Dome, Nagoya Dome and Tokyo dome this summer.

But then he announced the Team Shuffle which began with the promotions of three Kenkyusei (KKS) as Rina Hirata will be joining AKB48 Team K, Yukari Sasaki will be joining AKB48 Team A and Miyu Omori will be joining Team B.

Togasaki then discussed the cancellation of concurrency (in which members are part of two groups) for Rie Kitahara (AKB48/SKE48), Yui Yokoyama (AKB48/NMB48), Riho Kotani (NMB48/AKB48) and Anna Ishida (SKE48/AKB48). During this announcement, SKE48 members who have bonded strongly with Kitahara and also Kitahara herself, were shocked and began crying after the announcement.

The big surprise is the new concurrency in which Mina Ohba of AKB48 will now be joining SKE48 Team KII, Miori Ichikawa of AKB48 will be joining NMB48′s Team N, Nao Furuhata of SKE48 will be going to AKB48′s Team K, Fuko Yagura of NMB48 will be going to Team A, HKT48′s Haruka Kodama will be going to AKB48′s Team A, SHN48′s Sae Miyazawa will be going to Team K, Mariya Suzuki of SHN48 will be going to AKB48′s Team A and JKT48′s Aki Takajo will be going to Team B.

Of the members who received new concurrency assignments, the look on Sae Miyazawa’s face was unexpected.

In a blog post and several tweets after the event, while Sae was happy that she can be close to the fans in Japan, the fact that it was her decision to be part of the Shanghai team and dedicate so much time to it and now having to divide both her time in Japan and China left her a bit flustered.

Meanwhile, another AKB48 member who made a decision to go abroad, Haruka Nakagawa, who joined JKT48, will continue to be a JKT48 member.

And the final announcement was that HKT48 member Rino Sashihara will also work together to become HKT48′s theater manager.

Meanwhile, on Togisaki’s Google+ account, a lot of enraged fans are reacting to the shuffle announcement.

 

PSY, POP SENSATION, ANNOUNCES CALL FOR APPLICANTS TO BE HIS PERSONAL CHEF

bibigo™, Leading Korean Cuisine Brand, Partners with Psy to Launch
“Psy Go, Bibigo” Chef Talent Search

(LOS ANGELES, CA; April 22, 2013)— Known for his ostentatious, record-breaking “Gangnam Style” music video and now with the release of his second single “Gentleman”, Psy launches a global search for his personal chef in partnership with bibigo™, a family of modern Korean restaurants and food products utilizing authentic flavors and ingredients. In conjunction with the release of “Gentleman”, which already has garnered over 200 million views, Psy announced the call for applicants for the chef talent search through an entertaining YouTube Psy Go, Bibigo video. Psy has also expressed his support of the talent search on his Twitter page, encouraging fans to apply.

“We are exceptionally excited to partner with Psy for the launch of the ‘Psy Go, Bibigo’ chef talent search,” states John Soo Han, Head of Corporate Marketing and Planning for bibigo™. “Psy has been a personal fan of bibigo™ since its inception, and this collaboration is a natural fit for us both. bibigo™ strives to bring modern Korean cuisine to the United States and the world through our restaurants and food products; we feel Psy has a similar goal with his music.”

The finale of the talent search will occur on June 3, 2013 with the announcement of Psy’s personal chef. This sought after position will come with rock star benefits including $40,000, 5-star hotel accommodations, luxury transportation, and the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to travel with Psy on his world tour for one month. Psy’s selected chef will accompany Psy as he travels the world entertaining fans with his energetic and infectious songs.

To enter the Psy Go, Bibigo personal chef talent search, fans must create and upload a unique and engaging “bibi” (Korean for “mixing”) video depicting their mixing abilities. Psy encourages applicants to be creative in their video submissions, allowing anyone with a wide range of “bibi” skills to apply. Submissions must be entered by visiting PsygoBibigo.com and uploading the video to Psy Go, Bibigo’s Facebook page by May 11, 2013.  On May 20, 2013, the top three finalists will be selected and announced on Psy Go, Bibigo’s Facebook page. Then, on June 3, 2013 bibigo™ will announce the winner of the Psy Go, Bibigo talent search based on Psy’s opinion and an online poll hosted on PsygoBibigo.com.

About Bibigo
In 2011, the new bibigo™ brand was launched to promote authentic Korean flavors through modern, casual restaurants and a line of accessible food products. bibigo™ restaurants currently have three locations throughout the greater Los Angeles area including Beverly Hills, Century City, and Westwood. bibigo™ products include a variety of whole grain potstickers, mini wontons, Korean BBQ sauces, and much more to satisfy any authentic Korean craving. Through the Annie Chun’s and bibigo™ brands, CJ Foods offers a wide range of food products and strives to fully satisfy its consumers’ needs for health, convenience, and great taste.

 

“Mecha Mecha Iketeru” April 20th episode is ratings winner for Fuji TV

Saturday night’s special episode of “Mecha Mecha Iketeru!” (Mecha-Ike) was a ratings winner for Fuji TV topping at 23.4% (average rating of 20.9% according to Video Research in the Kanto area).

Featuring the idol group AKB48, the annual episode was to find out who is the “BKA48″ center baka (“baka” means “dumb” in Japanese).

The member who is not the smartest in which members of the idol group would compete in various grammar questions in Japanese and English.  The 23.4% rating came at the time when the members were answering the questions in English.

A play on AKB48′s senbatsu rankings in which members desire to be ranked #1 and become the center (ace) in the upcoming single.  In this case, the baka center would have to do a performance at the end.

While AKB48 member Anna Iriyama scored the best grade among the AKB48 members, in the bottom three were Rina Kawaei, Haruna Kojim and AKB48 leader, Minami Takahashi.

In the end, the person designated the “Baka Center” was Rina Kawaei.

 

Welcoming DJ & Producer, RAM RIDER, as Guest of Honor for AX 2013

LOS ANGELES, CA, April 19th, 2013 – Anime Expo, North America’s largest anime and Japanese pop culture convention, announces RAM RIDER as a Guest of Honor for AX2013! The prolific DJ, producer, lyricist and vocalist will be behind the decks at AXDance, Anime Expo’s showcase of leading EDM DJs from the US and Japan.

RAM RIDER blazed up the Shibuya club and Oricon charts working as a remixer and composer with artists like Ayumi Hamasaki, Suzuki Ami, Sawa, Halcali, m-flo, Orange Range, Meg, and Speed.

He has released three albums including Audio Galaxy: Ram Rider vs. Stars and Audio Galaxy: Ram Rider Strikes Back!!! in addition to hosting the Audio Galaxy radio show.

RAM RIDER frequently spins in Tokyo with Yasutaka Nakata of Capsule at the Asobi System club event TAKENOKO!!!, and is a fixture in the dynamic Japanese electro scene that also includes artists like Kyary Pamyu Pamyu and Perfume.

Connect with the best in Japanese entertainment at Anime Expo 2013, as we welcome RAM RIDER as a Guest of Honor!

About Anime Expo

Hosted annually in Los Angeles, SPJA event Anime Expo is North America’s largest celebration of Japanese culture. Anime Expo 2013 will be held July 4 – 7, 2013 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. To register, or for more information, please visit the Anime Expo website.
About the Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation

The SPJA is a non-profit organization whose mission is to popularize and educate the American public about Japanese entertainment culture, as well as provide a forum to facilitate communication between professionals and fans. For more information, please visit the SPJA website.

 

Okinawa-based band 7!! will make their US debut performance at FanimeCon!

7!! to perform in the U.S. for the first time at FanimeCon 2013

A four-piece band from Okinawa, 7!!(pronounced seven oops) will participate in North America’s anime convention “FanimeCon 2013” next month in May which takes place during the Memorial Day weekend at San Jose, CA.
FanimeCon is Northern California’s largest anime convention which has invited renowned artists such as YOSHIKI from X JAPAN, FLOW and Yuya Matsushita in the past.

7!! is a four-piece band from Okinawa with an infectious pop sound thanks to their vocalist NANAE’s sweet voice. With their high energy performances and NANAE’s female perspective, 7!! attracts many young fans. Their debut 2011 single ‘Fallin Love’ was featured as the theme song for popular film ‘High School Debut.’ Since then, their music has been featured in a variety of shows including Fuji Sankei Group’s morning news program ‘FCI Morning Eye’ with the song ‘Nijiiro’, and in the anime series ‘Naruto Shippuden’ with the song ‘Lovers.’ In late 2012, 7!! had their single ‘Bye Bye’ used as the theme song for ‘Kimi to Boku’ and in early 2013 had their most recent single ‘Sayonara Memory’ used as the ending theme for ‘Naruto Shippuden’. The band is expanding its fan base with successful animation tie-ins. Last year, they performed at ‘Anime Festival Asia Indonesia 2012’ in Jakarta for the first time in overseas.

With their music available in 19 countries on iTunes and Amazon and their first full-length album ‘Dokidoki’ out now in Japan 7!! has quickly become a burgeoning force in the Japanese music scene.

■FanimeCon
Date：May 24-27 *7!! will be performing on March 25(Sat)
Venue： San Jose Civic Center
For further details, please check FanimeCon website: www.fanime.com

■7!! Official Website

http://7oops.com/

■7!! facebook

https://www.facebook.com/sevenoops

 

Kalafina to perform with their full band for the first time in the U.S. at Anime Central (Rosemont, IL. – Convention Date: May 17-19, 2013)

Kalafina to perform at Anime Central 2013
First full band performance in the U.S. comes to the Rosemont Theatre on Friday, May 17

Kalafina is a Japanese female vocal trio produced by the hit-making sound producer, Yuki Kajiura.

Keiko, Wakana, and Hikaru, the members of Kalafina, have voices that perfectly match the music composed by Kajiura. Each member takes the main vocal in turn, with alternating backing vocals and part variations, and their beautiful harmony captivates the audience to lead them into the world of Kalafina’s mystical music.

Kalafina made their spectacular debut on January 23, 2008 with “Oblivious,” and the remarkable accomplishment of charting three singles in a row on the Oricon Top 10 Weekly Singles Chart with their second single, “Sprinter/ARIA,” and their third single, “Fairytale.”  All three of these songs are used as the theme for the anime series, “Kara no Kyoukai – Garden of Sinners.”  This anime changed the history of single theater showings and became a megahit with cumulative DVD sales of over 600 thousand copies.

Their first album, “Seventh Heaven,” which could be portrayed as a homage to “Kara no Kyoukai — Garden of Sinners,” was released in March 2009.  This album made a sensational debut at #8 on the Oricon Weekly Album Charts.  Released simultaneously was their fourth single, “Lacrimosa,” which was used as the ending theme for the hit anime “Kuroshitsuji — Black Butler.” Consecutively collaborating with such hit animes, Kalafina’s sound has established true compatibility with the atmospheres created within these animes.

Kalafina consecutively released their fifth and sixth singles, “Storia” and “Progressive,” and their seventh single, “Hikari no Senritsu,” released in January 2010, debuted at #7 on the Oricon Weekly Singles Chart.  Kalafina’s seven singles since their debut had all charted within the Top 15 in a row on the Oricon Charts, which was a tremendous accomplishment.  Their second album, “Red Moon,” was released on March 17, 2010 and charted at #5 on the Oricon Chart.

Kalafina’s 3rd album “After Eden” was released on September 21, 2011, and charted at #3 on the Oricon Chart. Same entitled nationwide tour drew approx. 14,000 attendees in total, and this shows how much solid reputation Kalafina is earning.

The following singles “Kagayaku Sorano Shijimaniwa”, “Magia”, “to the beginning” and “Hikarifuru” had been used as the theme songs of hit animes such as “Black Butler II”, “PUELLA MAGI MADOKA MAGICA” and “Fate/Zero”. With this powerful tie-in and the fan-base they have established through their performance, they are enjoying increased popularity in Japan and abroad alike.

Kalafina Official website:

http://www.kalafina.jp

For ticketing information, please see details at http://www.acen.org.

 

[UPDATE] PSY’s “Gentlemen” Music Video beats Justin Bieber’s YouTube single day views record

PSY is back with his new song “Gentlemen” and his music video has gone viral that YouTube’s counter can’t even catch up with all the views.  As of midnight, “Gentlemen” has received over 17 million views and has surpassed Justin Bieber’s May 2012 single day record of 8 million views for “Boyfriend”.   Congratulations to PSY for another record broken!

 

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