30.07.2010 · by Adrian A. Lozano
Boldly go where no Wonder Festival has gone before!
For the first time in Wonder Festival’s history Kaiyodo was able to distribute Star Trek one-day amateur licenses. A good number of resin kit makers displayed and sold a wide selection of kits that ranged from the original series to Star Trek Nemesis of all things. Japan’s Star Trek Fandom has been around for years and Japan’s Official Fan Club is working hard to keep the franchise in the public eye since the J.J. Abrams reboot was released. Bringing Star Trek to Wonder Festival is one of the best things to come out of the event in the past few years; overseas Star Trek collectors will want to keep an eye out for what’s to come this winter.
A nice surprise was that Gainax’s booth was sporting an old face us old timers are sure to remember GENERAL PODUCTS. Primarily a sales kiosk filled with present day Gainax goods the booth also had event only GENERAL PRODUCTS and DAICON III & IV t-shirts. There just isn’t enough time in the day to see all of the resin kits and PVC figures being sold and exhibited not to mention getting time in over at the Cosplay area. Won Fes is hands down the event of events to attend in Tokyo and usually hell a fun as long as escalators aren’t collapsing above you.
Tags: Figure Wonder Festival 0 Comments
24.07.2010 · by Patrick W. Galbraith
Michael Arias, an American making anime
As part of the Summer Institute of Studies in Japanese Popular Culture, Temple University Japan Campus had a guest lecture by Michael Arias, an American born Japanese film and anime director, producer and visual affects artist. Arias is the first and thus far only American to have directed feature-length Japanese films, including the 2007 anime feature, "Tekkon Kinkreet." He was also the producer of "The Animatrix."
Arias started his career in Hollywood as a special effects artist on such films as "The Abyss" and "Total Recall." He was 20 at the time. His advice for those wanting to repeat his success? "Learn a skill." Arias says he was always a techie sort of guy, and so when asked what he could do, he said he could work the machines that moved the cameras during special effects filming. He also was, as he put it, "a closet model maker," which later became another set of job skills.
Fascinating for me was the fact that Arias was not into anime or manga. What exactly brought him to Japan, you say? "Back to the Future: The Ride." Arias was in the United States working on the special effects for the project, which employed many model makers from Japan. He spoke Japanese and was into model making, which proved helpful in making friends. Special effects guru Douglas Trumbull invited Arias to come with him to Japan to finish "Back to the Future: The Ride" (which now only continues to operate in Japan, apparently).
It was 1990 and the first time in Japan for Arias, who fell in love with the technology. Robots that deliver files around the office, even up elevators to different floors. Those fancy robot toilets. The incredibly advanced 3D computer graphics (how things have changed!). He accepted a job with Imagica and moved to Tokyo in 1991.
Arias told the class how in 1995 he was living in Tokyo with an unemployed graphic designer, who was a real manga fanatic. Arias had some down time, and asked his roommate to introduce him to a great manga. What he got was Matsumoto Taiyo's "Tekkon Kinkreet." He went into it still thinking that comics were about superheroes like in the States, but he came out a changed man.
"I was totally into it," he said. "I carried it around with me for years."
When asked why it became so important for him, Arias said it just resonated. He grew up with a younger brother and could relate to the relationship between the two young protagonists. The setting of the manga reminded him of the area of Tokyo where he was living. The "unmoored and rapidly evolving environment" struck him as somehow true.
"I projected onto it, and it reflected back to me," Arias said.
He decided to make a film out of it, a process that took a decade. He converted a karaoke room in Harajuku into a studio, got friends together and spend one and a half years making a pilot. He later met Matsumoto and got permission to go ahead with the film.
"I felt like we were putting on a school play, or we were at a school festival," Arias recalled, indicating the sense of community and creativity involved.
Studio 4C's Morimoto Koji was directing the pilot, but later dropped out. The money ran out, the landlords started cutting the power and interrupting work, they lost the karaoke room, team members started leaving.
"I was just left with the feeling that the technology was not there, the money was not there," Arias said. "Everyone was burned out."
While working on "The Animatrix," Arias was also working on a script for "Tekkon Kinkreet." His close relationship with Studio 4C made the project possible once again. This time, Tanaka Eiko, cofounder of 4C, said he would produce and Arias could direct it himself.
The project enjoyed a prolonged preproduction period, where Arias did location scouting and tried to recreate a world that was, as Matsumoto put it, a child's toy box turned upside down. He decided to use smaller-sized sheets for the drawings, which made the imperfections and inconsistencies of the image stand out. Images were not framed precisely, and backgrounds tended to be much larger than necessary to allow for free play in the filming.
Arias estimated that the whole movie had something like 1,600 shots. Some animators worked on only a few, others 50 or more. In another interesting move, Arias wanted to have all the people working on the project in the same room. The result was cross pollination, competition, creativity and a tight community. Being in the same room also meant the everything could be managed manually. Arias joked: "Our network was brown manilla envelopes. Our backup was a copy machine. Our asset management system was file cabinets."
Arias pointed out that he changed the ending to the manga, which returned to where the story began in a very cyclical way, and instead inserted the burning tower. The idea was to emphasize change and have a dramatic conclusion. This was also inspired by his experience of the Kobe Earthquake and Aum Shrinkyo terrorist attacks in 1995, and sitting with the scriptwriter watching the images of the burning World Trade Center in New York.
"Tekkon Kinkreet" won the Japan Academy Award for Best Animation in 2008, Japan's Noboro Ofuji award and was selected by Museum of Modern Art curator Barbra London as one of the "Ten Best Films of 2006" in her annual review for "Art Forum" magazine.
Though he jokes that he is the only foreigner "stupid enough" to attempt to direct anime, Arias described the experience rather fondly.
"There are a lot more blood, sweat and tears put into anime than a live-action film," he said. "I was with the crew for three and a half years. We were a tight-knit family. You don't really get that with many live-action films. You have to create each frame, and put more time and energy into it. A good animated film tends to last in a different way. Animation is, I would say, timeless."
He was, however, skeptical about the future of traditional animation. "You can't make it in Hollywood anymore. It is too expensive and not enough people know the craft. Japan is really the only place left where you can still do 2D animation. I wish Japan would invest a little more in its home-grown crafts. Fewer and fewer young people are getting into animation, because the work is hard and it doesn't pay well. The people who become animators now do it less because they want to and more because it is all they can do. They draw."
Animation is still "a boys' club," so they don't meet anyone inside the studio. They are too busy and poor to meet people outside the studio. The result is a lot of frustrated young men.
"The risk is that they burn out," Arias said. "It is impossible to have a family when you are sleeping on the floor of the studio."
He also pointed out the bad working conditions. "Pixar and Blue Sky take care of their people" in a way Japanese studios don't. "Studio Ghibli is a country club compared to most of the production houses."
He continued: "I have grave doubts about the future of anime in Japan, which is really sad, since it is the best place to do traditional animation."
Arias has since directed the live-action feature film "Heaven's Door" (2009) and the "Kokoro no Hane" PV for the sensational idol group AKB 48 (2010). The PV was made by many of the same staff who worked on "Tekkon Kinkreet," and was storyboarded like an anime. It features backgrounds by always excellent Kimura Shinji. The video is far better than it deserves to be (I love AKB, but let's be honest), and just goes to show just how talented Arias really is.
Tags: Anime International 1 Comment
20.07.2010 · by Patrick W. Galbraith
Idols + hamburgers = heaven
I was invited to a publicity event for Denny's "Hamburg Wanted!" campaign. The chain is serving 12 new kinds of hamburg steaks (see menu here), with standout examples like the Fire Demon Lord Hamburg Bowl, the Mix Mix Babinburg & Rice (inspired by Korean soul food), the Big Mountain (two patties and a deep-fried prawn, for those who like their meal in a pile and are tired of Gogo Curry), Beef Calby Yakiniku Negishio Hamburg, Avocado Hamburg 2010 (which looked like a salad), Avocado & Tororo Japanese-style Locomoco Bowl, and so on. Members of the press got to try an assortment of dishes, and they were generally creative and delicious (the idea of combining yakiniku and hamburg steak sounds crazy, but it was my favorite).
But it actually wasn't the free food that brought me down. My long-time acquaintances, Kyan Chiaki and Harada Marirun from the Nakano Fujoshi Sisters, were the idol hosts. The idea is a multi-media viral promotion, which is why they invited bloggers and famous Twitter and Ustream personalities. But that's just the beginning. This is a showdown between Kyan and Harada, where each gets points for finishing hamburg steaks over the next few months. Fans of Kyan and Harada are encouraged to go to Denny's and "challenge" the hamburg steaks, too. For every selection they complete, they are allotted points, which they can give to either Kyan or Harada by using a special Twitter account. Kyan promised those who sent their points to her could expect a personal reply and a picture of her. Harada said that she planned to do some sort of offline meeting with those who assisted her.
This is actually a pretty good use of social media (and Japan's infamous cult of personality) for a promotion, I think.
Further, the "Hamburg Wanted!" campaign stretches out to traditional TV programs, a game on the Mixi community site and special dramas featuring Kyan and Harada, which can be seen on the cell phone.
As an aside, Kyomoto Yuka, also of Nakano Fujoshi Sisters, is also participating, though she did not come to the event (someone held up and showed a giant poster picture of her, which made it kind of feel like a funeral or something) and apparently does not use Twitter. Each of the three girls is partnered with one of the comedic duo Carnelian or a guy named Party Uchiyama.
My only regret about the event, the beginning to a very ambitious multi-media campaign, is that they did not invite idol fans. Most people in the audience seemed like they didn't even know who Kyan and Harada were, which was a waste of star power. Even more so because both of them were wearing Denny's waitress uniforms, looked incredibly cute and were posing for pictures on demand. It's an idol fan's wet dream, and they would have got a lot of milage out of tapping that energy. As it was, only I volunteered to be spoon fed by Kyan. Seriously. I would have begged, but no one else even went for it. They let me take a picture of her holding the bite up, which I include here for those who want the virtual experience. Then they let me pose with both Kyan and Harada. Most fans buy several copies of CDs, go through lotteries and screenings, wait in line and get only a few moments perhaps shaking the hand of a favorite idol. What an opportunity, and no one went for it!
From now on, my personal heaven looks a lot like Denny's.
As an aside, Kyan's favorite selection on the new menu was Melty Cheese Fried Vegetable Hamburg, and Harada chose the Fire Demon Lord. Kyan said that the mixture of cheese and tomato was "godly" (kami desu), and Harada that rater than her mouth, her soul burned with the challenge of the Demon Lord. She said she needed to level up in order to defeat him and restore peace to the war-torn country of Japan. (Are we watching "Sengoku Basara" here or what?)
I am not sure how this works exactly, but if you eat a hamburg steak at Denny's and want to send your points to Kyan via Twitter, the address is #dennys_kyan. For Harada, send to #dennys_marirun, and for Kyomoto, #dennys_kyomo.
Tags: Idols Food 0 Comments
19.07.2010 · by Patrick W. Galbraith
Gundam one-day pass!
I was taking the subway home from Bakurocho, and noticed this sign outside the station master's office. It reads: "This station is sold out of Gundam one-day passes." I later recalled that the subway was doing some sort of tie up with "Gundam 00." However, when I saw this sign, the only thing that came to my mind was, "Wow! They are selling one-day tickets to ride in a Gundam!" Hell, if Amuro can fly the thing, then so can I! All we need to do is read the instruction manual. And get a one-day ticket...
01.07.2010 · by Patrick W. Galbraith
Idol-ing away the summer...
The other day I headed down to Asakusa to check out Marubell-dou (マルベル堂). I was looking for "promides" of Minami Saori and Moritaka Chisato. Oddly enough, they did not have Moritaka, despite her impeccable cuteness (c'mon, does it get better than "17"?), but they did have Minami. One thing is for sure, the older the performers, the better the stock. Marubell-dou kicks it old school. I have places in Nakano and Akihabara that I prefer for idol goods, but the atmosphere and staff are top notch in Asakusa.
Tags: Idols 0 Comments
07.06.2010 · by Adrian A. Lozano
Sucked into the Black Hole AKA 4chan
We just received an "Anonymous" email informing us of Patrick's debut over at 4chan's Otaku Encyclopedia thread. Guess I'll have to sift through it should it prove to be interesting. Stay tuned.
Tags: Otaku 0 Comments
30.05.2010 · by Patrick W. Galbraith
The Politics of Popular Culture
Temple University Japan will be holding two conferences on Japanese popular culture as part of the Summer Institute. The first will be on politicizing Japanese popular culture, and includes panels on gaming, otaku and "Cool Japan." I will present on the limitations of "otaku studies." The second will be about gendered labor in Japanese popular culture, and includes discussions of hostess clubs, host clubs and enjo kosai. I will be presenting on maid cafes. Each event is 1,000 yen, including a reception with food and drink after the papers and discussion. Details are available at the official site.
26.05.2010 · by Patrick W. Galbraith
'Eva' continues to reign supreme
Today was the release date for "Evangelion 2.22: You Can (Not) Advance" on DVD and Blu-ray. I went down to Akihabara to pick up my copy, and found that it was like an Eva festival. All the stores had huge displays up - including Yodobashi Akiba, which is the picture I posted - and the soundtrack was playing on a constant loop. It made me think two things. One, the themesong is kind of lame, and two, "Eva" still has the power to move the world of anime producers and consumers in an almost spiritual way.
I also stopped by Uniqlo to pick up one of their new "Eva" design shirts. I counted about 8 different designs, mostly featuring the Evangelions and Ayanami Rei. One had Kaworu with sparkly red eyes, another way Mari, but I did not see Asuka. It's enough to make you cry... I guess they might have been sold out, but the store clerk told me that Uniqlo is selling 13 different "Eva" design shirts, and each store has a variable number of them. Why Akihabara doesn't have all the designs I don't know, but maybe Asuka is still out there somewhere, alone, waiting for me... I am going to be spending a lot of time going to different Uniqlo stores this weekend.
I am not sure what to make of the Uniqlo anime shirt campaign. They have had good moments and bad ones, but I think the designs and promotion for "Eva" is pretty cool. Thanks to Uniqlo, a giant Unit 01 statue is standing in Ginza (inside the store, but still). This exposes people who do not know the show to it, and makes them curious to know more about it. Maybe they watch and get hooked. That is, Uniqlo is contributing to the spread of the "Eva" disease, often called "otaku-ism," and you gotta love 'em for the effort.
Tags: Anime Akihabara 2 Comments
17.05.2010 · by Patrick W. Galbraith
Nippombashi in Akihabara
Just walking on a side street in Akiba and looked up to see a giant billboard featuring Neon-chan from Nippombashi. It's for the ita laptop I have been lusting after for a while now. Anyway, back to Neon. I know I shouldn't complain, because she is damn cute, but this is Akihabara. Seriously, we need our own image character. I would suggest POP, but that's too young for some. There is Nishimata Aoi, but she has already done the character for the Tachikawa Project. Maybe Toromi. I love her Kebabu-tan.
BTW, Neon-chan was featured in an anime at TAF 2010, which was cute. Curses! We lose again.
Tags: Akihabara Nippombashi 0 Comments
05.05.2010 · by Patrick W. Galbraith
Why use the CG Atom image? Curses!
Just when I thought I had forgotten the horror that was the Hollywood film "Astro Boy," I happened upon this sign for the Tokyo World Cup bid. Seriously, it must be written somewhere that it is against the law in Japan, the birthplace of the legendary anime "Mighty Atom," to use the 3DCG image of "Astro Boy" in any public place. My day has been totally thrown off. It just reminds me of the crappy ending to the movie. Why the hell is Dr. Tenma a good guy? Because Nicolas Cage voiced him? And the fact the Dr. Ochanomizu, the real father figure to the robot boy in the manga and anime, is an absolutely useless character in the film. Named Dr. Elefun. I have lost my faith in humanity...
28.04.2010 · by Patrick W. Galbraith
Evil behind the Akiba Smile!
This advertisement is rich, given the state of Akihabara today. It reads, "Akiba Smile! Akiba is beautiful, peaceful and happy." There's something sinister about making such a statement, like the slogan of NERV in "Evangelion" - "God's in his Heaven. All's right with the world!" Who are they trying to convince? We then notice that this is under the auspices of the "Akihabara Town Management Corporation." Truly Orwellian. I guess Akiba has room for a Big Brother, for all the little sisters scampering about....
Tags: Akihabara 0 Comments
24.04.2010 · by Adrian A. Lozano
Akihabara Gundam Cafe & Bar Opens Tomorrow!
Look out Starbucks the grand opening of the Akihabara Gundam Cafe and Bar starts tomorrow at 8:30am. I've lived here long enough to never expect much from these official type shops, most of the time they end up just being second rate souvenir shops with the same Anime goods found at Animate. I hope this Cafe & Bar is more than just another Otaku tourist trap (cough cough Tokyo Anime Center) and that people can actually hang out while getting their drink on.
Bandai will also be holding a SD Gundam Online event a few blocks away over at the Bellesalle Akihabara building this weekend as well. Have at it Gundam fans; I'll be keeping away from Akiba this weekend and trying the cafe's coffee on Monday.
22.04.2010 · by Patrick W. Galbraith
Haruhi gum!
Lotte's new ACUO gum ad campaign features the girls of "Suzumiya Haruhi." Naturally, I snapped a picture of the sign on the train. I noticed that Nagato, who has been on my mind since I watched the Haruhi movie, is dressed as a cat. This bothered me, because I just figured that they were abusing her image and forcing cute in the advert to sell product. Then I came home and saw the CM on TV. Brilliant. Cat mystery all cleared up, and Nagato is seriously cute. I bought five packs of ACUO today.... I feel somehow dirty and used, but at the same time damn satisfied. Viva capitalist exploitation!
20.04.2010 · by Adrian A. Lozano
Carl Macek (1951-2010)
For my generation Robotech would be a pivotal televised animated series that would contribute greatly to the formation and foundation of the US Anime industry. Years before Robotech's debut a hand full of other shows paved the way for Japanese Animation for public and syndicated broadcasting, but the main difference was that Robotech carried a red flag making it very clear that animation wasn't just for children any more. One of the most known contributors who worked on the original Robotech series was Carl Macek, who passed away on Saturday April 17th 2010. Carl Macek was the first person I was able to put a face to the name in the Anime industry as a pre-teenager thanks to my Robotech Art 1 book, he was my first Anime celebrity that I would meet later that same year at a small Sci-Fi convention in Anaheim California. Over the years I've meet many Anime creators and producers but meeting Carl Macek has always stood out because it motivated me to find a way in to the Japanese Anime industry. 2010 marks the 25th anniversary of Robotech and regardless of how healthy or unhealthy some my feel about the state of the franchise Carl's passing makes what should be a festive time sad.
17.04.2010 · by Patrick W. Galbraith
Ragnarok signs are the best ever!
Though I love RPGs, I am not a really big online gamer. Still, these new adverts for Ragnarok are just awesome enough to make me want to give it a try. The first one with the salaryman reads:
"Whatever I do is wrong. On Ragnarok Online, I can instantly clear any task!"
Then in smaller letters:
"I want to show my seniors at the office this bravery."
The second one with the old man reads:
"This stubborn old me is popular with the gals on Ragnarok Online."
Then in smaller letters:
"My bad, old lady!"
These signs are there in the Tokyo subway, big as you please. I can't believe they are so bold in implicating everyone in this online gaming culture! Salarymen and old men in traditional dress are usually considered outside the stereotype of gamers.
ちょっと、営業マンと頑固オヤジもオンラインゲームやっているよ！なんか、嬉しいなあ。
Tags: Games CM 0 Comments
10.04.2010 · by Patrick W. Galbraith
Railgun and K-on! figures
Preordered my Misaka-chan from "Railgun" today. Coming out in July. What a beauty this one is! Can't wait for the Max Factory version of Ritsu from "K-On!" Honestly, I don't even like her that much (I'm a Yui man), but this figure is just too cute. Pics are from Tokyo International Anime Fair. If anyone knows more about the release date on Ritsu, please let me know! m(_ _)m
や、やばい。律、ちょっと可愛いかも。。。
Tags: Figure 0 Comments
09.04.2010 · by Patrick W. Galbraith
Shrine to the girls of anime
Also in Nagoya. Advertising for a pachinko parlor, but still beautiful!
Tags: Anime Moe 0 Comments
04.04.2010 · by Patrick W. Galbraith
The reach of moe is long...
OK, so anime of late tends to put in cute girls to attract viewers and sell merchandise. Some people criticize and dismiss it for this reason. But on a recent trip to Nagoya, I realized just how natural the trend towards moe marketing is. A furniture store on Akamon-Dori (the otaku street in Nagoya) put out the advertisement: "We can do moe furniture!" Yeah, a custom couch with a cute anime girl on it. This man, an older gentleman, had survived in a neighborhood fast becoming a young otaku haven by turning to where he knew the market was. It doesn't matter how good his couches are if no one notices them, buys them and sits on them. And it takes the power of moe to get people in the seats. That's as true for furniture stores as it is for anime.
Tags: Moe Travel CM 0 Comments
31.03.2010 · by Patrick W. Galbraith
On the prowl for banned goods
I visited an underground collector in Koenji who had literally rooms full of books, CDs and items that had been banned in Japan. He also had acquired items from Aum Shinrikyo, bosozoku bike gangs and yakuza. He asked not to be named, of course, as he is worried about being associated with criminals - and pissing them off by flaunting that he sifts through their trash. It was a wild experience just talking to this guy. He allowed me to take a few pictures, including "Misshitsu" (Honey Room), the obscene manga that was at the center of the Shobunkan Trial in 2002. These aren't the sorts of items to be found in the Diet Library or even the Yonezawa Library. Apparently there is an entire network of underground collecting and archiving to save these items for future generations. Just imagine what might be inside all those darkened apartments around Tokyo...
Tags: Otaku Collection 0 Comments
28.03.2010 · by Patrick W. Galbraith
Tokyo International Anime Fair 2010
The Tokyo International Anime Fair has come and gone again. We go each year, and noted a general shrinking phenomenon. The opening ceremonies were the expected line - anime is a bright spot in the otherwise poor economy, the fair can be enjoyed by people of all ages from all over the world, etc - but it sounded like bluster, given the fact that the anime industry is in fact suffering. The event is still the largest anime trade fair in the world, but many of the big international favorites (Production I.G., Studio 4C, Bones, etc) had very small presences. Gainax wasn't even there (or if there were, we all missed their booth entirely...). Many of the large booths were for studios from overseas (China, for example). There also were many anime trade schools introducing the work of students, who hopefully will be the next generation of creators in Japan. There was a lot of space between booths, too, making the massive hall at Big Site feel empty. An offhanded comparison to the energy and bustle of Comike came off as sobering. That said, there are many very interesting TV shows coming out this year, and the lineup of movies is truly awesome. Not only will "K-On!" have its second season, but on the moe front there is "Angel Beats" (from Key), "Overrun" and "Working!!" A more serious show is "Senkou no Night Raid," which is set in a retro Shanghai and immensely stylish. Bone's will release "Heroman," written by Stan Lee, which has incredible animation. One highlight of the show was the giant "Heroman" bag (we guess that Stan Lee must have heard people give away big bags at anime shows, and decided to one-up everyone with an American-size bag that was so voluminous that looked more like a dress or cape). For movies, there is "Trigun," "King of Thorn," (which looks like something from Otomo Katsuhiro, but is not), "Hetalia," "Welcome to the Space Show," (like a mix of "Totoro," "Night on the Galaxy Express" and "Summer Wars"), "Karigurashi no Arrietty" (from Ghibli), "Mitsubachi Hutch" (a remake of the classic) and "Marduk Scramble" (with Hayashibara Megumi). Fans of "Magical Princess Minky Momo" can expect a stage musical in Ikebukuro. Fall 2010 will see the much-anticipated "Bakuman" anime on NHK, as well as "Occult Gakuen" and "Mitsudomoe." All in all, it seems that things are looking rather dim at the moment, but there is much to look for in the coming year, when the situation may well turn around for the Japanese animation industry.
Tags: Anime Event 0 Comments
