Tekken's new Pinoy character - Josie

Breaking news from CNN Philippines is addition of new female Pinoy character Josie to the Tekken 7!

After much from Lucky Chloe it is great to see more female characters. Though I must say her head is a little small compared to the rest of her body or is it just me?! Designed by Bayonetta’s Mari Shimazaki. Harada even revealed some trivia on her character:

• Her name is inspired by the Philippines’ national hero: Jose Rizal.
• Her fighting style is a mix of eskrima and kickboxing.
• The initial feedback about her has been largely positive. Her name was even trending on Twitter.
• She has a sad background. She’s “a crybaby, but strong.” That’s why she cries of joy when she wins.

Have a look at other new characters in Tekken 7 here.

For more news on games, anime, events and cosplay follow Aisha Anime on Facebook and twitter ^_^

Shaun the Sheep Visits China Town!

*Updated*

First Shaun sighted here !
 http://aishaanime.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/first-two-shauns-spotted-in-covent.html

To celebrate the start of the Chinese Lunar New Year, which this year falls on the year of the sheep or goat - there will be two Shaun the sheep (adorned in Chinese style art) mascots residing at the entrance of Chinatown.

The best way to describe the patterns on the sheep is “Jingtai” designed by Simon Farrell, is inspired by the ancient Chinese Cloisonné style, seen commonly on ceramics and jewellery from the 14th century in China. Ashley Boddy’s mystical  five-foot “Shanghai-Shaun” was inspired by legendary mythological dragons in Chinese folklore, symbols of power, strength, and luck.

We can’t wait to see these sculptures join our London trail, hitting the capital’s streets on Saturday 28th March until Monday 25th May to raise funds for Wallace & Gromit’s Children’s Charity, supporting children in hospitals across the UK.

From Saturday 28th March, a flock of 50 five-foot tall sculptures of Shaun the Sheep will be dotted around the streets of London for the ‘Shaun in the City’ art trail and Chinatown is delighted to play host to two.

During Shaun's stay in Chinatown visitors are encouraged to share their best photos with him on Twitter with the best photo each week receiving dinner for two!

In total 120 ‘Shauns’ will be sold off at a public auction in October. The money raised will go towards the Wallace & Gromit Children’s Foundation, which supports sick children in hospitals throughout the UK.

Creator of Shaun the Sheep, Nick Park CBE said: “It’s been a busy year for Shaun, he has just launched his first movie and now he has his very own arts trail! Shaun is such a well-loved character with so many fans around the globe, I am sure many will flock to London to be part of the fun.”

More info on the auction is here.

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

Dead or Alive 5: Final Round DLC features Senran Kagura!

There are no words for what I have come across on the book of face - Tecmo posted photos of their latest DLC - Senran Kagura costumes. I kid you not since the highly popular Japanese game series ported internationally people have had mixed opinions. Marmite - you are either offended by it or lurrrrvvve it.

I am one of the few female gamer who has played every single EU release and stayed entertained by all the ninja jiggles. As ridiculous as the plot is and the mechanics of the Marvelous series is - you get hit you lose clothing and literally stripped to your bra and panties. Tecmo aren't going that extreme but clothing wear and tear has been added to pay homage to the original series.

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

Aisha Anime

Interview with Helen McCarthy

Recently I came across the knowledgeable writer and public figure Helen McCarthy, she had a talk about Hyper Japan 2014 Christmas market about her latest book - A Brief History Of Manga, the most concise and detailed book to educate the biggest of noobs.

She gave a brief introduction about anthology anime before the screening of Short Peace at the ICA as part of the touring film festival by the Japan Foundation UK and how this was a chance for directors to do something creative and with a large budget as long as they incorporated a theme or product. this also meant you could have a selection of artists and animators collaborating. She speaks in more depth below in an interview.

For more news about Japanese culture, events, games, anime please follow me on Facebook or twitter ^_^ Aisha Anime

London Super Comic Con 2015

London Super Comic Con has been the most understated UK convention in my opinion, with its debut in the  2012 - the convention focuses on U.S and European creators, exhibitors, publishers and dealers for comics, merchandise and now cosplay. It was only when cosplay sensation Yaya Han flew to the UK in 2014 to be judge of the Cosplay contest did the convention get a burst of new attendees.

2014 was my first LSCC and I was impressed by the number of comic guests that attended including the creators of The Walking Dead, Johnathan Ross, Yaya Han Riddle's Messy Closet. This year was no less and winners of the last LSCC cosplay contest returned as guests - Nikita and Annashella.

This years event had a variety of news things such as the Sy-Fy booth where you could get a 360 degree angle video of you in your cosplay for free! You got the video emailed to yourself and received a Sy-Fy tote bag and goodies including a book, dvd and sweets.

People had to get free tickets in order to see Johnathan Ross self proclaimed geek/otaku who was promoting his new comic book at the event. He happily chatted to his fans, signed items and posed for photos. In the queue with us to see him was Johnny Vegas, comedian and actor who came as an attendee with his son. Amongst Wossy you all had featured guest Sean Kelly alongside co stars from Storage Hunters there signing prints and taking selfies.

The great thing about LSCC was most of the guests were free to get autographs and photos with. There was a cosplay area where Yaya Han, Kamuii Cosplay, Laura Sindell, Tabatha Lyons from Artyfakes, and many more where situated so everything was laid out quite well. The press desk was made into the Daily Bugle building from Super Man - never were props thought out so well.

See more of my photos here.

Buy tickets to the next LSCC here - http://www.londonsupercomicconvention.com/

For more news on Japanese culture, events, games and all types of geekery check out my Facebook and Twitter. ^_^ Aisha Anime

Review: The Tale of Princess Kaguya & Competition

So march has been a pretty lucky month for me, I had the pleasure of winning tickets to the preview of Tale of Princess Kaguya on the 16th March at the Prince Charles Cinema in Leicester Square and then invited to another preview at 71a gallery but both held unique qualities to each showing.

AT the PCC I didn't know what to expect I got an email whilst at LSCC and was enthralled to have won tickets to the double bill screening of princess Kaguya and Graveyard of the Fireflies, armed with my Totoro hat I went in high spirits. upon entering I was given a free drink and sushi box from Feng Sishi (one of my favourites!). I was then ushered in to the plush seats. We had a brief introduction from Studio Canal and then prizes were award to best Studio Ghibli Character, a fantastic Kamaji won and so did a pair of casual Princess Mononoke and Ashitaka. There was also prize for person who brought a special Studio Ghibli possession that to my surprise I won. Before I entered the screening room someone asked to taker a photo of me unknown to me it was a member of Studio Canal, they were impressed with my Totoro love as I brought my soot ball and matching bunny sprite from the movie.

The movie itself was amazing at the PCC it was shown in Japanese audio and English dubbing and I was mesmerized by the water colour style of animation. Studio Ghibli really went back to their roots with the animation.

The movie follows a Bamboo cutter and his discovery of a tiny princess in one of the bamboo branches. He brings the doll like princess home to his wife who believes she was sent to them to look after and bring up to be a princess. Upon touching her clothes disappear and she takes the form of a newborn baby.

The baby then miraculously begins to get bigger and bigger within minutes, the couple make haste to a wet nurse but all of a sudden the wife produces milk. It was extraordinary seeing how the baby was animated with great realism on the movement.

Enter curious children watching from afar and it seems news has spread of the weird child who grows very fast. They nickname her 'Little Bamboo' because of this though Miyatsuko (Bamboo cutter) carries on calling her Princess (Hime in Japanese.) As Hime grows older she picks up things quickly from learning to cook to weaving baskets. She even knows a forest song that has the other kids confused as she was so small at the time to know it. The sad faint song haunts her for the rest of the film.

Miyatsuko finds gold and fabric for fine robes in his bamboo grove and is convinced the forest spirits are telling him to bring her up as the fine princess she is meant to be. So he often travels to the city to build her mansion fit for her stature. When all is ready they prick up and leave just like that leaving poor Princess pining for Sutemaru the forest villiager's handsome boy. 

Her new life begins with 'how to be a lady' lessons from Lady Sagami who teaches her the koto, calligraphy and etiquette which princess does not take seriously at all but in front of her father she demonstrates perfectly. Upon becoming of age, they hold a banquet in her honour and do the naming ritual. When a pervy old guy checks her out and her etiquette and decides she is as slender as a supple bamboo shoot and radiant so her name should be Kaguya. 

Apart from this fellow all the other nobles don't see anything special inn Kaguya and reprimand her family and she feels helpless and escapes. back tot he forest, her home. But everyone is gone, the land is desolate and the mountain dead...a man explains after 10 years the mountain will regain it's power and the foresters will return, Sutemaru will come back.

She awakes, was it all a dream? Her hand maid Me no Warawa is still asleep - she is my favourite character in the film. She has the face of a cat, poise of a lady barely speaks but has all the loyalty of the world for her princess. Also a great source of comedy when it comes to talking about the princess's suitors, sadly she cannot alleviate Kaguya's mental anguish.

Now she is named and prim and poper with her eyebrows removed and teeth blackened it's time to get married ! This isn't want Kaguya wants but her father believes will make her happy. Somehow good intentions are led astray and the forest song comes to haunt Kaguya many times after. She is faced with five of the wealthiest suitors trying to win her hand in marriage but love letters won't cut it she sets them the task of bringing to her the famed items she has been compared to and this indeed shows their true colours.

One princes brings a fake jeweled branch which is exposed when the artisans arrive with their bill unpaid. Another with a fake fire rat fur again this is test by throwing in fire to see if it burns or glistens. The next a real philanderer comes without the item but tries to fool her with sentiment but one of his past wives turns up. The two more decent nobles actually go on search for the items, one leaves his wife and sets to sea for the jewel on the dragons neck but I presume dies at sea and the last and youngest falls whilst trying to secure a shell and breaks his neck. This films files by the tragedies like it's nothing. Lady Sakami leaves in utter disgust, this is what all princesses want a rich suitor but Kaguya has turned away five of the 'best'.

The hardest task is to come the Emperor has now got wind of Kaguya's tasks and presumptuously assumes it is because she is saving her self for him. He comes at random to the mansion and forces herself upon her which is the last straw. She dissapears like magic and by doing so has alerted her true family. They are now coming to take her home back to the moon as the folklore states. 

My heart went out to the mother who really did everything to make Kaguya at home from having a garden reminiscent of their old home and shack to do their weaving in away from snobbery. She fulfills her daughters last wish and returns her to their old home where she basks in the glory of nature and then sure enough Sutemaru appears, she had seen him in the city 3 years before stealing a hen and her interference causing her a severe beating but her heart ached for him so. He had moved on married had a child, but something inside him heard 'Little Bamboo' singing and they were together alone for for what felt like forever. Till the moon came out the moment ended and was it a dream once again?

On the 15th August they came, everyone was at the ready to protect the Princess but it was all in futile, when arrows were fired they turned into flowers and all were sent to sleep. She was taken but before she wore the robe that erased her memory she was able to say goodbye to the parents who loved her so dearly. Then Buddah descended to the moon with her and the procession

Basically Buddah was the villain in this story or was it men? Either way she did 'end up 'belonging' to someone and I sat there feeling depressed. She grew up too fast and didn't get to experience life fully and Buddah is a douche.

I ended up watching this again the next day at 71a who set up a great spread of sushi buffet for the attendees before doing an origami workshop with sesames.co.uk where we learnt to make a pig, lotus flower, shirt and classic crane. After the great demos and laughs we watched the movie this time in English. I have to say I love the dubbs by Ghbli but this was a little lack lustre, not enough emotion apart from Chloë Grace Moretz as Kaguya and Lucy Liu as Lady Sagami. However you focused a little more on the art whilst listening. I know some friends who would enjoy it but hardcore anime fans stick to Japanese audio!

Special thanks to Studio Canal UK for the great hospitality at the PCC, Manga Uk for the tickets and Little White Lies in Conjunction with 71a Gallery and Studio Ghibli UK ^_^

Competition time !

Due to the popularity of my postcards from Japan, I will send another wave of  20 snail mails for all my readers new and old :-) All you have to do is like my Facebook page and share this post on Facebook! Simples.

For more news, events, reviews follow me on Twitter and Facebook ^_^ Aisha Anime

Youngest Director at Studio Ghibli Hiromasa Yonebayashi Quits

Hiromasa Yonebayashi

Hiromasa Yonebayashi, at the age of 41years old, has directed The Secret World of Arrietty (2010) and Marnie Was There (2014) (not yet released in EU), confirmed on 11th March that he had already left Studio Ghibli.

He joined a talk show event for the release of the DVD/Blu-ray of Marnie held in Tokyo on March 12th. He mentioned he in fact left Studio Ghibli at the end of 2014 and was no longer a member of the company. He said, "I talked with producer (Yoshiaki) Nishimura about what to do. I still want to make films, though it isn't clear what they will be like," and added, "For example, I want to try an action-oriented or fantasy film, which are totally opposite from Marnie."

The Secret World of Arrietty's

His last film at Studio Ghibi, When Marnie Was There opened in Japan on July 19, 2014 only earned 379 million yen which was only 42% of his first feature film The Secret World of Arrietty's 900 million yen in July 2010.

In early February, Studio Ghibli, fans were shocked to hear of Hayao Miyazaki's retirement from feature films, from co-founder/producer Toshio Suzuki, the studio is still running but is doing very few films at all.

When Marnie Was There

Harajuku Girls: Interview with the Cast

After watching the play Harajuku Girls I got thinking to how the actors related to the roles as the production was made up on an entirely pan-asian cast. We talk about Japanese culture and panties!

Haruka Abe 

Having being born in Japan and going to drama school as a child - Could you relate to your role?

I am incredibly lucky because growing up my parents were always supportive of me pursuing whatever dreams I wanted to pursue, but I do know a lot of people who had to give up their dreams because they are not considered as legitimate/respectable careers.

Have you ever cosplayed?

In fact, yes! I'm a massive geek and used to go to all the big cons and festivals, and I made many cosplay outfits but never found the courage to wear them out. My favourite outfit I made was of Reiha from Vampire Miyu.


Do you think having a young face is a blessing or a curse for acting roles?

Haha, I don't think I'm as old as you think I am! But I don't see having a young face is hindering me. Ask me again in 20 years and I might have a different answer for you, or worse you might not want to bring up the topic at all ;)


Looking at all three girls why do you think Marie clung to Keiko rather than Yumi ?

Mari really loves them both, but I think she sees Keiko as an ideal self; she is the cool, free-spirited popular girl who gets away with doing whatever she wants. On the other hand, Yumi is the girl she would have been if she hadn't met Keiko; a shy and nerdy girl who is conformed to her parents' wishes. So of course she is more drawn to Keiko, because she wants to be more like her.

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Elizabeth Tan 

Was it a change playing this role compared to your past roles like in Coronation street/Waterloo Road ?

Yes, Keiko is far more damaged and out of control than Xin (Corrie) and Princess (Waterloo Road). It was exciting to play such a tumultuous character with such an emotional journey.

If given the chance to do a photoshoot would you sport, a cosplay outfit or Japanese Fashion?

I would do Cosplay!

Do you think your character got a fair conclusion?

There were always going to be ramifications for Keiko's actions. For Keiko, beneath the tough facade was a desperate fear and insecurity about her future. Perhaps she never got the love and support she needed at that difficult time.

Looking at all three girls why do you think Keiko hated Yumi so much?

I don't think Keiko hated Yumi. Yumi was just a constant reminder of what Keiko needed but didn't have - a loving supportive family.


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Sadao Ueda

Were you aware of 'Otaku' fetish before doing this role?

I do know some Otaku people. Otaku doesn’t mean they are perverts at all. For example, train spotters, they are train Otaku. Otaku is someone who is fanatical about one particular thing. Panty Shop Owner is an Otaku who has vast knowledge of used uniforms and underwear. But Mr Narita and Mr Nakamura are not Otaku. They are just a bit wierd.

The underwear scene was quite shocking - do you think this would happen in real life?

I would say welcome to the real world. I have seen many things you may not want to know.

Playing your two different characters in the play - did you feel females take advantage of men's perverse fantasies in Japan?

I actually play 3 characters. I do not believe female sex workers are taking advantage of men’s perverse fantasy. It is a business. Someone selling fantasies, and someone buying them. Personally, I did not think Mari did anything wrong. She needed money for good reason, and she earned it. Her parents couldn’t bear the thought of her working in an image club, because their morals wouldn’t accept it. It’s like a cigarette, it is not illegal to smoke, but many people hate it. Many campaign urges to stop smoking, but they never stop selling them.

Just for your information, there are places called “Host Clubs” in Japan. Female customers visit there to be treated like princess by good looking male escorts. So, it’s not only Japanese men who have perverse fantasies.

Harajuku Girls is running till the 21st March 2015 at Finborough Theatre, buy your tickets now!

EGX Rezzed at Tobacco Dock 2015

 Avid gamers were given a new event and venue for 2015 after many years of Eurogamer homed at Earl's Court, since the closing down of the venue - Eurogamer moved and a the small EGX Rezzed came to Tobacco Dock.

I was pleasantly surprised with firstly the area - the venue is situated between Shadwell and Whitechapel and in a very different kind of venue. The Venue was split into a large courtyard with lots of medium sized room and corridors like a maze. Each room had a sign indicating the type sof games and the press, toilets and information areas were on the basement floor.

 

I mentioned before about trying out Friendship Club, that was located in the first Indie room and it sure was a lot of fun. To make the most of the Mexican shootout and other modes play with 2-4 players where you use your heads to headbutt or dodge. This pop-art looking fighting game holds alot of entertainment.

 

 A game I played at random for it's slick cover art was Ragnorok - baseds on Nordic myth, the game is set before the apocalypse and the world is slowly changing. Using the Oculus Rift you walk around the barren wilderness, as you pass spikes coming from the ground you follow a Sasquatch running into a cave there you come across a wolf - here begins your journey. This is more of an experience than game you feel the atmosphere and surrounding. Turning left and right to see or using the analogue pads also.

 

Adventure box was a great game for RPG fans were you are in a minecraft sort of world but instead of spending a week to make a house, you insert premade houses and use the week to make a city instead. You can customise characters and also add story. Once your RPG is complete using a link you can invite your friends to enter the world you created. This game is used on the internet browser so your friends don't even have to own the game to play in your world.

 For more events coverage and news follow me on Facebook and twitter ^_^ Aisha Anime

What is Matcha?

One of the most signature flavours of Japanese cuisine is Matcha. This can be used in tea, milkshake, cakes, ice cream - you name it that flavour is there! However what is Matcha? Being British I originally didn't know what it was and assumed by the colour and smell it was a type of tea. These common assumptions stop people from trying new things.

My assumptions were correct, Matcha is a finely milled green tea powder made from  Japanese tea leaves! This is a speciality tea as these leaves hail from special areas such as Uji, a region high in the hills around Kyoto. You can only reach this region by foot. What makes this area so special and the tea so pure is the area is completely untouched by pollution and rich in friendly bugs such as spiders, ladybirds, praying mantis and dragonflies to keep the pests under control. Shade grown for the final few months to allow the leaves to fill with chlorophyll (important for detoxing the body and also used in toothpaste) the young tea buds are picked, dried and ground in a granite mortar all by hand.

With the shortest ingredients list:

Ingredients: Matcha green tea powder (100%).

Product weight - 113g

Benefits of eating/drinking Matcha

The Japanese are famed for their healthy eating habits and fantastic skin. This is attributed to eating a misture of organic and raw food.

Matcha has been accredited centuries for its energy boosting, mind focusing, and metabolism enhancing properties. It has been drunk as part of traditional tea ceremonies for 900 years for ladies coming of age. it is also used by Buddhist monks to keep them alert and focussed during long days of meditation.

How Matcha are you?

As I mentioned, the environment the matcha is grown affects the purity and has a direct effect on the grade and final flavour of the Matcha, in total there are three:

Ceremonial grade Matcha uses the finest, smallest shade grown leaves from the very tip of the tea bush - giving it a very vibrant green colour and a slightly sweet, smooth flavour.

Premium grade Matcha is ideal for both drinking and home baking, can add unique flavour and incredible colour to food and drink recipes.

Basic grade Matcha is slightly bitter, less expensive and is generally only used for cooking.

Ceremonial and Premium grades of Matcha are ground in stone mortars for many hours. This creates a unique light smoothness that is perfect for drinking. I am currently using Kiss Me Organics Premium grade and just a quarter spoon is giving me an intense taste and relaxed stomach.

I'll be posting receipes soona nd idea on how to use it and what i do with it ^_^ Aisha Anime

Buy the Matcha powder here - http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DDT116M

FOr more news on events and Japanese culture follow me on Facebook and Twitter.

Review: Sing For your Life

 I’s not everyday you walk out of a theater stating: “What have I just watched, it’s so wrong yet so hilarious. Am I going to hell for laughing?”. Sing For Your Life is the musical that sums that response up. It is a play using roadkill taxidermy puppets which was touring last week in London as part of Vault Festival in Waterloo.

Charlie Tuesday Gates who essentially came up with the whole concept is actually a taxidermy artist who made pieces for Elton John and Beyoncé in the past and now put together a pack of animals for this saucy cabaret. The Vaults gallery, is an atmospheric space which you get to buy walking under railway arches off Leake Street past some amazing to the exciting live venue. It holds a handful of performance spaces and a couple of bars inside and is home to both the Mimetic festival in November and its own six-week Vault Festival.

We follow our protagonist a designer handbag underdog who’s un conditional love for this owner is thwarted away and he questions his life. After pooping on some narcissistic one night stand who was romping with his owner, he is left neglected and wonders out of the house. The perky pup comes across a strange underground cabaret company. The band of animals who run the show are; boss badger, a drunken hasbin fox, a splattered cat, three plucked chickens, four quarreling squirrels and a stripping mink (shudders uncontrollably).

They beckon to the ‘man’s best friend’ to help get a crowd for their show using his universal cute charm. They sing their stories to him in hope he will relent and join their disorganized razzmatazz. We have great covers of songs such as ‘I’m a slave for you’ with entertaining puppetry or dancing. I have to say it was amazing to see two-three actors working one puppet and seeing them bolt across the stage in order to make realistic animal movement.

True to my Japanese culture interest I did watch it thinking the animals were animated in a bunraku-style. The actors voiced each puppet and looked directly at the puppets and not audience. They also demonstrated some beautiful vocals from ballads to Jazzy solos on stage. Four actors and 11 puppets on show literally singing for their lives. This show made me think of the BBC series Mongrals but with extra bite!

The themes explored all revolved around the main focus on injustice; the dogs is neglected, the chickens are plucked and  eaten after every show, the squirrels show prejudice nature against the one buff red breed amongst poor splat cat’s loneliness as ‘no one wants to go near that pussy’.

All the arrangements of music coupled with dark humour were directed by Kieron Vanstone, musical director Barnaby Southgate and the band’s four other musicians. Gates wrote the piece and performs alongside Madeline MacMahon, Nicholas Anscombe and Matthew Maguire.

I attended the last show of the week and it was completely packed and I was near the middle and I managed to get a great audio of the actors speaking and the musicians but I wasn’t able to see everything too clearly – which was a shame. I would recommend this for a big stage. The puppets were something to see. The humour retained sensibility at times but went full out crude at poignant moments also and I think everyone over the age of 156 would have understood and loved the show. My mother accompanied me to the show, who is in her 60’s, walked in cynical about the whole show but left with a tear in her eye and missing our cats immensely feeling sympathy with dog.

The show’s theme tune “Sing for your life,” was ingrained in my brain and I was singing all the way home.  I think I’ll be investing in the soundtrack soon. If you like animals you must take the opportunity to watch this musical in the future. 

Follow Charlie Tuesday Gate's Blog for more information - 

http://www.charlietuesdaygates.co.uk/

For more news and events follow me on facebook and Twitter ^_^ Aisha Anime

Sir Terry Pratchett takes Death’s arm...

“It is said that your life flashes before your eyes just before you die. That is true, it's called Life.”
― Terry Pratchett, The Last Continent

Sir Terry Pratchett, renowned fantasy writer for cult classics such as the Discworld series dies aged 66 on 12th march 2015, eight years after being diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.

"The world has lost one of its brightest, sharpest minds," said Larry Finlay of his publishers Transworld. The author died at home, surrounded by his family, "with his cat sleeping on his bed", he added.



Fellow author and friend Neil Gaiman was among those paying tribute to Sir Terry: "There was nobody like him. I was fortunate to have written a book with him, when we were younger, which taught me so much."

I found my way into Discworld by playing the Sega Saturn game version in 1995 featuring the famous voice Eric Idle as the protagonist Rincewind the Wizard. This was my first third person point and click game which was odd for a console as it's a bog standard format for the PC. I was charmed by the wit of Rincewind and the concept of Death tagging along with his walking chest with many dolls legs.

The Discworld series - which started in 1983 - was focused around a flat world perched on the backs of four elephants which rested on the back of a giant turtle. If you got to the edge of the world you were simply going to fall off

At the turn of the century, he was Britain's second most-read author, beaten only by JK Rowling.

It was in August 2007, Sir Terry had suffered a stroke, but the following December he was diagnosed with a very rare form of early-onset Alzheimer's disease which, he said, "lay behind this year's phantom stroke". The writer has wrote more than 70 books during his career and completed his final book last summer.

His daughter Rhianna Pratchett is a video game writer and has worked on acclaimed titles such as Tomb Raider (2013), Heavenly Sword, Overlord, and Mirror's Edge

Mayamada's Back with Gamepad!

Date: Saturday 11th April 2015

Venue:
Petit Miracle Hub
West 12 Shopping Centre (Upstairs)
Shepherds Bush
W12 8PP London
United Kingdom

Show me the money: Free!

Tickets:
http://www.eventbrite.com/e/gamepad-gaming-music-event-tickets-16090464011?aff=efbevent

Mayamada hosts latest GamePad event to follow up their highly successful Frozen Yogurt Party in 2013, read my review here.

Gamers, music lovers and everyone in between is invited to join mayamada for this one day party at the Petit Miracle Hub, West 12 Shopping Centre in Shepherd's Bush (Central Line).

Resident DJ team Tigerblood will keep the music going throughout, featuring tracks from video game inspired hip-hop artist Mega Ran.

You will be able to race against your friends around Mushroom Kingdom in Mario Kart Wii U, or get into the fighting spirit with the new and frantic Super Smash Bros Wii U. Be sure to bring your A game as prizes will be up for grabs...but only if you can beat the mayamada co-founders at the end of the night.

Two lucky people will be drawn at random and face off for the chance to win a selection of mayamada goodies.

For the low tech gamers, Giant Jenga will be making a return at GamePad! Where you’ll be able to battle it out for the title of Jenga King or Queen. Last time I made it to the semi finals, let's see if I can take the crown this time !

Shoppers are welcome too as we'll have our full range of original anime inspired clothing and comics on sale with selected t-shirts and sweatshirts available at promotional prices! Your sweet tooth will be taken care of, because not only will there be amazing cupcakes handed out to early arrivals, our popup shop will also be fully stocked with delicious Samurai Chef chocolate bars.

Available in three flavours - Crunchy Noodle, Cherry Blossom and Green Tea - these bars were a massive hit during their debut at the London Anime & Gaming Convention where they sold out in just two days.

Make sure you get their fast and grab your favourite flavour while you can!

Cosplayers and long time fans of mayamada (including myself) will be delighted to know a free poster will be given with any purchase to anyone in cosplay or already wearing mayamada clothing.

Stay tuned for more event surprises over the next few weeks . Until then, get your free tickets now and be there for an amazing day of games and music! Follow them on facebook!

More more events and news follow me on Facebook and twitter. ~Aisha Anime~

Friendship Club at Rezzed

In the lead up to Rezzed this week 12-15 March I am getting wind of lots of games showcasing and this one took my interest as it's been described as a blend of Psychonauts and Fight club

So the background of Friendship Club (full title "Timmy Bibble's Friendship Club") was initially developed in 24 hours at the TIGA Game Hack in November 2013. It won the jam, receiving the "Best Game" award.

The project lay dormant for a few months until a week before GEEK 2014. . At GEEK 2014, it was awarded the "People's Choice Indie Award". Hooray! I do love seeing these on the spot game Jams -which pave the way for new ideas and a platform to launch them too.

Story

At its heart it's a very fast paced, frenetic action game, where rounds can last anywhere between zero and five seconds. Levels are procedurally generated and bullets bounce forever, so you have to use varying strategies and tactics to overcome your opponents.

Combatants include 'Old Man Ricketts' a prospector driven mad by his lust for gold, 'Shakey Jake' a ninja bandit skeleton, 'Chud' a beast from the mountains and 'The Carnardinal' a duck from the Vatican.

Game Features

• 2 - 4 Player Local Multiplayer
• Get your friends together in the same room for the ultimate showdown!
• A Multitude of Game Modes
• Classic, Headbutt, Standoff, Bullet Hell, Trick Shot, Assassins, Turbo Bullets. More to come!
• Procedural Level Generation
• Each environment has its own set of procedural content rules, as well as its own gameplay elements built in to it. (Currently two environments). No match is ever the same! more to come!
• Adjustable Game Speed
• Play super slow-mo, HYPER_SPEED, and everything in between.
• Transparent Development
• Builds with new features released every few weeks -- watch the game come together as we're developing it! Engage with us and give us your feedback. 

Hopefully will get my hands on it at Rezzed and write a review up ^_^ ~Aisha Anime~

Release Date: March 24th 2015 (Steam Early Access)
Platforms: PC / Mac / Linux
Price: $11.99 USD / £7.99 GBP / €9.99 EUR.

Find a Melted Majora's Mask 3ds on eBay now!

One of the 'hottest' Nintendo products to fly off the shelf on February 13th this year was the glamorous gold Majora's Mask new 3DS. Release with limited edition Skull kid figure and new game pre loaded onto the machine.

Most Zelda fans would of been ecstatic to get their hands  limited edition Majora's Mask New 3DS but from reading this some people would rather have the satisfaction of trolling.

On  eBay a seller was found selling his Majora's Mask limited edition new 3dDS but not in mint condition. In the name of 'ART' he decided to melt the handheld in a microwave.

The best part he is now trying to sell the handheld on eBay for a ridiculous price of  $11,315. People can try to offer 'Best offer' but for some reason I don't think he will get much interest.  The seller's name is perfectlymadebirds, and the item is listed as “seller refurbished.”

The description for the item is:

 “Working GOLD Nintendo 3DS was microwaved to NON-WORKING Order for purposes to CREATE ARTWORK using the microwaving process inside a fully customized microwaving robot shielded enclosure. 1200 Watts of microwaving power was used to microwave the device inside a 2.2 CUFT VINTAGE 1970S era Whirlpool Microwave BEAST.”

It includes a handmade toad with an eyeball, instruction manuel, box but unfortunately no power plug adapter - suprise suprise.

For more news/reviews follow me on facebook or twitter ^_^ Aisha Anime

Chinese New Year 2015

Following tradition the UK celebrates Chinese New Year a few days after, though CNY normally lasts three days. It celebrates the start of the new lunar year, 2015 marks the year of the goat/sheep. As tradition goes me and my friends congregate in China Town on the Sunday to eat dim sum, look at the stalls selling various trinkets and soak in the culture.

This time there was a new crowd control system which made most roads blocked to exit areas and to actually watch stage events and the dragon dances you would have to circle to Wardour street - this made trying to access restaurants hard!

For past CNY I have seen lucky money trees, fortune Gods handing out red envelopes with coins to people. this time there were lovely floats with mascots for people to look at and this time the Labour party were giving out free fortune cookies in exchange for donations...which was different.

The stalls included lots more variety from charms for your phones to plushies and even ram headbands.

Once you made it to the right area you would glide through a sea of people watching the festivities. One stage there were a group of children on stage telling the story of the significance of the colour red being lucky for the Chinese.

The Chinese community came together to bring a great insight into their culture to multicultural London.

Meanwhile in Trafalgar square there were a fireworks display and a variety of dancing on stage with huge screens for the large crowds to watch from afar.

A great end to the festivities was venturing to the secret photo booth in the China Town Mall for some authentic Purikura, being able to keep memories of the day with us ins ticker form!

What is Purikura ?
See more of my photos here.

Interview with Kelly Jean and Jessica Nigri

I had the pleasure to interview cosplayers Kelly Jean  and Jessica Nigri at London MCM Expo October 2014, they discuss favourite cosplays to hanging out in London.

http://youtu.be/mcLFiADCx2o

Hosted by - Aisha Anime

Filmed and edited by - League of Extraordinary Cosplayers

For more news on events/cosplay/anime/game reviews follow me on Twitter and Facebook ^_^

More cats than tourists on a Japanese island

On a mile-long island of Aoshima an army of feral cats were brought there to deal with mice that infested the fishermen's boats, the cats since have stayed and bred.

The cats survive by curling up in abandoned houses or run around fishing village looking for scraps to eat, the felines outnumbering humans six to one on this remote island in southern Japan,

It's estimated that 120 cats swarm the island with only a handful of humans for company, mostly the elderly who didn't leave the island looking for work after World War Two.

Aoshima, is only a 30-minute ferry ride off the coast of Ehime prefecture, is now visited by tourists from the mainland to see the cats. Residents have found the fascination of tourists visiting the cats weird and irritating to their daily lives. They don't mind them coming, but don't want to be disturbed in process. It is now nicknamed Cat Island.

The Island has no restaurants, cars, shops or vending machines - just cats and no one is complaining! Since the popularity of Hello Kitty, a cartoon character considered the epitome of cuteness - Cat cafe's have popped up in Japan and even in the West  where people with no pets could come enjoy their company without bringing them home.

Princess Bubblegum Announced for Belfast Comic Con & London Comic Com

Everyone's favourite know it all Princess Bubblegum from Adventure Time has been the latest guest announced for MCM Belfast, London Comic Con 22-24th May 2015.

Hynden Walch, who voices the super intelligent love interest for Fyn, Princess Bubblegum, on the Western Cartoon showed on Cartoon Network and Netflix. 

Apart from voicing the heroine of Adventure Times' her roles include the naive Starfire in Teen Titans and Teen Titans Go!, the sassy Harley Quinn in The Batman and Batman: Assault on Arkham, and Princess Python in Avengers Assemble.

Meanwhile, hardcore anime fans will recognise Hynden in the recent animated movie by Isao Takahata's The Tale Of The Princess Kaguya. Her claim to fame in anime series roles include: Nia in acclaimed studio Gainax series Gurren Lagann, Yutaka in Lucky Star and Emiri Kimidori in The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya.

Buy tickets for MCM here: www.mcmexpo.net 

Princess Kaguya

Review: Harajuku Girls

Harajuku Girls is Nicholas Goh and Papergang Theatre's debut production. It's written by Northern Irish/Japanese playwright Francis Turnly (currently resident writer at the Tricycle Theatre) and directed by Jude Christian (2013 winner of the National Theatre Studio Bursary).

The cast is made up on an entirely East Asian cast, starring Elizabeth Tan (Coronation Street, Waterloo Road ), Haruka Abe (Cyber Bully, Cucumber) and Kunjue Li (Ripper Street, Peaky Blinders).  From first glance or the manga style art on the flyers you may think this play is about fun loving fashionistas, this isn't the case at all.

We follow three girls finishing school and waiting to find out there exam results to see which University they would get into. Yumi is the young loving un-popular girl who is often insulted and shunned by Keiko the pretty and popular girl. Marie is the mediator between the both and wants them all to get on. Keiko comes from a divorced family which is rumored to have made her behavior spiral out of control and made her into the wild child she is. 'Rumours' is an important factor cover int eh play how society watches the youths and passes judgement.

Marie is desperately trying to get into acting school but her father does not approve and refuses to pay the fees. Keiko gives her a way to make money herself through prostitution or fantasy hotels. After watching the 'Love Hotel' recently on tv I was very aware of these concepts and it was in fact a part of Japanese lifestyle just hidden very well.

Somehow these adolescents leave there carefree lives from cosplaying and Japanese fashion at Harajuku street to club nights picking up rich old men - which Keiko does with skill, Marie does out of desperation. There is always a cut out point for Marie so she can pay for acting school and get out, Keiko has no goal this is just a means to end and being good at her job is then only thing that seems to matter.

This play is a great demonstration of fringe theater actors play double roles from Marie's father playing as a sleazy man wanting some fun with her. Yumi is also the innocent friend who later plays one of the fantasy girls in the hotel.

I certainly loved all the cosplay's used and shown from nurse uniforms to Sailor Moon inspired outfits they have kept to the roots of even using Yen as currency on stage. Also the soundtrack used for scene changes was great contemporary mix of Kyari Pamyu Pamyu and Baby Metal amongst Japanese cover songs as well.

In the words of an Otaku the play develops from innocence to fan service and then feels. You couldn't help but laugh at points and also feel deep empathy. Fantastic acting from the cast especially from Haruka Abe playing the tormented lead Marie. I thoroughly enjoyed the play and look forward to more productions from Papergang theatre.

Running till 21st March - buy tickets here.