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
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
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
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
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 (1)
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.
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
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
09.03.2010 · by ADK
AKIRA: Kaneda's Bike Model - Pictures
This just showed up on the blog of the Japanese Figure & Hobby webshop Amiami: Kaneda's Motorbike as known from AKIRA.
Release is set for the end of March and the model can already be preordered in the shop.
According to the review, the item is better than perfect. Keeping in mind they wanna sell the thing, apart from all the praise the information provided is:
* Product is still in production stage so the final look might differ from what you see in the pictures. Just as the stickers shown further down, subject to change.
* The cowl is removable: it uncovers a well-detailed engine as well as dampers, which themselves are pressure sensitive i.e. work like real ones.
* The front wheel is attached magnetically, thus can be taken on and off without hassle.
* Glows in the dark! Not, but has electric LEDs attached to it. They illuminate five spots on the machine: Wheels, blinkers, head- and tail lights as well as the center console. You can turn it on and off using a switch on the back.
* The engine is actually moving. According to plans, the original motor sound shall also be heard. On top of that it will be attachable to external speakers so you can hear the blast at high volumes and high sound quality.
See for yourself at http://www.blog.amiami.com/amiblo/2010/03/234.html
Tags: Anime Akira Model Toys 0 Comments
07.03.2010 · by Patrick W. Galbraith
Yamakan as 'girls anime'
I have a few issues with this issue of "Spoon," a women's magazine that ran a special on "Women's Anime 2010." It is mostly about "Eden of the East," which I can see, with a few others thrown in there. The issue at hand is the inclusion of Yamamoto Yutaka, the celebrated director of the Haruhi dance, the first episodes of "Lucky Star" and "Kannagi." He is identified in this magazine as Yamakan. The pictures of him are of a serious, sexy director auteur in black. And, instead of anime, his live-action film ("My Unkind Upperclassman") is featured. Issues are as follows:
1) When did Yamamoto Yutaka become "women's anime"?
2) He is known as "Yamakan" in mainstream circles?
3) Rather than moe, he is a live-action director?
4) Not otaku, but sexy man?
There are plenty of other things to bring up, but I am already in tears at how far out of context a personal hero has been taken. Or, even more upsetting, how he might want to present himself in the future...
Tags: Anime Otaku 2 Comments
02.03.2010 · by Patrick W. Galbraith
One Piece ad is a disgrace
I love the manga "One Piece," and I love the cheap and stylish clothes at Uniqlo. But this ad is just plain unfortunate. Maybe it's the straw hat, or the intensity in the model's eyes, but I have never wanted to look away from Luffy so much...
Tags: Anime CM 0 Comments
01.12.2009 · by Patrick W. Galbraith
Girly Gundam
Terrifying. Absolutely no excuse for this. I mean, mecha meets moe, I can see that in mecha shojo. But this? It's pink. Just wait - Macross is next in line.
Tags: Anime Otaku Weird 3 Comments
23.11.2009 · by Patrick W. Galbraith
Gigantor - Japan's pride
I was walking through Akihabara today, my birthday, and happened to notice this ad from Docomo. Gigantor is flying across the skies with Mt. Fuji in the background. It has been up for a while, but I guess I just didn't really notice it. Docomo has been pushing the nostalgia button a lot in ads of late, but in my mind the inclusion of Fuji here adds a distinct layer of national pride to this one. But honestly, who wouldn't be proud to have a son like Gigantor? I want to go see the statue in Kobe, but I'm broke... Happy birthday to me, and congrats on still being a bum.
Tags: CM Anime Akihabara 3 Comments
21.11.2009 · by Adrian A. Lozano
Macross Frontier Part 2 movie title is???
Following the end credits of the Macross Frontier The False Diva Movie there was a very short clip of space battle animation and some illustration art of Ranka & Sheryl ending with the title for part two "サヨナラノツバサ “The Wings of farewell".
Tags: Anime 0 Comments
17.11.2009 · by Adrian A. Lozano
Evangelion 1.01 English Dad...... I mean Dub.
I just watched the first 8 minuets of the Evangelion 1.01 English Dub on YouTube and I still think English dubbing still has a long way to go. I'm not against dubbing of anime totally, there's just hasn't been allot of quality dub jobs in the the last 5 years. The Eva clip in English is just far to soft, no edge, no tension in the majority of the voice acting. Shinji's lines about his dad should feel more shaken with a hint of mistrust, the English dialog delivery just feels way out of touch with the charter. I'm not even concerned about it being a perfect translation, my main issue is the lack of emotion and disconnect with the background music.
15.11.2009 · by Patrick W. Galbraith
Yoyogi Animation Gakuin and 'Cool Japan'
Just saw this sign and thought it was funny. After the failed Aso Taro administration, I thought there might be a general ban on using this ridiculous "Cool Japan" idea. Honestly, even if soft power does exist and nations can disseminate a positive image, does that mean anything if the nation has no hard power to back it up? Japan just looks like its overcompensating for the rise of China, which will eclipse it's military and economic influence very soon. Besides, doesn't cool become uncool as soon as old politicians and capitalists get their hands on it? And, I might add, Cool Japan takes its name from Cool Britannia, a failed image campaign of another island nation a decade ago...
Tags: Anime Cool Japan CM 6 Comments
23.10.2009 · by Patrick W. Galbraith
Ranka!!!
Saw this in the convenience store. Not so sure about mixing Lolita fashion with the sexy swimsuit motif, but if that helps ticket sales then more power to them. Looking forward to the movie!
Tags: Anime Macross 0 Comments
02.10.2009 · by Patrick W. Galbraith
Nippombashi image character
Her name is Neon (音々), and she was drawn by none other than Itou Noiji of "Haruhi" and "Shana" fame. She was unveiled in March at the annual street festival in Den Den Town, Nippombashi. Maybe she was drawn just as a gimmick to draw in tourists, but I for one will take it! Why can't Akiba have an image character, man? I may have to move out to Pombashi to be closer to Neon-chan...
Tags: Anime Tourism 2 Comments
26.09.2009 · by Adrian A. Lozano
Lucky Star X Macross Frontier Ichiban Kuji Now On Sale!!!
Lucky Star X Macross Frontier hit 24 hours convenience stores in Tokyo at 12am this morning. Radiokaikan should be flooded with people at 10am when they open in the morning. I found a Family Mart selling them, and at 22 past midnight all the Cosplaying Rankas' were gone.
I tried my luck and bought two tickets for a Cosplaying Klan and ended up with doubles of Konata cosplaying as Aiku. Damm you KyoAni!!!!
Tags: Figures Anime Toys 0 Comments
