Latest news with #RinaSawayama
Sydney Morning Herald
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
Wanted: 1000 voices to unite in one epic mega-choir
Gay anthems are back in a big, big way. And we're not talking about the US president's peculiar fondness for Village People's YMCA. Think, instead, of new hits like Chappell Roan's celebration of dancing all night in an LGBTQIA+ venue – and trying to explain it to your mum – Pink Pony Club. Or Rina Sawayama's heart-tugging ballad about finding your tribe, Chosen Family. Both songs, along with classics like Dancing Queen and We Are Family, will be in the repertoire when a mass choir comes together in Brisbane in November for a climactic concert in the city's annual queer arts festival, Melt. And if the thought of a thousand people singing Chosen Family doesn't put a lump in your throat, you're made of stronger stuff than I. ' Chosen Family really speaks to what these choirs are for so many people,' says the event's conductor and wrangler, Adam Majsay. 'It's the family that you might not have been born with, but it's the one that you chose to connect with. And I think it's also why an event like this matters.' Two strings to Majsay's bow make him the perfect person to bring together 1000 volunteers in perfect harmony. He's the musical director of the famous Sydney Gay and Lesbian Choir. And he's also a deputy principal with more than 20 years' experience in the NSW school system.
The Age
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Age
Wanted: 1000 voices to unite in one epic mega-choir
Gay anthems are back in a big, big way. And we're not talking about the US president's peculiar fondness for Village People's YMCA. Think, instead, of new hits like Chappell Roan's celebration of dancing all night in an LGBTQIA+ venue – and trying to explain it to your mum – Pink Pony Club. Or Rina Sawayama's heart-tugging ballad about finding your tribe, Chosen Family. Both songs, along with classics like Dancing Queen and We Are Family, will be in the repertoire when a mass choir comes together in Brisbane in November for a climactic concert in the city's annual queer arts festival, Melt. And if the thought of a thousand people singing Chosen Family doesn't put a lump in your throat, you're made of stronger stuff than I. ' Chosen Family really speaks to what these choirs are for so many people,' says the event's conductor and wrangler, Adam Majsay. 'It's the family that you might not have been born with, but it's the one that you chose to connect with. And I think it's also why an event like this matters.' Two strings to Majsay's bow make him the perfect person to bring together 1000 volunteers in perfect harmony. He's the musical director of the famous Sydney Gay and Lesbian Choir. And he's also a deputy principal with more than 20 years' experience in the NSW school system.
The Guardian
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
My unexpected Pride icon: Free Willy helped me see the radical power of coming out
I don't know precisely when I first watched Free Willy. But I do remember that the film was central to a childhood obsession with whales – orcas, specifically – that followed me well into adulthood. (I still remember a lot of random facts, such as 'killer whales can live up to 90 years old!' and 'their pregnancies are 17 months long!') Released in 1993, just a few months after I was born, the film follows Jesse – a moody 12-year-old foster kid with abandonment issues – and his unlikely friendship with Willy, an orca confined in a far-too-small pool at a local marine park. Jesse and Willy have a lot in common. Both are antisocial, stubborn and mistrustful, but form a close bond – one that sees Jesse determined to free Willy from the park where he is being exploited for profit by an evil businessman. It's a classic good v evil tale – and a coming out story. Free Willy isn't queer in any explicit sense. But the film's central theme is one of 'chosen family' – a concept that has been central to LGBTQ+ life ever since our community elders were forced to meet in secret because they were criminalised, stigmatised and forced to the margins. In the film, Jesse's longing for his mother – a woman who abandoned him as a young child – initially stops him from bonding with his new foster parents. It's only when he meets Willy that he begins to find joy in his life. It's a narrative we see repeated in anthems such as Rina Sawayama's Chosen Family, TV dramas such as Queer as Folk, or a reality show like RuPaul's Drag Race: that there is radical power in finding 'your people.' (Or, in this case, your whale.) In 2023, for my 30th birthday, my boyfriend and I visited Norway for the first time. I was determined to see whales in the wild. On the day of the planned boat excursion the winds were high and the boat trip was cancelled. But we managed to find a smaller rib boat that, however misguidedly, was still heading out. A few hours later, I found myself shivering in the middle of the black ocean, facing huge swells and terrifying winds. It was a far cry from the idyllic scene I had envisaged, where the sun reflected off the calm sea, illuminating pods of whales swimming peacefully. First, our boat encountered a sperm whale – a gigantic and gentle creature who blew water high into the air and seemed completely unbothered by us. And then, just as we sped back to the shore, I saw it: the unmistakable black dorsal fin, gliding through the crashing waves with ease. At that moment, it suddenly became clear that we were in their territory – and it scared the crap out of me. Since that moment, I've wondered if I was particularly drawn to orcas, even as a child, not only because they are visually stunning, but because there was something inspiring about apex predators totally in control of their surroundings. (Strong? Majestic? A little evil? They're what every gay man aspires to be.) In Free Willy, however, the film's star is fairly helpless, like a slippery overgrown puppy who communicates through whining noises that are adorable and distressing. But eventually, Jesse and his foster family help Willy to break free from his enclosure. Placing this film within the queer canon might sound like a reach – a leap even bigger than Willy who, in an iconic final scene that required a rocket launcher (and animatronic whale) to shoot, jumps over the harbour wall to escape his captors. But when he does, it feels like a moment of transformation, like a coming out story. And on the other side, there's an ocean of freedom and possibility.
Japan Times
30-05-2025
- Business
- Japan Times
Anime's big night out is getting bigger — and more surreal
All eyes at the Crunchyroll Anime Awards turn to NFL defensive end Myles Garrett as he begins to sing the theme from 'Pokemon.' There's a lot happening on the 'orange carpet' ahead of the ninth edition of the anime streaming service's awards ceremony, held on May 25 at the Grand Prince Hotel Shin Takanawa in Tokyo. Musician Rina Sawayama and Maneskin vocalist Damiano David chat with the media about how Japanese animation has inspired them over the years. On the other side of the aisle, 'Stranger Things' stars Finn Wolfhard and Gaten Matarazzo joke with one another while photographers snap pictures of them. Still, hearing the massive American football all-pro breaking into song while standing next to Olympic gold medalist and snowboarder Chloe Kim for an interview with Teen Vogue grabs the most attention in this surreal scene. This spectacle is exactly what Crunchyroll wants to project about the current global popularity — and continued growth — of anime. An event that started in 2017 as a low-key affair held in San Francisco has evolved into a glamorous ceremony styled after major events like the Academy Awards. 'We've been putting more production value into it,' Travis Page, Crunchyroll's chief financial officer, tells The Japan Times from a conference room in the hotel a day before the event. 'Every year, we've been leveling up.' While the event itself grows in size and cost annually, Page says the central aim remains the same. 'The team is constantly thinking from first principles — how do we want to celebrate anime?' American snowboarder Chloe Kim and NFL star Myles Garrett attend the Crunchyroll Anime Awards. | Courtesy of Crunchyroll The ninth edition of the Crunchyroll Anime Awards did so by leaning further into the prestige associated with traditional awards ceremonies. For the first time, a kind of lifetime achievement award dubbed the Global Impact Award is bestowed upon critically acclaimed action series 'Attack on Titan.' Host Sally Amaki wears an elegant orange dress reflecting the company's colors. The messaging on screen approaches the self-important tone beloved by the American film industry: 'Anime doesn't just tell stories... it shapes our culture. It shapes our world.' Which isn't to say the peculiarities of the anime community have vanished. Virtual avatar Ironmouse interviews celebrities during the preshow. Winners go on stage holding plush dolls of characters from the series they represent. Crunchyroll devotes space to categories both silly (''must protect at all costs' character') and specific ('best isekai anime,' referring to the genre where characters get transported to new worlds). The celebrity fashion references various series, running from Japanese talent Dean Fujioka's nod to 'Spy × Family' to American country artist Kacey Musgraves channeling 'Sailor Moon.' 'My look today is inspired by Zero Two from 'Darling in the Franxx,' but we had to drag it up a little bit,' says drag queen Plastique Tiara from the orange carpet about their get-up for the awards. 'I think most of my looks are very anime inspired,' Plastique Tiara adds. 'I think it's a world of creativity and like a recycling bin of just fab. I always go to anime.' As has become the norm for the Crunchyroll Anime Awards in recent years, the ceremony itself allows the Sony-owned streaming service to show just how beloved the medium has become via a plethora of famous guests hailing from a variety of fields. It's also an opportunity for Crunchyroll to flaunt its power in the industry. 'We just announced that we've hit 17 million subscribers, up from 15 million last year,' Page says of Crunchyroll's 'exciting' continued growth. 'The confirmation that we are doing our jobs and we are successfully giving customers and fans what they want is the fact that people keep signing up for us.' J-pop artist Lisa performs 'crossing field' from 'Sword Art Online' at the Crunchyroll Anime Awards on May 25. | Courtesy of Crunchyroll Crunchyroll has come under plenty of scrutiny as it has become the key player in anime streaming, most recently facing criticism for expressing interest in experimenting with artificial intelligence (a plan it backtracked from in April). Still, the data coupled with the soft-power pageantry of its Anime Awards underlines its status as interest in the medium continues to grow. 'Lots of young fans are coming in. Gen Z and Gen Alpha tell us that anime is a huge influence in their lives,' says Crunchyroll President Rahul Purini from the orange carpet. That statement is echoed by the younger stars present at the ceremony. 'Through the storytelling aspect of anime with all the complex characters and themes of like, battling yourself, I use that in my music to process emotions in my own life and how I put that to song,' says 20-year-old artist d4vd, adding that anime helped expose him to Japanese artists such as tricot and Eve, who he 'loves.' 'It's such a magical way to portray human emotions and to kind of exaggerate what we feel every day, and it's very beautiful, because sometimes the emotions we feel are exaggerated compared to the context we're in, and it's something that makes you feel very understood,' says Maneskin's David of anime. 'Sometimes it can also give you the strength to talk about something that you don't really feel ready to.' The Crunchyroll Anime Awards also gives the company an opportunity to highlight the global reach of the industry, underlined by the Association of Japanese Anime reporting in its 2024 industry report that the international market has become bigger than the domestic one. Page says the 2024 ceremony saw a greater push to bring in guests from diverse places, an initiative that has continued in 2025 with attendees hailing from the United States, Europe, Asia and Latin America. '(Anime) is still a bit underground in Chile, but there's so many people watching it overall,' says Chilean American pop star Paloma Mami. Maneskin vocalist Damiano David says anime is "a magical way to portray human emotions." | Courtesy of Crunchyroll This global reach proves to be one of the most interesting developments for Page. 'One of the exciting things to me is seeing which markets and territories really have fallen in love with the dubs we've been producing for them,' he says of Crunchyroll's efforts to offer programs in local languages. 'In India, for example, we're dubbing into three different languages — Hindi, Tamil and Telugu. The passion for which viewers are watching in those dubs rather than the subs makes me think we did something right here.' It applies to the shows being produced, too. Page points to the growing number of series being created from intellectual property outside of the usual manga-to-anime pipeline. His go-to example is 'Solo Leveling,' an action-centric series based on a South Korean webtoon. Crunchyroll recently partnered with entertainment company Aniplex to form Hayate, a joint anime production operation aimed at 'being a little more experimental' in creating new titles geared toward the international market, according to Page. Yet signs of the globalization of anime appear frequently at the Crunchyroll Anime Awards. 'Solo Leveling,' directed by Shunsuke Nakashige, ends up being the big winner of the night, taking home the anime of the year trophy. The award for best original anime goes to 'Ninja Kamui,' a series animated by a Japanese studio but directed by a South Korean director and premiered on U.S. entertainment block Adult Swim. 'People in many countries have been watching anime for a long time, but thanks to Crunchyroll distributing it worldwide, I can really feel just how many people are watching it and hearing my work. It's become more tangible for us,' says J-pop artist Lisa, who has enjoyed global success via songs tied to anime and will tour North America this June. While the main goal of the Crunchyroll Anime Awards is to celebrate the industry from its birthplace while also flexing the company's strength, the ceremony also offers a kind of best-case scenario for the spread of pop culture, bringing together people from far-flung places thanks to entertainment. 'The fact that an Italian band can collaborate with a Japanese artist ... that's such a long jump, but it's actually possible,' David says, referencing his group's work with the series 'Beastars.' 'Just look at tonight. There's people from all over the world united by their love of art.'
Buzz Feed
30-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
This Celeb-Approved Convenience Store Hack Is Genius
Spending $1000+ on a plane ticket to Japan and living off $3 convenience store foods when you get there is a tale as old as time. How could you not? You can see why it's possible — the convenience store game is GOD-TIER. From Family Mart fried chicken and assorted 7-Eleven sandwiches — to LAWSON onigiris and packed baked goods, you're spoilt for choice. But what should you actually pick up? After chatting about her music comeback and presenting at the Crunchyroll Anime Awards, I needed to ask Japanese-British singer Rina Sawayama this very question (along with any tips). Rina strutted onto the Anime Awards stage in a velvety Marc Jacobs dress to present 'Film of the Year'. Before the show, she sat down with us to chat all things new music, anime and film projects — read the full interview here. Her recommendation, which she credits to manager, Chikara Kasahara, is the best way to ensure you get steaming-hot curry buns before you walk through 7-Eleven's doors. Rina says that the secret is to "call [7-Eleven] ahead" of your visit, so you can experience "the freshest" Kare pan. Inspired by the simplicity (and effectiveness) of Rina's advice for a 10/10 eating experience, I've sifted through other viral internet faves and recommended combinations to find the best of the best kombini hacks. Basic I know, but adding a piece of boneless fried chicken into an egg salad sandwich (or, pancakes with syrup and margarine) is A1. Whenever I describe the experience of eating this for the first time, I can only compare it to the moment in Ratatouille when Remy combined strawberry and cheese for the first time, which caused him to shift into another dimension. The salty flavour from the chicken mixed with the sweet, yolk-y flavours of the egg salad sandwich is really, really good. Grab the egg salad sando from the fridge or pancakes from the baked and packaged goods shelf and the fried chicken from the window at the front counter. Mixing coffee jelly to a Royal Milk Tea Frappe is a budget bubble tea alternative with a caffeine hit. No boba stores around? Pull an Afternoon Tea brand milk tea frappe from the fridge and take it to the coffee dispenser. Then add the pre cut coffee jelly to the cup and stir for a creamy, coffee flavoured afternoon treat. Make a chicken parmi sandwich with just two convenience store items — pizza buns and front-counter fried chicken. At your nearest konbini, TikToker, Okinawa RV suggests grabbing two pizza buns and a piece of fried chicken to create a burger. When you bite into the pizza buns you'll get an ooze of marinara sauce with melted cheese that'll give you the parmigiana flavour to pair with the chicken. Have a creamy matcha latte frappe at any time of the day using drinkable ice cream. Three things are needed to pull this off — a 7-Eleven matcha latte from the drinks fridge, an ice cup and Coolish drinkable ice cream. Squeeze a good amount of the ice cream into your ice cup, tip the matcha over the top and stir! Ta-da you have a matcha frappe without the café prices. A well-known hack but one to A FRUIT SMOOTHIE! The food scene in Japan is a goldmine, from mochi and pork katsu to ramens and yakitori — it's sooooo good. However, you might find it's hard to get your fibre in and keep your bowel So, these all fruit smoothie from 7-Eleven are an easy and yummy way to put some fibre back into your indulgent food when it's hot, these icy bevvies will help cool you down. Still feeling a bit blocked up? Grab a yogurt drink of one of these Fibe-Mini drinks that have a healthy amount of dietary fibre. If you're lucky enough to be around a konbini with a hot cookie or baked goods window, grab yourself two pieces and an Ohayou Brulee in the freezer for a DIY ice cream sandwich. Warm, gooey cookies with a crackly, sugar topped ice cream centre? Sign me up. This looks Nikki Eats Japan only picked up one cookie to make her sandwich, which might help if you want to take the sugar content down a notch. Not super sure about this one but it seems easy enough. Grab yourself a duo pack of Yukimi Mochi Ice Cream from the freezer and make sure it's vanilla. Then pull a cup of curry ramen from the shelf and prepare it (at home or in-store). When the noodles are cooked to your desired bite texture, add in the vanilla mochi ball and stir until combined enough. Enjoy, I guess? And finally, when you're feeling sick during your trip and need something lighter on your stomach, grab a plain rice ball and instant miso soup. Broth and soup is a healing combination. Usually, miso soup is used a side dish with a bigger meal but in this case, IT IS THE MEAL. The gentle, salty flavour with the plain rice ball is comforting and easy on the stomach. What are you favourite convenience store hacks in your country?
