NKOTBSB by Michelle Tymon (J!-ENT Interviews and Articles)

Article and concert photos by: Michelle Tymon

Screams of women in their twenties and thirties (as well as some teenagers) can be heard all across North America right now as NKOTBSB hits 48 cities in 53 dates on their huge North American tour across the US and Canada.  The tour started on May 25th 2011 in Rosemont, IL and is scheduled to wrap up on August 7th 2011 in London, Ontario, Canada.  I personally went to the sold out show on July 8th 2011 in Tacoma, WA and NKOTB and BSB fans alike were able to relive their precious memories from ten and even twenty years ago.

For those who may not know what NKOTBSB is, it is the boy band supergroup combining the biggest boy band from the ’80s, the New Kids on the Block (NKOTB), and one of the biggest boy bands of the 90′s and early 2000′s, the Backstreet Boys (BSB).  Both groups experienced quite a bit of success back in the day and were able to relive it through this tour.  Even though the Backstreet Boys never broke up, the New Kids on the Block broke up in 1994 and members pursued their own careers for a while.

The New Kids on the Block were the biggest thing in the US in the late ’80′s and early ’90s.  They were not the first boy band around however they were pretty much the first ones to be formed with the “boy band formula” in mind (In which you have the cute one, the quiet one, the rebellious one and at least two of them related if possible).

In the mid 90′s, their popularity started to fade and Jonathan Knight left the group due to panic attacks and anxiety issues, resulting in the rest of the group to disband as well.  Around 1999 and 2000, both Jordan Knight and Joey McIntyre had best selling singles due to boy bands and pop music making a huge come back around that time.  Donnie Wahlberg, like his younger brother Mark Wahlberg, had made a name for himself as an accomplished actor since the 90′s, acting in movies like “Ransom”, “The Sixth Sense”, three of the “Saw” movies (Saw II-IV), and TV series like “Boomtown” and most recently as the lead role in the CBS police drama, “Blue Bloods”.

Over the years, there were numerous attempts at getting the group back together but finally in 2008, the boy band reunited and released a new album called “The Block” and had the popular singles, “Summertime”, as well as “Single”, which was written and featured R&B singer Ne-Yo.  The album itself had many huge collaborators including Ne-Yo, Akon, The Pussycat Dolls, New Edition, and Lady Gaga who also opened for them on that tour.  Since then, each member continues their own careers while also working with the group.

 

 

The Backstreet Boys hit it big in Europe before they were big in their home, the US.  They finally started getting recognized at home in the late 90′s with singles like “As Long as You Love Me” and “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back)”, but they blew up with their single “I Want it That Way” from their biggest selling album, “Millennium”.  A very big and successful tour went with that album and soon after they followed up with their next album, “Black and Blue”, which did very well and they led the pop revolution at the time with *NSYNC, Britney Spears, and Christina Aguilera.

The Backstreet Boys have each pursued personal endeavors while still being together as a group but did hit some hard times along the way.  In 2001, AJ McLean was admitted into rehab for drug and alcohol abuse, which caused rescheduling and cancellations of dates on their huge “Black and Blue” tour.  In 2002, Nick Carter released his first solo album, “Now or Never” and for the next three years, the Boys took a slight hiatus to do various things.  In 2005, they released their last studio album with all five members called “Never Gone”.

In 2006, Kevin Richardson left the group to pursue other endeavors but has come back on occasion to perform with the other four, last year on Oprah for one of their super fans and most recently, he made an appearance at the Staples Center NKOTBSB show in LA and performed “I Want it That Way” with the other four members.  Since Kevin’s departure, they released two albums “Unbreakable” and “This is Us”.  Brian Littrell released a solo album in 2006 called “Welcome Home”, AJ McLean released a solo album in Japan called “Have it All” in 2010, Nick Carter released a second solo album called “I’m Taking Off” which was released first in Japan and later in the US in 2011, and Howie D. is releasing his own solo album in 2011 as well.

 

 

In 2010, there were rumors that the two groups were possibly planning to work together, especially when the Backstreet Boys showed up at NKOTB’s last show of their 2010 tour while they performed “I Want it That Way”.  The rumors were confirmed shortly before the American Music Awards where they first performed together for the first time and performed a medley of hit songs from both groups. They next performed at the Rockin’ New Year’s Eve and announced on the Ryan Seacrest show that they would be touring in 2011.  In April 2011, they released their first single together called “Don’t Turn Out the Lights” and did a few more TV performances together on “Dancing with the Stars” and the “Today Show”, performing that single.

Their tour kicked off in May 25, 2011 and since the tour started, they have had a handful of opening acts including Ashlyne Huff, Jordin Sparks, Midnight Red, Neverest, and even Matthew Morrison from the TV show “Glee”.  Tickets for the show definitely were not cheap ($100+ for most of the seats), but at the same time it wasn’t a bad price considering the set was very long and the crowd was technically seeing two different headliners.  After seeing the show personally, I definitely had no regrets with the ticket costs.

 

Set List:

Medley: “Single” / “The One”
“Summertime”
“The Call
“Dirty Dancing”
“Get Down (You’re the One for Me)”
“You Got It (The Right Stuff)”
“Larger Than Life”
“Didn’t I (Blow Your Mind This Time)”
“Valentine Girl”
“If You Go Away”
“Please Don’t Go Girl”
“Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely”
“10,000 Promises”
“I’ll Never Break Your Heart”
“Inconsolable”
“Drowning”
“Incomplete”
“Step By Step”
“Cover Girl”
“My Favorite Girl”
“Games”
“Click Click Click”
“Tonight”
“Shape of My Heart”
“As Long As You Love Me”
“All I Have to Give”
“If You Stay”
“Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)”
“I’ll Be Loving You (Forever)”
“I Want It That Way”
“Don’t Turn Out the Lights”
Encore
“Everybody (Backstreet’s Back)”
“Hangin’ Tough”
Medley: “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back)” / “Hangin’ Tough” (Reprise)

Both groups seem to understand that the opening of the show can set how excited the crowd will be for the rest of the show.  The concert starts with huge images of the nine guys being projected onto a huge white curtain in the middle of the main stage.  The curtain drops and the nine are standing on an elevated part of the stage.  The stage slowly lowers and they open their show with a mash-up of their singles, “Single” and “The One” remixed together with elements from “Viva la Vida” by Coldplay.

 

One of my biggest surprises was how well they made use of the stage setup.  The stage was set up with a main stage, a catwalk, and then another stage at the end of the cat walk.  It’s not the first time I’ve been to a show that had a catwalk and or a second stage, but usually most of the performance tends to stay on the main stage up front.  From their first song, they started making their way down the catwalk and interacting with the fans, walking and dancing across constantly and performing on both stages and the catwalk equally.

After the first song, they separated into group performances alternating back and forth.  NKOTB started off with “Summertime” and BSB started off with “The Call”.  In the middle of the show as well as at the end of the show, they came back together to perform together as one big unit.  The balance of slow and fast songs for both groups seemed pretty equal and despite their ages (averaging from the mid thirties to early forties) both groups danced quite a bit.  The song selections for both groups revolved around all their biggest hits like “Please Don’t Go Girl” and “Hangin’ Tough” by NKOTB and BSB sang songs like “I Want it That Way” and “As Long as You Love Me”.

 

While NKOTB’s songs were mostly regularly performed songs, the BSB performed a couple of rare songs.  They performed “Get Down (You’re the One For Me)” from their first album and performed the dance on the circular second stage which was probably nostalgic and fun for fans who remember the music video.  Possibly the biggest surprise for BSB fans was the fact that they sang “10,000 Promises”, as it was a song released on their second international album, “Backstreet’s Back” and was never released in the US, but was still a huge fan favorite.  Though it is possible to see them perform this song live on a couple of their DVDs, this was the first time they performed it live on tour in the US and fans definitely enjoyed it.  NKOTB kept their song selection pretty mixed with old and new songs, while BSB concentrated much more on their older songs and didn’t perform any songs from their newest album from 2009.

Even though a lot of their dances can be considered rather dated now, the New Kids performed a lot of their original dance steps which fans still seemed to love and danced along.  Of course they did update some of their old dance moves as well as perform much more modern choreography for all of their new songs.  The Backstreet Boys did the same and kept much of their old choreography, but added a new twist to keep things a little new.

 

The Backstreet Boys haven’t changed too much other than the fact that they are now a quartet rather than a quintet.  I first saw them back in 1998 at Key Arena in Seattle and ever since then, I’ve been a fan.  I’ve gone to each tour that followed and watched the group grow, and even had to chance to meet all of the guys at least once.

As much as I really do appreciate their music, dancing and performances, I think the factor that solidified my adoration for them was the fact that every personal encounter I had with them was a positive one.  Both groups understand that the biggest reason they’re still performing to such big crowds is the fact that their fans from years ago still adore them and neither group seems to take that for granted.

Brian is always joking around, making silly faces and constantly waving to people in the crowd.  Howie is charming his fans with his smile and his Latin charm.  AJ McLean is forever the bad boy, gaining at least one more tattoo every single time I see him and is still my favorite.  Nick Carter still has that baby face and cuteness that gained him so many fans over ten years ago; he just looks a little older now and since he is the youngest out of the nine, he definitely had the most energy throughout the show.

I was never that big of a fan of New Kids (however that seems to be changing gradually after this show).  I was about eight when I first heard them and I really liked them for a short while, until I got into grunge and heavy metal music.  Shortly after that, they broke up.  It’s entertaining to hear the song “Please Don’t Go Girl” because there’s such a noticeable difference from the original song and it being sung now by Joey McIntyre because he’s very much an adult now and doesn’t have such a high pitched voice anymore.  Jonathan Knight didn’t talk at all during the show, but he performed all out.

Seeing him live in person, it would be hard to imagine that he has any anxiety issues.  Jordan still hasn’t lost his touch and could still sing all his falsetto parts.  Danny was very… muscular.  As he and Jonathan don’t sing that much, honestly the first thing that is most memorable about him for me was the fact that he is ridiculously fit.  Donnie kept the crowd hyped up constantly throughout the show, whether it was getting the crowd to sing along or providing fan service.

 

Fan service is a given at boy band shows… and NKOTB definitely had plenty of that, overall probably much more than BSB.   They performed suggestive songs,  performed suggestive moves, and Donnie Wahlberg tore off his shirt at one point in the show and walked around for a while shirtless (this was very effective in getting the crowd hyped up).  All of which of course was welcomed by happy screams throughout the venue.  Eye candy is definitely a big part of these shows, but thankfully it’s not the only factor.  Despite the negative views they may get, all of them are very talented vocalists who also know how to entertain a crowd.

One of the biggest things that was noticeable in their show is how big fan interaction was to both groups.  As I mentioned earlier, there was a main stage, a catwalk, and a second stage at the end of the catwalk.  Both stages also had the ability to rise up about 6-8 feet so the fans higher up could see them.  Jumbo tron screens were also at the shows so no matter where people were sitting, they could see what was going on. There was not a bad seat on the floor as they made sure to move back and forth constantly starting from the first song throughout the show.

 

Not wanting to leave out the fans who were in the risers, NKOTB went up into the crowds from the catwalk all the way up to the top of the risers.  Backstreet Boys did the opposite and made their way down from the risers back down to the catwalk and at our show, Brian Littrell got lost in the crowd for a while and was not able to return on time.  Both groups made sure to shake hands with fans, take photos, and give out hugs all the way through their way into the crowds (all this while still singing).  This takes a lot of guts; both groups threw themselves into a crowd of women who have been dying to get close to them, even now.

Yet they still did it and so far there seems to have been only a few injuries and mishaps.  Another part of the fan interaction was when the Backstreet Boys each selected an audience member to be serenaded to personally during the song “I’ll Never Break Your Heart” on the catwalk.

Not keeping the shows completely routine, they have been adding random surprises throughout various dates of the shows.  As  mentioned earlier, Kevin Richardson showed up at the Staples Center show on July 1st, Howie D’s baby made an appearance on stage at my show in Tacoma, and most recently and possibly the biggest surprise yet, Boyz II Men performed with NKOTBSB at Backstreet’s homecoming show in Orlando, July 22nd.

During the group member introductions, Backstreet members introduced their NKOTB counterparts and vice versa.  I think the fan interaction as well as the interaction between the two groups made a lot of BSB fans into NKOTB fans as well as NKOTB fans into BSB fans.  Of course there are people who are fans of both but there were definitely people there who were die-hard fans of one group over the other.  I was expecting there to be much more of a division in fans, but all throughout the show, no matter what group was performing, everyone was up out of their seats having fun.

 

The show leads into it’s finale as they perform the single, “Don’t Turn Out the Lights” together.  Both groups come back out one last time for their encore of “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back)” and “Hangin’ Tough” and then finally they end the show with a mash-up of those two songs.  By the end of the show, fans are left with feelings of excitement, happiness and probably wishing the show didn’t end.

Nostalgia and something new, fans get to enjoy the best of both worlds in this unforgettable concert.  It’s definitely a night fans will not forget and considering how well the tour is going, the two groups might want to consider further collaborations with each other.  Maybe a full length album and hopefully another tour?  Even though that might prove difficult because all nine of them have their own personal careers as well as group projects but it’s something I, as well as many, many other fans hope they will consider.

Another nice touch even after the show is over, is the fact that members of both groups are very active on Twitter and constantly posting tidbits from each show, as well as videos and photos.  Out of both group combined, the one that tweets the most is probably Donnie Wahlberg.  He not only tweets the most, but follows over 3,000 people and is constantly replying to his fans.  Interactions like this are greatly appreciated and also helps with gaining more fans.

 

So what were the cons of the show?  Honestly, I don’t have much to rant about.  The show was a bit pricey, but I thought it was well worth the price after seeing the show.  The cheesiness factor of the old boy band songs and cheesy choreography can be negative… but most of the people going to these shows are going to specifically see that and that makes them happy.

I believe that music can help with expressing various emotions.  The biggest reason fans go to concerts like this is to have fun, be entertained, and be happy.  I believe that most, if not everyone who went to the show, left feeling that.  I certainly did.

No matter what, there will always be some negativity surrounding “boy bands” and manufactured groups.  But each time I go to shows like this, I’m reminded that they are all very talented vocalists, dancers, and performers.

There was no lip synching involved; they all sang live (even made a couple of small mistakes), they had a live band, they danced, they interacted with fans throughout the show… and they had fun.  They know how to put on a great show and fans leave the show extremely happy.

Despite the negative stigma put on pop music and boy bands, I personally don’t see anything wrong with shows like this after seeing thousands of people having so much fun and being so happy to see groups they grew up with live again.

My expectations for the show were not exactly low, but this concert far exceeded my expectations.  I went in expecting only to have fun during BSB’s set, however I had fun throughout the show.  Seeing that fans of both groups could have fun throughout the show no matter who was performing, I thought really said a lot for both groups.

This show is easily one of the best shows I have ever been to (and I go to a number of shows in a year, genres ranging from pop to metal) and I highly regret only being able to go to one show.

This tour truly shows that both groups, even after being around for fifteen or more years, have what it takes to keep going.  I wish both groups the best and I can’t wait to see them again.

For more photos from the NKOTBSB show in Tacoma, WA 7/8/11, click here for my flickr set from the show.

Sakura-Con 2011 Exhibition Hall Report by Michelle Tymon (J!-ENT Interviews and Articles)

Sakura-Con 2011 Exhibition Hall Report & Photos by Michelle Tymon

 

One of the biggest perks of going to Sakura-Con is their enormous Exhibition Hall.

Throughout the whole weekend, this place is packed because anime fans can find almost any merchandise they could ever ask for.  The number of exhibitors grows every year and this year Sakura-Con had 120+ exhibitors from all over the country.  Of course anime and manga merchandise aren’t the only things you’ll find here.  Other exhibitors include organizations dealing with Japanese culture, video game exhibitors (particularly retro gaming), and shops selling anything involving Japanese or Asian culture (you can buy swords!).

People who wish to cosplay but cannot sew themselves can even find cosplay costumes and wigs here.  JRock enthusiasts can also find clothes, accessories, posters, and of course music from their favorite bands.  For three days, this huge hall turns into a Japanese Culture Heaven.

 

 

Anime and manga fans can pretty much find anything from DVDs/Blu-Rays to body pillows of their favorite characters.

Popular items include DVDs/Blu-Rays, figures, anime cels, mangas, art books, and much, much more.  Official anime distributors like Bandai, FUNimation also usually have booths in the Exhibition Hall and this year Bandai’s booth was impressive.  Not only did they have a booth to sell DVDs and Blu-Rays, they had a whole separate section right next door just for Bandai figures.  Fans could find figures from “One Piece”, “Saint Seiya”, Gundam, and many other series.  Of course, Gundam would be one of the fan favorites.

Kinokuniya is the biggest Japanese bookstore in the Seattle area and they always have tons of manga, art books and an amazing Japanese music collection.  Oh, there’s also a Yaoi booth… for those who are interested.

 

Retro gaming is pretty popular with the crowd at Sakura-Con and this year there were multiple exhibitors specializing in retro gaming.

Pink Gorilla is a local company in Seattle that specializes in retro and import games and their booth this year was one of the biggest for retro gaming.  There was also Another Castle Video Games and also a booth for the Seattle Retro Gaming Expo.

 

 

 

For those interested in other aspects of Japanese culture, various associations were present to give out information regarding festivals, events, clubs, teaching English abroad, and volunteering opportunities.

Organizations that were present this year included: the Japan America Society of Washington State, The Hyogo Business and Cultural Center, Meito Shodo-kai, and the Consulate-General of Japan in Seattle who also runs the JET Program.  You could also stop by the Uwajimaya booth to get some Japanese treats like Pocky and Ramune drinks.

 

 

Fans will never be disappointed at what they find at the Exhibition Hall.  Anime fans will always find what they’re looking for and even find stuff they never thought they would find.   It’s also a great way for people to learn about other aspects of Japanese culture and for gamers will find that nostalgic game from when they were a child.   Definitely worth stopping by at least once if you ever attend Sakura-Con.

For a list of all of the exhibitors from Sakura-Con 2011, go to: http://www.sakuracon.org//exhibitors/exhibitor_booths.php

For many more pictures from the Exhibition Room this year, please check out my flickr at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/28410146@N06/sets/72157626760344647/

Links:

Anime Related:

• Bandai Entertainment: http://www.bandai-ent.com/Bandai_Entertainment/Welcome.html
• FUNIMATION: http://www.funimation.com
• Kinokuniya Bookstores: http://www.kinokuniya.com/
• fye: http://www.fye.com
• Asylum Anime: http://www.asylum-anime.com/
• Anime Depot: http://www.animedepot.com/
• Anime Palace: http://www.animepalace.com/
• Hobby Fan: http://www.hobbyfan.com/
• Yes Anime: http://www.yesanime.com/
• Kicks Hobby Japan: http://www.kicks-hobby.com/

Video Game Related:

• Pink Gorilla Games: http://www.pinkgorillagames.com/
• Another Castle Games: http://www.facebook.com/AnotherCastleGames
• Seattle Retro Gaming Expo: http://www.jetcityretro.org/

Japanese Music Related:

• Visual You: http://www.visual-you.com/
• Japan Files: http://www.japanfiles.com

Japanese Culture Related:

• Japan America Society of Washington State: http://www.jassw.org/
• Hyogo Business and Cultural Center: http://www.hyogobcc.org/
• Meito Shodokai: http://www.meitokai.com/index.htm
• Consulate-General of Japan in Seattle: http://www.seattle.us.emb-japan.go.jp/
• Uwajimaya: http://www.uwajimaya.com

Sakura-Con 2011 Report by Michelle Tymon (J!-ENT Interviews and Articles)

Sakura-Con 2011 Report and Photography by Michelle Tymon

Sakura Con 2011 proved that the popularity of anime and Japanese culture are still very strong in the US and especially in Seattle.  The attendance at the yearly convention grows every year and this year, it was no exception bringing in an amazing 19,040, over 1,000 more than last year’s number of 18,002.  The weather also proved to be nice for most of the weekend, but because it is taking place in Seattle, there was still some rain.

However, that definitely didn’t stop anyone from going to the con.  Anime fans could be seen walking up and down the streets of Seattle that weekend, rain or shine.

 

 

The guest lineup at this year’s Sakura Con was impressive as ever as they brought big names from both Japan and America.  Guests this year included: Kotono Mitsuishi, Berryz Kobo, exist+trace, Daisuke Moriyama, Tony Oliver, Clarine Harp, Christopher Bevins, Tiffany Grant, Cynthia Cranz, Wendy Powell, Stephanie Sheh, and 6%DOKIDOKI.

 

For a complete listing for the 2011 guest lineup, http://www.sakuracon.org/programming/guests.php

Fans can come to Sakura Con to enjoy many activities involving manga/anime, video games, Japanese music, and Japanese tradition and culture.

For those interested in manga/anime, the convention offers panels, Q&A’s, autograph signings with industry guests, a huge exhibition hall where fans can buy all sorts of merchandise, Artist Alley where artists can show off their own art, and cosplay photoshoots.

Video game fans can enjoy 24 hour gaming rooms, video game tournaments, retro gaming, DDR and other arcade games, Microsoft playtest, and the Rock Band stage.

For fans of Japanese music, there are a few concerts during the weekend they can go to (this year it was the JRock band exist+trace and the JPop group Berryz Kobo) and people can enjoy open mic karaoke, karaoke contests, and various dances.  As for those interested in Japanese culture, people can go play the game “Go”, watch various cultural and traditional demonstrations or get information through various organizations like the Consulate-General of Japan in Seattle, the Japan America Society of the State of Washington, and the Hyogo Business and Cultural Center.

There are also various theaters at Sakura-Con including the AMV theater, anime theaters, and live-action theaters.  They are not only a great way to watch great anime and movies, but also a great place to relax if you ever had free time in between events you wanted to go to and they are also open 24 hours.

 

 

For the past few years, Sakura-Con has been known to bring some amazing musical guests from Japan.

On Friday night, the JRock band exist+trace held a concert.  exist+trace is a visual rock band consisting of all female members.  At their concert, they showed that they could definitely hold their own and rock out even harder than their male colleagues.  Despite some technical problems in the beginning, they still managed to rock the house and the crowd had a great time.

On Saturday night, the JPop group Berryz Kobo performed to a packed house and even brought some of their hardcore fans from Japan with them.  They started out the concert talking about the earthquake and tsunami that had just devastated Northeastern Japan and kicked off the concert with a cover of the popular 1992 song “Ai wa Katsu” by Kan.

I happened to be sitting next to four fans from Japan who were jumping, cheering, shouting, and dancing through the whole show.  While looking around the audience, I also spotted another older fan from Japan who was in one of the aisles dancing the choreography to each and every song they sang perfectly.  The fans from Japan definitely made themselves known among the crowed but the American fans were also full of energy and enjoyed the show.

 

 

Every year at Sakura-Con they hold a charity auction.  This year was no different, except this year the charity auction was for both the Make-A-Wish Foundation as well as Peace Winds America, the latter to help out the relief efforts in Japan for those affected by the earthquake and tsunami that occurred in March of this year.  Things that were auctioned off at both auctions were quite impressive this year.

Items included shikishi drawings done by artists attending Sakura-Con as well as other famous artists, huge Sakura-Con 2011 posters that were displayed at the various hotels, signed anime goods, anime cels, and many other items.  The first two badges for next year’s convention were also auctioned off and went for about $2,000.

The package included badge #’s 1 & 2, a free hotel room for the whole weekend as well as advanced VIP seating for all the events.

 

 

During the Peace Winds America auction, very rare and amazing things were offered with the help of Kotono Mitsuishi and Run Sasaki.

Kotono Mitsuishi offered items from her own merchandise from her website; she had three bundles available which included a signed original t-shirt, cellphone charms and a handkerchief.  Mitsuishi-san also managed to get other items signed by other cast members on shows she’s currently working on and auctioned them off.

One of the most amazing things that Run Sasaki auctioned off was a replica of the coat Luffy wore in the movie, “One Piece: Strong World”.  Not only was the coat a one of a kind, Mayumi Tanaka (the seiyuu who does Luffy’s voice) wore it at last year’s Sakura-Con during her performance with Team Dreamcatchers and signed it as well.

One of the items that I highly regret not getting was a one of a kind “Anpanman” handkerchief.  I am not the biggest “Anpanman” fan, but this handkerchief was not sold in stores and it was signed by the cast members.  It being signed by Keiko Toda (the seiyuu who does “Anpanman” is also a famous actress in Japan who has done many dramas and movies) alone would make it worth quite a bit, but since it includes so many other signatures including Koichi Yamadera (another famous seiyuu whose credits include Ryoga from “Ranma 1/2″), it was priceless.

Other items included shirts signed by Ikue Ohtani (who does Pikachu’s voice in “Pokemon” and Chopper’s voice in “One Piece”) and other amazing goodies.  Both charities raised thousands of dollars for wonderful causes.

For more information on either of these charities, please go to: http://www.wish.org and http://peacewindsamerica.org/

 

 

As someone who has been going to the convention since 2004, I’ve seen this convention grow quite a bit.

Every year the convention would grow in attendance and bring in even more guests and the names got bigger every year.  And because of the convention’s growth each year, there have been a few minor bumps in the road along the way but this year the staff did an outstanding job keeping everything running smoothly and their hard work was very apparent.

The staff members and volunteers put in countless amount of hours every year to bring such a big event to the growing number of fans every single year.  One of the biggest improvements that I saw was in dealing with the lines for the autograph signings.

In past years of Sakura-Con, the autograph signings sometimes caused frustration because there would be only an hour and some guests were so big that the line of people that would show up would be too long and not everyone would be able to get an autograph because of the time constraints.

This year the lines were still insanely long for some guests but they were better organized and the lines moved smoothly.  They also held two autograph sessions at once (the room that the signings were in as huge) most of the time and also held more than one autograph signing for a number of the big guests to help everyone who wanted an autograph to get one.

One of the biggest lines that I personally witnessed for Sakura-Con was the line for Kotono Mitsuishi on Saturday.  There was a slight confusion with people lining up early for the session who were given bracelets to come back later (this year the convention made a rule where people were not supposed to line up earlier than 30 minutes before the signing) but even with that, everyone there was able to get an autograph.

 

 

Another bump in the road they managed to fix this year was the wait time for registration.  Last year, registration took hours for some con goers but this year, registration was speedy.

The con goers I talked to mentioned that the time to get their badges this year only took minutes and every time I passed by the registration room, the lines were very short.  That is an incredible feat considering the 19,040 con goers this year.  Despite some frustration that may be caused, this convention really wouldn’t be possible without the staff and the volunteers.

This year they were able to show that past problems can be resolved so it really will be exciting to see what kinds of guests and events they bring us next year.

 

Big guests, amazing concerts, cosplaying and tons of fun events: Sakura-Con 2011 was amazing and anime fans can definitely look forward to Sakura-Con 2012.

For more pictures check out my flickr here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/28410146@N06/sets/72157626884064456/

Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple Season 2 Part 2 (A J!-Ent Anime DVD Review)

“Kenichi Season 2 Part 2 is the exciting conclusion to a great action comedy series. A must-see!”

Image courtesy of © Syun Matsuena/FUNIMATION. All Rights Reserved.

DVD TITLE: Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple Season 2 DVD Part 2

DURATION: 280 Minutes

DVD INFORMATION: 16:9 WIDESCREEN, ENGLISH 5.1 DOLBY DIGITAL SURROUND SOUND, JAPANESE STEREO

COMPANY: FUNIMATION Entertainment

RATED: 13+

Release Date: May 25th, 2010

Original Comic Books Created by Syun Matsuena

Chief Direction by Hajime Kamegaki

Music by Joe Rinoie

Sound Director by Akiyoshi Tanaka

Art Direction by Nobuhito Sakamoto

Character Design by Masatomo Sudo/Junko Yamanaka

Produced by Susumu Matsuyama/Satoshi Kojima/Kenichi Project/TMS Entertianment, LTD.

 

Featuring the following voice talent:

Tomokazu Seki/ Josh Grelle as Kenichi Shirahama

Tomoko Kawakami/ Carrie Savage as Miu Fuurinji

Takumi Yamazaki/ Todd Haberkorn as Haruo Niijima

Tomoe Sakuragawa/ Cherami Leigh as Honoka Shirahama

Hiroshi Arikawa/ R. Bruce Elliott as Hayato Fuurinji

Unsho Ishizuka/ Christopher Sabat as Shio Sakaki

Hiroya Ishimaru/ Sonny Strait as Apachai Hopachai

Mamiko Noto/ Trina Nishimura as Shigure Kosaka

Issei Futamata/ Vic Mignogna as Kensei Ma

Jurota Kosugi/ Kent Williams as Akisame Koetsuji

Mika Kanai/ Kate Oxley as Renka Ma

Ken Narita/ Jerry Jewell as Odin

George Nakata/ Robert McCollum as Berserker

Atsuko Tanaka/ Stephanie Young as Freya

Keiji Fujiwara/ Travis Willingham as Loki

Mitsuaki Madono/ Chris Cason as Siegfried

Ryo Horikawa/Eric Vale as Hermit

Naomi Kusumi/ Bob Carter as Thor

Minami Takayama/ Colleen Clickenbeard as Valkyrie

Akio Ohtsuka/Jason Douglas as Ishinsai Ogata

Kenichi’s a lot tougher than he used to be – living in a dojo with six martial arts masters will do that to you. But thanks to his reputation as a skilled fighter, the guy’s got more problems than ever.

The goons in Ragnarok are gunning for him in a big way, especially the gang’s leaders: the Eight Fists, a dangerously unpredictable crew known to play dirty. Luckily, Kenichi’s got allies like Miu by his side. She’s as tough as she is hot, and even if he still hasn’t scored with the blonde brawler, her very presence makes Kenichi train harder to be the best.

Yeah, he’s come a long way – but Kenichi’s fight to be the mightiest disciple isn’t over yet.

“Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple Season 2 Part 2″ starts off as a direct continuation from Season 2 Part 1, and the first episode of this collection concludes what happened in episode 38. Kenichi is still working under the masters of the Ryozanpaku dojo to become the best fighter in the world. The story concentrates around Kenichi, who is training to become the best fighter in the world. This section of the series deals with Kenichi’s fight with the members of Ragnarok, concentrating on the battle against the last 3 Fists of Ragnarok. Kenichi’s grueling training from the Ryozanpaku masters continue while he attends high school with Miu, and in this collection of episodes, he has to train with the Elder of Ryozanpaku to become strong enough to defeat the strongest fighter of Ragnarok. Meanwhile, Niijima is still trying his best to recruit more members into the Shinpaku Federation so he can take over the world. Kenichi must face someone from his past and is put to the ultimate test in the exciting conclusion of “Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple”.

This particular volume, “Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple Season 2 DVD Part 2″ contains the last 12 episodes of the second season of “Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple”.

 

“Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple” focuses on the following main characters:

 

Kenichi Shirahama – Kenichi is the main character of the series and is a high school student that is training at the Ryozanpaku Dojo and learning multiple martial arts at once from the masters at the dojo. He is very loyal and very dedicated to his art and has a crush on Miu. Even though he seems to be a mediocre fighter to most at first, somehow he manages to defeat everyone in his path.

Miu Furinji – Miu is the very well endowed 16 year old that is the granddaughter of Hayato Furinji and the classmate of Kenichi. Despite her cute looks, she is rather shy… and also quite a skilled fighter.

Haruo Niijima – Niijima is the self-proclaimed leader of the Shinpaku Federation who has the appearance of an alien and acts like one as well. He and Kenichi call each other bad friends, but are somewhat friends nonetheless despite not wanting to admit it. Niijima dreams of taking over the world one day.

Honoka Shirahama – Honoka is Kenichi’s very energetic and hyper young sister. She is saved from thugs one day by Hermit and since then, she has a very strange but cute bond with him.

Hayato Fuurinji – Hayato is the grandfather of Miu and the undefeated elder of the Ryozanpaku Dojo. He is rather, tall, muscular, and loves lollipops. He is a giant and powerful.

Shio Sakaki – Sakaki is the karate master of the dojo. He is rather tall and rugged, has a scar on his face and is usually wearing a leather jacket.

Apachai Hopachai – Apachai is the master of Muay Thai of the dojo. He is very strong, but can be rather childish and says “apapapa” alot. He also likes the game, “osero”.

Shigure Kosaka – Shigure is the weapons master of the dojo. She is the only female master of the dojo and is rather quiet and has a pet mouse named Tochumaru.

Kensei Ma – Kensei is the Chinese Kenpo master of the dojo. He is rather short and balding and is usually seen holding a pervy book.

Akisame Koetsuji – Akisame is the Jujitsu master of the dojo. He is also the master of various other arts including calligraphy, go, painting, etc. He likes making inventions that serve a certain purpose… as well as training Kenichi at the same time.

Ragnarok

Odin – Odin is the strongest of the members of Ragnarok and seems to have some sort of connection with Kenichi’s past.

Berserker – Berserker is the second fist of Ragnarok who is rather quiet and usually seen chewing gum.
His name is rather self-explanatory.

Freya – Freya is the second fist of Ragnarok and is the leader of the Valkyries. She firmly believes that for women to win against men in fighting, they must use weapons.

Loki – Loki is the fourth fist of Ragnarok, and one of the main antagonists of this section of the series. Just like his namesake, he is somewhat of a trickster and doesn’t play very fair. In this part of the season, his true intentions come to light.

Siegfried – Siegfried is another member of Ragnarok who by rumor is immortal. He is obsessed with music and hopes to use his fighting experiences in making new symphonies. After being defeated by Kenichi, he joins the Shinpaku Federation.

Hermit/Natsu Tanimoto – Hermit was the sixth fist of Ragnarok and can probably be seen as Kenichi’s biggest rival. Despite being his rival and wanting nothing more than to defeat Kenichi, through the series it’s evident that he’s not that bad of a character. He is a very fair fighter and has a weird yet cute bond with Honoka, Kenichi’s younger sister. He also seems to be a bit bi-polar…

Thor – Thor is the sumo fighter and the seventh fist of Ragnarok. He is best friends with Siegfried.

Valkyrie/Kisara Nanjo – Valkyrie is the eighth fist of Ragnarok. She tries to act tough but seems to have a soft spot for cats. She leaves Ragnarok because she feels differently about the direction the group is headed.

Isshinsai Ogata – Ogata is the person who saves Kenichi in the wilderness when he gets lost… but he ends up being someone who we least suspect.

“Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple Season 2 Part 2” features a total of 12 episodes on two DVDs. Here is a spoiler-less summary of each episode:

DISC 1:

• EPISODE 39- Shigure’s Personal… Lesson! – Kenichi has to fight… girls.
• EPISODE 40- The Place the Promise was Made! Everything Started Here! – Kenichi recalls events that happened in the past that connect to what’s happening now..
• EPISODE 41- Terror of the Sphere of Control! A Dragon Descends! – Kenichi faces off with a childhood friend, Niijima tries to recruit Tanimoto in the Shinpaku Federation.
• EPISODE 42- Elder’s Super Express! Do-or-Die Secluded Tour in the Mountains! – Kenichi starts his training with the Elder, but it’s not the training he expected at all.
• EPISODE 43- Limiter! Invitation to the World of Bloodshed – Kenichi continues his training in the woods, where he encounters the possibility of changing his life forever.
• EPISODE 44- Collapse of the Shinpaku Federation! The Crazy Fist Stealthily Approaches! – Kenichi continues his training with the Elder, meanwhile Berserker and Freya draw closer to the Shinpaku Federation.

DISC 2:

• EPISODE 45- The Decisive Attack! Kisara Dances! – Kisara has her showdown with Freya.
• EPISODE 46- Farewell! A Determined Niijima joins the Fray! – Kenichi goes to find Niijima after recieving a concerning email. The Shinpaku Federation’s HQ is found out, and they are helped by unlikely allies.
• EPISODE 47- The Weakness of the Genius! Effort Surpasses Talent! – Kenichi finally arrives to help his friends. Hermit and Berserker fight.
• EPISODE 48- Showdown between the Leaders! The Man with the Legendary Spear! – Kenichi and Odin start their final showdown.
• EPISODE 49- The Mightiest Transformation! The Ryozanpaku Rhythm! – Kenichi and Odin’s battle continues.
• EPISODE 50- The Mightiest Disciple, Kenichi! – Kenichi and Odin’s battle comes to a close. Will Kenichi and his kindness win or will Odin and his power win?

VIDEO & AUDIO

“Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple” is presented in 16:9. As I mentioned in my review for the first half of season 2, the animation honestly isn’t the best that I’ve seen, especially considering the fact that this series came out in the last few years, but the characters and story make up for it. The production of the art itself isn’t bad… but it’s not a series that you’ll probably be watching for the amazing animation. The character designs for the female characters = fan service and more fan service. The boob sizes ranged from big to bigger, so I’m sure there are some fans that will definitely enjoy that. The music is average but in some parts of the series, there is 8-bit game type music which I personally like.

For audio, you have the option of either Japanese or English.

There are only English subtitles available.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

The only special features available on the discs are textless songs and FUNIMATION trailers.

“Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple” is a great action series filled with great characters and comedy. This particular volume deals with the last 12 episodes of the anime series, and takes off right where Season 2 Part 1 left off. Just like the rest of the series, there’s plenty of action and great comedic moments throughout. This particular volume seems to be a bit more concentrated on action though than the last.

This series deals with themes such as what’s more important: power or kindness? Power or Love? Kenichi is a decent main character: he doesn’t really have too many annoying traits and his determination to learn about five different styles of martial arts at once is commendable. Each of his mentors have their own characteristics and are all fun to watch. In this collection, we get to see more training with the Elder vs. any other person of the dojo.

In Season 2 Part 1, Kenichi’s main rival was Hermit; in Season 2 Part 2, Kenichi’s main rival is Odin, who happens to be someone from his past. We didn’t get to see much of the top 3 of Ragnarok in the previous volume, but they get plenty of action in this volume. Kenichi continues his training and must get stronger to defeat Odin. The Shinpaku Federation has grown quite a bit since and everything in this volume leads to the final dramatic conclusion.

Just like the previous volumes of this series, there is a great cast of voice actors both Japanese and American. There are a lot of veteran seiyuu including Toshihiko Seki, Ryo Horikawa, Minami Takayama, Atsuko Tanaka, Ken Narita, Keiji Fujiwara, Jurota Kosugi, just to name a few. Overall the characters all seemed to have voices that fit their personalities and the English dub was well done as well. The English dub also featured the usual popular FUNIMATION cast including Vic Mignogna, Christopher Sabat, Travis Willingham, and Todd Haberkorn.

Like I previously stated, I think that the main audience that would appreciate this series is shonen manga fans, martial art fans, and comedy anime fans. I’m not sure how many girls will enjoy watching this considering the boob fan service… but despite it being there, it’s definitely not what the series is mainly about… but it does stick out.

Getting to this point in the series, I really don’t recommend watching this collection if you haven’t seen previous episodes. There are so many characters, story lines, and this is the final collection of episodes so there’s almost no point in watching just this one. Without prior knowledge of the series, you probably won’t know what’s going on and also it’s the end of the series so it’d be spoiling the rest of the series if you just see this one.

I definitely do recommend this series for those who enjoy entertaining characters, comedy, and a lot of fighting. Even though this concludes the anime series, for those who want more Kenichi, the manga series is still going on. For those who have watched the rest of the anime, be sure to check out the exciting conclusion of “Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple”!

J!-ENT’s Michelle Tymon interviews Ryo Horikawa

Ryo Horikawa holding up IAM Agency’s iPhone application

Photos and Written by J!-Ent’s Michelle Tymon

Anyone with any interest in Japanese anime and seiyuus should be familiar with the name Ryo Horikawa. If not, they most likely have heard his voice at least once. His extensive voice acting resume includes such roles as Kenta Hirono (Yume Senshi Wingman) Tadao Yokoshima (Ghost Sweeper Mikami), Takeshi Onimaru (Yaiba), Captain Falcon (Super Smash Bros. series), Reinhard (Legend of the Galactic Heroes),Natsu Tanimoto/Hermit (Kenichi The Mightiest Disciple), Heiji Hattori (Detective Conan), Andromeda Shun (Saint Seiya), and of course Vegeta from various “Dragon Ball” series.

Ryo Horikawa was born Makoto Horikawa in Osaka, Japan on February 1st 1958. Ryo Horikawa started acting when he was still a child. His debut as a seiyuu came in 1984 with “Yume Senshi Wingman” in which he got the leading role of Kenta Hirono through an audition. From then, he played various roles including the very kind-hearted Andromeda Shun from “Saint Seiya” and the very proud and cold hearted Vegeta from “Dragon Ball Z” as well as other “Dragon Ball” series. The roles that he plays are not limited to a certain type of character; he has played all kinds of roles and somehow manages to pull off each one. He’s played very soft spoken characters to very arrogant and aggressive characters; he’s played very serious roles as well as comedic roles too. In many of the roles he ends up playing the rival of the main character such as Vegeta (Dragon Ball Z, etc), Heiji Hattori (Detective Conan), and Hermit (Kenichi The Mightiest Disciple). Other than anime, he has also does dubbing from American shows and movies like “Thomas the Tank Engine” and “Dirty Harry 2”. His acting includes a lot of stage acting which he still does today; he’s also been in movies and he’s also done voices for Tokusatsu series such as “Samurai Sentai Shinkenja”.

Ryo Horikawa is indeed a very talented voice actor, but he is also an entrepreneur. Horikawa-san has his own companies called Aslead Company and IAM Agency as well as his own Seiyuu Acting School where he trains aspiring seiyuu. His school for seiyuu has multiple locations all throughout Japan. At the press conference, he showed off an iPhone/iPod Touch application that his company was making and he said that he wanted to release in the US as well. The application is an alarm clock that plays Vegeta’s voice (and possibly his other roles and there seems to be possibilities to get other seiyuu’s voices as well). He also has his own radio show on Pakedio AniRaji Channel.

A major project Horikawa-san has just done is a movie called “Asakusadou Suimutan”. It was a 99 minute movie shot completely in one shot without any editing or cutting. The story is about Honoka, a girl who lost her mother when she was very young. She is now all grown up and has her own dream, to have a debut live with her band Dream Dolls Collection at the Oedo Band Session 2010. However, something was troubling her. May 5th 2010 is Honoka’s 24th birthday and that is the age her mother died at and she has a fear that she may not be able to outlive her mother. Her relationship with her father is not a very good one on top of everything she’s feeling. Her father Koutarou has his own band and is rather well known and they will be on the same stage with Honoka’s own band. Honoka must try to outlive her mother and make her dream come true. The director of this movie is Kinshirou Ogino and other cast members include Princess Tenko, Shiho Takano, and Yuuki Itou. Horikawa-san said he would like to try to release the finished project in the US as well if he had a chance.

Ryo Horikawa’s appearance at Sakura Con was announced rather late, just about a week before the convention so it might have been a surprise for many fans at the event. Because of his late announcement, there were only a few appearances with Horikawa-san at the event. On Friday, he had a press conference and Horikawa-san often stopped to take pictures with fans while walking around the convention. At his autograph signing on Saturday, he kindly signed multiple items for his fans, took pictures with them and even agreed to be shot on video acting out Vegeta and other characters he has done. On Sunday, he held a fan Q&A panel where he displayed his English skills, answering many fan questions in English. Mayumi Tanaka was also at this year’s Sakura Con so fans were able to see two seiyuu stars together at one event.

With so much talent in various fields, it’s no wonder that he is loved by so many fans all around the world and I’m sure fans in Seattle would love to see him again soon.

I had a chance to sit down with Horikawa-san at Sakura Con 2010 for an interview:

Interview Questions:

J!-ENT: Is this your first time in Seattle and is there anywhere that you’d like to go sight-seeing? I also noticed that you speak English very well. Could you tell us how you learned it?

Horikawa: Yes, it is. Seattle is actually a very special place for me. When I was young, an exchange student from Seattle was staying at my relative’s house and she taught me to speak English and I taught her how to speak Japanese in exchange. So you could say that Seattle is a place of my dreams and I’m very happy to be here. As for places to go, I have quite a few places I’d like to go to. So far I got to walk around a little bit and I had some very delicious clam chowder. I hope people don’t get the wrong idea about me when I say this, but since I love wine tasting, I would love to go somewhere that has great red wine.

J!-ENT: How are you enjoying Seattle and Sakura Con so far? Now that you’ve been here a couple of days, did you do any sight-seeing?

Horikawa: It’s really fun. Everyone here is very passionate and kind here, the guests, staff, and the attendees. It’s been very comfortable so far. I got to go do a little sight-seeing yesterday. I went to the Space Needle and the Sci-Fi Museum and they were both really fun. It was fun seeing the history of sci-fi and also seeing Jimi Hendrix’s guitars as well as some history concerning musicians at Experience Music Project as well. I wanted to go the Lake Union too but it was a little cold. If it was a little warmer, I wanted to walk down by the water. I think it was on the second day we got here, we went to Pike Place Market and I loved going there too. It was right by the water and we got to eat some really good chowder. I’ve been having a great time even though it’s just for a short time and I would like to stay longer in actuality.

J!-ENT: Did you know that Japanese anime was so big in the US?

Horikawa: I did hear of that, but I didn’t know everyone was so passionate but it makes me very happy as an actor to see that and it makes me want to work harder on my end in creating wonderful characters.

J!-ENT: How do American anime fans and Japanese anime fans differ?

Horikawa: You know, I’m not really sure. I don’t think they’re that different to be honest. The passion that the fans feel here or in Japan, Europe or anywhere I think is the same.

J!-ENT: How did you get into voice acting?

Horikawa: Well, I started acting as a child. I got into voice acting with the anime, “Yume Senshi Wingman” and before I knew it, many years have passed with me doing this business. Overall I think that when you’re playing a role, be it voice acting or playing someone on stage, I believe it’s the same thing. You’re breathing life into that role, be it through pictures or in person, or standing in front of a microphone or standing on stage.

J!-ENT: Are there any times in auditions that you went in for a certain role and instead got asked to play a different role?

Horikawa: Sometimes I get approached with roles that are very different from myself and I try to stay very open to that and lose any likes or dislikes I may initially feel and instead purely concentrate on what the character would feel or do. For example, if I was that character, what would I do in this situation or what would I feel in that situation, how would I move, etc. I try to take my first honest thoughts from the heart, so as a result I don’t really think about this role would be a bit hard for me or this role would be easy for me.

J!-ENT: Could you tell me how you got your debut role as Kenta Hirono in “Yume Senshi Wingman”? Were you offered the role or did you go audition? With the roles that followed your debut, did you get those mostly due to auditions or were you offered the roles?

Horikawa: That was genuinely and simply due to an audition. Of course there were many people there auditioning for the role so I didn’t think at all that I would get the role. But as an actor, I’ve done work on stage and TV so I thought I’d give this audition a shot as well. As I said, I didn’t think at all that I would even get the role, so I did the role naturally without too much thought. Before I knew it, I was in the final auditions and I was told “you’re the one” and I was like, “Really?”. That was the start of my voice acting career. Towards the beginning, because I wasn’t that well known yet most of my roles were due to auditions. Once my career advanced more, I was offered some roles as well.

J!-ENT: What would you say was your most difficult role to date?

Horikawa: That’s a very difficult question. I think that any role is hard in its own way. Every role that I have done, I personally love. I get asked “What is your favorite role?” quite often, but I feel that if I didn’t really love the role, I can’t breathe life into the character and give them the soul they deserve. So every role that I’ve done is very precious to me.

J!-ENT: One of the most popular roles that you’ve played is Vegeta from the Dragon Ball series. Are there any characters you wish got more attention or popularity?

Horikawa: I’ve mentioned this before, but I love all of the characters I have done so I don’t ever really feel like I like one character more than another. I’m not just saying that just to say it, I really do feel this way from the bottom of my heart. Of course I know that the people who are watching my characters are going to like one character over another character and I think that’s just fine. But being on the side that acts out those characters, one of the American voice actors said this earlier as well but we’re putting the souls into the characters we act out and that’s our job and that’s how I want to keep feeling in the future as well. However in the future I may find a character that I might like even more and I’m looking forward to that.

J!-ENT: You have worked with many other seiyuu. Do you have anyone you like working with a lot and are there any seiyuu that you hang out with outside of work?

Horikawa: Well usually in Japan after we’re done with recording, all of us go out to dinner or lunch, not just the cast but the staff as well. So we do all get along outside of what programs we may be working on. I do feel that the relationships I’ve made at work are pretty deep ones. For example of course there’s Mayumi Tanaka, Masako Nozawa, Toshio Furukawa, and Tohru Furuya… so yes, there are quite a few.

J!-ENT: Have you ever heard any of the dubbed versions of your characters and if so, what did you think?

Horikawa: Honestly, I have to say that I haven’t heard any of them prior to today but I did get to hear a sample earlier and that was fun. I think the English dubs are good and I honestly want to try dubbing in English myself.

J!-ENT: If you were not in the seiyuu business, what do you think you’d be doing?

Horikawa:(Laughs) I wonder what I would have been doing. When I was a child, I really liked boats and I dreamed of being a submariner. Looking back on it now, I’m not really sure why but I liked submarines more than regular boats. It’s a really stressful job, for example the US Navy. You have to be really tough not just physically but psychologically or I don’t think you would last. I watched American TV shows involving the subject and movies for example “The Hunt for Red October” and “Crimson Tide” with Denzel Washington. I had a point in my life where I really admired people like the captains in those movies, with all of the responsibility they had to have to protect everyone. I don’t think civilians really have the opportunity to ever be in a submarine but if I ever had the chance I would love to do so.

J!-ENT: Do you have any secret talents?

Horikawa: (Laughs) It’s not exactly hidden but I guess we can make it a secret. It may not be a talent but one of my favorite things to do is wine tasting. It’s not just drinking wine, but the communication that takes place with say friends or a girlfriend… family, etc. I enjoy being able to enjoy communication with another. So I go by myself, I go with friends… and also I do like to drink. When everyone around me is happy and having a good time while eating and drinking, I feel happy as well. That is also the energy I try to bring to work as well, when everyone around me is having a good time, I’m having a good time. Outside of work, I also enjoy jogging and walking. I like to walk around and of course it’s good for your health. I do quite a bit of walking every day.

J!-ENT: At the press conference, you mentioned that you were working on a movie. Could you tell me a little more about the movie you’re working on?

Horikawa: The Japanese title is “Asakusadou Suimutan”. Asakusa is a part of Tokyo, “Dou” is referring to city hall and “suimutan” is a bit hard I believe to translate into English. “The Tale of my Sweet Dreams in Asakusa” is what I’m thinking about translating it into. This is a story about human conflict between a father and his daughter and the love that they ultimately have for each other despite their differences. The movie is going to be 99 minutes long, shot in one cut with no editing. So the camera is going to be running that whole time without any cutting and of course that is one of the challenges in this. Movies are usually shot in scenes, then edited and then put back together so it takes days to finish. Since the camera is going to be running for the whole 99 minutes, it’s going to be done in one day but of course this in turn calls for a lot more concentration and it calls for a lot more work from us the actors and the staff. We’ve already started rehearsals and I think that that’s going to be the hardest part, so if we don’t keep doing rehearsals over and over and getting everything down perfectly it won’t work. Of course while in rehearsals, there are times where we’re all practicing separately but we’re going to have to put everything together on May 5th when we’re going to shoot. That’s going to be extremely hard. Also for the 99 minutes, there’s going to be music playing during some of the parts and those songs are going to act as cues as to where each of us are supposed to be during a certain part so rehearsal is extremely important. This is all going to be very difficult, but I believe that that’s also what makes it worth doing and I’m excited to do it.

J!-ENT: Are you going to be releasing the movie in the US as well?

Horikawa: If possible, I would like to release it in the US and we are trying to take steps towards that. I believe the film will premiere around September in Japan and after that I would like to try to get the picture released in the US as well.

J!-ENT: You and Mayumi Tanaka have worked together quite a bit on the “Dragon Ball” series and you’re both currently here at Sakura Con. Were you able to do anything like sight-seeing with Ms. Tanaka since you’ve been here?

Horikawa: I didn’t get to go anywhere with her but the other night… (laughs) once again we’re all really good friends. The other night we were in the party room and we were having fun and she was spinning plates, and her son is here as well so we were all hanging out. We didn’t really get to go anywhere but we already see each other all the time so it’s not that big of a deal.

J!-ENT: You were so kind to all of your fans that came to see you at your autograph signing here at Sakura Con. You signed multiple autographs, took pictures and even recorded videos for all the fans that came to see you. How did it feel to see so many fans outside of Japan admire your work so much?

Horikawa: I said this earlier but when those around me feel happy, I feel happy as well. They all seemed really happy and seeing that is very encouraging for me as well. Seeing all these fans that are happy with the work that I do, I feel that I need to work even harder with my roles and really put my heart into it so I can do an even better job. I am very thankful seeing that here, in Japan, anywhere.

J!-ENT: If we were to look in your MP3 and or CD Player right now, what would we find? Or simply, what is your favorite kind of music?

Horikawa: I’m not actually sure what I have in there right now but as for my favorite kind of music, well as I mentioned earlier, there’s Jimi Hendrix and American music in general has always had an influence on the youth of Japan. I’m actually in a band right now and I really like rock music… let’s see, I also like the Rolling Stones, The Beatles and classic rock.

J!-ENT: You mentioned an interest in guitars and that you were in a band. Do you play guitar?

Horikawa: No, I sadly do not play guitar. I can play the keyboard a little bit, but not enough to call myself a keyboardist. This randomly goes back to an earlier question of what I might have been doing if I wasn’t an actor… maybe I would have been in JASDF (Japanese Air Self-Defense Force)… maybe not because I’m a bit weak. I might have been in the restaurant business as well.

J!-ENT: For every interview, we have a section called word play which I give you five words and you give me your definition for those words:

Horikawa: 1. Love: That’s deep… My children and my family. When I say “my children”, I mean my students. I run a school that specializes in classes for aspiring seiyuu.
2. Success: Keep on going, success is something that you keep striving for.
3. Seiyuu: Acting, to act.
4. Anime fans: I love them all.
5. Sakura-Con: Fantastic.

J!-ENT: Lastly, do you have a message for all of your fans all around the world?

Horikawa: I am very grateful. What I’m grateful for is to be able to meet all of these people who are so passionate and love not just my work but anime in general. All of this is a lot of encouragement for me to work harder and to keep doing this work. I think I’ll be doing this job until I die, because I love this job and all the fans that are watching. I want to thank everyone for always watching and I hope that I can return again soon and see everyone again.

Ryo Horikawa’s Official Blog: http://ameblo.jp/ryo-horikawa/
Ryo Horikawa’s Old Official Blog: http://yaplog.jp/horikawa-ryo/
Ryo Horikawa’s Aslead Company Website: http://www.aslead-voice.co.jp/index.html
Ryo Horikawa’s I AM Agency Website: http://iamagency.jp/index.htm
Ryo Horikawa’s Seiyuu School Website: http://www.iam.tv/index.html
Ryo Horikawa’s Radio Show Website: http://www.pkdio.jp/
Ryo Horikawa Wikipedia Page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryo_Horikawa
Official site for “Asakusadou Suimutan”: http://a-suimutan.com//
Official Blog for “Asakusadou Suimutan”: http://suimutan.otaden.jp/

Sasaki Nozomu Interview and Press Conference Q&A

The following interview and press conference with Sasaki Nozomu (佐々木) was conducted at Sakura-Con in Seattle in April 2009

by J!-ENT’s Michelle Tymon and Ian Ferguson.

Note: For this interview, we use the family (last) name and then the first name second.

Sasaki Nozomu has had an extensive career in the Seiyuu business. His credits include Urameshi Yusuke from “Yu Yu Hakusho”, Tetsuo from “Akira”, Mouri Shin from “Yoroiden Samurai Troopers”, Eriol from “Card Captor Sakura”, Wyvern from “Mahou Sentai Magiranger”, Naoe Nagi from the “Weiss Kreuz” series, and Johann Liebert from “Monster”, just a few roles on his impressive resume.

Sasaki Nozomu was born on January 25th, 1967 in Hiroshima, Japan. He is currently with the seiyuu management firm 81 Produce. His first major role in anime was Tetsuo from “Akira”, one of the most renowned anime of all time. Other than anime, he also does Japanese dubbing for numerous American TV shows like Steven Hyde in “That 70’s Show”, David Silver from “Beverly Hills 90210”, and most recently, Mr. Map from “Dora the Explorer”. He has also won the Seiyuu Grand Prix numerous times.

Sakura Con 2009 was an incredible experience for me because I got to meet two of my favorite seiyuus of all time. Just like Yamaguchi Kappei, I have been following Sasaki Nozomu’s career since his early days. I first heard his voice in “Yoroiden Samurai Troopers” when I was younger but I didn’t really know about voice actors at the time. It was in “Yu Yu Hakusho” that I started to take notice of his name and his career. “Yu Yu Hakusho” to this day remains as one of my favorite series of all time and he was a major contributor to that. So to have the opportunity to meet him was an honor. There were series I started to watch solely because he voiced a character in the series. He is a versatile actor and I’m always excited to see what he comes up with next.

Fans at Sakura Con 2009 had the honor of seeing Sasaki Nozomu in a Q&A, performance, and meeting him in an autograph signing. Another thing he was able to surprise the Sakura Con attendees with was his English skills. At the Q&A and press conference, he spoke mostly in English and only had to ask the translator to translate his Japanese for him a few times. There was quite a line for his autograph signing and he took the time to speak to each of his fans individually in English and to thank them.

Over the years, he has definitely tried various roles, not limiting himself to a certain character stereotype. From Tetsuo to Mouri Shin, to Yusuke to Eriol, all are extremely different roles from each other and he pulls them all off extraordinarily well. Following his career from the beginning, fans can see that his voice has evolved over the years and that he puts in so much of himself to successfully bring each character to life. This was his first appearance in the US and hopefully he will be coming back more often considering the US anime fans would love to have the chance to see him again.

Press Conference Questions:

J!-ENT: You were speaking English very well at your Q&A earlier today and I was wondering how long have you been studying English and do you speak any other languages?

Sasaki: Thank you very much. I’ve liked English as well as America a lot ever since I was a child. It is normal to start learning English in school around 7th grade in Japan, roughly when kids are around 12 or 13 for about 6 years so I started out learning it that way as well. So for formal learning, that was it but because I liked English so much, I started reading the “Peanuts” comic strips because I really liked Snoopy. However, once I started my work as a seiyuu, I lost the time to study English, but my love for the English language and America was always there. About 7 or 8 years ago, I decided to make time to study English once again so I bought books, listened to CDs, and watched DVDs with English as the language. Up until this point, I hadn’t really had the chance to actually use my English in conversation with someone. Actually when I got to Sakura Con yesterday as well as today is my first time really speaking English to anyone. It seems like people are understanding my English so that makes me happy. I would like to use this experience to push me to keep on studying English. The hard thing for me as a Japanese seiyuu is that I always have to study Japanese so that sometimes brings up difficulty in learning English. As for other languages, I really like learning other languages so right now I’m studying Spanish a little bit as well, but I’m only able to do greetings for now.

Soy Source: You said earlier that even while you are learning English that you have to study Japanese as well but what specifically are you studying and how are you studying?

Sasaki: For the basics, most of it consists of vocal training and voice maintenance. Besides that, I usually like to give myself a specific topic to research and that usually includes reading books and actually speaking and I like to set specific goals like using what I learned within 3 months. Since I’m always working, depending on how it’s going, I try out what I’ve been studying at work as soon as possible. There are times that I just try it out at work, even though I haven’t practiced it and I’m actually working, just to see if I can make it work. Since I am learning English because I like the language, I also like learning the differences between English and Japanese. The way we use our voice, the pronunciations, the way the tongue is used as well as the mouth is very different between the two languages. Because of this, while I’m learning English, I feel that I am learning things about Japanese that I didn’t know before so I find that very interesting. So lately I’ve been specifically studying phonetics and pretty much the mechanics of speech and how the muscles are used in both languages. I’ve been reading and comparing books for both languages in that subject and how they differ from each other. Of course I don’t think I’m going to use all of this knowledge immediately, but I feel that eventually all of this will be useful in some way in the future. Because of that, I like learning all I can about vocalization and phonetics.

Japan-a-radio: Is there anything that you’re involved in right now or anything that’s coming up in the future that’s exciting for you?

Sasaki: I’m doing a role in “Dora the Explorer” right now because it’s being dubbed in Japanese and I’m doing the role of Mr. Map. In the original show, they speak both English and Spanish to help native English speakers learn Spanish. So when we are recording for the Japanese dub, we speak in Japanese and English so it’s very interesting. Basically we speak Japanese and sometimes we put English words in the Japanese sentences. Right now, that is the most interesting role I’m doing in anime.

J!-ENT: Is there any specific anime you watched when you were younger that inspired you to this career path?

Sasaki: Actually, I wasn’t very interested in anime. I didn’t know much about animation and I wasn’t really interested in acting itself. But somehow I got into this industry but it’s not because I watched anime and that was inspired to become a voice actor. But I watched “Tom and Jerry” and I liked it a lot and there’s also this anime called “Mahou Tsukai Sally” which is for girls, but I really enjoyed it. I was very young at the time. I like movies a lot more so I watched a lot of American TV dramas and movies that were dubbed into Japanese so I suppose that inspired me a lot more than anime. Sometimes I do voiceovers for TV dramas like “Beverly Hills 90210” or “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “That 70’s Show”. I enjoyed doing voices in dramas as well as anime so maybe I’m not from anime, I’m from movies and TV dramas.

J!-ENT: Over the years, you have played many different characters that are completely different from each other such as Yusuke from “Yu Yu Hakusho”, Eriol from “Card Captor Sakura”, and Naoe Nagi from “Weiss Kreuz” but what was the hardest role to prepare for?

Sasaki: It’s always hard for me to create a role. In my younger days, I just did the voice and didn’t think much about it at first and just did the role. But since I’ve gotten older, I started thinking about how I should do every role more. I don’t pick up any roles specifically because they are difficult. All of my roles have been difficult in different ways but I enjoy doing them. For example in “Yu Yu Hakusho”, the difficult part was to bring out the most energetic, cheerful and enthusiastic part of me to match Yusuke and bring it out strongly. As for Naoe Nagi, I wanted to bring out the realism. I wanted to make it seem like someone like Naoe Nagi really existed, and wasn’t just a made-up character from an anime. So it was hard to act out someone being normal in a very unnatural situation. As I also mentioned in the Q&A panel, Johann in “Monster”, is a very special character. The way I use my voice, the fact that the character keeps evolving throughout the series, expressing the stages of change he goes through, and trying to keep a balance with the other seiyuus were all very difficult in this role. Each specific role is difficult in very different ways. Also in the series I mentioned earlier, “Dora the Explorer”, the hardest part of that is the proper pronunciation of English words.

N/A: What is your Impression of American Anime Fans?

Sasaki: American anime fans are great, they are so great. I’m really impressed. I just came to Seattle yesterday and this is my first time participating in an anime convention so I didn’t know what to expect or how big it is or how many people would be here. So I was very impressed to see so many people here and so many people cosplaying around here and it’s wonderful. I feel like I’m a fan of theirs. I just finished a performance on stage a couple of hours ago and they were all very friendly. Yesterday we were at a party and I talked to a lot of American anime fans and they were so nice and I had a ball. I really enjoyed talking to them and I was impressed that they like anime so much and I could tell how much they loved Japanese anime and Japanese voice actors. So I feel very honored to be here at Sakura Con and I hope I get another opportunity to come to another anime convention to see even more anime fans and talk to them as well. This is a great opportunity for me so I hope they like me as well.

J!-ENT SPOTLIGHT: Kappei Yamaguchi + Q and A press conference by J!-ENT’s Michelle Tymon and Ian James Ferguson

J!-ENT SPOTLIGHT: Kappei Yamaguchi

by

Michelle Tymon and Ian James Ferguson

Most, if not all anime fans have seen some kind of work that Kappei Yamaguchi has been in. He is definitely one of the most famous seiyuu (a term for Japanese voice actors) of the last two decades, if not of all time.

Some of his major roles include, but are not limited to: Ranma Saotome (Ranma ½), Inuyasha (Inuyasha), L (Death Note), Usopp (One Piece), Yattaro (Kyatto Ninden Teyandee), Shinichi Kudo (Meitantei Conan), Tombo (Majo no Takkyubin), and Raimon “Monta”  Taro (Eyeshield 21). Sakura Con 2009 attendees were extremely lucky to have an opportunity meet and see this seiyuu legend.

Kappei Yamaguchi (birth name: Yamaguchi Mitsuo) was born on May 23rd 1965 in Fukuoka, Japan. People probably know him very well for all the voice acting he’s done, but he’s also a very accomplished stage actor. His major debut role in voice acting happens to be  Ranma Saotome from “Ranma ½” , in which he costarred with Noriko Hidaka who starred as  Akane Tendo and who he would go on and collaborate with again many times, including in “Inuyasha”, where he played Inuyasha and she played Kikyou.

Noriko Hidaka is his senpai in the seiyuu world, who also helped him get his start in the seiyuu business and they are close friends. Other close friends of his in the seiyuu world include Tomokazu Seki and Wataru Takagi , who he has formed a stage troupe with.

His roles include many different kinds of roles, showing how versatile he is with his skills. He has played tough, leading male roles like Ranma and Inuyasha, playful characters like Jin (Yu Yu Hakusho), comical characters like Usopp (One Piece), a combination of all of those characteristics: Kabuki Danjuro (Tengai Makyou Series), detective characters like L (Deathnote), and Shinichi Kudou (Detective Conan) and for some reason, he has played a lot of roles that either look or act like monkeys:  Taro “Monta” Raimon  (Eyeshield 21), and Hikozaru/Chimchar (Pokemon).

Other than roles in anime and games, Yamaguchi Kappei has done work in doing Japanese dubs for American shows like Bugs Bunny from “Looney Tunes”, Kyle from “South Park”, and most recently Goku from “Dragonball Evolution”. Yamaguchi enjoyes preschool and kindergarten education and does voice over for kids shows like “Okaasan to Issho” (With Mother).

At Sakura Con 2009, fans had a chance to see him at a Q&A and autograph signing and an impressive amount of people showed up for each event. The line for his autograph signing was so long that they had to make a separate session just so all of the fans who showed up could get his autograph.

For every fan he signed an autograph for, he never forgot to smile and say thank you to each one. His Q&A session at Sakura Con was a huge success. It was pretty much a packed house and some fans were waiting outside the room for hours just for a chance to possibly ask him questions.

He was very excited and impressed with the turnout of people there. He answered tons of questions and even took some random requests such as singing the Sogeking song from “One Piece” and doing various other requests as certain characters he’s played.

I personally remember seeing Yamaguchi on a kids TV show on NHK when I was very young and it was before I realized he was Ranma, so I had been following his voice acting career since he started out. He’s probably a very big reason I ended up liking seiyuus. He has a very distinct voice but he’s able to pull off so many different roles. Even though he’s voiced some of my favorite characters like Ranma, Usopp, Inuyasha and even Jin from “Yu Yu Hakusho”, my absolute favorite role he played was a character named Kabuki Danjuro from the “Tengai Makyou” video game series.

There is no one else in my mind that could have played that character. Kappei Yamaguchi is Kabuki Danjuro, just like I believe that can be said about any of his characters. Sadly, I don’t think that the “Tengai Makyou” series was ever popular in the US. It was an extremely popular game series in Japan and most of the games came out on the PC Engine (Turbo Grafix in the US). The character Kabuki Danjuro starred in “Tengai Makyou II: Manji Maru” and “Tengai Makyou: Fuun Kabukiden”.

Kabuki is a very loud, confident, egotistical womanizer type of character… who deep down inside is a good person (usually). He is one of the descendants of the Hi no Ichizoku, who are the heroes in this video game series. Other than being quite strong, this character is quite different from Ranma and once again quite different from Inuyasha, showing off his versitality.

Currently, he is still doing a lot of work as a seiyuu with his long running regular roles like Usopp from “One Piece” and a handful of new roles each year. He currently also has his own production company named Goku. He is married and has one child, and another talent of his includes playing the guitar.

With an extensive resume for voice work and stage acting, Kappei’s career doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon. Fans from Sakura Con, as well as all over America and the rest of the world are looking forward to seeing what Kappei Yamaguchi will be doing next.

Yamaguchi Kappei Links:

Saru no Oukoku (his personal blog): http://kappei59.exblog.jp/
Gekidan 21st Century Fox: http://www.21fox.co.jp/index2.htm
Production Company Goku: http://www.go-coo.com/
His Official Profile: http://www.go-coo.com/profile/kappei.html
Sannin no Kai (Stage Troupe with Takagi Wataru and Seki Tomokazu): http://www.sannin.net/

Yamaguchi Kappei Press Conference at Sakura-Con in Seattle, Washington

1. Me: Out of your extensive list of roles, if you could pick three of your all-time favorite roles, which would they be?

Kappei: Let’s see… it’s hard to pick only three. I really have a love for all of the characters I have played. So speaking more in the term of this is the role that I started my career as a voice actor, and the reason I’m here today, I’d have to say my debut role as Saotome Ranma from “Ranma ½”. Also currently the role I am working hard on and putting my heart into is Usopp from “One Piece”. I believe that this role is very important as well. And lastly, right now I am personally very interested in the education of young children so I want to do something for them. So I have been working on a Japanese show called “Okaasan to Issho” (With Mother). The character I voice on that show is very dear to me and is something I consider as my life’s work.

2. Random: How did you get into doing voices for video games?

Kappei: Doing voices for video games is still a pretty new genre for us voice actors and in the last ten years or so, the demand for this genre has grown tremendously and has become very important. The way we record the voices for video games is different from anime because in anime, we all get together and record together but in video games, we all record separately one at a time. It’s also difficult because we don’t really know for sure where our lines will appear in the game necessarily because things can change depending on how the player is playing the game. So trying to plan out how the lines should sound can be difficult.

3. What is your favorite past time or hobby?

Kappei: Right now, I’d have to say the guitar. Whenever I have free time, I’m playing the guitar. Even on this trip, I brought a smaller guitar with me and I am playing it in my hotel room. …I guess that’s not really a hobby. I think it’s more of a toy to me…? An interest…? Oh, and of course I do like toys too, but toys aren’t really hobbies…

4. Michelle (J!-ENT): You’ve done a lot of characters but have you ever heard the American dub of your character and if so, how did you feel hearing and seeing them?

Kappei: Yes, I have. I’ve seen the American versions, the Italian versions, and various other versions of various roles and it’s a very strange feeling. But I think in each different version, they capture special characteristics and when I think about how people in those countries are enjoying those creations, it makes me happy. So in the opposite scenario where I am playing Bugs Bunny from “Looney Tunes” and Kyle from “South Park”, if the creators of those characters heard my versions of those characters I feel that they would feel the same way.

5. Who was your inspiration to become a voice actor or what inspires you while you are voice acting?

Kappei: As a voice actor, the person I admire the most is Nozawa Masako-san, who does the voice for Son Goku in the “Dragon Ball” series. She’s a woman, but I respect her very much as an actor and as a person. As a child, I had watched a lot of anime and didn’t realize at the time that Nozawa-san was doing the voices of many of the characters. It wasn’t until later that I realized that she did the voices of most of the characters I liked. So even without realizing it, I think she gradually influenced me over the years to become a voice actor. I haven’t talked about this much in the past though. But over the years, I think I have been influenced by many of my senpai voice actors.

6. Ian (J!-ENT): Is this your first time to Seattle and if so, is there anything specifically that you’d like to do or anything that interests you about Seattle?

Kappei: I’m definitely going to talk now. (laughs) This is my first time in Seattle and it has always been a city I wanted to visit. Because of Ichiro, Seattle has become quite famous and is getting a lot of attention in Japan. But for me, of course I like Ichiro as well, but for me there is something else that I was more excited about coming to Seattle. I really love Jimi Hendrix and I always wanted to come to Seattle at least once in my life. It’s also a very beautiful city, the environment is great and it’s right by the water so I would love to live here, actually. Earlier today, I was able to go to Jimi Hendrix’s grave and I got to go to the museum so I had a lot of fun. It was a very exciting event for me. Also apparently tonight they are taking me to the oyster bar so I’m excited about that too because the food here is so great.

7. Random: You’ve done adult games in the past but I was wondering why you used your usual name instead of using a different name?

Kappei: There really isn’t a specific reason or policy but as for me, because it is a character from an adult anime or game, I don’t want to discriminate against them. Even though the character might be from an adult genre, it is a character that I was responsible for and is in a way like my child. So for any role I do, big or small and despite any genre it may be from, I don’t want to treat any of those characters differently. So actually, I guess that might be some kind of a policy for me.

8. Me: You’ve done many shows with Hidaka Noriko, who’s also a very famous seiyuu and I was wondering if you two were good friends outside of work and also if there were any other seiyuu you were friends with.

Kappei: We are indeed very close. Actually, she’s been taking care of me ever since I’ve debuted so she’s like a mentor to me. She also knows a lot of the initial mistakes I made when I first debuted as well as a lot of embarrassing things that happened to me, so in a way I’m always a little weak in front of her. She’s very much like an older sister to me. I have a lot of other seiyuu that I’m close to. If I was to list them, there are so many that there wouldn’t be an end. However all of us are so busy all the time so we don’t really get to hang out and that makes me a little sad. But out of those people, two of my closest friends are Seki Tomokazu and Takagi Wataru, who I have formed a stage troupe with. We are able to talk about anything and they are very close to me.

9. Is there any role you really wanted to do but didn’t get?

Kappei: There’s actually quite a few. But in turn, I was able to get roles that I’ve wanted to do more than twice as much. The roles that I wanted to do but wasn’t able to get, I believe that people who were more appropriate for those roles got them. Also, the roles that I am doing right now and that I have done, I believe that I am the best person for those roles. So I don’t really think much about the roles I didn’t get. I try to think about it positively like the Gods are telling me that there are much more suited roles for me coming in the future and that’s why I didn’t get those other roles.

10. I noticed your character in Maji Koi(an 18+ video game…) Fukumoto Ikutaro, and I was wondering how attached you are to the whole monkey image because his character is very monkey-like?

Kappei: I love monkeys. Just like the character you just mentioned, there’s also Monta from “Eyeshield 21”… I get a lot of roles of monkey-like characters that come my way but I myself really like Son Goku from “Saiyuki” (Journey to the West) so if people have that image of me, it makes me very happy. The image character I have for myself that I’m using in Japan is also a monkey.

11. Ian (J!-ENT): What’s your impression of the convention so far and are you surprised that anime is this prevalent in the United States?

Kappei: It’s amazing, Sakura Con. Unlike Japan, I had the opportunity to freely wander here and there around the convention so I’ve been having fun myself. I can totally see that everyone is really having a lot of fun from their hearts. I think that the enthusiasm is even more than in Japan. For example with cosplaying, you can see that everyone is cosplaying those characters with their own policies and that is satisfying and everyone looks so cool. If I am invited to Sakura Con again next year, I’m really thinking about cosplaying myself so I can keep up with everyone. It’s really been a lot of fun.

Last comment from Kappei to everyone:

I thought this at my panel too, but everyone here knows so much about the characters I have played and they know so much about Japanese animation. I hope that with animation, we are able to get past the barrier of words and everyone is able to bond and have fun. What makes me really happy is that the things I’ve done in Japan… of course this is my first time in Seattle, but the fact that even in places other than Japan that I’ve never been to before, people know who I am and the work I’ve done so that’s a very surreal feeling, but it really makes me happy and it really makes me realize that I’m very lucky to be in this field of work and I’m very grateful.

Sakura Con 2009 Article

Sakura-Con 2009 was one of the best yet. Not only did they have big guests from the anime world like Yamaguchi Kappei and Sasaki Nozomu, they brought big names from Jpop/Jrock like HANGRY&ANGRY and Girugamesh. The Washington State Convention and Trade Center was once again filled with Anime, Manga, Jpop, Jrock, and video game fans once again.

The weather this year was typical Seattle weather: rain. All three days. That didn’t seem to stop the fans from dressing up in the costumes though. Driving around downtown Seattle, you could see anime fans blocks away from the Convention Center. With the member count at 16,586 this year compared to last year’s 13,600 (source: http://www.sakuracon.org/aboutus/history.php), it just shows that Sakura-Con grows bigger and better every year. My first year at the con was back in 2004 when it was still being held at the Seatac Hilton and Marriott hotels. In 2006, the convention moved to the Washington State Convention and Trade center and brought an incredible amount of people with it.

This year was also the biggest year for guests. Not only were they able to get JRock Visual powerhouse Girugamesh, they were also the first to bring HANGRY&ANGRY to the US for their first performance. On top of that, they also got smile.dk, Myuji, as well as the local band The Slants. The big guests didn’t stop with the musical guests: they were also able to bring 2 stars of the Seiyuu world, Yamaguchi Kappei and Sasaki Nozomu. For a list of all of the great guests they were able to get, click on this link: http://www.sakuracon.org/programming/guests.php

Even though I was running around all three days of the convention, I had a great time. I was able to go to press conferences, concerts, and autograph signings for some of the guests so here are my reports for each of the people I got to cover.

To view images from this event, please click here (Photography by Jamie Ferguson)

Warabigaoka Monogatari (A J!-ENT Manga Review)

© Warabigaoka Monogatari image courtesy of HAKUSENSHA Inc.

MANGA TITLE: Warabigaoka Monogatari (蕨ヶ丘物語)

STORY BY: Himuro Saeko (氷室冴子)

ART BY: Yamauchi Naomi (山内直美)

FIRST PUBLISHED IN JAPAN: By Hakusensha on June 25th, 1986 (ISBN4-592-11803-0)

PUBLISHED IN USA BY: N/A

RATED: N/A

PAGES: 194 PAGES

Warabigaoka Monogatari is a single volume shojo manga, based on Himuro Saeko’s novel by the same name. The volume includes 4 single chapter stories centering around the women of the Gondo family, the richest family and most powerful in Warabigaoka.

Warabigaoka Monogatari was first a novel by author Himuro Saeko, which was then turned into a manga soon after through Hana to Yume comics and artist Yamauchi Naomi. There are four chapters in the story: the Self-Titled chapter, the Light Mystery chapter, the Taisho Era Romance chapter, and the Love Comedy chapter. Each chapter can be read as stand alone stories, but all slightly tie in with each other because at least one of the main characters in each chapter are one of the women from the Gondo family. Even though you can read them seperately, if you read from the first chapter to the last, the overall picture of the Gondo family builds and you learn more and more about each of the main characters.

The Gondo family has been at the head of Warabigaoka for generations. There are four sisters in the current generation of the Gondo family (Nagako, Tsugiko, Machiko, Sueko), and their grandmother, Koume is the matriarch of the family and probably the most powerful person in Warabigaoka.

The first chapter stars Machiko, the third daughter of the Gondo family. She considers herself a pretty
normal high school girl, but her daily life deals with her principal chasing away any possible suitors because of orders from her grandmother. Because of this, any boy who even looks at her is chased away by the
principal so her dreams of finding a boyfriend are crushed. However, there is one boy who insists on
pursuing her; the only problem is he’s younger, in junior high and a cry baby. Uemura Sanshiro is an
innocent boy who is head over heels in love with Gondo Machiko. However, Machiko has no interest in him
because he’s too young, despite his daily attempt to get closer to her. One day Machiko finds out that she
may be at the head of the line to carry on her family name because of her two older sisters’ actions that
make them unfit. Machiko dreads the possibility of herself having to carry on the family name and all the
responsibilities and the freedom that takes away, but Sanshiro might be the key…

The second chapter stars Iwasaki Mineko and Gondo Sueko, who is the 4th daughter of the Gondo family.
Iwasaki Mineko is a city girl who is forced to move to Warabigaoka because of her father’s new job as the
principal of the junior high school she attends. She has a hard time adjusting to the country, and is
convinced that everyone hates her because of her coming from the city, especially her classmate Gondo
Sueko. She believes that Sueko acts and ringleader causing everyone to make fun of her and bully her. One day, Sueko tells her to meet her after school. Mineko is ready for a showdown with Sueko when she overhears two undercover police officers talking about going into the Gondo compound. She tells Sueko, who then takes her back to the Gondo compound to tell her grandmother. They put their differences aside when they realize that someone is trying to cause a scandal not only to bring down the Gondo family, but the scandal would involve Mineko’s father as well.

The third chapter stars Gondo Koume, the current head of the Gondo family. Just like her grand
daughters, Koume was looking forward to freedom from her responsibilities as head of the household by
having a proper heir named in her place. However, with her grand daughters failing her left and right, her
chances at freedom seem to be fading. After hearing that one of her former crushes died of cancer, she
decides to go hunt down at least one of her seven remaining crushes that could be alive… before they all die on her. Convinced that she still has time and is still young, she sets on a small journey along with her friend to find one of her old loves.

The fourth and final chapter stars Gondo Tsugiko, the second daughter of the Gondo family. Tsugiko went
off to college away from home to gain a bit of freedom, and also hoping to keep it for good. Since the oldest sister, Nagako did something to disqualify herself from becoming the next in line to take on the family name, Tsugiko decides to do something as well. Tsugiko decides to “run off” with Younosuke, a student that goes to the same college as her. However, she barely knows him and he’s not her type whatsoever. Despite how she thinks he looks (nerdy and unattractive), she surprisingly learns his reputation for being a playboy and takes a chance and asks him to run off with her to get hitched. As soon as her family back home hears of this, they would surely take her out of the running to carry on the family name since she’d be bringing shame upon the house by running away with someone. He agrees quite simply, to her surprise, but she takes full advantage of the situation. She soon realizes that she may not be the only one who has an agenda and not everything is as it looks.

Warabigaoka Monogatari is a very light read where you get to enjoy more than one genre of stories in just one volume. Despite being short and even though there isn’t a very heavy, intense storyline, I think it’s both well written and drawn very well. The art is definitely very shojo manga-ish with big eyes and chibis popping up here and there, but the attention to detail is still there and overall the art is nice. However, this did come out over 20 years ago so some readers can consider the art as dated, but that should not distract them from reading this manga. The characters are all entertaining, making the stories fun to read.

I think out of the four chapters, my favorite would have to be the Light Mystery chapter with Sueko and Mineko. Their interactions make the chapter fun and this chapter was the only one that wasn’t completely centered on a love story, however I did also enjoy the first chapter with Machiko and Sanshiro. The only sister out of the four that never got her own chapter and you only hear about in each chapter is the oldest sister, Nagako. Instead, you get a chapter featuring their grandmother but I think it was a chapter that was needed so you get to see things from her point of view as well. It’s interesting that even though each story was different (but connected through the characters), there was the theme of obtaining freedom throughout the whole book.

Sadly, I don’t think this title is going to make it over for translation in the US, not to mention it’s a hard title to find even in Japan because it’s so old. I’ve included a link where you can buy used copies through amazon.co.jp but I doubt you’d be able to find a brand new copy of this manga. But if you’re able to read Japanese and are looking for a quick and fun read, I highly recommend this title.

J!-ENT’s Michelle Tymon interviews the Japanese rock band, Camino

With the upcoming concert performance of the Japanese rock band Camino in Toronto, J!-ENT’s Michelle Tymon recently interviewed the band.  You can read the interview here!