The other day I heard one of my Facebook acquaintances complaining about their kid’s obsession with Minecraft, and how they just don’t understand it. I can relate, but maybe not in the way they might expect. In my household, I’m the one obsessed with Minecraft – although I do have a pretty good handle on why it appeals to me. Though, at almost 38 years old, I might be a little bit of an anomaly, or at least outside the “average.”
Hi all. By this point in the weekend, J.C. and I are finished with our panelist responsibilities at Anime Fusion. We made a conscious decision to cut way back this year, mostly out of a sense of self-preservation. It’s been a year full of personal ups and downs for both of us, and we didn’t want to overwhelm ourselves with convention prep and an overly-ambitious schedule. In any case, below are the panel materials from out one substantial panel this year, Shiny New Anime. If you’ve followed us for a while you’ll like not find much new here; we update the panel on a rolling 12-month basis, so we really just added some stuff from recent anime seasons and took out a few things that were older.
Just a note about the information included in the materials. Firstly, feel free to take these and re-purpose them, just provide credit back here (while the materials themselves aren’t mine per se, it does take a lot of work to compile summaries, cut clips, and watch the series enough to have an opinion of them in the first place). Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, if an anime series you like hasn’t been included, don’t take it as a personal affront; J.C. and I are two people with opinions, and there are many other people in the world who likely share your love for something that we didn’t include. We are just people with limited time who like to shine a spotlight on shows we personally enjoyed, so please take that in the spirit it’s intended.
Let me know if the links are broken or if there are any other issues, and I’ll try to resolve it.
Shiny New Anime Hand-out
Shiny New Anime PowerPoint Presentation
Hi all. I know this is a bit (very) belated, but J.C. and I will be at Anime Fusion this weekend. We’ve deliberately elected to put on less programming than usual since our year has been really full and we’ve been busy. Below is where you can see us this weekend!
Friday, October 18th
11:30pm – 12:30am – Anime By Numbers Trivia Game in Panel 2
It’s our anime trivia game where you don’t really need to know anything, just be a good guesser! All answers are numbers, and it’s a team event.
Saturday, October 19th
4:00pm – 5:00pm – Shiny New Anime in Panel 1
Our annual survey of the anime we really enjoyed from the past year. If you attended this at CONvergence there’s not a whole lot of new material, but we’re happy to see you if you decide to attend!
I will likely not be at the convention late on Saturday or at all on Sunday, since I’m trying to save some time for myself (and to post more updates here!), but I suspect J.C. will be there longer (he’s there now, while I’m still at work… don’t tell anyone!)
You can check out the full convention schedule HERE!
Managing attendance at two conventions in as many weeks is a tall order for me. Though I didn’t have any responsibilities at SGDQ during the last week in June, the late nights and intense emotions of the event definitely wore me down more than I expected them to. This weekend was CONvergence, where I sat on 4 panels while also juggling a day of work on Friday and several anime premiere impressions here at the blog (I really don’t want to end up too far behind this year…). All of the time away from home, the crowds, and the stress of speaking in front of people (among other things), ended up becoming overwhelming, and I skipped out of the last day of CON to recuperate. While it’s disappointing to miss part of something you’ve looked forward to all year, sometimes mental health has to be a priority. The up-side is that being at home gave me the time to continue this watch-along rather than delaying it a day or two (while also trying to dig into all of the high-profile new anime series that premiered this weekend). Life is all about blessings in disguise.
Note: This post contains spoilers for episodes 11-13 of the series.
Hi all, I’ll keep this brief. While J.C. and I were on several panels this year, only one – Shiny New Anime – had any quantifiable amount of material to go along with it. Both the handout and the PowerPoint slide deck are below.
Please note: there aren’t any huge differences between the version of Shiny New Anime we presented a few months ago at Anime Detour, and this one; I mostly just cut items due to our more typical time slot at CONvergence, and added a clip for Sarazanmai. There are a few more additions to the handout, however.
Handout
PowerPoint Presentation
As usual, these are yours to have. If you use any of the material for your own presentations, blog posts, or what-not, please credit me. I put a lot of work into these materials (even if they’re fairly straightforward).
Ahoy! I’ve been tagged by Crow of Crow’s World of Anime (thank you for the tag!) to share my ideal anime pirate crew. While I’m always up for something fun, as we all know these sorts of prompts often turn into a serious thought experiment for me. I always want to come up with the best possible answer that I can (and maybe give a shout-out to some of my favorites in the process).
Below are the rules for this particular blogging challenge:
I don’t know that I’ll be able to fulfill rule #5, since from what I can see most of the bloggers that I follow have already done the challenge. But if you’re reading and want to take it on unprompted, by all means please do! I’d love to see what you come up with.
Warrior – Hyakkimaru from Dororo
Hyakkimaru had a rough start. Sacrificed by his father in exchange for prosperity, he barely survived infancy. Now, as he seeks the parts of his body stolen from him, he utilizes special extra-sensory perception to identify malevolent enemies and dispatch them using the swords he hides within his prosthetic limbs.
There were a lot of good options for this position, but having just wrapped up Dororo, I feel like Hyakkimaru is a good match. Not only is he a skilled swordsman (using multiple blades), his senses straddle the human and demon worlds. While his drive for revenge might be frightening at times, in his heart he walks the path of humanity.
Sniper – Ogata Hyakunosuke from Golden Kamuy
Ogata is a man with skills and accuracy honed during the Russo Japanese war. While his loyalties are often in question and he may switch factions at any time, if you can keep him on your team you’ll have a definite advantage.
I somehow became a big Golden Kamuy fujoshi over the past few months, and I just had to slip in one of the characters here.
Chef – Furio from Ristorante Paradiso
I’m a big fan of food-based anime and manga, and while Ristorante Paradiso is a drama first and foremost, there’s still plenty of opportunities for food porn. As Casetta dell’Orso’s resident culinary expert, Furio puts food on the table with elegance and grace. It certainly doesn’t hurt that he, like all the other restaurant employees, are easy on the eyes, too.
Doctor – The Medicine Seller from Mononoke
I’m all about multi-tasking, and the Medicine Seller really embodies that ideal. While his cabinet full of herbs and tonics can help to cure physical ailments, he also has the skills and know-how to defend-against and exorcise supernatural threats as well. He also has a history of defending ships against seafaring demons – very helpful!
Scientist – Professor from Nichijou
The professor might seem like any other little kid, but having created a sentient robot and a way for animals to speak, it’s clear that she’s a genius beyond her years. I think I can count on her to invent and discover all sorts of interesting things, while also getting into loads of zany situations. Her professed love of sharks is a bonus out on the high seas.
Navigator – Luca from Bodacious Space Pirates
I was going to try to get through this challenge without obtaining the services of a legitimate pirate, but I just couldn’t resist drawing from a series that I really enjoy, Bodacious Space Pirates. Luca’s personality and her perception are somewhat offbeat, but I think that’s a plus. Having a psychic on my crew will give me an advantage if I have to outrun any interlopers.
Strategist – Togame from Katanagatari
Togame is a self-proclaimed strategist, and while her clumsiness and emotionality may call that into question at times, she’s goal-oriented to a fault. At the very least, having her on my team would definitely ensure that things stay lively.
Mechanic – Mogura from Redline
If anime has taught me anything, it’s that crusty, curmudgeonly old dudes tend to make the best mechanics. Mogura managed to tune a hot rod so that even a lowly human had a chance to win an interstellar death race, so I image that he’d be able to keep my ship in tip-top condition at the very least.
Entertainer – Aijo Karen from Revue Starlight
Revue Starlight is full to the brim with character who are ready to entertain their audience, but Karen is the one who ultimately takes her performances (and her fate) into her own hands. Not only that, she’s an incredibly loyal friend and ally – always a plus when you’re engaging in pirate-like activities.
As I said, I’m faltering on who to tag, but if you feel like putting together your own crew, link back here and let me know!
I’m currently coming off of a late-night video game high; this year I took the opportunity to attend Summer Games Done Quick, since it was held at a hotel very close to where I live. It was loads of fun, but staying up late, playing physically-demanding arcade games, and screaming, clapping, and cheering as the event raised $3 million for charity has taken its toll. I don’t think I’ve ever longed for my bed as much as I did at about 2am Sunday morning when we stumbled back into our apartment. Now I’m ready to sit back in my chair and return to my “stories.”
Note: This post contains spoilers for episode 8-10 of the series.
Note: This post contains spoilers for episodes 5-7 of the series.
The former Duke of Castrop enriched himself off of the Empire’s coin, and now his son Maximilian has continued the family tradition. The Imperial leadership has finally had enough, and so they give Marshal Reinhard the task of quelling this rebellion. Reinhard sends Kircheis with a small fleet of 2,000 ships, which raises some chatter among the hierarchy; not only is this a smaller fleet than was recently annihilated by Castrop’s “Artemis Necklace” (a ring of several deadly weapons orbiting the planet), it also seems to be an action meant to position Kircheis for a major promotion. Fezzan, as usual, is playing both sides; their sale of the weaponry to Castrop is meant to maintain a balance, and therefore continue the war indefinitely.
Summer has just started, and you know what that means. No, not fun in the sun (aka almost certainly getting a sun burn). I’m talking about CONvergence, the biggest Sci-fi/Fantasy/Media convention in the Twin Cities area. This year, the convention is taking up residence in the Hyatt Regency hotel in downtown Minneapolis. As usual, I’ll be sitting on a few panels to help people get excited about anime. Below is my schedule; I hope you’ll stop by if you’ll be at the convention!
Thursday, July 4th
Anime 101
12:30pm – 1:30pm – Hyatt 2 Greenway J
With: James C Horvath, Donald Poleke, Michael Grimm (mod), Scott K. Jamison
There is a lot of Anime out there. What’s a good place to start?
I’ve been on this panel several times at the convention. Since anime isn’t CONvergence’s main fandom focus, it’s nice to be able to give an overview to those who are curious about it.
Interpreting Anime
5:00pm – 6:00pm – Hyatt 2 Greenway B
With: James C Horvath, Lathan Murrell, Michael Grimm
How do Americans interpret anime and how does it differ from the message being delivered in Asia?
This is a pretty interesting topic, and not one that many people think about. I spend a lot of time interpreting anime’s themes from my own Western viewpoint, but in some cases those interpretations may not echo the exact intentions of the text. How do we navigate this as Western viewers?
Friday, July 5th
Shiny New Anime
8:30pm – 9:30pm – Hyatt 4 Great Lakes A3
With: J.C. Horvath
Looking for some new anime to watch? Get info on some of the best anime in the last year from panelists that have watched a lot, and enjoy some clips!
We do this panel every year at Anime Detour and Anime Fusion, and since there wasn’t an equivalent this year at CON, we decided to run our own 🙂
Saturday, July 6th
Anime, Style vs. Source
11:00am – 12:00pm – Hyatt 4 Great Lakes A3
With: J.C. Horvath (mod), Michael Grimm, Boris L Smelov, Donald Poleke
If you copy the form/style but aren’t in Japan, is it anime? Is it appropriation?
This is always a hot topic in the anime community. Are series with aesthetic ties to anime, like Avatar: The Last Airbender or Castlevania considered anime, even though they’re made in the West with a Western audience in mind? I suspect this discussion may get passionate 🙂
As usual, we’ll be around the convention as attendees, too. So if you want to talk “shop” (anime fandom) or just say “hi,” please do so!
Note: This post contains spoilers for episodes 1-4 of the series.
Summary: Far in the future, humanity’s reach has extended across the Milky Way galaxy. Currently, two factions are vying for control of various trade routes – The Galactic Empire, an authoritarian ruling body with incredible resources and power, and the Free Planets Alliance, descendants of humans who rebelled against the Empire’s authority. Both groups trade with Fezzan, a somewhat-independent planet that trades with either side of the conflict as it suits them.