Today was the second book signing event in the Tokyo area for the release of Book 4 of Yoko Taro’s manga series “Kimi Shi ni Tamou Koto Nakare // Thou Shalt Not Die”.
I managed to get a participation ticket back in March and I knew this day was coming for a long time… but my brain is super stupid sometimes, especially when my usual rhythm gets thrown off. I haven’t worked on Saturday in a long time since I’ve been busy with chorus practices and concerts, so for whatever reason, I was thinking that I had today to just lay around the house and do nothing, then tomorrow would be the signing event. Turns out, this was wrong, today was Sunday, and I had already missed the first session that I was scheduled to attend. orz
I read the fine print on the ticket and nothing said that if I missed the time that I would not be able to attend either of the other two sessions, so I threw clothes on quick and ran out the door. orz orz
Luckily enough, I got there just as the 2nd session was beginning and they allowed me to join it. I was taking my seat just as Yoko Taro and Moriyama Daisuke made a very brief greeting before starting the signing event. WHEW!! So, yay!! I was able to get the 4th manga volume signed by both of them! <3
There was also a little time to chat, but… I’m horrible with small talk and I get really nervous sometimes. Hopefully, I didn’t seem too nervous this time, but I still felt a little at a loss of words. We talked a little bit about the KimiShini stage play…and that I went to every, single show. haha And we talked a little bit about the last manga all-night event and how I’d really love for them to do another one. I told them that I stayed at a hotel that night since I live in Yokohama and the event got out well after the trains stopped for the night. I probably could have just gone to an internet cafe or a family restaurant for a couple hours before the morning trains started, but I already had plans in the early afternoon the following day in Tokyo, so it made more sense for me to stay in town.
ANYWAY, it’s always a pleasure and a joy to meet with my favorite director/creator no matter how brief. I completely, honestly, sincerely hope that he’s not sick of me stalking him to all these events. LOL
Here are a couple photos that I took at the event!
First of all, I wanted to talk a little bit about the recent downtime this site was faced with. I received many messages from people who visit these pages, and I was really overwhelmed by the voices of concern. Thanks so much to everybody who went out of your way to contact me regarding this. If you’d like to read a little bit more about this, please check here.
In other news, the 7th Official Live Broadcast held at the Akihabara Square Enix Cafe is tonight at 8:00PM (Japan time). This is the second time a live broadcast was streamed from this location, but unlike the last time, fans were able to enter a lottery to join the event in person. Only 20 lucky fans were chosen to join the event and… I was one of them!! I’m so excited! So, if you tune into the live broadcast, you may see or hear me in the crowd should they turn the camera toward the audience! haha I’ll be in my A2/YoRHa hoodie… and I’m sure I’ll be the only foreign face in the audience, so I doubt it will be hard to spot me. lol
This is a link to the main SQEX page regarding this event, but you can view the live broadcast either on Nico Douga or YouTube!
Almost exactly a year ago, we got the first whiff of Yoko Taro possibly working with Square Enix to develop a smartphone game, which I wrote about here.
Today, we were presented with a trailer and some additional information regarding the game and its story.
SINoALICE
The absolute worst “Story”
Yoko Taro x Square Enix x Pokelabo
Today started off before 5am. My crazy neighbor got stuck in the slanted driveway out front and couldn’t get out, squealing his tires forever. Suffice it to say, I was awake before my alarm went off at 5.
Today’s events at Tokaigi started at 10am with the NieR concert kicking off at 11am, which meant I needed to leave my house at the butt-crack of dawn to get there early enough to get in line…and wait. I got into the Makuhari Messe complex at 8am and there were already a billion people there. xD But I suppose I was relatively at the beginning of the line, anyway. Once 10am came around and they started letting people in, it took me about 20 minutes to enter the first area.
I had an amazingly fun time at the event, and I feel awkward talking about the details–I don’t know if the other parties involved want me to mention them. ^^;; But I was given an amazing opportunity as a mere fan and I will be forever grateful for that act of kindness! Thank you!!
▲ The entrance sign for Tokaigi 2017
▲ This was the main entrance into Tokaigi. Every one lined up here and around 9:30, they started a short stage event to help pass the time. They had a cute countdown for the last couple seconds until 10am when they dropped the stage backdrop that obscured the entrance into the venue that you can see at the center of this photo.
■ The Concert
NieR White of Destruction, Black of Rebirth -Tokaigi 2017 Version-
Time: February 11, 11:00-12:00
Appearances by: Saito Yosuke, Yoko Taro, Okabe Keiichi, Emi Evans, J’Nique Nicole
Program: White of Destruction, Black of Rebirth
A select bunch of songs from the last NieR concert were performed at Tokaigi, which included some really amazing renditions of songs that you could hear nowhere else. For example, vocalist Nakagawa Nami usually sings Emil’s theme, but since she was unable to come to this event, Emi sang it instead. She did such a wonderful job with it; I almost wish they would put it on a CD sometime. Likewise, J’Nique sang the harmony line to the Song of the Ancients / Fate. Their voices melded together so well, I often felt emotional throughout the whole concert. ;_;
01. 夏の雪 Snow in Summer
02. 光ノ風吹ク丘
03. カイネ Kaine
04. イニシエノウタ Song of the Ancients
05. Weight of the World
06. Emil (Emi Version)
07. Ashes of Dreams (English)
08. Grandma
09. イニシエノウタ Song of the Ancients / Fate
＊ Voice actors Isobe Keiko (Operator 6O) and Hatsumi Meari (Operator 21O / Anemone) were also present toward the back of the standing area at the concert.
■ The New Opening Sequence
[ JAPANESE ]
[ ENGLISH ]
■ The Translations
▲ A2: こんなに世界が綺麗だって気付かなかったわ。
English: I never quite realized… how beautiful this world is…
Direct: I never realized… how beautiful this world is…
▲ 9S: 司令官からの命令で2Bさんのメインテナンスを担当する事になったんです。これから、定期的にチェックしますね。
English: The Commander’s put me in charge of your maintenance, ma’am.
That means I’ll be performing regular checks on you from now on.
Direct: I was assigned by the Commander to oversee your maintenance.
I’ll be performing regular checks on you, okay?
▲ Notice here that… it appears as though 2B is unconscious or dead… and 9S grabs her hand, using it to caress his own face… *creepy*
▲ 2B: この記録を聴いた者がいたら、伝えて欲しい事がある。もしヨルハ部隊所属9Sに会う事があったら、私は彼に…
English: If anyone is listening to this, there’s something I need you to do.
If you ever meet up with YoRHa Unit 9S, I want him… I mean…
Direct: If anyone hears this recording, there’s something I need to tell you.
If you ever come in contact with YoRHa Unit 9S, please tell him…
This image reminds me a lot of what was shown in the storyboards from the Character Introductions video last year:
▲ 9S: ポッド１５３に命令：貴様の独断論理しかの発言を禁止する
English: Pod153: I order you to halt all logical thought and speech.
Direct: Pod153: I forbid you to voice your damn dogmatic logic.
▲ 2B is damaged and having extreme difficulty moving forward, many of her systems failing…
▲ AD: 11945, the 14th Machine War
▲ Short-haired A2/B2(?)
▲ Notice that this gigantic centipede appears to be the same boss that A2 comes across in the desert, as depicted on her character poster:
▲ Short-haired A2/2B with Pascal who seemingly has a “headache”. Again, the color of the machine’s eyes is important here. Green = good, Red = bad!
▲ Note that this shot is in grayscale. Since all shots on the Bunker are displayed in grayscale, this is more than likely within the Hanger on board the Bunker.
▲ The Commander ordering her battle Operators forward within the Bunker.
▲ These are the “battle” type Operators that serve the Commander.
▲ 9S with the short-haired A2/2B(?).
▲ Adam: 機械生命体とアンドロイドは同類と言えなら…
English: Perhaps we’re not so different after all.
Direct: Perhaps you could even say Bio-machines and androids are similar.
Rekka’s Comments
It’s clear there’s something going on odd here.
Adam & Eve do not seem to label themselves, whether they are Bio-machines or androids in the English line, but comparing it to the Japanese, we can assume that they are not androids
and are therefore Bio-machines… Perhaps along the lines of Term Alpha & Term Beta.
▶︎ Pascal: A2さん、ここは私が！
English: Fear not, A2! I can handle this!
Direct: A2, I’ve got this!
▲ A2 stands above a defeated or incapacitated 2B. This shot ends when A2 steps closer and takes 2Bs sword that’s sticking out of the ground.
▲ The Commander’s Operators… losing sentience.
▲ A2/2B: 私達はアンドロイドがあるい自体に人類を守るように作られている。
English: Androids were designed to protect their human masters.
Direct: Androids were created to protect humanity.
Rekka’s Comments
Personally, I really dislike the “human masters” thing.
Yeah, humans created the androids, but… Mmm…
I don’t know; it just doesn’t feel right to me.
▲ Emil: 無駄と分かって言っても、やらなきゃダメなんだ。
English: Even if it’s pointless, we still have to do it!
Direct: Even if it’s meaningless, we still have to do it!
▲ I really want to say that this is Eve that they’re fighting. The figure appears to be all black… which is what happens to Eve when his tattoos expand across his entire body.
▶︎ Commander: お前達二人は最後のヨルハ部隊…
English: You two are the last members of YoRHa.
Direct: You two are what’s left of the YoRHa Squadron…
Rekka’s Comments
The… last of the YoRHa Squadron?
What the heck happened to wipe out all other YoRHa??
There weren’t many to begin with, but still…
▲ Eve: 俺は、俺は…！
English: I… I’m…!
Direct: I’m… I’m…!!!
▲ 9S without his visor and destroyed left arm. He does not look… “well”.
▲ 2B: 違う、9S。あれは…
English: That’s not the Operator… It’s…
Direct: No, 9S… That’s not…
Rekka’s Comments
There is *no* mention of the Operators from the original line.
You’d have to infer a lot to come to that conclusion.
▲ The Celestial Script reads “YoRHa Truth”. Hmmm…
