Known for his epic, emotionally charged compositions that define global hit anime series like Attack on Titan, Gundam, Fate, and Solo Leveling, Hiroyuki Sawano has become one of Japan’s most popular composers. Through his solo project SawanoHiroyuki[nZk], he’s collaborated with numerous vocalists to create a sound that bridges cinematic orchestration and modern rock energy.

As Sawano is preparing for his first concert in Los Angeles on November 14 at the Peacock Theater, we had the opportunity to interview him about connecting with international audiences, preparing for live performances, and his goals for the next decade of his career.

The Akiba Station section brought a vibrant surge of anime culture to the three-day LA Comic Con. A major highlight was the first US convention appearance of Saori Araki, also known as SAO. We sat down with her to discuss her LA Comic Con experience, her debut single, and more. Read the full interview below.

At PAX West 2025, I had the chance to sit down with Junho Bae, the lead developer from IKINAGAMES, to discuss his upcoming turn-based RPG, Starbites. While playing through a demo at the NIS America booth, we talked about how the team brought the game's classic JRPG gameplay and visually stunning post-apocalyptic world to life.

At this years PAX West, we got a chance to try out Serenity Forge’s (Doki Doki Literature Club! and Slay the Princess) newest title, Fractured Blooms. Dubbed a “life sim”, Fractured Blooms is trying to blend cozy life-sims with horror.

After our hands-on with the event demo, we were able to have a chat with Zhenghua (Z) Yang, CEO and founder of Serenity Forge, and talked about Fractured Blooms, some of Z’s inspirations for this upcoming title and the horror found in the mundane. 

^{Interviewer: Adam Shiroma}