Aniplex of America's E.J. Rivera introduced Sakura-Con's two musical guests, Luna Haruna and Eir Aoi, to packed audience on Friday. The Sword Art Online and Fate/Zero singers wore matching cat ears, with Haruna in her "signature" green color and Aoi in blue. Haruna wore a white lolita-style dress, while Aoi wore a thin white long sleeved shirt overtop of a black shirt with silver sequeins with a slim blue scarf to accessorize. Rivera opened the panel with a fairly lengthy series of interview questions, which would be a running theme for most of the industry run panels.

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Japan-A-Radio will be at Sakura-con 2013 in Seattle this weekend, with convention coverage and interviews with Sword Art Online & Accel World creator Reki Kawahara, Vocalists Luna Haruna and Aoi Eir, and Studio BONES co-founder Toshihiro Kawamoto! Watch out for our coverage throughout the weekend!

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Fate/Zero and Madoka writer Gen Urobuchi, producer Atsuhiro Iwakami and light novel publisher Katsushi Ota led a packed panel Friday at Sakuracon. A life-size Charlotte cosplayer drew gasps from the crowd and had to stop for pictures. Aniplex staff asked the crowd if they could take a picture of them before getting the panel underway.

A short demo reel of Aniplex's titles played before introductions of the main guests.

Gen Urobuchi: Hello Sakura-con! My name is Gen Urobuchi. I originally used to be a game script writer but Katsushi Ota told me to start writing other stuff and then Iwakami saw my work and before I knew it I was doing anime screenplays.

Katsushi Ota: Hello! I am Katushi Ota, I've been Urobuchi's editor for eight years now. I never thought we'd be travelling to the States this way, talking to everyone. It's a pleasant surprise, thank you.

Atsuhiro Iwakami: Hello, I am the anime producer Iwakami. I'm glad to be here in Seattle and talking to everyone. I see some Kyubey's and Charlottes. I'm happy to be here with everyone.

A short demo reel of Aniplex's titles which the guests were involved in then played after their introductions. Many of the questions ended up being for Mr. Urobuchi.

Madhouse' s Yoshiaki Kawajiri, Director of such works as Ninja Scroll and X TV, answers questions from a half-full panel room early Friday afternoon at Sakuracon 2012.

Q: What were some of your major influences?

A: One of my big influences are American TV westerns such as Rawhide.

Aniplex was gracious enough to allow Japan-A-Radio, as well as a number of other press outlets a round table interview with writer Gen Urobuchi, Publisher Katsushi Ota, and Producer Atsuhiro Iwakami on Sunday morning at Sakuracon 2012.

Interview transcription courtesy of Sutoraikuanime. Most of the press gathered were surprisingly from Canada.

Audio for parts of this interview will be aired on the Weekend Blastoff w/DJ CruzMissile, Friday/Saturday at 7pm Pacific.

The Q&A Starts after the break.