Category Archives: Conventions and Concerts

July 22, 2007

Semi-Live Otakon Blogging Day 2 – Simplicity

By omo

It’s important to note that a lot of people who attend Otakon do not go see the AMV features and the Masquerade, the two events that generally locks in the bulk of the con attenders. I think increasingly so this is the case only because the con attending population is refining. It’s not to trash talk AMV or the Masquerade, but both of these events are facing stiffer competition for the time of all the attendees.

But more so to the point (so I can get up and get stuff done before heading into line hell for Eminence in the morning) –

1. The only panel I attended today was Mamiko Noto’s second panel, and I was 15 minutes late going to it–I estimated that I probably missed maybe 7 to 10 questions tops? Anyways, that stuff will go up with the stuff on Friday once I get home and air out my notes. The real highlight was this Konata’s Dad-esqe moment: so get this, this scruffy old guy (think of creepy old-looking otaku you run in at big cons) brought his 3, fair-looking children–girls of ages 8 to 11, give a take a few–dressed up completely in Marimite garbs. One was a really good estimate of a SD Yumi-chan. Needless to say when they showed up to the front and asked Noto-san their questions, she was going “aww” and stuff.

2. There was SKILL. My soul will fly.

3. Actually a lot of relaxation and hanging out, at cost of going to stuff that people who read blogs might be interested in. I am not sure I missed out anything though. The 4chan panel sucked this year, so it seemed; people can find out about Code Geass from elsewhere anyways (lol Baldr Force). But meh.

4. 5cm. We did get to see that, and it was good. What’s bad about it? Aside from substantive criticisms Otakon did NOT get a 35mm reel for it and we had to settle with a DVD. HUUUUUUUGE difference in quality. Definitely more on 5cm and related stuff later–it’s worth a whole post.

5. There’s … some sort of an attempted flash mob at the Bandai booth? LOL Haruhi dance. I didn’t really catch it, as by the time I got there it was gone for the most part.

And this is omo, signing off, resting to the thought that I met with Jesus today!

5 comments | posted in Conventions and Concerts, Modern Visual Culture

July 21, 2007

Semi-Live Otakon Blogging Day 0 & 1 – My Fair Lady

By omo

This is really a crashing attempt at blogging. I got 5 hours of sleep last night and my sleep time is eating away by me typing this up. Maybe sometime in the next 12 months I’ll be able to get broadband on the go via some kind of cellular-level connection or something like that.

But anyways, just want to hit some key points that isn’t covered in the usual license announcements today. Obviously, Ouran was a big one and this year had a bigger showing of Ouran cosplayers than last year.

All the Mamiko Noto questions we posed got asked, basically. I actually pitched the “what is your favorite” question and the stupid translator dude picked up on it, even when I phrased it carefully and Noto-san didn’t even dodge it!

Actually Noto-san has been very awesome–35 questions in about 60 minutes. There was this Chinese otaku girl who was a huuuuge Marimite fan who covered those questions, and some bi-lingual otaku who pitched the juicer questions and as well as the Sola question. That’s on top of the autographing session, she actually shook my hands with two hands! ZOMG. I’ll spin this out probably tomorrow or Sunday.

There’s more to otakon — this year has the shortest wait time for reg ever, as well as a very interesting selection of cosplays (1 Kamina, 1 Simon, 1 Post ep-12 Simon! Also 1 Touhou’s Sakuya?). The weather was pretty good, compared to the past otakons.

AAA can really dance and sing but I don’t think Otakon is ready for a neophyte boy band. They were a great show but there’s only so much we can take this artifical stuff; half the people at the concert were there for AMV, anyways.

Geneon After Dark: picked the brains of the usual attendees like Jerry and for the first time Kevin Chu. He loves Manabi Straight! There is hope.

10 comments | posted in Conventions and Concerts, Modern Visual Culture, Ouran High Host Club, Seiyuu, Idol, Pop

July 18, 2007

Convention of the まっすぐ GO!! Generation

By omo

Next time I blog I’ll be in Baltimore attending Otakon. The Baltimore Convention Center does not have free wifi despite a city-wide initiative. However, some of the surrounding areas do. In any event I will blog from the hotel room at the very minimum.

I pray that the mid-summer Baltimore weather will beat upon us no worse than that is necessary, and I can find time both to relax and to be excited about life, universe, and everything. It’s not just to celebrate anime with friends and share a good time, but in a conscious way to deepen my relationship with God in a familiar but shockingly strange environment, in preparation for the thing that have yet to come.

As the “straight ahead-Go” generation that we are, I think that anime fans are some of the best types that 21st century geekdom has to offer. In some ways this means that some external forces may take advantage of us more so and we’ll cause problems with our straightforward mannerisms, but on the flip side it also shows some degree of tenacity that the long-time fans possess. In any case, rain or shine, we will be there and entertaining our favorite guests at this anime convention. If you are going, I pray that you too will do it share this enthusiasm at this mutual geeking-out.

1 comment | posted in Conventions and Concerts, Manabi Straight, Modern Visual Culture, Sayonara Zetsubo Sensei

July 16, 2007

E: The Dempa Letter

By omo

Aika

Code-E is a lot of fun. Studio Deen gives that very classic feel to a lot of the shows they produce. With this crew it almost reminded me of the typical TV anime back in the 90s with both mundane but interesting female leads and equally mundane but more traditional male ones. Sort of like You’re Under Arrest. Sort of like summer.

I am not sure what I should be expecting from Code-E, however. It has that big-budget ROD feel but at the same time it doesn’t feel that way? Maybe I’m just distracted by the OP and the brassy show of a BGM track. Unfortunately, the jury is still in session for Code-E, because this is exactly the kind of show that traditionally gets mishandled and wrangled by poor pacing. I hope they start kicking ass sooner than later. Just because it’s dempa anime doesn’t mean it has to suck, right?

Otakon draws nigh. So does the final stretch of my cramming. Aiee. But I still managed to catch up on sleep, Potemayo, and a bit of Claymore. It’s not helping that the freight train of pre-con anticipation sounds its steam horn, leaving me to brace myself with the anticipatory regret that I’ve just spent a lot of time for very little gain, and said time is really running out. Ah well, I’ll get to see this poor sod again, and many of my online acquaintances. East Side~

2 comments | posted in Code-E, Conventions and Concerts, English Language Modern Visual Fandom, Modern Visual Culture

July 12, 2007

School Days -> Tsuyokiss, Singers and Singing, And Other Seasonal Checklistings

By omo

End your pilot episode with a strong kiss…

Needless to say I really dig School Days the anime so far. Also needless to say it’s way better than all of Tsuyokiss put together at episode 1. (Still want a collection of all its eyecatches…) I think I’m enjoying it even more so because I’ve already seen what the game had to offer, at least for a tiny fraction of it (namely the introduction part (where episode 1 of the anime covered) and some of the LOL endings). I have hopes for this show now, even if the delivery came off a bit like a shaggy old man who may had the charms when he was a mere … 29 years ago. That alone will probably alienate any good will for the greater anime viewing demographic in this post-Haruhi generation of TV animation. Well, that’s to keep (mostly) silent about how to adopt this tricky animated visual novel.

But while I was singing my heart out in my car to (some of) these tunes sometime this week, It only dawned on my then that Summer is con season, and con season means karaoke season. And because this year, unlike of my prior few summers, I haven’t been to a con yet. I am so ill prepared…

And that’s just one MORE party I’m late to. At least this party should be on DVD…? I so have to hit up Animelo one year. We can all scream our hearts…and lungs and intestines out in public.

Sigh. I have a lot on my plate between now and end of this month, so don’t expect a lot of entries from me. I will be at Otakon, though, and more of that nonsense will come…

As well with that music video. It’s still on the plate just…no room to do anything with it or to it.

I’ll end this strange mid-week rant with a couple questions:

1. What should I karaoke at Otakon? I really want to do SKILL at Otakon (again), but that require at least 2-3 people, but ideally 6. (Are you interested? Let me know!) On the plate are all my old songs that I’ve done at various cons before, but I want to hit up a new one. The problem here is that all the new songs I want to sing I can’t really do–I still want to do Break the Cocoon but I’m lacking an off-vocal track nor the English part of the lyrics near the end. I sort of want to do Gravitation but Angela is…not an act I should follow. I can always do God Knows again, but I rather like the Momoi’s cover more in terms of arrangement and how it has very little breaks in the middle…except that we’ll have to rip the voice out.

2. Questions for Mamiko Noto? I’ve said it before, if you want to have fun at a con panel, think up questions ahead of time. I’m probably going to ask at least one question about Touka Gettan, but that’s just the beginning. I’ll take your suggestions! Help me get my brain juices going.

6 comments | posted in Conventions and Concerts, School Days, Seiyuu, Idol, Pop, Touka Gettan, Tsuyokiss