Fans of Pretty Rhythm flocked to the L.A. Anime Film Festival to watch the North American debut of the 2016 spin-off movie “King of Prism by PrettyRhythm” While many know the franchise for their female idols, their male counterparts from the anime “Pretty Rhythm Rainbow Live” took the stage.

Shin Ichijo never knew what he would get himself into when he accepted the strange request of the stranger named Louis. He had to bring Louis’s pendant to the latest performance of the group “Over the Rainbow.” Though he knew little about them, Shin still arrived and experienced the power and flair of the Prism show that brought out a sparkle hidden within him. The show inspired him to express more of that fluttering spirit and it caught the eye of the Edel Rose headmaster. While Shin was a fledgling fan with little experience in singing or dancing, the headmaster accepted him as the newest student of his school. Little did anyone realize the impact he had, especially to the inner turmoil with the school and their flagship group “Over the Rainbow.”

For those that attended the screening at LA-AFF 2017 saw the “Cheering Style” version which brought a very unique experience since that version of the film contained more musical portions while keeping key moments from the original movie. One would easily see that this format as gear towards the fans due to all of the special power dance (Prism Jump) scenes and fanservice moments. To any first time viewers of Prism, the Cheering Style cut was a very bizarre introduction with all of the over exaggerated moments of drama. However, the audience’s participation equipped with their own light sticks made the screening a very enjoyable experience. Even the director Masakazu Hishida brought his own. He was surprised when some of the crowd knew the movements the Japanese fans used and found out that several of the audience went to Japan to watch it.

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During the post film Q&A with Director Hishida and Avex producer Hiroko Nishi, Hishida spoke how both he and the voice actors were not sure how to approach the “Prism Jump” moments though Nishi said that Shin’s V.A. Junta Terashima had the better understanding about it. Hishida also said that compared to some other idol anime series, “Prism” stood out due to its “athleticism”. He answered an inquiry regarding working with male characters compared to females  saying that while it’s a small difference concerning the drama, there was a trend of them being territorial, aggressive and physical. When asked about preference between the original film and the cheering format, Hishida said that it would be good to watch though you can still understand the story in the Cheering Style version.

Fans asked about some of their favorite female characters and teams if they were to make an appearance in Prism in the future. Hishida stated that the sequel, “King of Prism: PRIDE the HERO” that was out in Japanese theaters in June and will shed more light on others. However, he said that the success of it will help make way for a third installment. When the questions about possible official English release of game and blu-rays, Nishi said she will consider it. The two are quite busy with the upcoming stage adaptation that will be out in November. They thanked the fans for their support and mentioned they hope to return to the U.S. to bring the sequel.