As with most conventions, Sakura-Con 2014's Opening Ceremonies was met with tons of fanfare as thousands of fans got to meet and welcome their favorite stars from Japan and America for the first time. Hosted by incumbent Sakura-Con chairman , Christopher Louck, the Opening Ceremonies marked a great beginning to the annual Seattle-based convention, and with new screens and equipment it was a fun time for every involved.

Earlier today at their Global Games Day event, Bandai Namco Games America announced that Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment will be released in North America and Europe this summer in English on the PlayStation Network as a digital-only release.

Organized once a year by the Asia Northwest Education Association (ANCEA), Sakura-Con 2014 is currently in full swing this weekend (April 18- 20) at the Washington State Convention and Trade Center in Seattle, Washington. So far, 2014 has been a fantastic year for the con-goers including everything from cosplay to the star-studded Guests of Honor lineup featuring production crew from Wilt Studio's Attack on Titan to JPOP singer Elisa and more!

Follow T-ONO on Twitter all weekend for live updates fresh off of the convention floor. Also, please be sure to check back soon on www.t-ono.net for interviews and post-con impressions!

Notorious for his talents as a songwriter, drummer and pianist, Part 1 of Yoshiki's 2014 world tour is starting later this month and will include ten different countries: US, Mexico, Russia, Germany, France, United Kingdom, China, Thailand, Taiwan and Japan. In the US in particular, he will be performing in Costa Mesa (4/25) and San Francisco (4/28), California.

Over the weekend Aniplex USA announced that they will be releasing the first film in the Persona3 film trilogy, Spring of Birth, on Blu-ray later this year on May 20th. Based off of ATLUS' highly-successful PlayStation 2 JRPG, the film tells the story about a group of students who summon entities known as Personas, beings with special powers, to battle creatures known as shadows during the "dark hour."

Whether you've managed to catch all 649 Pokémon to date or are just beginning to walk your very first steps out of Kanto, Google's latest April Fools joke will have you screaming like a 9 year-old girl who just caught her very first Jigglypuff. Teaming up with Nintendo, Google has released their 2014 April Fools Joke, "Google Maps: Pokemon Challenge" where players explore around map apps on their smartphones in their quest to become a Pokémon master and catch them all.

Ever wonder what would happen if you were to give an undead zombie magical girl powers? Then wonder no more. Serving as the whimsical premise behind FUNimation's and Studio Deen's 2011 supernatural series, Kore wa Zombie Desu Ka? (lit. Is this a Zombie?), the anime tells the tale of a zombie high school student, by the name of Ayumu Aikawa, whom suddenly finds himself in the midst of unusual circumstances after he is mysterious murdered by a serial killer. He is revived by the deadpan necromancer Eucliwood Hellscythe who moves in with him which is followed by a series of happenstances that threaten to interrupt Ayumu's "normal" life.

Importers take notice! According to a post from Namco Bandai Games Taiwan over the weekend, the upcoming PlayStation Vita title Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment will have Japanese voiceovers and include both Chinese and English subtitles.

Released and translated by acttill, the Japanese Folktales Series 4 through 6: "The Listening Hood," "Princess Hachikazuki," and "the Mouse Wedding" have been released on iTunes for both iPad and iPhone users. Beautifully Illustrated by Taniel, who worked on the Nintendo DS game A Witch's Tale, readers can now experience these three timeless Japanese folktales for $2.99 per story.

With an upcoming preview set for Bandai Namco's booth at the upcoming AnimeJapan 2014 trade show, a teaser site for the upcoming original TV anime Sora no Method was revealed on Monday. Additionally, it was announced that Naoki Hisaya (Kanon, Sola) will be writing original concepts and scripts while the illustration circle QP:flapper (MM!, Girlfriend (Beta)) will be working on original character designs.