Anime Pasadena 2022 was held in mid-November 2022 at the Pasadena convention center. The event had over 40 guests, panels and various activities, including autographs sessions and an after party.
One of many highlights from Anime Pasadena 2022 was the reunion of the Death Note cast. Although Shannon Chan Kent who voiced Misa Amane was unable to attend as previously announced, the show continued with voice actors Brad Swaile (Light Yagami), Brian Drummond (Ryku) and Alessandro Juliani (L Lawliet). Despite having huge lines, all three voice actors stayed late into the night to signing fan items.
According to an interview granted to us by Alessandro Juliani, this is the first time they’ve all gathered together for anime convention. Juliani stated, This was the first time he had attended an all anime themed convention. Adding, he mostly attending conventions or events that deal with his on camera work.
Watch our interviews with Death Note cast members, Alessandro Juliani and Brian Drummond as they speak about their work in the anime series as L and shinigami, Ryku!
Interview with Alessandro Juliani (L)
Interview with Brian Drummond (Ryku)
Anime Pasadena 2023 has been announced, you find more information on this event here.
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September 23rd of this year marked the 20th anniversary of Star Fox Adventures, which was Released by British video game developer Rareware.
Adventures offered a different take on the Star Fox series, originally a beat ’em up, space-shooter game. Adventures was intended to be an original game with no connection to the star fox series titled Dinosaur Planet, which was set to be released for the Nintendo 64.
Dinosaur Planet
The original game was set in an open world and would follow two protagonists, Sabre the wolf and Krystal the fox, and allow players to interchange characters via Swapstones. However, Shigeru Miyamoto & Nintendo held a meeting with Rareware, who had a contract with Nintendo then, to merge Star Fox and Dinosaur Planet into one due to Sabre’s similarities with Fox McCloud.
Promotional image featuring Krystal Fox before the redesign
After agreeing, Rareware staff would discuss how they would fit their characters and art style into the Star Fox universe. Although Dinosaur Planet game never officially saw the light of day, the first 50 Minutes of the game was leaked online in 2021. The outcome from the merge was Star Fox Adventures which was released on September 23rd, 2002, for the Nintendo Gamecube, instead of the Nintendo 64.
Most of Rareware work on Dinosaur Planet was eventually made it into the final version of the game; this included some of the characters, most notably Krystal The Fox.
Krystal Through Time
Voiced by Estelle Ellis, and later by Alésia Glidewell, Krystal has been featured in various Star Fox games, including Star Fox Assault in 2005 and Command in 2006. Krystal’s last appearance was in Ultimate as an Assist Trophy in 2018. Since then, Krystal has not appeared or even been mentioned in any official Star Fox game. Additionally, she did not appear in the latest star fox title, Star Fox Zero. Much about Krystal is unknown; from her early origins in Dinosaur Planet to today, her stance in the game series is officially unknown.
Here to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Star Fox Adventures, the game that introduced us to Krystal the Fox, is former voice actress Estelle Ellis the voice of Krystal! After nearly 20 years, Estelle returns to the spotlight to speak about her experiences behind the mic, voicing Krystal and her experience now with the Krystal fan base.
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One Piece Film Red served as the centerpiece film at this year’s Animation is Film Festival and for the first time fans had the opportunity to experience film in English dubbed, two weeks ahead of its official U.S. theater release.
The film is directed by Goro Taniguchi, who previously directed the 1998 OVA, One Piece: Defeat The Pirate Ganzak! OVA and was the very first time the One Piece manga had been animated, making Taniguchi the first person to animate Luffy. According to the Japanese website, Mantan-Web, Taniguchi stated that he wanted to express a One Piece that has never been seen before and that he will show it in One Piece Film: Red. According to Shinji Shimizu, a staff of Toei Animation and producer of One Piece anime, One Piece Film: Red is the only One Piece film that Eiichiro Oda has actively participated in the most.
Now for the first time ever, fans got to experience the film in English dubbed during this year’s Animation is Film Festival 2022, and we had the opportunity to catch with some of the cast and speak on this new anime film phenomenon:
As of 23 October 2022, the film has grossed ¥17.36 billion in Japan making it the highest-grossing film of the franchise and the highest-grossing film of 2022 in Japan. Worldwide the film has earned over US$144.7 million in eight countries making it the 13th highest-grossing Japanese film of all-time.
The film’s theme song “New Genesis” by Ado is currently number 48 in the Top 100 Global charts on Apple Music. The film is set to be released on the 4th of November 2022, if you haven’t purchased your tickets, now’s the time, you can purchase here.
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Late last month, Guilty Gear Strive began trending on Twitter after fan-favorite character Bridget was announced at EVO 2022 as part of the game’s season 2 roster, with additional characters yet to be revealed!
Bridget in Guilty Gear x2
Bridget was introduced as a twin, male character with a unique upbringing in which Bridget needed to be raised as a girl to avoid a superstition in her village that believed that a family who gave birth to same-sex twins would bring an omen or bad luck to the village; because of this, Bridget came a very memorable character. Although there was much excitement about Bridget’s return after nearly a decade of hiatus, Bridget began trending on Twitter for a different reason.
In STRIVE, Bridget fully embraced her feminine side and ‘came out’ as a transwoman. Throughout STRIVE, Bridget hints at self-doubt and the feeling of wanting to admit to something but being afraid to do so. Conflicted, Bridget seeks Ky Kiske out, and he encourages her to decide for herself how she wants to live. Her conversations with Ky and Goldlewis lead her to admit to being scared of losing what she has, but she no longer wants to lie to herself and asserts that she is a girl, and finally finds the strength to live as her true self no matter what others think.
Bridget’s new design in Guilty Gear STRIVE
Although a handful of fans were not happy about this decision, most fans came out in support of Bridget. Throughout Twitter, fans showed their support for Bridget with tweets, fanart, and fan videos; sharing their enthusiasm and their opinions as to why Bridget coming out as a trans individual is an important highlight in the Guilty Gear series. Furthermore, Arc System Works confirmed Bridget’s gender, In an article published this morning, (9/14/22) in which Daisuke Ishiwatari (Creator of the Guilty Gear series) states:
Daisuke Ishiwatari at Fanime Con
“We’ve received many inquiries about Bridget’s gender. After the events of Bridget’s story in Arcade Mode, she self-identifies as a woman. So, as to whether “he” or “she” would be the correct pronoun for Bridget, the answer would be “she.” Ishiwatari continues “Bridget tries living as a man, but it doesn’t feel right. This is where the Arcade Mode story begins. After her exchanges with Goldlewis and Ky, Bridget faces parts of herself she has tried to ignore and makes a big decision for herself. I hope that all of you will watch over her path after her courageous choice to stay true to her own feelings.”
We also wanted to hear from the English voice actor of Bridget and get their opinion on the matter and their experiences voicing Bridget. We had the wonderful opportunity to interview the voice of Bridget, KELLY OHANIAN. Join us for this very special interview as we speak about her experience voicing Bridget in Guilty Gear strive and her experience with the fandom!
Anime over took San Jose this month with Crunchyroll Expo 2022! Crunchyroll Expo or CRX, returned to the San Jose Convention Center after its two year physical hiatus from the pandemic, Drawing thousands from California and out of state. Crunchyroll Expo 2022’s turnstile attendance count was an estimated 45,000!
Special guests featured included Megan Shipman, Roseline Chiang, and Dominique “King Vader” Barrett with musical guests, Burnout Syndromes, SiM and MADKID. Although we did not have time to cover CRX’s special musical guests, we did manage to get some interviews with special guests Megan Shipman, Roseline Chiang and content creator King Vader.
Spy X Family has been trending ever since its anime adaptation release back in April of this year. Anya, the 6 year old telepath and became the center of attention among Spy X Family memes. We had the chance to sit down with Anya’s English voice actor, Megan Shipman to speak about her role and the impact it has made in her career.
In a surprising announcement, CRX announced Roseline Chiang as guest of honor. Roseline Chiang is best known for voicing Meilin “Mei” Lee in Disney and Pixar’s Turning Red. Not many may know that Roseline is a huge anime fan and Crunchy Roll Expo 2022 was her very first anime convention ever! Here’s our brief interview with Roseline during CRX’22.
To wrap-up, we spoke with content creator King Vader regarding his newest film, Hood Jujutsu Kaizen, which premiered during the convention, and his reasoning behind why people love his content and his future, listen to the full audio interview below.
As a bonus, we managed to briefly speak with Crunchy Roll mascot Crunchyroll-Hime!
Con-goers got to enjoy a great musical lineup, industry panels, and free bike rides from and to the convention center!
Slightly lite on activities, most of CRX’s content relied on V-Tubers, which, if you were not a fan of, the convention would have seemed like it had less to offer. However, let’s not forget that CRX, like many other conventions, are recovering and emerging from a two-year-long hiatus after the pandemic.
One would argue that cons had enough to prep up to come back, but with COVID-19 mandates still active in some states, it is no wonder conventions are taking it slow and experimenting with its content. We look forward to visiting New Crunchy City next year and seeing its various content Crunchyroll will have in store!
If you wish to see our photoset from Crunchyroll Expo 2022, head on over to Facebook, Twitter or Instagram account!
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Earlier this year we had the honor to sit down and speak with voice actors Cat Thomas and Avery Smithhart, about their roles in anime, from Yui Yuigahama in My Romantic Teen Comedy SNAFU to Anne and Grea in the heart warming anime series, Manaria Friends (Mysteria Friends). Here are some snippets from our interview, you can watch the entire interview below.
Cat Thomas – Yui Yuigahama
While searching the series for our interview, many fans were were curious about a single word, dub difference behind the Japanese and the English version. The scene in question is from episode one, where Hachiman call Yui a “slut” but changed to a different slur in the English version:
Avery Smithhart – “– -Butt Muscle!“
According to Avery, during the recording the first episode of Land of the Lustrous as her character Cinnabar, Avery recalls pulling a muscle in a rather hilarious way:
Watch our FULL interview to learn more behind the scene stories from CAT THOMAS & AVERY SMITHHART
This July will mark the 12th Anniversary of the anime, fan-favorite series, High School of the Dead. The series ended all production after series creator and writer, Daisuke Sato died on March 22, 2017. Fast forward 12 years and Jrock band Kishida Kyoudan & The Akeboshi Rockets, the band that sang the now-famous HOTD opening, released an updated version of said opening with its very first music video to go along with it.
Now, after 12 years HOTD English cast members Leraldo Anzaldua and Mark X. Laskowski, who play Takashi Komuro and Kōta Hirano respectively, recount their time working behind the mic on this series. Watch our exclusive interview and enter for your chance to win an auto from Leraldo and Mark, and the VOL.1 of the HOTD Manga! More details in our interview below:
-Giveaway-
Learn how you can this HOTD bundle, which includes an autograph from Leraldo, Mark, and Vol.1 of HOTD Manga! Details in the interview video above!
This week saw the release of the much anticipated BELLE, Mamoru Hosoda’s 7th feature film. The film instantly made headlines at Cannes with a 14-minute standing ovation. The film later made headlines among anime fans during its theatrical release back in January of this year. Both the original Japanese and the newly dubbed English version were shown in theaters nation-wide. In the film’s U.S. opening weekend it made $1.6 million from 1,326 theaters, and a total of $1.8 million over the four-day Martin Luther King Day holiday frame.
The film received five Annie Award nominations making it the most nominations for a Japanese anime film ever at the show, even surpassing previous films Spirited Away, Millennium Actress, and the more recent, Weathering with You. Most notable, the film’s cast, both in English and Japanese, were both praise for their vocal performance. This is both Kaho Nakamura and Kylie McNeil’s first anime, voice over performance.
Kylie McNeil, already an upcoming actor and singer in the theater scene in New York, had zero film credits, aside from an off-Broadway show “Runaways“, BELLE is Kylie’s very first film credit.
Join us in celebration of Mamoru Hosoda’s BELLE release with this special interview with the voice of Suzu / BELLE, Kylie McNeil! Back for a more in-depth and formal interview, Kylie walks through her experiences working behind the mic, voicing Suzu / BELLE.
Watch our interview above and learn how you could win our exclusive BELLE Bundle, which includes:
The BELLE movie (Steelbook ed.), A copy of the BELLE soundtrack (from Japan) & an autograph print from Paul Castro Jr. (the voice of BEAST)
all this and more in our exclusive interview! Don’t forget to subscribe for more anime and voice actor content or subscribe to our site:
Ever since the release of Genshin Impact 1.3 in February 3, 2021, XIAO’s design and character traits made him an instant fan favorite. From his character stats to his mysterious demeanor, XIAO draws in fans from around the world.
Join me and voice actor Laila Berzins, as we discuss her career origins and experiences voicing XIAO in Genshin Impact. Get to know the voice behind everyone’s favorite “angsty, emo teenager” in our most recent Genshin Impact interview:
Learn how you can win an autographed print, signed by Laila Berzins!
Watch our interview above for instructions on how to enter. Deadline to enter the giveaway: May 7th, 2022
GKIDS and Fathom Events continue their partnership into 2022 with the release of Pompo The Cinephilefeature film on April 27 and 28. POMPO THE CINEPHILE will play in select cinemas nationwide on Wednesday, April 27th (Japanese ver) and Thursday, April 28th (English dubbed).
In addition to the full feature, audiences will view a special introduction from director Takayuki Hirao, exclusive to the Fathom Events screenings. Fan preview events will be followed by a limited theatrical release in select markets nationwide by GKIDS starting April 29th.
Known for God Eater (Anime seires) & The Garden of Sinners, Takayuki Hiraoreturns to the director’s chair with production from the all-new studio CLAP. POMPO THE CINEPHILE was domestically released on June 4, 2021, and swiftly became an indie hit.
The film is an adaptation of Shogo Sugitani’s manga of the same name. The series was published on pixiv Comic website and later, collected in six tankōbon volumes. In July 2018, Sugitani release a spin off titled Fran: The Cinéphile (映画大好きフランちゃん, Eiga Daisuki Fran-chan.
Pompo: The Cinéphile (映画大好きポンポさん, Eiga Daisuki Ponpo-san) Manga coverFran: The Cinéphile (映画大好きフランちゃん, Eiga Daisuki Fran-chan) Spin-off cover
SYNOPSIS
Pompo is a talented and gutsy producer in “Nyallywood,” the movie-making capital of the world. Although she’s known for B-movies, one day Pompo tells her movie-loving but apprehensive assistant Gene that he will direct her next script: a delicate drama about an aging and tormented creative genius, starring the legendary and Brando-esque actor Martin Braddock, and a young actress seeking her first break. But when the production heads towards chaos, can Gene rise to Pompo’s challenge, and succeed as a first-time director?
Pompo the Cinephile is a rollicking, exuberant ode to the power of the movies, and the joys and heartbreak of the creative process, as a new director and his team devote their lives to the pursuit of a “masterpiece.”
Tickets are currently on sale at FathomEvents.com, PompoMovie.com and participating theater box offices. English cast is as follows:
We have an upcoming interview with director Takayuki Hirao soon, stay tuned!
