At this year’s Anime Expo, Bushiroad hosted a special panel on July 4 to highlight several announcements related to their trading card game and media titles.
The first of their announcements included information about the Bushiroad Championship Series 2019 for trading card game titles Future Card Buddyfight, Cardfight!! Vanguard and Weiss Schwarz. The Championship Series is set to take place in several cities across North/Latin America, with the World Finals to be held in Tokyo.
Next up was the announcement of Bushiroad’s next set for their popular trading card game Weiss Schwarz. Due out soon is Sword Art Online – Alicization. Based on the recent broadcast anime series that continues the Sword Art Online story, players will have the opportunity to pick up the new Trial Deck + and Booster Packs. More details on this upcoming release will be announced soon!
The focus of the panel then shifted to the attention on two very special guests: Aimi, the voice of Kasumi Toyama in BanG Dream! Girls Band Party!, and Haruka Kudo, the voice of Sayo Hikawa in BanG Dream! as well as Yachiyo Tsuruhime in Revue Starlight: ReLIVE. Both Aimi and Ms. Kudo talked a little bit about what BanG Dream to start off their talk portion of the panel.
Both Aimi and Ms. Kudo describe BanG Dream! as, “a new generation girls’ band project where Anime, Game, Comic and Voice Actors interact through Live Music Performances. We hope that you’ll join the voice actresses as they grow and move everyone’s hearts!”
Aimi describes her band Poppin’ Party as “a Kira Kira Doki Doki band. Poppin’ Party is about happiness, ballads and rock and roll. Actually, I have a question: what does Kira Kira Doki Doki translate to in English?”
Ms. Kudo: “I believe it’s ‘shiny, sparkling my heart”
Ms. Haruka Kudo talks a little bit about her character, Sayo Hikawa. Sayo is the older of two sisters, of which her younger sister Hina is also in a band. Roselia, her band in which she plays guitar, is “cool”! She describes Sayo as “a normal high school girl, but is stoic, aiming for perfection and cares deeply for her sister”
The BanG Dream! Girls Band Party! mobile game gives fans the opportunity to play their songs in a rhythm-style game. For avid players of the game, they will be glad to hear that Story Zero has just been released. Also, currently in progress is the 3 million downloads campaign, a thank you from Bushiroad for fans support of the English Version of the game. Players can expect to receive daily rewards of 50 Star Gems, one of the currencies in the game that can use to refill gauges and for gacha drawings. In addition, the campaign includes one guaranteed 4-Star card during this time. Also, fans should keep an eye out for the 2nd General Election Campaign coming up soon.
For fans who want more of the anime series itself, Season 2 is currently available to watch streaming on HiDIVE. This was the perfect opportunity during the panel to show fans their characters’ signature guitars that you’ve probably noticed in the anime series right on stage with them.
Up next was an introduction to Revue Starlight. Revue Starlight is one of Bushiroad’s most recent multimedia projects, which involves the girls of Seisho Music Academy who look to shine and excel on stage via theater performances involving signature weapons that each character has. The anime version of Revue Starlight is also currently airing on HiDIVE here in North America. What originally started out as stage lives eventually gave creation to the anime series, which was made possible in 2017 thanks to the tremendous support of the fans. Revue Starlight Re:Live is the mobile game which features the girls of Seisho Music Academy, along with girls from rival schools Rinmeikan Girls School, Frontier School of Arts, and Siegfeld Institute of Music, which is the school that Ms. Kudo’s character, Yachiyo Tsuruhime attends.
Revue Starlight Re:Live players can train and customize their characters to make teams to guide them through the story, events, and to compete against other players. The latest update in July to the game will include the first part of Chapter 7.
Ms. Kudo: “The characters in Revue Starlight are cute and unique and you’ll really want to cheer them on!”
The next announcement from Bushiroad was information about their event, CharaExpo USA 2019. This successful event from last year is back and will take place on Dec. 7 and 8th at the California Anaheim Convention Center. Tickets are already on sale. Special guests that have been announced include Aimi herself, Ms. Kudo with all of Roselia and Raise a Suilen.
Ms. Kudo: “This will be the 2nd time for Roselia to come to the US, so please come see us again!’
Aimi: “I’m very excited to be coming to CharaExpo USA this year!”
CharaExpo USA 2019 will consist of the Bushiroad Championship, the Lion’s Break Project 2 for New Japan Pro Wrestling, numerous exhibitors, and the Garusuta Festival, which is the recent festival dedicated to BanG Dream! and Revue Starlight that was held in Ikebukuro . Fans will have a chance to experience attractions and exhibitions from that festival at the event, including the weapons from Revue Starlight that will be on display.
Aimi: “It’s like a school festival with small shops, food stands, and live stage performances!”
Exhibitors that will be participating in this year’s CharaExpo include: ADK, Animate USA, Aniplex of America, COSPA USA, Dentsu, Front Wing, TBS, Ultra Tokyo Connection.
Earlier in the year, a special contest was held to give fans a chance to name Bushiroad’s own mascot for CharaExpo. The official name “Matsuri” (credit to Hamto for the winning name) for their mascot was officially revealed at this panel.
Aimi: “It was very wonderful to see you guys today and I hope everything is going to be a very good day today. Also I hope to see you at CharaExpo in Dec and let’s hope for a Kira Kira Doki Doki experience!”
Ms. Kudo: “I’m very happy to see everyone wearing the happis, t-shirts and the cosplays and I’ll be at the booth with Aimi so please come by to see us!”
The last part of the panel was a Q and A where fans could ask questions to both Aimi and Ms. Kudo
Audience Member: “Are you familiar with the term ‘Yutori” or have you heard of it?”
Aimi: “Yutori is a Japanese culture.” (Audience laughter) “It actually points to children and adults too, as a quiet, peaceful very nice generation”
Ms. Kudo: “Yes, a very nice generation” (Audience laughter and applause)
Audience Member: “In BanG Dream, who is your favorite character besides the one you voice?”
Aimi: “Everyone!” (Audience laughter and applause)
Ms. Kudo: “In Revue Starlight, I would say Claudine. In Bandori… Hina and Kasumi!”
Audience Member: “Are you guys going to Disneyland?”
Aimi and Ms. Kudo: “We believe there’s a Marvel area coming up in 2020 so we would like to go there”
Audience Member: “Could you say Sayo’s line that starts with ‘Renshuu wa honban..’”
Ms. Kudo: “Renshuu wa honban no you ni, honban wa renshuu no you ni” (Audience applause)
(Note: This translates to “In practice, like on stage, on stage like in practice.”)
Audience Member: “What is your favorite food that you’ve eaten in America and what is your favorite thing you’ve seen in America?”
Aimi and Ms. Kudo: “Mashed potatoes! French fries! Beef! Actually what is the popular food in the US right now? In Japan, it is tapioca.”
Interpreter and MC: “From the audience it sounds like hamburgers, cheeseburgers, and pizza”
Bushiroad’s various activities at the booth during Anime Expo included their mobile game demos, merchandise as well as fun activities including trivia, talk shows and meet and greet events with Aimi and Ms. Kudo. In the Entertainment Hall, Bushiroad also hosted a game area with demos and tournament for their TCG properties Weiss Schwarz, Future Card Buddyfight and Cardfight!! Vanguard as well as their mobile game demo for Cardfight!! Vanguard Zero.
Aimi and Ms. Kudo: “Yes. This was really, really fun!”
The panel ended with a thank you and “Kira Kira Doki Koki” to the audience.
CharaExpo USA 2019:
Organizer: Bushiroad Inc. / Bushiroad International Pte. Ltd. / Bushiroad USA Inc.
Date: December 7-8, 2019
Venue: California Anaheim Convention Center, Hall D
800 W Katella Ave, Anaheim, CA, USA 92802
Tickets now on sale: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/charaexpo-usa-2019-tickets-61886810115
