Pop rock band SCANDAL were guests of honor at this year�s AM2, which was held at the Anaheim Convention Center. On July 3rd, the girls held a Q&A panel with fans before their big concert that same night.

Although the con itself seemed a bit quiet, the fans were anything but. The lineup of fans extended down the hall and filled the room to the max. The front row hosted the biggest group of fans in the room, as they held a banner for the girls that expressed their love; one dressed up as their mascot, and another dressed up as 'Doraemon', a reference to an inside joke with one of the members.

After the crowd settled in and were given specifics, the girls entered the stage. The once semi-quiet crowd suddenly became a mass of screaming fans, as they yelled the names of their favorite member and �I love you!�. It was quite amusing to see the looks on their faces when they saw the mascot and 'Doraemon' sitting in front.

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To kick off the panel, the girls introduced themselves to the crowd. SCANDAL haven�t been back to the States in three and half years and it seems they were very happy to be here. They were excited and glad that many fans waited for them, and expressed hope that they enjoy their show later on.

Since the panel was open for various questions from fans, many of them focused on the girls� personal likes, as well as their band's music. The panel host asked a couple of questions before he passed off the mic to the fans. He asked them what their favorite animes were, and Haruka answered, �Hetalia� and �Kuroshitsuji�; Rina�s favorite were �Katekyoshi Hitman REBORN� and �Sailor Moon�; Tomomi likes �ONE PIECE� and �Sailor Moon�; and although Mami likes various anime, she likes �Bleach�, �NARUTO�, and �K-ON�.

Next, they were asked who their favorite foreign artists were. Haruna, who answered first, said the Jonas Brothers, which cause the entire audience to laugh, leaving her wondering if she had said something funny. Rina likes Taylor Swift, Tomomi prefers the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Mami professed to be a fan of The Strokes. When asked what they wanted to do since they're in the States, Haruna stated she wanted to eat good food, Rina wanted to go swimming, Tomomi wanted to eat pancakes, and Mami simply wanted to walk the streets.

After that, fans lined up to ask them questions, such as what they would be doing if they weren�t in a band. Although they hadn�t thought about it, Haruna said she likes music, so she�d still be doing something in the music industry. The others, however, gave surprising answers. Rina said she�d be a fireman; Tomomi, a babysitter; and Mami, a designer.

Other questions were directed towards their music, such as how did they go about writing songs, why did they cover ZONE�s �Secret Base�, and would they tour America soon?

When it comes to writing their music, Rina does most of the work on her keyboard, then shares it with the other members.

As for covering ZONE�s �Secret Base�, they all like the song and were worried that they would get some negative feedback because it�s such a popular hit, but they were happy with it overall. Also, while it�s been 3 � years since their last performance, the girls have no plans of touring America any time soon. They do love America and L.A., so they are hoping they will get to come back.

Some of the funnier moments during this event belonged to Tomomi. When asked why she picked the bass, she said it�s because it is easier to play than guitar. She tried playing the guitar, but gave up after a week because it had so many strings; the bass has less, so it was easier to pick up. The girls also mentioned that during rehearsal, they�ve tried playing each other�s instruments, but never fully finished a song because it was difficult.

Before ending the session, the girls were asked if they ever thought of becoming a band before actually becoming a band, and the answer was no. They never thought that they would become a band.

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At the end of the Q&A session was the autograph session, where fans had to purchase a T-shirt and received a small board for the members to sign.



Photography by: Kevin Chang