The first solo event of the popular franchise Fate/Grand Order (FGO) in the US, Fate/Grand Order U.S.A. Tour 2019, made its first stop in Los Angeles on 23 and 24 February. The event will be held between February and November 2019 at 5 venues in 4 cities. I went on behalf of MANGA.TOKYO to take a look at the event in LA!
In front of California Market Center in the heart of Los Angeles, FGO fans were already lining up before the opening time. I could feel their excitement!
As soon as I walked in the venue, the memorial monument, one of the centerpieces of the event, came into sight. Its immense size overwhelmed me. The carefully selected music and video added to my emotions.
I then went to the 13th floor where the exhibition space was. There were various exhibits based on the world of FGO, including life-size character panels of servants and Noble Phantasms. Because this was a solo event rather than a general anime event, there was space to put every popular servant on display. Visitors were able to take photos with their favorites.
Rider Kintoki Sakata’s life-size panel was joined by his motorbike Golden Bear. Since it was a custom build on a real bike, it was definitely the best exhibit on display, thanks to its superb quality.
At the Noble Phantasm display, visitors could enjoy the hands-on full-scale exhibits.
The FGO fans here were the first to see Excalibur Morgan.
In addition to the awesome displays, there were also some fun activities. Contests, cosplay gatherings, and various other activities took place at the mini stage where visitors interacted with each other and had fun together.
Visitors who were cosplaying were allowed to take photos with the cute kigurumi versions of Gudako, Mash, and Artoria from Learning With Manga! Fate/Grand Order. We have loved them over here at MANGA.TOKYO for a while, and they were really popular with the visitors in LA!
Visitors were also able to get a souvenir photo at the photo op area and take their fond memories home with them in a physical form.
Obviously, we can’t have FGO events without games! Besides the mobile phone game, visitors could also experience FGO VR and play the board game Fate/Grand Order Duel at the venue to discover more about the world of FGO.
Visitors spent time at the message wall and the timeline board. Time flew as I immersed myself in FGO memories.
Just as we were taking photographs of the board, we bumped into popular illustrator Namie, who illustrated the Iroha craft essence which is not yet available in the US version of the game. She was adding illustrations to the board! She drew Mash on the first day and Marie on the second day.
Official FGO merch was on sale at the venue. The shop was totally packed, and some popular items sold out instantly. Fans who were queuing outside earlier dashed straight to the shop to get hold of what they were after.
Good Smile Company and Animate also had booths at the venue selling items from FGO and other entries in the Fate franchise.
FGO Special Guest Panels took place at the main stage. The guest panelists included creative producer Yousuke Shikawa and voice actor Satoshi Tsuruoka (Arash, Spartacus, Gilles de Rais, Caligula). Visitors seemed to be very happy to listen to their live talks on this rare occasion.
Fate Grand Order U.S.A. Tour 2019 has now officially kicked off with its Los Angeles stop. The tour will visit anime conventions in the US throughout the year. Don’t miss the chance to experience the world of FGO.
The tour is scheduled to make stops at the following events:
Anime Central @ Rosemont, IL (17-19 May 2019)
Anime Expo @ Los Angeles, CA (4-7 July 2019)
Anime Weekend Atlanta @ Atlanta, GA (31 October-3 November 2019)
Anime NYC @ New York, NY (15-17 November 2019)
To FGO fans in the US, make sure to check out the official website for more information!
Date: 23-24 February 2019
Venue: California Market Center
Official Website: https://fate-go.us/tour2019/
The summer anime season is over. We had a few refreshing titles that kept us company through the hot months, but fall is bringing so many new titles and a few sequels we’ve been waiting for a long time.
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