Fans of Bushiroad’s mixed-media projects gather at the Quantum Skyview area of Gateway Mall 2 in Quezon City on the weekend of June 7-8, 2025 for this year’s Manila leg of Bushiroad Expo.
Last year, we saw voice actress Rin Tateishi and Cardfight!! Vanguard commentator DifferentFight at Ayala Malls Trinoma. It’s understood that this year’s Expo was set up alongside the Manila leg of the Anisama World concert tour wherein Bushiroad star Ave Mujica performs songs alongside FLOW, nobodyknows+, ASH DA HERO, Toshiya Miyata, Hiroshi Kitadani, Mayu Maeshima, and MindaRyn.
Just like last year, Bushiroad showcases its own projects as well as collaborations with brands. New additions to this year’s showcase include the Weiss Schwarz collaborations with Blue Archive and Goddess of Victory: Nikke, Yumenokessho AVER, PalVerse figurines, and the hololive Official Trading Card Game.
The big boss is here
Perhaps an important guest of honor is Bushiroad founder, president and CEO Tadaaki Kidani, who was not only present at the Expo at certain times, but also at the Anisama concert and at hobby shops around the city such as Hobby Stadium and Green Gate Hobbies.
He was even game to take photos with the fans, to a point that he got so many requests to pose as being choked (tracing its roots back to the Great O-Khan in 2023). Moving forward, he’s not allowing that anymore.
At one point, cosplayers dressed up as characters from BanG Dream!’s male counterpart From ARGONAVIS took a photo with the head honcho, as if they are putting him on the spot. Said project is placed under a hiatus this year.
NyaMortis in the house
Sunday came, and we saw more fans at the Expo. Most cosplayers are dressed up as characters from Ave Mujica: The die is cast, where this year’s guest voice actors are its band members.
Rhythm guitarist Yuzuki Watase, also a ring announcer for World Wonder Ring STARDOM and the voice of Mutsumi Wakaba/Mortis, and drummer Akane Yonezawa, who voices Nyamu Yuutenji, are welcomed by fans that afternoon.
Before that, the final episode of the Ave Mujica anime was shown to fans, evoking reactions especially at parts where bassist Umiri Yahata appears.
Going back to the panel, recording the said panel is restricted, but this writer gathers important notes from the said fan meeting:
- Introduction to the BanG Dream! project (directed especially to the new fans of the franchise)
- Live script reading of a scene in the anime
- Janken tournanment (with a limited edition Weiss Schwarz card up for grabs
Just before the click struck 3:00pm, fans were already chanting the guests’ names. “Akanen! Yuzumoon!,” said every one. Both Watase and Yonezawa checked if the audience was able to see them perform at Anisama the night before, their first overseas show on top f their first Philippine appearance. A handful said yes.
Watase described their experience. They’ve been to other Anisama performances, but this is the first time they performed overseas, and it turned out to be a good experience for them.
Yonezawa is very happy to be able to perform in front of the Filipino audience.
Both guests are undeniably cute as they banter in front of the crowd. Such moments during the Talk Session were not captured on camera, but still got everyone’s hearts tugged. As Watase introduces the BanG Dream! project, she kind of fumbled first few lines of the notes.
Yuzuki Watase: *fumbles* Akane Yonezawa: *looks* Watase: I’m sorry! (in Japanese)
Sidenote: BanG Dream! celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. What started as an idea launched in 2015 sustains itself up to the present with 13 bands under its belt, the latest being the hybrid VTuber band Mugendai Mewtype.
There is much to be told about how the franchise was conceived, but it’s common knowledge among fans that it started when Aimi performed with a Gibson Les Paul electric guitar at THE iDOLM@STER M@STERS OF IDOL WORLD!! 2014.
Back to the fan meet, now that the Ave Mujica anime has aired its conclusion last March, it’s time to look back at some of the memorable scenes from the said anime. Both guests each chose two, which is of course are spoilers for those who haven’t watched the series. [Videos from Muse Asia] Yuzuki’s choice #1: Uika rages (Episode 9)
Yuzuki’s really impressed with the audience reaction, guessing if this is everyone’s fave scene too.
Up to this point, Mutsumi (voiced by Watase) is usually a reserved introvert but she starts coming out of her shell after this moment. She’s sure everyone shares the same thoughts and feelings toward the anime.
Akane’s choice #1: Unmasking everyone at the Budokan concert (Episode 1)
Akane imitates the move Nyamu did while this part was playing on the screen, including the moment Nyamu looks at Mutsumi before getting unmasked. This was a moment of record for fans of both.After playback, Akane shares one of the reasons why it’s her favorite scene: Up until the Budokan concert, they have their masks on. It was at this moment when Nyamu shows everyone who is this mysterious band hiding behind their masks - (Again, spoiler) with the exception of Doloris who unmasked herself to the surprise of that concert’s audience.
If I understand this correctly, following the unmasking, the band has since performed without their masks on, compared to this video from their 2nd live concert last year.
This is Yonezawa’s debut voice role, and it made also realized this moment for the character moving forward.
Yuzuki’s choice #2: Imprisoned XII (Episode 10)
We saw both Watase and Yonezawa vibe with this song as they move their hands as if they’re conducting an orchestra.Watase describes the moment Mutsumi and her other self Mortis got into terms with each other: Mortis began appearing in Episode 3, but we don’t have an image of what character Mortis is until Episode 10.
**Sidenote:**If it was not told on Twitter, I would not know that Watase had so many voice lines on Episode 3 alone. I mean, look at the credit roll and count.
Akane’s choice #2: Nyamu speaking in Hakata-ben (Episode 4)
“She’s wonderful. Sweet kawaii-face potato-chan,” Yonezawa said.
For her, this scene from Episode 4 is the most impactful. Ave Mujica is full of emotional scenes, and this scene provides a very good contrast to all of the madness, a lighthearted scene of Nyamu as a relaxed person.
The two then read scripts from a scene in Episode 10, when Nyamu confronts Mortis. A series of questions was then read during the session, in which I’ll leave to our media friends to post in full. Then there’s the Janken tourney in which 4 lucky audience members got the event-only limited edition card.
Then there’s the final messages from the guests, both saying if there’s a chance they could land in Japan for Ave Mujica concerts, they are very much welcome there.