Like any good BanG Dream! fan I was ready to join that Zoom call, hell or high water. Because of my work schedule I would sadly be unable to interact (or even be on camera; I would have very obviously been distracted). All attendees were muted minus the two guests and Joanna, our moderator and MC for the evening. I did see many faces amongst the Zoom crowd that I recognized. As for me? I was a box with our logo on it.  

Both Aimi and Ito-san are no strangers to American fans; the pair have visited America for previous events like Bushiroad's CharaExpo which has been held in Anaheim for the past two years. Given the timing of the cafe it's possible we could have seen them in Los Angeles for Anime Expo but, here we are.

Poppin'Party's second album, Breakthrough, was released last month. It is now available on Spotify and Apple Music for streaming. This event served somewhat as a heads-up to fans that it was now available for listening and purchase.

Part of the Zoom call was dedicated to an interactive quiz with Aimi and Ito-san as the test-takers. Attendees were provided with various colored backgrounds to join in with. As a bit of encouragement, if Aimi and Ito-san were able to get six correct answers, they would get some delicious sweets from Cafe Dulce upon returning to Los Angeles (2021, perhaps?). If they get all ten correct, In-n-Out was the prize. The girls came through with flying colors and earned those hamburgers.

Next up was a short Q&A with audience-provided questions.

I love what you do in Poppin'Party. What is your favorite song to play live as a band?

AIMI: My favorite song is "Kizuna Music♪." When I'm performing the song, I feel a bond with the band. It reminds me of the anime and brings me to tears.

ITO: My favorite is "Teardrops." It's a really good song and from [my position in] the back of the stage I can see the cool side of each member.

What have you done to entertain yourself during quarantine?

AIMI: Lots of YouTube. I watched lots of concert videos and they helped keep me happy. Me and Ito also became YouTubers.

ITO: I love whipped cream so I bought many different brands of it. I researched the best way to eat whipped cream.

What are your favorite memories of each other?

AIMI: I've stayed at Ayasa-chan's house many times. She's stayed at mine too.

ITO: We spend a lot of time together but there was one time that stands out for me. I once dyed my hair and didn't think it went well. Aimi said, "oh, that looks good." That's one of my favorite memories.

What do you like the most about your character?

AIMI: My favorite part of Kasumi is how she can be friends with everybody. She's really good at making friends and I respect that. I wish I could be more like her.

ITO: My favorite part is that even though Arisa is a tsundere, she can honestly say anyting that's on her mind.

Would you sing the POPIPA chant for us? Thank you for giving us smiles and laughs with your characters all the time.

Both Aimi and Ito-san were happy to perform.

A few prizes were then selected for distribution to a few lucky fans including Weiss Schwartz decks and acrylic keychains featuring various BanG Dream! characters

At the end of the event, everyone present did the Zoom-equivalent of a group photo that you might see at the end of a concert or panel.

In a way this Zoom call was more intimate than your normal convention panel. Even though there was north of 200 attendees we all got a front-row seat to the event and each had the potential to be noticed by the guests. I'm sure it was a nice change for people to not have to wait hours in order to get the closest seats. Just roll on up to your computer or phone in the comfort of your home, log in, and voila. There you are. Some attendees were in plainclothes. Some were in their best cosplay. It was a microcosm of what you would see at a convention.

The guests had a few parting words:

AIMI: Thank you everyone. I enjoyed it a lot. I hope to see you all in person in LA! One day I would like to visit LA for a concert and eat at Cafe Dulce while I'm there.

ITO: It was very fun. Even though it was an online talk show I was happy to see everyone's faces one by one. The collaboration donuts look delicious and I wish I could go to LA to try them!

With that, most of us signed off. About a dozen of us were held back for a short press junket.  Questions had been pre-screened and selected ahead of time and are as follows.

How did you feel about the virtual talk show?

AIMI: This is my first time doing an online event like this one but I had a lot of fun just like any other panel I've done in the past. All the fans are warm and kind. It was as comfortable as any other panel I've taken part in.

ITO: This is also my first online event. It was really interesting being able to see everyone's homes. I could see where they live and what their rooms look like. It was sweet seeing everyone's plushies and how they suport us. That was unique for an online event; I really enjoyed it.

Side note: one of my friends had asked me "can they see us?" Yes, yes they can.

What did you think about the cafe's menu items?

AIMI: They were different from the ones in Japan. They all looked really delicious. The designs were cute and if I saw one in store I would definitely buy them. Donuts are a very American sort of thing to have in a collaboration.

ITO: The donuts had colors you don't see in Japan. They were very unique. I'm curious to see what kind of collaboration events would be possible around the rest of the world.

Your latest album, "Breakthrough," just released. What is your favorite song on the album? 

AIMI: I really enjoyed recording "Mirai Train." The lyrics really show Kasumi's growth as a character.

ITO: I really enjoyed "Hello! Wink!" That's one of those songs that gets you energized and has a high-tension feel to it. That's definitely my favorite.

Do you have any special memories from working on it (the "Breakthrough" album)?

AIMI: It describes the evolution of the members and their growth. Not just the lyrics but the growth of everyone in their skills as performers.

ITO: When we recorded the music video we had to travel to overseas. It was the first time this year for me to travel. It was also the first time where it was just all five of us traveling. That was a good memory for me.

This is the first “BanG Dream! Girls Band Party! Cafe” event held in the U.S. As BanG Dream! Girls Band Party! has really risen in popularity across the world, and we’ve even seen collaborations, like the song Baby Shark, come exclusively to the global version of the mobile game. What are your thoughts on the increasingly global nature of the franchise? Are there any new ways you’d like to see BanG Dream! brought overseas?

AIMI: I really like traveling overseas so I love the feeling of globalization. I'm a global kind of person. I think it's really great that the franchise is spreading around the world. Recently I've been appearing on TV music programs and maybe I can someday be on an overseas TV music program. That would be awesome.

ITO: When I was looking at everyone's screen [during the Zoom call] I saw everyone's room and all the kinds of people from all over. They were cheering us on, holding plushies, and showing that they love and support this franchise. That shows just how far this franchise has reached. Something I would like to do is cover American pop songs.

At CharaExpo USA 2019, Aimi and Sae Otsuka came up with a fun name for their pair of characters in Poppin'Party. What title would you give Kasumi and Arisa as a duo?

AIMI: We (Aimi and Sae Otsuka) kind of wanted to change the name from "Sexy Two" to "Kira Kira Doki Doki Hanazono Land." Something like that.

ITO: Usually we connect our names together but maybe..

AIMI: Beauty Flower?

ITO: Colorful flower? Colorful sound? (thinking about the kanji - colorful)

ITO: Maybe sand. My parents said the meaning might be sand. Colorful sand?

AIMI: How about Kansai-ben? Dialect? Happy dialect? Something like that? Because we both speak in the Kansai dialect. Happy speak? *laughs*

You two have been working together on anime/music projects for a while now. What are some changes and improvements in abilities you've noticed in each other over the years?

AIMI: I've known Ayasa since she was much younger. Over the years I've noticed that she's been able to notice a lot more and sense a lot more of people's needs around her.

ITO: I've noticed that Aimi's expressions for her emotions have become much more clear. She's also able to bring out the more subtle things during her performances.

AIMI: Yeah. Another thing I've noticed about Ayasa is that she's really good at noticing emotional things and experiences.

Aside from the instruments you play in Poppin'Party, are there any other instruments you’re interested in playing, or learning to play?

AIMI: Drums. I think my personality would go well with the persona of supporting the other members from the back. Drummers are able to support the people at the front of the stage. I've been doing the opposite of that since I'm the main vocalist and guitar player. As a drummer I would be able to support them from behind.

ITO: I'd play the drums, too. Currently I play the keyboard. Each key is very small and I don't move as much as I would if I were playing the drums. I would be able to freely move around and use my body more. I think it would be more freeing as a performer. (Side note: maybe she should explore the keytar?)

Are there any projects you're working on or have coming up that you can tell us about that you're looking forward to?

AIMI: Currently we are rehearsing for a live performance (BanG Dream! 8th☆LIVE which will take place August 21-23 and October 8-9 in Japan). I hope we'll be able to perform.

ITO: I'm really looking forward to Poppin'Party's next original song.

You previously have been guests at Bushiroad’s Grand Festival and CharaExpo events here in the US. What was the experience like being able to meet the fans here in the US?

AIMI: Everyone's very nice. I like to do puns in English and people laugh and have a great time. Everyone reacts really well.

ITO: One thing I've noticed is that the fans are extremely passionate. I can feel the heat at these events. They sing along with us and they're almost as loud as Aimi is. That makes us very happy, to feel their dedication.

If you were to be invited to another convention or Bushiroad event in the US in the future, what city have you been interested in visiting?

AIMI: New York. I'm a big American comics fan and I visualize the character being in New York, that kind of thing. I definitely want to visit the landmarks I see in the movies.

ITO: I want to go to Broadway. Theater, musicals, that sort of thing. I'd like to attend an actual performance on Broadway.

Aimi has been to the US multiple times so far. Ayasa, did you receive any gifts from her? If so, what was it?

ITO: Every time she goes to the US I get something from her. The last time she went I got socks. All the popipa members got socks and they were really cute but they ended up being mens' sizes. They were colorful and decorative but were too big.

Another thing I remember is that she got us some perfume in the US. Travel size bottles for all five of us.

AIMI: I got the socks from a mall in Hollywood. It was a big mall and that's where the store which I bought the perfumes was too.

Aimi, we last saw you in America at December's Chara Expo event (2019). You, along with the rest of Popipa, were also present at the 2018 event. What have you noticed in terms of the evolution of American fans?

AIMI: I think there were a lot more fans there in 2019. There were a lot more people at the performance and a lot more people in cosplay. Even the goods and the merch (t-shirts, towels, etc) that people were carrying were more numerous.

The BanG Dream! event focuses heavily around desserts and sweets. Do you two have any favorite desserts or sweets?

ITO: I really enjoy sweets and desserts a lot. It's hard for me to just choose one. If I had to, it would be pancakes. Even when we went to Guam, I had pancakes for breakfast.

AIMI: Mine is definitely French toast. It's because you can easily make it yourself. I like it so much that I can use three slices of bread to make French toast and I can eat it all.

And with that the night truly ended. It might have been short but it was very sweet, much like Poppin' Party's music and the delicacies of Cafe Dulce.

For more information about BanG Dream! please visit:

BanG Dream! English Official Website:
https://en.bang-dream.com/
BanG Dream! Girls Band Party! Official Twitter:
https://twitter.com/bangdreamgbp_en
BanG Dream! Girls Band Party! Official Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/bangdreamgbp_en/
BanG Dream! Girls Band Party! Official Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/BanGDreamGBP/
BanG Dream! Girls Band Party! Official YouTube Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPityslSknKsWUq9iy8p9fw

Times are tough, but so is humanity.  We'll see you all in person next year.