Friday, May 30, 2025

Music News

Music

Epica Aspiral World Tour Begins in the United States in Early May

Epica makes their return to North America in early May. We last saw them in America back in 2022 as they toured alongside Sabaton. That time, it was in support...

Brian Lee - 01-05-2025

Music

Arch Enemy's Blood Dynasty Tour 2025 Has Begun

On April 16, Arch Enemy made their return to San Francisco in support of their newest album, Blood Dynasty.

Brian Lee - 18-04-2025

Music

Korea's ROLLING QUARTZ On Tour Now - Coming to California in May

Korean rock band Rolling Quartz are currently on tour and will be stopping by California in the coming month.

Brian Lee - 11-04-2025

Music

DIR EN GREY Returns to America for Three Concerts in April 2025

Before last year, it had been a while since I saw DIR EN GREY. Pre-pandemic, actually, way back in December 2019. I figured, you know what, I'm going to Japan...

Brian Lee - 02-04-2025

Anime News

Anime News

BEYBLADE X at San Diego Padres Games

BEYBLADE X is going to San Diego, offering fans an opportunity to battle at Petco Park during two San Diego Padres home games. The event will take place on August...

Theodore Mak - 18-08-2024

Anime News

Shion Wakayama AVIOT Talk Show @ Anime Expo 2024

Anime Expo 2024 was brimming with excitement, and one of the standout moments was the talk session at the audio company AVIOT’s booth in the Entertainment Hall featuring the talented...

Administrator - 18-07-2024

Anime News

Warner Bros Anime Expo Panel - Batman Ninja vs Yakuza League and Suicide Squad Isekai

Warner Bros. Animation unveiled the Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League trailer at their recent panel at Anime Expo. This highly anticipated sequel to the 2018 film Batman Ninja gave fans a glimpse of what to look...

Salvador Mateos - 16-07-2024

Anime News

FAKKU Guest Spotlight Q&A: Karasu Chan

NOTE: This article is meant for those 18+. Discretion is advised. For this year, FAKKU's guest is none other than Karasu Chan, an artist from Taiwan. Karasu Chan is well known...

Brian Lee - 14-07-2024

Anime News

Studio Bones Gachiakuta Panel @ Anime Expo 2024 Report

Studio BONES held a panel on July 4th, 2024 at Anime Expo. Hosted by Joey Bizinger (aka The Anime Man), fans got to hear about the upcoming anime adaptation of...

Theodore Mak - 12-07-2024

Gaming News

Gaming News

Monster Hunter Wilds x Street Fighter 6 Collaboration Trailer Revealed

It's no surpise that Monster Hunter Wilds players are running out of content to keep them coming back until now. 

Ken Dubois - 22-05-2025

Gaming News

Final Fantasy XIV Director Naoki Yoshida to Host a Panel at Anime Expo 2025

Incase you missed it, Final Fantasy XIV will be heading to this years Anime Expo. Additionally, Naoki Yoshida the director behind the game, will be hosting a panel as a...

Ken Dubois - 22-05-2025

Gaming News

Switch 2 Pre-Orders Begin in The U.S. on April 24

Just incase you missed it, Nintendo will be launching its new system, Switch 2 on June 5th with a wide variety of exclusive Nintendo only titles as well as some...

Ken Dubois - 18-04-2025

Gaming News

Goddess of Victory: Nikke 2.5 Year Anniversary Livestream Set For April 19

The ever popular hit mobile game Goddess of Victory: Nikke will be hosting a special anniversary livestream set for April 19 via the official Nikke youtube channel. 

Ken Dubois - 07-04-2025

When they first started the event there were no sessions for LGBT folks, but this year they were finally able to fully book their own event. Straight folks also turned out in droves and it seems that yet again they had to turn people away due to the lack of space. Unlike last year, the Fanime staff finally moved the event to a less traveled part of the convention and mixed it in near the autograph lines at the Marriott. This long overdue change probably did a lot to negate the hostile attitudes that build up during the long waits. Last year was especially bad since having people lined up by the elevators invited a small number of people passing by making insults and mocking the people in line. In fact last year was so awful that I was treated with suspicion when requesting an interview. Apparently the staffers assumed I was some disgruntled fiend plotting to cause them physical harm. I wish I was lying when I say that even during the interview one staffer was hovering behind me ready to stage a heroic intervention. They had never heard of our humble outlet, but thought it reasonable to assume that I was some kind of malevolent madman. It was more believable to them that a random rogue would create a whole set of fake business cards for the express purpose of storming their event.

Luckily this year the atmosphere was much more jovial. Not only were there no insults exchanged, the people in line were able to look out the windows and take in the sights. If one was so lucky to have been in the line for the last session on Saturday they would have had an excellent vantage point to witness a local bigoted protestor get harangued by folks expressing same sex affection and staging a counter protest of sorts (mostly in the form of exposing the wisdom of Raptor Jesus). While the line is a big part of the event, it is by no means the only part.

Once you get registered they put you in a room with about nineteen other folks. The rules are simple: you don't have to give out your name, you have five minutes to hold a conversation (you get a warning at the 2.5 minute mark), and you can only choose three different people. Should any of the three people you list have you listed in their top three then the Fanime staff will send you each other's contact information. If this sounds a bit off from commercial speed dating it is. Their mission statement seems to aim towards helping people find the ONE instead of playing the numbers game. This may or may not be a good thing on the account that both parties will know that it is unlikely that the other person is seeing anyone else from the event, but on the other hand dating has always been a numbers game. Restricting the number of matches to three means you can play up the serendipity factor if you do hit it off with someone, but if not well considering the fact that people come from all over means that the odds of a lasting relationship are bit slimmer.

In terms of demographics the event essentially caters to the college age crowd which considering the crowd that they service, hardly comes as a surprise. This just means that if you are still in school, you can make a connection based solely on shared interests and physical attraction. If however you are farther removed from your days in academia your chances are even slimmer. Still the mere act of advertising your single status might even net you a connection from someone who isn't a participant. In fact one gentleman in my group was actually approached after the event. So if you are looking for a connection and have time to spare it is be worth looking into Fanime speed dating, the odds are long but at least you can claim the fickle finger of fate given how the rule of three is in play.

MORE STORIES

May.23

Convention News

PAX West 2025 Badges Are On Sale Now!

Incase you missed it badges for PAX West 2025 are on sale now. The convention will run from August 29 - Sep 1. 

May.22

Gaming News

Monster Hunter Wilds x Street Fighter 6 Collaboration Trailer Revealed

It's no surpise that Monster Hunter Wilds players are running out of content to keep them coming back until now. 

May.22

Gaming News

Final Fantasy XIV Director Naoki Yoshida to Host a Panel at Anime Expo 2025

Incase you missed it, Final Fantasy XIV will be heading to this years Anime Expo. Additionally, Naoki Yoshida the director behind the game, will be hosting a panel as a...

May.01

Music

Epica Aspiral World Tour Begins in the United States in Early May

Epica makes their return to North America in early May. We last saw them in America back in 2022 as they toured alongside Sabaton. That time, it was in support...

Apr.18

Music

Arch Enemy's Blood Dynasty Tour 2025 Has Begun

On April 16, Arch Enemy made their return to San Francisco in support of their newest album, Blood Dynasty.

Apr.18

Gaming News

Switch 2 Pre-Orders Begin in The U.S. on April 24

Just incase you missed it, Nintendo will be launching its new system, Switch 2 on June 5th with a wide variety of exclusive Nintendo only titles as well as some...

Apr.11

Music

Korea's ROLLING QUARTZ On Tour Now - Coming to California in May

Korean rock band Rolling Quartz are currently on tour and will be stopping by California in the coming month.

Apr.07

Gaming News

Goddess of Victory: Nikke 2.5 Year Anniversary Livestream Set For April 19

The ever popular hit mobile game Goddess of Victory: Nikke will be hosting a special anniversary livestream set for April 19 via the official Nikke youtube channel. 

Apr.02

Music

DIR EN GREY Returns to America for Three Concerts in April 2025

Before last year, it had been a while since I saw DIR EN GREY. Pre-pandemic, actually, way back in December 2019. I figured, you know what, I'm going to Japan...

Apr.01

Convention News

WonderCon 2025 Impression

This last weekend, I attended WonderCon at the Anaheim Convention Center in Orange County to check out the wide variety of activities the event had to offer. I was initially...

Apr.01

Music

Aya Hirano Announces Solo Single “evolutions” Release May 10th

Aya Hirano is making her long-awaited return to solo music with the release of “evolutions,” her first new single in 11 years. Dropping digitally on May 10, 2025, the track...

Feb.14

Music

Lotus Juice Live Concert Coming to San Francisco in March

Anime and video game music fans are in for a treat as renowned vocalists Lotus Juice takes the stage at the Legends of Anime concert on Saturday, March 29, 2025...

Feb.02

Music

Live Report: Phantom Siita Makes Their US Debut With the "Moth to a flame" World Tour

What can be said about Phantom Siita?  I had initially thought that the name was Phantom Theater but no, it is instead based upon the words "phantom,"  the scientific name...

Jan.05

Music

Hanabie. US 2025 Tour Announced!

Hanabie. will be making the rounds on another US tour for 2025. They've been going around the world at a frenetic pace, this time paired together with Kim Dracula as...

Dec.30

Music

Arch Enemy United States Tour 2025 Announced

The Arch Enemy Blood Dynasty Tour begins on April 14 in San Diego, CA, and winds its way north up the coast before traveling east and looping around towards the...