XDantheManX Online

Ghost in the Shell (2017) Movie Review: Revenge is a Dish Best Served...

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 29 Mar 2017 02:23:00 +0800

It was one of my most anticipated movies of 2017. What struck me the most was its visual style. Futuristic, vibrant and bright with a flamboyant colour palette- a consistent tone dotted all over the movie's posters and promotional details- it was screaming wildly for attention and promised to pack a lot of fun.

Add to that the many great things I had heard about the iconic anime despite having not watched it before- the themes it explores such as the definition of humanity in an advanced society where minds could be transplanted- there is even a page on "Philosophy of Ghost in the Shell" on Wikipedia- and I had high hopes of a good time.
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Iketeru Hearts Interview: Making "Iketeru" A Universal Word

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 10 Dec 2016 03:23:00 +0800

(Top left, clockwise) Iketeru Hearts members Yuyu Arata, Kotone Uchida, Rie Tachibana, Karin Ochi, Yuno Yurano, Nijika, Kazune Manami (Not in picture: Madoka Usami)

Their ambition is to make the Japanese word "iketeru (cool)" a term as well-known as "kawaii (cute)" and be a bridge connecting Japan and the world.

Idol group Iketeru Hearts were in Singapore last month for the recent Anime Festival Asia (AFA) Japanese pop culture convention. It was their second year in a row attending the event, having placed first in a contest organised by idol-supporting app CHEERZ for the second consecutive year.
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From Stand-Up! Hearts to Iketeru Hearts: One Last Stage in Singapore

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 23 Nov 2016 20:40:00 +0800

Idol group Iketeru Hearts (formerly Stand-Up! Hearts) performing on the second day of AFA 2015

Over three days, they had fun with, bantered with and no doubt, put a smile on the faces of the many who had dropped by their booth, their curiosity piqued by the eight vivacious girls who would cheerfully invite them to take a picture or two together.

Often performing alongside many other groups at idol events in Japan, they had the audience's undivided attention showered on them for the first time, with supporters turning up in droves to spur them on at their daily stage performances.

They were only idol trainees, yet to make their professional debut but it didn't matter. The crowd couldn't care less. To them, "Stand-Up! Hearts" was what they were there for, what made them happy the most.
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Ex-AKB48 Singer Tomomi Itano Holding Singapore Fan Meeting in October

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 9 Sep 2016 15:35:00 +0800

Well, this is unexpected but great news! Ex-AKB48-idol-turned-pop-singer Tomomi Itano will be be performing in Singapore for the first time next month! The JAPAN MUSIC FESTIVAL - Tomomi Itano Fan Meeting & Showcase Live in Singapore will be held on Saturday, 8 October at Millian Singapore.
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C3 CharaExpo 2016 Press Conference LIVE!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 18 May 2016 09:19:00 +0800

It's time again for Southeast Asia's largest mid-year anime, comics and games convention!

Get live updates from the latest press conference at the Playstation stage at the 313@Somerset flagship Sony Store!
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Tohoku Kyodo Ryori & Sake is so Good! Unique Flavours from Japan's North-East!

noreply@blogger.com (E-U-G-E-N-E that's me!) — Thu, 7 Apr 2016 18:19:00 +0800

Eugene Chua writes

Featuring Kyodo Ryori (郷土料理) or traditional local cuisine, from the Tohoku region, in particular, Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima Prefectures

11 March 2011 - A great magnitude-9.0 earthquake struck the Pacific Coast of Tohoku, Japan. The largest earthquake to have ever hit the island nation, it triggered a massive tsunami which brought great devastation upon the region, wrecking properties, taking lives, and sparking several nuclear accidents.

Five years have passed since the incident and the people are slowly recovering.
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Singapore Fans Welcome Eir Aoi Home with Intimate Concert

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 6 Feb 2016 21:49:00 +0800

Ardent fans staged a warm homecoming for Eir Aoi earlier last month as she returned to Singapore for her "ROCK THE WORLD" 2015 world tour concert after more than a year's absence.

The show was very much theirs as it was hers, with the vivacious crowd heavily responsible for igniting the atmosphere. Armed with glowing lightsticks, they illuminated The Coliseum at Resorts World Sentosa in a sea of blue, the Japanese singer's characteristic colour throughout the one hour and forty minutes.
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Q'ulle Announces Singapore Stop on 2016 Asia Tour!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 1 Jan 2016 18:08:00 +0800

Singapore is one of the stops on Japanese rock dance unit Q'ulle's 2016 Asia Tour

Eir Aoi, ONE OK ROCK and ELISA are already coming to Singapore in the first month of 2016 but there are still more Japanese artistes set to make their way to our shores next year. 5-piece Japanese rock dance girl group Q'ulle has announced Singapore as a stop for their 2016 Asia Tour in a post on their official website.

In 2 Weeks... Eir Aoi's First Solo Concert in Singapore & All The Merchandise You Can Get! (UPDATE)

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 24 Dec 2015 14:14:00 +0800

Christmas is just around the corner... and Eir Aoi's first solo concert in Singapore is also just two weeks away! That's right! The prolific anisong singer is set to wrap up her first ever world tour, -ROCK THE WORLD!!- on our shores on Saturday, 9 January 2016.
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Eir Aoi ROCK THE WORLD!! Interview: Musical Influences, Soup Curry King And More

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 24 Dec 2015 12:00:00 +0800

First world tour. Nippon Budokan concert. Fourth album release. 2015 has certainly been an extraordinary year for Eir Aoi.

One of the hottest singers in Japanese music today, the Hokkaido-born songstress with eleven singles to her name, has performed the theme songs to many hit animes, from the likes of Sword Art Online, Aldnoah.Zero and Kill la Kill, gaining a legion of fans worldwide for her magnificent voice.

Originally scheduled to make a stop in Singapore this October as part of her "ROCK THE WORLD" first world tour, the concert was postponed to next year because of air quality problems.
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"Let's Stand Up!" Iketeru Hearts Unveils Music Video for Tsunku♂-Produced Debut Single

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 23 Dec 2015 18:24:00 +0800

Idol group Iketeru Hearts has unveiled the music video for their debut single "Let's stand up!" on YouTube today.

The track, which releases on 10 February 2016, is written and composed by renowned record producer Tsunku♂, best known for producing highly-acclaimed idol group Morning Musume.
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$38 to Catch ELISA, Kamen Joshi & More Perform at ASCOT Singapore in January 2016

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 22 Dec 2015 17:19:00 +0800

There's an anisong concert already planned for the first month of the new year!?

That's right! Get ready for an all-new anisong spectacle in January 2016! Featuring the return of Japanese singer ELISA, together with idol group Kamen Joshi and many other anisong legends in Singapore for the first time, ASCOT Singapore will be held at the Kallang Theatre on Friday, 29 January next year.
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A New TV Programme to Watch in January! Set Sail for Japan's San-in Area and Savour Delicious Seafood!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 13 Dec 2015 12:06:00 +0800

"Enjoy! Cruise Japan!" airs on Mediacorp Channel 5 from Sun, 3 January at 12.30pm!

Ever fancied travelling to Japan by cruise? Wait- who takes a cruise there? Well, you'd be surprised!

Starting 3 January next year, let Asia's popular travel show host Anita Kapoor take you to the beautiful San-in Area! With its mouthwatering fresh seafood, rich nature, history and culture, this southwestern region of Japan is the perfect destination for food and nature lovers.
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Interview with Lia: Working With Jun Maeda, Voicing IA and That Life-Changing Call

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 12 Dec 2015 16:51:00 +0800

Eurobeat, techno, trance, happy hardcore and anisong- Japanese singer-songwriter Lia has sung for so many different music genres but she is not stopping anytime soon.

"I like anime songs and I think my voice is more suited to them but I also want to try as many genres as possible in my life. I really like trying new things," said the 30 year-old in fluent English. She was in Singapore to perform at Anime Festival Asia 2015 last month .
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Bushiroad Confirms C3 CharaExpo 2016 for July! (UPDATED)

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 11 Dec 2015 00:00:00 +0800

CharaExpo will return in 2016

Rejoice! With the first CharaExpo barely over, fans can already expect a CharaExpo 2016 for next year. 16,324 fans attended CharaExpo 2015 over the weekend of June 20 and 21 in Singapore, according to official numbers by Bushiroad.
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ZAQ Interview: "My Music? It's CHAOS!"

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 5 Dec 2015 01:50:00 +0800

"Chaos." She replied when asked to describe her music. "It's all over the place."

In 2012, anisong singer ZAQ, who had made her name composing and writing songs for other artistes, released her first single, "Sparkling Daydream". The opening theme for anime Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai! went on to become a major hit and since then, her solo career has been on the rise, with an impressive nine singles and an album to her name.
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Maaya Uchida Interview: "I Want to Graduate from Voicing Chuunibyous!"

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 2 Dec 2015 11:10:00 +0800

Already in her twenties, she thinks that she should graduate from voicing chuunibyou (eighth-grade syndrome) characters.

One of the hottest seiyuus (voice actresses) in the anime industry right now, Maaya Uchida has lent her voice to many fan-favourite anime characters, most notably Takanashi Rikka in Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai! and Kanzaki Ranko in The Idolmaster: Cinderella Girls.
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Why You Definitely Need To Go to AFA 2015 This Weekend! You Won't Regret It!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 28 Nov 2015 00:26:00 +0800

How did your first day of Anime Festival Asia go? Large crowds and snaking queues were the most common sights of the day as fans scrambled to get their hands on exclusive merchandise and autographs in the eighth edition of the annual Japanese pop culture convention. XDantheManX Online checked out what went down on the opening day and what you can expect over the next two days.
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All the Autographs You Can Get at AFA 2015! Collect them ALL!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 27 Nov 2015 00:45:00 +0800

Gotta catch 'em all!

AFA 2015 starts tomorrow! What's the first thing to do when the doors open? Dash in and get every possible autograph you can get, of course! Ain't nothing better than meeting your favourite singers and voice actresses and getting your memorabilia signed by them personally! Here's XDantheManX Online's guide to ALL the autographs that you can get at AFA! Collect them all!
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6 New Exhibitors to Check Out at AFA 2015!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 23 Nov 2015 02:26:00 +0800

Bushiroad! Culture Japan! Good Smile Company! Many famous companies will be returning to AFA once again, following their successful outings in previous years, bringing with them tons of new and exclusive anime merchandise sure to tempt the many gullible young fans attending the convention. Joining them every year will be many new exhibitors, both big names and lesser-known ones. We take a look at some of the new exhibitors who you can check out at AFA this Friday!
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Want to Make your Anime Product Official? Now you Can, at AFA 2015!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 22 Nov 2015 00:28:00 +0800

Urawa no Usagi-chan

Are you an anime merchandise creator? Do you make your own doujinshi? Want to make your product official? Good news, now you can! With copyright infringement of doujinshi becoming a hot topic in Japan lately, you wouldn't want to be caught on the wrong side of the law, would you?
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DJ YURiA is Coming to AFA! Meet this Super-Cute Japanese Bunny Disc Jockey!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 18 Nov 2015 19:48:00 +0800

Source: DJ YURiA's Instagram

Going along with their all-new introduction of opening acts for this year's I Love Anisong Reboot concerts, AFA has announced super-hot Japanese EDM DJ, YURiA to open Sunday night's concert. "Wait- who's DJ YURiA? Is she an anisong DJ like Kazu?" you ask.

Fret not, the XDantheManX Online team has got you covered! The EDM disc jockey has been on our radar for some time ever since we chanced upon her Instagram profile a while back. Find out who this super-cute bunny-loving Japanese DJ is!
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What You May Not Know About AFA 2015...More Cosplay and Idol News

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 16 Nov 2015 23:39:00 +0800

Exciting news for cosplayers and idol fans after the break!

It's less than two weeks away to the largest Japanese pop culture convention of the year and announcements are in full swing. The organisers are certainly not resting on their laurels, with this year's all-new, all-different "I Love Anisong Reboot" concert's 17-singer line-up and an astonishing 13 guest cosplayers hitting our shores.

Amidst the deluge of recent announcements, here are some interesting news which you may have missed.
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13 Cosplayers to Meet at AFA 2015!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 4 Nov 2015 00:52:00 +0800

What's an anime convention without cosplay?

The slate of announcements from the year's largest Japanese pop culture celebration, Anime Festival Asia (AFA) 2015 continues with the reveal of an astounding 13 bedazzling cosplayers, a mix of both fresh and familiar faces, who will be making their way to the convention later this month. With so many cosplay guests, will you have the time to meet all of them?
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The Idol Resurgence in Singapore Continues! Rie Yunohara and You Yanase Enthrall at STGCC's First Idol Showcase!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 13 Oct 2015 23:35:00 +0800

Kyoto and Tokyo. One is the keeper of tradition while one is a modern metropolis. They hail from two distinctively different regions of Japan yet what they do is very much alike. Idols You Yanase and Rie Yunohara were in Singapore to perform at STGCC 2015 last month. Each bringing their unique brand of music, they enthralled a strong crowd at the pop culture convention's first-ever idol showcase.
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