We are Perfume: 3rd Document Movie

It was great to have the opportunity to see rare Japanese films on the big screen let alone a documentary about a music band. We are Perfume: 3rd Document Movie was shown at Rich Mix in Bethnal Green sold out completely of merchandise including 30 t-shirts, 30 stickers and 30 folders showing the documentary title photograph. 

The showing itself big enough to screen 100 filled a whooping 89 seats at 12 noon on a Saturday, this was a great success for the NHK to show in the UK and should be an incentive to show more niche Japanese movies in London.

Amongst Japanese enthusiasts the UK Perfume PTA were in attendance with all there purchased merch and there own fan made items including laser printer models of the three ladies in a fans hat. It was also nice to see genuine Japanese fan towels on show too.

 The Film itself used footage from Perfume's debut audition tape to the most recent tour in 2014 mixed with new interviews. We got to hear from the girls themselves how they met and the introduction of Nochhi to the group and how they felt she was the relaxed member who brought fun to the overall serious thinking troup.

One of my favourite moments was footage from the London tour last year which I attended, Nochhi in fact forgot some of her steps and had a moment looking around on stage lost - this was not something a lot of people would notice and she talks about it opening and then we see the comical clip. It's these moments that show they are human as well as famous pop idols, at last we see the idols who strut around in heels put their legs in ice to calm the leg swelling!

It was also a great insight into the bands rituals, how the three say a mantra before each show and pat each o n the back for reassurance. It is also great team work and they show appreciation to all staff alongside them put the shows together. When the LED lights malfunction on the USA tour the poor manager takes the blame upon herself when Perfume reassure her they did a great performance despite which was a test to their ability and the fans enjoyed the show.

Speaking of fans watching the rare meet and greets was invigorating a select few in USA got to meet the band intimately including having chats and lots of photos. Any suggestions on favourite songs where taken very seriously and A-chan would re evaluate each set list before the next show.

I have also been educated in Merlions thanks to this documentary, if I ever go Singapore I am checking it out. The ladies discover different tourist attractions in each destination they go to and even get recognized in the street. You followed the trio with their highs and lows and feel close to the aspiring singers who still have yet to hit the big time in their own (modest) eyes. Their next big aim to perform in Times Square in 2017 - let's see if this will happen.

A great documentary using backstage filming with high quality interviews with each individual member put into a chronological order following the whole 3rd Perfume tour in 2014. Definitely worth buying on DVD when it's out.

For more news on anime, cosplay, games and Japanese culture follow me on Twitter and Facebook.

Aisha Anime ^_^

Snowy Lane Luxury Mince Pies (from Lidl)

After all the hype over these specific brand of mince pies in 2014, I was able to procure two boxes in early December. Quoted by Which? as the best brand of Mince pies to buy. Snowy Lane Luxury Mince Pies (from Lidl) will you out do the others?

Appearance

They have changed the packaging since last year, now in a posh looking box with see through window. The holly leaf has now become a star. It has the standard mince pie look with a star pattern on top. Lots of sugar was on top to create the snowy look.

The First Bite

The Mince itself was mild, but the overwhelming taste of orange engulfed my tongue. The smell lept at your nostrils once crunching into it. and from each pie varied in quantity, once pie had lots and one was half empty.


Price

6 for £1.15

Conclusion

Standard size, overwhelming taste, I tried two batches and this is the new recipe. Unless your a citrus fanatic i think this pies are not so great. Not that sweet, even drowning it in cream didnt mute the orange taste.

1/5 So much promise so much Dissapoint!

More Mince pie reviews to follow during December but if your not a fan check out my blog for all the latest event news, anime, game reviews, cosplay and Japanese culture.

For more news on anime, cosplay, games and Japanese culture follow me on Twitter and Facebook.

Aisha Anime ^_^

Capcom uk 's Christmas event

The Capcom UK headquarters is famous for hosting regular events at the offices in the centre of London. Which was scheduled to be a monster hunter events was last minute changed to Street Fighter V. This did not deter any gamers, it was a full house of 100 people who had to be on the guest list.

People were allowed to wait in the reception till festivities commenced upstairs in the Capcom den. It was a great set up of three big screens set up with Street Fighter 5 (with light up Ryu busts) and even Mega Man. The best part is there are plugs everywhere to charge your 3DS and mobile phones. Since I was periscoping the event this certainly came in handy. Follow me on Twitter to watch my videos on periscope @aisha_anime

After about an hour of casual gaming we had an annoy meant of free t shirts I had never seen people dive so fast into a cardboard box. This was a first for me to receive a freebie. This was followed by another announcement 30 minutes later, this time the stampede to the foyer ensued. Where freebies we're littered on the desk and floor which include games: Resident Evil 6, Left for Dead 6, Project x Zone, StreetFfighter x Tekken and Capcom classics. Other freebies were Resident Evil 6 watches, t shirts, key rings, SF figures and Monster Hunter blind boxes.

This was very invigorating and only the most hardcore stayed and continued their street fighter 5 matches. It was great to see people so happy and mingling in order to trade freebies. But that wasn't all, 25 minutes later Jake the community manager walks in once more to announce they had a batch of over 18 freebies that got forgotten so all the fittest (with id) ran for the third round of glories freebies. 

Capcom uk went all out to lease the fans and everyone either left making new friends, street passing or with some swag. Merry Christmas to all the hunters from Capcom - and thank you from the fans it was worth the trek to Hammersmith.

For more news on anime, cosplay, games and Japanese culture follow me on Twitter and Facebook.

Aisha Anime ^_^

We are Perfume documentary at Rich Mix

Celebrating the band Perfume's 15th anniversary of group’s formation and 10th anniversary since making their major debut, they have released a new documentary.


The documentary "We are Perfume" portrays the group's present and links to their past and future.

Their popularity has sky rocketed in their later years with their recent album, LEVEL3, released in 2014 was distributed in 251 countries/regions and made it to number 1 on iTunes Electric Music Album category chart in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore and Thailand, and also went to top 10 of the chart in 19 countries including the US and Canada.

Perfume achieves universal popularity due to their new wave techno-pop songs (different from most girl bands in the charts), sophisticated dances and live performances using the latest technologies

The documentary film follows their activities over a two months period while touring overseas. You will see footage from Perfume WORLD TOUR 3rd and SXSW 2015 during their 10th major debut and 15th formation anniversary year, 2014-2015. With over 500 hours of footage filmed across Asia, Europe and the US this film portrayed their music, live performances and behind-the-scenes which has never been shown before.

Witnessing the current Perfume as they are, you will understand their achievements since the group’s formation and their desire for the future.

We are perfume will be screened in the UK for one day only on 12th December at Rich Mix in Bethnal Green at 12.45.

In addition to this special one-day screening of documentary, Perfume’s official merchandise will be available to buy including: T-shirts, stickers and plastic folders.

The merchandise booth will be open from 12pm.

Buy tickets here.

http://www.richmix.org.uk/whats-on/event/we-are-perfume-world-tour-3rd-document/

Directed by Taketoshi Sado

Songs by Yasutaka Nakata (Capsule)

Main Theme: Perfume, Star Train (Universal Music)

Film Partners: Amuse, Nikkatsu, Universal Muisc, Live Viewing Japan, NHK Enterprises

Planning & Released by Amuse, Nikkatsu

Production: NHK Enterprises

Distributed and Promoted by NIKKATSU (Japan), LIVE VIEWING JAPAN (Worldwide)

© 2015 "WE ARE Perfume" Film Partners.

For more news on anime, cosplay, games and Japanese culture follow me on Twitter and Facebook.

Aisha Anime ^_^

Interview with Himezawa

Aspiring cosplayer, Himezawa, came from Germany to the UK at first as a guest at London Anime and Gaming Convention. Since that appearance she decided to study in the UK. Since we last saw Himezawa in the UK she had just signed a contract with Asobi a Japanese modelling company who arranged the Hyper Japan fashion show in 2013.

Since you went to Japan, what have you got up to?

- I had a lot of photoshootings for Japanese street snap sites, designers and make-up lines. I went to various fashion shows and events like Harajuku Kawaii Week, Osaka Kawaii and MoshiMoshiNippon Festival. I also appeared on national television a few times, was in catalogues and released a single. It's been really busy!

What has been your favourite moment in Japan?

- Though I absolutely love my work and I have a lot of great memories on each of them, to me traditional Japan is more enjoyable than pop culture sometimes. I went on a short trip to Kyoto and Nara a few months back and I really enjoyed the quiet side to it. I live in Tokyo, so it's always noisy and always busy, so I love to take job offers from outside the city. A week ago I had the chance to model for a Kimono company in Osaka, and the places we shot in were absolutely breathtaking!

Favourite project you worked on?

- That's without a doubt my debut single!

I never thought I would end up doing music one day, and I mainly wanted to try it, because I love j-pop music a lot. I love singing and I really enjoy dancing, but covering other peoples songs never gave me the chance to express myself fully. I got to write a lot of the lyrics myself, and most of the project was based on my ideas and my script, so it's "the most me" I got to create since I moved to Japan.




You also are a self published author, can you tell us about your book?

- I am not self-published, I have contract with a publisher in Germany.

My first novel "Staubmädchen" (English: "Dust Maiden") released February 2015. It's a mix of SciFi and Fantasy, and the story follows Mister Penber, an agent for the Ministry of Occult Criminal Cases, who meets a young Exorcist while investigating a murder case. Exorcists have been known as nothing but a myth and though he doesn't quite believe her story, Penber follows her to London, that earned its new name "Cursed City" after a terrorist attack a few weeks prior. In the catacombs of Londons former underground he is introduced to other exorcists of the Grey Order, a group of exorcists remaining after the "London Doomsday", the day of the apparent attack. Much later on Penber finds out that it was in fact fate that lead him to the Order and that he plays in fact a bigger role in this scenario than he anticipated.

"Dust Maiden" will have an English release in 2016 (via Best Off Verlag),

Recently you released a single, what inspired your song?

- It's a song about growing. It's about growing up, finding yourself and overcoming hardships that life throws at you. In Japan especially suicide rates are high and the number of shut-ins (Hikkikomori) is extremely high. Many young people have the feeling that they can't live up to to the expectations society has for them, so they chose "a way out". My song "Wagamama Love" (English:Selfish love) is the story of telling your last goodbye, telling your friends and family to forget about you, and letting go.

Now, I want my song to support people who feel alone with my song. To distract them and show them a way out of the negative thinking they are caught in. My song ends with the words "You are not alone.".
You are currently raising money for charity, why have you chosen this charity and what are you hoping to achieve.(write link as well)

Last year I lost someone very close to me to cancer and it was hard for me to accept that I couldn't help that person, no matter how much I wanted to. We grew up together and it made me realize that cancer can hit anyone, no matter how healthy and no matter where from.

I started fundraising because I can't open my PO box to public this year, as I usually do for my birthday / around Christmas anyway. So instead of sending me cards or small gifts, I want to encourage people to donate to the charity.

Last year my followers gave me the chance to go to Japan and follow my dreams, by donating more than 1,000 pounds to my kickstarter campaign, but this year I want to raise money for charity instead. I felt like it was time for me to give something back.

http://www.justgiving.com/himezawa

It's great to see that ones dreams can become a reality with hard work, determination and a little lucky. I can't wait to here how Himezawa is doing next year.

For more news on anime, cosplay, games and Japanese culture follow me on Twitter and Facebook.

Aisha Anime ^_^

Hyper Japan Christmas Market 2015: Interview with Airly Momok/ Edo Anime

It was fantastic walking around Hyper Japan meeting so many like minded people. Amongst the VIP guests I helped out at a friends stall Japan Underground and a beautiful lady in a Cinderella dress approached me and handed me a leaflet. This was Airly Momoko a Japanese-French idol who came to Hyper Japan to help promote the Edo Anime stall.

For more information on the Edo Anime 1803 project please check out their website.

Watch our interview below:

For more news on anime, cosplay, games and Japanese culture follow me on Twitter and Facebook.

Aisha Anime ^_^

Horror Manga Artist Shigeru Mizuki dies at 93

Shigeru Mizuki, famous for his manga GeGeGe no Kitarō originally titled Hakaba Kitarō, Kappa no Sanpei, and Akuma-kun. Originally from Sakaiminato in Tottori prefecture, his pen-name, Mizuki, comes from the time when he managed an inn called 'Mizuki Manor' while he drew pictures for kamishibai. A specialist in stories of yōkai (ghosts), he is considered a master of this genre. He is also known for his shocking World War II memoirs and his work as a biographer.

His wartime manga was particularly memorable as he based it on his own real life experiences - he contracted malaria, watched friends die from battle wounds and disease. He talks of his yokai characters (monsters and ghosts) used in his manga  are only seen only in times of peace. The supernatural creatures were made to have no specific ethnicity or nationality as a hint of the potential for humanity.

In 1957, Mizuki released his debut work, Rocketman. Since then, he has published numerous works, both on yōkai and military works. He has also written many books on both subjects, including an autobiography about his time on New Britain Island and a manga biography on Adolf Hitler.

In 2005, Shigeru Mizuki appeared in a cameo role in Yōkai Daisenso ("The Great Yokai War") directed by acclaimed Takashi Miike, a film about yōkai inspired by his work; several of his characters make cameo appearances. A brief explanation about his works also is mentioned in the film.

Sadly today November 30, 2015, Shigeru Mizuki died of heart failure in a Tokyo hospital after collapsing at his home from a heart attack. His works will be appreciated for the true to life depictions of war.

For more news on anime, cosplay, games and Japanese culture follow me on Twitter and Facebook.

Aisha Anime ^_^

Mince Pie Reviews 2015: Sainsbury Bakery

It's that time of the year and mince pies are rife, to be honest they've been knocking around from October but who can turn a good mince pie down BUT which is the pie to rule them all? Starting with Sainsbury's Bakery pies, I spied them today whilst locating sourdough bread. 

Appearance

What lured me to this pie?

The star detail of course. Showing all the goods on offer, hehe. Well you can see some have over spilled over the thick shortcrust pastry. MMMM GLUTEN

The First Bite

I will say the pastry has been the best I've tried since 2014 and it was crunchy but didn't crumble into my mouth. It was perfect consistency, not dry or too sweet or chewy - just right. The Mince itself was mild, with t he odd rasien with a burst of sugary sweetness. 

Price

Four for 80p or two boxes for £1.50 (8) With a saving of 10p

Conclusion

Small  portions means you will be eating two at a time. Tastes great with double cream. I would recommend NOT to heat up as it makes the filling chewy. Looks like a kid made it but great for people not into sickly sweet desserts. 

3/5 The modest pie

Moore Mince pie reviews to follow during December but if your not a fan check out my blog for all the latest event news, anime, game reviews, cosplay and Japanese culture.

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Review: Disgaea 4

Disgaea returns with a new bunch of demons on a quest to save the reputation of the lowly Prinnies...? Dood what? So we enter another parallel Neverworld this time inhabiting Valvatorez the great. Or so we're told. Loyal fans to the series will see this as the 4th available on PS3 and PS Vita. We are greeted with a new set of classes, options and cast of demons.

The story gripped me at once, a hero who respects Prinnies? What's going on here, is he soft in the head. Apparently Valvatorez or Lord Val as most call him is banished to be a Pruinny Instructor. A totaly underdog of the demon world but with a past of once greatness. This greatness has been long forgotten since he stopped drinking blood due to a promise. A promise made to a human which in fact drained him of most of his powers. He is now stuck in a shrimpy body and obsessed with sardines which he feasts on instead of blood.

Alongside the law abiding Lord Val we have his loyal servent Fenrich who is pretty mean and bad ass, did I mention he was a werewolf too? Twilight resonances are appearing to me but nope there is no glitter just relentless trolling and beats. Whilst the Prinnies are slandered to be the cause of the receding death rates to Celestia and the Netherworld, the pair go on a journey and come across a great rag tag bunch. One of my least favorite recurring characters holds a lead role in this game, Emiziel. The president of the Netherworld's son, a right 'rascal' and pain in the butt. After much leveling you realise he has the second best magic in the game. The best magic is owned by Desco a big boss who gets whooped by the team and strives to over throw the couruptment to become the ultimate big boss. Also tentacles.

The game cleverly adds hints into the conversations on how to improve your characters like 'chara world' this was an interesting touch but I very quickly lost interest. For you see instead of the 'item world' concept where you clear out all the enemies, in char world you are surrounded by geo cubes that you must destroy to obtain the level ups and character bonuses. This takes a VERY LONG time to do. I found it was really worth while to do for the mages to unlock great spells and evilities. Otherwise it's a very tedious procedure for every character.

Within the stats demon, you can see what you have achieved ie. what percentage of rare items you collected, enemies killed, levels reincarnated (for Lord Val) which is handy for unlocking all the ending and through that you do get the indication of a hidden ending. *Squuueee* sorry ignore my inner fan girl. You can also re watch scenes and art from the game which is for the hardcore fans.

They also bring up the option of opening the 'Cave of Ordeals' early in the game for you to hideously fail at but aspire to play maybe in your third or fourth gameplay (no really it's pretty hard).

Basically you need to play this game becuase of tentacles. Nah just kidding, as much as I love the odd mix of characters, there is so much more to offer from the game. A great addition of extra levels so you can do endless grinding in different settings. Also there are a lot of cameos from a favourite past characters from the series including everyone's favourite fallen angel Flonne. If you like the Prinnies, you get a lot of interaction and conversations and well what can I say the characters like to ship each other which makes all otaku's happy. Fenich and Lord Val FTW. A JRPG fan's must play game.

For more news on anime, cosplay, games and Japanese culture follow me on Twitter and Facebook.

Aisha Anime ^_^

Models/Designers/Photographers/MUA's wanted for Harajuku Fashion show 2016

Photos from the last LAGC on http://www.darkangelphoto.net/

Hello all my creative friends ^_^

Once again we will be hosting a Fashion show celebrating Japanese fashion this coming February 2016. On Sat 6th Feb - because it is called the 'Harajuku Fashion Show' we are showcasing great creativity from fashionistas or fashion enthusiasts to put their twists on stage.

What we are looking for:

*Models - styling together there own Japanese Style including: Lolita/punk/gothic/visual kei/fairy kei/roccoco/creepy cute/hime/rave/sweet/classic/kimino/mori/prince/decora/gyaru/yomamba.


*Designers - to showcase their Japanese style or fusion rage of clothing/accessories.


*Makeup Artists/hairstylists - not afraid to try bold looks or soft and natural for mori styles


What you get out of this:


All Models, hair stylists, makeup artists, Designers, will receive a free entry ticket to the event on Saturday 6th Feb 2016. Since this is an event you will be able to walk around freely and watch other stage events, look at the merchandise, access the bar, watch movies, play games - including the after party.


Models: You will get at least two digital professional photos of you in your outfit for your portfolio and many cat walk photos and from backstage.
Hair stylists/Makeup artists: you get to practice your skills and also obtain photos for your portfolio
Designers: Showcase your pieces on a catwalk


If you are interested, please message me with the information listed below ^_^
Application Form:

Name:
Modelling name:
Gender:
Description of proposed outfits(s):
Photo of outfit or something similar.


Please message me on:
the anime league forum - @Aisha
email - doomed.prinny@gmail.com
twitter: @aisha_anime

Review: Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection F

It was a truely 'wow' moment when Manga Entertainment announced that on September the 30th they were screening Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection F around the UK.

This is one of the first anime titles to be shown on cinema in the UK which is not Studio Ghibli related.

Being one of the most iconic anime's spanning over 325 chapters in manga form. One of the few anime's to be dubbed into several territories over the world and then into  games and animated movies.

I was fortunate to get tickets for the showing at Bluewater , whereas other Londoners went to the Prince Charles Cinema. Here I saw lots of enthusiasts talking of the series before and after the screening. You also got a free keyring after, sadly I didn't get Goku or Gohan but Freezer himself.

The Film is set after the Freezer sage, Cell Saga and Maijin Boo saga. In fact the beginning eludes you into thinking you were watching another film with happy animals dancing around din flowers where something is tied up in a tree. This is Freezer in his personal hell.

With a great opening scene such as this, the crowd laughed and onto the main story where Freezer's minions seek the Deragon Balls in order to summon Shenron to bring Freezer to life like the title indicates - Resurrection F.

We see all our favourite warriors older, including a Krillen with a head full of hair, Gohan donning a suit rathe than a Ghii and of course Goku and Vegeta still training. This time we see a lot more of Beerus and Whis since Goku and Vegeta literally turn up unannounced to train and well with a little help of edible bribery.

Beerus and Whis feel like villains more than comrades but that adds to their charm and gluttony for Earth food. The animation on the food was divine - i think I wanted the banana split more than they did. With poignant uses of CGI at places the anime really looked crisp on the big screen.

Also the audio was dubbed and it was great to hear the likes of Sean Schemmel, Christopher R. Sabat, Monica Riel again. Also fans of XXXholic would have been pleased to hear Colleen Clinkenbeard and Todd Haberkorn and more much loved favourites who paved the way in anime for a high standard of voice acting.

Obviously hardcore fans of the manga would know the outcome of the movie but I was blown away by the jokes and chemistry between the characters I had not seen for a long time and to hear the audience laugh and gasp alongside the scenes was refreshing.

Also sad part was you didn't get to see Android 18 fuight nor any sign of Trunks or Gotenks. However you get to see a new Super Saiyan form  which is blue and Freezer got full on Gold. Also a rare tim e not seeing Yamcha dying but a lot of Master Roshi kicking butt and taking names. Some of the best one liners came out of Vegetas mouth, I love his hate for Goky, even when they are old and decrepit he will will never let Goku forget how stupid he is.

I dont have to tell you what happened in the movie, frankly I recommend you watch on cinema or buy on DVD. Hopefully Manag Entertainment bring out more titles to the big screen.

For more news on anime, cosplay, games and Japanese culture follow me on Twitter and Facebook.

Aisha Anime ^_^

Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth3: V Generation coming to Steam

Not only is Neptune traveling across dimensions –now she’s traveling across platforms! After its PlayStationVita/PlayStation3 release in Summer, Hyperdimension Neptunia. Re;Birth3: V Generationwill get a Fall 2015 release on steam!

Story
It’s time to Nep-Nep like it’s 1989. Neptune’s been sucked into an alternate dimension of Gamindustri! In order for her to escape from this late ‘80s world, Neptune will have to collect enough shares to open up the path to her own dimension. Sounds easy enough –except a nefarious alliance called the Seven Sages wants to rid Gamindustriof all CPUs, including Neptune!

Forging cross-dimensional friendships, will Neptune be able to defeat the Seven Sages, save this alternate dimension and get back to her own, or will she be stuck in the ‘80s forever?

Key Features

You Can Tell From the Pixels With a fantastic 1080p resolution, experience the two dimensions like you’ve never seen before! Every slash, stab, and stomp will look better than ever!

+1 to Combos! Customize attack combinations with up to five moves, opening up a whole new array of ways to defeat your enemies!New Story! Play through new story and scenarios when someone else joins the Console War fray and refuses to play by the rules!

Bring a Dungeon Buddy!Stella’s Dungeon is back, and this time she can bring friends! Each is equipped with special skills that lend their support to Stella in her items quest, so choose wisely!
Remake in your Image!Modify the world of Gamindustrito your liking by creating “Plans” that alter dungeon treasures, enemy difficulty, and more!

Get Crafty!Customize powerful equipment that can unlock the true power of the CPUs, opening up a world of new skills for them to use! Luxuriate in all the fourth-wall-breaking comedy you’ve come to expect, with a fine polish of 1080p graphics!

For more news on anime, cosplay, games and Japanese culture follow me on Twitter and Facebook.

Aisha Anime ^_^

Brighton comic con: live blog

I am on my way to Brighton with hope of meeting one of my favourite vampires in history - James Masters aka Spike. Check back here for live updates about the events. Photos will be added when I get home.

Follow my live photos on twitter: @aisha_anime

One of the main attractions included the attendance of James Masters known for his role of Spike the bad boy vampire in Buffs the Vampire slayer as well as Torchwood and movies.

He shared tables with John Hurt who is famous for many roles including Aliens. Watership Down, Harry Potter the list foes on. Both had talks costing £10 and photo shoots snd costumed shoots.

If you are a horror fan Romero was in attendance again famed for his series of zombie movies Including day of the dead.

If you didn't come for the guests you came for cosplay with a large amount of entries including the ginger bread men, lego man, red shirts from star trek. gambit, judge dredd family and humanoid gundam.

Also most of the two floors of the Halton Metrapole was full of stalls selling comics, sci fi merchendise, anime figures, decoed shoes, plushies and tons of tshirts.

There was definitely something for everyone in the family to enjoy, barring the extreme heat, best to bring a fan and lots of water. Refreshments were being sold throughout the venue which was handy and toilets cleaned regularly - yaay!

Review: Disgaea 5

Since it first arrived in 2003, the Disgaea series has established itself as a challenging and rewarding tactical role-playing game series with almost infinite replay value in it’s extra dungeons and enemies, making it a rare gem to play. Since then, the series has grown with new iterations across the PS2 and PS3, and more recently, remakes of the games for portable devices like the DS (Disgaea 1), PSP (Disgaea 1 & 2) and PS Vita (Disgaea 3 & 4).

Personally I believe the handheld porting was an excellent route for the Disgaea series due to the never ending grinding, I love the grinding, but this can be tedious when you die in the item world and lose all your progress, so why not have a quick stint on your commute to work?

The first characters we meet are Seraphina, the Overlord of her home netherworld, Gorgeous, and the mysterious wandering demon Killia, whom she finds in her path devouring a rare ramen dish as she’s about to be attacked by the enemy army. If you've played Disgaea before, you probably know that food is an important factor in the game to heal HP/TP.

So apart from Sera's obvious fan service we do get a lot of comedy from her arch enemy the Reg Magnus who turns out to be a big brute with a heart of gold, she just doesn't like to wash his pants.

The full review  is on Parallax Play. But I wanted to add some more points whilst I continue to play this game.

UPDATE

I thought I'd mention the changes in interrogation - in Disgaea 4 you would gain prisoners by throwing enemies into your base panel then speak with the Beast woman at your base. So I didn't use this feature much. In Disgaea 5 you have demons surrendering automatically so I ended up using the feature quite a bit. This time you speak to the blonde professor lady in your base and she gives you a list of prisoners with their gauges showing how much hostility they have against you. If they have none you can make them citizens straight away.

If they harbour a lot of 'Revenge' best to beat it out of them, though you have to figure out whether it's through beating, specials or starvation.

Fusion  is much more handy in the game where if you have an army of prinnies you can fuse to make a stronger character on the battle field similar to Reg Magus using his overkill to grow large.

For more news on anime, cosplay, games and Japanese culture follow me on Twitter and Facebook.

Aisha Anime ^_^

Christmas edition Hyper Japan Lineup

So Christmas edition Hyper Japan is closely approaching, where you literally are set lose in Tobacco dock for all your kawaii shopping needs. Amongst the cute Japanese trinkets there will be a variety of entertainment on offer including great live music, cosplay and the fashion show.

To follow great performances at Hyper Japan they have asked the newest metal sensation Lady Baby to perform. My favourite aspect of Hyper Japan will be LadyBaby coming to the Uk to perform ! If you aren't aware of Lady Beard and his back up singers read up about them here.

Other things to enjoy would by Minori a shinori fashionista famed in the Lolita world, the fashion show showcasing all the fashions from Japan featuring British and Japanese models, the Sake experience where you pay a fee and try over 10 varieties (make sure you eat before!) and Ramen cooking by Ippudo in the first-ever Hyper Creative Studio, more acts will be announced closed to the event.

HYPER JAPAN originally started in 2010 in a modest venue in Brick Lane, and the Christmas Market will mark the 9th event in London. HYPER JAPAN festival 2015, the most recent festival held at the 02 Arena, finished successfully in July with tens of thousands of participants.

Read what I got up to last time at 2015 Summer Hyper Japan Festival.

For more news on anime, cosplay, games and Japanese culture follow me on Twitter and Facebook.

Aisha Anime ^_^

Tekken 7 #soon

BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Europe has announced the arrival of TEKKEN 7 on home systems (Date TBC). The King Of The Iron Fist Tournament is back - and ready to challenge players across the world. #Soon

Developed on Unreal Engine 4, TEKKEN 7 boasts all new graphical capabilities that will push the realism of the fighting genre beyond limits. Players will experience these exceptional visuals in the grand finale of the conflict between the Mishima Zaibatsu and G Corporation; with the darkest secrets of the cursed Mishima family finally revealed.

TEKKEN 7 revisits the original  family feud and you even get to meet Heitachi's wif. World domination, power, greed and demonic possession - is the story about Jin or Kazuya? “It’s coming. I told you to wait!” Katsuhiro Harada, Project TEKKEN Leader

“For its 20th Anniversary, our TEKKEN brand has seen a massive success on Arcades thanks to TEKKEN 7, but also on mobile gaming with TEKKEN CARD TOURNAMENT. Our wish is to pursue this successful route and explore new opportunities with the game’s arrival on home systems!”  Hervé Hoerdt, VP of Marketing & Digital at BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Europe

20 years of Tekken history celebrated in this video with the Tekken 7 trailer straight after - it's been a year since I originally saw this at the Tokyo Game show 2014 !

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^_^ Aisha Anime

October mcm 2015: Friday

London mcm comic con one of the biggest events in the UK, opened their doors to the public today at 10am. With barriers today controlling people coming in snd out the venue and also to stop unruly behaviour on the grass as has happened in the past.

Upon getting your wristbands you enter the world of advertising including Steve Jobs movie, Jet, The Robot and many more.

This Halloween we have the following companies showcasing their games: Rice Digital, Bandai Namco entertainment, NISA, Koei and riding star games.

Cex returned with their famous tentacle chair aswell as a new edition of fluffy feet encrusted chair with the same competition incentive.

Due to high demand the Yogcast had their own section within the Escorts area (Hall opposite main mcm Hall). Where you could queue up, buy merchendise, get it signed then receive a free fall out mask you could post on twitter to be entered into a competition.

You also had a stall called Monkey Merchandise selling fall out items, an Assassin's Creed stall amongst Insert Coin and turtle tees.

One of my favourite moments was seeing ultimate anime fans gushing over Todd Haberkorn, voice of Natsu from Fairy Tale, Watanuki from Xxxholic and more. This was his first London convention and he was greeting by people dressed as characters from anime he worked in and with related merchendise. It was plain to see the London majority praised him for Fairy Tale as they did with Colleen Clickenbeard who played Erza on the anime.

More photos from MCM here.

For more adventures into anime, cosplay, gaming and events follow me on Facebook and twitter. 

^_^ Aisha Anime

Build a Bear to stock Pikachu?!

Starting in early 2016, The Pokemon Company and Build-A-Bear Workshop will be teaming up for a partnership bring you everyone's favourite electric rat!

Build-A-Bear Workshop have confirmed the following locations to stock Pikachu: the United States, Europe, Canada, and Australia.

So far Polygon states you can decorate your Pikachu plush with a Poke Ball Hoodie, and includes a Pikachu sound chip.

After creating your Pikachu, you’ll be given a special promo TCG playing card as a gift. Also, those who order it online can obtain the limited edition Charizard costume!

UPDATE:

For more news on Japanese culture, anime, manga, cosplay, events and games follow me on Twitter and Facebook. Aisha Anime ^_^

Villiany has no Bounds for Mike Pollock (interview)

In tribute to the passing away of acclaimed Japanese voice actor Chikao Ohtsuka earlier this year who voiced Dr Eggman/Robotnik.  The long standing American voice, Mike Pollock came to attend LAGC this year in July.

Dr Eggman/Robotnik is the villain from the Sega game series Sonic which later spun off into various cartoons, animated shows and games to where it’s fame acquired English dubbing for international release. Mike Pollock returns to LAGC, Pollock is an American voice actor who been praised for voicing Doctor Eggman in the dubbed Sonic the Hedgehog series. Despite being cast as long time villain Dr Eggman this has not type cast Pollock in anyway and he has excelled in many other roles. Also playing many well-known characters in anime including Raoul Contesta, Cheren, Drayden, interim narrator in Pokémon, Meat in Ultimate Muscle, Langston Lickatoad in Viva Piñata, Suikyou in Ikki Tousen, General Blanque in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Mitsuru Minowa in Magic User's Club and Beast in the motion comic adaptation of Astonishing X-Men. Having featured in over 50 titles and games - currently working on Norse Noir: Loki's Exile, Chapter I.

Watch my interview here:

No doubt you are sure to have encountered Mike in knowingly or not in your childhood in tv shows to adulthood like Burger King adverts.

On his website he even writes his own reviews of anime and games whether he’s in them or not and any fan would love to know his take on our geeky favourites.

Find out more about Pollock’s past projects or even contact him about your own on http://www.itsamike.com/

Special thanks to LAGC for the interview and Sickmuse for editing it.

For more adventures into anime, cosplay, gaming and events follow me on Facebook and twitter. 

^_^ Aisha Anime

Nintendo announced Characters for Project Zone 2

Not only am I stoked for this game Bandai Namco Entertainment have announced a few Nintendo characters that will be joining the fearsome roster featured in Tactical-RPG Project X Zone 2. Lucina & Chrom are joining from popular Gameboy/3DS series Fire Emblem Awakening, while Fiora of Xenoblade Chronicles and cyborg KOS-MOS from Bandai Namco's Xenosaga will also be playable.

Lucina

KOS-MOS

Project X Zone 2 launches on Nintendo 3DS on the 19th February, 2016.

 Stay tuned for more updates from here: http://www.projectxzone.eu/

For more adventures into anime, cosplay, gaming and events follow me on Facebook and twitter. 

^_^ Aisha Anime

One Piece: Burning Blood coming to PS4, PS Vita and Xbox One

Bandai Namco Entertainment Europe announced recently a new One Piece game called  BURNING BLOOD! The game is due to release in 2016 on PlayStation4, PlayStation Vita and for the first time ever: Xbox One.

I'm really excited about this one as it is developed by the famed Japanese studio Spike Chunsoft Co., Ltd; One Piece: Burning Blood is built upon the wacky and rich One Piece universe and will offer a never-seen-before experience thanks to the fast-paced gameplay and unique One Piece elements!

Speaking of which, Logia Devil Fruits and “Haki” can be used to throw massive special moves and take down the fiercest opponents! Stay tuned for more reveals.

Hervé Hoerdt, VP Marketing & Digital at Bandai NamcoEntertainment Europe states: “Meeting our fans on public & private events is a good way to get feedback on our games and see what the expectations are. ONE PIECE: Burning Blood is the perfect example of us creating a game impeccably in-line with fans’ desires. The long awaited pure fighting-game based on the One Piece universe is here! To add to that, we are quite happy to release the game on multiple platforms, especially on a Microsoft console, since it’s the first time ever for a One Piece game.”

For more info on the game go to: www.OnePiece-Game.com

For more adventures into anime, cosplay, gaming and events follow me on Facebook and twitter. 

^_^ Aisha Anime