T5W#25-Top 5 Items to Get at Anime Convention

Part 2 of our three part convention themed T5W’s, this week we’re looking at five items I prioritize whenever I head to a convention: Katsucon, Otakon or otherwise.  I am aware that this list might differ greatly, they may even be a different 5 altogether.  I do think the #1 is one that we can mostly agree on.  But let’s look at the rest shall we?

 

#5-DVD’s/Blu-Ray’s

Chances are, you’re coming to a convention with a particular favorite series or movie you’ve just seen.  Well chances are equally high that you’ll find that title or a slew of classics within the Dealer’s Room.  There are dozens of vendors, all selling sets for different prices. I prioritize this low on the list because (as much as I personally enjoy building up my video library), there are other more important items to immortalize your trip.  That being said, never hesitate to get your favorite series on Blu Ray (for me that’s finally getting FLCL this year).

 

#4-Swords

One of the best things about conventions is the fact that with the right item, you can look like a wandering Samurai.  Wooden replica swords are my preferable purchase for a couple of reasons.  One, I should be anywhere near a real sword for fear of slicing my hand open accidentally.  And two, real steel is actually not permitted when walking around.  Normal policies are, once you buy a real sword you have to remove it from the con pronto-stash it in your room or take it to your car or get it mailed to your house.  Wooden swords (so long as theyre not sheathed or you’ll be stopped every five steps by staff) are acceptable for taking with you anywhere around the convention.  I’ve already amassed a collection of Tensa Zangetsu’s.  I wonder what my next blade of choice will be?

 

#3-Plushies

You have to be an absolute monster to not have one favorite cute little sidekick in an Anime.  Be it Happy, Totoro, Guts or Ryo-Ohki, you just want to somehow make them real and hug em to death.  Well Plushies are the closest you’ll get to that.  Various sizes, various styles.  Heck if you even want to hug your favorite major character, they have small huggable figures for them as well.  Unleash you chibi side and maybe show one off to other con goers.  You’d be surprised of a Happy hanging around your wrist (his tail is a loop) can be a good conversation starter.

 

#2-Anything from the Artist Alley

Keychains, pins, paintings.  These little items are all items from the hearts of fans.  The people selling their craft in the Artist Alley have put so much time and effort into sharing their gifts and love of anime with you.  It’s only right you should show some support for them.  And who knows, you might find one items that means a lot to you that no official merch can offer.  The next generation of Anime minds exists in this room.  Even if you don’t buy anything, be sure to shake a hand or two and tell them what a great job theyre doing.

 

#1-Lots of Photos

Unless you’re getting an autographed picture from a special guest, this is the one item that is virtually free.  All you need is a camera, a decent memory card and battery and a character you love, or friend youre traveling with.  My photo count has steadily gone up each convention.  Everyday I’m snapping hundreds of photos at a time of the cosplay, the guests, even the con setting itself if its gorgeous enough.  Memories.  Those are the best items you can come away with from an Anime Convention.  And the photos just immortalize those good times.  I never want to forget my experiences and I never want to stop sharing those phots with friends.  If there’s a convention I’m headed to, be damn sure I’ll be snapping shots like a happy go lucky tourist.  Best…gift…ever…

See ya next Wednesday, the day before Katsucon, for the final part of this three part special.

Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn Part 3-Episode 5 & 6

Following a brief duel with the “Black Unicorn”, Banagher is captured by the Federation.  On the Ra Cailum, he meets legendary captain Bright Noa, who lends his own wisdom to Banagher’s troubled mind.  Meanwhile, Mineva receives an alliance offer from the Vist Foundation that could save what’s left of her people.  The search for Laplace’s Box soon returns to space, where Full Frontal appears once again to unveil his ultimate endgame. The Federation, Neo Zeon and the Vist Foundation are locked in a three way battle for the box…and Banagher might’ve just found the location of this treasure many have died for.

Before I get started, I should apologize for this delay.  Last Christmas I was set to review Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn right to the end of the year.  But then it became possible that I would acquire the second half of Ghost in the Shell Arise.  And since I had just seen the sequel movie to that, I was tempted to review Arise instead.  Well the second half never came but im hoping to rectify that in a couple of weeks during my trip to Katsucon.  So for those hoping to have seen my complete series review of Unicorn last year, I’m sorry I didn’t plan better.  Still, chopping both shows in half was a pretty good Plan B I think.  Anyway, let’s continue shall we?

Gundam Unicorn returned to start it’s second half with new revelations, more whinning and some really pretty fight scenes.  When we last left Banagher, he was still crying over the Neo Zeon pilot he couldn’t save, held at gunpoint by Riddhe and there was a black Unicorn Gundam dropping in.  That was quite the cliffhanger to leave things on last year.  So how do we continue from there?  With a lot of reflection and pondering, that’s how.  This was very much like a mid semester look back at everything learned so far.  It showed how far Banagher, Mineva, Zimmerman, Riddhe and others had come and how far they’ll need to go to settle their own conflicts. 

Banagher and Mineva’s scenes really stood out.  Though parted for so long, they’ve changed since the last time they saw each other.  They’ve both been on both sides of the Laplace Box hunt, getting to know both Federation and Neo Zeon forces pretty well.  Banagher found a strong mentor in Zimmerman, even if Zimmerman won’t openly admit it.  Mineva has seen the evil of both the Vist’s and Full Frontal and how giving either of them the box is a bad move for everyone, not just Neo Zeon.  I pegged Banagher and Mineva’s romance as forced at the beginning of the series.  Seeing them together now, however, their dialogue seems more natural, more hopeful.  And damn is Mineva going to be a fine leader for Zeon should things turn out ok for everyone. 

Banagher still has a ways to go before he finally stops whinning, but he’s getting there.  This is definitely thanks to some awesome chats with Bright Noa.  Bright has been at the center of growth for every Gundam pilot that has come before Banagher.  So he knows what to say to get a pilot motivated and it shows why he’s earned the rep he has in this franchise.  Also, my favorite moment of the series so far has to be Bright talking to his photo of Amuro in his office.  That’s just freaking awesome.  If you’ve watched the Gundam saga from the beginning and remember how Bright and Amuro first met, then this tiny moment was a big win.  I wonder how Amuro would have worked with Banagher.  Heck it stands to ask where Kamille Bidan and Judau Ashita might’ve been during all of this and if they could have leant some Gundam wisdom to the kid.  Still Banagher’s getting better and his wishes are more clear than just helping Mineva.

Zimmerman probably came out the best from these couple of episodes.  He finally reconciled his hatred for Earth and allowed his love for Marida to drive his actions.  Likewise, Marida’s struggle to regain her identity from the Vist Foundation led to a strong moment for her and Zimmerman AND her and Banagher (I wish she could give me a hug like that.)  And finally, we got some clarification on just how twisted Frontal really is.  He’s going after the box for absolute power, with the full intent of a third Neo Zeon War.  As Mineva notes, this is the exact opposite of Char who, despite his destructive methods, wanted humanity to move into space and seek change.  I never liked Full Frontal from the beginning and now I’m glad I was right to think that way.  As for Riddhe…ugh.  He was never a well defined character to begin with.  He started out as a gifted ace pilot who then hated Mineva, then liked Mineva, then PROPOSED to Mineva (all in the span of two episodes btw), then found out what the box might contain and suddenly hated Newtypes.  He’s all over the place.  And now it’s hard to tell if he’s just out to destroy Newtypes out of fear or because Mineva chose Banagher over him.  Either way, as we head into the finale, Riddhe is officially my Graham Acker of this series (not sure what that means?  Check out my full series review of Mobile Suit Gundam 00 from last summer and expect a lot of hilariously angry rants).

While this series has been heavy on character, that doesn’t mean the action took a back seat in events.  The clever joint operation to rescue Mineva was a lot of fun.  Not only did we get to see Bright pull Zimmerman and his crew into things using Kai Shiden (his crewmate from Mobile Suit Gundam) and Beltorchika (Amuro’s love interest from Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam), but it was hilarious seeing Otto’s reaction to getting his orders from Bright.  Seriously, Otto is one of the best captains ever.  He freaks out quite a bit but is a tough as nails captain who stands his ground, a great successor to Bright.  Anyway, was got a lot of Macross style fly around on Earth and it looked amazing.  This really is the best looking Gundam series to date.  Episode 6 did take down the action quite a bit following the opening.  The tense stand off in the docking bay of the Nael Argama was nice though.  Now I’m wondering if that Unicorn will actually use all of that heavy artillery it’s been strapped with for the final battle.

Well we’re now one episode away from the end.  With the location of Laplace’s Box revealed, it looks like we’re going back to the beginning.  Will Banagher and Mineva beat Full Frontal to it?  Will Riddhe finally get the ass kicking he so desperately needs?  Will we see Bright again before the end?  Will we see Amuro or Char in some way?  And, for frak’s sake…WHAT’S IN THE F***ING BOX???!!!” Sorry, had to go for full Brad Pitt Seven effect there.  Whatever is inside, it had better be one helluva reveal after all this build up.

See ya next week for the double length conclusion of Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn.

T5W#24-Top 5 Katsucon 2015 Cosplays

Katsucon was kind of a game changer for me.  For ages I had been hearing about this convention from many who attended Otakon.  It had been hyped up as amazing and in many ways, better than Otakon.  Following the near disaster that was Otakon 2014, Katsucon 2015 was a huge rebound as far as great conventions go.  So for the next three weeks, the T5W topics will be dedicated to my Katsucon experience, leading up to the day before my return to the con when I feature My Top 5 Best Experiences from Katsucon 2015.  So to kick things off, thought I’d look back at the many costumes I saw during my time last year.  Lots of effort, love and fun went into making these costumes, you could tell just by the way they were worn.  And while there were many a beautiful woman gracing this convention, the guys managed to kick a little ass too in the cosplay department.  So look forward to a mix of the sexes as we get to it.

 

#5-Bunny Ryuko and Mako (Kill La Kill)

I really couldn’t make this list without giving a shout out to the cosplayer known as Mostflogged.  I found her work through a quick glimpse of her at Otakon 2011 when she cosplayed Yuna from Final Fantasy X.  Her quality of costuming is incredible and when she sports a new cosplay, it’s like she’s bringing characters directly from the page or screen and into the real world.  Granted I don’t recall seeing a bunny suit Ryuko or Mako for that matter in Kill La Kill, then again I may need a rewatch.  But man did she and her friend pull it off great.  For more of this cosplayer, visit her ACParadise page here (and look forward to her popping up on another T5W in a little bit)

Mostflogged Cosplay

http://www.acparadise.com/acp/display.php?a=53187

 

#4-Dante (Devil May Cry 3)

This was a pretty cool look to witness.  But in truth, im putting this guy on the list because his replicas of Dante’s special blades, Agni and Rudra from Devil May Cry 3: Dante’s Awakening, were some of the most bad ass weapons I have ever seen a cosplayer present.  They mustve been a blast to build and even more a blast to hold (I dare not ask to hold them lol)

 

#3-Little Shop of Horrors

What a surprise this was.  Even better was the cosplayer trolling me a bit and making the plant come to life as I came close to it.  A good laugh and a lot of fun to see at an Anime Convention.  That’s part of the beauty of cosplay: just having fun and hearing peoples reactions to your craft.

 

#2-Sailor Moon X2 (Sailor Moon)

These two get a shared spotlight here.  One is a newcomer (GC Cosplay), the other a veteran cosplayer (Minniemoon Cosplay).  Together, they made an amazing duo who took leadership of a Sailor Moon photoshoot and gave it an energy I had never seen at others.  I’ll get more into that on a later list (man I’ve spoiled two future entries now haven’t I?).  If Sailor Moon existed in real life, id hope she’d be as fun and energetic a leader as these two.  Be sure to check out the pages of these two amazing cosplayers and comment on their great costumes

GC Cosplay

https://www.facebook.com/GCChanCosplay/?fref=ts

Minniemoon Cosplay

https://www.facebook.com/minniemooncos/?fref=ts

 

#1-Ryo and Sage (Ronin Warriors)

I had heard faint whispers about this.  One day into the con, I overheard a group talking about guys planning to cosplay as Ronin Warriors.  Was that for real I wondered?  The next day, I saw them in a photoshoot outside in the blistering cold.  Braving said cold for a quick minute, I swung past and got a photo before retreating to the warm indoors (only to catch them later on inside but you know what, this photo was worth it).  Ronin Warriors is a rare cosplay to see, especially since it was best known in it’s Toonami heyday almost a decade ago.  But to see Ryo and Sage brought to life and their armor seen in amazing detail?  Talk about the best nostalgia trip ever.

Im always keeping an eye out for other amazing cosplays, no matter what con I head out to.  If anyones reading, has cosplay plans of their own, or have a character or 10 they want to keep an eye out for, shout out below.  See ya next time.

My Neighbor Totoro

My Neighbor Totoro

Sisters Satsuki and Mei could not be more excited to move to a new home.  The house is huge and supposedly haunted.  There’s a kind old woman who lives nearby with her shy grandson.  And there’s a ginormous tree behind their house.  They say it’s home to the many spirits of the forest.  One day, Mei wanders off and stumbles upon the home of one of these spirits, the furry giant known as Totoro.  It may be a new town and a lot to get used to.  But with a neighbor like Totoro, life certainly isn’t going to be dull for these two sisters.

All month long we’ve taken a look at some of Hayao Miyazaki’s more recent stories.  To me it seems only fitting we end this little trip with a visit to one of his more famous old classics.  My Neighbor Totoro is probably the most child hearted film Miyazaki has ever done.  It’s a film by a kid at heart for kids of all generations.

The visuals in this film have endured the test of time.  Much like Haro from Mobile Suit Gundam is for Studio Sunrise, Totoro himself is the long time mascot in the Studio Ghibli opening titles.  How could he not be?  He’s a huggable, loveable furball with a reassuring smile you just want to take home with you and somehow fit him inside (I guess plushies will have to do).  Throughout all of his appearances in the film, Totoro seems both wise and lazy and also very curious.  The scene at the bus stop where Satsuki lends him an umbrella is evidence of this: how amazed he is hearing water fall on the covering.  He simply jumps up and down once and makes it rain harder to enjoy the noise.  Totoro has as much childlike wonder in him as his two new friends, Satsuki and Mei.  But we’ve also got appearances from two tinier Totoro.  Plus there’s the still amazing to look at Catbus that I think I want to be real more than Totoro (it’s also my favorite  mode of transportation besides a Gundam and my favorite Anime plushie btw).  And we even get a glimpse at the Soot Sprites, who reappear down the line in Spirited Away. (A connection? Probably not).

Satsuki and Mei are the eyes of the audience.  They are representatives of the key demographic for this film: young, energetic, full of imagination, and willing to believe in the impossible.  Sure this is a fantasy film, still you have to love the genuine bond between these two girls.  Mei being the younger, is a full speed train that’s always on GO SPEED.  She’s tiny, but she wants to be big like Satsuki and always claims to never be afraid of anything.  Case in point, her first scene with Totoro: she doesn’t flip out seeing a big, hairy spirit just sleeping with a mouth big enough to swallow her whole (I think she even leans in close she almost falls in at some point).  Satsuki knows when to be the fun older sister, believing in her sisters flights of fancy.  But she also knows when to let Mei know that reality can bite sometimes.  This comes heavily in the films last act, which also sees the appearance of any real conflict in this film.  My Neighbor Totoro has no real villain or enemy to square off against: no evil witches, no foul demons, no warlords, no enemies.  This is the most peaceful of the Miyazaki filmography and that might be a disappointment to casual viewers.

However, if it’s family entertainment you seek, then look no further than this.  My Neighbor Totoro cemented Hayao Miyazaki as the Anime filmmaker to turn to when it came to making Anime accessible to all ages groups.  The young, the old, the newborn, could watch this film and get some sense of joy and wonder out of it.  The animation is flawless, Joe Hisaishi’s score is just as whimsical as it’s ever been and Totoro himself is still such an amazing character of few words.  If you can forgive the lack of a central conflict until much later in the movie, then you’ll be in for a real treat.  My Neighbor Totoro is one of the best childrens films out there.  If not to introduce them to Anime, show it to your kids for the doors of imagination it can open to a young mind.  This is what Miyazaki does best and why he is the King of Anime feature filmmaking.

9/10

Well, the brings Miyazaki Month to an end.  I hope you’ve enjoyed my look at these films and will look into them as well as some of his other features (Kiki’s Delivery Service, Ponyo, The Wind Rises just to name a few).  Next week we return to the action and a series returns from a nice little winter break for it’s wrap up.  Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn continues next week on the Anime Corner.  See ya then.

T5W#23-Top 5 Anime Inspired by Blade Runner

A week ago, I got the chance to see my all time favorite movie on the big screen at a revival screening.  The film follows Harrison Ford’s Rick Deckard as he hunts down rogue Androids, known as Replicats, in an over populated 2019 Los Angeles.  Blade Runner is one of the most life defining movies I have ever seen.  It’s brilliant scifi, great storytelling, a visual marvel, it’s…yeah the greatest movie ever made.  It’s had such an effect on the world of scifi and movie making that you can imagine, it’s effect has been felt in Anime as well.  So today I’m counting down the 5 Anime I know of that have inspirations (spiritual or directly) originating in Ridley Scott’s 1982 scifi masterpiece.

 

#5-Metropolis

You may call this one a cheat.  I call it more of a full circle effect.  Fritz Lang’s 1927 film of the same name is almost one of the Godfathers of scifi storytelling.  So much so, it inspired Osamu Tezuka, aka the Godfather of Anime, to create his own version following his inspirational first hit Astro Boy.  In 2001, Director Rintaro (Galaxy Express 999) and writer Katsuhiro Otomo (Akira) gave us an updated but still close to heart edition featuring a futuristic city where the lines between Man and Machine are bordering dangerously close to an all out war.  The central focus on character Tima, and her coming to realize she is not human as she thinks is very reminiscent of Rachel or even Deckard in Blade Runner.

 

#4-Armitage the Third

Besides being a featuring a beautiful and bad ass cyborg cop, Armtiage features battles between humans and robots taking place across two worlds: Earth and Mars.  In Blade Runner we only heard bits and pieces about off world colonies and action involving rogue combat Replicants.  While they don’t say Mars specifically, it can be implied the Red Planet has been colonized.  So we get to see action off world as Naomi Armitage and Ross Sylibus, a bio android and her human partner, clean up crime between the two planets.

 

#3-Silent Mobius

What if Blade Runner axed Replicants all together and gave the world a more supernatural foe to deal with?  Not that cybernetics aren’t still a thing here, they are.  Silent Mobius follows a special unit of all female exorcists utilizing a combination of sorcery and technology to prevent the apocalypse in Tokyo.  The hovercrafts and police vehicles are clearly Blade Runner inspired (I think theyre even called Spinners too) and as aforementioned, even a couple of the AMP’s special warriors are cybernetically enhanced to fight monsters.  Needless to say, beautiful cops with magical powers doesn’t hurt anything either.

 

#2-Ghost in the Shell

This is the obvious one.  Newport City in the far future, is a world where the line between man and machine is merging past what we know to be normal.  Cyborg cops look human and so do the terrorists.  That’s where Section 9 comes in.  A mix of Cyborgs and Humans led by the beautiful and fearless Major Motoko Kusinagi, this team is the one force bringing law to the lawless in a digital age.  What does it mean to be human?  Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?  Would we escape our humanity to live forever?  All questions Blade Runner has asked and is most famous for.  All carried over into this Anime.  Need more proof of how good Ghost in the Shell is?  Take a look back at my earlier reviews where ive covered the entirety of the Stand Alone Complex series.

 

#1-Bubblegum Crisis

It doesn’t get any more clear cut than this one.  A fusion of Blade Runner and the 80’s cult rock opera “Streets of Fire” Bubblegum Crisis sees four iron suited beauties battling rogue robots called Boomers in future Tokyo.  Besides the mecha designs, BGC names it’s lead character after Daryl Hannah’s innocent femme fatale Priss.  Heck I even realized her love interest is named after another Blade Runner character, Priss’s replicant comrade Leon.  Both the classic late 80’s anime and the 90’s relaunch feature amazing action and thrilling rock soundtracks.  It may not ask all of Blade Runner’s deeper questions, but the visual inspiration is clear and a proper nod to the dystopian future of 2019 Los Angeles.