Well this made me do a double flip, but Left 4 Dead is coming to arcade!

Over the weekends, Taito has begun testing the new Japanese Arcade version of Left 4 Dead, and has revealed the characters that would be featured in the game. Strangely, the game would be set in the US, and not Tokyo. Why this is so is beyond me, but if I were to make a good guess, it would be because they might be re-using some of the maps from the previous games (I had inferred this from watching the PV).

It is still early to make any conclusions on the in-game maps. I mean, they did show Whispering Oaks from the Dark Carnival campaing in L4D2, but right now, my guess is that new maps might be unlikely.

Anyway, below are the four new characters that would be featured in the arcade game:

Kudo Yusuke (CV: Kijima Ryuichi)

This college student was on holiday in the states when the zombies attacked. Sucks to be in that situation huh. He looks like he can handle himself. Probably filling the roles of Nick/Francis.

Haruka Hirose (CV: Sakura Ayane)

High school student in America, possibly on an exchange trip. Said to be from an art club, maybe she’ll be resourceful in this situation? I don’t know, but I sure hope she can handle firearms. Seems like she’d fill the roles of Zoey/Ellis, but she has to be way more talkative to be that.

Blake Jordan (CV: Takahashi Hidenori)

Ex-Navy guy now working as a bartender. If there’s anyone who can lead the group in survival its him. He looks like he’ll fill the role of Coach or Bill of this incarnation of the game.

Kirishima Sara (CV: Sawashiro Miyuki)

Half Japanese and Half American. She works as a tour guide, and the zombies hit when she was leading a group of students. I don’t even want to imagine what happened to the rest of the students in her charge, especially since they are most likely not carriers like our survivors. Would seem like she’s filling the role of Rochelle/Louis.

Is it just me or does the cast seem really young? Oh well no matter. If anything I would like to see how this develops, given that I used to play quite a lot of L4D/L4D2. I bought the games on full retail when they launched on Steam, and had a blast gaming with friends, even though most of us were terrible at shooters (I’d be a feeder if you placed me in a Halo Slayer match). So do stick around for more updates in the future!

The post [ARCADE] So Left 4 Dead Is Coming To The Arcade!? appeared first on AFA Channel!.

Here’s the second of three parts of the Shizuoka Hobby Show event. At this event, the latest in plastic model technology is displayed in the form of new plastic models. If you missed out on the first highlights article, you can view it here!

Patlabor

For the Patlabor section, there will be a new model kit based off the new Ingram design from THE NEXT GENERATION – Patlabor. The 1/48 scale Type 98 AV Ingram is set to release in September for 3,240 Yen. The older model kits of Ingram Mark 1-3 from Mobile Police Patlabor would also be re-released on 30 May 2014.

Youkai Watch

Four new releases from the hit children anime series Youkai Watch were shown at the event! Bushi Nyan and Kyuubi will be retailing on 28 Jun 2014 for 864 yen while Koma-san and Koma Jiro will be retailing in July for 864 yen as well. The show seems really interesting, so have any of you watched it before?

Majin Bone

From the currently running anime series Majin Bone, two new kits will be releasing soon! The Fire Devil and Tiger Bone will be releasing on 28 Jun 2014 for 2,160 yen each!

Little Battler eXperience

From Level 5′s LBX series comes upgraded versions of two of the most popular character from the first two LBX series: Achilles II and Emperor M3/M5! Achilles II will be releasing in July for 1,620 yen and Emperor M3 (M5 conversion model) in August for 1,620 yen.

Poképla

The ever popular Pokémon is set to get new plastic models as well! MegaLucario and MegaCharizard X will be appearing in plastic model forms on 28 Jun 2014 and July respectively, going for 1,026 yen. A bundle set will also be releasing in July from the upcoming Pokémon the Movie XY featuring the new legendary Pokémon Diancie! You can choose to get a bundle with either Xerneas and Diancie or Yveltal and Diance in July for 1,296 yen!

One Piece

With the Chopper Robo set finally complete in May, the One Piece model kit series returns back to the Great Fleet collection but not without one more special surprise. The Chopper Robo 1 Chopper Tank will be getting a 7-11 variant color in Japan for 864 Yen. Cotinunig the Great Fleet collection, the Baratie set is to be released in July for 1,728 yen.

There would also be two anniversary models to celebrate the One Piece Anime’s 15th Anniversary. The Thousand Sunny 15th Anniversary version will be released in August for 4,104 yen and the Great Fleet collection Thousand Sunny 15th Anniversary version will be releasing in July for 1,944 yen.

Space Battleship Yamato 2199

A big release is scheduled for July as the 1/1000 Great Gamilas Imperial Army Selgut Class 1st Space Battleship Domellers III is set to retail for 12,960 yen! As for those who have already bought the 1/500 Yamato 2199, there will be an expansion set coming on 21st June for 3,240 yen. The cute 1/12 Analyser will also releasing on 21st June for 1,728 yen! In the Mecha Collection line, the Lambea will be retailing on June 21st for 432 yen.

Here is the schedule for the following three months in the Mecha Collection line.  We will be seeing Deusla the 2nd in July. August will be Lasco class and Kukurkan class and finally September the Nazca class will be releasing. All of these will be retailing for 432 yen!

And we are done with part 2 of the Hobby Show highlights! In the last article, we will be seeing the Premium Bandai content for the upcoming few months!

Image Source: Digitamin

The post [JCOLLECTOR] 53rd Shizuoka Hobby Show Bandai Booth Highlights – II appeared first on AFA Channel!.

Would you fall in love with a mysterious, 2D stranger you just met?

If just within the confines of your gaming console, why not? As part of its dominion over the two-dimensional (and sometimes three-dimensional) world, Japan offers one of the most established markets of visual novels and dating simulation games globally.

One of the main feature of dating simulation games is the range of character “types” available for choice. In true “harem” style, otome games offer virtual dating experiences fitted to your fantasies. Of course, that comes with a choice in dating partner. From the cool and mysterious, to the boisterous and cheerful childhood friend, there is a never-ending list of new character types put up for grabs. Most games cater to a wide range of tastes, from the pure-hearted high school romance, or more recently, the dark obsessions against a landscape of bloody murder and vampiric terror.

Which fantasy would you live out today?

1. The genki redhead

The “genki” type refers to the super high-spirited guy, always optimistic (until some sobs dark past is unveiled) and cheerful. The resident genki is usually also a redhead (to emphasise his genki-ness), and hovers around you like an eager puppy. Usually also character number 1 on the character list, so it is only appropriate this list starts with him. A master of puppy-dog eyes and puppy-dog smiles, a great bouncing ball of energy to perk up your day.

Often combined with: the childhood friend, the ore-sama
Almost never: the cool dude

2. The too-cool-for-you dude

There is almost always (read: always) a cool guy in the list. Although possibly the most overused, common character type ever, he is omnipresent by sheer classic popularity. Usually soft-spoken, he is a man of few words and fewer expressions. Usually traverses the boundary between not talking to you and being completely smitten with you in a single heartbeat. Without further description, we now leave you with his (imaginary) smouldering looks to do the talking.

Often combined with: the megane (glasses guy)
Almost never: the shota

3. The childhood friend

Although technically not a character personality type, the childhood friend (or “osananajimi”) archetype is so well-established it deserves a mention of its own. A close childhood friend of the female protagonist from a young age (details omitted), he would usually have moved overseas or lived far away from the protagonist for an extended period of time. Of course, he comes with the bonds and familiarity of childhood memories, and toes the casual line of being non-blood-related “family”. A long-time favourite of most otome games, this character was common until the onii-chan came along.

Often combined with: almost anything goes
Almost never: the ossan/shota (well, age gap)

4. The yandere

Despite overwhelming popularity of the tsundere type through the ages, the yandere has emerged in recent years as the otome taste run darker and wilder. The yandere has met with wild success in the form of protective childhood friends or older brothers. The antics of a yandere typically begins under the guise of a friendly, familiar figure, a “older brother” figure, who could be a wee bit too protective, too defensive and too wary of other males. He might then quickly escalate into more extreme antics like drugging and imprisonment. No harm intended, of course, he just wants to keep you “safe”. Classic case of Stockholm? Nah, just your friendly neighbourhood yandere.

Often combined with: the onii-chan, the childhood friend
Almost never: anyone else (because you wouldn’t trust a stranger, would you?)

5. The shota

The antithesis of the onii-chan, the shota encompasses everything the onii-chan is not. He is sweet, needy overgrown ball of fluffy cuteness threatening to give you diabetes. What he lacks in cool manly charms, the shota pays back with a double helping of adorable. Although never involved in the more “romantic” scenes, he shakes your maternal clock to the core, delivering a straight hit in the ovaries. A refreshing breath of innocence that will drive your pervy fangirl mind to shame. Until he comes back 5 years older (and taller) to sweep you off your feet and promises to do all the non-PG things worthy of your wait.

Often combined with: nothing (too specific)
Almost never: every other character

Did the above character types trigger memories of your favourite otome game characters? Feel free to share them with us! If you liked this, do let us know as we have more character types lined up for you! (If you want your favourite character type featured, give us a shout-out and so that we can add it to our list, if it isn’t already on it).

Guys, don’t feel left out either; If you are interested in articles featuring galge or female character archetypes, leave a shoutout for our writers!

For the uninitiated, dating simulation games were first developed for the male audience in the form of bishoujo games, or typically referred to as “galge” (short for gal game). The female counterpart, the otome game, was developed around a decade after. As with dating simulation games, the general objective of the game is to establish relationships with the characters in the game, to trigger specific character scenarios, or just to move the plot forward (visual novel style). In the few otome games with less focus on the “romantic” or “dating” aspects the decisions made by the protagonist triggers different aspects of the overarching story for you to explore.

Image credit © Otomate (http://www.otomate.jp), COMFORT (http://www.comfort-soft.jp/), Utapuri Wikia (http://utanoprincesama.wikia.com)

Disclaimer: The content of this article is solely based on the completely biased opinion, limited experiences and utter lack of expertise on the author’s behalf.

The post [GAME] Otome Game Character Types: The Common and Popular appeared first on AFA Channel!.

What Do You Do When Capcom Cancels “Mega Man Legends 3″?

You scour the net, grab hold of whatever resources you can grab hold, and make the game yourself!

That’s what team JisakuDASH3 aims to do: recreate Mega Man Legends 3: Prototype Version in Unity3D, and they even produced a video: 

While development for the game may have stopped at Capcom, these group of fans are closest to achieving the dream of recreating the game for fans. There were one noteworthy comments under the youtube video:

“Oh well! Capcom is going to throw these goons a C&D and everything will go south again”

Then there were replies that said that Capcom was pretty lax with fanmade content, as long as it was a non-profit project. However, I would not touch on the actual sensitive legal issues.

As we speak, these group of independent developers, led by a Kobun No. 0, are hiring. They are currently searching for programmers, sound guys and music guys. In addition, they are recruiting English speakers so they can localize the game to English. If you ask me, that sounds really thoughtful of them and I do hope that they would succeed.

I still recall years ago where I spent hours watching my brother play the Mega Man games, and answering all 100 questions to get the Zetsabre. Back in the days we did not have a modem, so we had to use the internet from school and manually copy the answers onto paper before bringing them home to ace the quiz. “When was Pink Floyd’s album released? 1972!” “First singer heard for We Are The World? Lionel Richie!” Yeeeeahh…. I can remember all the answers now that I can answer those 100 questions confidently without a cheat sheet.

All we can do is wait for the project to be completed in due time. We’ll update you if anything new comes up, so stick around!

Meanwhile, what are your experiences with the Megaman series? Yeah I know that Inafune is now working on Mighty No. 9, but we want to hear of your exploits and adventures, Megaman X, Megaman Zero, Battle Network, Rockman Dash/Megaman Legends, or the older pixelated Megaman from way back. Share your experiences with us in the comments below!

The post [GAME] What Do You Do When Capcom Cancels “Mega Man Legends 3″? appeared first on AFA Channel!.

With this week’s issue of Weekly Shounen Jump, in which the Kuroko no Basuke manga is serialised, came the announcement that production for another season of the TV anime is now confirmed! Further details will be shared in upcoming issues of Weekly Shounen Jump, although we do expect the original cast to reprise their roles. Although there is no word on when it will start broadcasting, realistically it is unlikely we’ll be seeing it this year…

Scans from AnimeNewsNetwork

With the arrest of the terrorist threatening malicious attacks against the Kuroko no Basuke franchise, we certainly hope that the upcoming anime adaptation and ongoing manga will be able to conduct full scale promotional activities without the spectre of malicious threats looming over fans and organisers.

{spoiler alert}

With the second season of the anime coming to an end with Seirin’s hairline triumph over Yosen, and them teasing a possible match-up with Kaijo or another team with another new mysterious, yet unrevealed player… The signs were all there for a new season planned and in the works. So how long more before we will finally see our heros from Seirin playing against omnipotent Akashi and his team?? Ohh the Kuroko producers can be such a tease…

For fans trying to get over the (possibly) long wait for the next season, fret not! The franchise will be keeping the hype up (and money rolling) with a slew of related releases.

【BD&DVD第5巻・5/28発売】5/28は第5巻発売日！ウインターカップ開会式で集合した「キセキの世代」が目印です。SPECIAL CDはfeat.伊月！ダジャレが冴え渡るセイシュンTIP-OFF!!も必聴！（緑）#kurobas pic.twitter.com/zoKvs6BZ3P

— アニメ黒子のバスケ (@kurobasanime) May 27, 2014

Just this week, we have the 5th BD/DVD installment from the second season of the anime, packed with a bunch of goodies, including another episode of the ever-popular Kuroko no Basuke NG-takes (with Midorima, Murasakibara and Akashi), Izuki Shun’s pun-filled version of Seishun Tip-Off!, and a special audio drama chronicling Izuki and Hyuuga out on their day off, and Midorima with Takao in search of a lucky item…

Kise Ryota’s Profile (kurobas.com)

Also, coming soon, Ryota Kise’s Solo Mini Album out on 18th June (Kise’s birthday too!), featuring CV Ryohei Kimura on 5 tracks. Highlights include 2 duets separately with captain Yukio Kasamatsu (Souichirou Hoshi) and Taiga Kagami (Yuuki Ono), and a remix of an old Kise “fave” Sharara ☆ Goes On.

The post [NEWS] KUROKO NO BASUKE ANIME 3RD SEASON CONFIRMED! appeared first on AFA Channel!.

A unique aspect of the voice actor or seiyuu industry is the opportunity to take on roles completely irrelevant to their ‘visuals’. This results in occasions whereby middle-aged adults get to voice young teens or even children characters, or the reverse where young actors taking on roles as wizened grandparents, and of course all manner of mascots, animals, aliens, etc. Thus, for seiyuu there is expectation for them to be even more versatile than their actor peers, with absolutely no excuse to be typecast based on their image profiles (although that is starting to change a little with the new generation of seiyuu-idols).

Taking this example to the extreme, you have seiyuus who have crossed even the gender divide. With a significant proportion of anime featuring shounen leading characters, it is often not easy for a fully grown adult male to be convincing, resulting in a common practice to cast women as male children or teens. For women, sounding male is not a simple function of lowering pitch and speaking in a coarser tone. There is an incredible amount of skill and subtlety which includes using gender-specific colloquialisms, altering speech cadences, and even changing their breathing patterns in order to give a performance that registers even to the sub-consciousness as unmistakably male.

In this feature post, we showcase 5 examples of male characters voiced by 5 very iconic actresses whom have put on convincing performances as male characters. You’d never know, and you may be surprised to find that charismatic voice you have been smitten with belongs to a very special class of “auntie”.

(From: fullmetal-alchemist-database-wikia & animage.tumblr.com)

Edward Elric & Seiyuu: Romi Park

The leading man with a gigantic height complex

Romi Park turns in a brilliant performance as the titular hero who’s small in stature but big in talent with the confidence to match. Gutsy, brash and abrasive, it would be hard for some to imagine a woman behind Edward’s voice. Beyond that, she really shines when the story delves into their tragic past or when he’s facing insurmountable odds. There you can hear Ed’s pain, anguish and despair slowly evolved into steely determination and resolve. Romi Park has also played other iconic male characters, such as Toushirou Hitsugaya from Bleach, Tao Ren from Shaman King, and Ganta Igarashi from Deadman Wonderland. Catch her as Naoto Shirogane in the coming Persona 4.

(From: fullmetal-alchemist-database-wikia & animage.tumblr.com)

Alphose Elric & Seiyuu: Rie Kugimiya

The armour with a heart of gold

This may come as a surprise, as many know Rie Kugimiya (or KuguRie) as the undisputed Tsundere Queen, but not many consciously remember that she was also behind big gentle Al. KuguRie’s rendition of Al was the perfect foil to Romi Park’s loud, confident elder brother Ed. Despite looming over everyone else, you never once forgot that inside that enormous suit of cold armour, was the kindest, gentlest boy who never got to grow up. Plus, in order to realistically create Al’s hollow metal echo-like sound, she spent most of her recording time alone with her head stuck in a pail.

Combined, Romi Park’s Edward and Rie Kugimiya’s Alphonse, was a sterling example of how voice-acting can provide much depth to characters beyond their visual design.

(From: cinema-magazine.com, detectiveconan.wikia)

Conan Edogawa & Seiyuu: Minami Takayama

The detective with the body of a boy, but the mind of an adult

Many would have quite literally grown up listening to Takayama as the un-aging boy detective. Takayama has quite the challenge, needing to switch seamlessly with the voice of a cheery and innocent young Conan with the shrewd and perceptive inner dialogue of teen genius Shinichi Kudo. When teamed up with frenemy Hattori Heiji, Takayama even manages to sound as if Kudo is smirking while exchanging barbs with Heiji. In a bit of trivia, Takayama was briefly married to Detective Conan’s creator, Gosho Aoyama. Takayama was also responsible for Mao Asakura (Shaman King), Moomin (Moomin), Envy (Fullmetal Alchemist) and Kiki (Kiki’s Delivery Service).

(From: kuroshitsuji.tv, animage.tumblr.com)

Ciel Phantomhive & Seiyuu: Maaya Sakamoto

The young earl who contracted his soul for a demon butler

Admittedly, Sakamoto is not exactly known for taking on male roles, but her turn as the proud young master Ciel has to be one of the most unexpected casting choices that turned out perfect. As Ciel, she leaves no traces of the uta-hime we have all been familiar with, taking on a cold, solemn tone hardened by his dark past as the young noble mature beyond his years, but yet still susceptible to occasional childish tantrum, or bouts of mischief. Catch her reprising her role as Ciel Phantomhive as Kuroshitsuji returns with the Book of Circus arc in July. On another note, Miyuki Sawashiro plays Ciel in an earlier drama CD adaption of the manga.

(From: 07ghost.wikia, thedivinechair.tumblr.com)

Teito Klein & Seiyuu: Mitsuki Saiga

Former combat slave acting as the host of a powerful talisman

Quite literally the queen (or should I say king) of gender-bender roles, Saiga had practically built her career playing male characters. Possessing a charismatic baritone lower and manlier than even most male seiyuus, she has the ability to take on any role involving young to teenage boys. Although the anime series was short, the feisty Teito Klein was put through an emotional roller coaster with him battling slavery, deep grief, birth secrets and even possession by a somewhat belligerent archangel. Her massive heap of iconic characters includes Yoite (Nabari no Ou), Takuto Shindou (Inazuma Eleven), Wolfram (Kyou Kara Maoh!), and recently even adult roles such as King Solomon (Makai Ouji). Not forgetting her gender-ambiguous turns as Rui Hachioji (Code:Breaker), Kuranosuke (Kuragehime), and KT (Ixion Saga DT). It’s little surprise that she has a massive following of fangirls nursing massive girl-crushes on this incredible lady. You can catch her as Akira Akatsuki in the currently airing Marvel Disk Wars: The Avengers.

Of course any such list would be incomplete without mentioning the legendary Megumi Ogata (Shinji Ikari from Neon Genesis Evagelion and Makoto Naegi from Danganronpa and Yugi Mutou from Yu-Gi-Oh!), and Minagawa Junko (Echizen Ryouma from Prince of Tennis and Oz Vessalius of Pandora Hearts)~

Are you surprised anyone on the list? Or who’s your favourite??
Or are there any other amazing ladies you think should have made this list too? Let us know!

The post [SEIYUU] FEATURE: Meet the Women Behind Your Leading Boys appeared first on AFA Channel!.

We’re just days away from the largest sporting festival of the year, and players from Japan’s J-League have teamed up with one of Japan’s most popular manga, Captain Tsubasa, in a bid to replicate some of the outrageous moves described in the series, in a project called “Dream Shoot”.

First up, FC Tokyo teammates Kosuke Ota (Defensive Midfielder) and Naohiro Ishikawa (Midfielder), collaborate to recreate Makoto Sato’s “Razor Shot” against the team’s goalkeeper (GK), Kentaro Kakoi. With a left foot like that it’s tough to see why Ota was not called up to the national team.

Up next, is the pairing of Kawasaki Frontale’s Kengo Nakamura (Midfielder) and Yoshito Okubo (Forward), who attempt  “Handoshu Sokujinho” against an empty net. Admittedly this would have been a little more impressive if there was someone in goal.

Finally, is the pairing of Takahiro Ogihara (Defender) and Hotaru Yamaguchi (Midfielder) from Cerezo Osaka, who attempt the iconic “Twin Shoot”. Once again, I would have preferred a keeper in goal, so it can be proven as to whether the ball irregular rotation and rapid wobbling (according to the manga) would prevent the poor goalie from focusing on the ball, and thus concede the goal. Can’t fault the pin point pass from Yuki Kotani (Defender) though.  

Out of all the players featured in the Project Dream Shoot series, only Yoshito Okubo and Hotaru Yamaguchi have booked their flight to Brazil to represent Japan at the World Cup. If only the Samurai Blue could cook up one or two special skills and showcase it on the world stage.

The post Replicating the Awesome moves in Captain Tsubasa appeared first on AFA Channel!.

Ever caught yourself watching anime just for the cast? And are you able to recognise your favourite seiyuu as soon as their characters draw breath on screen?

For all you seiyuu fans or seiyuu hopefuls out there, Bandai Namco Games is now offering the latest in the line of “produce” games. Step aside, idol girl groups, seiyuu production is the next big thing!

CV ～Casting Voice～ is an upcoming PS3 game in which you can become a seiyuu producer, sound director and even a seiyuu, from the comfort of your couch. As a producer, you are given the power to cast the characters of various anime and game series, as well as for the narration of commercials or television programmes. Become a producer, and create a truly unique, whimsical masterpiece to call your own!

As a seiyuu-themed game, this game offers a stellar cast consisting of more than 40 seiyuu characters (voiced by actual seiyuu, of course!). Ranging from fresh rookies to familiar veterans to choose from, this game is a dream come true for fans. Of course, it gets a little confusing that actual seiyuu were casted as fictitious seiyuu in this game, but don’t let that stop you; their voices are the real deal.

CV ～Casting Voice～ PV (Long Version):

This game features a wide range of works reflective of the actual seiyuu industry. With jobs ranging from anime, games, dubbing foreign works, character image CDs and even airplane announcements, you can look forward to a refreshing experience each time. The scripts from the popular 「Tales Of 」Series would also be featured and made available in the game, giving you a chance to shuffle the cast (some of the seiyuu featured are in the original series), or create your long-awaited dream cast! Downloadable content will also be made available.

Reproduce the original cast of characters…

…maybe do some creative shuffling to get your dream cast…

…or strive higher and achieve the impossible!

Produce Mode (Adventure Game)
The player’s performance will be accessed in a communication mini-game with the seiyuu characters during recording. Your stellar performance as a producer will give you access to more scripts and seiyuu characters. In a typical scenario, the player would first receive a request for a casting session. Scripts for the casting session can be selected, and these will play an important role in revealing the special characteristics of the seiyuu characters. Aside from fictional scripts created in this game, scripts from existing game titles produced by Bandai Namco Games are also available!

Scripts from the popular 「Tales Of 」series of games available!

Casting
After selecting the script, the player can select seiyuu for the casting session. Based on the skill level of the seiyuu casted, the final work (anime, game etc) will be evaluated differently. As your producer “rank” increases, the list of seiyuu you can choose from increases.

Choose a script and cast the seiyuu of your choice

Recording
After the casting session, the recording session begins. Before the recording begins, you can review the content of the script and give advice. With appropriate advice and communication, you can improve their performances during recording. The mini-game also allows you to observe the actions of the seiyuu characters in real time, so that you can point out their misses and guide them towards improving their performance.

Direct seiyuu during recording sessions

Post-recording
After recording, you will be able to enjoy the final work inclusive of the BGM, sound effects as well as key visuals.

Enjoy the BGM, sound effects and image visuals that come with the completed work

Evaluation
When the entire project is completed, you will be given an overall evaluation as a producer. As part of the evaluation, your producer rank, script difficulty, casting decisions and guidance during recording will be taken into account. Positive evaluation will up your rank as a producer, giving you access to more scripts and more seiyuu characters to cast!

Raise your rank as a producer through your casting decisions and direction

Off-days
On your days off from work, you can choose from a variety of activities. Would you like to watch TV, read magazines or check your computer to collect information? Or perhaps, send an appreciative message to your favourite seiyuu character? Getting out of the house to drop by your office, or just walking along the streets may just lead to a chance meeting with new seiyuu characters or staff members, leading to special events or character scenarios!

Ending
The game ends after one year of work as a producer. At the end, you will receive a final evaluation and view various epilogue scenarios with the seiyuu characters.

Casting Mode
Different from the casting sessions in the Produce Mode, Casting Mode allows you to freely cast seiyuu and use scripts available from Produce Mode without any restrictions. Without a limit on the number of times you can cast one seiyuu, this mode is purely for the enjoyment of casting freedom.

Afureko Mode
A special feature of this game would be the Afureko (After Recording) mode, which allows you to record your own voice and become a seiyuu! With a USB microphone, you can now record character lines and cast yourself alongside your favourite characters. Great practice for any aspiring seiyuu hopefuls out there!

Record your voice with a USB microphone and cast yourself alongside professionals!

Album Mode
In this game, you can view character seiyuu profiles. As the characters’ trust in you increases, more details in their profile become revealed. By maxing out their trust, you can also access a special voice “reward”. Given a choice of scenarios to use during casting, you can also view and ascertain the content, images and visuals required of each scenario or script.

Cast:
(Female)
Ayana Taketatsu as Saaya Uchiyama
Kikuko Inoue as Kumiko Tojo
Miyuki Sawashiro as Saori Ogiwara
Kumiko Nishihara as Nanako Wakasugi
Kaori Nazuka as Sayaka Fujinomiya
Mariya Ise as Ruri Furukawa
Kanae Itou as MOMO
Noriko Hidaka as Hana Shigino
Ryoko Shiraishi as Elena Klyuchevskii Todo
Aya Hisakawa as Ami Hirasawa
Ai Nonaka as Akira Namino
Mai Aizawa as Izuki Yao
Shiori Mikami as Kotone Isshiki
Asami Imai as Reiko Sagisu
Ai Orikasa as Megumi Toyama
Satomi Akesaka as Natsumi Daikan
Hisako Kanemoto as Hina Uzuki
Satsuki Yukino as Nene Kogami
Makiko Ohmoto as Kana Shizuki
Yuu Asakawa as Reika Taki
Yu Kobayashi as Chouko Minamino
Mitsuki Saiga as Mizuki Sakura
Saori Goto as Meiko Hoshi

(Male)
Tsubasa Yonaga as Yukihiko Himeno
Shigeru Chiba as Takashi Michiba
Kensho Ono as Kengo Tohno
Tetsuya Kakihara as Ryujin Kleden
Houchu Ohtsuka as Atsuo Ohnuki
Yuji Mitsuya as Yoshiaki Sugawara
Takashi Kondo as Kosuke HIbiki
Kenji Nojima as Daisuke Nakamikado
Wataru Hatano as Fumiyuki Kanzaki
Kentarou Itou as Yukiya Nakajima
Kenjiro Tsuda as Chitose Tokito
Hikaru Midorikawa as Koichi Yojo
Masaya Matsukaze as Hirokazu Sato
Tomoaki Maeno as Suguru Seba
Kazuyuki Okitsu as Shun Narimiya
Atsushi Kisaichi as Masaaki Kagamihara
Daisuke Sakaguchi as Toru Saotome
Taiki Matsuno as Aki Onosaka
Youji Ueda as Daiki Ueda
Ryotaro Okiayu as Chris Shinotani
Hideo Ishikawa as Ken Aiba
Kenji Akabane as Yūji Pan

CV ～Casting Voice～ will be released on 19th June on PlayStation 3. Pre-ordered copies will come with additional characters Kyoya Garyuin (CV: Nobunaga Shimazaki) and Mirei Saiguji (CV: Rie Tanaka). Check out the official website for more details here!

Image credit © BANDAI NAMCO GAMES Inc. CV ～キャスティングボイス～ Official Website (http://cv.bngames.net/)

The post [GAME] Become a Seiyuu Producer with CV ～Casting Voice～! appeared first on AFA Channel!.

Seiyuu Kaji Yuuki will be singing a duet with utaite Yuuto (ゆう十) in Yuuto’s latest album 「utopia」. They will be singing the popular VOCALOID song “Senbonzakura” (arranged by koma’n) in this latest collaboration.

This marks a first in independent collaboration between a seiyuu and utaite, although this idea bears some resemblance to the Tsukiuta series, which features seiyuu singing original works by VocaloP or vocaloid producers. This collaboration came about when Yuuto, looking for a brand new approach to his cover of Senbonzakura, offered Kaji the chance for a duet. Having been a fan for quite some time, as well as a follower of Nico Nico Douga, Kaji sealed the deal, giving us what is (at first glance) a seemingly random and unexpected collaboration.

Check out the short preview of Senbonzakura below:

「utopia」marks Yuuto’s debut under a major music label, Universal Music Japan, and features Yuuto’s distinctly clear and comforting vocals in a series of ballads. The centerpiece of this album would be his re-arranged interpretation of “Toki no Nagare ni Mi wo Makase (時の流れに身をまかせ)” in a duet with original vocals by Teresa Teng. Most of you would probably be more familiar with the Chinese version of the song titled “我只在乎你” (“I only care about you”), and perhaps few are aware that the song was first released in Japanese. A collection of both classic Vocaloid covers, as well as original compositions by Yuuto himself, this album would appeal to both Vocaloid fans and general ballad lovers alike.

Check out short previews of the songs on the album:

Left: Limited First Press Edition; Right: Regular Edition

Track List:
1. Toki no Nagare ni Mi wo Makase duet with Teresa Teng
2. Sore ga Anata no Shiawase to shite mo
3. Senbonzakura duet with Kaji Yuuki feat. koma’n
4. glow
5. Toikake
6. Ito
7. Sarishinohara
8. 12 no Gatsu
9. Hanamizuki
10. Yoshiwara Lament
11. Kokoro Kizu

【Tokuten】
- Pre-order: Yuuto original Luggage Tag (approx. 10cm in diameter)
- UNIVERSAL MUSIC STORE: Alternative album jacket based on「Kokoro Kizu」(ゆう十×moco)
- Get A5 clear files with varying original album jacket illustrations when you purchase from ANIMATE, Toranoana and GAMERS.
- Get varying designs of alternate illustration tokuten when you purchase from Tower Records, HMV, TSUTAYA, Shinseido and other dealers.

More information available here.

Yuuto (ゆう十) is an utaite who does mainly Vocaloid covers on Nico Nico Douga. With his clean and soothing vocals, his voice has been described as fans as “Ikemen voice”. His strength lies in ballads, and his piano version covers of songs have been well-received. He was first well-known for his popular cover of “Rolling Girl” in 2010, and later for his refreshingly original cover of ever-popular STARISH’s “Maji Love 1000%”, in which he sang the lyrics in reverse. Aside from being an utaite, he also composes songs as a VocaloP, with one of his more well-known works being “Toikake”. He has previously released a solo album “Two-You”, together with various collaboration releases and albums. Check out his official website here.

Yuuki Kaji has released 2 solo singles 「Hello!」and 「sense of wonder」in 2012 under Lantis, as well as countless character and collaboration singles. He also voices and sings as Shiwasu Kakeru in the Tsukiuta series.

「utopia」will be released on 4th June under Universal Music Japan.

In view of this and the success of the Tsukiuta series, does this mark an emerging trend for seiyuu x utaite collaborations? For fans of both fandoms, are you excited or apprehensive about this trend? In this writer’s personal opinion, as long as there is good music to be had, there is no reason to say no to more aural joy. Bring on the music!

All images from Universal Music and Yuuto’s official website.

The post [MUSIC] Yuuki Kaji sings Senbonzakura duet in Yuuto’s new album「utopia」 appeared first on AFA Channel!.

Find out what will be happening at the FUNAN ANIME MATSURI as we release the information on the event on AFACHAN!

COSPLAYERS

LITA | AKATSUKI TSUKASA | H | SAKUYA | HANA | BAOZI | YINGTZE

Performers

ITOWOKASHI | VALERIE | 1 More TBA! |

EXHIBITOR

AFA CAFE | BANDAI | BANDAI NAMCO | CARDFIGH! | CATCH JAPAN | CHERRY CREDITS |
GOOD SMILE COMPANY(GSC) | K-PROJECT | LANTENDO | NESCAFE | CREATORS HUB (5th Floor)

STAGE

COSPLAY COMPETITION | ANIME SCREENING

From South Korea, LITA

She would be holding 2 workshops to share with fellow cosplayers her secrets in Cosplaying!

Workshop by Lita on Shoe Decoration – 17:50, 13 June, 2014, Friday

Lita Meet and Greet – 18:35, 13 June, 2014, Friday

Workshop by Lita on Cosplay Makeup – 16:20,14 June, 2014, Saturday

Meet & Greet: ALL Cosplayers – 18:00,14 June, 2014, Saturday

Don’t miss the chance to meet and learn from LITA!

WORLD COSPLAY: http://worldcosplay.net/member/lita
OFFICIAL WEBSITE: http://lolypiny.ivyro.net/xe/

From Japan, SAKUYA

Here’s a list of activities Sakuya will be participating in at Funan Anime Matsuri,

Sakuya Meet and Greet – 15:05, 14 June, 2014, Saturday

Workshop by Sakuya on Wig Styling – 15:30, 14 June, 2014, Saturday

Meet & Greet with ALL Cosplayers – 18:00, 14 June, 2014, Saturday

Workshop by Sakuya on Cosplay Make Up – 15:45, 15 June, 2014, Sunday

WORLD COSPLAY: http://worldcosplay.net/en/member/sakuya09005
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/G_Saku398

Please stay tune for more information!

Information on this page is accurate at the time publication and may change without prior notice.

The post FUNAN ANIME MATSURI! 09 – 15 June – FUNAN DIGITALIFE MALL appeared first on AFA Channel!.

If you are into music like myself, you might have chanced upon a few song covers on YouTube while looking up the opening, ending and insert songs of the anime you watch. And if you play an instrument, you may have chanced upon, or are already watching, split screen covers. By split screen covers, I mean that each member (guitarist, bassist, vocals, drummer, keyboards & synths) uses their own cameras and microphones to record themselves playing (or singing) their parts in the song, and then combining it all into one video.

YouTube channel AnimeSongCollabo has been compiling all these covers for some time and putting them up on YouTube. They even have a website for a list of their musicians, stuff they have collaborated on, and things like that. And for those who might be interested in covering those songs, these musicians can serve as reference for you! For anyone else who just likes to watch band performances, this might be a refreshing format for you.

Usually, by mid-season of each anime season, these covers would start to appear. While you cannot really consider them to be the most active of YouTube channels in the normal sense (There are no regular updates. They put up a whole batch of videos at once), you got to admit that when videos do pop up, you will not be short on content to watch. Besides, if you are a musician, chances are you might be coming back again and again for review for performance tips.

And if you don’t want to miss out any of their future releases and see more of their covers, you can subscribe to them by going to their channel.

Here are our top picks for this season:

What do you think of this channel and the musicians’ work? Let us know in the comments down below.

The post [MUSIC] ANIMESONGCOLLABO and Their New Spring 2014 Anime Song Covers appeared first on AFA Channel!.

The samurai are alive and well in the 21st century, living among us as ordinary citizens with extra ordinary skills, like impressive skills in freestyle football.

Freestyle football is the art of expressing oneself with a football, while performing various moves using any part of your body. It is rather like kippie-uppie meets rhythmic gymnastics. If you thought that was tough, then imagine doing it clad in tough and heavy samurai armor.

In celebration of the World Cup, which would be held later this week, Nissin Japan thought it would be a brilliant marketing idea to send Red Bull Athlete, Kotaro “Tokura” Tokuda to Brazil to show off some of his impressive skills and even challenge a freestyle footballer in a showdown. Coincidentally, it can be seen as a cheer for the Japanese soccer team as well, whom are nicknamed the “Samurai Blue”.

Rest assured that the tricks were preformed with no strings, wires or CGI. Tokuda was the Red Bull Street Style Champion in 2012.

You can check the video out below:

As far as the modern day Samurai goes, freestyle football is not their only outlet. Some of them enjoy swinging the modern adaptation of the sword, the glow stick, in acts of pure passion, and loyalty to their masters in a dance called otage.

Here is an example of a group of people dancing to one such master, Denpagumi.inc, a J-pop group consisting of  5 members, Aizawa Risa, Furukawa Mirin, Yumemi Nemu, Naruse Eimi, Mogami Moga, and Fujisaki Ayane.

The post [JCOOL] The Samurai Goes to Brazil to Show Off Freestyle Football Skills appeared first on AFA Channel!.

To celebrate the launch of its Playstation Vita port scheduled on the 26 June 2014, a special marathon of the ROBOTICS;NOTES ELITE anime will be broadcast over NicoNico on the 21 and 22 June! ROBOTICS;NOTES is the third in a series of hugely popular Augmented Science Adventure games by 5pb, which also include CHAOS;HEAD and STEINS;GATE.

Illustration from roboticsnotes.jp

ROBOTICS;NOTES Episodes 1 to 11 will be aired 21 June 2014 (Saturday) from 8:00 PM to 12:30 PM JST via NicoNico. ROBOTICS;NOTES Episodes 12 to 22 will be aired on 22 June 2014 (Sunday) from 8:00 PM to 12:30 PM also via NicoNico

ROBOTICS;NOTES tells the story of Kaito Yashio and Akiho Senomiya, who are the sole members of the Robotics Club at their high school in Kyushu. Kaito is an easy-going student and a skilled gamer, who is just trying to help Akiho complete a replica of Gunvarrel — a robot from a TV series. As they gather new club members and try to assemble the robot, Kaito starts stumbling upon secret reports that might reveal a conspiracy involving the mysterious Ko Kimijima.

The post [ANIME] ROBOTICS;NOTES ELITE Anime To Be Marathoned on NicoNico appeared first on AFA Channel!.

Good news for all fans from Singapore of the popular K anime series! Odex presents K MISSING KINGS the follow up feature film from that anime. Singapore will be one of the five participating countries being given the privilege to have a one-day World Premiere on 5 July 2014, just one week before Japan’s theatrical release. Other then Singapore, this feature will be shown in USA, France, Taiwan and Malaysia.

“K MISSING KINGS” will be will be shown exclusively at Cathay Cineplex Cineleisure Orchard. Currently 4 shows have been scheduled and advance ticket sales have started from 9 June 2014.

After the world premiere screening, K Missing Kings will have it’s theatrical release on 4 September at all 7 Cathay Cineplexes.

More information:

Synopsis: The four “Kings” had crossed path during the “Academy Island Incident”. Ever since then, Silver Clansmen Kuroh Yatogami and Neko have been searching for their master, Shiro. Unable to find any clues as to Shiro’s whereabouts, the two become disheartened. One day, they see HOMRA members Rikio Kamamoto and Anna Kushina being chased by someone …

Venue: Exclusively at Cineleisure Orchard 5 July
Showtimes: 13:00 & 15:10 hrs ( Level 4 Screen 5)
13:00 & 15:10 hrs ( Level 4 Screen 6) Just added!

Movie information

Genre: Anime (Action/Fantasy/SciFi/Comedy)
Language: Japanese with English and Mandarin subtitles
Director: Shingo Suzuki
Main cast: Mikako Komatsu, Daisuke Namikawa, Tomokazu Sugita and Daisuke Ono

An exclusive K: Missing Kings goodie bag can be redeemed with each K: Missing Kings movie ticket purchase!

Book tickets at : http://tickets.cathay.com.sg/

Promotional Events:

[ Funan Anime Matsuri ]

Venue: Funan IT Mall
Duration: 9 June – 15 June

Highlights includes a K Missing Kings Cosplay Photo Area and the giving away of K Movie Premiums to fans who book advance online tickets from the booth. Fans can also book by themselves and produce the booking confirmation receipt to redeem the premium.

[Cineleisure Orchard Cosplay Photo Area]

Venue: Cathay Cineleisure Orchard Level 4

A  K Missing Kings Cosplay Photo Area is planed for the venue. Fans can take photo against the backdrop prepared.

[Campus Game Game Fest]

Venue: ITE College Central
2 Ang Mo Kio Drive
Singapore, 567720

A K Missing Kings Cosplay Photo Area and K Movie Premiums are given away to fans who book advance online tickets from the booth.

Fans can also book online and produce the booking confirmation receipt to redeem the premium.

Note : This movie has not yet been rated / classified by MDA. In the event the movie is rated NC16 or higher, Cathay Cineplexes will observe the applicable age restrictions and apply them to patrons for all screenings of this movie.

The post K – Missing King Movie coming to Singapore – 5 July – appeared first on AFA Channel!.

A special event was held 6-8 June 2014 in Tokyo’s Ikebukuro ward, with the aim of celebrating the fusion of “anime” and “community”. Dubbed “Ikebukuro SHI’NEmachi“, the event featured a series of stage events and screenings of films both feature and animated. The word “SHI’NEmachi” is a play on “cinema” and “machi” — the Japanese word for “town”.

Illustration from dmmd-anime.com

One of the highlights of Ikebukuro Shinemachi was the release of the new trailer for the upcoming anime series DRAMAtical Murder. The launch was accompanied by a live talk show featuring DRAMAtical Murder voice talents Atsushi Kisaichi (who plays Aoba Seragaki) and Ryota Takeuchi (who plays Ren).

DRAMAtical Murder is based on the eponymous video game created by Nitro+chiral. The story revolves around Aoba Seragaki, who lives with his grandmother on the fictional island of Midorijima. Aoba becomes unwillingly involved in the popular cyber game Rhyme, as well as the many mysteries surrounding on the island.

DRAMAtical Murder is slated for broadcast on TV Tokyo starting 6 July 2014, and will subsequently be aired on TV Osaka, TV Aichi, and AT-X. Kazuya Miura (Macross Frontier: Sayonara no Tsubasa, Silent Möbius) will be at the helm, with Touko Machida (The IDOLM@STER, Lucky Star) and Nitro+chiral’s Kabura Fuchii (Togainu no Chi) in charge of the screenplay.

Yukiko Ban (.hack//SIGN, Sekai Ichi Hatsukoi) will be adapting the original game character designs created by honyalala of Nitro+chiral for the animated series, while Yuuki Hayashi (Gundam Build Fighters, Robotics;Notes) will be composing the music. Last but not least, rock band GOATBED will be providing the opening theme song “Slip on the Pumps” after working on music for the original game.

The post [ANIME] DRAMAtical Murder Anime Releases New Trailer at Ikebukuro Shinemachi appeared first on AFA Channel!.

Announced at the recently-concluded Anime Japan 2014 on 22nd March, the new collaboration project between Warner Entertainment Japan (JoJo’s Bizarre Adventures, A Certain Scientific Rail Gun) and XEBEC (Space Cruiser Yamato 2199, Fafner in the Azure) has finally released a full-length trailer for the project, was well as launched its official website.

Illustration from argevollen.com

Entitled “Shirogane no Ishi Argevollen” (「白銀の意思 アルジェヴォルン」; “Silver Intentions Argevollen“), this new series is an all-original work, not based on any comic, light novel, or video game series. Set in the middle of the war between the United Kingdom of Arandas and the Allied States of Ingermia, protagonist Susumu Tokimune encounters military engineer Jamie Hartsford, and their fates are intertwined with the mysterious robot Argevollen.

Directed by To LOVE Ru‘s Atsushi Otsuki and supervised by Martian Successor Nadesico‘s Tatsuo Sato, Argevollen is slated for broadcast on TOKYO MX, MBS, TV Aichi, BS11, AT-X, and TV Tokyo starting 3 July 2014. The opening song “Tough Intention” will be sung by KOTOKO, who also provided the opening songs for Shakugan no Shana and Accel World.

The post [ANIME] New Warner-XEBEC Series “Shirogane no Ishi Argevollen” appeared first on AFA Channel!.

Shingeki no Kyojin (or Attack on Titan) proves to be the true titan of all anime in 2013, sweeping awards at the annual Animage magazine reader’s choice Anime Grand Prix 2013. Looking at the results published in the June 2014 issue, Shingeki took home the top awards for Anime Series, Male Character (Levi) and Anisong (opening theme: Guren no Yumiya), plus sending a total of seven members of the seiyuu cast into the top 20 Seiyuu list.

In a continuation of his massive winning streak, Yuuki Kaji takes top honours at this year’s polls as Eren Yeager (Shingeki no Kyojin), making this his second straight win. He also won last year for Alibaba Saluja (Magi).

Following close behind are fellow cast members Hiroshi Kamiya in second place (Levi, Shingeki no Kyojin) and Yuu Kobayashi in third (Sasha Braus, Shingeki no Kyojin). Riding an immense popularity wave from 2013, Tastsuhisa Suzuki (Makoto Tachibana, Free!) swims into 4th place, with Mamoru Miyano (Rin Matsuoka, Free!) bringing up the rest of the top five.

Shimono Hiro (Connie, Shingeki no Kyojin), Ryota Ohsaka (Marco, Shingeki no Kyojin), Tomokazu Sugita (Marlowe, Shingeki no Kyojin) and Daisuke Ono (Erwin, Shingeki no Kyojin) rounds up the rest of the SnK crew in the top 20 list. Newlywed Sawashiro squeezes into the top 10, with the younger brother to legend Sayaka Ohara, Takashi Ohara in 8th. Real-life BFFs Yuuichi Nakamura and Tomokazu Sugita earn themselves adjacent spots in 17th and 18th, with Nana Mizuki in 19th.

The rest of the results are as follows:
[6] Jun Fukuyama
[7] Takashi Ohara
[8] Aki Toyosaki
[9] Hiro Shimono
[10] Miyuki Sawashiro

The top 5 in the other categories are:

Anime Series
[1] Shingeki no Kyojin
[2] Inazuma Eleven Go Galaxy
[3] Inazuma Eleven Go Chrono Stone
[4] Free!!
[5] Kuroko no Basuke

Episode
[1] Haruka naru Free! 遥かなるフリー！ – Free! Fr12
[2] Saigo no Time Jump! 最後のタイムジャンプ- Inazuma Eleven Go Chrono Stone Ep. 50
[3] Soccer ga Kaitekita! サッカーが帰ってきた！ – Inazuma Eleven Go Chrono Stone Ep. 51
[4] Maji Love 2000% – Uta no Prince-sama 2000% Ep. 13
[5] Kabe -Sutohesu-ku Kyūshū (3) 壁－ストヘス区急襲③ (Wall – Raid on Stohess District) – Shingeki no Kyojin Ep.25

Male character
[1] Levi – Shingeki no Kyojin
[2] Ranmaru Kirino – Inazuma Eleven Go Galaxy
[3] Makoto Tachibana – Free!
[4] Eren Yeager – Shingeki no Kyojin
[5] Kyousuke Kurugi – Inazuma Eleven Go Galaxy

Female Character
[1] Kinako Nanobana – Inazuma Eleven Go Chrono Stone
[2] Mikasa Ackerman – Shingeki no Kyojin
[3] Morgiana – Magi
[4] Riko Aida – Kuroko no Basuke
[5] Rikka Takanashi – Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai!

Anisong
[1] Guren no Yumiya 紅蓮の弓矢 (Linked Horizon) – Shingeki no Kyojin OP
[2] Bokutachi no Shiro 僕たちの城 (Inazuma Eleven GO All Stars) – Inazuma Eleven Go Chrono Stone ED
[3] The Other self (GRANRODEO) – Kuroko no Basuke OP
[4] SPLASH FREE (SPLASH FREE) – FREE!! ED
[5] Maji Love 2000% マジLOVE2000％ (STARISH) – Uta no Prince-sama 2000% ED

All scans from Animage magazine, June 2014 issue. Scans taken from http://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/yo_tirou/33482157.html and http://blog.livedoor.jp/daxtt/archives/6426282.html.

The post [SEIYUU] Shingeki no Kyojin cast sweeps Animage’s Anime Grand Prix Seiyuu Polls! appeared first on AFA Channel!.

One day after the first two press confereces at E3 2014, Nintendo once again opted to have a digital event similar to last year. While it may be shorter than the other two, it is equally as filled with contents which not only were shown in their digital event but over the course of the next 2 days.  Here’s what’s new with Nintendo this year!

First off we have the very popular Super Smash Brothers games for 3DS and WiiU! Three characters were announced during the course of the E3 days. The first new character is Palutena from Kid Icarus, Pac Man makes a surprise entrant as the second and the last character is your Miis! Now you can turn yourself or any other person into a fighter in the game, sounds really cool! Here are the trailers for all three new characters.

Release date: 3 October for 3DS and Q4 for WiiU

A new title based off the Toad character from the Mario series was announced. Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker. It is a game similar in style to the Super Mario 3D World game from last year as you play as Captain Toad exploring for various treasures. While he cannot jump, you have a variety of tricks to navigate the areas and get the treasures!

Release date: Holiday 2014

The next title is the new The Legend of Zelda game for WiiU! Producer Eiji Aonuma has said that this Zelda title will be an open world experience where players can explore any direction they wish. There will be few restrictions though and there will still be powerful monsters they will have to take caution while adventuring.

Release date: Unknown

One of the already known WiiU exclusive titles was shown too with Platinum Games’ Bayonetta 2. It was revealed that the original Bayonetta will be included in the package as well. And to add, they can dress Bayonetta up with costumes of Nintendo characters such as Princess Peach, Link or Samus in the WiiU port of Bayonetta. Some of her hair attacks will have Nintendo variations too like Bowser’s foot.

Release date: October 2014

Next up is Pokémon Omega Ruby and Pokémon Alpha Sapphire, the remakes of Pokémon Ruby and Pokémon Sapphire for the Nintendo 3DS. Just like the original game, you will travel through Hoenn to catch, battle and trade Pokémon while they seek answers to the mystery behind Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre and their relations to Mega Evolutions.

Release date: 21 November 2014 for 3DS

Here’s an interesting collaboration between Nintendo and Koei Tecmo, Hyrule Warriors! Taking the expansive lore of The Legend of Zelda and giving it a Dynasty Warriors spin to it. You’ll have multiple battles going on at the same time with multiple bosses around the area, and you’ll have to find ways to take them down! One player can play on the TV while the other plays with the GamePad!

Release date: 26 September 2014

A new Kirby game was announced as well, and that is Kirby and the Rainbow Curse for Wii U. It is set in a stop motion clay world with mechanics from the Nintendo DS title Kirby’s Canvas Curse. You control Kirby with the stylus while doing motions as a form of movement, offense and even defense!

Release date: 2015

The sequel to Xenoblade Chronicles was also shown. Formely the game titled X, Xenoblade Chornicles X is coming to WiiU in 2015. A group of survivors of an intergalactic war remain on Earth and have to fend themselves in the environment. The game is a JRPG with high production values and its soundtrack is being composed by famous Gundam UC and Attack on Titan composer Hiroyuki Sawano.

Release date: 2015

A new IP was shown during the event too. In Splatoon, players takes charge of a cartoon girl with an inkgun that can change into a squid. It’s a 4 v4 multiplayer game where players fight to take out the enemies and coat the map as much as possible with their ink.  You change between squid form and girl form while coating the map with your Ink. You have an advantage while standing on your Ink whereas you suffer a penalty with slower movement while on the enemy’s Ink.

Release date: Early 2015

Ever wanted to make your own Mario stage? Now you can with Mario Maker for WiiU. You can design your own side-scrolling stages while swapping between 8-bit Super Mario Bros. and New Super Mario Bros. graphics. Everything is made via the WiiU gamepad so make your own Mario stage!

Release date: 2015

Another new Nintendo exclusive was unveiled was Tomonobu Itagaki’s Devil’s Third for WiiU. After THQ went bankrupt he went around to find a new publisher and Nintendo stepped up. Movement and melee are done in third person while shooting is in first person. There’s dismemberment and wall running in the game too. The game has a level editor as well.

Release date: 2014

Yoshi’s Woolly World, the new yarn-themed adventure starring Yoshi, is a new Yoshi title with a co-op mode. In the game, you go around collecting little chicks and clearing the stage. The chicks can be used as projectiles or platforms for self defense or traversing a dangerous path with ease.

Release date: Early 2015

Three new titles are being made for the WiiU and they are spearheaded by legendary game designer Shigeru Miyamoto focusing on making games that uses the WiiU and the GamePad at the same time.  The first one is an all-new Star Fox title. In the Star Fox title, you can use the GamePad to aim and shoot at the enemies on the TV screen.

The second title is Project Giant Robot. You control the giant robot with the entire GamePad. The It can be used as a first person view as well, firing lasers and whatnot. Your robot is customisable to suit your style of play and the overall game is pretty simple.

The last title is Project Guard where you have 12 camera screens on your TV and an overhead map on your GamePad. You have to protect your base by removing incoming threats through all your different cameras. It requires focus on both screens by the player which makes it challenging.

Release date: Not known

And that is it for Nintendo’s digital event. I was really impressed with what they have to offer this time round, a good balance of Nintendo’s famous powerhouses, new third party exclusives and all new IP. I may just have to get a WiiU after this!

What do you guys feel about Nintendo’s event? Share your thoughts below!

The post [GAME] E3 2014: Nintendo brings out the big guns appeared first on AFA Channel!.

So you want to have a taste of Japanese Harajuku fashion and pop music put into one? Then may I introduce you to “Caroline Charonplop Kyary Pamyu Pamyu”. That is actually the stage name of the iconic Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, who was appointed as Harajuku Kawaii Ambassador.

Kyary Pamyu Pamyu will be performing in Singapore on 21 Jun 2014 (this coming Saturday!), as part of her KPP NANDA COLLECTION WORLD TOUR, at The Star Theatre. To prep readers for the concert, I will be sharing with AFA Channel’s top 4 picks of her candy-pop and sugar-induced songs! Music videos included, of course!

1. Yumeno Hajima Ring Ring (ゆめのはじまりんりん)

This song is our top favorite pick. It is a sad but sweet song about graduation. If you had seen her other music videos, you could her making her making reference to a couple of past songs including “PonPonPon” and “Fashion Monster” (just to name a few). Its a nostalgic tour for fans who had been following her since her debut.

The dance moves in the music video remains pretty cute but is slightly toned down to fit with the theme of the song. If a song can bundle feels along with its usual fare of candy-pop, then I call it a win.

Also… where did she pull out that phone from her guitar! The polar bear in the video is just so fluffy that I want to give it a big bear hug too!

2. Ninja Re Bang Bang (にんじゃりばんばん)

If you love ninjas, then you would definitely love this song! Though we thought that Kyary Pamyu Pamyu’s ninja outfit is so flashy, she wouldn’t be able to remain stealthy.

Pamyu Pamyu goes through two sets of costume transfomation in this music video. First is the ninja oufit complete with headband, shoto sword and a megaphone. Then she is transformed into a playful princess from the Japanese feudal era, but her costume is souped up with modern day accessories designs.

The beat of the song is so catchy that you want to start dancing along with the animated ninja robot dancers featured in the music video.

Personally, the main distractions for this song are the sound effects.

3. Family Party (ファミリーパーティー )

We picked this song because it is really catchy, more so than quite a number of her older works (e.g. Fashion Monster).

The song hints at relations to family and how keeping it up is not easy. Even the title explicitly states that this song is about family. So if you are looking for a feels trip, this one might be good.

Of note are the choreography and how she dances around with the cardboard robot. The special effects just makes us want to have our own robot family member, so we can play games with it too!

4. Furisodation (ふりそでーしょん)

A song was produced last year (2013) to mark Kyary Pamyu Pamyu’s coming of age. In Japan, one is considered an adult upon reaching 20 years old, so it describes her feeling about becoming an adult. The word はたち (hatachi = 20 years old) is being sung all over the song!.

The music video looks like something right smack out of the Queen of Heart’s castle, I wonder where’s Alice though…

In any case, this is a very hyped up and happy song with a celebratory feel to it, and some rather interesting choreography and costumes, and I liked it a lot! Go check it out!

Conclusion

The four selected songs are simply based on what we like, and it is by no means a definitive “best song” article. If you have any other Kyary Pamyu Pamyu songs that are your favorite, do share it with us in the comments!

Well, for the fans or those of you readers who already know who she is, then you should be fairly familiar with the songs we picked here today. But there might be those who are new to her, and I am here to help! Here’s some background on her:

Back in 2011, her first promo single became a hit and the MV on YouTube went viral. That song was PonPonPon, and from there on, she just started to release more and more outrageous yet catchy music. Of note are her music videos – which are the subject of this article today – as they are usually strange, yet cute.

Here are some examples of some YouTube comments found on some of her videos:

And here are some of the attention she has gotten because of PonPonPon:

PONPONPON’ Gives Us A Kawaisa Seizure (VIDEO) – Huffington Post

MTV Dubs Kyary Pamyu Pamyu’s PONPONPON “One of the Craziest Videos Ever!” – TokyoFashion

The AFA Channel team will also be attending Kyary Pamyu Pamyu’s concert this Saturday at The Star Theatre, so we hope to see everyone there too! We will also be interviewing some of the concert-goers about their feelings before and after the concert, so do say HI when you see our writers.

The post [JMUSIC] Our Top 4 Favorite Kyary Pamyu Pamyu Songs – The AFA Channel Pick! appeared first on AFA Channel!.

Categories: Anime JCOLLECTOR Tags: Moon RodProplicaSailormoon PROPLICA — Bandai’s line of professional-quality replicas aimed at adult collectors, has revealed the prototype of its second release at the recently-concluded Tokyo Toy Show (held on 14 Jun 2014): Sailormoon’s Moon Rod! Photo from sailormoon-official.com The first PROPLICA Moon Stick was released on 19 Apr 2014 to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of Naoko Takeuchi’s Sailormoon […] (Read more...)

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