Disclaimer: This article was released in the Manila Times last October 21, 2018 link:
https://www.manilatimes.net/everyst-social-fiction-app-launched/454703/

The world’s leading social fiction app, Everyst Stories held their first press conference in the Philippines at the anime-themed Y Café, in Salcedo Village, Makati City last Sept. 27, 2018.

The platform was developed in Tokyo, Japan by an international roster of creatives and was launched back in February 2017. Everyst produces stories that are told through a series of cha­racter-written tweets that are simultaneously published on the brand’s mobile app and Twitter. Since its launch last year, the app has attracted a dedicated and passionate audience of readers who regularly follow the many on-going stories published on the app.

“We make stories for people on the go. Everyst characters update their stories on Twitter in short statuses that are easy to read on the go,” CEO Ben Watanabe shared. It’s a new approach to manga and light novels where characters post updates on Twitter. Popular stories include The Convenience Store (Twitter: @EddieEdEdEd) and Conspiracy Research Club (Twitter: @CRC_Luna).

During the press conference, Watanabe introduced Everyst’s newest on-going story, SolarFlare (Twitter: S_F_Nat). Developed under the wing of Masi Oka who is known for TV’s Heroes and Hawaii 5-0, SolarFlare tells the story of a group of daredevil prodigies who venture into uncharted space to discover new worlds. Watanabe shared his excitement on their newest addition, “Masi is a lot of fun. He really helps us look at a story from a bigger picture. We sat down and brainstormed with him. We talked about what we wanted to do and we landed on SolarFlare.”

Following the brand’s success throughout Asia, Everyst began to venture into the Filipino market through the development of new, original stories co-created by their locally grown talents. The number of talented creators in the country has led Watanabe to consider putting together a Manila-based artist incubator.

“We know that a lot of the big companies come to Manila because there is so much talent here. A lot of the artists that we talk to are working for those companies, but it’s more of a job than getting to build their dreams. We are getting to build our dreams with Everyst, and we want to support storytellers by giving them credit and ownership for their stories,” Watanabe pointed out.

Since its launch in the Philippines, Everyst has enjoyed increasing success among readers of all ages. The reception has been so strong that readers began to interact with the characters on Twitter. “We love seeing how Filipino fans join in on the fun with the stories being on Twitter. The way they comment with friends on what’s happening and sometimes playfully tease each other has been especially fun to see!” Watanabe shared.

Today, Everyst has published more than 70,000 tweets, launched 421 original characters and created 105 stories. With characters such as Eddie (@EddieEdEdEd) and Luna (@CRC_Luna) who readers have enjoyed since their introduction, it is only a matter of time before these characters find a permanent place in the lexicon of Filipino popular culture.