Even small conventions are exhausting feats, and AnimeNEXT is not that small! While we finish up our con reports, here is a micro-journey with me through the convention. Some highlights include Production I.G moments and some “overheard at AnimeNEXT” gems.
Friday
Just as a heads up for everyone in the Tri-State area we will be attending AnimeNEXT 2011 this year as both press and panelists for all three days. Hisui will be appearing on five panels this year and Narutaki will be on three so you can see the Reverse Thieves every day of the convention if it so pleases you. The big Japanese guest for us this year will be Satoru Nakamura, who is another amazing Production I.G guest following up last year’s Kenji Kamiyama. If anyone has questions for him just leave a comment and we will be sure to ask at one of his panels.
We recorded a micro-podcast (less than 12-minutes long) detailing our plans in case you don’t feel like reading this post.
Our tentative panel schedule:
Friday:
Anime in the 90s and Spoiler Alert
Tenshi ni Narumon : Anime Under the Radar
The Best Of Martial Arts Fight Scenes 2: The Rematch
Best Manga you Never Read (both Reverse Thieves)
Investigating Detective Anime (both Reverse Thieves)
Vertical Manga: The Seinen Revolution Continues
Production I.G Panel
Type-Moon: Unlimited Panel Works (Hisui’s Solo Mission)
Anime Incorrect! (18+)
Bad Anime, Bad!
Saturday:
The Anime Geek Glossary
JoJo’s Posing School
Fandom & Criticism: The Art of Active Viewing (Hisui & the Ani-Gamers)
Suminagashi: Floating Ink
Fanthropology: Behind the Study of Fandom
Fandom Podcasting: An Overview
A Complete History of Manga
Production I.G Discussion
One Piece Podcast Panel
Otaku on a Budget
Giant Robot Rumble
Totally Subversive Toons (18+)
These Are A Few Of My Favorite Scenes
Sunday:
Anime Opening/Closing Themes
Real Men Watch Shoujo (Both Reverse Thieves)
NoN. D.E. Fan Films
Square Enix
After her visit to Toronto, which of course I couldn’t attend, we were lucky that Natsume Ono made a brief appearance in New York City at Kinokuniya. Even though Kino is often having events, getting a manga-ka is still fairly rare. For those of you less familiar with her, she is the manga-ka behind House of Five Leaves, Ristorante Paradiso, and Not Simple among many others. Natsume was kind and gracious, but camera-shy, and she spent a few moments in every signing to do a sketch.
As I have stated in the past my favorite part of any anime conventions is the ability to meet incredibly talented artists in the fields of anime and manga. The most coveted professionals are manga-ka because their schedules often make it that they cannot be pried away from their desks due to their hellish schedules. So I leap at the chance to speak to any working manga-ka as they usually have made a major sacrifice to appear in the US. When they are at something free like Kinokuniya it is a unmissable treat.
Reverse Thieves 