Special event looking back on 15 years of "Akiba Research Institute" with Momoi participating!　Report on "Akiba Research Institute's 15th Anniversary Thanksgiving Event

On Saturday, November 25, 2017, the free event "Akiba Soken 15th Anniversary Great Thanksgiving Festival" was held at the event space on the 10th floor of Akihabara Radio Kaikan to celebrate the 15th anniversary of Akiba Soken.

Akiba Research Institute was established in August 2002. At first, Akiba Soken was an information site focusing on PC parts price information and town topics in Akihabara, but as Akihabara transformed from a town of "PC parts" to a town of "anime" and "subculture," it gradually expanded the news it handled. In recent years, the site has been operated as a "news site focusing on the subcultures that gather in Akihabara.

Akiba Research Institute," which celebrated its 15th anniversary after such twists and turns, held its first real event for not only the readers who have supported it up to now, but also for new readers who will continue to support it in the future.

Here is a report on the event, which ran from 1:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. and featured a total of four stages.

Talk and DJs talked about ani-song, "Just listen to ani-song! Stage - Extension Edition

The first stage was the "Just Listen to Anime Songs! Stage," a traveling version of the event. The stage was opened by Hiroyuki Deguchi, bassist of the rock band "Monobrite," and Hiromi Samejima (BAN BAN BAN), a comedian and anime song DJ, who both pick up and review anime songs from each season at Akiba Research Institute.

The talk started with songs from the fall 2016 cool anime. The two looked back on memorable anime songs from each season, from winter 2017, spring, summer, and the currently airing fall season, while actually playing the songs.

The talk started with the top 3 songs from each season, each of which was to be selected by ....... However, Deguchi suddenly chose 4 or 5 songs, which turned into top 5, top 4, and so on.... He chose 4 or 5 songs, then the top 5, then the top 4, and so on....

He chose 4 or 5 songs, then went on to the top 5, then the top 4, and so on... "It's not fair! Mr. Samejima sharply commented to the audience, and the venue was filled with laughter.

In the latter half of the talk stage, Mr. Deguchi's band, Mono Bright, who had also composed the theme song for the "Gintama" series, explained how they had created the anime song. The audience was excited to hear these "real words" that could only be heard here.

The last question was, "Which do you prefer, listening to anime songs or creating them? Which do you prefer? Deguchi answered, "Listening to it! He answered in a way that only an anime song fan could! He closed the stage with an answer that could only come from an anime song fan.

What was the best anime of the year? Akiba Research Institute Anime Awards 2017

The next stage was the "Akiba Research Institute Anime Awards 2017.

Akiba Research Institute conducts an official voting project every season, the "Vote for the Best Anime You've Seen". Akiba Research Institute Anime Awards 2017" nominated the top 10 works from the results of the one-year voting from the fall 2016 cool to the summer 2017 cool. The best anime of the year will be selected from a total of 40 titles. Voting will be open from October 12, 2017 until 12:00 pm on November 25, 2017, the day of the event. The voting was open until just before the event started, and the stage opened with no one, including the speakers, knowing the result.

The results of the first to 20th place winners were as follows.

No. 1 Magical Girl Inclusion Project: 7691 votes

2nd Bungo Stray Dogs (2nd season) 5105 votes

No.3 Princess Principal 3543 votes

No. 4 The Giants of Progress Season 2 3003 votes

No.5 Competitive Girl !!!!!!!!　2095 votes

No.6 Ulla Labyrinth Book 2000 votes

No.7 Natsume's Book of Friends -5 1965 votes

No.8 Eromanga sensei 1902 votes

No.9 ViVid Strike!

No.10 Hell Girl Yoigi 1358 votes

No.11 The Moon is Beautiful 1182 votes

No.12 Made in Abyss 982 votes

No. 13 Isekai Shokudo 909 votes

No.14 Gavril Dropout 847 votes

No.15 Kemono Friends 796 votes

No.16 Toukusai nakashimasu desu ka? Are you busy? Can I be saved?　690 votes

No.17 Bless This Wonderful World!

No.18 Clueless Children 608 votes

No.19 Welcome to the classroom of supreme merit 536 votes

No.20 Natsume's Book of Friends Riku 459 votes

As expected! There may be a variety of opinions and impressions about the results, but in any case, Keisuke Hirota, a freelance writer active in Akiba Research Institute, and Tsuyoshi Kamata, the chief editor of Akiba Research Institute, talked about the results.

Mr. Hirota's comments, in particular, were so well-reasoned that every single one of them made us want to hit our knees and say, "I see! Mr. Hirota's comments are so worth listening to that you will find yourself saying, "I see! Mr. Hirota, who has been active in the industry for many years, discussed each work from his unique point of view.

The discussion was so deep that time ran out! Looking Back with Akiba Research Institute on 15 Years of Akihabara

The third stage was the "15 Years of Akihabara with Akiba Research Institute" talk stage, which traced the history of Akihabara along with the history of Akiba Research Institute.

The three guests on stage included Haruko Momoi, an artist with deep ties to Akihabara, and Daichi Nakagawa, a critic and editor well versed in Akiba culture and urban theory, as well as Editor-in-Chief Kamata. They engaged in deep Akiba talk while displaying on the screen a large number of photos taken by Akiba Research Institute during its coverage of Akiba.

The many photos selected by Editor-in-Chief Kamata were a source of nostalgia for not only the audience but also the panelists, who were all saying, "This brings back memories! and the conversation was filled with memories. The talk started in 2002 with the establishment of Akiba Research Institute, and was supposed to be a one-hour review of the past 15 years up to the present, but the time ran out around 2011 (although the talk was still quite rushed (......)). The stage was regrettably closed. We hope to have a chance to return to the stage again.

The audience gradually gathered from the beginning of the show, and before long, the venue was filled to overflowing!　The audience was so large that there was even standing room only.

The final song of the night was a quiet, uplifting one! Haruko Momoi Acoustic Live

Finally, the "Akiba Research Institute 15th Anniversary Thanksgiving Event" reached its climax.

The last stage of the event was an acoustic live performance by Haruko Momoi.

This was a premium stage, open only to those who had applied in advance to attend. Ms. Momoi appeared once again at the venue, accompanied by an acoustic guitar and percussion. His MC speech was filled with love for Akihabara, the place of memories that raised him and where he started his career as an artist.

She sang songs such as "21st Century," "Kagayaki Cyalume," "Tokyo Survival," and "Sekaiju no AKIHABARA de," which have a special meaning when sung in Akihabara.

The finale was a new song, "Hoshizora Dancing. It was a special stage for fans, as they were able to enjoy the latest song in an acoustic arrangement that could only be heard here.

Lastly, Editor-in-Chief Kamata took the stage. He closed the event with an impassioned message for the ever-growing Akiba Research Institute.

Akiba Research Institute's first real event, "Akiba Research Institute's 15th Anniversary Great Thanksgiving Festival," was well worth seeing, as it reminded us that the town of Akihabara is also one of its contents. What will happen to Akihabara in the future, which has been changing its shape from a town of consumer electronics to a town of PCs and then to a town of subcultures?　Of course, Akiba Research Institute will continue to follow Akiba culture and Akihabara in the future, so we hope you will continue to support us!