20.01.2011 · by Patrick W. Galbraith
Akihabara gearing up for new Pedestrian Paradise
1.jpg)
Been over two years coming, but Akihabara's Pedestrian Paradise is back this Sunday. It will be held every Sunday from 13:00 to 17:00 until the end of March, and then from 13:00 to 18:00 until the end of June. It is on a trial basis, so expect lots of anxious police and surveillance. Rules explicitly stipulate 1) no selling stuff on the street, 2) no performances, 3) no bicycles and 4) no passing out tissues or fliers. Rule number two might be a little discouraging for some visitors, as it means no cosplay, no idols, no jugglers, etc. Street performances are officially regulated in Chiyoda Ward, where the Electric Town is located, so it can't be helped. And there is the history of performances getting out of hand three years ago...The new rules are all in the name of keeping things "safe." Local businesses and politicians know that Akihabara stands to benefit as a destination (and have said so at events intended to invigorate the area), but tensions are running high. Signs announcing the reopening of the Pedestrian Paradise are posted on every pillar out the Electric Town Exit of JR Akihabara Station, along with pamphlets explaining the new rules.
Not everyone is happy about them, as the defacing of some posters demonstrates. In this example, the "prohibited" (kinshi) before the actions has been crossed out and replaced with "bring it on" (joutou).
Outside the station towards the UDX Building, the familiar sign stating rules such as no street performances (on which the police mascot has been defaced) has been joined by a sign on every lamp post stating new rules and codes of conduct, imploring everyone to cooperate for the good of the area.
Over by the Akihabara Town Management offices, the English slogan "Akiba Smile! Akiba is Beautiful, Peaceful and Happy" is posted above the vending machines, with accompanying Japanese, "Connecting with a smile, city planning."
I have to attend a conference in Oita Prefecture, and so unfortunately won't be able to make it to the reopening. Though I have a conditioned aversion to systems of control and surveillance, I still hope everything turns out all right... Aside from just wanting an area I love to prosper, Akihabara is playing an increasingly major role in the global imagination of Japanese popular culture (not to mention otaku). This point was driven home for me when at the airport in Tokyo the other day I saw a bustling shop selling Japanese toys. The word "Akihabara" was prominently displayed over the checkout counter, a beacon drawing in curious passers-by who parted with their money under the neon glow (in the shadow of the iconic RX-78-2 from "Mobile Suit Gundam"). That pretty much says it all! Click on the first image in the article to see details.
Tags: Akihabara 0 Comments
10.01.2011 · by Patrick W. Galbraith
Buddhist monk on figures
A friend took me to Vow's Bar in Nakano, which advertises itself as a "Buddhist bar." The master, Shaku Genko, was indeed a priest of the Pure Land sect, but after a few drinks (including one called the Erotic Monk) he was more interested in talking about jazz and idols than enlightenment. I happened to look over at the small alter in the bar, and noticed that beside the statue of Buddha was a figure of Nurse Witch , one of my favorite characters. Indeed, I have the same figure in my room. I asked the master about it: Is it OK to have a figure like that next to Buddha? His answer: The figures of today are the statues of Buddha of yesterday. Wow! Admittedly, I'd had a few drinks (thus the atrocious quality of the picture here, sorry!), but I took his statement very seriously. Is it possible that figures can orient us towards some sort of transcendent truth? That they can help us overcome our attachments to this reality? Salvation in the midst of consumer capitalism! I guess that would explain why all these temples and shrines in Japan are using images of cute anime characters to gather and hold attention. I wonder if many fans seeking to be closer to Komugi-chan are also seeking spiritual guidance... Be that as it may, I certainly will be visiting Vow's again soon!
05.01.2011 · by Patrick W. Galbraith
Random associations of a frazzled mind
Whether the influence of a lack of sleep or an excess of alcohol, I am seeing more and more random signs that remind me of anime. Maybe I just really do have a one-track mind. Anyone else excited by this sign, which is on a train platform west of Tokyo? Not know the reference? Hint: the slogan (in Roman letters in the picture) is what set me off. Click here for more details.
02.01.2011 · by Patrick W. Galbraith
Moe for something with value...
I had to snap a picture of this advertisement for a girls' school in Suginami, an area known for its high concentration of anime production houses. The sign reads: "Get fired up! For something with value." I assume they mean schooling, but, based on the location, I couldn't help but read the "moe" in "fired up" as a pun on "moe" in the otaku sense. That is, a response to a fictional character or representations of fictional characters. With that in mind, I read the "with value" as something other than what otaku are fired up about, i.e., stop getting fired up about fictional characters (which is a waste of time) and start focusing on schooling (which has a value). Am I reading too much into this? I admit, I was cranky - on a crowded train in the middle of the night - when I saw this...
Tags: Moe CM 0 Comments
28.12.2010 · by Patrick W. Galbraith
New Year's bishojo
Encouraging tourism (not to mention rampant consumption) with images of cute anime girls is certainly nothing new, but here's a double whammy: Shinto shrines in rural Ibaraki Prefecture. The advertisement is for hatsumode, the customary first shrine visit of the new year. Why not add a little moe and start 2011 with warmth in your heart?
Tags: Moe Tourism 0 Comments
25.12.2010 · by Patrick W. Galbraith
Kaikai Kiki in Nakano Broadway
Kaikai Kiki, the artist collective and company of Murakami Takashi, has opened an art gallery on the second floor of Nakano Broadway. I was just going to pick up some idol goods from the store next door when I saw this. Not really sure what to make of this. Murakami's fascination with otaku culture is well known, but I wonder who comes to this gallery? I mean, Broadway is full of shoppers of all kinds - old, young, Japanese and non-Japanese, otaku and non-otaku - but perhaps least of all those in the market for contemporary (high) art. Most of the shoppers seem more interested in manga, anime etc than paintings by Murakami et al. I wanted to check it out, but it's only open by appointment...
Tags: Nakano Art 0 Comments
20.12.2010 · by Patrick W. Galbraith
Top of the Christmas wish list
Official Katsuragi Misato pendant from "Neon Genesis Evangelion." It is large, but apparently just hollow aluminum (or so the helpful young man at Kotobukiya in Akihabara told me). Price? A bargain at 21,000 yen. Just in time for the holidays! Is it wrong to still want this, knowing how overpriced it is? But, heaven help me, I do want it! Back in 2004 I actually made my own Misato pendant out of a wooden cross, which I refashioned into the proper shape and painted white with liquid paper. It was every bit as beautiful as it sounds. Nonetheless, I have been wearing it ever since. I thought this year was my chance to trade up, but maybe I should wait for the discount version.
Tags: Akihabara 3 Comments
24.10.2010 · by Patrick W. Galbraith
Tokyo International Anime Fair in Akihabara
Well, the Tokyo Anime Fair Tokyo International Anime Fair has come and gone again. This time was the autumn addition, the "sister event" of the larger spring offering, billed as an "animation trade fair." It was held in Akihabara, which the press release notes is "a sacred place for 'anime.'" This was sort of a mixed blessing. On the one hand, the show was right in my backyard! Easy to visit, free and open to the general public. Can't complain about that. But on the other hand, the choice of the Akihabara UDX Building for the venue was a little unsettling. This is not about Akihabara becoming a showcase for "Cool Japan," and in the process putting otaku on display like some cultural zoo, though UDX certainly reminds me of that. (Anyone remember the Akiba Otaku Matsuri of May 2008?)
No, it is more that the choice of venue reflects a general loss of momentum in the anime industry. Yeah, this is the smaller autumn addition, but the contrast to even the last TAF in spring was startling. When TAF first started in 2002, it was billed as the largest trade show for anime. By now we all know the industry is hurting from the rough economic conditions, as well as issues of production and consumption (check out Sato Dai's thoughts on this). We also know that TAF has been shrinking year by year. Fewer studios see the meaning of investing in a costly booth, and more non-Japanese companies did see the meaning of it. This time around just sort of symbolized that general trend. Akiba Square is a much smaller venue with fewer booths (only 20 exhibitors, as compared to 256 in 2006) operating for a shorter time (just two days, October 22 and 23). Honestly, it felt to me more like JAM than TAF, both in the sense of scale and the people with booths (lots of people trying to sell ideas to market anime and extend the value of characters). Few studios, and those that did make an appearance just ran videos at unstaffed displays. There was so much less energy than Comike that it was startling. People visiting Akiba on a Saturday afternoon just walked by - passed up a free event because it looked boring.
That said, maybe this is a good thing. I mean, this season has so many exciting series - "Star Driver," "Bakuman," "Yosuga no Sora," "Panty and Stocking with Garterbelt," "Oreimo," "The World that Only God Knows," "Sora no Otoshimono Forte." Hell, I'd even throw in "Hyakka Ryouran Samurai Girls" for the interesting art style and "MM!" for adding some character complexity to ero. The point is that the animation is thriving. Maybe it doesn't need veil of "Cool Japan," which TAF has always stood for (beginning pretty much when this whole discourse got started). No doubt studios need better funding, and the job of animator needs to be made more appealing so that the next generation of talents don't all end up at Comike, but maybe we are better off supporting the works rather than the hype. It will be interesting to see what TAF in spring 2011 shapes up to be.
Tags: Anime Event Akihabara Cool Japan 5 Comments
19.09.2010 · by Patrick W. Galbraith
'Hardware Girls' launch party
A photographer and journalist, gravure idol and musician, it is tough to pin down Julie Watai, aka Amano Ai, aka Eye Taso. She is as unpredictable as she is vibrant. Saturday, September 18, marked the launch of her new photo album, "Hardware Girls." A party was held at Super Potato in Akihabara, with free beer and retro gaming. An awesome follow up to a long day at Tokyo Game Show!
"Hardware Girls" comes some four years after where Julie turned her camera on "spirituality and technology for the moe consciousness." It was a cool slice of Akihabara kitsch, and a chance to peek into the mind of an unnervingly self-aware otaku. Some of the images from "Samurai Girl" reappear in "Hardware Girls," but the hardware and the girls snap into sharp focus. Here are some sample images.
My take on the theme is the technological condition, specifically a free relation to technology opened through and grounded by the young girl. Anyway, worth checking out. Congrats, Julie!
PS - Vid is of Julie (as Eye Taso) performing with Cutie Pai (far right).
17.09.2010 · by Patrick W. Galbraith
Last signs of summer...
Just caught a glimpse of the bullet train decorated up with Pokemon. Made me think of summer! Fun! And the fact that I didn't go anywhere or do anything, and summer is over. I need to pay more attention to things - and get out of the house more. But with all the great anime on air, I doubt that will happen anytime soon!
09.09.2010 · by Patrick W. Galbraith
K-On! Event in Akasaka
Coming towards the end of "K-On!" and honestly not a lot else has been on my mind. OK, so there are other great(er?) anime out there this season, but nothing quite packs the "fuwa fuwa" like the girl band of Sakuragaoka High School. Turn on TV, tune into "K-On!" turn off brain. It's a learned behavior, and the habit's hard to break. Anyway, I had some business over at TBS, and was fortunate enough to catch the "K-On! Gallery in Akasaka," which ran from August 13 to 31. There was a pretty wicked stage set up as if Hokago Teatime were performing, complete with their instruments and mannequins wearing their costumes. A TV screen in the background played a live performance by the seiyuu behind Yui, Mio, Ritsu, Mugi and Azu-nyan.
By the time I got there, there was no wait to get in, but I encountered many couples wandering around the event space. TV stations seem prime locations for dating (not that I'd know jack about it), but I was surprised that so many fashionable young people at an event for "K-On!" Yeah, the music is cute, but the appeal is cute anime girls, right? Apparently drooling over them is not such a sin after all. Oh, and you can have your girlfriend pose with a large cardboard cutout of Yui and the gang. Most people seemed content to just look at the memorabilia, snap photos of the signatures of the seiyuu and listen to a message from the voice of Azu-nyan.
Tags: Anime Event 3 Comments
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 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
