An event for the popular manga and anime series "Dropkick on My Devil!," titled "Dropkick on My Devil!: Escape from Masen Grande," is being held at Shosen Grande, a bookstore in Jimbocho, Tokyo. It's an immersive experience that takes you inside Shosen Grande, a bookstore in Jimbocho, the town where Jashin-chan and her friends live. What is it like?
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To participate in this event, you need to download the "Auris" app to your smartphone in advance. Each session lasts about 30 minutes, and tickets cost 2,200 yen (tax included). After downloading the app and putting on earphones, I tried participating in the "Jashin-chan" episode.
There are four different versions available: "Jashin-chan", "Hanazono Yurine", "Pekora", and "Pino", and players will pair up with a character. Players can enjoy different stories depending on the character they pair up with. The script was written by Kisetsu Morita, a popular light novel author known for works such as "I've Been Killing Slimes for 300 Years and Maxed Out My Level".
Participants will be caught up in Jashin-chan's evil schemes while shopping at Shosen Grande, and will be unable to leave the demonic dungeon known as "Masen Grande." They will work together with the characters they meet to try to escape from Masen Grande.
The event begins on the fifth floor, on the railway and bus floor. Guests will follow instructions as they tour the store while listening to the conversations of Jashin-chan, played by Suzuki Aina. However, it's not just about walking around. Shosen Grande is a bookstore that specializes in hobbies such as railways, manga, light novels, and anime, and its appeal lies in its selection of products that are a little different from other bookstores. You'll discover things you never knew they sold, and you'll be amazed as you stroll through the store together with Jashin-chan. There's also a quiz that you can enjoy, and Jashin-chan's reaction will change depending on your choices.
Because you're wearing earphones, only you can hear Jashin-chan's voice. The scenery in front of you is "real," and you'll be sharing it with Jashin-chan. Of course, Jashin-chan doesn't exist, but you'll get the illusion that she's there. The description "immersive experience event" is not a lie, and you'll be able to enjoy a mysterious and immersive experience.
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While touring the store with Jashin-chan, you'll also discover things you can only find in a real bookstore. You'll notice that they sell a variety of products specialized for "hobbies," such as doujinshi, railway goods, and even armor. While you can easily buy books online, one of the charms of a real bookstore is that you can come across related books other than the product you're looking for.
As Shosen President and CEO Tebayashi Daisuke said, "We wanted people to feel the joy of coming to a bookstore. Shosen Grande in particular is a bookstore specializing in hobbies. We wanted to make use of that strength," by participating in the event you will be able to discover the unique charms of the store.
However, this is not an event to promote the store. The script, which hits the spot for fans, also shows the sincerity behind it. Yanase Kazuki, the promotional producer for "Jashin-chan," said confidently, "We went all out. We tried to do the most interesting thing possible. Each scenario has the volume of one episode of the anime. Morita-sensei walked around the store, did research, and wrote it. The original author, Yukiwo-sensei, also praised it highly."
It has a different appeal from the popular hands-on puzzle-solving events. Tebayashi says, "I think of it as a digital version of TRPG (tabletop role-playing game). You can play pretend with the characters as adults," while Yanase says, "You can enjoy it by imagining the characters as if they were there," making it seem like an event never before seen. It will be held until October 31st.
