Downtime in the Next Few Days

Hey everybody, long time no see! Ani-Gamers will likely experience some downtime in the coming days as I switch us from Blogger to A Small Orange hosting. There's more news to come in regards to the blog itself, but I'll let that slip as soon as we're all set up on our new server. Don't you worry your pretty little heads, though: our domain name will remain anigamers.com, as always. See you on the other side, and keep your eye on our Twitter and Facebook feeds for news on when the site is back up!

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New Uncle Yo Album: Matching Hair Clips

Surely you've missed Uncle Yo, the anime reviewer who contributed a lot of great reviews to Ani-Gamers early in our blogging career. He's been off working on his "otaku comedy" stand-up routine for over a year now, which is why you haven't heard much from him on the site, but now he's got a new album, featuring live recordings of some of his best routines. Check it out and support Uncle Yo!

iTunes Link
Amazon Link

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Announcing "Otaku Bingo": Otakon 2011 Edition

We love Otakon here at Ani-Gamers. For the past few years we've been eagerly heading down to Charm City to meet up with fellow bloggers, speak with awesome guests, and take in the stunning variety of fan panels on display at the convention. But this year (July 29-31) is going to be EVEN BETTER.

In addition to Ink and I (who have been attending the con for a few years now), our very own — and very British — Elliot Page will be coming to the States to attend and cover the convention. And if that's not exciting enough, we're running "Fandom & Criticism: The Art of Active Viewing" on Friday at 6 PM, with all three Ani-Gamers bloggers talking about what it means to be both a fan and a critic, and how those two viewing styles interact. Trust us, this is going to be a great panel; we've gotten some really insightful audience participation at previous versions of it.

Now that I've spoiled the surprise in the title but led you on for two paragraphs of typical pre-con hype, I'd like to announce our little con game for Otakon 2011: "Otaku Bingo." How does it work? Well, you print off one of these fancy little cards and mark each square whenever you see that event occur somewhere at the con. We generally included funny, often groan-worthy moments of fandom silliness, so we hope it'll give you a chuckle or two. If you get five in a row, send your Bingo card to me and we just might publish it on the site (as long as we don't see any evidence that you lied about the squares that you got, but really guys, please be honest).

At the very least, Ink, Elliot, and I will be playing Otaku Bingo amongst ourselves during the con (with a punishment for the loser to be determined by the other two players), but we'd love to get our readers, listeners, and fellow bloggers involved. So feel free to print out a card or find us during the con to get one from us. Of course, if you have ideas for more squares for us to use next time, definitely let us know. Have fun, and see you at Otakon!

DOWNLOADS:

• Bingo Card (PDF)
• Bingo Card (JPG)

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Back to Boston! [EDIT 1]

True Story: Despite living in New Jersey for my entire life, the first anime convention I ever attended was actually Anime Boston, and since attending in 2005 or so, I have never been back to the large con. This year, however, is different.

I'm heading up from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute with the school's Science-Fiction Association, which is organizing a trip to the con. While up in Boston, I will be blogging about the convention's myriad panels and events and maybe grabbing an interview or two with the guests. Plus, I will co-presenting with Daryl Surat of Anime World Order on his "Remembering Satoshi Kon" panel. (I ran a similar one at Genericon, and I hope to bring my own insights to what is already looking to be a great panel about the late director's life and work.)

As usual, I've included my tentative schedule — complete with overlaps that I will reconcile on the fly at the con — after the break. Note the number of Charles Dunbar panels; after Ink's great write-up and my own repeated failure to attend his panels, I'm going to make a real effort to see them this time.

Are you going to the con? What events are you looking forward to?

EDIT 1: Modified my list a little after realizing that I missed a few panels.

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Friday

When	What	Where
10–11 am	Who Was Carl Macek?	Panel 309
11 am-12 pm	Oda Nobunaga: Evil Sorceror or Space Alien?	Panel A
1–2:45 pm	The Tokyo "Nonexistant Youth" Bill and How It Affects You	Panel 309
3–4 pm	Castles, Forests and Bath Houses: The Worlds of Hayao Miyazaki	Panel A
3:30–4:30 pm	Future of the Fullmetal Fandom: Is It Really Over!?	Panel 306
4–5 pm	Anime Intro & Ending Themes	Panel 302/304
6–7:30 pm	Experts of Fan Controversy	Panel 107
6–7 pm	Dubs That Time Forgot	Panel 202
7–8:30 pm	Totally Subversive Toons	Panel 309
8:30–9:30 pm	Villains and Virgins: The Madonna-Heathen Complex in Anime	Panel 107
8:30–9:30 pm	I <3 the 90's	Panel 306
9:30–11:30 pm	Anime's Craziest Deaths	Panel 306

Saturday

When	What	Where
10–11 am	The Family That Geeks Together, Keeps Together	Panel 107
11 am–12 pm	Tezuka 101	Panel 206
12–1 pm	It's a Rumic World	Panel 309
1–2 pm	State of the Industry	Panel 306
2–3 pm	Sentai Filmworks	Panel 306
3:30–4:30 pm	Remembering Satoshi Kon (1963-2010)	Panel 202
5–6 pm	Notable Directors of Anime That Aren't Hayao Miyazaki	Panel 309
6–7 pm	"What is Super-Flat": Where Anime fits in Post-Modern Culture	Panel 206
7–8 pm	Omoide In My Head: A Brief Guide to Japanese Indie Rock	Panel 202
7–9 pm	Bad Anime, Bad!!	Panel A
8–9 pm	Dead Like Us: Shinigami, Death Lore and Japanese Media	Panel 107
8–9 pm	Animating Music in Anime About Music	Panel 206
11 pm–12 am	STEREOPONY Concert	Auditorium

Sunday

When	What	Where
10–11 am	The Visions of Akira Kurosawa	Panel 202
12–1 pm	Spirits, Wheel and Borrowed Gods: Religion in Japan	Panel 202
12–1 pm	Satoshi Kon RIP (this is NOT Daryl's panel)	Panel 302/304
12–1 pm	From East to West: the Superheroes of Japan & America	Panel A
1–2:30 pm	An International Game of Telephone: The Japanese Culture Exchange	Panel 107

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Ani-Gamers Joins Anime and Manga Bloggers For Japan

In my last post on the recent Japanese earthquake, I provided some basic details of the problems currently occurring in Japan in the aftermath of the massive 8.9 quake. And while I suggested you donate to charities to help the victims of this tragedy, Daniella Orihuela-Gruber from All About Manga has gone the extra mile and started up an informal group of anime/manga bloggers who are pushing for more donations.

Today Ani-Gamers joins in this campaign, reminding our readers that there is still months if not years of work to be done for Japan to rebuild after the earthquake. And, as Daniella points out, the $12 million in donations have not yet even surpassed the numbers for the recent Haitian earthquake or the Hurricane Katrina catastrophe in New Orleans!

For more information on donating, and suggestions on some great charities to give to (namely ShelterBox and the highly-rated Doctors Without Borders), check out Daniella's big Anime and Manga Bloggers For Japan post.

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Ani-Gamers at Zenkaikon 2011

I’m looking forward to returning to Zenkaikon this year (March 18-20 at the Valley Forge Convention Center in King of Prussia, PA). Its last incarnation was cramped but chuck full o’ goodness. This time around, I’m told accommodations are more spacious, and the schedule looks to be rather impressive to boot. After the break, you’ll find the hourly breakdown of events I plan on attending.  If anything is doubled or overlaps, I still haven't quite made up my mind. And as a reminder: if you see a pile of walking chess pieces pass by, say hi!

Ink’s (super-tentative) Zenkaikon Schedule:

Friday:
11:30 am -12:30 pm - Giant Robot Openings from 1963 to 1984
1:00-2:00 pm - Opening Ceremonies
3:00-5:00 pm - Birdy the Mighty: Decode
5:00-6:00 pm - Uncle Yo – Stand-up for Geeks
6:00-7:00 pm - Living as Otaku in Japan
7:00-8:00 pm - Gelatine Concert
8:15-9:15 pm - Show and Tell with Todd Haberkorn
9:30-11:45 pm - Anime Parliment
12:00-2:00 am - Robogeisha

Saturday:
10:00-11:00 - Iron Artist
12:30-2:00 pm - Modern Mythology
2:00-2:45 pm - 10 Things I Hate About Webcomics
3:00-3:30 pm - AMV Contest
3:30-4:30 pm - Sacred Symbols and Giant Robots
4:30-5:15 pm - Losing Should Be Fun
6:00-8:00 pm - Masquerade
9:00-9:30 pm - Rose Noire Concert
9:30-10:30 pm - Where’s Our Flying Cars and Hoverboards
9:30-10:30 pm - The Great Debates
10:45-11:45 pm - Anime One Night Stands
11:00 pm -12:00 am - Guests Uncensored

Sunday
9:00-10:00 am - Superheroes of the Silver Screen
10:15-11:15 am - Castles, Forests, and Bath Houses
12:30-1:30 pm - Anime Press Your Luck
2:30-3:30 pm - Closing Ceremonies

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Click here for more of our Zenkaikon 2011 coverage

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Genericon XXIV: Party in the Tundra

Genericon XXIV is almost upon us! The annual student-run anime, sci-fi, and gaming convention held at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in Troy, NY is going to be a total blast this year, thanks in part to some fantastic guests and panelists who are making their way to the cold, cold north of upstate New York on the weekend of February 11-13.

Who are these wonderful people? Well, they include guests like the Most Dangerous podcasters of Anime World Order, RPI alumna/webcomic artist Jenny Blanchard, independent animators For Tax Reasons, anime voice actor/fangirl magnet Vic Mignogna, Ani-Gamers' very own Uncle Yo, and Japanese-American punk band Uzuhi.

The new featured panelist program rounds out that list with Legend of the Galactic Heroes/Hetalia superfan Walter Amos, Vertical, Inc. Marketing Manager and all-powerful manga expert Ed Chavez, a group of RPI alumni panelists called "The Con Artists," super-powered podcasting duo Erin and Noah of the Ninja Consultant podcast, and the part-time anime bloggers/full-time detectives of the Reverse Thieves blog.

I am a student at RPI and the Public Relations Coordinator for the convention, so my weekend will be comprised mostly of running around trying to make sure everything works well for our attendees. However, I will be making time for two of my own panels: a new "Satoshi Kon Tribute" (7-8pm on Friday), in which I walk the audience through the life and movie-making style of the acclaimed director, and my tried-and-true character design panel, "The Changing Faces of Anime" (3-4pm on Sunday). Uncle Yo will naturally be running his popular stand-up comedy show (3:30-4:30pm on Sunday), as well as "Beyond D&D" (6:30-7:30pm on Saturday) and "Anime One-Night Stands" (1-2pm on Sunday). Our copy editor Sean Kim is also an RPI student, so he might be hanging around the con as well during the course of the weekend.

I know I'm super-psyched about Genericon this year, and I hope I'll get to see some Ani-Gamers readers/listeners up in Troy. If you happen to go to a panel from me or Uncle Yo, feel free to come up afterward and say hi!

• Genericon XXIV Schedule
• My Write-up of Last Year's Genericon

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An Apology (Then Back To Work)

Yes, it would seem that an apology is in order. I have been missing in action for about two weeks, which means (due to the current editorial structure of the blog) that Ani-Gamers has been missing in action for about two weeks. Luckily, the two big things that have caused this hold-up are related in some way to Ani-Gamers, so no "life got in the way" excuses here, folks. Plus, they're mostly out of the way, so we'll be back in business ASAP.

1. New Blogging Platform: For the better part of the two weeks since the start of the new year, I have been working night and day to construct a blogging platform based around this idea: Blogger isn't quite doing it for me and, being a perfectionist control freak, the best solution is naturally for me to build my own platform from the ground up, with every functionality made to fit my needs. It's still a little unpolished, but I've finished all the big things, so at this stage it actually could operate as the official Ani-Gamers blogging platform. I haven't decided yet if we'll be moving to it, but I'm currently looking into a web host to hold the new system and some cosmetic and organizational changes that might go along with it. I'll keep you all updated on that as things progress.
2. Genericon XXIV: As soon as I finished that colossal project, I moved on to Genericon, the anime/sci-fi/gaming convention for which I am Public Relations Coordinator (a job that I didn't really keep up with much during the two weeks of straight coding). I'm now working hard on organizing press coverage, guests, and featured panelists (including some folks you might know from around the Internet) while I get back into the swing of things here at Ani-Gamers. I'll be running two panels (my character design panel The Changing Faces of Anime and a new Satoshi Kon retrospective) at the Troy, NY convention, which will be held February 11-13, 2011 at my college, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Thanks for sticking with us through this embarrassing little hiatus. We all look forward to your continued readership and feedback!

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New Staff Welcome: Mehket

I mentioned a long while back that we were looking for a new gaming writer, and though I was still looking through applications as recently as this summer, we finally decided on a new contributor to add to the ranks of Ani-Gamers: Hayley Myer, a.k.a. "Mehket."

She is a longtime video gamer and anime fan who began her gaming life on the Sega Genesis with titles like Crystal Ponies and the original Sonic The Hedgehog. Now Mehket focuses most of her gaming time on Japanese RPGs, a topic that she will be covering extensively here at Ani-Gamers. We're excited to have her join the team, and I hope you'll all enjoy the new perspective she brings to the table.

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Anime Secret Santa 2010: Our Choices

You may remember last year, when I took part in the Reverse Thieves' "Anime Secret Santa" project — each participating anime blogger gave another blogger a list of three titles to review without revealing their identity, and the recipient had to choose one of the titles and actually review it. Well, despite my harrowing experience with A-1 Pictures' moé comedy Kannagi (2008) last year, I've signed up yet again, and Ani-Gamers writers Ink, Elliot, and Evan (Krell) have also thrown their hats into the ring. It's gonna be a crazy Christmas this year!

The three choices I received were considerably less dire than last year's moé buffet (Air, Kannagi, and True Tears), with the Read or Die OAV (2001), Akiyuki Shinbo's The SoulTaker (2001), and Last Exile (2003) from studio Gonzo. R.O.D. is out of the question because I've already seen it, so I decided to go with Last Exile. Gonzo did pretty well with Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo (2004) despite their bad reputation, so I'll give them a shot on this steampunk adventure with character designs from the talented Range Murata.

[Read on after the break for Ink, Elliot, and Evan's choices.]

Meanwhile, Ink had to choose between Kanon (2006), sola (2007), and Fate/Stay Night (2006), and since he's already seen Kanon, he will be watching and reviewing Fate/Stay Night.

Elliot received Eden of the East (2009), Baccano (2007), and Kino's Journey (2003). He's already seen Kino's Journey and Eden of the East isn't out in the UK yet, so that leaves him with Baccano (previously reviewed on our site by Uncle Yo).

Finally, Evan Krell — who is writing a review each for Ani-Gamers and Insert-Disc — had to choose between Ocean Waves (1993), Pale Cocoon (2006), and Umi Monogatari (2009), and he's going with Pale Cocoon for his Ani-Gamers review.

Our reviews will be on the site during the week before Christmas, with the last one coming out sometime early in the day on Christmas Eve (December 24). Watch our Twitters (@VamptVo, @Poetic_Ink, @elliotpage, @bakatanuki) if you want to keep up with our opinions as we watch through these series — or hear about that fantastic bagel we just ate.

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New York Comic Con 2010: Prepare for Mind Blowage

It's coming, guys. One of the biggest convention events of the year begins this Friday, October 8, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City. That's right, the New York Comic Con (now merged with the New York Anime Festival), featuring guests and exhibitors from nearly every facet of geekdom. I'll be there most of the weekend (except for Friday morning/afternoon), covering as many anime/manga/gaming events and exhibitors as possible for Ani-Gamers. Unfortunately, I'm the only Ani-Gamers writer who will actually be at the con, so covering everything that I want to will require nothing short of a time-turner.

Luckily, I've got some help from Jewels, a photographer and videographer who has volunteered to help cover the convention for Ani-Gamers. As far as our plans go right now, I will be taking care of industry panels and some fan panels, while Jewels will photograph the cosplay masquerade, Bandai model kit contest, and a few other events. On the panels side of things, I will making the NYAF premiere of my anime character design history panel, The Changing Faces of Anime, on Sunday at 3:45pm in Room 1E14. If you're going to be at the con, please do try to stop in. (And don't be afraid to say hi after the panel.)

I've included my tentative schedule of events for Comic Con after the break. Will you be going to one of the biggest pop culture events of the year? Is there an event you'd like us to report on? A question you'd like us to ask one of the guests? Let us know in the comments!

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Friday

When	What	Where
5:45–6:45 pm	Aniplex	Room 1E13
6:30–7:30 pm	A Geek's Guide to Podcasting and Blogging	Room 1A17
8–10 pm	The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya	Room 1E09

Saturday

When	What	Where
11 am–12 pm	Bandai Industry Panel	Room 1E13
12:15–1:15 pm	FUNimation Industry Panel	Room 1E13
2:45–3:45 pm	Crunchyroll Fall Season Announcements	Room 1E13
3:45–4:45 pm	Yen Press	Room 1E14
6:15–7:15 pm	Vertical, Inc.	Room 1E14
8:45–9:45 pm	Unusual Manga Genres	Room 1E12

Sunday

When	What	Where
10:45 am–12:45 pm	TBA (formerly Kodansha USA panel)	???
11 am–12 pm	Castles, Forests and Bath Houses: The Worlds of Hayao Miyazaki	Room 1E13
12:15–1:15 pm	Anime News Network	Room 1E13
1:15–2:15 pm	Oni Press	Room 1A14
1:45–2:45 pm	Culinary Manga	Room 1E12
2:45–3:45 pm	Anime Recruitment	Room 1E12
3:45–4:45 pm	The Changing Face of Anime	Room 1E14

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Click here for more of our New York Comic Con 2010 coverage.

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It begins: Otakon 2010, here we come! [EDIT 1]

It would seem that Ani-Gamers is once again on the road, this time to Baltimore's resident anime convention (and one of the largest in the country), Otakon. But this is no normal convention. No, because this year I will be rooming with BakaTanuki and Lwelyk (along with Internet Heroes the Reverse Thieves and many others), while Ink and Uncle Yo will be off handling their own sleeping arrangements. Yes, friends, that is FIVE Ani-Gamers writers at one convention. If you ever wanted to get our autograph and then punch us in the face for thinking anybody wanted our autograph, there has never been a better chance!

Oh yeah, and we'll have lots of coverage, too! There are press conferences to attend, panels to write up, and podcasts to record, not to mention a final con report to write. If you can't get to the convention, please do your best to enjoy it through our coverage. Think about it this way: At least you won't have to listen to teenagers screaming "buttscratchers!" in your ear for three days.

Just to get the word out before the break, I want to let everybody know that I will be running my character designs panel, "The Changing Faces of Anime," after its positive reception at AnimeNEXT 2010, and Uncle Yo will be performing his stand-up comedy as well as his new "Embracing the Robot Apocalypse" panel and "Anime One-Night Stands." Below, I've included tentative itineraries for Ink, Uncle Yo and myself. If I get itineraries from the other bloggers, I'll be sure to post them in here. [EDIT 1: Added Evan Krell (BakaTanuki)'s schedule after the break.]

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We begin with Ink's schedule, which is nicely organized and shows a sense of focus and thoughtfulness greatly envied by his editor-in-chief.

Friday

When	What	Where
9–10 am	What’s the Point of Anime Intro & Ending Themes?	Panel 6
11 am–12 pm	La Corda D'Oro Primo	Video 1
12–1:30 pm	Madhouse Panel	Panel 2
2–4 pm	Bamboo Blade	Video 2
4:30–5:30 pm	Anime, Lost in Translation	Panel 1
5–6 pm	Dead Like Us: Shinigami and the Japanese Idea of Death	Panel 4
6–7:30 pm	Funimation Industry Panel	Panel 3
6:30–7:30 pm	Japan: The Most Convenient Place on Earth	Panel 4
7:30–8:30 pm	Bad Anime, Bad!!	Panel 5
9:30–10:30 pm	Modern Mythology: Mythic Elements in Anime & Video Games	Panel 4
10:30 pm–11 am	Voice Actors After Dark!	Panel 3
11 pm–12 am	Portrait of a Fujoshi: The Psychology of Ogiue Chika	Panel 4
12–1 am	Anime One-Night Stands	Panel 1

Saturday

When	What	Where
9–10 am	Experiments in the Anime Industry: noitaminA	Panel 4
9:30–10:30 am	The Changing Faces of Anime	Panel 1
12:30–1:30 pm	Anime in Academia	Panel 1
1:30–2:30 pm	Bouncing Through the Years: A Gainax Panel	Panel 4
6–7 pm	10 Anime You've Never Heard of but Must See!	Panel 5
8–9 pm	Genshiken 2	Video 5
9–10:30 pm	Bandai After Dark	Panel 5
10:30–11 pm	Japanese Folklore: Kitsune, Oni and Yuurei, Oh My!	Panel 4
11 pm–12 am	Feminism, Fandom, and Fanservice	Panel 1
12–1 am	Sailor Moon's Influence on the World of Hentai - Filthy Edition	Panel 2

Sunday

When	What	Where
9–10 am	I "Squeeee!" for Shoujo	Panel 1
12 pm–1:30 pm	Japanese Directors & Producers Panel	Panel 6
1:30–2:30 pm	Dubs that Time Forgot	Panel 2

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On the other hand, my list is full of overlapping panels and missing a number of panels I don't know I'm going to yet. I tried my best to include only the ones I'm sure I'll be at, but this is obviously still very tentative. (If a panel has an asterisk [*] next to it, I might not be there for the whole time, if I go at all.)

Friday

When	What	Where
9–10 am	What’s the Point of Anime Intro & Ending Themes?	Panel 6
12-1 pm	Anime Journalism: The Story Behind The Story	Panel 5
3-4 pm	Hetalia Mock UN Summit	Panel 3
4:30-6 pm	Aniplex Panel *	Panel 5
6-7 pm	You Don't Like Moe -- And Here's Why!	Panel 5
7:30-8:30 pm	Bad Anime Bad!! *	Panel 5
8-9 pm	Gundam Unicorn	Video 5
9:30-10:30 pm	Modern Mythology: Mythic Elements in Anime and Video Games	Panel 4
11 pm-12 am	Portrait of a Fujoshi: The Psychology of Ogiue Chika	Panel 4
12:30-1:30 am	The History of Hentai *	Panel 2

Saturday

When	What	Where
9:30-10:30 am	The Changing Faces of Anime (THIS IS MY PANEL. ONLY TRUE HEROES MAY ATTEND.)	Panel 1
11:30 am-2 pm	Welcome to the SPACE SHOW (premiere)	HD Theater
2-3 pm	Podcasting for your Fandom	Panel 1
6-7 pm	10 Anime You've Never Heard of but Must See!	Panel 5
7:30-8:30 pm	The Otakon 2010 Gundam Experience: Life Beyond 30	Panel 5
8:30-9:30	Uncle Yo: Otaku Stand-up Comedy	Panel 3
10:00-1:00	Saturday Night Fan Parodies	Video 5
11:00-12:00	Feminism, Fandom, and Fanservice *	Panel 1

Sunday

When	What	Where
12 pm–1:30 pm	Japanese Directors & Producers Panel	Panel 6
1:30–2:30 pm	Dubs that Time Forgot	Panel 2

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Meanwhile, Uncle Yo, also on a mission to rub my lack of coherent scheduling ability in my face, provides us with a succinct list of only the events he will actually be performing/speaking at. Nice going!

When	What	Where
Fri 6-7 pm	Embracing the Robot Take-Over	Panel 6
Fri 12-1 am	Anime One-Night Stands	Panel 1
Sat 8:30-9:30 pm	Uncle Yo: Otaku Stand-up Comedy	Panel 3

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Here's a last-minute addition: Evan Krell (a.k.a. BakaTanuki)'s schedule. This is still very tentative, he tells me, but you can look for him hanging with the other cool Ani-Gamers bros throughout Otakon.

Friday

10:30 am-12 pm	Vertical, Inc. Featuring Felipe Smith	Panel 2
12-1:30 pm	Madhouse Panel	Panel 2
1:30-2:30 pm	VOCALOID: Hatsune Miku & co. sing for you! *	Panel 2
3-4:30 pm	Takamasa Sakurai Panel	Panel 2
4:30-6 pm	Aniplex	Panel 5
6–7:30 pm	Funimation Industry Panel	Panel 3

Saturday

9–10 am	Experiments in the Anime Industry: noitaminA	Panel 4
11:30 am-2 pm	Welcome to the SPACE SHOW (premiere)	HD Theater
9-10 pm	The Life and Times of Akiyuki Shinbo (if I can brave it)	Panel 4
9:30-10:30 pm	Touhou Project	Panel 1
6-7 pm	10 Anime You've Never Heard of but Must See!	Panel 5

Sunday

9–10 am	I "Squeeee!" for Shoujo	Panel 1
12:30-1:30 pm	Castles, Forests, and Bath Houses: The Worlds of Hayao Miyazaki	Panel 5

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Click here for more of our Otakon 2010 coverage

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New Staff Welcome: Baka and Lwelyk

Perhaps you've heard of Insert-Disc, our formidable yet sophisticated rivals in anime/game blogging. We've been on some of their podcasts and commented on their blog posts, and they have done the same for us, but today we take it ... TO THE NEXT LEVEL.

Indeed, Insert-Disc's Evan "Bakatanuki" Krell and Kyle "Lwelyk" LaCroix are joining the Ani-Gamers team to provide even more video game, anime, and manga content (though mostly the first one, since we're a little short on gaming writers at the moment). If you're curious, Baka is the founder and a current editor of Insert-Disc and a purveyor of only the finest classic video games, though he's also a fan of giant robot anime and moé girls — yeah, go figure. Meanwhile, Lwelyk is also an editor and resident bad game-player at Insert-Disc, where he seeks to spread the dying gospel of the Sonic the Hedgehog games to anyone who will listen.

I'd like to join the rest of the Ani-Gamers staff in welcoming our newest additions. I'm sure we'll be seeing some great new articles from these two in the near future!

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Come stalk meet us at AnimeNEXT 2010 this weekend!

I apologize for this post coming out the day before AnimeNEXT, but as an explanation I'll just point you to our pretty-extensive-for-not-being-there E3 coverage. It kinda took up most of my time this week, so take what you can get, alright?

Anyway, Ani-Gamers is once again storming the big anime/manga convention AnimeNEXT in Somerset, New Jersey, as Ink, Uncle Yo, and I all head to the con to report on it/run panels/perform at events. So, if you're a creep and you want to stalk us (or, y'know, if you're a normal person and just want to meet us), we've got a list of all of the panels/events we're thinking of attending for your convenience. I will be running two panels during the con: "Fandom & Criticism: The Art of Active Viewing" (a panel about critical analysis with special guest Ink) on Friday from 3:00-4:00 PM and "The Changing Faces of Anime" (history of character designs) on Saturday from 7:00-8:00 PM. Meanwhile, Uncle Yo will be performing on Friday from 10:30-11:30 PM and Sunday from 2:00-3:00 PM.

So head after the break to see Ink's and my (very tentative) schedules, and make sure to say hi if you see us around.

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These are Ink's plans. He won't be at the con Friday or Saturday evenings, so he's recommended some panels that he won't be able to attend. This is denoted by "REC."

FRIDAY
[2:00 PM – 3:00 PM] Inside Lives of Congoing Otaku
[3:00 PM – 4:00 PM] Fandom & Criticism: The Art of Active Viewing (panelist)
[4:00 PM – 5:00 PM] Kimono: Alure, Fashion & History
[5:30 PM – 6:30 PM] History of Mecha (REC - not attending)
[6:30 PM – 7:30 PM] Anime/Manga Influence on the US (REC - not attending)

SATURDAY
[11:00 AM – 12:00 PM] Otaku Through the Generations
[1:00 PM – 2:00 PM] Funimation Industry
[2:00 PM – 4:00 PM] The State of the Anime Industry and You (Ayres)
[5:30 PM – 7:00 PM] Modern Mythology: Mythic Elements in Anime & Video Games (REC)
[8:00 PM – 10:00 PM] Bad Anime, Bad!! (REC - not attending)

SUNDAY [2:00 PM – 3:30 PM] Psychology of Anime II
[1:00 PM – 2:30 PM] Anime Jeopardy

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Now I, unlike Ink, can't seem to choose what I want to go to, so here's a list of pretty much everything I'm interested in (including things with overlapping times). I probably won't go to even half of these panels, but I've underlined the ones that I'm 99% sure I'm going to, put "REC" next to particularly good ones, and "maybe" next to ones that I'm not sure I'm going to. Hopefully that helps!

FRIDAY
[3:00 PM – 4:00 PM] Fandom & Criticism: The Art of Active Viewing (panelist)
[4:00 PM – 5:00 PM] Kimono: Alure, Fashion & History (maybe)
[5:30 PM – 6:30 PM] History of Mecha (maybe)
[6:30 PM – 7:30 PM] Super Mario Super Panel (REC - maybe)
[6:30 PM – 7:30 PM] Anime/Manga Influence on the US (maybe)
[10:00 PM – 12:00 AM] These Are A Few Of My Favorite Scenes

SATURDAY
[10:30 AM – 11:30 AM] Gundam: What Makes It Great (maybe)
[12:00 PM – 1:00 PM] Religion in NG Evangelion
[1:00 PM – 2:00 PM] Funimation Industry
[2:00 PM – 4:00 PM] The State of the Anime Industry and You (Ayres)
[3:00 PM – 5:00 PM] C.R.A.Z.Y.O.T.A.K.U. (REC - probably won't be there)
[4:00 PM – 5:30 PM] IT CAME FROM FRANCE!! (REC)
[5:00 PM – 6:00 PM] Kenji Kamiyama (if we don't get an interview)
[5:00 PM – 6:00 PM] American Animation (maybe)
[7:00 PM – 8:00 PM] The Changing Faces of Anime (panelist)
[8:00 PM – 10:00 PM] Bad Anime, Bad!! (REC)
[10:00 PM – 12:00 AM] As The Otaku Grows (18+)

SUNDAY
[10:00 AM – 11:00 AM] Otaku: Perceptions and Misconceptions (REC)
[11:00 AM – 12:00 PM] Whose Line is it Anime (maybe)
[11:00 AM – 12:00 PM] Standup by Cosplay Comedian Joe (I just have to witness this!)
[1:00 PM – 2:30 PM] Anime Jeopardy (maybe)
[2:00 PM – 3:00 PM] Uncle Yo

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Meanwhile, if you're not going to be at AnimeNEXT this weekend, just keep track of our AnimeNEXT 2010 label for all of our coverage.

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E3 2010: Nintendo press conference live chat [EDIT 1]

EDIT: The Nintendo press conference is over, and we should have a write-up and podcast recap up sometime today. Thanks to everybody who participated.

Check after the break for Insert-Disc's live chat coverage of the Nintendo press conference. For a live stream of the press conference, visit GameSpot or YouTube (among other places).

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E3 2010: Microsoft press conference livestream/chat [EDIT 2]

EDIT 2: The press conference is over. Thanks to everybody who participated in the chat room.

EDIT 1: The Microsoft conference was postponed by a half-hour, giving me a bit more time to make this post more usable for you, dear readers. You're welcome.

So I'll admit right now that I didn't make much of a grand plan for us to cover E3, the Electronics Entertainment Expo. But you know who did? The fine folks at Insert-Disc! So, while we will be providing our typical round-up posts for each major press conference, I (as well as a few other Ani-Gamers staffers if they'd like to) will be hanging out in the Insert-Disc Cover It Live chat room during the press conferences. After the break, I've included an embed of I-D's Cover It Live chat room (so you can join from right inside this post) and links to a variety of live streams of the Microsoft press conference. With luck, I should be doing the same thing for both of the other major conferences.

Live streams of the press conference:

• G4TV
• GameSpot
• GameTrailers
• YouTube

Of course, once the press conference is over, head on over to Insert-Disc to let the guys know how much fun you had in the chat room and how much you love them for actually having an organized plan for their coverage.

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Aniblog Tourney: Round 2 START

As many of you are likely already aware of, Ani-Gamers is currently participating in a 96-entrant anime blog tournament called, fittingly, the "Aniblog Tourney." Essentially, readers are voting for which anime blog they'd prefer to read. We won our first round against Anime Full Circle, and this week we face off against THAT Anime Blog in the second round.

First off, I'd like to thank all of our readers who supported us in the first round, and I hope you'll all vote for us in Round 2 as well. In addition to that, however, I would also like to provide a brief explanation of our site for newcomers finding us through the Tourney. Don't worry, I won't go into any superfluous bullet-point lists here, just a brief paragraph.

Pretty much, Ani-Gamers is based around the idea that it is possible to combine focused, intelligent coverage with the unique spirit that comes with being a geek. With a multifaceted staff of a variety of tastes and writing styles, we seek to provide genuine fan opinions without the tiresome navel-gazing attitude of many personal blogs. Very importantly, we also have a real editorial structure here, a system that puts almost every article through at least one editor before it sees publication. Finally, we strive in every article to advise our readers on buying decisions, educate them on the history and culture of anime, manga, and games, and/or provoke critical thought about their own geek hobbies.

If any of that interests you, please check out our articles through the News, Reviews, Features, etc. links above, or read our About Us page. Oh, and of course, please vote for us in the Aniblog Tourney!

CLICK HERE TO VOTE IN ROUND 2 MATCH 15

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Support us in the Aniblog Tourney!

As I mentioned earlier, today is the first day of voting for our bracket in the Aniblog Tourney, an online tournament to bring great anime blogs to the fore while giving people a chance to find new blogs and provide constructive criticism. Today — and for the rest of the week — Ani-Gamers faces off against Anime Full Circle, and I ask you all to please head over to the Aniblog Tourney site really quickly to give us your vote (and leave a comment about us if you're so inclined).

To those of you who have been reading us for a while, thank you for your support, and to those of you stopping by due to the Tourney, I hope you enjoy what you see!

CLICK HERE FOR THIS WEEK'S TOURNEY POLL

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The Aniblog Tourney: Tatakae Blogaking!

So I recently heard about this little project called the "Aniblog Tourney." It's a tournament that pits 96 anime blogs against each other, with readers voting for the winners in simple one-on-one votes. The creators kindly included Ani-Gamers in the tournament, and for the first round (April 26) we're up against Anime Full Circle. This would be the part where I write something nice about Andrew over at Anime Full Circle and wish him the best of luck in the contest, but my shōnen instincts have taken over, so instead, I'm just going to say "YOU'D BEST BE READY TO OTAKU MAN UP, ANIME FULL CIRCLE. MAY THE BEST BLOG WIN!"

But in all seriousness, I'm excited to be a part of this contest, and I hope you'll all vote for Ani-Gamers on the Aniblog Tourney site when our voting bracket starts next week on Monday, April 26.

That's about it. Head after the break for an inspirational video to get your blood pumped for the upcoming bloodbath ... I mean friendly contest!

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Ode to Kirihito contest winners are in

I decided to expand the Ode to Kirihito contest a little bit by putting people into the running even if their comment was after midnight on March 31. (Double posts didn't give you an extra chance however.) So, with that in mind, the four randomly-selected winners of the Ode to Kirihito contest for Osamu Tezuka Month are F-Man, Ninjatron, Steve, and Yan.

Everybody on that list but F-Man has their e-mail address in their Blogger profile, so I can easily get in contact with all of you. If you're reading this, F-Man, send me an e-mail at evanm [at] anigamers [dot] com to claim your prize and tell me your address!

Also, I'd like to thank everyone who commented, and particularly commend you on contributing more significant content than "hey I want a prize too lol." You guys made writing the articles this month that much more worthwhile with the knowledge that somebody out there was reading them and appreciating them. Thanks!

Meanwhile, I've still got prizes to give away here. (Thanks for all of the great stuff, Vertical!) To find out how to enter the third Tezuka Month contest, which is totally running over into April, you'd best listen to Ani-Gamers Podcast #028a for the details. Good luck!

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