Category: Conventions

AnimeNEXT 2009

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Narutaki and Hisui’s schedule:

Friday
Anime Through the Generations Panel
Anime’s Pirate Legacy Panel
Anime Princesses Rule Panel
Japanese Crime Fiction in Anime Panel
My Stereotypes are More Offensive than Yours Panel
These are a Few of My Favorite Scenes Panel

Saturday
I Can’t Believe You Haven’t Seen This! Panel
Psychology of Anime
Vertical Panel
ParaPara Dance Workshop
Directing! Panel
Funimation Panel
Bad Anime, Bad! Panel
As the Otaku Grows Panel

Sunday
History of Manga Panel
Otaku Perceptions and Misconceptions Panel
Anime Blogging Basics Panel

Aren’t cons exciting? No matter how many I go to, I always look forward to another one. This has become especially true in recent years as I meet more and more people from blogosphere and other outlets. AnimeNEXT usually kick starts my con season every year and this time around is no exception. It was one of those inbetween conventions that holds a special place because of the dates it usually lands on. There was a major location change this year so it the con had a bit of a unknown factor going in.

I have to agree with Narutaki. As I am more and more a part of the menagerie that is the anime community, I look forward to going to conventions more than ever. It is a great opportunity to see old friends, meet up with people you have only talked to on the Internet, and discover awesome people you have not yet met. I know people are always disappointed that I am not actually an emotionally dead red-headed magical maid when they meet me. Then again I am actually emotionally dead so that is something, right? AnimeNEXT also has very good panels thanks to some very knowledgeable old time fans attending every year. There is also a strong and growing blogging presence. Since the thing I like the most about anime conventions, besides Japanese guests, are the panels it is always nice to seem some quality lectures about fascinating topics.

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AnimeNEXT, Are we there yet?

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It is officially convention season again! This time of year is always a lot of fun but takes quite a bit out of me. Plus, there is a lot of planning going on. While I think this year AnimeNEXT has been more on top of it compared to last year, that isn’t much of a compliment. Also this new location I know nothing about. Though it looked like such a pain commute I ended up getting a hotel room last minute. Still, we got our panel confirmation along with approval for press badges a couple of weeks before the convention so that is something. Speaking of our panel, that is right ladies and gentlemen, Reverse Thieves will be making their second appearance at AnimeNEXT! Come see our panel “I Can’t Believe You Haven’t Seen This!” on Saturday from 9-10AM. It’s early but come on! Oh, and we will be wearing Reverse Thieves t-shirts on Saturday. I know, I know we are like the coolest people you know.

AnimeNEXT is a mid-sized convention. It is bigger than a small con with it’s ability to swing some bigger guests and bands but is smaller than your 800 pound gorillas like Otakon and AnimeExpo. This gives it a unique feel. I am disappointed that we don’t have any awesome Japanese guests that interest me like we have in the past. But if you go in with the right attitude, and a few friends, any convention can be fun. Also good panels are good panels no matter where you go so I hope that this year’s panelists are up to par. Plus the dealers’ room is usually good. We will be running the “I Can’t Believe You Haven’t Seen This!” panel in Panel Room 2 with celebrity blogger Carl from Ogiue Maniax so you have two reasons to wake up early on Saturday. Also we will be giving away prizes at the end of the panel so that actually makes three! Don’t forget to check out Carl at the Anime Blogging Basics Panel on Sunday at 2 PM in Panel Room 1, too.

Our tentative schedule is as follows:

Friday
Funimation Sneak Peek Panel
Anime Through the Generations Panel
Anime’s Pirate Legacy Panel
Anime Princesses Rule Panel
Japanese Crime Fiction in Anime Panel
My Stereotypes are More Offensive than Yours Panel
These are a Few of My Favorite Scenes Panel

Saturday
I Can’t Believe You Haven’t Seen This! Panel
(This is our panel!) 9AM – 10AM
Misako Rocks! Panel
Vertical Panel
Anime/Manga Influence Panel
Business of Webcomics Panel
ParaPara Dance Workshop
Japanese Snacks and Sweets Panel
Funimation Panel
Bad Anime, Bad! Panel
As the Otaku Grows Panel

Sunday
Con Horror Stories Panel
History of Manga Panel
Otaku Perceptions and Misconceptions Panel
The Misadventures of an AnimeNEXT Con-Chair Panel
Gravitation & Genshiken Panel
Anime Blogging Basics Panel
Con Feedback Session Panel

As a reminder: No Ongoing Investigations this week!

Brooklyn Botanic Gardens: Sakura Matsuri 2009

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The rain, cherry blossoms, and tears can all fall with infectious joy or breathtaking sadness. The Sakura Matsuri was held at the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens on Saturday and Sunday. Every year around this time they have a collection of Japanese performances and lectures on a wide range of Japanese arts in the background of the falling cherry blossoms. You get a wide variety including: dance, music, poetry, and artistic botany. The crowd is also very diverse. I saw families, couples, friends, young people, old people, otaku, and hipsters. There were many people in cosplay but they hardly overwhelmed the normal patrons nor were they ever disruptive on the day that I went. I am curious if it was any better or worse on Saturday.

Most everyone I know went on Saturday and I went Sunday. This meant that Sunday was a solitary journey which lends a different feel to the proceedings. For some reason the whole day brought to my mind the 71st episode of Urusei Yatsura, Shinobu’s Cinderella Story because of the constant rain. I half expected to get drawn into an adventure of romance and danger. But that just goes to show what an odd person I am in the end. Plus I always like to picture myself as Shinobu. Maybe because we have similar personalities. Maybe I just want the ability to hurl tanks when upset. Still all the cherry blossom trees were in full bloom and you often saw blossoms littering the air and walkways. Although a popular activity was people shaking the trees to get the rain of petals effect. It was definitely a good weekend to capture the proper ambiance of Sakura Matsuri.

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