On Site:

DJ Ranma S from Anime Jam Session	Scott from The Anime Almanac	Narutaki from Reverse Thieves
OutOfTimeProd from Out Of Time Productions	Greg	Jon I. from JANAiBlog
Kyle Hebert	Vince A	Hisui from Reverse Thieves
animenext from AnimeNEXT	Vampt Vo from Ani-Gamers

Narutaki:
Awake!

Hisui:
@Narutaki I am … somewhat awake!

Hisui:
“Best” experience. Walking in on someone masturbating in the bathroom!

Scott:
@Hisui I hope that was at the con and not at @VamptVo’s house! (o_o)

OutOfTimeProd:
You know what sucks…Exhaustion.

Greg:
Good morning . Time for a relaxing sunday! Try to “take it easy!”

OutOfTimeProd:
@Greg You know that never happens.

OutOfTimeProd:
For anyone who is at , look for me and say hi! I’m wearing a black shirt saying “I’m In Shape, Round is a Shape”.

Narutaki:
On the way to the last day of the con. :(

OutOfTimeProd:
girl playing never gonna give you up on the bassoon.

Narutaki:
Giving some input from the Otaku Diaries at the Otaku Perceptions panel at 10 this morning.

OutOfTimeProd:
look who I found at .

OutOfTimeProd:
Cosplay Chess at the arena at

Greg:
At the otaku perceptions and misconceptions panel. http://twitgoo.com/14lb2g

Scott:
Man, I’ve only been at the otaku perceptions and misconceptions panel for a few moments and it’s already all over the place! (o_o)

Narutaki:
Otaku discussion panel was lively!

Scott:
Overheard: “Happy Fathers Day, Gendo!”

Narutaki:
Heading to the artist alley for one last look.

Vampt Vo:
Watching Cosplay Comedian Joe with @AniGamers writer Ink. Ummmmmm.

Vince A:
@Narutaki Buy from FantasyClay in the Alley. Her being my wife has no impact on this message :-)

Jon I.:
In just the one day I’m actually going to I managed to spend over $200.

Jon I.:
Now watching Tony Oliver, Greg Ayres, and Uncle Yo do “Whose Line Is It Anime?”

Jon I.:
That $200 was spent on another Touhou figure, a Miku Hatsune figure, and a Gundam model. Pics when I get home.

Narutaki:
Grabbed a couple of little things from artist alley, only things i have bought at the con besides one book of manga for $3.

Narutaki:
Pokemon cosplay seems to be up this year.

Greg:
Watching Legend of Galactic Heroes with fan commentary. http://twitgoo.com/14lens

Scott:
So it looks like nobody has Strawberry Marshmallow figures anymore. :-(

Scott:
So I ended up going with a sexy Fujiko in a cheongsam dress. I love cheongsam dresses.

Scott:
Omg, I just saw a Trucy cosplayer and it wasn’t @Kim (T_T)

Narutaki:
Taking a quick lunch break then heading to a Gakuen Alice panel.

Scott:
Fact: “The Final Countdown” makes anything 10x more awesome.

Narutaki:
Maybe next year I will rent a car to in to Otakon, I really miss driving to cons.

Narutaki:
Apparently you had to get a ticket for the Stereopony photo session, not sure where/when those were available.

Narutaki:
Sundays of cons I always feel restless.

Scott:
Meh, nothing really appealed to me in the artist alley.

Greg:
Omg. Toradora dvd set………painfully hard to resisit…

Narutaki:
No panelists for Gakuen Alice panel.

Narutaki:
I escaped as people began a rousing game of heads up 7 up.

Narutaki:
Sad I wasnt able to fit in the ParaPara Dancing panel this year.

Narutaki:
Catching a bit of Anime Jeopardy.

Narutaki:
The first round has Soul Eater, FMA, Hetalia, DBZ, and random. I would sooo lose.

DJ Ranma S:
Getting ready to interview Greg Ayres! Tweet questions if you have em!

Greg:
At the psychology of anime 2 panel. Looks like it’s a sequel to the zenkaikon panel… http://twitgoo.com/14lnjn

Jon I.:
I’m surprised (and relieved) that the Square-Enix fan panel didn’t turn into a Kingdom Hearts fan fest.

Narutaki:
If i see too many bro pounds at a con I start to get worried.

DJ Ranma S:
Need more questions for Greg Ayres! :D Bring em, but be tasteful! ^^

Narutaki:
Time for the con feedback panel, im saving mine for the report but im curious about other peoples feelings.

Jon I.:
Why are people still shouting “THE GAME”? It’s old and not funny anymore! Oh, and you all just lost.

Greg:
@Jon I. prime example of doing it wrong.

Narutaki:
Surprised that i didnt see any Haruhi series cosplayers.

Jon I.:
Now catching the last few minutes of Uncle Yo.

Scott:
Ok, I think I’ve done all I can do at AnimeNEXT. Time to head home!

Narutaki:
Goodbye

Greg:
Leaving . It was a good con. Better than last year. But it can still be better.

DJ Ranma S:
Leaving Anime NEXT. It’s been fun, see y’all in 2011!

Kyle Hebert:
Thanks, Anime Next for a FANTASTIC weekend!

Narutaki:
On the train back to NYC.

Vampt Vo:
.@Hisui and @Narutaki have officially left the building. That’s all for , folks!

Narutaki:
One con over now working on Otakon on the train home!

DJ Ranma S:
We just past a billboard that said Jerseydoesntstink.com and that’s where we started smelling the stench. #irony

Vince A:
Back from weekend at . Fun time but damn tired now.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My Final Thoughts

Scott:
Over all impression of AnimeNEXT this year: they really could have done better.

Scott:
I had my issues with the staff all weekend long, but on top of that, the programming was just not that good.

Scott:
RT @RipFilms: this was my 1st anime event. I have nothing to compare it to, I had a blast!

Scott:
Yeah, I’m still amazed at just how many peoeple are still new to the fandom and going to conventions for the first time.

Scott:
I apologize for being so critical, but this is around the 5th con I’ve been to this year, so I am probably expecting more of it than others

Scott:
Even something as cool as the Stereopony concert was completely ruined for me by the misscomunication of the staff members running it.

Scott:
But as @Narutaki pointed out to me earlier, we do get a different view of the con than the normal attendees because we’re bloggers.

Scott:
Probably no on else at the Stereopony concert noticed the problems because no one else was trying to write a feature on them.

On Site:

DJ Ranma S from Anime Jam Session	Scott from The Anime Almanac	Narutaki from Reverse Thieves
Greg	OutOfTimeProd from Out Of Time Productions	animenext from AnimeNEXT
Vince A	Hisui from Reverse Thieves	Kyle Hebert
Vampt Vo from Ani-Gamers

Narutaki:
Up and at ‘em!

Greg:
OH yeah, good morning twitter peeps. Time for another great day…

Greg:
Unfortunately I don’t have the time to keep watching #jpn struggling against #ned…oh well

Hisui:
First panel of the day will be the history of Gundam panel at .

DJ Ranma S:
Been here since yesterday, finally checking in. ^^=b (@ AnimeNEXT 2010) http://4sq.com/cGFxC3

Narutaki:
Oh no bad puns so early in the morning.

Vampt Vo:
Today’s “Awesome Thing” at will my “The Changing Faces of Anime” panel at 7pm in Panel Room 3. BE THERE.

Greg:
Arrived at with my new car. Managed to only stall once. Hooray.

Scott:
Here a little early. Sitting in at the There She Is panel and prepping for my interview.

Greg:
Crowd today is noticeably younger.

Narutaki:
In the car on the way to with @Vampt Vo and @Hisui !

animenext:
Good Morning AnimeNEXT!

OutOfTimeProd:
Good Morning AnimeNEXT 2010 this is where I slept last night comfy isn’t it?

animenext:
The AnimeNEXT Dealers Room opens for Saturday in a few minutes

DJ Ranma S:
And the dealer’s room blew a fuse.

Vince A:
@DJ Ranma S Has it been fixed yet? Curious since I’m in the 300 building

DJ Ranma S:
@Vince A Yeah, it was only for 10 minutes.

Vince A:
Another exciting day of video programming here in the 300 building at AnimeNEXT

animenext:
How’s your saturday? I’m looking forward to Gashicon’s fashion show and Kenji Kamiyama’s panel today!

animenext:
If anyone is reading this look for a girl in a white dress with pink polkadots and say hi!!! ;)

Scott:
Watching through these There She Is cartoons again
is just reminding me how freaking brilliant they really are.

Greg:
Playing some rockband and the video games.

Narutaki:
Heading to the Gundam panel first thing.

Greg:
Moving the video games to the holiday inn allowed for more game rooms! http://twitgoo.com/148vew

Narutaki:
Kenji Kameyama press conference at noon!

OutOfTimeProd:
I’m looking for the girl in a white dress with pink polka dots so I can say hi to her

OutOfTimeProd:
Look for this and yank his beard! And tell that @Scott told him to do it

Scott:
@OutOfTimeProd I am quite the negative influence.

Greg:
I love you lo carb monster. Sleep-deprived congoer’s best friend.

Greg:
At the conbudget panel…to kill some time

Greg:
Cosplaying is an expensive hobby.

Greg:
Planning to buy strike witches today ;)

OutOfTimeProd:
I’m waiting for the salior moons dressed up as Lady Gaga for an interview.

Narutaki:
I was hoping the Gundam panel would be more of an in depth discussion than an overview but it was well done.

OutOfTimeProd:
I’m at the independent filming panel and its the same guy who did it back at nyaf in 2008.

Scott:
Done with my interview with Stereopony. It was brief but pleasant.

Greg:
another panel: otaku through the generations.

Narutaki:
I love SEED and made that clear despite opposition :P

Greg:
Someone is wearing a lucky star sailor fuku t shirt….why would anyone willingly wear that?!

Greg:
“Anime and sport fandoms are the same because we all paint our faces.”

Narutaki:
Waiting with some familiar faces for the press conference.

Greg:
Every time I enter the dealers room I fear for my wallet…

Greg:
Media blasters had a great deal. $5 for obscure B Anime.

Greg:
Oh wow. http://twitgoo.com/149mcm

OutOfTimeProd:
E Honda!

Narutaki:
Caught the tail end of the Stereopony Q&A they were cute but of course the questions were terrible.

Narutaki:
Funi industry panel, only industry panel at the con, now.

Scott:
It’s @funimation’s new convention guy, Josh.

Scott:
Josh keeps on saying “y’all.” You don’t hear that language around here that often.

OutOfTimeProd:
At the @funimation industry panel, but leavin now for an interview

Narutaki:
Funi mentioned they are going to be doing alot for Hetalia at the next few cons.

Scott:
Surprisingly, there was not much of a big reaction to the Hetalia trailer. (o_o)

Narutaki:
Lots of DBZ questions at the Funi panel.

Scott:
No new announcements from funimation his time. I guess that they are saving all the good stuff for the major cons next week.

Scott:
So I think I’m going to give Josh a B+ for his first @funimation panel. He’s not quite up to @neumaverick yet, but the kid has potential.

Narutaki:
Am I the only one who thinks its weird to have your picture taken with a cosplayer like they are a celebrity?

Vince A:
@Narutaki No you’re not but then again I’m all for removing cosplay from cons anyway :-)

Vince A:
Did you know that there was a live action Lupin the Third movie? We’re showing it right now in all of its cheesy glory in Video 3

Narutaki:
Taking a quick lunch break with my leftover cheesebushes half.

Greg:
State of anime industry panel by Greg Ayres. http://twitgoo.com/149t8o

Scott:
At the Greg Ayres fansub panel. It’s a subject I’m kinda familiar with.

Scott:
A very different tone to this panel than the one he had two years ago. But of course, it’s a different time now in the simulcast age.

Scott:
Also, @Chris Cimi needs to pull his damn pants up. :-P

OutOfTimeProd:
Got to spend a half hour with Kyle Herbert awesome guy! Extremely jealous that he got to Australia # anx2010

Narutaki:
Quite a few girls dressed as the girl from Scott Pilgrim.

Scott:
I just heard Kevin Smith mentioned for the second time this weekend. We must be in New Jersey or something… ;-)

Narutaki:
Lady Gaga cosplayers?

Scott:
Decided to sit in on a screening of Strawberry Marshmallow, because I’m really in the mood to watch this show now. (^_^)

Scott:
Hey, @TOKYOPOP never released the 6th volume of Strawberry Marshmallow, did they? :-(

Scott:
You know, I think I’m gonna get one of the Marshmallow girls for my traditional “buy only one girl figure per con” this time around.

Narutaki:
Waiting for the IT CAME FROM FRANCE panel, looking forward to it!

Narutaki:
Cant cover panels if i cant get in.

Vampt Vo:
We got into the “It Came From France” panel, got kicked out to be counted for fire codes, then couldn’t get past the line with press badges.

Vampt Vo:
Seemed really weird, since most of the staff are very friendly and accommodating to press.

animenext:
The Promise Sisters concert is coming up at 4:30pm in the GSEC

Narutaki:
Had pancakes for dinner!

Narutaki:
Attending the changing faces of anime panel, the room is so hot. BLEH.

Narutaki:
Almost got kicked out again, sigh.

Scott:
Man, does a press badge mean nothing anymore at this con? (-_-)

animenext:
The AnimeNEXT Con Chair, Robert Rustay, is being interviewed by the media!

Scott:
It’s really hot here at @VamptVo’s character design panel, and it’s not just because of the sexy panelist.

DJ Ranma S:
@Scott I know right?

Narutaki:
Drank too much soda at dinner, stomach is :(

Greg:
@Vampt Vo ’s panel on changing faces of anime was great.

DJ Ranma S:
Time to hit up the masquerade. Expect comments from me… I hope there’s a power outlet in main events…

DJ Ranma S:
They ran out of press spots and put us in the front row. I approve.

animenext:
The convention is starting to seat attendees for the Masquerade

DJ Ranma S:
#WordOfAdvice never buy Dynex tripods from Best Buy. They’re really craptacular.

DJ Ranma S:
Whoever’s doing the music mix for the masquerade to pump the audience, kudos sir!

DJ Ranma S:
First skit is Hetalia, brace yourselves.

DJ Ranma S:
The skit rickrolled everyone. I approve.

DJ Ranma S:
Hetalia skit went all kinds of crazy. I like.

DJ Ranma S:
The Card Captor Sakura skit was precious.

DJ Ranma S:
Para para Haruhi skit… I can get behind this.

DJ Ranma S:
Soul Eater skit made no sense.

DJ Ranma S:
Avenue Q – Everyone’s a Little Bit Racist to Hetalia… It’s working so far… They rewrote the lyrics. ^^

DJ Ranma S:
That skit was win!

DJ Ranma S:
Dancing Vocaloid skit, I like!

DJ Ranma S:
Gravitation with Thriller and YMCA. Stop it, they’re both overdone. But they redeem themselves with N’Sync – Pop.

DJ Ranma S:
And now, Cromartie High School to Daft Punk… And stop it Corey.

DJ Ranma S:
This next skit is going to be bad… Very bad…

DJ Ranma S:
Called it. #condesermicrophone

DJ Ranma S:
Okay, we got a YGH skit done to Poker Face with new lyrics… I approve!

DJ Ranma S:
BROOKLYN RAGE! And they’re spoofing the 4kids dub. I APPROVE!

DJ Ranma S:
I hereby decree that the vuvuzela should be blown for all bad skits.

DJ Ranma S:
Paroding Hetalia to the Potter Pals song isn’t working…

DJ Ranma S:
If I knew there were going to be this many Hetalia skits, I would have brought the ubiquitous red cup.

DJ Ranma S:
Sumomo is getting everyone up for exercises… Yeah, I’m so not getting my lazy butt up. :p

DJ Ranma S:
This Akatsuki skit sucks. ‘Nuff said.

DJ Ranma S:
If you’re gonna do a dance routine, put some emotion into it.

DJ Ranma S:
Any song with italian techno is automatic win! :D

DJ Ranma S:
I found my best in show!

DJ Ranma S:
To the Miku on stage. Great job! You have energy and having fun! That’s how it’s supposed to be when you’re on stage solo!

DJ Ranma S:
Nine-tails on stage busting a groove! (see what I did there)

DJ Ranma S:
The No More Heroes skit started hard, dropped, and is now back on track.

DJ Ranma S:
Up next CLAMP skit… Audience blew my eardrum out.

DJ Ranma S:
The CLAMP tribute skit was nice! It was just Magic Knight Rayearth tho…

DJ Ranma S:
Is it me, or is almost every solo dance skit is the same girl? o.O

DJ Ranma S:
Damn, lost my usb cable.

DJ Ranma S:
And now the audience is singing Pokemon. :D

DJ Ranma S:
The Princess Tutu skit is throwing some much needed culture at the audience.

DJ Ranma S:
Wait, what… Bellydancing? With swords? I approve!

DJ Ranma S:
FUCK YES BEATMANIA SKIT!!!!!!

DJ Ranma S:
Beatmania + Evacuate the Dance Floor = Standing Ovation!

Vince A:
YGO Abridged panel is full and starting

Scott:
You know, I’ve ignored it for so long, but the Yu-Gi-Oh Abridged series is pretty damn funny.

Narutaki:
Time for Bad Anime Bad! one of my favorite parts of

Narutaki:
Always good to end the night with a laugh, get job Bad Anime Bad as usual!

Greg:
At the “as the otaku grows up” panel, hosted by @UncleYo http://twitgoo.com/14bf3t

Scott:
Getting ready to watch @funimation’s Master of Martial Hearts. I’m really looking forward to this! (^_^)

Scott:
Oh my god, Martial Hearts is awful. Really awful. But it has “Guilty Pleasure” written all over it. (^_^)

Scott:
Ok. I think I’ve seen enough with the first two episodes. I’m looking forward to reviewing this one this summer. ;-)

Greg:
Back from . Phone died in the middle of the “hentai Worth Watching” Panel. Pretty good panel despite the lack of preparation.

Scott:
Thought I heard some vuvuzelas. Turned out to just be geese.

On Site:

Scott from The Anime Almanac	Greg	Narutaki from Reverse Thieves
OutOfTimeProd from Out Of Time Productions	animenext from AnimeNEXT	Vince A
Vampt Vo from Ani-Gamers	Kyle Hebert	Hisui from Reverse Thieves

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Good Morning

animenext:
Good morning everyone! Today is the first day of AnimeNEXT! I’m so excited! I hope you are too :)

animenext:
Up and raring and ready to go for day one of AnimeNEXT. Are you ready?

OutOfTimeProd:
We are kicking off our summer convention season in NJ for animeNEXT? Anyone goin? Just us? Damnit…

Hisui:
Off to Anime Next soon enough! Hope to see everyone there.

Narutaki:
Leaving for AnimeNEXT!!

Scott:
Took the day off work to prep for the con. I’ll be showing up early in the afternoon.

Narutaki:
On the train to AnimeNEXT!

OutOfTimeProd:
The line for #anx2010

OutOfTimeProd:
the lobby at the convention center

animenext:
Registration is moving people through as fast as possible

Greg:
On my way to #anx2010

Greg:
Instead of using i287, I’ll be driving to rutgers and using easton ave!

animenext:
Video programming is up and running at AnimeNEXT, go check it out if you are looking for something to see early #anx2010

Narutaki:
On the way with @Vampto and @Hisui

Greg:
And I am here! #anx2010 http://twitgoo.com/145riq

Scott:
Making my way to the con. Stopping for some lunch first.

Greg:
Pleased with the new room layout.

Vampt Vo:
After getting a little turned around in Bound Brook, @Hisui, @Narutaki, and I have arrived at AnimeNEXT!

Narutaki:
Im here!

Scott:
All checked in! (^_^)

Scott:
“Anime Almaniac” Well, they almost got it right. (^^;)

Narutaki:
Got press badge smoothly. Checking out artist alley first and familiarizing myself with the con layout.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Con Floor

animenext:
How are things out there AnimeNEXT attendees?

Greg:
@animenext Groovy.

Greg:
Damn my phone camera sucks in dim places http://twitgoo.com/145s35

Greg:
Going to have to take photos is brighter rooms.

Scott:
There’s a girl sitting behind me that sounds exactly like @narutakiRT. It’s kind of freaking me out. (o_o)

Narutaki:
An artist alley table with only cats and catgirl art. I smell profit.

Scott:
@Narutaki (o_o)!!!!

Narutaki:
HOUSE FANART!

Greg:
Always impressed by #anx2010 variety in the dealer’s room. http://twitgoo.com/145xxi

Greg:
…but no touhou in sight…

Narutaki:
Decent crowd already. Lots of cosplay.

Narutaki:
I keep seeing a group dressed as funny lookin mice, what is that?

OutOfTimeProd:
sword fighting at the arena

Narutaki:
People carrying around ball-joint dolls really freak me out.

Scott:
Warning, if you are standing in the middle of a crowded hallway and not moving, I WILL push you aside and I WON’T say sorry for it. (-_-)

Scott:
The same applies for photo shoots. I hope you enjoy “big annoyed blogger” in the middle of your shots. ;-)

Greg:
“You don’t want to be glomped by a 400 lbs slave leah.”

Scott:
@Greg that sounds kinda hot…. (>_>)

Scott:
Now waiting to meet up with my father. He’s chaperoning my old anime club to the con.

Narutaki:
Hadnt seen the Playarts Zidane figure in person before, now I kinda want it.

Scott:
Dude, forget about AnimeNEXT, the cat expo is coming to town! >(^_^)<

Narutaki:
Guys talking about how they are going to split up the girls they are meeting later.

Scott:
Scott Pilgrim cosplay FTW! Check it out, @radiomaru!

Vince A:
I have been Shanghai’d to work in the Artist Alley

Vince A:
Would stylized clay cosplay figures sell?

Narutaki:
Waiting for Kenji Kamiyama autograph now, not much of a line but he is doing another session tomorrow that might be busier.

Vince A:
Argh! Stuck in the Artist Alley again.

Narutaki:
Someone keeps yelling for someone with my name its confusing me!

Scott:
So many lovely ladies… <3

Scott:
If I didn’t set a “No More Rei Figures” policy for myself, I would totally get this.

Scott:
So many plushies, yet not a Chi among them. :-(

Greg:
I just blew 100$ on doujinshi….I need to stop doing that…

OutOfTimeProd:
Starting to doze off, that’s what happens when you ae awake for twenty four hours

Scott:
Everyone seems to be so exhausted at the con today. Must be the late start and hot weather.

Scott:
Gah, this diet is making me one cranky con-goer today. (-_-)

Scott:
Turns out the Scott Pilgrim cosplayer that I tweeted earlier (and you all seemed to like) has a name. Peeps, say hi to @bookishbelle!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Panels

Kyle Hebert:
We will be streaming The Big Bald Broadcast live today from Anime Next at 1p eastern / 10am pacific. Tony Oliver, Little Kuriboh and more!

Greg:
There are two vocaloid panels today. Wut?

Greg:
First panel of the day…about random humour comedies…  http://twitgoo.com/145smd

Kyle Hebert:
Big Bald Broadcast is streaming NOW.

Scott:
Hanging out at @kylehebert’s Big Bald Broadcast. Check out the live stream. http://www.stickam.com/bigbaldbroadcast

Scott:
I am no longer the dude with the iPhone in the front row. I’m the dude with the iPad. :-P

Scott:
@kylehebert’s Big Bald Broadcast

Greg:
In a “inside the lives of congoing otaku” panel. Why isn’t everyone here?

Greg:
The congoer panel was very good. Insightful presentation on past, present and future anime conventions.

Vampt Vo:
Only TRUE HEROES will show up to “Fandom & Criticism: The Art of Active Viewing” at 3pm in Panel Room 6.

Greg:
Anigamers are running a panel on criticizing shows,manga, or video games.  http://twitgoo.com/1464j5

Scott:
It’s time for the active anime viewing panel @Vampt Vo, @uncleyo, and ink.

Greg:
“FAN-WANKING”

Kyle Hebert:
Had a great BBB panel. Thx to all who showed up and caught the stream. Also, wishing a happy bday to the Engineer, Marc Swint!

animenext:
The AnimeNEXT launch party starts in Main Events in a few minutes

Scott:
Checking out the opening ceremony. Let’s see what awkward sketch they will put together this year.

Greg:
The con chair opening the #anx2010 launch party. http://twitgoo.com/1468ic

OutOfTimeProd:
@Scott where you at g?

Scott:
@OutOfTimeProd front row. I’m the smooth pimp with the iPad.

Narutaki:
Active viewing panel with some of the @anigamers peeps was good, audience really participated! Good job guys!

Scott:
And this year’s awkward sketch is… wait for it… wait for it… The NEXT-y Awards!

Greg:
Stereopony takes the stage! http://twitgoo.com/146t6h

Scott:
RT @Greg Stereopony takes the stage!  http://twitgoo.com/146t6h

Vampt Vo:
The panel went pretty well as far as I could tell, though I’d love to hear any comments/criticism from anyone who attended.

OutOfTimeProd:
Storytime with @UncleYo

animenext:
Kamiyama-san is signing sutographs now in the Expo Center

Narutaki:
Waiting for Miyazaki panel but no panelists have shown up so I have my doubts about it happening.

Narutaki:
Oh they moved the room because it was so full. No indication, gee thanks.

Vampt Vo:
Waiting for this History of Mecha panel to start. There are strangers sitting in a dark room chattering to each other. Uh…OK.

Vampt Vo:
Alright, so the panel started… Sort of. People are yelling memes out right now. Oh, wait, now the lights are on. What’s going on?

Greg:
Kenji Kamiyama!!  http://twitgoo.com/1470bs

Scott:
Anime director Kenji Kamiyama.

Scott:
Kamiyama: “I’m not allowed to say anything official, but we MIGHT be working on the third season of Ghost in the Shell: SAC right now.”

Narutaki:
At Kenji Kameyama panel, mostly decent questions from the audience!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Stereopony

animenext:
Are you going to the concert tonight at AnimeNEXT?

Narutaki:
Stereopony concert starts at 830 not 9 now.

Narutaki:
On the way to grab some grub them head to the Stereopony concert!

Vampt Vo:
Eating at RT (Ruby Tuesday) with the RTs (Reverse Thieves).

Greg:
Enjoying dinner at Ruby Tuesdays with @Narutaki @Hisui @Vampt Vo .

Scott:
In the press pit at the Stereopony show. It looks like they’re letting people in.

Scott:
I should be able to get some pretty decent shots from this angle.

Scott:
They certainly have the fog machine up and running at full blast.

Scott:
Grr… Looks like they’re gonna kick me out of the pit after the first three songs. Lame. (-_-)

Scott:
I’ll try to get some video during that time, but the audio might be screwed up.

Scott:
The crowd waits for the show to start in the fog.

Greg:
The view of stereopony from back here is better than the photo suggests.  http://twitgoo.com/147bxy

Scott:
Well, that was a very unpleasant experience dealing with the @animenext security. Great work, guys. (-_-)

Scott:
And here they are, Stereopony!

Scott:
Lead singer Aimi.

Scott:
Another shot of Aimi.

Scott:
The audio on the video I took is awful, so that’s all I’ll have from Stereopony tonight. Still totally pissed at the security. (-_-)

Narutaki:
As usual people under 5′3″ get stepped on at concerts.

Greg:
Stereopony closed off their concert with their bleach song!

animenext:
The Stereopony concert is over. We love you!

Narutaki:
Stereopony rocked it!

Narutaki:
Got a pretty good wack from my camera while jumping at the concert. Fail.

It is no secret that I love Chi, and it certainly ranks up there as one of my all time favorite series. I already own most of the comics in Japanese, and the anime earned the #2 position on my Top Anime of 2009 list last year. So I am expecting a lot out of this title when Vertical releases it later this month. In fact, I have never anticipated a comic’s English release more than I have with Chi’s Sweet Home.

And so I am thrilled to report that Vertical’s release is very, very well done.

So first, let’s talk about the magic behind the series itself.

The most obvious thing that one can say about Chi is that it is cute. And by cute, I mean that it is absolutely freaking adorable. The wide-eye kitty and the simplistic look of her human family is optimized to produce the most DPS (D’awws Per Second) possible within the manga medium.

But the secret to Chi’s success is not just about being cute. The story itself is very well done and told in a very smart way. Chi’s antics are typical of any cat, and any feline owner will easily recognize all the things she does and relate them back to their own real life kitty. But the magic in Kanata’s storytelling is the level of detail she pays to every little action, and her pacing and use of static panel shots ultimately pay off in some pretty hilarious moments.

We see in one panel that Mama has put the kitten in a little tub in order to be washed. As cat owners ourselves, we already know that cats and water do not mix, so something bad is about to go down. But unfortunately , Chi is unaware of this. Instead, we spend an entire page watching the innocent kitty look in wonderment at the showerhead. “Huh? What the-? What’s going on?” she asks ignorantly, eyes widened with the most adorable expression on her face. And then all of the sudden… “GYA!!!” Pure liquid terror strikes, and we know that the cat will never be the same again.

Chi stands out among manga conventions by being released with each page fully colored. Each chapter is done in black-in-white when it is serialized in Morning Magazine, but a layer of gentle watercolors in added for the comic’s graphic novel releases. The coloring make a huge difference in the look and feel of the comic. It is about as warm and welcoming as… well… a kitten.

The gentle colors, simplistic dialogue, and adorable images give off the impression of a children’s picture book. However, this comic is actually made for an adult male market in Japan. But it just goes to show that Chi has an appeal far wider then whatever limited demographic it can be assigned to in Japan, which is exactly the type of scope that Vertical is going for in America.

It should be noted that in order to make the book more marketable to that mainstream American audience, the pages have been “flipped” to read from left-to-right, and all of the sound effects have been replaced by English translation. There is not a single lick of Japanese left within the pages of this adaptation. This will indubitably annoy and outrage a lot of manga fans, but honestly, I think it is the best decision that Vertical could make with this title. If there is ever a manga that could appeal so broadly to a market outside of typical American otaku, it would be Chi.

But even with these alterations to make the comic more accessible to Americans, it should also be noted the amazing amount of effort Vertical put into making their version of Chi as identical to the Japanese release as possible. Vertical actually enlisted Kodansha and their in-house Toyokuni Printing Co. to have the English version of Chi to be printed using the same equipment that the Japanese version is.

The result is an English version that is a near duplicate to the Japanese version in terms of physical appearance. Both books are the same height and width, and both covers feature the exact same layout, only swapping the Japanese with the English.

But there is one aspect of the coloring that any hardcore Chi fan notice, and that is the background color. The Japanese edition adds an off-white egg shell coloring to the background, which gives each page the appearance of a soft and creamy texture. However, Kodansha neglected to add the artificial color to their printing of the English version, so we end up seeing pure white background. This takes away much of the “soft” feel of the Japanese version.

Again, that’s something that only hardcore Chi fans will notice, but it is noticeable. The sharp white background is a bit distracting at first, but I eventually got over it.

The English adaptation itself is both a bit of a blessing and a curse. As the LOLcat internet meme has taught us, cats do not have the best grasp of the human language. Chi had a very particular way of speaking in the Japanese version, and Vertical makes an honest effort of translating this to English. The result is that Chi says words like, “fwightening,” “mulk,” and, “kiwling,” which occasionally become quite difficult to understand. But at the same time, Chi’s language is also a source of absolute charm. I particularly enjoyed a scene in which a frightened Chi screams out, “Oh Nos!”

When it comes down to it, Chi has the potential to be that manga series that stands out among all the others in the US market. Random folks in Borders will see on the book shelf, open it out of curiosity, and instantly fall in love with it after skimming through the pages. Adults will buy it with the excuse that they’re only getting it for their kids, but will secretly be reading it with more enjoyment than any child would. The franchise has the kind of merchandising potential that would make Hello Kitty sweat a little.

* * * * *

The Good: Artist captures all the idiosyncrasies of feline behavior and delivers with perfect comedic timing. Adorable character designs and soft coloring looks warm and welcoming.

The Bad: Chi’s language is a little difficult to understand at times. Manga is flipped from Japanese. “Creamy” page texture missing.

Final Verdict: Cute, hilarious, and oozing with charm, Chi’s Sweet Home is pure delight for cat lovers of all ages and genders. Read it!

Review copy provided by Vertical Publishing.

But of course, just like any utopian society, something goes horribly, horribly wrong. A terrorist organization wipes out the facilities needed to keep the clones alive, and the only thing that can save them is the Appleseed, a bit of data created by Knute’s late mother. But as Knute dives deeper into the search of the this critical piece of information, she uncovers that the conspiracy runs far deeper than anyone had anticipated. Many powerful enemies stand between her and the survival of the artificial species.

Fans may have remember that the movie was originally released in the US by Geneon Entertainment in 2005. However, the company did not last much longer after that and the film’s sequel, Appleseed Ex Machina, was later released by Warner Brothers with a completely new dub cast.

Well now Sentai / Section 23 has rescued the original movie, and they redubbed it with the Ex Machina cast for better consistency between the two films. And for the first time ever, they’re releasing the computer generated anime film on Blu-ray disc.

And oh god, does it look freaking sweet!

The most defining aspect of this movie is in its visual style. The movie is rendered entirely in 3D computer generated animation, but all of the characters are “cell shaded”, the process of making a 3D image look flat like a traditional cartoon. The mesh between the realistic backgrounds and the flattened anime characters provides a very interesting contrast that is quite pleasing to the eye.

And it looks even more gorgeous in HD thanks to this Blu-ray release. Absolutely gorgeous.

I believe we first encounter the power of the HD visuals in a scene where Knute and her artificial comrade Hitomi are driving down a highway in broad daylight. The glass skyscrapers in the background reflect the bright colors of the blue sky, and the smooth futuristic highway roads reflect those buildings. It all looks sharp and clean, and the colors brilliantly popped on my HDTV screen. With bright scenes like this rendering this beautifully on this Blu-ray release, it becomes a real shame that so much of the film takes place in the dark.

The other aspect of this film that really stuck out to me was its soundtrack. Starting off with a technobeat background music reminiscent of the Matrix, we quickly jump into the opening credits sporting a Cowboy Bebop style soulful R&B theme song. From that point on, the film just continues to deliver one memorable song after another, particularly during the action sequences.

But even beyond the enhancements offered from the computer generated environment, the movie just looks good from a pure anime perceptive. The character designs are quite appealing, especially with the character of Hitomi. The cybernetic city backdrop is quite interesting and satisfies that sci-fi bug in all of us. And the action sequences are quite intense, often diving into the bullet time camera angles that have been the foundation of Hollywood films for the past decade.

But there is a major drawback to the style of the film that is almost impossible to shake off while watching it. The animation often comes off as stiff as a video game cut scene, which I found to be completely distracting and often disrupted my suspension of disbelief for the film. It felt like a video game, just one that you are not playing.

And once you get past all the eye candy Appleseed has to offer, there’s really not much there to provide for an interesting plot. In fact, I remember specifically falling asleep in the middle of watching this film back in 2005. So it did not surprise me to find myself losing interest in the movie once again in 2010 for this re-release. They really should have just cut the final 20 minutes of this flick, because you really just want it to end at a certain point.

* * * * *

The Good: Fantastic visual style of CG animation renders stunningly in HD. Good action sequences and character designs. Exceptional soundtrack.

The Bad: Animation is very choppy and stiff. Boring ending.

Final Verdict: Once you get past the fact that it looks like a long video game cut scene, Appleseed offers enough eye candy to make it worth checking out on Blu-ray. Watch it!

Review copy provided by Sentai / Section23 Films.

BIGGEST SURPRISE OF THE CON: I bought this figure!

On Site:

Scott from The Anime Almanac	Mike Ferreira from Anime Dream	Jon I. from JANAiBlog
Scott Green from Ain’t it Cool News	tristencitrine	ChrisBeveridge
Brigid from MangaBlog	DJ Ranma S from Anime Jam Session	OutOfTimeProd from Out Of Time Productions
Lauren Orsini from Con Chowdah	funimation	neumaverick
Ed Chavez from Vertical Inc.	Reni Mimura from ReniReni.com	rolandkelts

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mornings in Boston

Scott:
I dreamt last night that I was sharing my room with a bunch of cute girls. Woke up to find that nope, they were all dudes. Snoring dudes. :(

Scott:
And now I got @Jon I. and @OutOfTimeProd looming over me as I try to sleep. Interpret that any way you want, Twitter!

Scott:
In fact, one of their cameras is pointing right at my bed! (O_O)

Scott:
But I actually did sleep great last night. Ear plugs are god’s greatest invention.

Brigid:
Beautiful day. Sun shining. Bird singing. Husband swearing as he clears out birds who were nesting in the soffit.

Brigid:
Sometimes we live a little too closely with nature. Also, I miss having a landlord who would take care of stuff like that.

ChrisBeveridge:
ah, another morning at #animeboston. Panel at 10 for me and then #funimation’s panel at 5. Then home!

Jon I.:
I’m totally wearing my Kannagi shirt to #AnimeBoston today. LIKE A BOSS.

Jon I.:
If you’re at #AnimeBoston today and are looking for me, I’m probably the only loser wearing a Kannagi shirt.

OutOfTimeProd:
So who already has gone out and buy an #ipad? anyone?

Scott:
48 minutes since the launch of the iPad, and yet, I still don’t have one. :-(

Jon I.:
My Kannagi shirt is getting lots of compliments! #onlyatananimecon

Reni Mimura:
Ohayoooo(^^)/

Jon I.:
Heading to #AnimeBoston now!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Panels

ChrisBeveridge:
Time to do that panel thing soon (@ Hynes Convention Center w/ 2 others) http://4sq.com/90cwO3

Scott:
The man himself, @ChrisBeveridge!

Mike Ferreira:
Off to @chrisbeveridge’s panel now. :) A little late, but better late than never.

Scott:
I like talking hardcore industry at the @ChrisBeveridge panel.

neumaverick:
First panel of the day is our ‘Adventures in Marketing’ workshop at 1pm in Wrkshp 313. Hope to see you all there. #animeboston

tristencitrine:
Heading to adventures in marketing anime panel! Hynes 313! Seeeeeeeeeya there for good times!

tristencitrine:
A gaggle of vocaloids!

Scott:
At @neumaverick’s interesting anime marketing working.

Jon I.:
Now at the “Adventure in Marketing Anime” panel with @neumaverick and @tristencitrine. #AnimeBoston

Scott Green:
Nice attendence count for AWO’s Black Jack AnimeBoston panel

Scott:
The girl running the geisha panel comes in costume. It’s actually a very nice touch.

Brigid:
At the Roland Kelts panel at AnimeBoston, sitting with @mbeasi and @nfntrobin.

Lauren Orsini:
Sitting two feet from @rolandkelts. Awesome dude.

Scott:
Catching that final part of @rolandkelts panel. This guy is always awesome.

Scott:
Most bloggers post photos of cosplayers. I post pictures of writers and industry folks. (>_<)

Scott Green:
Anime Boston Roland Kelts panel… Guy’s good with narative. Audience pretty rivited

Scott Green:
Don’t agree with everything being said. At least now, US interested in Tezuka’s dark, sexual work. For example upcoming Ayako release.

Scott Green:
On the other hand, effective explanation of Super Flat and artistic fundimentals of manga

Scott Green:
“Hello Kitty has no mouth becase she should feel like you do”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tweet-ups

Lauren Orsini:
@Jon I., lunch take two?

Jon I.:
@Lauren Orsini Sure, look for me near the first floor escalators.

Lauren Orsini:
@Jon I., ok coming!

Scott:
@Jon I. wait for me!!!

Jon I.:
@Scott Sure, come on over.

Scott:
Had a nice lunch with @Lauren Orsini, @Jon I., and @OutOfTimeProd.

Scott:
Btw, peeps, @Lauren Orsini is the official blogger for AB. Be sure to check out her blog at http://blog.animeboston.com/

Lauren Orsini:
@Scott, thanks for the plug!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Vertical

Ed Chavez:
Kinda laying low right now but it’s been nice seeing friends and associates in Boston. Anyone recommend a place for lunch?

Scott:
So of course, here’s @Ed Chavez to talk about vertical.

Jon I.:
Now at @Vertical_Ed’s panel. I’m really looking forward to Twin Spica. #AnimeBoston

Scott Green:
If someone bombed Ed Chavez’s Vertical AnimeBoston panel, manga blogging might be decimated (10% of population here?)

Brigid:
At the Vertical panel. Nintendo Wars, O’Ekaki Decadence, Twin Spica 1, Black Jack 11, The Flowers of Edo by Michael Dana Kennedy

Brigid:
@Ed Chavez on O’Ekaki Decadence: “I thought it was going to be really cute, but it ended up being really disturbing.” Number puzzles?

Brigid:
Twin Spica: Strong storytelling. “It’s continuous from start to finish—not a lot of little arcs.”

Scott Green:
Chi’s Sweat Home probably pushed to 6.28. Printed in Japan. Working to get things right

Brigid:
Lots of super-cute bookmarks and postcards to promote Twin Spica and Chi’s Sweet Home!

Brigid:
Black Jack 12 will feature a cover designed by a NY college student, winner of their cover contest.

Brigid:
New manga out in August: 7 Billion Needles, sci-fi story based on novel by Hal Clements, about a shy girl who shares a body w/alien

Brigid:
New edition of Apollo’s song in 2 vols, with new cover, later this year.

Scott Green:
Apollo’s Song, Tezuka sex ed with creator at his most dialectical, will be getting new, two volume publication

Brigid:
What’s cuter than The Cute Book? The Cuter Book! Their puzzle and craft books are their best sellers; look for this one in October.

Brigid:
Osamu Tezuka’s Ayako, his most historical manga, set after end of World War II. 704 pages for $24.95!

Scott Green:
Tezuka’s post war family epic Ayako due 10/19. Since I have Adolf, 5 years ago, the two Tezuka manga I wanted were Dororo and Ayako

Scott:
And so vertical announces that they have a title they can’t announce yet.

Brigid:
@Ed Chavez is teasing us. A new Tezuka license? A mystery manga (hardcover, 320 pages) by someone once published by Viz??

Scott:
The artist used to have manga published by Viz. That’s the only clue he gave.

Scott Green:
Vertical talking with Tezuka Pro about new license late next year. Mystery title from author who was once published by Viz in 4/11

Scott:
It seems that Ed is seriously pimping out Chi’s Sweet Home at this panel.

Scott Green:
Classic manga for older audiences said sell better than classics for younger. (my take. Keep hunting for billingual Princess Knight)

Scott Green:
Rumors/mummers about Rose of Versailes manga license by non-Verticle

Scott:
My hunch is that Ed was taking about CMX, but again, that’s just my hunch. It would match their line of classical shojo.

Scott Green:
Mystery why no Yokoyama (Tetsujin28, Witch Sally, Comet-san, adaptations of Chinese classics) licensed in North America

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Oddities

Scott:
The con is screening Negima followed by Strike Witches this morning. When did Saturday Morning Cartoons get this… dirty? (^^;)

Scott:
In related news, the first Negima anime series is really bad. (-_-)

Scott:
I’m also counting the number of times I walk into the middle of a cosplay photo shoot this weekend. I’m up to 3 so far.

Scott:
An old man in a kilt just sat next to me. #onlyatananimeconorscotland

Jon I.:
There’s a guy here from the local blood drive center dressed up as a vampire. This is win.

neumaverick:
I just got the question, “what’s Akira?”
…wow.

OutOfTimeProd:
On the ballot for the AMV contest at #animeboston, they have “When They Cry” set to “happy happy joy joy”. @Jon I. was amused by it.

Jon I.:
SOMEBODY FIND THIS AMV ON YOUTUBE OR SOMETHING PLEASE

tristencitrine:
Cake dress time! Explosion of pink wheeeee!

Scott:
And here is @tristencitrine and her infamous cake dress!

OutOfTimeProd:
MARCO! #animeboston

Scott:
So no joke, there was a midget cosplaying as FMA’s Edward Elric. Don’t call him short, it’s inappropriate. (>_>)

Scott:
There was a girl next to me at the panel that was a skinny female version of me. Same shoes, same pants, same jacket, even same iPhone! O_O

Scott:
The only problem was that her hair was also kind of similar to mine, thus she kind of looked like a man. (>_<)

Scott:
RT @tohnokun Think about it, she could be tweeting near enough the same thing right this minute too! <- ((o_o))

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dolla-dolla Bills, Y’all

tristencitrine:
I just became the mayor of Funimation Booth Anime Boston on @foursquare! http://4sq.com/aClJPu

DJ Ranma S:
Anyone at #AnimeBoston with a spare ball ticket? They’re sold out! Almost willing to do anything to get one!

Scott:
So FYI, @funimation will be presenting the exact same panel at both conventions, so whichever presenter gets to it first breaks the news.

Scott:
It also seems that @funimation hasn’t had any product to sell at their AB booth at it hasn’t been delivered yet. (^^;)

tristencitrine:
Breaking from @neumaverick product is here brown bag specials available soon at anime Boston! Yeeeehaaaa!

Scott:
Peeps, I’ve found my one girl figure for Anime Boston 2010.

DJ Ranma S:
A dealer was kicked out of #AnimeBoston for selling bootlegs. Come to find out, THEY ARE LEGIT! I smell lawsuit…

Mike Ferreira:
Today’s Dealer Room Swag: Patlabor Parts 1 & 2

Mike Ferreira:
Lucky Star (full series – $40! Would’ve cost more to buy discs 3-6!)

Mike Ferreira:
Devil Hunter Yohko

Mike Ferreira:
Now & Then Here & There

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

FUNimation

tristencitrine:
Three hours til the big panel! Three more hours to get more fanciful video before then!

tristencitrine:
Almost paneltime! happy happy happy.

tristencitrine:
Slime time! The first person at anime Boston who comes up to me at the funi panel and says “aggro tablecloth” gets the yellow perler slime.

Jon I.:
FUNimation panel has been moved to room 302. Same time: 5pm. #AnimeBoston

Mike Ferreira:
After a brief jog between two rooms, I made it! waiting for the @FUNimation panel to start

tristencitrine:
A winner is you @chrisbeveridge ! A slime appears!

Mike Ferreira:
@funimation’s panel is starting – will update if anything comes up

Scott Green:
I think Funimation’s AnimeBoston panel gut shot the convention center’s wi-fi

Mike Ferreira:
#AB2K10 – Nothing new yet – SAVE Editions, Shaw Brothers, Soul Eater @Funimation panel

Mike Ferreira:
Wifi is spotty as hell right now

Mike Ferreira:
More business as usual – KenIchi, Eva 1.11… this will go in the final report, but not the newsie. #AB 2K10

Mike Ferreira:
#WarOnPants – “Don’t turn Strike WItches into a drinking game! You won’t make it through the first half of the first episode!” – @funimation

Mike Ferreira:
A few other pressers turned to their iPhones, since the wifi’s messy – #Animeboston

Mike Ferreira:
DBZ Kai Trailer is go

Scott Green:
Funimation PR announced new license in email…. spoilarz

Mike Ferreira:
@Scott Green spoilers indeed!

Scott:
Breaking: @funimation announces Eden of the East movies.

Mike Ferreira:
FMA Brotherhood – BR/DVD -5/23

Mike Ferreira:
DVD = $49.98, BR = $54.98

Scott:
Three Eden of the East movies. On both DVD and Blu-ray in 2011.

Scott:
Breaking: @funimation announces Chobits

Jon I.:
RT @MarcFBR: Early Press Release- Funi got the Eden of the East movies and is doing Blu-rays.

Mike Ferreira:
@FUNimation announced Chobits.

Scott:
26-episode series, again on DVD and BD in 2011.

Mike Ferreira:
X complete series and OVA – June 15, $49.98 (DVD only)

Scott:
They released the PR early, so you peeps all know this news before anyone at this panel do. ;-) (besides us press, of course}

Mike Ferreira:
My Bride is a Mermaid – Part 1 – 7/20 – “no take backsies!” – #animeboston

Mike Ferreira:
Damn you, screamers! >_< “Black Butler” “AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA O_O”

Mike Ferreira:
Spice & Wolf 2

Scott:
Breaking: @funimation announces Spice and Wolf II

Mike Ferreira:
“C-span with furries!”

Mike Ferreira:
Eden of the east & Chobits panel reveal

Mike Ferreira:
Original OP for Eden of the East will be used

Scott Green:
Awesome. Funimation got music rights to Oasis’ Eden of the East opening

Mike Ferreira:
Writing the newsie now

Scott:
Notably NOT MENTIONED in the panel was Summer Wars.

Mike Ferreira:
@Scott Predicting Bandai for that

tristencitrine:
Yay with all my happy heart- Eden of the east opening song. The answer is yes. Yes!

Jon I.:
THREE new annoncements by FUNimation! Eden of the East movies, Chobits (rescue), and Spice & Wolf 2. #AnimeBoston

Scott Green:
Seen one episode. Production I.G’s Eden of the East is one of few anime I’m enthuiastically looking forward to.

Jon I.:
Also, FUNimation will be using the original OP for Eden of the East. That song by Oasis that we all love. #AnimeBoston

Scott Green:
If you’re a Stand Alone Complex fan, keep an eye out for the Eden of the East release (political sci-fi)

Mike Ferreira:
Q&A now

Mike Ferreira:
Adam’s mic died! D:

Mike Ferreira:
Shin-chan update in the near future! MORE IS COMING! :D :D :D

Mike Ferreira:
…is it sad that this makes me happier than SPice & Wolf 2? #animeboston

Mike Ferreira:
D-Gray.man – @funimation only has the first 2 seasons

Mike Ferreira:
Will get more depending on performance

Mike Ferreira:
DBZ Kai – NIcktoons only, no Nick proper

Mike Ferreira:
and end of panel

funimation:
Chobits! We got it.

funimation:
Spice and Wolf Season 2! We got that too.

funimation:
Eden of the East movies 1-3! From us to you.

funimation:
Aw shucks…Just bringing you guys what you want!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Interviews

Jon I.:
Just filmed @OutOfTimeProd’s interview with Josh Greele. #AnimeBoston

OutOfTimeProd:
About to go in for our interview with Carli Mosier im hoping i say her last name right. MARCO! #animeboston

Jon I.:
Now heading to film an @OutOfTimeProd interview with Carli Mosier. #AnimeBoston

OutOfTimeProd:
Just had an awesome interview wit Carli Mosier at #animeboston, one of the coolest girls ive met and took my mic during the interview

Lauren Orsini:
Sitting next to Nobu Uematsu at the press conference. May or may not be peeing myself.

Jon I.:
And I’m a few seats over! RT @laureninspace: Sitting next to Nobu Uematsu at the press conference. May or may not be peeing myself.

Mike Ferreira:
Currently preparing for & being nervou about my upcoming interview with Greg Ayres. ^^;; Wish me luck, everyone!

Scott:
@Mike Ferreira be sure to ask him about fansubs! I hear he likes to talk about him. :-P

Mike Ferreira:
Just got out of my interview with Greg Ayres – I was apparently the last interview of AB 2K10 :) -feels special-

Mike Ferreira:
@Scott was right – he DOES like to talk about piracy and fansubs. ;)

Jon I.:
I must say, press relations at #AnimeBoston are quite excellent overall. I am pleased.

Scott:
You know, they’re not perfect, but Anime Boston is one freaking well done convention. I’ll have a positive con report up next week.

Mama-mia! What a mash-up!

On Site:

Scott from The Anime Almanac	Jon I. from JANAiBlog	Scott Green from Ain’t it Cool News
Mike Ferreira from Anime Dream	ChrisBeveridge	Lauren Orsini from Con Chowdah
tristencitrine	DJ Ranma S from Anime Jam Session	OutOfTimeProd from Out Of Time Productions
Ed Chavez from Vertical Inc.	neumaverick	funimation
Reni Mimura from ReniReni.com	SentaiFilmworks

All Roads Lead to Boston

DJ Ranma S:

Just missed the damn train. Oh well, time to take care of my last minute Anime Boston stuff.

Lauren Orsini:

Waiting to board the plane. Sooooo excited to get to Anime Boston. @janaiblog’s photos aren’t helping either!

tristencitrine:

The dfw airport terminal isn’t fun at all. At least it was an efficient day and the weekend bodes well for good news.

Mike Ferreira:

Welp… it’s time for me to get some sleep. :) Have to be up at 5:30 to make my train. ‘night, everybody!

Scott:

Ok, getting ready to board my bus to Boston. Hopefully I can get some sleep to make my ride go faster. (-_-) zzz

DJ Ranma S:

On the bus to Boston. The outlet isn’t powered by me, so no netbook till I arrive. If ya need me, just DM me. :D

Mike Ferreira:

On the train, headed for #AnimeBoston. ETA – about 8:15-8:30

Mike Ferreira:

Yes, this train has free wifi… I heart MBTA. :)

Scott:

Caught an earlier bus to Boston. I’ll probably be at the hynes around 3.

DJ Ranma S:

Finally, The Ranma has COME BACK to #AnimeBoston… *theme song plays*

Scott:

In Boston. Unloading in the hotel room then heading to the con.

Lauren Orsini:

I’m in boston now. And I just received the best news of my life.

Lauren Orsini:

Also, my plane was delayed by air force one, of all things. Would’ve been bad if it had been any other reason.

tristencitrine:

Just landed! Hellooooooo Boston! I missed you!

Reni Mimura:

Reni is in Boston!!good night…(–)zzzz

Jon I.:

Just arrived in Boston. What did I miss?

Jon I.:

Got my press pass! I’m all set for tomorrow.

Scott Green:

Nice. Anime Boston press pass just says “Scott”. Looking forward to confusion possibilities

Scott:
One of the better press badges I’ve gotten at these cons.

Jon I.:

What’s awesome about #AnimeBoston is that there is a FOOD COURT nearby! Say hello to unhealthy eating all weekend long!

Jon I.:

And with that basket of cheese fries, I believe I’ve consumed about 4,000 calories today.

Jon I.:

MORE CALORIES! GO!

Jon I.:

During con weekends, there are two things I stop caring about: my money spending, and my calorie intake.

Mike Ferreira:

@Jon I. Agreed fully. I usually end up $500 poorer and 4 pounds heavier!

Jon I.:

Where everybody knows your name…

Jon I.:

Let the drinking commence!

Scott:

Because I’m being really strict about my diet, I think I’m going to make this a dry convention for me this weekend.

Scott:

Whenever I get drunk, I tend to eat the things I’m not supposed to be eating… (>_<)

tristencitrine:

@Scott me too! Especially sweets. Then again I’m a super lightweight.

On the Con Floor

Lauren Orsini:

Good morning Anime Boston! My roommates have rooms that open early, so I’m up too! Can’t wait to start exploring.

Lauren Orsini:

Stopped by the toy store- I mean MicroCenter- for some last minute supplies for Anime Boston. Cheapest I’ve ever seen a mic for.

Scott:

@Lauren Orsini Is it this model? http://img210.imageshack.us/img210/9963/28recorder1dyl9.jpg

Lauren Orsini:

@Scott, imagine if I conducted interviews with that thing- I wonder what people would say!

Jon I.:

I already have a headache from all the loud fangirls at #AnimeBoston.

Jon I.:

Nice to see Section23 on the #AnimeBoston sponsors list.

Scott Green:

David Williams spotted (staffing Section23’s booth)

Scott Green:

About 20 people watching Cyborg 009 screening. Wonder if that’s more than saw it on Cartoon Network

Scott Green:

I love how there’s a woman who dressed up as the gun otaku from Those Who Hunt Elves every year

Jon I.:

Now waiting for “Who Wants To Be An Ani-Millionaire” to start. #AnimeBoston

OutOfTimeProd:

so they change the schedule here at #animeboston, that means everyone on twitter should take a drink.

OutOfTimeProd:

Of course, the opening ceremonies is starting late. drink to that

Scott:

@OutOfTimeProd Glad to see that Anime Boston hasn’t changed at all in the four years I’ve been absent. :-P

Jon I.:

Who Wants To Be An Ani-Millionaire panel is loads of fun! Well organized too. #AnimeBoston

Jon I.:

Fill in the blank! #AnimeBoston

Jon I.:

Here’s a tougher question for you. #AnimeBoston #Trigun

Jon I.:

The other Higurashi! #AnimeBoston

Jon I.:

Now at Pictionary, where people can’t draw. This is supposed to be keychains. #AnimeBoston

Mike Ferreira:

I hope @Scott made it to opening ceremonies! Reni Reni just performed a song onstage.

Scott:

@Mike Ferreira I think I’ve seen her more than enough times. Hell, she probably sang the the song we wrote together. :-P

Mike Ferreira:

@Scott I wouldn’t doubt it :P Still, I’m giving a shout-out, since you were the only guy covering her for, well… forever. ~_^

Jon I.:

Way too many “It’s a jackal!” jokes here at Pictionary. #AnimeBoston

OutOfTimeProd:

When playing Anime Pictionary, the answer is always a jackal.

tristencitrine:

I’ll be tweeting from anime Boston and sharing pix and cool stuff! Please RT <3

tristencitrine:

As soon as I can get downstairs. Arrival was verrrrry late last night, but now I’m a lot sparklier!

Mike Ferreira:

Currently, on floor 2 of the Hynes uploading my second video log. :)

Mike Ferreira:

Once that’s done, it’s off to have some fun, goddammit! >:o or something. #AnimeBoston

Lauren Orsini:

Artists Alley is the size of a dealer’s room at most DC/VA cons. Anime Boston is enormous.

Lauren Orsini:

@Jon I., what are you doing for lunch? I want to meet you!

Jon I.:

@Lauren Orsini Not sure yet, probably grabbing a bite at the food court with a friend. I’ll let you know.

Jon I.:

@Lauren Orsini I’m heading to the food court now if you wanna meet up.

Lauren Orsini:

@Jon I. , I do but I don’t know where it is or what you look like

Jon I.:

If you’re on the lookout for me at #AnimeBoston today, I’m wearing the J-List black/yellow Haruhi shirt.

Lauren Orsini:

@Jon I. , well found the food court at least. I am wearing neon blue tights.

Jon I.:

@Lauren Orsini That’s ok. Some other time then. What panels you going to later?

Lauren Orsini:

@Jon I., mock combat next.

Jon I.:

Now waiting for the “Anime Openings and Closings” panel to start. #AnimeBoston

OutOfTimeProd:

getting ready to film the mock combat for cosplay panel at #animeboston. if any1 is there, look for me ill have the ny yankees clothes on.

DJ Ranma S:

Holy shit, no reg line! I r shocked! #AnimeBoston

Mike Ferreira:

Uploading the Main Events stuff for my #animeboston coverage

Scott Green:

Anime Boston: spotted First President of Japan, Project X and Short Cuts

Jon I.:

Oh jeez. The scheule changed and I ended up missing @alexleavitt’s panel. #AnimeBoston

Jon I.:

Dear @AnimeBoston, you could have tweeted about all these schedule changes. Then I would have known!

Mike Ferreira:

And I’m off to an interview! Later again, Twitterers!

tristencitrine:

Here at @clarineharp s panel in Hynes 302 at animeboston so come check it out!

Lauren Orsini:

At the Anime Science panel. Turns out a lot of stuff in anime (flying people etc.) is impossible. #duh

neumaverick:

Walking of the booth for some lunch. My mom met @jessiepridemore. Not sure that was a good idea.

tristencitrine:

I now state for the record I owe Todd Haberkorn a plate of tacos.

Jon I.:

The guy running the moe panel later says it’s all about HOW MOE IS POISONING OUR MINDS. Oh I can not wait for this! #AnimeBoston

Scott Green:

Saw a guy wearing an awesome Edward Gorey meets Gegege no Kitaroh shirt

Lauren Orsini:

Sending photos of the best cosplay I’ve seen to my friends. Including Pimp Gendou and Classy Pedobear.

Scott:

And I’m at the convention! (^_^) Checking out the anime remakes panel.

Scott:

Nothing like a @DarylSurat panel to remind me just how much I hate old school anime. :-P

Jon I.:

@Scott I agree. This panel is not moe enough!

Jon I.:

Actually, some of the anime remakes at @DarylSurat’s panel look really worth checking out.

ChrisBeveridge:

has finally arrived at #animeboston. Who else is here?

Scott:

@ChrisBeveridge here! I’m sure I’ll run into you in person at some point.

Jon I.:

@ChrisBeveridge Me! =)

neumaverick:

Come by panel A for our sneek peak panel starting in 10 mins. #animeboston

Jon I.:

Now in the room for the moe hating panel. Me and @Scott are armed and ready. (not really)

DJ Ranma S:

Whoa, crapload of cosplayers, more than usual! #AnimeBoston

Jon I.:

Moe bashing panel is kinda crowded. Either lots of people hate moe or lots of moe fans wanna get TOLD. #AnimeBoston

tristencitrine:

Goin to the Funimation sneak peek. Panel at anime Boston. See ya there!

tristencitrine:

Come say hi if youre here at the con!

DJ Ranma S:

Flo is at #AnimeBoston! #Progressive #Flo

Scott:

Panel on the history of mo is way too dry and drawn out. If you’re gonna lecture, you gotta make it pop.

tristencitrine:

Watching this initial d clip reminds me why I should never drive while listening to super eurobeat. But its so much fun.

ChrisBeveridge:

@tristencitrine that clip got me juiced for the release.

Jon I.:

Moe panel was boring at first but picked up in the second half. Best of all I didn’t get pissed off. #AnimeBoston

Scott Green:

Wow. Anime Boston managed to pack a room for Capybaron’s scifi lit panel. Not bad

Scott Green:

I was definately wrong in my speculation that having PAX East prior week would lead to anemic Anime Boston attedence.

DJ Ranma S:

Sims is not a cosplay, it’s a cop out! #AnimeBoston

Jon I.:

Basically, it was an informative panel about the history of moe with a mild anti-moe bias.

Jon I.:
I recorded most of the moe panel btw but camera ran out of batteries about 3/4 through. Maybe @OutOfTimeProd will put it up for you guys.

Jon I.:
Now at @alexleavitt’s panel about Watanabe’s works after Cowboy Bebop. #AnimeBoston

Jon I.:
Glad I didn’t have to raise my hand when @Alex asked “Who hasn’t seen Cowboy Bebop?” #AnimeBoston

Jon I.:
Keynote presentations look so much nicer than PowerPoint presentations.

DJ Ranma S:
FullMetal Luigi – nimeBoston

Scott:
Getting ready for the Avatar panel to see if this person just flat out steals one of my blog posts. :-P

Scott:
Man, every panel I’ve been to so far has been completely packed! (O_O)

Scott:
Well, the Avatar panel was really good until it turned into a bitch-fest about live action adaptation. (-_-)

Scott:
It went from a smart look at the Asian influence in the cartoon to “omg, they’re all white in the movie!!!1!”

Scott:
Panelist: “What should we do? Boycott the movie!!” I’m not kidding, it’s major fan raeg from the panelists. How lame. (-_-)

Scott:
@Zeether77 It’s a Hollywood film. God forbid they adapt it for the big screen. (-_-)

DJ Ranma S:
In The Groove 3 – nimeBoston

Scott:
Gawd, what a huge flamer!

Scott:
Overhead: “You know Misty from Pokémon? Well this was a MAN-sty!” (o_o)!!!

Scott:
I somehow imagine a bunch of punks just leaving a bar of soap on the window sill.

Jon I.:
@Scott Shit, better remove that soap I put on the windowsill!

The Dealer’s Room

Scott:

Okay, I gotta think of what anime girl figure I’m going to get from the Anime Boston merchant room this weekend.

Scott:

It’s tradition that I buy one and only one girl figure at every con I go to. Here are a few from past cons: http://www.twitpic.com/13ax7r

Scott:

I try to have it coincide with something at the convention, like when I got the Kannagi figure at the Otakon Bandai announced it.

Scott:

I think that if they have any Chu-Bra or Hanamaru Kindergarten figures, I might get that.

neumaverick:

Come by and check our wide anime selection. (@ Funimation Booth Anime Boston) http://4sq.com/aClJPu

neumaverick:

Btw I made a Foursquare spot for the FUNimation booth at Anime Boston. You and all your friends should check in. Maybe you can be the mayor.

Jon I.:

Now waiting for the Dealers Room to open. #AnimeBoston

Lauren Orsini:

Anime boston dealers room dwarfs even otakon’s. What alternate dimension is this?

Mike Ferreira:

Dealer’s Room Roundup – Hidamari Sketch S1, Sakura Taisen TV, Afro Samurai, School Rumble S1, and 2 Ah! My Goddess artbooks. #AB 2K10

Jon I.:

Found the moe store. Goodbye wallet. #AnimeBoston tp://twitpic.com/1cnmby

Jon I.:

#AnimeBoston attacked JON’S WALLET with MOE! It’s super effective! ($143.77 damage dealt!)

Jon I.:

Here’s what I bought. The Rise figure is rare and expensive. #Toradora #Persona4 tp://twitpic.com/1cnso5

ChrisBeveridge:

Hm. What #Anime toys should I buy my kids at #animeboston this year…

ChrisBeveridge:
got some nice Sgt Frog swag.

ChrisBeveridge:
Keroro goodness!

ChrisBeveridge:
has been told that he should really be happy with what he hears at the #funimation panel at #animeboston tomorrow night.

Video Game Orchestra

OutOfTimeProd:
Here’s to hoping that there will be room at tonight’s VGO concert *lifts drink in air* #animeboston

Jon I.:
Now waiting for the Video Game Orchestra concert to start! These guys were amazing last year. #AnimeBoston

Jon I.:
At the concert, I see #AnimeBoston is treating press guests as Otakon does. By shoving us off to the side where we have a terrible angle.

Jon I.:
#AnimeBoston does the best pre-shows ever. Just putting it out there.

Lauren Orsini:
Waiting for the videogame orchestra to start and they begin the trololo song.

Lauren Orsini:
It’s like anime boston put even more time preparing the pre-show than getting the vgo to come! This is great.

Jon I.:
Okay Video Game Orchestra, we get it, Mario Bros. is awesome. Now play music from another game please. #AnimeBoston

Jon I.:
VGO is now playing music by Nobuo Uematsu from… Blue Dragon?? Really? What about FINAL FANTASY? #AnimeBoston

Jon I.:
If I hear “MARCO! POLO!” one more time I’m gonna start ripping my hair out of my already balding head. #AnimeBoston

Jon I.:
Chrono Trigger! That’s the stuff! #VGO #AnimeBoston

Lauren Orsini:
I got chills listening to VGO’s chrono cross and chrono trigger medleys. This must be how orchestra buffs feel.

Jon I.:
“Time’s Scar” from Chrono Cross is a masterpiece of a song and a staple of all video game concerts. #AnimeBoston

Jon I.:
I’m gonna watch B Gata H Kei. Because everyone else hates it.

Jon I.:
Castlevania ROCK MEDLEY blew large amounts of awesome through my brain. #AnimeBoston

Jon I.:
Metal Gear Solid fans salute the Video Game Orchestra while they play the MGS theme song. #AnimeBoston

Jon I.:
This girl is beautifully singing “Passion” from Kingdom Hearts II. #AnimeBoston

Jon I.:
THE MAN HIMSELF, NOBUO UEMATSU, IS ON STAGE RIGHT NOW. #AnimeBoston

Internet Woes

Jon I.:

Ugh. Hotel Internet sucks. You’d think with all the technology we have, hotels could get decent Internet.

Lauren Orsini:

No internet in the hotel rooms at anime boston! This bites

OutOfTimeProd:

Of course, the hotel that we are staying for Anime Boston has slow internet. The daily updates will be uploaded eventually tonight.

Jon I.:

The free Wi-Fi at the Hynes Convention Center is a godsend. Every con center should do this! #AnimeBoston

In a fictionalized World War II era world, Earth is being attacked by a mysterious alien race known as the Neuroi. When traditional military forces come up short in combating the threat, the world turns to the girls of the 501th Joint Fighter Wing, the Strike Witches, as their last hope for humanity.

The Witches are an ensemble team of young women from around the world with magical abilities, which periodically manifests itself in the form of animal ears and tails. By attaching the special machinery known as Striker Units to their legs, the girls’ magical powers are enhanced and they also gain the ability to fly. With the Striker Units in place, the girls take to the sky to do battle with the Neuroi in high altitudes.

The first season of the Strike Witches TV series centers around Japanese school girl Yoshika Miyafuji. Because of her magical healing ability, she is recruited by Mio Sakamoto to join the girls of the 501st. The pacifist Miyafuji is reluctant to become a fighter in the war, but when she discovers that her missing father is the inventor of the Striker Units, she goes along with Sakamoto in search of him.

It is no secret that I love Strike Witches. For the past few months, I have been heavily promoting the series on my twitter and blog as FUNimation has been embarking in their tongue-in-cheek “War on Pants” campaign. But my love for the show has been there since it first debuted in Japan nearly two years ago. I named it my #1 anime release of 2008 because it was the first commercially successful anime to be legally available online for a global audience.

However, there is a reason why this became such a big seller in Japan. In a market that has been overflowing with moé titles for years, Strike Witches manages to take the science of fan pandering and make a goddamn masterpiece out of it.

So where do I begin?

I think the most obvious thing that everyone will immediately notice about this show is the fan service. With the exception of maybe a see-through stocking or two, none of the female characters wear pants, skirts, or anything else to cover up their underwear. It is such a simple costume choice, yet it ends up being unbelievably sexy in execution.

The brilliant thing about these costumes is that as obviously embarrassing as walking around in just your panties is to the audience, the girls are completely oblivious to it. No one ever makes any references to pants of any kind, yet the camera is frequently being placed in close up crotch shots to show that this is what you are supposed to be looking at. I think this is best shown in a scene where a strong gust of wind suddenly blows through as the girls are working outside. The girls scream in embarrassment and go through all the motions as if they are keeping their skirts from flying up, however, they are not wearing any skirts in the first place!

And that is how this series succeeds in being original in its approach to fan service. It is absolutely fan pandering and completely paint-by-numbers, yet somehow puts enough spin to the formula as to never come off as being cliche. A filler episode in this genre would typically involve sending the girls to a beach or hot springs in order to showcase their bodies. However, there is never a need to do this because the girls are always showcasing their bodies. So instead, we get a filler episode that is a cute “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie” skit about the girls stealing each others underwear.

Yet no matter how original and creative the fan service is, the overarching plot involving the girls fighting the Neuroi is absolutely weak. If you are looking for any good military action or deep symbolism with the WWII setting,  you are not going to find it. You can probably sum up every twist and turn within these 12 episodes in a single paragraph.

But the military aspect is not the point of the show. This is a moé title, so the primary focus of every episode is on the girls, their unique personalities, and their relationships to each other. And once again, Witches succeeds in creating absolutely lovable characters. With a cast of around a dozen girls, each one gets their chance to shine for at least one episode, which gives you more than enough time to pick your favorite from the group.

Strike Witches also manages to be visually pleasing even beyond its fan service. With their petite figures and childish faces, the bishop girls look adorable. They are exactly the type of characters needed in a show of this genre. A lot of the designs appear to have come out of a Ken Akamatsu manga title, which as an Akamatsu fanboy, I was completely fine with.

And I do have to give a lot of credit to the large female cast put together for this English dub. In the ever debate over “subs vs. dubs”, the only reason why I would ever chose Japanese over English is that Japanese language is able to pull off “cute” better than English can. Yet the English cast somehow manages to make these girls just as pleasing to the ear as they are to the eyes. Cherami Leigh holds her own in the lead role as the timid Miyafuji, and she is able to be cute without ever becoming annoying.

* * *

The Good: Originality, lovable characters, cute designs, decent voice acting and oh yeah, THE FAN SERVICE!

The Bad: Overarching militaristic plot is thinner than paper.

Final Verdict: In a market that has been flooded by moé, Strike Witches stands out as a masterpiece of fanboy pandering. If you are not into the genre, then you already hate it. But if you are into this type of stuff, then it is required that you watch it!

Review copy provided by FUNimation Entertainment.

Dude.

They are cute girls who walk around with no pants on.

… and oh yeah, they have animal ears and fluffy tails when they go flying. Some of them are even cat girls!

Do I really need to say any more about it?

* * *

The Good: Everything.

The Bad: Nothing.

Final Verdict: Strike Witches is the best show ever made.

Review copy provided by FUNimation Entertainment.

UPDATE: Read my real review here.

There’s a reason why all the girls had dropped out of this tech school. The boys are very tough and fights often break out between the different classes. But amid all this chaos, there is one unwritten law that all the boys abide by, and that is the role of the bancho, or gang leader. Simply put, there is one bancho who rules over the entire student body, and in order to dethrone the leader and take his place at the top of this pecking order, you must knock the crap out of him in a fight.

Needless to say, the poor innocent Souka wants nothing to do with the feuding between the classes or power struggle of the bancho. However, because she is the only girl in school, all of the boys go out of their way to make her feel warm and welcomed. So she decides to stick around the school and eventually becomes friends with the cool Katou-kun. But one day, she accidentally knocks out the school’s current bancho, which means that she takes over as the new gang leader. Can the sweet girl actually rule over this student body of thugs and riffraffs?

My Darling, Miss Bancho is the first (and so far only) comic by shojo artist Mayu Fujikata. While her inexperience is evident on every page of this volume, it ultimately ends up being her greatest strength as CMX Manga releases another winner in this shojo title.

First of all, I am not sure exactly how much prior experience Miss Fujikata had before this series began its serialization in Lala magazine, but she obviously had not mastered her art skills quite yet. This comic looks hideous, and it is most obvious in the way she draws faces. Eyes and noses are drawn either too big or too small, and are often slightly off from where they are supposed to be. This leads to a very inconsistent look to the comic that does not settle down until the final chapters.

But while her art still needs some refinement, Fujikata’s inexperience totally pays off with her fresh and original sense of humor. Rather than filling the plot with melodrama, complex love triangles, flowery backgrounds, or anything else that defines the shojo genre, she simply allows herself to tell a funny story. A really freaking funny story.

She gets her inspiration from the “tough guy” shonen action genre and totally parodies it. Kind of like Cromartie High School, except without any of the really wacky surreal elements. She understands how to keep her humor subtle rather than screaming it out to the reader.

A majority of her jokes come out of random events occurring at the worst possible time for the characters, and Fujikata has just the right sense of comedic timing to pull this off. This is a refreshing change from the traditional tsukkomi-boké (straight-man, idiot) formula we see all too often in Japanese comedy. In fact, she even riffs on that traditional formula by instructing the readers to play the part of the straight-man themselves because none of her characters will play it for them.

She won me over with her unconventional writing style, so I was totally hooked on her story about this crazy high school full of boys and one female. However, as wonderful as it was to read, I had to take issue with the English adaptation and the way it handled one of the hardest concepts to translate between Japan and American high school systems.

You see, in America, we have four years of high school: freshmen, sophomore, junior, and senior. Beside for just establishing seniority within a student body, these titles hold very specific cultural meanings. Being called a freshmen has a certain significance because you are considered new, naive, and inexperienced with life within the school. Likewise, being a senior implies that a person is at the very end of their education, and so has limited time remaining at the school.

The Japanese school system is different in that they only go to high school for three years. Rather than giving them titles, they are simply called first year, second year, and third year students. So in theory, their first year students would be just like our high school freshmen, and their third year students would be equal to our seniors. But then what does that make second year students, sophomores or juniors?

This was not clearly established in this translation as our hero of the story is simply called a sophomore while her class was feuding with the juniors. Does that make Souka a first year or second year student? That is a key bit of information missing. Being a sophomore implies a higher level of experience that you do not have in your first year of high school. I felt that this detail was critical in a story about hierarchy and power struggles within a school.

I believe that American manga readers are experienced enough with Japanese culture that you do not need to translate high school classes into American standards like that. If you just simply say first or second year, we will understand.

* * * * *

The Good: Fresh and original comedy.

The Bad: Poor artwork and an awkward translation.

Final Verdict: My Darling, Miss Bancho breaks from typical shojo conventions to tell a story that is really freaking funny. Read it!

Review copy provided by CMX Manga.