Anime NYC weekend for me was full of music occasions massive and small.
Membership Ironmouse
I like Ironmouse and the group she’s managed to foster, however I had but to ever see considered one of her live shows in individual. When tickets for her Anime NYC version of Membership Ironmouse went up for order, I made a decision to purchase some tickets with none more information obtainable. I used to be assured that along with herself, she would characteristic some spectacular visitors, and my prediction was rewarded. Specifically, I’m an enormous fan of Michi Mochievee, and I’m glad I bought to see the 2 carry out collectively. The opposite primary artists had been Ünnamed (who’s nonbinary and carried out as each their female and male selves), a musician known as CG5 (who used a chibi model of himself to take part on this VTuber expertise), and Banzoin Hakka from Holostars. I’m shocked there have been no jokes about Michi and Hakka being one another’s doppelgangers.
One drawback with the occasion, by no fault of Ironmouse or her crew, was that the Javits is simply not a superb area for live shows attributable to poor acoustics and a concrete ground that’s extraordinarily unforgiving to ft. One other drawback was considered one of my very own making: Because of a battle, I missed the pre-show and a little bit of the primary portion. I ended up having to take care of an unusually torrential Manhattan night, and my ft had been undoubtedly not dry for any of it. General, I appreciated that issues felt each informal and thrilling, which is a special vibe than from numerous the issues I’ve skilled.
Membership Ironmouse additionally did one thing superb: They despatched a reduction code to offer all dwell attendees the power to observe the stream totally free. This gave me an opportunity to catch these different elements and to revisit Michi and Mousey’s performances, in addition to the others. I actually want different live shows comply with swimsuit, because it does really feel such as you get punished a bit for going to occasions like this in individual.
Massive Apple Idol Fest
This was initially not on my radar, however my Sunday was pretty open. This occasion space held round 1,800 individuals and featured many extra acts. They ranged from cosplayers doing dances and pantomimes, to extra conventional idols who did each covers and authentic songs, to VTubers who will even carry out dwell. I usually loved the song-and-dance performances greater than the dances, however I did recognize that the latter included choreography from Oshi no Ko and Aikatsu! I additionally thought it was good that numerous the performers had been from New York and surrounding areas.
In my earlier evaluation of the Otakon Idolspace, I had talked about that the kaigai (abroad) idol scene appears to wish to extract the constructive features of idol tradition with out additionally bringing within the extra abusive and problematic elements. Massive Apple Idol Fest clearly confirmed an embrace of various physique sorts as an alternative of getting restrictive requirements for peak and weight and different features. It’s just like the idols need it to be simply as a lot for themselves as it’s for his or her followers.
Yumemi and Phoebe Chan had been two performers I had seen at a number of occasions this 12 months like OshiUplink, Otakon 2026, and Skyline Serenade. Each had talked about doing this for about 10 years, and I felt of their performances a degree of refinement that mirrored their ranges of expertise. I additionally lucked into being the proper spot to purchase a cheki from Phoebe and meet her in individual. We talked about Macross!
I additionally later discovered that a number of VTubers (a few of whom I comply with) had been within the viewers, having fun with a tradition that interacts with and overlaps with theirs so totally. It’s form of humorous to simply take into consideration the truth that they had been secretly current, having fun with the benefit of relative anonymity.
Eclipsed Fates
I believe it’s protected to say that there are extra VTubers now than anybody can moderately ever watch, which implies that generally you discover individuals you want and revel in, however then they fall to the wayside. This occurred to me with the ladies of Variance Mission, significantly Leia Memoria. Once I noticed that they had been having their first ever live performance for his or her first anniversary, and that it was throughout Anime NYC weekend, I made a decision to go.
Not like the opposite occasions talked about above (however like Skyline Serenade and Seigetsu Stars), Eclipsed Fates was not formally related to Anime NYC. Moderately than being held on the Javits, it was at a small bar in Park Slope, Brooklyn known as Atolye NYC. Most of it was standing room, however there was some seating which I took benefit of. I used to be behind the digital camera the entire time, so you’ll not see me within the VOD.
Two issues I observed about Variance Mission have been 1) True to its title, the ladies are very completely different from each other, such as you’re going from chocolate cake to straight vodka, and a couple of) they appear to get pleasure from reveling of their lore greater than different teams. Eclipsed Fates was much less of a straight live performance and extra of a concert-musical with a story underpinning the whole lot. The sound could possibly be arduous to listen to at occasions so I didn’t catch each element, however the story was principally that the three ladies of Equilibrium—Leia, Avaritia Hawthorne, and Katya Sable—had been delivered to a barren world the place they had been made to face off by an evil deity, with the winner attending to make a want. Every of them was additionally accompanied by an ally (i.e. visitors for the live performance): Phoebe Chan (once more!) in VTuber type, Vampirate Odessa, and Pengy. Ultimately, they managed to work collectively to reject and defeat the god by the ability of tune, and so they realized they make a fairly good crew (although some had been extra reluctant to confess it than others). General, it was a neat concept that I want I may have heard higher on the venue.
After the credit, there was a teaser trailer for his or her subsequent era. Within the days since, Embyr Sparks and Cecilia Lent have debuted, and so they certainly lean into their lore fairly arduous. I significantly get pleasure from Embyr’s easy-going and familiar-feeling perspective (and does a superb cowl of “Skyfall”), however I additionally recognize Cecilia’s character appearing (and the truth that she’s promoting sticks of wooden for debut merch).
