TAKII ~Ichiban~
The 1st incarnation
of PDNMZ's "The Asian Karaoke
Idol Invitational ~Ichiban~" was a wonderful way for PDNMZ 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 (c/o DAS) from some of "TAKII ~Ichiban~"'s events & reflect on an event that saw a "new breed unleashed" in PDNMZ live events!
HI-LyTES
& LO-DOWNz
 The
Asian Karaoke Idol Invitational ~Ichiban~ 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) and
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
~Ichiban~" Champion! She received Japanese body oils &
shampoo, a
bouquet of flowers, & the Championship as a result. Thank you to
all of our entrants for making this show quite an exciting one! |
 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)!! |
 Video Game
Tournaments |
 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", just by actually being the only 1 to know what she
was doing ^_^). |
 Video Game
Free Play |
 "TAKII ~Ichiban"
would not have been complete without its all-day gaming free play
component, with "TAKII ~Ichiban"
event-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 stuff
out of my Taiko drums on PS2's "Taiko Drum Master" & killing my
sister, Allison C., in the process (in the game, of course ^_^)! |
FUSION
FESTIVAL REFLECTION
After
having "TAKII
~Ichiban~", fans personally messaged me & PDNMZ & not only
complimented everyone on a job well done, but wanted to assist as
co-coordinators in the next TAKII
event! 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 manor, 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. As a
wise person once said, "it's not about money, or fame; it's about
having fun & cutting loose once in a while"!| TAKII
~Ichiban~ STATS & DISCUSSION (more info) |
 Submitting a TAKII memory? EMAIL: history@takii.pdnmz.com |