It’s been twenty years since Japan Studio and Sony Computer Entertainment first dragged players into Hanuda. In commemoration, there will be two events this year to celebrate. “Siren in Namjatown Festival” will run from July 14, 2023 to September 3, 2023. The “Ikai-Iri Siren 20th Anniversary” event to celebrate the game will take place from August 3-5, 2023.
This will also be the first year that Sony officially involved itself in Ikai-Iri. Since its inception in 2019, Mitsuyoshi Shinoda, who portrays protagonist Kyoya Suda, has been the lead organizer.
He has posted a short announcement trailer for this year’s Ikai-Iri on his official YouTube channel. You can watch it here:
Ikai-Iri is an unofficial anniversary event for Siren, mostly taking place on Wikipedia. It starts from the night of July 29 (the “official” start of the timeline when Miyata visits Irazu Valley Church) to the early hours of August 6 (the end of the whole Forbidden Siren affair). The cast of the game have also participated through livestreams as well. The term “Ikai-Iri” means “entering the other world” and in the game, it happens when the eponymous “siren” rings out through Hanuda.
Siren came out for the PS2 in 2003. It is a cult classic for its memorable and deep story, as well as for its frustrating difficulty. More information on the two Siren commemoration events will come out in the near future.
