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Emotion Festival On the 13th of January, Bandai/Emotion held its Emotion Festival in Nakano Zero Hall, in Nakano, Japan. The Festival showcased the company's thirteen years in the anime industry. Although the event suffered some delays and small set backs, the result was a solid presentation with some good live performances. The program began around 2:30 that afternoon, after a half-hour delay. The special guests, Rica Matsumoto (Rahsya, Fam and Ihrlie) and Tomokazu Seki (Domon Casshe, G Gundam), welcomed the audience to the Festival. They concluded their address by explaining the small difficulty that lay ahead. Because of a strike in France, the soundtrack recording for their first presentation, Fam and Ihrlie, was incomplete and unavailable to them; however, their solution to this problem proved more than adequate. Amano, the composer of the music, led a miniature orchestra in an impressive onstage performance. Later in the program, Amano revealed that he would have liked to have performed the music with a full orchestra. Emotion then presented it's first feature of the day, the fourth and final part of Fam and Ihrlie. Although the film was shown on a projection TV instead of with a 35mm projector, the image was well focused, if not very bright. At the end of the video, Matsumoto treated the audience to another live performance, by singing the end theme to Fam and Ihrlie live. Then came "History of Emotion," a video heralding the anime features that Emotion has released since its birth in 1982. The video began with clips from Macross and Dallos, and it finished with scenes from 3x3 Eyes 2, Ghost in the Shell, Shamanic Princess, and Escaflowne, a new TV series slated to start in April. At the end of the History, Sharon Apple came onstage to say hello. Following a brief intermission, Emotion began a Top Ten ceremony based upon a Bandai poll. The categories were Best TV Series Men and Women, Best OAV Men and Women, Best TV Series, and Best OAV Series. During the ceremony, they played video clips of the top three finalists in each category. Afterwards, Megumi Hayashibara (Rina Inverse, Slayers), Nobutoshi Hayashi (Basara, Macross 7), Tomo Sakurai (Milene Genius, Macross 7), Sakiko Tamagawa (Natsumi, You're Under Arrest!), Akiko Hiramatsu (Miyuki, You're Under Arrest!), and Mori Takeshi, the director of Fam & Ihrlie were present to say a few words. After another intermission, the program continued. Emotion also previewed their new Gundam products. First, they talked about a new Gundam video game due this March and revealed a few glimpses of the game's computer graphics. Next, they showed MS08 Shotai Part 2. Shotai was a short but promising look at Emotion's latest addition to the Gundam universe. Emotion held a few other events at the Festival. They sponsored a King of Emotion Quiz; the winner received a choice of any item from Bandai's catalog, including boxed sets. Kappei Yamaguchi also attended the Festival to autograph copies of his CD single and talk about his new album. The singing group Rururu (Chiharu Tezuka, Kaoru Fujino, and Kaoru Morota) appeared and did a song from the TV show Say You Club. Bandai/Emotion's next event will be held in Nakano Zero Hall, on May 4th. -- Peter Evans and Edgar Ngwenya

Bandai Poll results MALES 10 - Kiriko Cuvie (Votoms) 9 - Conan (Future Boy Conan) 8 - Domon Casshe (G Gundam) 7 - Quattro Bajina (Zeta Gundam) 6 - Trois Barton (Gundam Wing) 5 - Duo Maxwell (Gundam Wing) 4 - Adieu Woltham (Ryuu Knight) 3 - Hiiro Yui (Gundam Wing) 2- Gauly (Slayers) 1 - Basara (Macross 7) FEMALES 10 - Lynn Minmei (Macross) 9 - Lady Anne (Gundam Wing) 8 - Hana no Shojo (Macross 7) 7 - Amelia (Slayers) 6 - Rain Mikamura (G Gundam) 5 - Paffy Pafuricia (Ryuu Knight) 4 - Lileana Dorian (Gundam Wing) 3 - Miaka (Fushigi Yuugi) 2 - Milene (Macross 7) 1 - Lina Inverse (Slayers) OAV MEN 10 - Kiriko Cuvie (Votoms) 9 - Alberto (Giant Robo) 8 - Kiichi Goto (Patlabor) 7 - Kou Uraki (Gundam 0083) 6 - Migel (Fam & Ihrlie) 5 - Anavel Gato (Gundam 0083) 4 - Nakajima Ken (Taiho Shichauzo) 3 - Fujii Yakumo (3x3 Eyes) 2 - Isamu Alva Dyson (Macross Plus) 1 - Adieu (Ryu Knight) OAV WOMEN 10 - Noriko Takaya (Gunbuster) 9 - Sharon Apple (Macross Plus) 8 - Myung Fan Lone (Macross Plus) 7 - Ihrlie (Fam&Ihrlie) 6 - Tsujimoto Natsumi (Taiho Shichauzo) 5 - Gin Rei (Giant Robo) 4 - Miyuki Kobayakawa (Taiho Shichauzo) 3 - Fam (Fam & Ihrlie) 2 - Paffy Pafuricia (Ryuu Knight) 1 - Pai Ayanokuji (3x3 Eyes) TV SERIES 10 - Votoms 9 - Conan 8 - Zeta Gundam 7 - Ryuu Knight 6 - Patlabor 5 - G Gundam 4 - Fushigi Yuugi 3 - Slayers 2 - Gundam W 1 - Macross 7 OAV SERIES 10 - Sabre Marionettes R 9 - Gunbuster 8 - Patlabor 7 - Giant Robo 6 - 3x3 Eyes "Seima Densetsu" 5 - 0083 Stardust Memory 4 - Fam & Ihrlie 3 - Adieu's Legend (Ryu Knight) 2 - Taiho Shichauzo! 1 - Macross Plus