This year’s FanimeCon guest lineup was awesome. HOME MADE KAZOKU, a Japanese Hip-Hop trio formed in 1996, have made hit anime opening songs in their album releases for popular shows like Bleach (“Thank You!!”) and Eureka 7 (“Shounen Heart”). I never thought I would get the chance to see them live, so when I learned they would be making their first appearance in the states I got real hyped up for it. I arrived at the line about 40 minutes earlier, though by that time it had extended to around two blocks – I was relieved that the FanimeCon staff were able to fit us all in the venue.

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Hearing HOME MADE KAZOKU’s live rendition of “Thank You!!” immersed me into Soul Society nostalgia. Their performance was even better than what I expected. They had an enthusiasm that was infectious and involved the crowd deeply with cued chants and clapping. This event is one more item off my bucket list.

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Me with HOME MADE KAZOKU!