The Asian Karaoke Idol Invitational celebrated its 8th season, "HoliDAYZE", at Philadelphia, PA's The Rotunda on November 28th-29th, 2009. It was the 1st season of TAKII to feature 8 different theme songs centered around its season theme (which was celebrating the spirit of the holiday season). It also was the season of TAKII that almost didn't happen *GASP*. You see, right after TAKII 7 ~Simply SINs"ASIAN"al~, D-chan (TAKII Founder & Lead Coordinator) & his family got heavily involved in what can only be described as 1 of the most arduous things a person can go through in life....purchasing their 1st house! Through many ups & downs & people coming out of the woodwork to help see things through, he was able to achieve a lifelong dream of home ownership as of November 16th, 2009, in Upper Darby, PA!! Now, how exactly did this impact TAKII 8? Considering that TAKII parent organization headquarters (Prince Diamond's NegaMoon Zone) had to now be reloacated & that there was plenty of TAKII planning left to do, TAKII Coordinators went into overdrive in putting together the most dynamic season of "the world's most extreme Asian culture fusion festival" to date, in less than 2 weeks!! What ended up occurring blew everyone's minds & is now chronicled here at TAKII 8 ~HoliDAYZE~'s home in our "Historic Archives":  
 

  << The Asian Karaoke Idol Invitational Show >> 8 seemed to truly be this season's lucky number, as our 8th installment of the "TAKII Show" saw 8 contestants (3 boys & 5 girls) compete for the title of Champion through over 2 hours worth of Asian-themed vocal madness. With each participant determined to out-perform one-another, Alex (from Artificial Intrigue) kicked up a further notch by performing an Italian-styled Japanese aria, blowing TAKII fans completely out of the water! Guest judge The Anime Preacher Man, however, was not impressed with the attitude she exhibited on stage (LOL). After about 4 minutes of comical arguing, guest host D-chan had to break it all up & allow for the remainder of the Show to continue. Other highlights included many "nuggets of wisdom" from guest judge Kojiro James (James Craven, of TAKII 3 ~Video Game Ecstacy~ fame), cheering for D-chan to win the show (wtf, LOL), & random slow dancing. When all was said & done, Alex was able to hold her head higher than ever before as she captured the TAKII 8 Show Championship! That leaves 1 question left to be answered (maybe at TAKII 9 ~Yume Ga Kanau (Dreams Come True)~)....when will the guys actually start winning thing thing!?

<< Capcom Showdown SmackDown >> What do you get then you have over 3 dozen TAKII 8 fans sign up for a gaming tourney dedicated to everything that is Capcom on 6 HD-TVs for 4 hours? You get the madness that we love to call "Capcom Showdown SmackDown"! TAKII 8 did the legacy of 1 of the world's most prolific game developers proud by allowing contestants to show off their superior gaming acumen in a variety of Capcom games, with a potpourri of different stipulations attached. It came as no surprise to TAKII Coordinators that Capcom's cross-over series of games (ie: "Capcom VS SNK", "Marvel VS Capcom 2", etc.) were the most enjoyed by "Capcom Showdown SmackDown" competitors. However, noticeably absent from the mix was "Tatsunoko VS Capcom", the company's latest entry into the cross-over gaming genre; we wanted to wait for the game to be official ported to the USA before including it at the festival. Absent games aside, Karen K. (aka "Aizen") earned enough points through the tourney to be crowned our new "Capcom Showdown SmackDown" Champion!

  << Community Centrale & Dealer's Dominion >> TAKII 8 ~HoliDAYZE~ & its "Community Centrale" & "Dealer's Dominion" participants gave fusion festival fans in attendance hundreds of reasons for celebrating the season in true, extreme style. From Gothic Lolita couture to designer chainmail, from discounted anime to rare cosplay accessories & everything in-between, there truly was something for everyone to enjoy, or buy, at over a dozen different tables. In a step up from previous seasons, TAKII 8 extended it's "Swag Station & Snak Shak" offering to include even more snacks & fusion festival-branded goodies (thanks to overwhelming demand from our fans ^_^). In fact, at the last minute, dealers from Artificial Intrigue approached TAKII Coordinators live at The Rotunda the morning of TAKII 8 ~HoliDAYZE~ to request an emergency table; they, too, had become infected with the buzz that surrounds "the world's most extreme Asian culture fusion festival" & we were more than happy to oblige (^_^). The following vendors & exhibitions are only some of the individuals & organizations that made our "Vendor Festivities" a shining centerpiece to TAKII 8:

         # Cosplay Forever
         # Artificial Intrigue
         # Gamer Doc
         # Vitamin Water
         # Anime Sunrise
         # Rent-A-Center
         # Prince Diamond's NegaMoon Zone
         # TAKII Swag Station & Snak Shak
         # The Foundation
         # The Lost Otakus
         # Upper Darby, PA Libraries
  

<< TAKII Wild Card >> At the end of the day on Day 2 of TAKII 8 ~HoliDAYZE~, fusion festival fanatics were treated to "Para Para Dance-Off", a spontaneous competition that combined the enigmatic power of a rave & the legacy of Para Para (with hilarious results :-P). Compliments of PDNMZ: Asian Multimedia Entertainment Network, dozens of participants danced to the sounds of the "Para Para: Bishoujo Max (Pretty Soldier Max)" soundtrack, as many more TAKII 8 attendees looked on (mostly in disbelief that anyone could be dancing with that much intensity at 10:00pm on a Sunday night :-P). D-chan attempted to throw in a few Britney Spears songs (just to spite Asian music purists), but was met with threats of much glomping & candy pelting (LOL). An actual winner wasn't crowned, but it certainly did give TAKII Coordinators "food for thought" about a future festivity for The Asian Karaoke Idol Invitational!

It is said that some people tend to do their best work when put under pressure. The same can be said for TAKII Coordinators & Coalition Members, as TAKII 8 ~HoliDAYZE~ would not have been possible without everyone's conbined effort & well-wishes. It was a season of The Asian Karaoke Idol Invitational put together in less than a month, yet produced attendance that rivaled not only internal records, but those of other local similar events in the area! Due, in part, to its demonstration of influence on Asian culture fandom, TAKII was able to attract over 2 dozen new organizational sponsorships & help launch what would then be called PDNMZ Shoppe X-Perience!! After a well-deserved break, a few weeks after TAKII 8 ~HoliDAYZE~'s conclusion, it was announced that TAKII 9 ~Yume Ga Kanau (Dreams Come True)~ would take place from Philadelphia, PA's The Rotunda on May 29th-30th, 2010. With time now on its side, the fusion festival would promise to kick it's 4th year of existance off with a bang, in true TAKII style. Don't deny your destiny  & arrange to attend TAKII 9 ~Yume Ga Kanau~ today, minna-san!!!!