International Anime Music Festival, March 14 at Roxian Theater.

The Roxian Theater will host the Pittsburgh stop of the 2023 International Anime Music Festival on March 14. From a press release:

The inaugural International Anime Music Festival announces its debut tour, bringing virtual music superstars to 37 venues across North America starting Feb. 6, 2023. This marks the first time the popular VTubers (virtually generated animated YouTubers) and Vocaloids (virtual singers with computer generated voices) appear on stage together.

Starring Kizuna AI Original Singeroid "#kzn", vocal duo HIMEHINA, vocal trio MaRiNaSu, the North American debut of fan favorite GUMI, and pop twins LiLYPSE, the show will be in LIVE, DJ-led multimedia concert rave. Featuring brand new songs and never-before-seen content, the tour brings these characters to life on state-of-the-art LED and high-definition digital projections. These characters are among the fan-favorites of the international anime-music movement. Originating in Japan, these superstar avatars have exploded globally over the past two years, drawing tens of millions of followers worldwide, generating over 62 million Google searches, and more than 1.2 billion views (YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and others).

Tickets for the show are available online. The Roxian Theatre is located at 425 Chartiers Ave. in McKees Rocks (map).

Bayanihan Mural Unveiling at Philippine Center of Pittsburgh, November 26.

The Philippine Center of Pittsburgh will host a Bayanihan Mural Unveiling on Saturday, November 26.

Since 2018, the Filipino American Association of Pittsburgh (FAAP) has been working on making the Philippine Center a building to call “home” for the Filipino community in Western Pennsylvania. FAAP has been working with Eliseo Silva; a renowned Filipino artist with over 35 years experience creating murals and more than a hundred award-winning public art projects, exhibits, and installations all over the world; to develop a mural which embodies the Bayanihan* spirit. The installation of this mural will finally give this building its “heart.”

Join us this Saturday, November 26 from 2:00 pm - 5:00 pm for the unveiling of the mural and a meet-and-greet with the artist. Refreshments will be served at this free event.

Reserve your spot here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/bayanihan-mural-unveiling-tickets-472110393897

*“Bayanihan” is known as the Filipino spirit of communal unity to achieve a goal. It can be traced back to rural Philippines where the town’s people were asked to help move a family’s entire house to a new location. In order for the volunteers to carry the house, approximately twenty volunteers would move in unison, carrying bamboo poles that were secured underneath the house. This image is central to the mural.

The Philippine Center of Pittsburgh is located at 200 Church St. in West Mifflin (map).

Concert film NCT DREAM THE MOVIE: In A DREAM in Pittsburgh, November 30 and December 3.

An upcoming NCT concert film NCT DREAM THE MOVIE: In A DREAM will play in Pittsburgh on November 30 and December 3.

The brand-new film features high-energy performances with the seven members captured during their second solo concert, “NCT DREAM TOUR 'THE DREAM SHOW2 : In A DREAM,” at the iconic Olympic Stadium, the largest stadium in South Korea and the dream venue for music artists.

This unmissable event also includes behind-the-scenes footage, exclusive backstage interviews and a look at the future the members envision away from the stage!

It is scheduled to play locally, in Korean with English subtitles, at the AMC Loews Waterfront and the Cinemark theater in Robinson, and tickets are available online.

Next Yanlai Dance Academy K-pop Dance Drop-in Class, December 3 with Itzy's "Not Shy."

The next K-pop Dance Drop-in Class with Yanlai Dance Academy will be December 3 with Itzy's "Not Shy."

Welcome to our drop-in classes!

These classes are 1.5 hours long where we will warm-up, stretch, and learn the chorus to a popular kpop dance song.
Each class is $20 unless you are a member of our Kpop Dance Team. We accept check, cash, or venmo as payment.

Masks are optional but encouraged. We recommend you bring a bottle of water and clothes and shoes you are comfortable dancing in.

If you are interested in joining our Kpop Dance Team who will be learning the full dance to "Not Shy" by ITZY as well as other dances, please join our December 3 class and speak to the teacher to sign up.

Future sessions will be held in March, April, and May. Yanlai Dance Academy is located at 2260 Babcock Boulevard in the North Hills (map).

The Incline profiles Seiko Sisco and Waku Waku Baby.

In October the online newsletter The Incline profiled designer and chemist Seiko Sisco and her baby goods line Waku Waku Baby.

I am a Ph.D. chemist turned stay-at-home-mom turned creative small business owner. In 2019, I founded Waku Waku Baby, a handmade baby gifts shop that sells baby shoes and accessories that are cute, comfy and capture the magic of childhood. “Waku Waku” means to be happy and excited in Japanese; I wanted the shop name to reflect my Japanese roots and the feeling I get when I sew new baby items. Since launching Waku Waku Baby, I have dreamt of designing my own fabric patterns from my hand drawn illustrations. This year, I finally took the big leap to learning surface pattern design. I am so excited to showcase a sneak peek of my debut fabric patterns in collaboration with Waku Waku Baby this holiday season!

Japanese animated movie The Quintessential Quintuplets Movie (映画 五等分の花嫁) in Pittsburgh, from December 2.

The 2022 Japanese animated movie The Quintessential Quintuplets Movie (映画 五等分の花嫁) will play in Pittsburgh December 2, 3, 4, 6, and 7. From the distributor:

When five lovely young girls who hate studying hire part-time tutor Futaro, he guides not only their education but also their hearts. Time spent has brought them all closer, with feelings growing within the girls and Futaro. As they finish their third year of high school and their last school festival approaches, they set their sights on what’s next. Is there a future with one of them and Futaro?

It plays at the AMC Loews Waterfront and the Cinemark theaters in Monroeville and Robinson, and tickets are available online. Please note, some shows are in Japanese with English subtitles and others are dubbed in English.

Awning up for Viet Nom Nom in Squirrel Hill.

An awning is now up at Viet Nom Nom, a restaurant offering "quick service Vietnamese food" coming soon to Squirrel Hill. The new signage goes along with the painted wall that appeared earlier this month. Viet Nom Nom will be located at 1711 Murray Ave. in Squirrel Hill (map), the spot most recently occupied by Nu Jewish Bistro.

"We Learn" Beginner and Intermediate Korean classes enter their second week at Carnegie Library in Oakland and online, November 19.

via the Republic of Korea's Flickr page.

The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh branch in Oakland has resumed its free "We Learn" Beginner and Intermediate Korean classes Saturdays from November 12, and will continue Saturdays through December 17. The beginner classes run from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm and are online, while the intermediate classes run at the same time and are a hybrid class. Registration is required. More information is available at the library website.

2022 Japanese animated movie One Piece Film: Red remains in Pittsburgh through November 22.

The 2022 Japanese animated movie One Piece Film: Red, which opened in Pittsburgh on November 3, will remain here through at least November 22.

One of the most iconic anime and manga series of all time is about to get even bigger with the upcoming arrival of the big screen adventure, One Piece Film: Red. One Piece Film: Red centers around Uta, the most beloved singer in the world who is renowned for concealing her own identity. Now, for the first time ever, Uta will reveal herself to the world at a live concert.

It plays locally at the AMC Loews Waterfront, and tickets are available online, though please note some shows are dubbed in English while others are in Japanese with English subtitles.

Doreen Chan “HalfDream: Another Room” Opening Reception, December 2 at Mattress Factory.

The opening reception for the upcoming Mattress Factory exhibit, Doreen Chan's "HalfDream: Another Room," will be held on December 2.

The Mattress Factory is pleased to announce HalfDream: Another Room, a new solo exhibition by Hong Kong and US-based artist Doreen Chan. This new site-specific installation engages Chan’s on-going participatory art project, HalfDream, in which users around the world can describe their dreams, adding them to a database which matches common dreams of participants and connects “dreammates.”

Join us on Friday, December 2 from 6-8 PM for the opening reception and a conversation with the artist. “Dream drink” cocktails and light bites from Salems Grill will be available.