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!

Before I found out that I was selected to join the live event, I had already reserved two tickets to go to the cafe in the morning. Unfortunately, a friend who was going to go with me had to cancel, so I went alone. 🙁

Here are a couple photos of the yummy NieR:Automata goodies that I ordered…

This is kind of a quick post, so I will be adding more details to it later, especially after the event tonight! So, please stay tuned!! <3

After the Event

Now that the event is over, I have a little more time to reflect and share some fun stories about it!

First off, here’s a bit of a summary or notes about the first half of the Live Broadcast. I will update this page more with additional photos and info later! Please stay tuned!

Square Enix Presents – 7th Live Broadcast
May 1, 2017 8:00PM
At the Square Enix Café in Akihabara

Guests:
Yoko Taro (Director)
Saito Yosuke (Producer)
Taura Takahisa (Developer, Platinum Games)
Yui (Voice Actress)
Kamiya Hideki (Special Guest, Platinum Games)

• The other day, Saito, Yoko, and Okabe had a “date” at USJ. Flying dinosaur.
• Taura came from Osaka to the event alone
• Saito asked Yoko what he thinks about how Taura has grown in terms of taking the helm of the game’s development. Yoko says that it feels like he’s raised him in a sense. He was also able to help Taura learn how to drink. Taura is now able to drink a little bit; before he couldn’t drink at all. Taura says that he’d be okay if Yoko even tried to hug him. Yui: Is this that short of program…?
• In the last program, the SQEX boss Matsuda appeared on the program and was made to eat aji. He was very thirsty and didn’t really have any clue what sort of program that was supposed to be. But apparently, it became one of the top trends on the UK YouTube.
• Yoko and Saito talked about having Yui on the show sometime and when they talked with the marketing supervisor Takano-san, they were able to book her. They decided to have a collaboration instead, with the first part as the Square Enix Presents and then the second would be on her “Yui Channel”.
• Yui also sings in the chorus at the end of the game, as well as Saito, Yoko, and others. They tried to get people to sing for free. Operator 21O, Operator 6O & Yui. But it wasn’t completely free, they were fed, so… The members of the development team also sang.
• Sony Asia/Japan Gold Prize for selling 5,000,000. They talked about how they should receive the award and Saito thought it would be funny to drench Taura in olive oil and have him slide onto stage.
• Square Enix Café NieR:Automata themed food.
  • Those in attendance were able to order any drink and get food from the buffet
  • Hamburg stake, curry and rice
• Yoko was going to remove his mask to eat… but everyone in the audience knew it was Kamiya. He said that you really enter your own world with the mask on. They wondered if people watching realized something was different, given Kamiya’s size. xD Kamiya was very relieved for the warm comments. He would have been really upset if people told him to get out. A day after the NieR concert in Osaka, they went out drinking and Kamiya was pretty drunk and promised to appear on a program. Kamiya sort of thought that Saito might have regretted agreeing to it, but he says that he didn’t. He just thought it was asking too much of Kamiya.
• Kamiya Food Tasting Report: He ate everything and had to read his report from the script. Taura commented that he was really reading the script, even using a finger to keep his place. But they said there was no script. Haha Taura said that the script was clearly visible in the video, but Kamiya just said it wasn’t the script. It was just the pattern on the table.
• Saito asked him to try another bite and tell us more about it. Kamiya said, “Of course. I can talk much more about it.” Yoko joked that he would just re-read the same comment as before…which he does. Haha
• Emil Lost Memory Pancake Salad
• When Taura asked Kamiya if he liked Emil, he was at a loss for words. The salad has soy & Genova sauce on the pancake. Even though Emil has lost his memory, you will not forget this taste. Later Saito asked him exactly what Genova sauce was and Kamiya was completely adlibbing. It was great.
• Next was the Devola & Popola cold pasta, which was created for Taura (as a joke with the olive oil). Yoko said that it would be a good idea to pour the olive oil on Taura later. Kamiya said that the pasta has great Vitamin A and B… and Saito & Taura quickly corrected him to say Vitamin C. Then he started reading the bit that Taura was going to say, and Taura had to stop him. “We haven’t even poured on the olive oil yet.” “Ah, you’re right. But for me, I feel like I’ve already done it.” Lol Then Yoko suggested that he should raise the olive oil up high and pour it onto the pasta. Taura eats a little of the pasta and Yoko says that the way he eats is so cute. Kamiya chimes in and asks if Taura’s reading something…which of course, he is. He reads through the whole thing quite rapidly, Yui asks what he’s saying, and he finishes with “Everyone, I hope you try it.” And ends it with “What is this atmosphere?” Saito says that he could have just adlibbed it and Kamiya teases Taura when something flew out of his mouth. They took a questionnaire to see who introduced the food better and Kamiya says not to use their faces as a deciding factor. Kamiya had about 60%.
• Next was the Devola & Popla ice cream. Saito says that the name that was suggested first by Yoko was “Adam’s juice”. It would have been a bad idea to actually name it that, so they changed it. Haha But Yoko says that it’s really “Adam’s juice”. Yui asks what you’re supposed to do with the sauce, if you’re meant to pour it on the ice cream, and Yoko grins widely and says, “Yes, you pour it on.” “Why do you look so happy?” “Kamiya will pour it on.” Saito says that if you pour the berry sauce on the ice cream, it will taste much better with the clear jelly. Yoko says, “Yeah, maybe. I’ve never eaten it before, so…” Kamiya says there’s nothing written on the pattern on the table (aka the script, remember that joke?) so he just adlibs the whole thing. He talks about Emil’s memory which has nothing to do with it and the others laugh and tell him so. Saito asks him which he likes better, Adam or Eve and he says Eve because of his clothing… but they say he hardly wears any clothing…
• When the aji comes Yoko laughs in his throat.
• They make a toast for 1,000,000 sales. Many of us in the audience had already finished our first drink, myself included, so I toasted with an empty hand rather than using an empty glass (which is generally considered bad luck).
• Placemats & Coasters
• Saito, Kamiya, and Yoko had been ordering Highballs the whole night and Kamiya says that NieR = Highball lol Saito mentions that Kamiya started drinking well before the beginning of the broadcast, to which he responds, “Because this is NieR.”
• Yui drew an Eve coaster.
• Taura drew a 9S coaster. Saito says that it would be cool to see Taura cosplay as 9S, but Yoko says that he wants to see him as Eve… and Taura says, “You’re just saying that because you want to see me w/o a shirt on.” They asked the audience which one he should do and the majority of people raised their hands for 9S and Taura seemed a little relieved, but then Yoko said that he should do them both. Yui suggests that he should dress as Eve, get olive oil poured on him and then slide out on stage for the award ceremony. Then Yoko said that he should paint his entire body black like Eve towards the end instead.
• Kamiya drew the Pod coaster and said it was Metal Gear Mach 2. Yoko said that Square Enix probably doesn’t mind him calling it that, but Kamiya’s company probably does… hahaha
• Yui said that she was going to die her hair to do the 2B cosplay but decided against it since she has to appear on several other programs. Yoko agreed and said it would just damage her hair. She stood up to show her 2B cosplay and Yoko was in grave danger of being shown on camera, but they cut that bit out. He held up his leg instead. I said, “SEXY!” in the BG and ppl laughed.
• Saito drew three coasters: 2B, Operator 21O, and the secret Emil coaster.
• SQEX Café goods: Smartphone case, acrylic figures of Adam & Eve, Devola & Popola. The smartphone case makes it a bit difficult to take pictures, so Saito says you don’t need to buy it. The design is really nice but it’s difficult to take photos. Saito said tablets but he meant to say tumbler.
• Kamiya said that he was pretty nervous about appearing on the program and he talked to Taura about it, who agreed and said that he’s a bit nervous, too. He said that the way Taura looked at him made it really awkward, as though they were in some BL drama or something.
• Saito said that everyone in the audience knew that it was actually Kamiya in the Emil outfit and the one who helped him put the scarf on was Yoko and yet everyone pretended to sound excited when the mask was removed.
• Saito, Yoko, and Kamiya are all 47 (actually, Yoko will be 47 in June).
• Bag card case, black and white.
• The last time for the NieR themed SQEX Café, all the goods rapidly sold out, so to avoid that from happening, they made sure to keep the stock up. Yoko says that the entrance of the café seems like it’s an Amazon store with all the boxes everywhere. It’s almost like a typical convenience store with the boxes of stock all over the place. Worst case scenario, Kamiya & Yoko will go around the world selling any extra items that don’t sell, says Saito.
• NieR Music Score – Yoko says that you don’t even need to be able to play it, just buy it and that’ll be good enough. xD Saito again says it’s not necessary to buy it at all, which Yoko repeats and says “Good-bye.”
• Merchandise Under
  • NieR:Automata BRING ARTS 6” 2B & Kaine action figure
  • NieR:Automata TRADING ARTS mini Blind Box gacha (10 + secret)
  • NieR:Automata mini PLUSH 2B & Stubby
• NieR salt & music box – Song of the Ancients; Saito said that they could have chosen a cheaper music box that didn’t have as many notes, but then they would have had to arrange the song differently… So they chose the more expensive one. Saito again said, “You don’t need to buy it.” Saito asked if they should use salt from Hakata, but Yoko said that if they chose that, he’d never forgive them. Yoko said that it’s best to use a no-name brand.
• NieR:Automata DLC
• Saito asked the audience and online whether people deleted their saves and started over. Unfortunately, I haven’t managed 100% yet so I will delete it later when I manage 100%.
• Yoko says that it really doesn’t matter if people buy it or not, so… but then Kamiya speaks up and says it’s a great way to earn extra money. He does a hand gesture that means “money” but Taura tells him to stop and then Kamiya apologizes, saying that he was swept away by the mood of the moment.
• Yui says that they will continue the discussion to her channel and then Saito says that Yoko just might appear in person this time… Taura agrees with him. Yoko himself says, “It’s not impossible.”
• Kamiya said to call him for another event in the future.