Giant Robot Store and GR2 News

MSG is Madison Square Garden a capacity 19,000 seat arena and it’s a band that has no radio play or mainstream television access in the US. Instead, it’s all via anime fans, which is the only possible way this band could be so huge in a place that isn’t helping them out at all. The music is subpar hybrid of 80s glam metal, but their look at style is 2012 and beyond. Of course, the YouTube generation can easily figure out their songs and what the crowd does in unison. In Japan, the crowd is so in tune with the songs they have sync’d gestures that doesn’t require an MC to tell them to “wave your hands in the air”. They already know it. In Japan they can sell out arenas as can old timers X Japan, but somehow this all translates in the US. The fans might not be your garden variety Metallica concert goers, this will be a hybrid of it’s own that won’t be fan boys or girls. Instead it’ll be more like a movement, a gathering of people who are into Japanese popular culture. They don’t have to like the music, but the crowd is powered by a lifestyle. Want to see an hour + of them? [youtube]u61Cn3y2Oyw[/youtube]
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Well, it’s official: The United States will play Japan this Sunday for the title in the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup. For the U.S., which last won the women’s title in 1999, getting to the final match took a tough but decisive victory over the French ladies’ team. Meanwhile, Japan beat Sweden in a come-from-behind 3-1 victory. Ironically, Sweden had beaten the U.S. earlier in the tournament, winning a match in group play by two to one. For the championship game, objective observers say the teams are not quite evenly matched. The U.S. has size and experience on the world stage superior to their Japanese counterparts. However, Japan is currently the world’s sentimental favorite, largely due to the March 11th earthquake and tsunami disaster in Tohoku and the nuclear meltdown in Fukushima. At the link, you’ll even read quotes from U.S. ladies’ team members Hope Solo and Rachel Buehler giving Japan a lot of love and encouragement for what the country has been through the last four months. Will sentiment and ganbare gain victory over grit and experience?  At this point no one can say. But it will sure be a thrill finding out this Sunday. (CNN World Sports – USA vs.Japan in FIFA)
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