I know this week was supposed to wrap up my Retro Video
Game Miniseries but Thanksgiving is tomorrow.
And let me tell you, every year I don’t think I’m going to do this
particular Top 5 and every year I get proven wrong. Every year continues to be a struggle, filled
with new challenges, new highs and new lows.
When the lows get me, they get me and it can be tough to get through
some days without freaking out. And
then, I remember that Anime is there and always is. Every year there’s something new to look
forward to in the medium, whether on the screen or at a convention. And when I look back on what 2019 has been
like, I have to remember that Anime has been there for me in new and surprising
ways. So today, yeah im gonna continue
this little Top 5 Wednesday tradition and lay out the Top 5 Anime Things I’m
Thankful For in 2019.
#5-Mobile Suit Abridged: Gundam Wing
Heero just wants to be the best secret agent with the
greatest music playlist ever. Relena is
a rebel who gives zero F’s. Zechs thinks
Tallgeese is the greatest Gundam in the World…and that’s just the tip of the
iceberg for what has become the Abridged series I’ve always wanted but never
truly knew how much until one of my friends showed me it existed. Operation Meatier has done what only a few
groups have managed to do…and just as well as Team Four Star with Dragon Ball Z
Abridged. Wing is fun but it isn’t
perfect and Mobile Suit Abridged knows what soft points to poke and to produce
the most laughs. When I’ve had some
really bad days this year, Mobile Suit Abridged: Gundam Wing gave me something
to smile and laugh about. If you haven’t
checked out the first seven episodes, head over to their page and get on it. Link is right below:
#4-Netflix Bringing Old Favorites Back
Over the years, Netflix has been slowly building it’s
Anime catalogue. It’s not even close to
rivaling Crunchyroll or Hulu…yet. And
most of the titles have been really recent Anime without much following or recognition. Most have even been not so great 3D CG series
that…well don’t look that great. And
then you have the nights I pull up the app to look around and suddenly…there’s
something I never expected to see.
Titles from the past, big ones, have been added to the Netflix Anime
Library in 2019 including Code Geass, Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron Blooded Orphans,
all of K On plus the Movie and the first two seasons of Haikyu. Being able to revisit these favs or check out
their later chapters for the first time with the English dubs got me so
excited…especially for K-On. This was
the year Netflix started to do more right than ever before when it came to
Anime and I’m so happy it is.
#3-Being Able to MC The Senator Theater Anime Nights
In 2019, the Senator Theatre, a historic local theater in
Baltimore, began a monthly Anime Night segment.
The Senator has long been my go to place for pretty much any movie ever
since I saw the Special Edition of Star Wars: Episode IV-A New Hope back in
1997. They’ve shown more kid friendly
Anime on their massive screen for weekend family specials but they’d never done
anything like this before. This was the
year they were finally going to show the legends: Akira, Ghost in the Shell,
Your Name, Perfect Blue. I’ve been a
friend of the theater for a long time and when I pitched the possibility of
introducing these films…I was given the greenlight without hesitation. Sometimes I feel like I’m totally bombing and
stuttering myself to death. But as
time’s gone by, I’ve gotten more confident and excited about the titles I
introduce. I get to talk about some of
my favorite Anime for a large crowd for a short time. Feels like lifes been building to this
opportunity and I’m beyond happy I’ve been given the chance to seize it.
#2-The Love and Support Sent to Kyoto Animation
The arson attack on Kyoto Animation’s headquarters back
in July was one of the most devastating events of 2019. A senseless act of violence decimated the
studio and took so many lives. It left
all of us reeling, mourning…and just as quickly asking, “What can we do to
help?” From online fundraisers to events
at conventions, the love and support from the Anime community and the world at
large was instantaneous. This wasn’t
just about helping one of greatest Anime studios in existence recover, it was
about helping people back up from something horrible and being there to embrace
them with an invisible hug and show of “we’re here for you”. Kyo Ani is still getting back to proper
strength and several of it’s high profile projects like the Violet Evergarden
movie and Season 4 of Free have been pushed back a little ways. Doesn’t matter…we’ll always wait and we’ll
always be ready if Kyo Ani needs additional help. It’s called family for a reason.
#1-The Convention Family Grows
Every year, the convention scene evolves and changes and
no one year or con is the same as the previous.
2018 was a high mark for both Katsucon and Otakon for me. 2019 didn’t quite meet those highs but both
were special for their own unique reasons: the continuing growth of my
Convention Family. This year I got to
meet friends of friends who have become my friends. I’ve also gotten to meet cosplayers I
consider to be absolute Legends, and a couple who are just beginning their
cosplay journeys but are off to a stellar start. Every person I meet at a con is someone I
form an instant connection with and they slowly become dear to me. Some are closer than others, but I’d do a favor
for everyone. Hell, I even got to enjoy some Otakon time with one of my very best friends who had never been to an Anime Convention before. These guys are why going
to conventions matters, even if it’s just for a day or so. Theyre the people who matter and the true
take away from any event. Every selfie
is worth more than any exclusive screening or Dealers Room item. I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again, the
official mantra for me and Anime Conventions, “I don’t have friends…I’ve got
Family.”
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