Introduction
Anime NYC 2018 held a Fate Special Event with the English Cast of Heaven's Feel, followed by a live Aimer performance! Although video and pictures were sadly not permitted, I've done my best to bring you there with this recap!
Before the event, there were "Guess the Character" slides and various trivia questions. Lights dim, and the narration describing the Holy Grail War plays.
The Heaven's Feel English Cast, Tony Oliver (Lancer), Kari Wahlgren (Saber), Cristina Vee (Sakura), and Bryce Papenbrook (Shirou), walk onstage and are introduced with their respective character cosplayers.
Quick video messages play from the staff involved with producing Heaven's Feel. Associate Producer Yuma Takahashi talks about how Ep 2 will be more intense, and more interesting. Ayako Kawasumi and Noriko Shitaya appear and do their character voices of Saber and Sakura respectively, chatting about what their characters go through and hyping up Chapter 2.
Voice Actor Q&A
Question Time! Anthony, the Aniplex Personality and co-host of the event, brought up some questions to the Heaven's Feel Cast.
Bryce: I saw the premiere in Australia, and thought Sakura would talk the most because it's her movie. But when I saw Shirou talking a lot, I was like, "Yesss!"
Cristina: Every time I tell people I voice Sakura they go, *takes a deep breath*. I look forward to what happens in part 2!
Kari: I always work with Tony, but if you were locked in a dark room, there's no one's voice you'd rather hear than Tony.
Tony: I knew the film was coming for a long time. Couldn't wait to see it come out, because then we could resurrect the cast again.
Bryce: With the Fate series, I'm thankful that Tony is the director. I always keep in the back of my mind that Tony knows the answer.
Cristina: The animation is so beautiful. Voicing Sakura specifically, since now people cast me for my deeper voice, I'm glad I get to do her kind of voice, something I don't get to do much anymore. I'm more comfortable doing her voice.
Kari: I don't want to do spoilers, but I do get to explore my darker side~
Tony: What's fun is to see these guys take the meat of these characters and take them so much further.
Kari: I love it, it's so cathartic and I get goosebumps all over my arms. It never gets old for me. Whenever I shout it I get all tingly, like, "EXCALIBURRRRR!" (*Audience cheers*)
Bryce: Why do I always get put into this situation?
Cristina (as Sakura): "I'm fragile."
Kari (as Saber): "I'm not."
Cristina (as Sakura): "I have E cups."
Kari (as Saber): "When I'm animated, I don't…"
Cristina: I play a lot of characters who suffer. You see a lot of characters I play have purple hair, eyes, everything… I love it!
Tony: I look through the script, see if I die, usually within three episodes or so. But there was this one time, in Fate/Grand Order, where I'm Caster. Then I survive and beat Archer!
Bryce: I think Saber is the right answer.
Cristina: Who does Kaiji Tang voice? Archer? Probably Archer!
Kari: Gotta play that hot blonde with a sword! Saber!
Tony: Saber, definitely.
Cristina: People keep trying to kill him all the time. I'd rather go with Archer.
How Well Do You Know Your Co-Stars?
For this part, the voice actors were split into two groups, (Tony/Bryce and Kari/Cristina). They had to guess how the other answered a question.
Bryce: Ahh, I guess he starts by shouting at people in traffic, get that gut sound working, and then hitting a fighting position.
Tony: Well, you got the fighting position part right.
Cristina: Well, we both have E cups?
Kari: Close - your adorable fashion sense!
Tony: Supportive, hopefully?
Bryce: Tony really understands everything about the story. He's really supportive, so yeah!
Kari: Game of Thrones? I figured you'd like something like that.
Cristina: You're really close! It's Outlander!
Cristina: Yes, unless they're voiced by Bryce, you can go "Just because you're correct doesn't mean you're right!"
Bryce: Yeah. Absolutely, haha.
Fan Favorite Scenes
Third Place Tie: Rider vs True Assassin and the Heater Scene between Shirou and Sakura
Second Place: Saber turning into Saber Alter
Kari: I'm getting goosebumps watching this again! It's like, wow, that didn't suck!
Question: Do you prefer Saber or Alter?
Kari: Look, the bad guys are so fun to play that it's hard to say…
First Place: Lancer vs True Assassin
Crowd Favorite: Mapo Tofu scene.
Live Reading of Fan Favorite Scenes
Heater Scene with Shirou and Sakura
- Bryce is handed an extra script
- Bryce plays up Shirou's grunts, while Cristina plays up Sakura's shivering.
- Cristina adds a random "Pika pika" when talking about their backstory, then describes a horror scene.
- Cristina brings up asking Fujimura Sensei about how Shirou was adopted.
- Bryce mentions Kiritsugu as Matt Mercer
- Cristina asks about if people die when they're killed
- Bryce responds, "You're good with words, Sakura"
Saber turning into Alter Scene
- Kari adds the line, "Do not get in my way! Bryce is mine! Hrrrrrrr!"
Lancer vs True Assassin Scene
- Bryce filling in for Hassan, but has a much higher pitched voice. "Imagine a middle-schooler Hassan."
- Noble Phantasm - Unlimited--I mean, Zabaniya!
- Bryce proceeds to make all kinds of gobbling noises, including the part where he is literally instructed to make the sounds of drinking an entire heart's worth of blood.
- Cristina asks, "Cu was killed, right? But did he die?
Questions Continued
Tony: I did something I never did before for this series - I binged the entire show, watched it several times.
Cristina: Speaking of which, I'm very excited to see people doing the "Lancer Running", instead of the Naruto running.
Cristina: The worms.
Bryce: Probably Rider or Young Shirou. I was a fan of Waver in Zero - I tend to sympathize with the young protagonists.
Tony: Gilgamesh. You know what's funny? David Vincent actually does call us mongrels in real life.
Bryce: The battle between Lancer and Assassin. The battle was so beautiful, and the running was so beautiful.
Cristina: When Sakura is in the snow with her beautiful white dress.
Kari: The battle scenes - the balance between art and violence is so enrapturing.
Tony: Actually from Fate Zero, the scene where Rider is eliminated, that was heavy. And also the scene where Kiritsgu kills his adopted older sister Natalia.
Bryce: I wouldn't think I'd try it…
Tony: I was getting a bit sick to my stomach, almost tasting it myself because he did the scene so well.
Cristina: I just want to be Saber.
Tony: Nero, but I don't think I'd fit the costume.
Kari: Lancer - his fight scenes are amazing. Yes, I'm obsessed with those fight scenes. Who's that pink haired character in FGO? I think-- Astolfo? Yeah, Astolfo. Astolfo seems like a fun servant.
Bryce: I want to be a growling Berserker!
Bryce: At least not in the kitchen…
Kari: I think it's perfectly normal to curl in in the fetal position with a sword and cry.
Cristina: Nah, after recording session I'm like, **deep voice** "Thanks, Tony," and leave.
Tony: Not really because sometimes you cover so many different characters some days, but for Zero there was the voice actor who voiced the victim of Gilles who had nightmares afterwards. When we brought the voice actor back, they asked if they were reprising that same child… You just need to shake it off.
Cristina: I grew up in a pit of worms… But really, I felt like Sakura when I was younger, kind of shy, and insecure.
Kari: Saber struggling with questions of doing the right thing, that things aren't black and white is something I really get.
Tony: For me, it's more aspirational. Lancer has this swagger and confidence that I don't. He has this pride where there's a line he won't cross, and he knows it.
Bryce: There's lots of things I don't have in common. Red hair, cooking, fixing things. I'm not handy. But I always wanted to be a hero of justice.
Heaven's Feel II: Lost Butterfly Trailer
At this point, they showed the new key visual for the second movie, as well as the Trailer!
Aimer Concert
After the the PV, it was time for the Aimer concert!
During setup, people cheered for the piano player, and then cheered again when Aimer came on stage.
Aimer began the concert with Brave Shine. The full song list can be found below:
Brave Shine
Broken Night
Believe (by Kalafina)
This Illusion
Last Stardust
Aimer's rendition of This Illusion was truly enchanting - on a personal level, hearing the start of my Fate journey in such an awe-inspiring manner put all the troubles I ran into on the way to Anime NYC at peace.
After Broken Night, Aimer made two announcements:
1) This was Aimer's first time in NYC. It's been her dream to perform here and it's finally happened. She definitely wants to come back again.
2) She revealed the main theme for Heaven's Feel II: Lost Butterfly to be named "I beg you"
Conclusion
After Aimer ended the concert with Last Stardust, the English Cast came back again with a few parting words. On the whole, everyone was excited for Heaven's Feel II: Lost Butterfly to come out in theaters!
