©Courtesy of Anime NYC, Video Credit HiroyaBrian
One of the events in New York that I believe is growing each year is Anime NYC, a subculture event that is centered around manga and anime. After 3 film festival coverages last month, I chose to participate in the event at the last minute with a help of Peter Tatara, a director of film at Japan Society.
Anime NYC, which is usually held in November, but this year, growing numbers of participants, the venue was extended and held in August. According to the organizer’s, the event was a great success, drawing 101,000 people, despite its three-day duration from August 23 to 25.
Upon entering the venue, visitors were greeted with a variety of events, the most eye-catching of which included live performances by V-Tubers, video game exhibits, talk events by voice actors, and sales of anime-related goods and Japanese food.
One of the most prominent and well-known visitors were Americans who came from all the states in the U.S dressed in cosplay, illustrating how anime is also popular in the U.S. Among the numerous events, I want to highlight one of the most notable ones that I have observed this year.
“Creepy Nuts”
Courtesy of Anime NYC, Photo by @HiroyaBrian.
On Friday, at the live concert, a Japanese hip-hop duo Creepy Nuts was invited to make a debut concert in New York, who were well-known for their song ‘Bling-Bang-Bang-Born,’ which was used as the theme song for MASHLE.
The group’s name “Creepy Nuts” is a slang word meaning “crazy” or “testicles,” which is combined with the word “Creepy” meaning “strange.
Since their major label debut in 2017, DJ Matsunaga and MC R-Shitei have produced a diverse range of high-energy, genre-blending songs. There are countless inspirations that DJ Matsunaga and R-Shitei use to create their styles, which is truly too many to count.
Courtesy of Anime NYC, Photo by @HiroyaBrian.
When the duo performed the opening song, Stay’in Up Lullaby(Yofukashi no Uta) from the Call of the Night anime, the audience gave a warm welcome to New York City with a standing ovation! What’s engaging about this concert is that, except for the opening announcement, the Creepy Nuts were only speaking Japanese. However, most of the audience reacted to their voice and seemed to perfectly understand most of their songs and lyrics.
Although the concert lasted only about an hour, the songs’ high tension and fast performances captured the hearts of New Yorkers and fans alike. The final song, ‘Bling-Bang-Bang-Born’, had the tension voltage at its highest.
Courtesy of Anime NYC, Photo by @HiroyaBrian.
“Terminator Zero”
©Showrunner, Matsson Tomlin, Photo By Nobuhiro Hosoki
On the second day, I had a chance to attend the Terminator Zero’s screening and Q&A event with showrunner Mattson Tomlin, director Masashi Kudo, and production designer Haruka Watanabe.
Terminator Zero commences in 1997 Japan, which is a refreshing take from the original film which was set in L.A. After watching two episodes, I can honestly say that The Terminator saga now has a new cultural perspective. The contrast between the gun-heavy and tech-fearing U.S. depicted in the original films is strikingly different in Japan, a country with strict gun control and a unique relationship with technology. So the audience is naturally compelled to contemplate the differing views on the rise of AI and the imminent threat of Judgment Day in diverse cultural settings.
Terminator Zero combines both horror and action. A scientist, Malcolm Lee, who feels like the same character Miles Dyson from T2, is introduced to us in the first two episodes of this series. Lee’s AI system called Kokoro becomes the centerpiece, as Skynet sends a Terminator to eliminate him and his family.
The series follows some similar steps from the original film that heavily relies on the creepy and unsettling atmosphere which made the original franchise so iconic. The show’s art direction and animation are outstanding, with dark lighting settings emphasized to accentuate its eerie and horror elements throughout the series.
©Masashi Kudo, Photo by Nobuhiro Hosoki
What’s engaging about this series is that this doesn’t seem to me to be another action-packed anime that we’ve seen so many in the U.S, the series is a suspenseful thriller with intelligence comparable to A. I. and intense violence that features wit and suspense twist.
When the producer Mattson Tomlin was asked about what’s the Terminator Zero is about, “It’s about the end of the world, and trying to stop it. That first film, I saw it when I was 8 years old, and it scared the shit out of me. And love the second movie just as much.” He continued, “One of the greatest action films of all time.
That first movie as a horror movie captivated me, wanting to put a foot back into that tone was important to me. This is about trying to avert judgement day, and this family, and ultimately we’re going to go on this epic saga where we’re going to once again test whether or not humanity has fate or not.”
Masashi Kudo said, “I’m a freelance director and a producer from production IG called me and approached me about the project and he said I’ve got an interesting project. You want to hear the title? And I went, yeah, sure. when I heard that it was the Terminator. I said, What!! That Terminator? So it was a total surprise to me as well, but as I found out more about the story, I was really intrigued that they wanted to keep the sense of the horror film. The thriller aspect of the original Terminator.”
©Haruka Watanabe, Photo by Nobuhiro Hosoki
“Toshio Furukawa”
©Courtesy of Anime NYC
On the final day, Toshio Furukawa, a Japanese voice actor whose roles as Piccolo in Dragon Ball and Kai Siden in Mobile Suit Gundam were well-known, was the host of a talk event.
Furukawa participated in a spotlight panel at Anime NYC 2024 on Sunday and presented a comprehensive slideshow of anime characters he has voiced, frequently performing lines or sharing tidbits of information. The list included Ataru Moroboshi from Urusei Yatsura, Asuma Shinobara from Patlabor, Kai Shiden from Mobile Suit Gundam, Shin from Fist of North Star.
Rat Man from GeGeGe No Kitaro, Professor Ochanomizu from Pluto , Mephisto 2 and 3 from Akuma-kun and Hantengu from Demon Slayer.
Furukawa described being chosen for Piccolo as the biggest surprise of his career. He stated that the producers wanted me to use my high-pitched lower voice, which is different from other male voice actors, and I wondered why they chose me. He made an effort to lower his voice, but eventually gave up and said, “This is the best I can do,” then the production team said, ‘Just go with that.’
Furukawa also performed lines from Ace’s death scene as well. He stated that he had to stop recording because all those around him, including Luffy voice actress Mayumi Tanaka, were crying.
Furuakwa also heads the acting school for Aoni production, Aoni Juku, and strives to train young talents to carry the industry into the future. His influence was not just belongs in Japan, but also spreads in U.S and the rest of the world as well.
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