Around October 3, 1996, in the USA, the video game awards ceremony of Electronic Gaming and GameFan began. The Carnegie Hall was already bustling with people; the production team to broadcast the event was already in place.
Many video game entertainment companies entered the hall and sat upon seats. Murmured discussions took place. Then, a blonde American host appeared on the stage. There was a large LED Screen behind him, on which were written: [The First Game Awards Ceremony of EG GameFan: A Night of Pixels and Passion!]
The American blonde host then spoke, welcoming the people and making some funny jokes that gamers could understand. For example, "Big round of applause for the Best Soundtrack category! And the award goes to... the dogs in 'Resident Evil!' Seriously, those barks still haunt my dreams."
The audience laughed, and the video games team that was nominated in the event, voted in each category, also laughed softly.
The nominees turned to the "Resident Evil 1" team, who were the representatives for the game.
"I see we've got some real survival horror fans here. Just remember, if you see a zombie with a fedora, run! And for the love of polygons, don't waste ammo on the dogs!"
When the host said that, the audience, including the video game fans in attendance, laughed.
The "Resident Evil 1" team also joined in the laughter with the other nominees.
"Speaking of 'Resident Evil,' the award for Best Use of Tank Controls goes to... the entire cast of Resident Evil 1! Talk about limited movement options! You could turn faster with a brick tied to your leg."
The "Resident Evil 1" team, consisting of Japanese members, laughed along with the others, but deep inside, they were already contemplating how to improve their game next time.
After the "Resident Evil 1" jokes by the host, the host continued to joke about some video games. However, some teams representing those video games didn't take it lightly and were a bit upset, feeling their games were insulted. They even considered walking out, but since the event was live, doing so would only further embarrass themselves.
Following the break in the joke session, the host received a reminder from the higher-ups to tone down his jokes about other video games. Although the host disliked being held back, he had no choice.
The Electronic Gaming and GameFan were hosting the video game ceremony event, which was still relatively new, and they had yet to establish themselves as a reputable host for video game awards ceremonies.
While the company Electronic Gaming and GameFan held influence in the video game magazine industry, the event they were currently hosting presented a different challenge.
Many teams representing their video games primarily came from Japan and other countries. Approximately 48 percent were Japanese, 35 percent were American, and 17 percent were from either Europe or Asia.
After the host's mixture of roasting and praising the nominated video games, the ceremony was finally about to begin. It started with the early announcement awards, with the first being "The Most Anticipated Game" from the years 1994-1996.
The years 1994 and 1995 were included due to the numerous video games that generated buzz during that time.
The nominated video games were "GTA III," "Metal Gear Solid I," "Resident Evil 1," "Gloomy: The Land of Happiness," "Uprising," "Religion of Nightmares," "Silent Hill," and "Roar of Destruction," among others.
The award was ultimately received by "Metal Gear Solid I." It was a close competition with "GTA III," but the latter was currently facing some issues. Although KiShin had mostly resolved them, there were still lingering undercurrents.
Following "The Most Anticipated Game," the ceremony proceeded with "The Community Choice Award," which was won by "Resident Evil 1."
Next was the "Sports Game of the Year," and the award went to "Football World," a video game resulting from the collaboration between Tora-Suzuki.
KiShin was still focused on developing sports video games, offering mainly 8-bit or 16-bit casual sports games like football and basketball.
After the early awards categories, the ceremony delved into other segments such as Best Action, Best RPGs, and more. Interestingly, some of KiShin's action and RPG video games from a few years ago were also nominated and received votes.
Viewers watching the video game awards ceremony at home through television were keenly interested in discovering which video games were considered the best in various categories.
Surprisingly, most of the award-winning games hailed from KiShin. However, certain categories saw victories for video games from Tora, Suzuki, Kuma Games, Shinroads, and others.
The majority of the video games hailed from Japan, with KiShin being a significant contributor to this trend.
While some game developers didn't secure awards, they didn't feel disheartened, considering the event's relatively early stage and lack of prestige. They found satisfaction in the exposure their video games received on television. Though not overly disappointed, they pledged to create even better video games to surpass Japanese companies in the future.
As the video game awards ceremony continued, the "Best Game of the Year Award" was awarded to "GTA III."
The reason behind "GTA III" winning the award was its graphics, pushing the limits of the 32-bit system, along with a captivating setting, compelling story, and top-notch sound effects.
The game developers weren't overly surprised by "GTA III" winning the "Best Game of the Year." Despite moral issues with the game, they believed it was the rightful recipient of the accolade.
Following this, viewers at home discovered other video games that received awards in specific categories, sparking their interest to play them.
They could either rent these games on "Netflix" or purchase them from "GameStop."
In Japan, on October 7, 1996, "Sailor Moon" was about to be broadcast on TV Asahi.
Many anime fans, or Dragon Ball fans, even wanted to switch the channel, but most of them decided to see if the anime was any good because deep inside their hearts, even if KiShin disappointed them by releasing an anime for girls instead of releasing Dragon Ball, they still believe in KiShin in producing good animes.
The trust they have in KiShin producing top-notch anime was because of the fact that the best and popular anime in Japan or even in the world were KiShin IPs, such as "Pokèmon," "Dragon Ball," "Earthbound," "Yu-Gi-Oh," etc.
KiShin had successfully developed its influence and reputation within the anime industry, known for producing top-notch anime. However, they raised eyebrows when considering jeopardizing this reputation with just one girl-themed anime. Many found it unbelievable and couldn't comprehend why KiShin heavily marketed and promoted the anime, even holding a press conference about it, leaving them feeling uneasy.
Critics thought that KiShin's anime section was heading towards its own ruin, essentially digging its own grave. The downfall, at least in the anime sector, was perceived to begin with the anime for girls.
In discussions among anime fans at home, sentiments like, "Sigh. It seems like KiShin couldn't continue producing high-quality animes, so they can only produce that anime," and "KiShin could have played it safe by adapting the Dragon Ball Z manga; there's no need to produce a girl anime," circulated.
Helpless, they decided to see if the anime called 'Sailor Moon' would be decent at all. As the clock struck 12:00 PM, the viewers at home didn't have to wait long; the "Sailor Moon" anime finally began with its theme.
Anime fans had become accustomed to the music theme tradition, where the soundtrack played before the actual anime began. This trend was initiated by KiShin with the anime "Pokèmon," and the music theme "Gotta catch 'em all" had already gained worldwide popularity.
Following the music theme of "Sailor Moon," the anime finally commenced, featuring a blonde, long-haired girl waking up to her mother's call. The young girl lightly complained before heading to school. On her way, she encountered a group of kids bullying a black cat, prompting her to shout and scare them away.
Approaching the black cat, the blonde girl, named Usagi Tsukino, noticed a band-aid on its forehead. As she removed it, the cat agilely jumped away. Feeling a bit alarmed, Usagi decided to continue to school.
At school, Usagi found herself standing in the hall for being late and received a low score on her test paper. As viewers watched, they sensed that the anime was at least watchable. Despite Usagi's immaturity, her personality resonated and connected with the girls watching the anime.
The anticipated mystery and magic elements were introduced into the anime with the introduction of a woman named Queen Beryl, who exuded an air of trouble. A blonde man obediently followed her, clearly establishing them as the antagonists of the story.
This revelation captured the attention of viewers who, initially poised to judge the anime, found themselves engrossed without realizing it.
Meanwhile, female viewers found a stronger connection with the protagonist of "Sailor Moon," especially through her evident fondness for jewelry. Usagi, accompanied by her friend whose mother owned a jewelry store, found herself contemplating a purchase due to a discount.
Although the viewers initially perceived Usagi's friend's mother as overly generous, they later discovered her ulterior motive – working for the blonde man, seemingly following orders from Queen Beryl. This revelation left the viewers aware that the protagonist was entangled in a precarious situation.
However, they observed that Usagi walked out of the store and even had time to check out the latest game, "Sailor V." After tossing her crumpled test paper, it accidentally hit a man's face, leaving Usagi initially embarrassed when reprimanded by the man before walking away, annoyed.
Returning home, Usagi reluctantly handed her mother the test result, leading to her mother's anger due to the low score. Usagi found herself on the verge of being kicked out, even mocked by her little brother. The scene then shifted to Usagi on her bed, where the black cat from earlier entered her room. The black cat, named Luna, spoke, initially shocking Usagi before Luna managed to calm her, who pretended to sleep due to the unbelievable situation.
Luna hurriedly explained that Usagi was the chosen warrior, a claim Usagi initially shrugged off and pretended to believe. However, after Luna caused Usagi to transform into "Sailor Moon," she was initially shocked but then heard her friend's voice through the magical device on her head.
Viewers at home, including both anime and Dragon Ball enthusiasts, were impressed by Usagi Tsukino's transforming scene, deeming it comparable to even the transformation sequences in robot anime.
The soundtrack, sound effects, and animation quality lived up to the high standards expected from KiShin. As the anime progressed, the depiction of Usagi attempting to rescue her friend, transforming from an ordinary, inexperienced girl into a warrior, evoked genuine fear. The introduction of Tuxedo Mask even prompted some girls watching to yelp in admiration.
Anyone astute enough quickly realized that Tuxedo Mask was the young man accidentally hit by Usagi's paper ball on the head.
The handsome and elegant young man caught Usagi's eye. After defeating the witch-like woman with guidance from the black cat Luna, Usagi received praise from Tuxedo Mask and watched as he left. Usagi then gazed at the spot where he had initially stood, her eyes turning heart-shaped.
As the anime concluded, many viewers found it to be better than they had anticipated.
Simultaneously, some viewers observed that Tuxedo Mask strikingly resembled the body shape and height of Shinro Suzuki. These viewers were gamers and long-time fans of Shinro Suzuki.
They sensed that Shinro Suzuki had once again infused his character into the anime. In contrast to the assumption in the Yu-Gi-Oh main character, where gamers believed Shin expressed his personality through "Yami Yugi," this time in "Sailor Moon," they perceived that Shinro was unmistakably inserting his character. The almost identical hairstyle, body shape, and even facial features led gamers to believe that it was Shinro, aiming to portray himself as charmingly audacious as ever.