The 1st incarnation of PDNMZ's "The Asian Karaoke Idol Invitational ~Ichiban~" was a wonderful way for Prince Diamond's NegaMoon Zone to break into the live event scene & give back to its fans & fans of Asian Music & Anime everywhere. The theme was inspired by SailorMoon SailorStars' 3 Lights (Yaten, Taiki, & Seiya Kou), with the theme song being "Chasin' After You" (by the 3 Lights), from the 4th SailorMoon Musical. People who assisted in planning this event were not quite sure how everything was going to go, but we were pleasantly surprised by the turn-out & fun that was had! With the assistance of a sponsorship by the Delaware Anime Society, "TAKII ~Ichiban~" gave area Philadelphians & otaku/Asian Music enthusiasts alike an event no one would soon forget! Complete with 7 events & plenty of video games & music to go around, there was never a dull moment at "TAKII ~Ichiban~". Please take the time to view recaps & images from some of "TAKII ~Ichiban~"'s festivities & reflect on an occasion that saw a "new breed unleashed" in PDNMZ live fusion festivals -- "you only get 1 chance to make a 1st impression!"

<< The Asian Karaoke Idol Invitational Show >> For anyone that has the courage to sing in front of a bunch of people, I have a tremendous amount of respect for them. As a vocal performer, I am not ashamed to say that I used to have stage fright even singing in front of my own family. But this year's competitors, Annie D. (of West Chester, PA) & Sara (of Southern DE), showed the audience that what prevails above all is singing from the heart (....& maybe a sheet of lyrics ^_^)! Presiding over judging for the show were D-chan (yours truly), Mr. William Tritt (a close personal friend & industry professional), & Ms. Matilda Madden (Delaware Anime Society CEO), & lemme tell yah, it was quite a challenge! After all was said & done (including a "Bananaphone" interlude by Dan R. of West Chester, PA & an external drive malfunction -.-*), Annie D. was crowned our "TAKII Show" Champion! She received Japanese body oils & shampoo, & a bouquet of flowers.   

<< Say "WTF" Karaoke >> Despite the aforementioned hardware malfunction, 1 of TAKII ~Ichiban~'s most memorable performances came when Dan R.came up on stage & sang his own rendition of the song "Bananaphone". Knowing full well it wasn't an Asian song, by any standards, but knowing that Dan R. is 1 crazy b@st@rd, I let it slide, & everyone was laughing so hard, we had tears in our eyes! Take it from Dan R.: don't let anyone tell you that you can't sing; just open your mouth & rest assured someone around you will find it hilarious (lol)!!

<< Gaming Tourneys >> With time not on our side, everyone entered into as many gaming tournaments as possible, hoping to win some of our fabulous prizes available. Sega's Dreamcast, Sony's PlayStation 2, MicroSoft's XBox, & Nintendo's GameCube were all rightfully represented, with some top honors going to Allison C. from Upper Darby, PA (winning PS2's "WWE SmackDown! VS Raw 2006" tournament using a steel chair to knock her opponent out), Annie D. (winning GameCube's "1 Piece: Grand Battle" tournament by mastering chain combos to prevent her fellow gamers from using any offense), Dave R. (of Phoenixville, PA , winning Dreamcast's "Capcom VS SNK 2", utilizing super combos out the wazoo from the game's most powerful male characters), & Jackie R. (of Feasterville, PA, winning XBox's "Ultra Bust-A-Move").

<< Gaming Free Play >> "TAKII ~Ichiban~ would not have been complete without its all-day gaming free play component, with "TAKII ~Ichiban" festival-goers, flocking to play Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks on XBox, Taiko Drum Master on PS2, Mr. Driller on Dreamcast, & Super Smash Bros. Melee on GameCube, among the 30+ video games available for play that day. Outstanding gamer props have to go out to Greg (of Lancaster, PA) for truly coming into his own with many dizzying performances on PS2's "DDR Max: Dance Dance Revolution 7th Mix" & Chris F. (of Phoenixville, PA), for proving to us why he is affectionately known as the "King Of Kings"....by smashing the crap out of my Taiko drums on PS2's "Taiko Drum Master" & beating my sister, Allison C.)!

After having "TAKII ~Ichiban~", fans personally messaged me (D-chan) & PDNMZ & not only complimented everyone on a job well done, but wanted to assist as Co-Coordinators in the next TAKII festival! For those of you that aren't aware, it takes a ton of time & energy to put on an event, no matter how big or small. Plenty of discussions are had before-hand, & conflicts are confronted in an adult & democratic manner, keeping in mind that the sole reason to have an event at all is to share your love for something you are passionate about with your friends & the rest of the world; & PDNMZ never lost sight of this important fact! Moreover, when you are around people you cherish dearly, such as family & best friends, it just added to the special place that TAKII ~Ichiban~ will have in all of our hearts for years to come. After a lot of serious debate, it was decided that The Asian Karaoke Idol Invitational would live on for a 2nd season! As a wise person once said, "it's not about money, or fame; it's about having fun & cutting loose once in a while." The rest, as they say, is history...."to the extreme"!!!!