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
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
22.03.2010 · by Patrick W. Galbraith
Nippombashi Street Festa 2010
I shot over to Osaka for the Nippombashi Street Festa 2010. It was the sixth annual event, and by all accounts was a little more organized and controlled than before. I guess there were police patrolling, and the event had numerous corporate sponsors (the gray-haired suits marched in the parade, which I thought was hilarious). Everywhere you looked, there was Neon-chan, the image character of the area designed by Itou Noizi. (The more I saw her, the more I thought she looks like Cardcaptor Sakura...) But from where I stood it was a really wild time. At 12:00, the massive street in the center of Den Den Town from the overpass by Hero Gangu down to Ebisucho was closed to vehicular traffic. Cosplayers crowded the streets and began performing, including a Macross 7 cover band in costume! The parade itself was cosplayers and maids marching down a thin strip of red carpet taped to the road surface. No fences, no boundaries, just a bunch of people crowding around trying to take pictures. Imagine what the press at the Academy Awards would look like if there was no barrier between them and the celebrities. Yeah. So I am not so sure if this qualifies as organized and controlled. I can't imagine what it must have been like before. From early morning, empty plots where buildings had been leveled became makeshift swamp meets, cosplayers (and many crossplayers) walked the streets. Due to the car culture in western Japan, there were many itasha to be seen, parked right in the center of "Ota Road" parallel to the street through Den Den. People were lining up for special giveaways, and there were live idol performances (and otagei performances in response to them) at a stage. All in all, it was an incredible experience. Like a years worth of energy burst loose for one day. In that sense, it really reminded me of the convention circuit in the United States. That sense of festival, community and play was really there. Great job to everyone involved!
Tags: Otaku Event Travel 0 Comments
15.02.2010 · by Adrian A. Lozano
Akihabara Yamato Expo 2010 Valentine's Day Event & Giveaway!
The Yamato Expo 2010 Valentine Special Event was held over this past weekend at Bellesalle Akihabara building. The event's primary goal was to promote the Yamato 3 Pachinko game but they did manage to sneak in a few interesting elements for a non-Pachinko enthusiast like my self. Fuji also brought back the 2009 Tokyo Anime Fair Yuki Mori booth babes which were going around passing out Valentine's Day chocolates in front of the 1/3 scale bow replica of the Space Battleship with canon firing lights and sound effect. Sugoi!!
There was also a hands on Pachinko section and Yamato 3D theater. Showing was a 3D version of one of the Yamato Pachinko promos which I had seen before on months back, but seeing it projected in 3D was incredible!
FREE STUFF COME AND GET IT!!!
So do we have any readers out there who are die hard Yamato fans and would like to get some free Yamato Expo schwag? Well we have two promo packs to give out to the first two Yamato fans (not located in Japan) who send us a picture of their Yamato collection or links to their fan site or blog. Email me at o2info[at]otaku2.com subject Yamato Expo Goodies.
Tags: Events Akihabara 0 Comments
11.09.2009 · by Patrick W. Galbraith
Creamy Mami
Nice to see advertising for this event in Shibuya station. Designers getting together to honor one of the queens of the magical girl shows! Pity I didn't make it, or post the notice in a timely manner... If anyone did attend, please let me know how it was! m(_ _)m
Tags: Anime Event 0 Comments
07.06.2009 · by Patrick W. Galbraith
Akiba Memory photo exhibit
The week before the one-year anniversary of the Akihabara Incident, Art Jeuness unveiled a photo exhibition of the Pedestrian Paradise heyday from 2005 to 2008. The shots are by an Osakan man who is regularly seen on the street. They are all black and white, and range from performers to images of buildings long gone. There is one image of The Liberate Akihabara Demonstration that includes several members of Otaku2, and Danny Choo. The single best image is taken over the shoulder of a man reading a newspaper article about the stabbings last year, even as people in front of him huddling taking pictures of the sleeping cat outside the Electric Town Exit. Another image shows a mother and father posing with their cosplaying daughter, and the next image is a young man being escorting to the police station under the scrutiny of numerous cameras. The exhibit is a fitting tribute to a surreal time.
An interesting addition to the photos is a survey of support for reviving the Pedestrian Paradise. On Sunday, the day before the anniversary of the incident, it was 720 for, 961 and 172 undecided. That is a pretty bad score given that the exhibit was in Akiba and targeting those who love the area. I don't think anti-otaku residents came out just to skew these numbers. Indeed, a look at the wall of comments from exhibit visitors shows that stalwart Akiba goers worry that the use of the Pedestrian Paradise as seen in these photos was a nuisance to residents and even to the otaku shopping in the area. The evening after Jeuness closed on June 8, the survey was 768 for reviving the Pedestrian Paradise, 998 against and 183 undecided.
"Everyone is against reviving the Pedestrian Paradise as it was," said Kobayashi Takaya, speaking for the Chiyoda Ward Council. "Even if it was revived, we would seriously have to consider how it is used. The street is a place for walking, shopping and socializing, not strange performances and play."
Picture taken by Adrian A. Lozano.
Tags: Akihabara Events Otaku 0 Comments
10.04.2009 · by Patrick W. Galbraith
'Popotan' Mii at Dempa Song Night 6
Toromi was singing galge dempa hits with a bunch of chika (underground) idols, and was kind enough to squeak hello to me. Moe... Anyway, great event, worth checking out. Every two months, Saturday night in Ikebukuro Live Inn Rosa.
Tags: Seiyuu Galge Dempa Event 0 Comments
22.03.2009 · by Patrick W. Galbraith
World's Akiba Festival falls flat
Maybe it just wasn't meant to be. The Akiba-kai organizers have the best of intensions, but they told me that no foreign media outlets responded to their call to revive the spirit of the Otaku Mecca. That, in combination with vicious winds and a cold rain, meant the few Japanese, and maybe five foreigners, attended the innagural event March 22, which consisted of free live performances at the Akiba Live Stage on Chuo-dori. Kushida Akira, a personal favorite, even came, but only a hundred or so came out to see him perform hits from "Sun Vulcan," "Gavan" and "Muscle Man." One of the MCs was Matsuda-san from the Akiba Map booth, who once gave me a tour of Akihabara and has since been my tsundere maid goddess.
In truth, the event wasn't even as good as the 6 p.m. to 5 a.m. otagei fest over at Dear Stage the night before. The gods conspired against us all. Here's hoping the next one is better!
03.03.2009 · by Patrick W. Galbraith
Tokyo Game Show press release
Tokyo Game Show has released details for the 2009 event to be held at Makuhari Messe September 24-27 (Thursday to Sunday). The first two days will be business days. The theme is “Game, it’s so energetic!”
The 2008 show featured 1,768 booths exhibiting 879 titles, both record highs, and this year is projected to be even bigger.
"Despite the sagging global economy, it is not only games market that is thriving today, but also the entire computer entertainment market," says a statement from organizers. "Filled with free thoughts and ideas, revolutionary stories, innovative expressions and creativity, games energize people."
This year’s show will also focus on these three objectives:
1. To act as a hub for up-to-the-minute information
2. To enhance the business side of the event and further internationalize it in terms of media appeal, visitors and exhibitors
3. To cater more to new and light game users.
As part of this, the 2009 show will include a new Advanced Mobile & PC Area, in addition to the usual areas: General, Game School, Kids', Sales and Business Solutions.
Tags: Games Event 0 Comments
27.02.2009 · by Patrick W. Galbraith
8th Annual Tokyo Anime Awards results
The official announcement will be made at the Tokyo International Anime Fair at Big Site on March 20, but here are the results:
Anime of the year: "Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea"
Best TV anime: "Macross F" and "Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion"
Best OVA: "Detroit Metal City"
Best director and original work: Miyazaki Hayao ("Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea")
Best script: Ookouchi Ichiro ("Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion")
Best art: Yoshida Noboru ("Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea")
Best character design: Nishio Testuya ("The Sky Crawlers")
Best seiyuu: Fukuyama Jun ("Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion")
Best music: Yoko Kanno ("Macross F")
26.02.2009 · by Patrick W. Galbraith
Animelo Summer Live event info
Dwango held a press conference for Animelo Summer Live 2009, one of the biggest shows in the anisong business. Here are the details on the event.
The title will be "RE:BRIDGE," a reference to the first event, "BRIDGE," and a message of hope that anisongs can bridge the gap between people across time and space. The message is artists and fans, artists and artists, Japan and the world all can be connected by the power of anisongs, now in these dark times more than ever.
Animelo Summer Live will take place at the Saitama Super Arena on August 22 and 23 from 4 pm (doors open at 2 pm). Tickets go on sale from 10 am on June 20 and cost 8,500 yen.
Confirmed performers for August 22 include Ayane, Chiaki Ishikawa, ELISA, JAM Project (Hironobu Kageyama, Masaaki Endo, Hiroshi Kitadani, Masami Okui and Yoshiki Fukuyama), Minori Chihara, and August 23 will be Yui Sakakibara, savage genius, Aya Hirano, Nana Mizuki and Chihiro Yonekura. Others are expected to be added to the roster.
Organizers are promising a "stadium-mode" event with 25,000 people in attendance.
There will be a theme song CD release (to be announced) and a DVD and Blu-ray of past events (8,900 and 9,800 yen, respectively, on sale March 28) .
Tags: Anisong Event Seiyuu J-Pop 0 Comments
22.02.2009 · by Patrick W. Galbraith
No Street Lives in Akihabara
Beginning to feel like spring now, and the streets of Akihabara are beginning to liven up. Cosplayers are coming back, as are tourists.
The efforts of local officials seem to be doing the trick, and a revival might be at hand, which seemed almost impossible after the horrific events of June 8, 2008.
Police are still saying that Chuo-dori will remain open to traffic and the Pedestrian Paradise will be suspended for the forseeable future. They have also put up a signs reminding the public that "live performances are banned" (click above picture).
Meanwhile, longtime street idol Yumeiro Monster is still performing on the 5th floor of Don Quixote, a free "street live" event space has been opened on Chuo-dori and the Akiba Sunday Live continues once a month.
Tags: Akihabara Idols Event 0 Comments
16.01.2009 · by Patrick W. Galbraith
New developments for Akihabara?
In a meeting of local leaders held January 15 in Akihabara, Kobayashi Takaya, a Chiyoda Ward councilman, made several proposals that will affect the area in coming months:
1) Surveillance cameras to prevent crime coming into the months, especially Kanda Matsuri in May
2) A variety of events to commemorate the disastrous Kato attacks of 2008, and to put the lost souls to ease
3) Tap local performers and personalities to revive the lively spirit
More details in coming weeks as this series of meetings continues.
11.08.2008 · by Klopz via AKIBA Today
Robot Contest at Niku no Mansei
Tsukumo plans on holding a special robot event on August 23. and and 24. including a competitive contest meaning great news for Tokyo's robot fanatics.
Despite the location not appearing to be in any relation to robots, after all "niku no mansei" is host to a big number of restaurants, the event seems to be organized in a rather normal fashion. There will be three stages of events every day with the first one being the robot contest across various disciplines. The second one includes the observation of the latest robot developments and the third one actually teaches the audience about the assembly, guiding first timers into producing their very own robot.
Visitors will also have the chance to control some of the top developed robots and a tie-up with the movie Iron Man (in theaters September 27.) guarantees entertainment even for small children.
This story is brought to you by AKIBA Today
Tags: Robots Event Akihabara 0 Comments
30.07.2008 · by Eva
Cure Maid Cafe vs. Gurren Lagann Event
CURE MAID CAFE' recently announced a collaboration event featuring Gainax's immensely popular Tengen Toppu Gurren Lagann anime. The event will highlight the release of the Gurren Lagann movie, which will hit Japanese theaters September 6. From August 22 through September 15, CURE will be decorated the part, including special costumes and goods, and feature a special character themed menu.
In conjunction with the theatrical release, Gainax announced a series of music videos featuring alternate tellings of the Gurren Lagann story set to songs from the original soundtrack, which will also be playing at CURE throughout the event. And though the movie itself is said to be a summary of the first fifteen episode story arc with some fresh animated sequences, it's safe to say from last year's promotion of Rebuild: Evangelion 1.0 that Gainax will roll out a slew of figures and among other merchandising opportunities in the wake of this film. Licensed anime good distributor and CURE affiliate COSPA will be offering an assortment of these refreshments at the cafe, for the standard market price.
Tags: Cure Maid Event 0 Comments
