Cygames' original mecha anime, "Brave Bang Bravern" (Yuki Bakuhatsu Burn Bravern), has been one of the breakout original anime of the year, captivating a ton of fans with its mecha-meets-heroic-fantasy style. Even though it's already finished its run, the ongoing events clearly show just how popular this series is.
Today (January 11) marks exactly one year since the anime's premiere, and both official accounts and fans alike have been celebrating on X. But what really got fans buzzing was Iwate Prefecture Governor Takuya Tasso's recent radio interview about the anime industry, where he couldn't stop raving about "Brave Bang Bravern."
▼ "Bravern" was even trending on X in Japan today!
Turns out, Takuya Tasso has always been a massive anime fan. He's been openly passionate about anime since he was elected in 2007, even launching the "Iwate Manga Project" (Iwate Manga Purojekuto) in Iwate Prefecture—an initiative that uses manga to showcase Iwate's culture and charm.
He stated, "We want manga lovers to fully enjoy these works while also discovering the charm of Iwate. We'll continue to push hard on this front."
When asked about memorable works he watched in 2024, he immediately brought up "Brave Bang Bravern." He gushed that the anime felt like the pinnacle of mecha anime, wrapping together both classic and modern mecha elements. He found it truly moving, saying it made people of all ages, from his generation to younger fans, fall in love with mecha all over again.
His comments quickly caught the attention of many "Brave Bang Bravern" fans, who even drew fan art for him. Even director Masami Obari saw the buzz and expressed hope for a collaboration with Iwate Prefecture to help promote local tourism.
Fans are super excited about a potential collaboration with Iwate Prefecture, noting that a governor so passionate about anime is a rare find in Japanese politics.
Takuya Tasso has never been shy about his love for ACG (Anime, Comics, Games). He once famously called Sanriku Railway's mascot character, "Kuji Alice," "my wife" at an exhibition, which should give you a pretty good idea of his otaku cred! XD
▼ Sanriku Railway's mascot character, "Kuji Alice"
It's no wonder a governor who loves ACG so much, and uses it to promote local tourism and support the anime industry, has been re-elected since 2007. Maybe it won't be long before we see "Brave Bang Bravern" collaborating with the region!