A few days ago, I felt an urge to write an essay dedicated to Amelia Watson. It’s something I’ve been doing for all my favorite VTubers over the past few years—using my humble platform to celebrate these talented individuals that I’ve grown to adore. However, between Breaking Dimensions, Anime NYC, a whole host of big hololive happenings in September, and me just being busy in general, I had decided to wait.
I mistakenly thought I could take my sweet time penning a post dedicated to an active, ongoing career.
Today, Amelia (Ame to fans) has announced that she will be concluding her streaming, participation in events, and periodic merchandise. While something akin to a graduation (i.e. an idol/VTuber leaving a company on relatively good terms), it is not actually one. In fact, Ame herself has mentioned in a Youtube comment that she might still show up on occasion, though this does not count as a transition to staff.
So here we are.
The Story of Myth
Let’s rewind to September of 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and with many people around the world staying at home to prevent the spread of the virus. It was in this environment that the Japanese VTuber agency hololive announced their first English generation: Myth. At a time when so many were cooped up at home and in need of some joy, when the ability to even see other human beings in person came at a real risk to one’s life, Myth breathed life into people. The success they found might very well be forever unmatched.
Four of that first EN generation were shown to carry ancient and supernatural motifs—Calliope Mori the grim reaper, Takanashi Kiara the phoenix, Ninomae Ina’nis the eldritch priestess, and Gawr Gura the Atlantean shark. The fifth was Amelia Watson, a “mere” human detective investigating the others. Not only did she stand out as unusual in terms of her theming, but she was the last to officially debut. And from the very beginning, it was clear that she was bringing something unorthodox. Whether it was starting off with a tongue-in-cheek joke about actually being British but needing to put on a “fake” accent, or her inducing “hallucinations” in the audience through an injection of her “Watson Concoction,” Ame’s wit and imagination were on display.
The AmeWay
Ame didn’t reveal her entire character concept at debut: She’s not just a detective but also a time traveler. In the severe extenuating circumstances of a global pandemic, she began to express this facet by playing around with 3D models, VRChat, and other interesting software and technology. As fan works of Ame poured in, she commissioned artists to make variations of her: a chibi (that went on to become a mascot of hololive called “Smol Ame”), a bee, a mountain of muscles, and even recently a hand puppet.
Ame is often referred to as “creative,” and while that’s certainly true, a more detailed description would be that she pushes the boundaries of what is possible in any space she’s in through a combination of out-of-the-box thinking and sheer stubbornness. Sometimes it’s in her approach to video games. Just yesterday, she started playing on hololive’s Grand Theft Auto Online server, where she successfully got past a fence on her unicycle by riding downhill to build up momentum and crash through. During Part 1 of the hololive Minecraft roleplaying event “Enigmatic Recollection,” she could be seen trying to glitch the block mechanics to create shortcuts for herself, while also being one half of the wild “Jyonathan and Gonathan” romance story with Gigi Murin that captivated fans. Other times, it’s through her exploration of the technical aspects of VTubing. Fans call this the “AmeWay,” and it speaks to the notion that if two paths diverged in the woods, Ame would cut her way through the trees in the middle.
During that dark period when Japan was locked down and travel into the country was impossible, Ame found a way to give her and the other Myth girls their own “3D event” of sorts through VRChat, and by giving everyone a “Smol” model of their own to pilot.
Even later down the line, as the world opened up, Ame continued to push the envelope. For Myth’s 2nd anniversary, Ame set up a special 360 degree view where fans could move their phones around to explore the 3D space with her and the other girls.
One of Ame’s strengths is her interest in technology—even building her own 3D studio at home—and she provided a lot of behind-the-scenes support for her fellow talents, both peers and later generations alike. It wasn’t uncommon to hear other EN members mention her giving them computer tips or advice on what equipment to buy, or to catch a glimpse of her acting as the cameraperson in VRChat streams. Even when she wasn’t on screen, her presence could be felt.
The Road to Idol Ame
If there was one thing I really missed while staying at home during the pandemic, it was the ability to go out for karaoke. So when I started seeing that VTubers do their own karaoke sessions, I would tune in. I don’t know if Ame’s was the first, but it’s one that sticks out in my memory in a big way.
In that first karaoke stream, one thing was apparent: In a VTuber generation filled with musically inclined peers, Ame was by far the weakest singer. Constantly off-key and unable to keep the rhythm, Ame could not carry a tune at all.
It was beautiful.
For those who don’t karaoke, one thing that might be hard to understand is that singing ability doesn’t matter all that much—at least around good people. It’s about finding songs that you enjoy, giving it your best shot even if you sound like ass (speaking from personal experience here), and just having a good time with others. And if someone’s got pipes, that’s cool too—karaoke isn’t about hating. What Ame brought to that singing stream, and all subsequent ones, was that “karaoke with friends” energy. And in 2020, that energy was all the more powerful.
That spirit alone would have been enough to make me a fan, but then she hit me personally deep in my soul by singing Sixpence None the Richer’s “Kiss Me,” a favorite song from my childhood. The fact that it would become one of her go-to songs over the past four years is something I’m grateful for. And if that’s where Ame’s musical performance journey ended, I would have been satisfied. But that’s not the whole story.
Ame kept singing over the months and years, and bit by bit, something happened. She started hitting those notes a little more cleanly. Her voice wouldn’t squeak as much. She was actually improving! And while Ame had set up a bleeding-ear emote as a self-deprecating joke, fans eventually stopped using it entirely.
In the time since that first karaoke session, so much has happened. Ame got to appear on the big stage with her official 3D model at 3rd fes, putting on a memorable cover of the cute and bizarre “Puru Puru Pururin” from Welcome to the NHK! She released her own original song, “Chiku Taku” (accompanied by a video game based on it), and then performed it at two separate live events, including the first EN concert. The latter was even a ska rendition that reflected her own musical tastes, which she accompanied by skanking on stage. She had her official 3D showcase, where she got to show off her detective’s office, do cartwheels, and collaborate in person with Japanese hololive members like Haachama and Yozora Mel. At 5th fes, Ame upped her choreography game too.
Just recently, her “IDOL” duet with Gura was one of the absolute highlights of last month’s Breaking Dimensions concert. And in their recent 4th anniversary online concert, she was able to keep up well with the other strong singers of her generation and help make “The Show Goes On” the best Myth group song ever. Each step of the way was evidence of her improvements as a performer, and while she never embraced the shining lights, that’s also why she embodied the “idol journey” so thoroughly.
The Hiccup
I want to just mention this brief thing that has little to do with achievements and interests, but is inextricable from Ame’s story. There are a lot of unique things about her, but perhaps none are more iconic than her chronic hiccups that can often be heard on her streams. It’s not clear if it’s a hiccup exactly or something else, but whatever it actually is, the result is something that is identifiably Ame. What’s more, unlike a particular way of talking or laughing, it pretty much can’t be replicated. Even in this simple way, there will never be another Amelia Watson.
The Closing of a Chapter
While hololive isn’t a piece of fiction in the traditional sense, Amelia Watson is often positioned in fan works and headcanons as the “protagonist” of Myth and possibly hololive EN as a whole. A lot of it has to do with her motif as a completely human detective (albeit one unbound by time), but I think it’s also because she also comes across as very human in a different sense. She’s not anywhere near the best singer or dancer, she doesn’t have that non-stop gift of gab that others might, and while she’s definitely one of the strongest gamers, it’s not her main focus either. But Ame has ingenuity, and in a way, she’s sort of like the Batman of hololive.
I have a tendency to like creators, VTuber or otherwise, who experiment and expand the range of what is considered “possible.” That’s where Ame has thrived and why I became so fond of her, and countless others feel the same way. It’s hard to overstate just how much of an influence her tinkering and her ideas have had on the VTubing scene, especially in the English sphere. There has been a constant outpouring of love from other VTubers, many of whom are citing her as a real inspiration—especially for those who wanted to do something different than the established norm.
Personally, the timing of Ame’s announcement is kind of funny. Until literally last month, I didn’t own that much of her merch. Now, as she begins her retreat from the spotlight, I find myself coincidentally with more than I ever expected: a desk mat, figures, keychains, and so on. I even just uploaded a video of her to my Youtube—one of only two VTuber clips on my entire channel.
One thing I haven’t done is try to draw her. After all, I had assumed there was plenty of time to get around it. Maybe I need to change that.
In a way, we Teamates and Investigators are very lucky. Not only did we get four years of one of the best to ever do it, but the fact that this isn’t a full-on graduation means there will likely be opportunities to reunite with her in this familiar form. And no matter what, the thing that really matters is that the person behind the virtual avatar can find happiness in whatever form it takes.
(And there’s always the off chance we might see her without her coat in 3D.)
To celebrate the release of his new artbook, Mata Ashita, Bushitsu de (See You Tomorrow in the Clubroom), Genshiken author Kio Shimoku had a special 2+ hour talk session on September 16, 2024. The venue was Umeda Lateral, a talk and live music club in Osaka, and was title “Gendai Shikaku Bunka Kenkyuukai Umeda Bunshitsu, or “The Society for the Study of Modern Visual Culture Umeda Annex.”
Fortunately, the entire event was streamed live, and there’s an archived video available on their official site for a limited time! A streaming ticket costs 2,800 yen and lasts until September 30 JST.
While I plan to write about the talk (and the artbook) in more detail, I have not had the chance to watch it in full yet. I did take a brief look, though, and Kio actually appears in person. This is probably going to be the first time many people get to see him. Also, he showed early concept notes about Genshiken!
Sharing screenshots is not allowed, so unfortunately I can’t post his mug or those cool sketches.
I’m happy to see us go from having the man be a complete mystery, to doing an interview with VTuber Luis Cammy, to having him start a Twitter, and now this.
Anime NYC 2024 was a focal point for many areas of Japanese pop culture, but the one that caught my attention the most was the massive presence of hololive, the world’s biggest VTuber agency. Because I wanted to miss out on as little of it as possible, I prioritized it above all else, and this con report reflects that fact.
A New Date
2024 saw the first summer Anime NYC, as it moved from the weekend before Thanksgiving to the tail end of August—a controversial move because it brought potential advantages and disadvantages. Being at the tail end of the summer con season could also carry some of the momentum of other events, and according to the showrunners, LeftField Media, was that they would now be able to utilize more of the Jacob Javits Center. However, this drastic change could disrupt people’s planning for cons. Also, summer in New York City can be very hot and humid—even dangerously so if attendees have to wait outside.
Luckily for Anime NYC, weather was on their side. The weekend was probably the most pleasant the city had been all summer. The good fortune didn’t stop there either: It also narrowly avoided the curse of the missing 7 train.
Averting Train Trouble
For many years preceding Anime NYC, the closest subway to the Javits still necessitated a 15–25 minute walk (depending on how quick you were). The 34th St. Hudson Yards station on the 7 Line was specifically built to get people closer to the Javits area, making it ideal for conventions. However, every Anime NYC up through 2023 occurred on weekends where the 7 was shut down for construction, making the stop pointless. With the move to the summer, it seemed as if Anime NYC was finally going to avoid this fate—only for construction on the 7 to be announced.
Thankfully, the MTA at some point changed it so that the 7 Train would run as a shuttle from Time Square to Hudson Yards (a total of two stops). Thus, while the loss of most of the 7 Line was a real inconvenience for those coming from Queens, there as at least this little bit of good news.
This one small change mattered a lot for VTuber fans: That same weekend, hololive’s second ever English concert, Breaking Dimensions, was taking place in Brooklyn. While not terribly inconvenient due to the presence of public transportation, traveling between boroughs could still be a hassle that required some time management and perhaps sacrificing some events to get there on time. Had that shuttle train not been there, it would have been a real struggle.
Phase Connect + Mint Fantome
Before getting into the hololive content, I want to shine the spotlight on another VTuber agency that had a presence at Anime NYC: Phase Connect.
A couple weeks before the start of Anime NYC, the Canada-based organization announced that they would be holding their own 3D concert on Sunday, and that it would feature talents from their first generation, Phase Origins: Tenma Maemi, Pipkin Pippa, Fujikura Uruka, and Lia. They also revealed as a special guest the indie darling Mint Fantome, adding some significant star power.
Aside from Mint, I was only passingly familiar with a couple of them, but it was overall enough to convince me to plunk down some more cash despite expecting a busy weekend. Tickets came in two price tiers, but they did not affect the quality of the seat. Instead, the slightly pricier option meant an attendee could get a special gift, which turned out to be a random polaroid-style image (of Uruka) and a random keychain (of Maemi).
(I also bought a Dizzy Dokuro keychain on Saturday at the Phase Connect Booth.)
Though not completely sold out, there was still a sizable live audience. All the Phase girls had 3d models that matched their default appearances, while Mint (who I believe doesn’t have an official standard 3D design) went with a chibi look. The acoustics weren’t great (that’s the Javits for you), but between Uruka’s rich singing, Maemi’s versatility, Pippa’s energy, Lia’s confident dancing, and Mint’s idol spirit, all of them brought something memorable. I also got a real sense that Phase Origins set the tone for the rest of Phase Connect’s talents and their generally unhinged presentation.
The event felt less polished than hololive’s concerts, but I knew that would probably be the case going in. The moments that stood out to me the most were Uruka’s darkly comedic Self-Introduction song (about having to go against her family to pursue music), and a huge chunk of the live crowd getting up and forming a circular dance line as Mint sang the Hamtaro opening. Apparently a lot of the crowd was familiar with wotagei culture. (Security was also clearly visibly confused by what was going on.)
There’s one last thing I want to mention about Phase Connect. One unique aspect of the company is that they sell VTuber-themed coffee beans. Though I didn’t plan on getting any, I was curious about it. When I asked, though, it turned out that they had completely sold out by Saturday.
The hololive Meet Booth
The most visible hololive presence of the Exhibit Hall booth. Like last year, it featured exclusive talent streams for con attendees. Participants included members of every branch (including Holostars JP and EN), and ran the gamut of topics. Kureiji Ollie taught the crowd fan chants for popular hololive songs, Haachama and Roboco tried to make edible insect gelatins from insect powder, and various karaoke sessions had the crowd singing along throughout. The least popular times were during showcases of Holoearth—not surprising, given how those were the least interactive, and that the game still has no clear direction.
One very conspicuous thing about the booth was the large crowd that would form in front of it (which sometimes included myself). It was located near the front of the Exhibit Hall, and it would actually sometimes bleed out past the entrance. This could cause traffic flow issues, and while I don’t blame the attendees for wanting to see their favorites in this unorthodox environment, I do have to wonder if there’s a better option.
Other hololive events, like the panels and the in-person concerts, have IRL audiences, but these Meet booth showcases are like an interesting halfway point between those and the standard online streams. The physical presence of the crowd combined with the less structured and more informal setup of the broadcasts themselves made for an entertaining and comfortable interactivity that both the VTuber and the people watching could feed off of.
I find that there are certain talents who thrive in this environment. Ollie’s unmistakable enthusiasm for all things hololive was infectious. Momosuzu Nene had to overcome the language barrier, but she also showed her best side through her karaoke.
As big a fan of Haachama as I am, I ended up leaving hers early in order to catch the train to the Breaking Dimensions concert. Given that the latter started an hour late, I could have made it in hindsight, but I didn’t want to risk the possibility, the NYC subway being infamously inconsistent.
hololive STAGE World Tour ’24 Soar
Photography was not allowed at the concert, so look at these standees instead.
Ever since hololive announced that their 2024 world tour would be kicking off at Anime NYC, I’d been anticipating it. Not only was it a rare opportunity to see something that wouldn’t be streamed, but the lineup was stacked: Baelz Hakos, Moona Hoshinova, Takanashi Kiara, AZKi, Nimomae Ina’nis, Kobo Kanaeru, and Tsunomaki Watame.
Each number got the audience pumped and eager for more, and there were plenty of personal highlights. I was pleased to see Bae bring out an exciting new choreography for her song “RxRxR”; when she debuted the song for her birthday concert earlier this year, Bae simply freestyled it. Getting to hear AZKi’s singing was a real treat—she never sounds anything less than amazing. I cheered when Kobo came out for her original song (and one of my favorites in hololive) “HELP!!” And when Bae, Kiara, Moona, and Kobo performed Kiara’s “DO U” together, it made me wish that everyone else could someday, somehow get the chance to see it and be amazed.
The official call-and-response chant was: “The world is the stage!” “Soar, soar, soar!”
My only complaint about the concert was the space itself: As with the Phase Connect event, the Main Events Hall for Anime NYC is simply not great for seeing music acts. Not only are the acoustics lacking, but the seating isn’t elevated, so if the people in front stand, it forces everyone else to do so as well if they actually want to see what’s going on. Combine that with the harsh concrete floor of the Javits, and your feet may not forgive you. I actually purchased a new pair of sneakers this year to help deal with situations like this (the New Balance Fresh Foam More, if you’re curious), but I still think that’s a lot to ask of people.
holoEN Justice
It’s become tradition for the newest generation of hololive EN to make their US convention debuts at Anime NYC. Elizabeth Rose Bloodflame, Cecilia Immergreen, Gigi Murin, and Raora Panthera—collectively known as Justice—joined the event remotely, talking to the MC and answering trivia questions about New York City. It was in many ways similar to Advent’s panel from last year, except rather than doing audience polling, they would ask a few attendees up. Later, it became questions about themselves that the audience had to answer, where a correct answer would make one of the talents do a random embarrassing voice line, and a wrong one would mean the audience had to do one instead.
A couple moments that really stood out to me both involved Gigi, the self-proclaimed “Fister” of Justice. First, when in the second part with attendees answering, Gigi quickly suggested a rule amendment to avoid cheating. I think it gave an interesting glimpse into her thought process. Second, at one point Gigi had to do a tsundere roleplay, and it turned into an improv skit where she tried to pass off a cake she baked for Ceci as one she picked up off the floor after a rat had already been on it. Ceci then hit a reversal by saying she’d only eat a nibble if Gigi ate the rest of it.
I think it ran a bit more smoothly compared to 2023, and I wonder what might happen if there isn’t a new generation to showcase next year.
Shirakami Fubuki and Ookami Mio
The pair from hololive Gamers also had a Main Events panel, and it followed a similar format to Justice’s, with the added element of an interpreter for these Japanese VTubers. Fubuki and Mio asked members of the audience trivia about hololive Gamers, including the order of all four members’ birthdays. They also invited people for an English language challenge that they themselves had to answer. Every so often, Fubuki would bring out a mask of Yagoo (the hololive CEO) to get a laugh out of the audience.
The two also had a nice treat for the audience at the end, with a mini karaoke session featuring their signature songs. It made the hour feel more special.
Final Thoughts
It’s interesting to see hololive gradually turn into a bigger part of Anime NYC, and to treat it as a major event. To have both a concert at the con and a separate one in the same city on the same weekend made it feel like things are only getting more intense. The downside I see is that I actually did want to check out other aspects of the con (like the appearance of three members of the group Liella! from Love Live! Superstar!! and manga scholar Frederick Schodt), but I had to pick and choose. I don’t regret my decision, but I do wish there was more than one of me sometimes. I’m also kind of giving up on the idea of Anime NYC ever having regular hololive meet ’n’ greets.
One very important takeaway I had from Anime NYC (and Breaking Dimensions) was that it’s beautiful to see people gathered who want to bask in what they enjoy. It might sound a bit generic, but when you look at online spaces and social media, there can sometimes be an atmosphere of negativity surrounding both the VTubers and their fans. But being there live and seeing people just having good times—it feels like that is the actual core of the fandom. That doesn’t mean you’re only a true fan if you attend in person, but that this loving energy and positive enthusiasm should ideally be the driving force of VTubing.
September 11 is a day that always makes me just a bit more introspective. Sometimes I express it on this blog and sometimes I approach things more lightly—it’s really all about my mood in the moment. But given that we have another US presidential election in a couple months being preceded by a whole host of changes, it’s been making me think about how powerful fear is.
In the face of danger to your very way of life, either real or perceived, what extremes might a person be willing to go in order to deal with those negative emotions? How many people find themselves ready to throw others under the bus in times of desperation? And how many are all too willing to do so and just need an excuse? Why do we get scared of foreigners or the poor because of the possibility of petty and violent crimes, while scammers in nice suits pick our pockets under the guise of the law? And why is it so very easy to become cynical and jaded to the point of stasis and inaction, or to eagerly conflate justice with vengeance?
As frustrating as all this can be, I think I need to remember that we’re all human, and I don’t mean that in any lofty sense. Humans are both simple and complicated, and we really don’t know what anyone will do when push comes to shove. I can think all I want that I would do the right thing, but maybe I wouldn’t. Maybe I’m not. And perhaps past generations are perpetuating what worked in the past, only they’re introducing a whole lot of generational trauma in the process.
I think my wish is that whether it’s the tragedies of the past and the present, terrible actions do not instill in us the desire to take away someone’s inherent personhood—as if we’re just waiting for a group of people to do something bad so that we can paint their entire group with one brush. Criticism is important. Protest is vital. Even anger should not be smothered out just because it’s a negative emotion. But I just want people to start from the position that humanity is not a zero-sum game.
In July of 2023, I went to hololive English’s first full concert, Connect the World. I was grateful for the opportunity to be part of that milestone, and felt that if I never attended another event like this, I would have been content. Who knows if I’d be able to make it again anyway? Then June hit, and Cover corp announced a second concert right in New York City called Breaking Dimensions. It would be the first real-life concert for the third EN generation, Advent, bringing them together with their predecessors Myth and Promise.
Upon hearing the news, I had one thought: Even if I wasn’t able to get a ticket for any of this two-night event, I had to try. Thankfully, with some luck and a good friend on my side, I was able to see both days in person. In the end, I came away with immense satisfaction at what everyone at hololive, as well as the fans, created.
Changes from Connect the World
Breaking Dimensions took place August 24–25 and improved on its predecessor in virtually every way.
While I certainly enjoyed Connect the World and cherish the experience, it wasn’t without issues. For example, the immersion could falter at times due to what seemed like the quality of the video projection. At Breaking Dimensions, the setup was a lot more convincing, and it felt much more like I was really watching VTubers on stage. I even got to see it from very different seats between Day 1 and Day 2, and they maintained the illusion in both cases.
Connect the World was also a bit regimented in terms of its setlist: group songs purely by generation, individual performances also by generations, and a few big numbers. Compared to the major holo fes concerts in Japan (the biggest live events for the company), there were no interesting talent mixes. Breaking Dimensions fixed all that and more, featuring various duos, trios, and even quartets that had me cheering out loud. Whether it was fan-favorite combos or new experiments, the whole thing was full of pleasant surprises.
The only downgrades from the first concert were the lower seating capacity and the one-hour delay that occurred on Day 1 due to long lines (despite the fact that all seats were assigned). The Kings Theatre can hold about 3,000 people, and over 20,000 tried to get in when tickets first went on sale. I suspect this has to do with the fact that New York City is not a good place for mid-sized venues; you either do something like this or you have to go all the way up to Madison Square Garden/Barclays Center, and the latter locations are not cheap. And one upside of the Kings Theatre is that it’s gorgeous. I saw fans considering dressing up to match, but the summer heat put the kibosh on that idea for the majority of concert goers.
And while this isn’t a problem with Breaking Dimensions specifically, I do wish the colors in the penlights were either more saturated or labeled. As someone with a bit of color blindness, I struggled sometimes with switching between colors, especially when it came to purple vs. violet. There were definitely a few great choreography moments I missed or caught only glimpses of as I struggled with the penlights.
The Concert Was Simply Great
The whole show fired on all cylinders from start to finish, and by the time I was done, I had absolutely zero regrets about going (despite what my wallet might say).
I’m serious when I say that it had too many great moments to count, so much so that I decided that the next best thing is to give my thoughts on every talent one by one in the hopes of capturing enough of the finer details. I want to give them the respect they both earned and deserved, as VTubers and as people.
Below are my thoughts on each EN member, in order of their first solo appearances. Following that is a section for the guests from hololive Japan and Indonesia.
I also want to reiterate an important point I’ve made in the past about these large group hololive concerts: While there are certainly individuals involved who are exceptionally skilled at performing on stage, it’s not a prerequisite or even necessarily a desired expectation from their fans. hololive is in many ways similar to an idol or music company, but it is not actually either. Sometimes the reward is just getting to see them stand in front of the bright lights, basking in being these identities they’ve built up for themselves.
hololive EN
IRyS
When IRyS appeared as the first solo act on Day 1, there was little doubt as to what song was coming. She had just released her first original in about a year and a half, and this was the perfect environment for it. “Carbonated Love” is a Eurobeat tune directly inspired by the soundtrack of Initial D, and with IRyS being among hololive’s very best singers, my anticipation was sky high.
Her performance was everything I wanted. IRyS generally sounds even better singing in person than in studio-produced tracks, and her melodic voice pierced through the venue, never wavering in its crystal-clear beauty. The addition of some mildly daring gyrations also sent the crowd into a tizzy. And fortunately for everyone, IRYS is in the free section on YouTuber, so everyone can see her in action.
Later group acts on “High Tide,” “Promise,” and “Blue Clapper” (the last of which was with her fellow CHADCast members + Koseki Bijou) benefited immensely from IRyS’s vocals. No matter what song she was on, she sent shivers up my spine in the best way.
FuwaMoco
As the only twins in hololive, FuwaMoco are generally in a unique situation compared to the rest of the talents, including sharing a Youtube channel. At Breaking Dimensions, neither got a solo performance, but they did have two duets: their original song “Born to Be ‘BAU’DOL” on Day 1 and a cover of “SHINKIRO,” the city pop tribute originally by Houshou Marine and Gawr Gura, on Day 2. The contrast between the peppy cuteness of the former and the wistful melancholy of the latter showed off their versatility, especially because Fuwawa and Mococo sing differently and have to find the right approach together in each case.
This was also Advent’s first IRL concert, and it was great having them in all their glory on the big stage. FuwaMoco’s ability to harmonize with each other is unlike anything else in hololive—the clear product of continuous effort and a life at each other’s sides. Their performance of “Doggy God Street” with Korone and Kobo (humorously called “Wet Dogs,” “Dog Water,” and other similar nicknames) also brought some welcome lightheartedness.
I wonder if we’ll see FuwaMoco split up for some songs in future concerts. Either way, the idol journey of the guard dogs will be something to look forward to.
Shiori Novella
Witnessing Shiori move in three dimensions has been one of the biggest surprises of Advent. One of the fun things about seeing VTubers get their 3D models is learning their body language and movement, but the other Advent girls have acted more or less as expected: FuwaMoco are great at idol dances, Bijou is jumpy and energetic, Nerissa is poised. Shiori, on the other hand, was hard to pin down.
Between her 3D Showcase and her appearance at Breaking Dimensions, what has become very clear is that Shiori possesses remarkable physical charisma. She’s not a great dancer or athletically impressive, but it’s like she makes every move count ten-fold. Similarly, while her singing is inconsistent, she does decently at her lower registers. Shiori’s solo (“world.execute(me)”) and her song with Kronii and Ina (Tokoyami Towa’s “FACT”) show this well. And her number with Fauna and Nerissa (“Lonely in Gorgeous,” the opening to Paradise Kiss) is one of my favorite performances of the entire concert.
Ouro Kronii
Kronii is known more for her speaking voice and acting skills than her singing, but she was able to not get lost in the shuffle. Having listened to her at Breaking Dimensions, one interesting thing about the Warden of Time is that despite having a fairly deep voice, she actually sings better at higher notes. In that sense, she’s sort of the opposite of Shiori (though I assume it’s just coincidence that their MCing was so unhinged).
It’s no secret that Kronii has a very loyal audience who loves to see her move on stage, but I myself found that she brought some nice flair to her dancing and singing, especially in her solo cover of “Bocca della Verità.” The contrast between her cringing at corny things but willing to throw caution to the wind only makes her stage presence stronger. Kronii’s group performances—with Kobo and Korone, and then Ina and Shiori—are notable for how her “cool” persona provided a different kind of balance in each trio.
Takanashi Kiara
As the best dancer in the 1st gen, Myth, and an experienced hand at performing in general, Kiara always seems comfortable when the spotlight’s on her. Her choice of “Pineapple,” a summery pop song from her album Point of View, let Kiara show a different side of herself while still emphasizing her status as the consummate idol of hololive EN—especially coming off of her world tour performances the Friday before.
One of the biggest cheers in the entire event was when Kiara warped in along with Calli, which only grew louder as the audience realized they were going into their group song, “Fire N Ice.” Playing on their respective motifs of blazing hot phoenix and chilling grim reaper, their performance highlighted two major things: 1) their clear improvement in singing and dancing these past four years, and 2) how truly special the TakaMori pair has become. Sure, it was hololive EN’s first major ship and for that reason still has many dedicated fans, but it’s developed into something much more powerful: close friends who respect each other and have each other’s backs through thick and thin.
Ceres Fauna
Fauna recently released a video short talking about how she joined hololive without knowing how to sing, and that she’s made many missteps up till now. Indeed, it’s true that singing still isn’t one of her strong suits. But despite her limitations, she still managed to draw me in.
First was the debut of her new song with Mumei based on their goth and emo outfits, appropriately titled “It’s Not a Phase.” Second was her solo—a cover of city pop classic “Mayonaka no Door/Stay with Me” where her gentle voice gave it a soothing quality. And as for “Lonely in Gorgeous” with Shiori and Nerissa, Fauna contributed a delightfully haunting quality to one of my favorite performances.
Gawr Gura
Gura, one of the icons of VTubing, is known for her love of Hatsune Miku, and her childhood dream of being on stage like her Vocaloid idol someday. Naturally, Gura has tended towards Miku covers for her real-venue performances, but Breaking Dimensions felt like a real “she made it” moment as she sang Miku’s most iconic song, “World Is Mine.”
Gura has two general modes of singing, and she weaponizes them to great effect: smooth+soulful or smug+bratty. She used the former in her “Bibbidiba,” while her cover of “IDOL” from Oshi no Ko with Amelia Watson was the latter. Her rendition of “World Is Mine” leaned towards cute but incorporated both styles, accentuated by the song’s signature high-pitched yells and Gura’s own adorable dancing with lots of tail-wagging antics.
Every appearance she made sent the crowd into a raucous frenzy. Truly, Gura is the queen of hololive EN, whose singing makes you feel like they’re the only person in the room with her, even if you’re in a packed theater.
Baelz Hakos
The chaos rat has become synonymous with top-tier dancing in hololive. I knew that much, coming into Breaking Dimensions. I thought I was prepared, but I wasn’t. She took me for a loop in every performance, especially her solo.
Bae released her first album this year, with each track based on an animal from the Chinese zodiac. Her solo choice, “GEKIRIN,” is written from the perspective of an ancient and prideful dragon. As if to embody that image on stage, Bae coiled and flowed elegantly like a heavenly serpent, occasionally unleashing powerful moves bursting with fire and fury, all while delivering on the singing. The subtleties of her performance could sometimes be hard to see in the crowd, so the online audience had certain advantages.
As for what’s next, I have my predictions. Given that the fourth English generation, Justice, has a lot of appeal towards Europe, I think the next big concert is going to be in either London or Paris. I don’t think I’ll be able to attend that one, but I’ll be happy to cheer from home, and hope that others will get the opportunity to have as good a time as I did at Breaking Dimensions.
In a later stream, Bae mentioned that the choreography for “GEKIRIN” was not of her own making, and that she was even a little daunted by the sheer difficulty. But the choreographer said to her, “I know you can handle it.” I think that sheer dedication and ability to push the envelope of what is possible in VTuber dance is something truly special about Bae.
An aside: On the morning of Day 2 before the concert, I was wondering what song she would pick, and I actually predicted that Bae would perform “GEKIRIN” from ZODIAC. Because I got her song choice correct, I decided that evening to see if fortune was in my favor and went to play the lottery. As for how it went, there’s a line in “GEKIRIN” that goes, “Oh, you humans so naive and desperate/Enough to think that luck and fate have favorites.” It was a lesson I learned the hard way.
Amelia Watson
I cannot emphasize enough how far Ame has come as a singer. From one karaoke stream to the next, and with each concert, you can literally hear her improve—a far cry from the days where she basically got by on vibes.
The idol side isn’t her wheelhouse, but the ways in which Ame was celebrated at Breaking Dimensions really struck a chord with me. She participated in a cover of “Puru Puru Pururin”: a callback to her debut 3D appearance at hololive 3rd fes. This time, she was accompanied by FuwaMoco and Koseki Bijou, and it made me realize that we’ve gone long enough with Myth that these returns to old songs actually feel kind of nostalgic. It didn’t come across as a retread either, specifically because she was joined by two of the biggest champions of mid 2000s online anime fandom, as well as a perpetual meme lord. Ame’s cover of Nekomata Okayu’s “Mogu Mogu Yummy” was also a great way to chill out, and it’s also in the free section on Youtube!
Ame’s reappearance towards the end of Day 2 made for one of the most exciting moments throughout the weekend. Seeing her distinctive yellow star appear, realizing she was about to start singing “IDOL” from Oshi no Ko, and then seeing Gura emerge from behind her led to such a rush of emotions in me. The roar of the crowd (one of the loudest across both days) made it clear that my fellow audience members agreed. I also noticed the fact that our resident detective was able to rap in Japanese—no small feat.
Koseki Bijou
The short-statured gem girl affectionately known as Biboo is more famous for her musical memes than her actual singing, and sure enough, she engaged in her most famous cringe earworm, “Sticking Out Your Gyatt for Nerizzler” in one of the MC sections. But even in the actual song performances, Biboo showed up and put herself out there.
If there’s one thing that Biboo’s performance communicated about her, it’s that she appears very comfortable with the prospect of being in front of thousands of fans. Either she’s a brave soul or she’s very good at pretending to be one, but the result is the same. Her choice of a more serious song in Hatsune Miku’s “Love Is War” showcases her willingness to take risks and to play into the chuuni parts of her personality. And in “Blue Clapper,” she didn’t feel out of place at all with Calli, Bae, and IRyS despite the fact that those three have been an established trio (the CHADCast) for a long while.
Ninomae Ina’nis
Over the past year or so, I’ve felt that Ina is on the cusp of really breaking through as an exceptional singer. That characteristic low-energy voice of hers can give her songs an ethereal quality, and it feels as if she only needs a little more refinement to take it to the next level. Ina performed a cover of “Synchrogazer” (the first Symphogear opening), and she demonstrated that she’s able to carry a song and give it a feel that emphasizes those unique aspects of her.
In the group songs, namely “Beyond the way” and “Bibbidiba,” her quieter approach also helped provide a bit of contrast with the other singers. While the Ina-Kronii-Shiori trio had none of hololive’s heaviest hitters in song or dance, it was still very memorable because they’re somehow aesthetically in the same general direction while each being very unique.
Nanashi Mumei
I still don’t quite grasp how Mumei sings the way she does. The way I often describe her is that she sounds like what other people get if you apply a ton of pitch correction and autotuning to them—except Mumei does it naturally. Or it’s like if you tried to trick Mumei into attempting to imitate an AI singer, only for her to beat it at its own game and then some. Alongside the fact that she can also go deep (as heard previously in “Mind Craft” and in the “Breaking Dimensions” song), you have one versatile songstress.
While many others went with newer works in their catalogs for their solos, Mumei actually sang her very first original, “A New Start.” Because it’s from early on in her hololive career, I think the single itself showed only a fraction of what Mumei is capable of, and the Breaking Dimensions performance highlighted the fact that Mumei has only grown more skillful and expressive. This also came through in “Beyond the way” with fellow birds Kiara and Nerissa.
The stand-out moment for Mumei came in the reveal of her original 2000s-era-inspired goth-emo duet alongside Fauna, “It’s Not a Phase.” She was very good at balancing “Haha silly joke” with “No, I’m as serious as a dark abyss” while making both sound good. As the stronger singer of the two, she helped keep the two sides cohesive.
Nerissa Ravencroft
As the singer of Advent, whose character is premised mainly around the forbidden power of her voice, I think there was a good deal more pressure on Nerissa for her first IRL concert. Even the namesake song, “Breaking Dimensions,” features her in a unique fashion as she harmonizes with the chorus other members sing. But I think she lived up to her reputation and lore here, and even danced remarkably well for someone who literally has a metal rod down her spine due to health issues. Whatever limitations this might impose, Nerissa worked around them very well.
Nerissa’s tune of choice for her solo was “Sweetest Scarlet,” which she also sang for her 3D debut. While it would have been great to hear something different for variety’s sake, I think having it done in front of a live crowd changes a lot. At times, it almost felt like she could pull in the entire audience into her embrace with her sultry notes. And whether she was the power singer in the holotori EN trio’s performance of “Beyond the way” or the central pillar for “Lonely in Gorgeous” with Shiori and Fauna, Nerissa was an important part of making those songs land effectively.
Calliope Mori
Calli has had a hell of a year, even recently landing on the US’s Billboard Top 100. Her commercial success is admirable, but what really jumped out at me during the concert was just how much her singing has leveled up. She’s been transforming from a primarily rap-centric performer to equal parts singer and rapper, and the fruits of her labor are showing in spades.
“Go-Getters” might be my favorite song she’s ever done, and part of it is that her vocals can keep up with the ambitiousness of the song. There were points I felt like she might not have the power to deliver on some sections, but she always pulled through. Similarly, I could hear in “Blue Clapper” the greater consistency she developed. And with “Fire N Ice,” her gruffer voice balanced out Takanashi Kiara’s well and even sounded better than the original recording. It also didn’t hurt that TakaMori’s choreography was spot-on.
Calli’s victories are not just in accolades but also real improvement. You love to see it.
JP AND ID Guests
Hoshimachi Suisei
Suisei showed up on two songs, including her record-smashing hit “Bibbidiba” with Gura, Ina, and ID’s Moona. While it’s hard to pick a single best singer in hololive, Suisei is definitely a contender while also being nearly unmatched in terms of mainstream recognition for her music. What isn’t as clear is that she can keep up dance-wise as well. Her star power was undeniable, as every time she came in with her rich voice on both “Bibbidiba” and “High Tide,” the audience’s cheers would grow ever stronger.
Kobo Kanaeru
I truly feel that Kobo is one of the most well-rounded VTubers, with even greater success only limited by the fact that the Indonesian language is not as ubiquitous as English or as anime fan–oriented as Japanese. A big part of her potential for stardom is her immense singing ability that transcends cultural barriers, along with her peppy dance moves and air of confidence.
For Breaking Dimensions, she sang “HELP!!,” one of her originals and also one of my favorite songs as of late. It was actually the second time she performed it that weekend, thanks to her appearance on the hololive World Tour at Anime NYC. The big difference is that whereas the world tour rendition was a solo, this rendition was as a trio with Kronii and JP’s Inugami Korone. The other two aren’t the singer Kobo is, but it was still an enjoyable experience seeing them all together.
Inugami Korone
Korone brings an energy that few if any can imitate or duplicate. While she didn’t bust out any athletic feats for her original song “Doggy god’s street” or “HELP!!,” her attitude on stage shouted, “I might not be the very best, but I belong here and no one can tell me otherwise.” It was like the world conformed to her existence. While she didn’t perform with Koseki Bijou, I actually think they’re made of similar stuff.
Moona Hoshinova
Moona appeared for both “Bibbidiba” and her own original song “High Tide.” Unlike her past performances of the latter, she was joined this time by IRyS, Bae, and Suisei.
I believe Moona has the best balance between singing and dancing in all of hololive, and exudes more “diva” energy than anyone else. That’s why having two of the strongest vocalists and arguably the top dancer in the company worked so well for “High Tide.” The body rolls, the powerful notes, and the high performance rate from the quartet was one of the brightest spots in a concert event rife with highlights.
Big Group Songs
There were five big group songs over the course of Breaking Dimensions: one for each of the three generations, a big finale both days, and then different encores for each concert.
Myth’s song, “ReUnion” is an okay track that ended up hitting a lot better in front of a live crowd. Promise’s, aptly titled “Our Promise,” has a “grand adventure” motif that sounds lovely but left the crowd a bit confused as to how to chant along because it just isn’t that type of song. “Rebellion,” the debut song for Advent, strikes the best balance, and it was perfect for the stage.
I must admit that I was listening to “Breaking Dimensions almost nonstop in the lead-up to the concert. I love the way that it emphasizes the particular qualities of each generation—Myth’s trailblazing through the unknown, Promise’s unity in the face of tumultuous times, and Advent’s mold-breaking while standing on the shoulders of their predecessors. One big treat with the two concert performances is that you could see them change things up a little compared to the music video. The chorus sections were sung by all 15 girls instead of sets of 5. Bae changed up her moves during the choruses from body rolls to more of a sway with a head bob. Biboo went from staying in position for her rap portion on Day 1 to walking around a bit on Day 2. And Ame, who strikes the final pose a split second later than the others (to cute effect), actually got the timing right for both days. I cheered especially for her tiny victory, and I wondered if others did the same.
For the encores (“Connect the World” on Day 1 and the English version of “Our Bright Parade” on Day 2), it was fun seeing and hearing these symbols of hololive EN’s continued success.
Final Thoughts
I try my best to reflect on what I see with a positive perspective without just spouting unalloyed praise, yet I know much of this review sounds like I’m gushing. I truly do think very highly of what hololive accomplished here, and attending it is one of my favorite experiences in the past few years.
Since Connect the World, my opinion of hololive has only gotten better, and I find myself paying attention to so many more talents. That’s not even simply because they’ve literally debuted multiple generations, but because they manage to thread the needle between feeling both very personal and highly professional. The Breaking Dimensions concert really puts this balancing act on full display. It’s like each member gave the audience a solid peek into their various journeys, ones whose paths diverge and intersect over and over. And the fans reciprocate, helping to make these VTubers feel like the superstars they are.
PS: I spotted my support message on the screen while waiting for the concert to start:
I’ve come to realize that I like isekai spin-offs that are about giving lesser characters another chance. After all, they’ve got the skills, and are often just overshadowed by the heroes. It’s why the Fist of the North Star Amiba spin-off is so enjoyable—it takes a relatively minor and seemingly irredeemable villain and gives them a new world that they can help, but can also handle their shit.
That’s why, if ever they made an Evangelion isekai, I would want to see one made about Jet Alone.
Technically, Jet Alone isn’t even a character. It’s a radio-controlled, nuclear-powered giant robot that is meant to supplant the Evangelions before it goes haywire and has to be stopped. Ultimately, this turns out to be a scheme by the EVAs’ own organization, NERV, to remove competition.
Jet Alone could’ve been helpful in protecting the planet, but just never got the chance. But what if the robot were transported to another world and got to be its defender? You could even have someone controlling it remotely like Shoutarou in Tetsujin 28, fighting giant monsters or solving crimes or whatever.
Any number of settings could work: a magical world that contrasts with the technological Jet Alone, an alien invasion of a different kind, maybe even some mega-sized martial arts tournament.
In another time, I might have been more compelled to turn this into a fanfic. Never say never, I guess.
PS: I happened to find this animation by KGBlagden featuring Jet Alone to the tune of Jet Jaguar’s theme in Godzilla. In a smilar vein, it gives some props to a mecha so unceremoniously squashed.
The fall weather is slowly coming in, and I’m hoping that we get away from the record-breaking summer heat for at least a little while.
Last month was a busy time for me. I barely managed to get my Otakon general report in last week, and I still have a few interviews to transcribe. On top of that, Anime NYC this year moved from November to the tail end of August. I also made the (willfull and correct) mistake of attending all the VTuber concerts that weekend: hololive World Tour, hololive Breaking Dimensions on both days, and Phase Connect 1st NYC Live. Breaking Dimensions was frustratingly amazing—amazing because it was one of the best events I’ve ever been to, and frustrating because now I want to write so much more about it that it’s eating into my other free time.
This month’s Kio tweets, a lot of which are about his artbook.
Speaking of which, I received my copy It’s gorgeous. I don’t know when I’ll review it, but I do want to at least summarize the interview in the back.
Closing
Shout-outs to Minato Aqua, the recently graduated legendary gamer maid of hololive. Her final stream broke the records for most concurrent viewers and most superchat donations among VTubers.
Kio visiting his section of the Rakuen: Le Paradis gallery in Shinjuku. He also bought all the postcards and pins.
He also informs a person replying that all the images are not actually analog, but merely recreations made to look as such. Kio currently works digitally.
After many days, Kio finally beat the final boss of the Elden Ring DLC. He had to consult online videos, and there’s still some stuff in the game he can’t seem to access.
One lucky fan got the autograph and was surprised to find out that it also came with an illustration! Kio apparently drew a wide range of characters for them.
Otakon celebrated its 30th anniversary this year in Washington DC from August 2 through 4. Somehow, despite growing from a humble event to one over 70 times bigger, Otakon still manages to keep a lot of its inner fandom heart intact.
Otakon Matsuri
2024 saw the return of the Otakon Matsuri, a free outdoor event the Thursday before the convention proper. The last time it was held, Otakon was still in Baltimore in 2016.
The small venue (right across the street from the Walter E. Washington Convention Center) had a stage that featured performances like a sumo demonstration and wotagei dance/call lessons, as well as food samples and food trucks for anyone curious and hungry. The food served wasn’t necessarily Japanese or even Asian-themed, but the variety was welcome. I did not stand in line to get some Fogo de Chao (Brazilian) but I did eat some hearty Indonesian food from the Saté food truck.
The Otakon Matsuri being an outdoor event meant it had to deal with the weekend being especially hot and humid even by already sweltering DC standards. Just standing could be an unpleasant experience, but thankfully, by the time the event started winding down to its main event—the Korean YouTube anime singer aLF—the temperature had become a bit more bearable.
I had been passingly familiar with aLF, but it was a treat to hear her sing live, the only hiccup being some issues with the speakers. Her setlist included songs like “Brave Heart” from Digimon Adventure, “Chala Head Chala” from Dragon Ball Z, and “Men of Destiny” from Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory. aLF’s solid, yet ever-so-slightly raspy vocals worked especially well with “Men of Destiny” (even if it’s very different from the original singer). She also sang an original number in Korean: the opening for the Korean dub of a Kindaichi Case Files anime (aka Kim Jeon-il). While I generally prefer the original Japanese openings to shows, I like hearing localized intros if they’ve had a lot of care put into them.
General Health
The sky-high temperatures were an issue across the weekend, though I understand that it was well outside of Otakon’s control. But one thing I do want to bring up that they can address is the lack of a real masking policy. The convention encourages masks and respirators as a way to mitigate the spread of disease, but there has not been a mandate in place for a few years now. It’s easy to forget that COVID-19 still exists (and continuously mutates), that long COVID is still an ongoing issue, and there are both new and old forms of con crud hitting attendees. I know the US has pretty much abandoned any attempt to mitigate contagions through masks at this point, but I think high-density events like Otakon would benefit immensely from this. So once again, I’m hammering the point.
The (Former) Bottleneck
If there was one noticeable issue with Otakon in 2023, it was the hall leading to the Artist Alley and Dealer’s Room. The way the con is set up, the lowest floor space is dedicated to these two spaces, and they see a lot of traffic. Last year, Otakon had a point where attendees were supposed to start walking by staying to the right and then switch to staying to the left. If this sounds confusing, that’s because it is. Having to criss-cross with people walking in the opposite direction led to inevitable problems, and it made that corridor more of a chore.
This year, one big change appeared to have solved this issue. Before, the Dealer’s Room and Artist Alley were blocked off from each other, but now the space between them was opened up. The result is that, rather than making attendees go up an escalator and back through the hall to go down a different escalator, it was as simple as walking from one to the other. The result was a near-total lack of bottlenecks, and the complete elimination of the criss-cross.
Another side effect of this was that it made getting to the Autographs area easier. That section is right between the Dealer’s Room and Artist Alley, and this setup allowed those who were looking to get stuff signed to take the Artist Alley escalator instead of being forced to use the Dealer’s Room’s entrance. It was actually an unintentional bonus—Otakon staff mentioned that they did not have that in mind. Because I was looking to get some autographs myself, this was a major boon for me. As for the Autograph Area itself, well, things were more complicated.
Autographs
I know some folks who dedicate the majority of their time to autographs at conventions. My approach varies tremendously depending on the guest list, but this year there were a few guests I was hoping to see. The problem with any signings at a convention, though, is that there’s no perfect system to deal with the fact that you’ll sometimes have many more people vying for those autographs than there is available time.
For the domestic guests, they’re usually around for long periods, and people generally have to pay for autographs. The foreign (i.e. Japan and Korea–based) guests typically operate by different rules: They’re present for one or two one-hour sessions across the weekend, but charge nothing. As I focus more on the latter type of guest, I got to experience Otakon’s approach quite a bit.
This is not my first Otakon by any means, and this spot by the Dealer’s Room has been the Autograph Area for many years now while always running into similar issues about how to manage the space. This year, the rule was that attendees were only allowed to line up 30 minutes before the start of a signing, but they were also not allowed to loiter in the area until then, lest they incur the very vocal wrath of the staff in charge. It’s an understandable policy meant to prevent fire hazards resulting from huge amounts of people stuffed into that area, but the result is this bizarre meta where the hopeful have to test the limits of what is okay, see how well they can judge the rush that occurs right as the minute hits, and also accept random luck.
For example, I initially failed to get an autograph for Uchida Aya (Kotori from Love Live!) because I got blocked out by a closely packed group of cosplayers. The second time, I managed to get through because I ended up very close, but also because a person a little in front of me had a panic attack from getting tightly packed in between a bunch of bodies—and it would have been worse because I could feel the crowd behind me pushing up against me. I can’t help but feel that the Autograph Area in Baltimore (away from the Dealer’s Room) was a better space, though the Japanese signings were split up from the domestic signings back then.
I also encountered the scourge of signings in modern times: the Funkopops. From what I understand, people looking to sell famous autographs and make a profit often use Funkopops as their item of choice due to their relatively low cost and popularity. The problem is that these profit-focused outsiders can end up crowding out actual fans, so Otakon (and other cons) implement varying degrees of anti-Funkopop policies, with some coming from the guests’ teams themselves. In the case of one guest, it was announced at the last second that they would not sign any figures (not just Funkopops). I couldn’t help but feel sorry for those who meant well and brought their favorite figure merch, not realizing that others had ruined it for them.
Ultimately, I ended up with autographs from Uchida Aya and Kakazu Yumi (Renais from Gaogaigar FINAL and Shizuru from Godannar), plus Japan-based American talent Diana Garnet and manga artist Aiba Kyoko. I think I made out pretty okay.
Fan Panels
I’m a bit ashamed to say that I didn’t attend very many fan panels this year, so I didn’t really get the chance to see anyone with whom I was unfamiliar. Here are a couple of highlights, though.
Ani-Merry Christmas
I’ve attended a number of Viga’s panels over the years, and this one was all about Christmas in anime. It was a fun journey through its portrayal in the media of a that treats it less like a time for family and/or religious reflection and more like a “third Valentine’s Day,” as Viga put it. There were some titles I recognized and expected, but also a couple that I’d never heard of. It was one of the first panels Friday morning, and a nice way to kick off the con officially.
Anime in Non-Anime
Gerald from Anime World Order ran this panel, and this was a new version of one I’d seen before a number of Otakons ago: Anime in Non-Anime. However, the central thrust of the presentation differed significantly, and that’s because anime has reached actual mainstream recognition in recent years. Thus, talking about all the ways anime pops up in funny ways on the news and such doesn’t quite have the same meaning. Instead, the panel was all about going back to the times when anime was niche and liking it might get you proverbially (or literally) shoved into a locker, and the joy one felt when any show had even the slightest nod to anime.
Fitness in Anime is WHACK and Here’s Why…
I’m not a very physically active person, but I was curious what this was about. The person running the panel mentioned being a track athlete in the past, and called a lot of things cringe. The general takeaways were that anime bodies aren’t realistic because training for different goals will produce different bodies, and the cut and chiseled figures you see are often a result of aesthetic bodybuilding. Also, the exercises that make you want to exercise more are better than great ones that you’ll never want to do. Incidentally, it was one of two “fitness in anime” panels this weekend, and each was run by a different person. Quite the coincidence.
I feel I need to put a reminder on myself to make the effort to look at fan panels and not just get enticed away by the glamor of the industry stuff. With that said…
Industry
Final Fantasy
The biggest industry guests this year were probably the Final Fantasy VII Remake crew. Not only is VII just a major part of video game history, but the guests included Japanese and English voice actors, as well as staff that had worked on Final Fantasy games for decades. The producer of VII Remake, Kitase Yoshinori, was also the director on Chrono Trigger in the 1990s.
I have never truly played Final Fantasy VII in any form, and so my interest was limited, but I still went to their biggest panel just to see what might come up. Outside of a couple surprise video-only appearances (including Vincent dub actor and Critical Role DM Matt Mercer), it was mostly an audience Q&A. One thing that was interesting was the format they used to take questions: attendees could submit questions online, which would then be filtered by the Square-Enix staff. It was a decent middle ground between totally curated questions and an entirely open mic, allowing for some degree of spontaneity. There wasn’t a whole lot of interesting info, but I did learn that Cait Sith has a Kansai accent in Japanese, and that Kakazu Yumi has been voicing Yuffie all the way since the 1998 fighting game Ergheiz.
Aiba Kyoko
Manga artists are notoriously busy, so it was a pleasant surprise to see not just one, but two at Otakon. Neither are massive names in the business, but getting to hear any artists talk about their work and processes is valuable.
Aiba Kyoko is mostly known for her BL work, and she ran a panel Friday morning focused on tips to help artists draw in a more “manga”-esque style compared to more typical American comics. She prefaced it by saying that neither approach is worse than the other, but for artists who are always wondering why their art might seem “off,” it might have to do with the stuff one absorbs by growing up in and being surrounded by a particular culture (or lack thereof). For example, the barrel-chested, inverted-triangle superhero anatomy often signals power in American comics. In Japanese media, popular strong characters are often not only thinner but also have a casual nonchalance to their posture that demonstrates a cool confidence. Aiba went with extreme examples to make a point, but I think it was illustrated well.
She took drawing requests from the audience, and we ended up with Michael Keaton Batman and Mordecai from Regular Show. She specifically mentioned how she still has some trouble drawing in that American style, and that she had to widen her Batman drawing to make it look right.
One of the coolest things Aiba showed was actually how she uses kinesio tape (or perhaps some offbrand equivalent?) on her hand. I’ve never used it so I may have this wrong, but I believe she said that the tape actually has to be wrapped in a way that it pulls in the opposite direction of the muscle to stabilize it.
Kino Hinoki
The other artist was Kino Hinoki, whose works include the manga adaptation of NO.6 and a series called Setsuna Graffiti, bout a fireworks maker. Her panel was on Sunday. Funnily enough, Aiba was also there helping the interpreter with obscure manga-specific terms and literally running around with the mic for Q&A.
Kino was very forthcoming with information and tips. Comparing her work on NO.6 to other manga, she mentioned needing to do a lot more plotting in advance (it being an adaptation and all). She gave a tip on using screentone on faces, which is to only use it on closeups. She also cautioned artists to be careful of making what people in the industry derogatorily refer to as “face manga,” i.e. are just close-up headshots with little variety. And when asked about her biggest inspirations, Kino answered 1) Arakawa Hiromu (Fullmetal Alchemist) for the way she constructs and composes her stories, and 2) Tanemura Arina (Full Moon o Sagashite) for her illustrations.
I asked her if she had her own editor or if she worked with the ones at different publishers, and she said the latter (which is more common). Other fun trivia included the fact that she pole dances as a hobby, she’s left-handed (and thus has to deal with the fact that most devices for digital artists tend to favor righties), and her favorite FMA character is Edward (she likes good-looking short characters).
Animeigo + Discotek
Animeigo has been bringing anime to home video for English-speaking fans since the 1980s, and they’re still alive and kicking. But recently, there was a big change as the original president, Robert Woodhead, sold the company to MediaOCD’s Justin Sevakis, himself an industry veteran. At Otakon, the new Animeigo announced their plans to bring back their known titles in improved editions, such as Megazone 23 and Bubblegum Crash—but also to license rescue works from outside their catalog, like Full Moon o Sagashite. This will be the first time that Full Moon is fully available legally in the US, as the previous release many years ago stalled. This series was an internet darling in the 2000s, and I expect a lot of fans from that era to rise back up for it.
The basic takeaway was that Animeigo and Sevakis came across as very dedicated to media preservation and giving it their all to make releases worth owning. It’s similar in a lot of ways to Discotek, the other current publisher really dedicated to retro anime—a company to which Sevakis also lends his and MediaOCD’s video restoration and authoring skills on a regular basis.
The Animeigo panel was followed by the Discotek panel in the same room. Like every year, it was chock full of announcements, so many that they couldn’t even fit them all in, showing them through an extra stream after the panel had ended. My personal highlights were a trio of mecha works: Space Musketeer Bismark (the original Japanese version of Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs), the HD blu-ray version of Giant Gorg, and the utterly unexpected Groizer X.
I attended the Friday concert by FLOW, a band I’m quite familiar with—I even got their autograph many years ago at another convention.
The group was here as part of a world tour that is specifically focused on their anime music. Before the concert began, voices from the titles they worked on gave words of encouragement: Team 7 from Naruto, Lelouch from Code Geass, and Eureka and Renton from Eureka Seven, among others.
Their set list was as follows.
01 BURN
02 KAZE NO UTA
03 LOVE AND JUSTICE
04 Steppin’ out (Intro, Long version)
05 CHA-LA-HEAD-CHA-LA
06 HERO~Kibou no Uta~
07 DAYS
08 Brave Blue
09 COLORS
10 WORLD END
11 United Sparrows
12 Re:member
13 Member Introduction: Tick Tack
14 Sign ~ Intro Long Version
15 GO !!!
16 GOLD
One could tell how popular a particular show/song was based on the rumbling along the floor. A very new song like their Kinnikuman opening got some cheers. “DAYS” from Eureka Seven definitely caught people’s attention (It’s my favorite song of theirs). “COLORS” reflected that Code Geass was indeed a defining anime for a great many. But when “GO!!!” from Naruto hit, the floor literally felt like it was undulating from the stomps and excitement. I think it really says how essential and fundamental Naruto was to the fandom, and how much that fifth opening helped put FLOW on the map. It’s literally one of two openings people will generally point to as the series intro (the other being “Haruka Kanata”). Overall, it was an excellent time.
Retro AMVs
Otakon this year brought back old school Anime Music Videos, this time from its 1996 Otakon AMV contest. I’ve never been that big on AMVs in general, but there’s just something fun about it as a time capsule. As expected, the anime involved were the fan darlings of the era: Bubblegum Crisis, Armitage III, so much Tenchi Muyo!, and so on. I highly recommend checking this out at least once, not least of which is because of the level of technology the AMV makers had to work with at the time. I do wonder how attendees who weren’t around for this era of anime feel when watching these.
Miscellaneous
Skipped the Korean Content
I keep not attending the Korean stuff despite having every intention to check out at least a little. Maybe next time!
30th Anniversary Exhibit
Near the front entrance was a special area showcasing memorabilia from every Otakon since the very beginning, including things like Otakon Vegas and 2020’s Otakon Online. It was fun reminiscing on all the past Otakons I had attended, and to see what came before I ever started going.
The most astounding thing is realizing just how much it’s grown: 1994 had only 350 attendees, and now it’s over 50,000! At the Closing Ceremony, the staff revealed that the entirety of the first Otakon would have fit into the relatively modest 30th anniversary exhibition area.
Otakon 2025 Hotel Reservation Fiasco
Although this has nothing to do with Otakon 2024, I do need to point out the numerous problems that occurred with reserving hotels for 2024. Otakon announced that the hotel blocks would open at 12PM EST on August 13. Many other conventions have similar queuing systems for everything from autographs to concerts, and usually the point of the queue is that the order is randomized to be more fair to people who couldn’t get there right on the dot.
However, this was not the case for Otakon, which ended up being a first come, first served system. That in itself was potentially not an issue, but Otakon did not communicate clearly that it was non-random, and the social media didn’t announce that they were actually starting at 11AM until the day before. On top of all that, they had apparently tried to test the system at around 1030AM, which opened the queue and allowed people who were waiting to get in before even the earlier start time.
I hope Otakon can fix this problem for next year, as it is one of their biggest missteps in years.
Food
In addition to the above-mentioned Saté food truck at the Matsuri, I ate at a number of spots over the weekend. As always, the Caribbean food in the convention center is probably the best deal and consistently delicious (though be warned that it’s still convention prices). SUNdeVICH is another mainstay of the Otakon trip, and this year I got their bulgogi-based Seoul sandwich. The kimchi and slaw make it really work. Dolcezza’s gelato is as good as ever.
I also visited a small German restaurant called Prost DC, and got the sauerbraten (see above). It was surprisingly pleasant, and made me reevaluate my previously very neutral opinion on this national dish of Germany.
Cosplay
Closing Thoughts
At the Q&A session on the final day, there were a few people who expressed that they wished it felt more like a 30th anniversary celebration, but I think it feels very Otakon to just do a solid job of putting on a convention. Just about everything I enjoy about Otakon is still there, and I have faith that the hiccups and issues that are there will be at least partly improved by the next go around.
I want to end with a little story: At the Matsuri, I was sitting with some friends, one of whom was chatting with someone else sharing the table. This young individual was attending Otakon for the first time, and they had come to this event cosplaying as Inuyasha. I was a little surprised because the heyday of Inuyasha (and its ubiquitous cosplay at cons) had long passed, but I found out that Inuyasha was this person’s first anime ever. It really felt like time is on some mysterious cycle; perhaps all too appropriate for a 30th anniversary.
My Hero Academia by Horikoshi Kohei is a manga that has stood out thanks to its gorgeous art, variety of memorable characters, and exploration on what it means to “do good” and “be a hero.” It ties together the popular genre of the shounen battle manga with the classic American trope of the superhero, and provides a simple but profound setup that evokes the best of both. Now, after 10 years, the series has concluded, and the reception to its ending seems to be rather mixed. While that is likely a case of “the loudest voices” in online discussion, it’s also a reflection of how MHA has long attracted a variety of readers with values that conflict a great deal.
Warning: Spoilers for the entirety of My Hero Academia
Plot and Circumstances
My Hero Academia is the story of a boy named Midoriya Izuku, also known as Deku. In a world where superhuman powers referred to “quirks” are commonplace, Deku dreams of becoming like his idol, the #1 hero All Might. Unfortunately, he discovered at a young age that he is entirely quirkless, all but dashing his hopes. But a chance encounter with All Might leads to the living legend transferring his power to Deku, making the boy the latest in a long line of individuals to carry a mysterious power called “One for All.” This sets Deku on a path towards entering UA Academy, Japan’s most prestigious school for aspiring heroes. Over the course of the series, Deku and his friends learn the ins and outs of being a hero, but also the fact that there are profound disagreements as to what that entails.The emergence of villains, including ones with ties all the way back to All Might’s prime years, adds a thread of history that connects past to present.
So much of MHA reflects the period and circumstances in which it ran. In 2014, titans of Shounen Jump like Naruto and Bleach were in their sunset years, and these series had helped popularize massive casts of uniquely powered characters through which readers can find their own favorites. MHA is cut from this cloth, with all of Deku’s friends and teachers providing a veritable smorgasbord of possibilities. Then there’s Deku himself, with his pure heart and humble desire to help others, who was one of the vanguards of a generation of “good boy” leads. And back when the series began, the Marvel superhero movies were truly a global phenomenon; I suspect that their cultural penetration in Japan is part of why readers gave MHA a chance.
But a lot changes over the course of a decade. The Marvel Cinematic Universe has dragged on and suffered from all the problems that plagued the overly convoluted comics. Antiheroes never fell entirely out of fashion, and there has always been a contingent of readers who see Deku as boringly naive and someone who needs to learn how dark and difficult the world actually is. His rival Bakugo, a former friend turned bully, is hotheaded and violent, and one of those characters whom certain fans saw as the real star.
A big question surrounding Bakugo’s popularity was the degree to which fans liked him because they saw him as someone who could change (particularly in regards to personal redemption for his terrible behavior towards Deku), and to what extent people liked him precisely because he’s an asshole. When the series then brings a more extreme version of this dynamic, the question of whether someone deserves forgiveness or a second chance becomes a lot more fraught: The hero Endeavor has a history as an abusive father, for instance, and the villain Shigaraki (responsible for many evils) is himself a product of generational trauma and manipulation. MHA seems to touch directly and indirectly on many cultural flashpoints of the past decade by virtue of being a series that 1) wants to portray a bunch of powerful and attractive guys and girls, 2) is very much centered around different ideas of hard work, camaraderie, and justice, and 3) is a long-running shounen series with lots of plot threads, which means pacing becomes an issue at some points.
The Ending
So when the final chapter came out, it was perhaps inevitable that the reaction would be mixed. There are too many different people with their own perspectives reading this series in their own ways. Even so, it still surprised me how much disappointment seemed to resonate through the fandom. Some interpreted his new life as a quirkless UA Academy teacher to be a bittersweet outcome. They saw it as unfair that a guy who saves the world gets little fanfare and legacy, especially because he loses his powers leading the charge to defeat the ultimate villain of the series, All-for-One. Even All-for-One apparently falls short as a major villain. Other criticismsI’ve seen include the lack of resolution for romantic shops, that outside of a brief period as a vigilantes, Deku never develops a “dark side,” and that having his old classmates develop a Batman/Iron Man–esque super suit for him is a cop-out ending.
Yet the ending is so appropriately Deku. It’s fitting that he would accomplish arguably the greatest feat his world has ever seen and then recede from the spotlight, only to be pulled back into it by the people whose lives he changed. Deku goes through a great many ordeals throughout the entire story, and while he learns that the world presents some complex moral quandaries, those tribulations also reinforce Deku’s inherently kind nature. He sacrifices All Might’s gift to him, One-for-All, to get through to his primary nemesis and rival, Shigaraki. He ultimately reconciles with a changed Bakugo, but not without taking many lumps in the process. In the aftermath of the final battle, he even encourages a villain to write a book about his perspective on why Shigaraki was the greatest, because Deku wants to hear the story he has to tell. And while Deku isn’t holding hands with Ochako (the #1 romantic prospect in the series) by the end, he does call her “his hero.” Even if they’re not officially together in the final chapter, they’re still only in their early 20s, with plenty of life ahead of them.
It reminds me of the backlash against the ending of Gurren-Lagann, which was also a series where fans loved seeing the hero reach ever greater heights that all seemed to lead to a perfect happy ending, only for a slight twist at the end to break the tidal wave of endorphins the series had been generating at the end. I saw fans at the time its last episode aired express such anger and frustration at its ending, while missing the fact that the hero’s actions signify that the errors of past generations won’t be made by him.
Other Thoughts
I know that some of the problems were caused by questionable fan translations that made Deku seem a lot sadder than he actually was. But even taking all that into consideration, it’s strange to me that “teacher at UA Academy” is joked about as being some kind of perverse punishment. It allows Deku to apply one of his greatest strengths—his love of studying and analyzing quirks—in a way that connects to his inherent desire to help others. Deku’s humble nature is central to his being, and while I don’t wish to analyze the readers themselves, I can’t help but wonder how many people dream of being showered with praise for doing something great, and feel at odds with Deku’s values. If Deku has any great flaw, it’s his willingness to sacrifice himself at any moment, and even that is turned on its head by the fact that his friends found a way to make him a superhero again.
It also juxtaposes him against All-for-One, who is ultimately shown to be a lifelong sociopath and the embodiment of selfishness. Speaking of whom, I can understand why readers might be disappointed that All-for-One turns out to have pretty uncomplicated motivations instead of those of a true mastermind, but I also think that contrast makes for an important point. For all his power and influence, he was ultimately no better than an emotionally stunted individual whose infamy and accomplishments masked an otherwise naked avarice. “Wasn’t he just a big baby in the end?” Yes, both figuratively and literally, and I can think of a couple real world examples who are exactly this way. The idea that great evil doesn’t need great motivation is deceptively simple.
Final Thoughts
With a series like My Hero Academia, it’s impossible to satisfy everyone who read it, especially because so many disparate groups came to this series. For some, it was a breath of fresh air in manga and comics. For others, it was their introduction to anime and manga. It was a mix of two of the world’s biggest genres with a few others thrown into the pot, and it went on for 10 years. Did it drag at times and leave some plot threads untied? For sure—that was almost inevitable. Yet I do feel that My Hero Academia successfully kept its core intact. There is growth, but growth doesn’t have to mean tossing away everything that made you who you are. For all the ups and downs, I think Horikoshi stuck the landing by remaining true to the hero he created.
OGIUE MANIAX 