Category Archives: Cosplay

ANIME LOS ANGELES 2024 | Coverage & Interviews

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A new year, a brand new Anime Los Angeles! Held for the third time at the Long Beach Convention Center, Anime Los Angeles made a triumphant return, featuring special guests Mark Allen, Jr., Edward Bosco, Lizzie Freeman, and Caitlin Glass to name a few. The event also showcased Japan based illustrator and designer, Hidetaka Tenjin and Japanese musical talent, Broken by the Scream and Sana Takizawa.

Friday’s concert featured Sana Takizawa as the opening act in his 7th American performance!

Japan-based musician SANA gained international recognition with his solo guitar performances accompanied by backing tracks, creating an unforgettable atmosphere at his shows around Europe. Formerly a member of the Japanese rock band MASK, SANA embarked on a solo career after leaving the band in 2006. He has successfully reached a global audience, including in Ukraine. During his solo European tour “SUNESTETHIA EU TOUR” in 2014, SANA visited several Ukrainian cities such as Donetsk, Odesa, Kharkiv, Luhansk, Dnipro, and Kyiv. More recently, SANA returned to Ukraine with his new tour, “Wish upon a Star hope future tour,” as part of a summer festival, where a portion of the proceeds were donated to charity.

The concert night ended with girl a powered performance by, BROKEN BY THE SCREAM!

BROKEN BY THE SCREAM is a metal idol group hailing from Japan. The band was established in October 2016 and made their debut in January 2017. They are known for their unique blend of low growls, high screams, and clean vocals, which are combined with cute idol elements. This distinctive fusion sets them apart in both the idol and metal scenes. Drawing inspiration from Metalcore and Djent, the group’s sound has continuously evolved, carving out a distinctive musical niche in the realm of Kawaii Metal.

Recently, the band released their newest mini album, Whitewater Park and are getting ready for their upcoming American tour in April 2024.

INTERVIEWS

Revisiting The Hazbin Hotel – Edward Bosco

Five years have passed since the original release of The Hazbin Hotel pilot episode. The highly anticipated series will debut on Prime Video on January 19th with an entirely different cast. Vivienne Medrano, also known as vivziepop, has built a dedicated following over the past five years due to her captivating character designs on each project. One of the most beloved characters is The Radio Demon, Alastor, voiced by Edward Bosco. Join us as we catch up with Edward Bosco and revisit his time voicing Alastor in The Hazbin Hotel pilot episode. Discover what has happened since then, why he is not returning, and more in our exclusive audio interview below!

https://thekitsunetwork.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Interview-With-Edward-Bosco-ALASTOR-Hazbin-Hotel-Interview-1.mp3
“Interview With Edward Bosco Anime Los Angeles 2024 -Hazbin Hotel Interview” © TKN Media LLC 2024 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Watch the audio visual version here & JOIN the giveaway!

KAHO SHIBUYA Talks “The Japanese P*rn Industry Unmasked: An Insider’s Guide”

Born on June 25, 1991, in Tokyo, Japan, Kaho Shibuya is a Japanese actress, cosplayer, and former adult film star. Since 2021, she has transitioned into mainstream media, appearing in television programs, magazines, and events. Shibuya is known for her unique appearance, cosplays, and large fan base. She collaborates with companies like Gamer Supps and Twitch, and often participates as a special guest in community productions. She has been open about her experiences in the adult industry and addresses topics related to sexuality and adult entertainment. In 2020, she published “Everything girls need to know about AV” in Japan, and its English version, “The Japanese Porn Industry Unmasked: An Insider’s Guide,” in March 2023.

Listen to our exclusive interview as we catch up with Kaho Shibuya at Anime Los Angeles 2024. What challenges did Kaho encounter when releasing her book? How do the Japanese and English versions differ? What’s next for her? Find out below!

https://thekitsunetwork.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Anime-Los-Angeles-2024-Catching-With-KAHO-SHIBUYA-Interview-1.mp3
“Anime Los Angeles 2024 – Catching With KAHO SHIBUYA – Interview” © TKN Media LLC 2024 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Watch the audio visual version here & JOIN the giveaway!

COSPLAYS

Although it was challenging to cover the convention alone, I was determined to highlight the following cosplays I encountered during my experience at this year’s Anime Los Angeles!

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Content Creator’s Best Friend: Visual Watermark | Branding Your Content

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In an era dominated by digital content, protecting your creative work is paramount. This is specially true here at The Kitsune Network, where duplication of our content (event photographs, photosets and video content) may be “borrowed” and uploaded to unaffiliated websites. For this we rely on a user friendly, fast and efficient watermark software; meet Visual Watermark.

Visual Watermark, a robust software, emerges as a formidable ally in safeguarding your digital assets. This software seamlessly integrates into your creative workflow, allowing you to add watermarks to your photos and videos with ease. We’ve used Visual watermark for past 3 years making it easy for us to share our branded content on social media and virtually everywhere else, letting our audience know the source of information. Let’s delve into the features and benefits that make Visual Watermark an indispensable companion for content creators and photographers alike.

EXAMPLE OF HOW WE USE VISUAL WATERMARK FOR OUR CONTENT

User-Friendly Interface:

One of Visual Watermark’s standout features is its intuitive user interface. Designed with simplicity in mind, the software ensures that users of all skill levels can effortlessly navigate through its various functionalities. The drag-and-drop interface allows for a seamless process, making it easy to add watermarks to single images or entire batches.

Customizable Watermarks:

Visual Watermark provides a high degree of flexibility in watermark customization. Users can personalize their watermarks by adjusting parameters such as opacity, size, and position. Additionally, the software supports various fonts and styles, enabling users to align the watermark with their brand identity or personal preferences.

Batch Processing for Efficiency:

Time efficiency is crucial, especially when dealing with large collections of images or videos. Visual Watermark streamlines this process with its batch processing capabilities. Users can apply watermarks to multiple files simultaneously, saving valuable time and effort.

The primary purpose of a watermark is to protect intellectual property and maintain brand integrity. Visual Watermark excels in this aspect, allowing users to embed text or image watermarks that serve as a visual deterrent against unauthorized use. This ensures that your work is recognized and credited appropriately, discouraging potential misuse. Additionally, you can also add your copyright metadata on your content.

Multiple Output Formats:

Visual Watermark supports a wide range of output formats, making it compatible with various platforms and devices for both photos and videos. Whether you’re sharing content online, printing images, or distributing videos, this software ensures that your watermarked files maintain quality and integrity across different mediums, while showcasing your brand at all times.

Watermarking Videos:

In addition to photos, Visual Watermark offers an additional software that extends its functionality to video content. Users can add watermarks to their videos to protect against unauthorized sharing and distribution. The software supports popular video formats, enhancing its versatility for content creators in the digital age. Rendering speed varys depending on file size,

Photo and Video file watermarked using Visual Watermark (Photo) & Visual Watermark (Video)

Visual Watermark emerges as a powerful and user-friendly solution for safeguarding your digital assets. With its intuitive interface, customizable features, and efficient batch processing, it caters to the diverse needs of photographers, content creators, and businesses alike. By seamlessly integrating into your creative workflow, Visual Watermark empowers you to protect your intellectual property and maintain the integrity of your brand in an increasingly digital landscape.

Try Visual Watermark for FREE for 30 days. Visit the Visual Watermark official website and start sharing your brand, worry-free! There is no registration, no payment, no ads, and no malware. If you happen to purchase the software and realize it’s not you, Visual Watermark offers a full 30-day money-back guarantee, for any reason.

Check out their official website, https://www.visualwatermark.com/ for a full list of features and more!

FULL DISCLIAMER: This is a sponsored post. For full terms and conditions, FAQs and End-User License visit, https://www.visualwatermark.com | Read our other content below,

The Creator of the World’s first known AMV has passed away

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James Kaposztas was the creator of the world’s first known anime music video in 1982 at age of 21. His death was confirmed Sunday via Twitter, by Michael Pinto co-founder and publisher of Anime.com.

Image Source: AMV Filmmakers Association/Sunwagon Productions

According to an interview Kaposztas gave with AnimeCons TV, Kaposztas created the very first AMV by hooking up two video cassette recorders to each other and edited most of the violent scenes from Space Cruiser Yamato (released in the US as “Star Blazers“) to “All You Need Is Love” by The Beatles. A second version of the video would later be uploaded to his YouTube channel, stating that “[. . .]the Original was damaged”. This newer version is lacks The Beatles’ song due to YouTube copyright infringement rules, however in two year old comments, Kaposztas suggests to “To get an idea of how the AMV would have played out, try playing “All You Need is Love” from a audio source, and sync it up to the beginning of active video. Then play both Audio and Video source.”

Give it a tray, you can listen to “All You Need is Love” on Spotify here and view the AMV here:

With Permission of Kaposztas, Helen McCarthy Co-author of The Anime Encyclopedia, shared Kaposztas’ experience creating the first known AMV in a series of tweets just last year.

According to Pinto, Kaposztas played a key role in supporting early anime events in New York City and Philadelphia. He added, he was among the few cosplayers at the time, who would often cosplay as Captain Avatar (Captain Jūzō Okita) from Space Cruiser Yamato (Star Blazers.) Kaposztas would later be involved with Otakon as part of their staff for 22 years, according to his Linkedin profile.

Captain Avatar (Captain Jūzō Okita) from Space Cruiser Yamato (Star Blazers.)
Kaposztas in cosplay as Captain Avatar (Captain Jūzō Okita) | Image Credit: AMV Filmmakers Association Facebook page.

According to the same Linkedin profile, Kaposztas’ love for anime and video editing lead him to pursue a profession in audio visual editing for over two decades.

Since James Kaposztas’ 1982 AMV, the art of AMVs has been evolving throughout the years, with elaborate editing from its editors and in more recent years, AMVs are being used to promote and distribute original music. We do not think James Kaposztas knew that his creation would lead to a worldwide phenomenon that would be integrated into hundreds of anime conventions throughout the U.S., with some even holding AMV competitions.

May James Kaposztas rest in peace; his legacy never forgotten.

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Join 578 other subscribers

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The Con season begins in L.A.: Anime Los Angeles 2023

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2023 kicked off for Californian Otakus with Anime Los Angeles 18 held from January 4th through 8th, at the Long Beach Convention Center. The LBCC has been ALA’s home for the past 3 years, since 2018. Anime Los Angeles had over 12K+ attendees and over 20 guests who included voice actress Kayleigh McKee, anime influencer Kaho Shibuya And japanese animators Mamoru Yokota & Kenji Yokoyama, among others.

INTERVIEWS

During the convention we sat down to speak with guest of honor, Kayleigh McKee. Kayleigh is best known for playing the fan favorite character Yuta Okkotsu in the hit anime movie Jujutsu Kaisen 0, as Pina in Netflix’s highly successful BEASTARS, and as Testament in the classic fighting game Guilty Gear Strive. She is one of few Transgender women in professional voice over blazing a new path in the realm of acting for anime, cartoons, and games. Watch our exclusive interview with Kayleigh, as we discuss about her role in Guilty Gear Strive as Testament!

This interview has an on-going giveaway opportunity, visit our giveaway page for more details.

Anime Legends – Mamoru Yokota & Kenji Yokoyama

Where would anime be without its legendary animators; during ALA 2023, we had the opportunity to speak with Japanese animators Mamoru Yokota & Kenji Yokoyama about their working in the anime industry for over 25 years. Mamoru Yokota has been involved in a great number of shows mainly as animator, but also as producer, character designer, illustrator and game director. As animation director, he’s best known for multiple episodes of Death Note, NARUTO Shippuden, and 2020’s Dragon Quest: The Adventure of Dai. He was also one of the animation directors for ONE PIECE STAMPEDE and most recently, ONE PIECE FILM: RED.

Kenji Yokoyama made his very first appearance at anime convention, after more than 40 years of dedication in the industry as a noted animator. Mr.Yokoyama. has worked on Gatchaman II and F, Dragon Ball Z, Dr. Slump, Dragon Quest: The Adventure of Dai, Jigoku Sensei Nūbē and SLAM DUNK, Toriko throughout 1970s and 1990s additionally, he has worked on One Piece in the last 25 years and most recently, in Yashahime.

We apologize for potato audio quality.

Anime Los Angeles 2023 Cosplay, Ani-Ambiance & More

Our coverage of Anime Los Angeles 2023, would not be complete without cosplay photos! During our Journey at this year’s ALA, we collaborated with cosplay photographer Jonathcon Photography. Check out his work at this year’s ALA 2023 with these amazing con photos!

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Jonathcon Photography has been taking on any & every cosplay photo gig during Anime Conventions for the last two years. He’s often known for being a fan’s photographer, not only scouting the perfect locations for shoots but also researching the subject and material source of each cosplay. If you’re interested in hiring him as your personal cosplay photographer in or outside of convention, visit his official Instagram at, https://www.instagram.com/jonatcon_photos/ and sent him a direct message to schedule your next, spectacular cosplay photoshoot!

Thank you for reading our article, for more interviews visit our interview page

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Join 578 other subscribers

Check our other content here:

TRIGUN STARGAZE: English Voice Cast Reflects on the Final Chapter of a Legendary Sci-Fi Western
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Ronin-Expo 2022 REturns & REscheduled!

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For those following the anime convention scene in Los Angeles, CA; Ronin Expo announced earlier this year that had to postpone its June event until further notice due to changes in the venue’s service policies. Recently they announced that Ronin Expo has found a new venue within the Little Tokyo district.

Artist Ally at Ronin Expo 2018

Since 2017 Ronin-Expo is an Anime and Asian culture convention targeting both new and veteran convention-goers. The convention is designed to feel like an festival featuring artists, exhibitors, live performances, and guests of honors and special in-door panels. Past featured guests include voice actors, Sarah William, Reuben Langdon and Japanese anime director, Hiroshi Nagahama.

Sarah Williams during our interview
Hiroshi Nagahama and translator during our interview
Reuben Langdon during our interview

The event is now scheduled for August 13th, 2022 at its new home at The Terasaki Budokan Center in the Little Tokyo District, tickets are still available for purchase here. Special guests include voice actors, Mela Lee & Richard Epcar with performances by Origami Flagship, Ryujin Taiko & Burai.

Follow RONIN EXPO for more updates and announcements on updating panels, events and guests!

MIKU EXPO 2020 USA IS NO LONGER POSTPONED, ITS OFFICIALLY CANCELLED

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Crypton Future Media has just announced the official CANCELLATION of Hatsune Miku’s North American Tour, MIKU EXPO 2020 USA & Canada. Earlier this year, CFM announced its postponement due to the COVID19 pandemic, however they reconsidered and have decided to cancel the tour all together.

They posted the following message on their official Facebook page

According to their Facebook post, CFM is currently redirecting their efforts towards new ways of engaging with Hatsune Miku fans across the world, and hope to be able to announce their upcoming plans with fans soon.

As stated above, contact your ticket vendor for refund details. CFM are still working on refunds, therefore, refund option may not be readily available, we suggest you continue to check your ticket vendor account, as this status may change.

Interview with voice actress, Dorothy Fahn | On-Camera interview debut!

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We had the honor of interviewing voice actress, Dorothy Fahn during Ronin Expo‘s Otaku Market Gathering in Orange County! This mark Dorothy’s first on-camera interview, all other interviews she’s previously done have been in audio format only. Dorothy is known for voicing Lilymon in Digimon, Meryl Stryfe in Trigun and Chihiro Fujisaki in Danganronpa

She’s married to voice actor Tom Fahn (Voice of Agumon) and is one of four family members to become voice actors, family members include, Jonathan Fahn (Brother-in-law) and Melissa Fahn (Sister-in-law). We’re honored to share Dorothy’s on-camera, interview debut and we hope to interview the rest of the Fahn family.

Miku Expo Celebrates 5th Anniversary With U.S. 2020 Tour!

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Virtual-popstar idol, Hatsune Miku is back in the U.S. for the 5th anniversary of MIKU EXPO; Miku Expo 2020 USA & Canada!

Hatsune Miku performing at Nokia LIVE in Los Angeles during MIKU EXPO 2018.

You may remember Hatsune Miku, Megurine Luka, Kagamine Rin, and Kagamine Len made their U.S. debut at Anime Expo 2011’s Mikunopolis.

Screenshot of “Making of Mikunopolis“

Since then, they’ve been touring in and out of the U.S., having in a total of 4 concerts within the U.S. in the last 9 years; Miku Expo 2014, Miku Expo 2016 North America, & Miku Expo 2018 USA & Mexico.

Miku Expo 2014
Miku Expo 2016
Miku Expo 2018

Since making her first U.S. debut, Miku has landed in the mainstream media spotlight, even being featured in other U.S. media, such as ‘The late-night show with David Letterman‘ and was also the opening act for Lady Gaga’s 2014 worldwide tour, The Artpop Ball.

 

Recently, Crypton Future Media announced California tour dates which include, Coachella, San Jose, and a newly added, Los Angeles concert! L.A. tickets go on sale on January 31st!

SEE YOU THERE!

Nisei Week 2019 Parade

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The Nisei Week Parade was held in Los Angeles on August 10th, 2019. Originally a 7-day festival celebrating first American born Japanese in Los Angeles.

Although the festival is no longer confined within a week nor is it exclusively targeted to ‘niseis‘, (the first American born Japanese) it is a celebration of Japanese American culture and history in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles.

Nisei week has over the years diversified giving the surrounding community “[…]the opportunity for people of all backgrounds to celebrate Japanese heritage and culture.“.  as stated by Michelle Suzuki, Nisei Week Foundation president in 2006. To learn more about Nisei week and its cultural significance, visit their official website here.

Here some of our highlights from the parade

J-pop band, Bishonen

Band members; Ryuga Sato, Yuto Nasu & Hidaka Ukisho.  Represented by Japan’s male idol talent agency, Johnny & Associates (also known as, Johnny’s).

Montebello-Ashiya Sister city program representatives

Montebello-Ashiya Sister city program

Over fifty years after an international agreement between the two distant cities, one in the United States, and one in far-off Japan, the international sister city agreement between Montebello and Ashiya, Japan, continues to be vital and strong. Created to help people understand and implement tolerance of cultural differences and an awareness of people’s qualities and attributes.

Northern California Cherry Blossom Queen and Princesses

Princess Nami Katie Saito, Princess Elena Harumi Nielsen, Princess Stephanie Reiko Gee, First Princess Naomi Leilani Furukawa, Queen Yuki Nishimura.

2019 Nisei Week Queen & Court
Princess Ariel Mei Imamoto, Princess Emily Yuiko Ishida, First Princess Mia Masae Lopez, 2019 Nisei Week Queen Juli Yoshinaga, Miss Tomodachi Kara Chizuru Ito, Princess Marika Kate Gotschall, and Princess Kayla Sachiko Igawa.

Entertainment Hobby Shop Jungle

Osaka based, anime retail store, Anime Jungle! Jungle has everything from Anime and Tokusatsu merchandise include toys, figures, DVDs, Apparels to rare anime figures!

Nisei Week 2019 parade gallery

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Anime Expo 2019

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In its 28th year, Anime Expo once again welcomed 115,000* attendees from across the world.

Japanese pop culture fans, both locally and internationally, traveled to the Los Angeles Convention Center for annual Anime Expo (Commonly known as, AX) held from July 4th thru 7th, including a pre-night show on the July 3rd. 

 

Reports that Anime Expo’s contract with the Los Angeles Convention Center had expired, created rumors of Anime Expo moving to another venue by 2020. We can officially confirm that Anime Expo will definitely return to the Los Angeles Convention Center for 29th Anime Expo in 2020, as stated in their website and the back of the Anime Expo 2019 program books.

The Great Anime Expo Earthquake

In an unforeseen turn of events, two earthquakes occurred during Anime Expo 2019, one during Day 2, July 4th at 10:02AM PTD (4.0 magnitude) and the second during Day 3, July 5th at 8:19PM PTD (7.1 magnitude). During the first earthquake on the morning of July 4th, ABC 7 Action News had mistakenly stated that the Los Angeles Convention Center was being evacuated as a precaution. In reality, it was Anime Expo attendees waiting to get inside the convention, not out. Their statement was later retracted. The earthquake’s epicenter location was Ridgecrest, California.

The following day, July 5th at 8:19PM a second earthquake, with a magnitude of 7.1, struck Ridgecrest, California once more. The earthquake was felt by AX attendees, which some taking to social media to post videos of their terrifying experience while inside the convention center.

Guests of Honor, Faye Mata

This year, Anime Expo featured 22 Guests of Honor, among them, voice actress Faye Mata.

Photo Credit: Ax2D Photography

Mata has voiced numerous characters including, Aqua; Konosuba, Fukaziroh; SAO: Gun Gale Online, Katie Killjoy; Hazbin Hotel, Astolfo; Fate/Apocrypha and most recently Petra in Fire Emblem: Three Houses. We had the pleasure of having an exclusive interview with Faye Mata, Join us we speak about her career, character roles, and other upcoming projects.

This year Anime Expo featured over 400+ vendors among them animator, Vivienne Medrano better known by her pseudonym, Vivziepop.

Vivziepop is famously known for creating the hit series, HAZBIN HOTEL. Following her huge viral success with her YouTube video, which features JayJay, a character from another of Vivzie’s creations titled, Zoophobia, lipsyncing to Ke$ha’s Die Young. This video helped her gain a large audience early in her career as an animator.

Hazbin Hotel official poster

She began her working on Hazbin Hotel during her High school years, designing characters such Alastor, one of many main characters of the series. It wasn’t until 2016, that she initially announced Hazbin Hotel, which was originally titled, People Like Us. We caught up with Vivziepop during the last day of Anime Expo and she gave us an insight into the series’ production and its future.

The series is set to be released sometime during October 2019, although the exact date is yet to be announced. Follow Vivziepop’s Twitter account for more updates and details.

RGP Games, anyone?

We decided to cover a few things from this year’s Entertainment Hall booth, beginning with Fate/Grand Order 2019 Tour. As you may remember, the Fate/Grand Order 2019 Tour began back in February of this year…

…and continued throughout Anime Expo 2019. Their booth featured an interactive photo-op station and the opportunity to play the tabletop game, Fate/Grand Order duel. Type-Moon representatives also handed out Fate/Grand Order 2019 player guides.

The Fate/Grand Order tour continues with its next stop being at Anime Weekend Atlanta 2019 in October, for more information visit their official here.

Staying inside the Entertainment Hall, we stopped by Auragon Games’ booth as they promoted their newest game, Hiraethia!

Hiraethia is a new RPG puzzle game developed by Auragon Games, a new independent game developing company based off Texas. Auragon Games founder, Sunny Chai and Hiraethia character designer, Tin Liu spoke to us gave us an overview on Hiraethia.

“A story of adventure, mystery, and tragedy. Follow a brave group of heroes as they try to save the world.” as the game’s Kickstarter states.

We got to play the game during its promotion demo at Anime Expo and although we did not explore much of the storyline, we can see it becoming quite popular among mobile RPG fans. As Chai stated in our interview, what sets the game apart is the fully animated character scenes. It’s one of the few games out there, that features hand-drawn, fully animated attack sequences. As you may know, most games go with the traditional visual novel animation. In addition, the game also features a puzzle mini-game within the main game itself, in which, the player must strategically match ‘tiles‘ accordingly to create stronger and more powerful attack combos. It is when these attacks are performed that the fully animated sequences appear.

Furthermore, the game also features a collaboration with YouTube gamer, LilyPichu as a playable character in the game. Auragon games have not released much about their character’s background, therefore not much is known about lily nor the role she’ll play in the game, storywise.

On June 21st, Auragon games launched a Kickstarter funding campaign with the goal of 10K, and after 45 days, the project was successfully funded.

There is currently no date set for the game’s release, other than ‘it’ll be out on the market before the end of 2019.‘ Want to know more,? head over to their official website to learn more about the game and merchandise.

Anime Expo 2020

Anime Expo ended with an unusually finish. It’s a well-known fact that Anime Expo sale badges for the coming year, hours before the current year convention is over. Things were a bit different this year, with Anime Expo announcing that badges for Anime Expo 2020 would not be sold on-site and instead, sold online.

A limited number of early bird 4-day badges will go on sale beginning on August 16th 2019. Early bird price is $75 (not including fees) for a 4-day badge. Once all the early bird badges sell out, 4-day badges will be available for $85 (not including fees) and continue rising monthly as Anime Expo 2020 gets closer. In another surprising move, Anime Expo has also stated they will no longer hold a Black Friday or Cyber Monday sales.

For more information regarding Anime Expo 2020 badge please go to their official website here. Now that Anime Expo 2019 has long been over, its time to prepare for Anime Expo 2020. Will you be there?

*115,000 unique, 350,000 turnstile 

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