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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Ani-Gamers Podcast #029 – I'll Take My Chances With the Robot

Hosts: Evan "Vampt Vo" Minto, Hisui and Narutaki
Topic: What'cha Been Doing?

The Reverse Thieves are back for a podcast double header in episodes #029 and #030. In this episode, I talk with them about the latest anime, manga, and video games we've checked out, and in episode #030, we'll be discussing the anime series Code Geass.

Oh yes, and this episode's intro announces the winners of our Black Jack giveaway. Check it out to find out if you've won! Anyway, check out the show notes after the break.

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(Runtime: 49 minutes)

[00:00] Contest winners announced!

[00:55] Opening Song: "R.O.D. Theme" by Taku Iwasaki (Read Or Die OAV OP)

[01:12] Brief introductions. Kate tells everybody about the Aniblog Tourney, which is already well underway.

[05:34] Alain has been watching 1976 shojo anime Candy Candy. Somehow we start talking about Cutey Honey's boobs.

[11:12] Kate has been watching Yasuhiro Imagawa's 2004 anime remake of Mitsuteru Yokoyama's Tetsujin-28, a.k.a. Gigantor.

[19:42] Evan has been watching Poly-Matrix (the 1997 compilation movie of the 1994 cyberpunk OAV Armitage III) and the 2002 sequel movie, Armitage III: Dual-Matrix. Justin Bieber-related threats somehow ensue.

[26:09] Alain has been reading the 1987 shonen manga Jojo's Bizarre Adventure.

[31:06] Kate has been reading the 2004 "healing manga" Kingyo Used Books.

[36:42] Evan has been watching the 1996 mecha anime Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team. We also discuss Miller's Report.

[45:39] Alain has been playing the 2010 Wii game Sakura Wars V.

[48:36] Time to say goodbye.

[49:05] Ending Song: "WORLD END Instrumental" by FLOW (Code Geass R2 2nd OP)

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Guest Post: Tezuka and the 108 Stars of Destiny

This is a guest post written by frequent Ani-Gamers collaborators Hisui and Narutaki from the Reverse Thieves anime blog. Thanks, guys!

Evan has dedicated the month of March on Ani-Gamers to the legendary "God of Manga" Osamu Tezuka, and while several of the writers at Ani-Gamers are contributing their thoughts and reviews, we at Reverse Thieves heeded Evan's call for guest posts as well! But what to do proved a little difficult; another review wouldn't be much help, so when Evan suggested an essay about some aspect of Tezuka, that really got us thinking. One of the artist's most famous aspects is what is lovingly referred to as Tezuka's Star System, in which his characters appear over and over in again in various works. This has become a unique trait to Tezuka that has gone on to influence a world of manga in various ways.

The Star System is a device that Tezuka uses to have characters appear in similar roles from series to series with the same character design but different names. A character like Duke Red will almost always be a villain, whereas Higeoyaji (a.k.a. Shunsaku Ban) might play a wide variety of middle-aged man roles. Tezuka often remarked on the system and likened it to a director reusing the same actors again and again after finding he liked their performances. Considering Tezuka's nigh-obsession with film and the theatre, and his frequent exposure to these media at a young age thanks to his parents, there is little doubt that they went on to not only inform the way he drew comics, but also the way he saw his characters.

At first you may think this is just a cleverly disguised way of recycling character designs, but it goes deeper than that. Ask most any writer and they will tell you that their characters are often very close to their hearts. Even take a look at yourself and how attached you may become to a character during the course of the story. There is a personal connection that occurs when someone creates a character, a history, and a story for them and Tezuka was no exception; in fact he might have felt it more strongly than most. Tezuka even went as far as writing up lists of the various "actors" he used in his Star System, with notes like how much each was paid. Tezuka fans love the Star System since it rewards readers for reading multiple series, giving them a silent wink and a nod when they notice Star System characters. It is a delightful reward when you spot, say, Rock Holmes in both Black Jack and Astro Boy.

As the "God of Manga," Tezuka's influence can be seen on almost all aspects of manga and anime, and this includes other people using the Star System. While Go Nagai would go onto influence manga in innumerable ways himself, you can see the traces of the Star System in his own manga. Numerous characters from The Abashiri Family and Harenchi Gakuen reappear in Go Nagai's Cutie Honey. Violence Jack is not only a sequel to Devilman but Go Nagai also repurposes characters from several other series for it. You can also look to the prolific Rumiko Takahashi's stories for nods to the Star System. Takahashi has stated that her main character can be seen as the same character viewed during different parts of his life from a child to a young adult.

The Star System also plays a big role in Naoki Urasawa's work. Urasawa makes no bones about him being a huge fan of Osamu Tezuka — made even more clear by his writing of Pluto — but long before that he was taking cues from the Star System. He almost always uses a character that looks like Kosaku Matsuda or Yawara Inokuma in his series as well as several other recurring actors. The Star System reaches beyond manga too, as some anime directors can even be seen using it. Yasuhiro Imagawa is famous for plucking characters from many of the creator's sources when adapting a manga into anime. In Giant Robo: The Day the Earth Stood Still, not only does he re-imagine Mitsuteru Yokoyama's classic, but he practically turns it into an homage as he pulls characters from Outlaws of the Marsh and Romance of the Three Kingdoms into the story. Imagawa went on to bring a similar feeling to Go Nagai's Shin Mazinger Shogeki! Z Hen.

It is easy to mistake someone using the Star System for an inability to vary their character designs. Although some manga-ka (Ed. note: manga artists) use the Star System, it is hardly a universal staple of the world of manga. At times it might seem that a manga-ka is using the Star System but in is in fact just reusing character designs due to lack of ability, laziness, or time constraints. Much like the difference between homage and rip-off, it can be a tricky matter to determine which is going on without the manga-ka commenting one way or another. But it can also be a fun and insightful line of conversation, because it is no secret that Tezuka's influence runs quite deep indeed.

---

This is merely an introduction and light examination of Tezuka's Star System. The system itself is more complex and its influence more far-reaching than this simple overview could give. If you wish to learn more about the Star System, you should track down the following books for more information about Tezuka himself and the many unique and influential traits of his manga:

• The Art of Osamu Tezuka: God of Manga
• The Astro Boy Essays

You can also check out the following web sites, which are great resources for learning more about Tezuka:

• Tezuka in English
• The Official Tezuka Website

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Secret Santa Review: Kannagi - Crazy Shrine Maidens (Sub)

Medium: TV Anime
Number of episodes: 13
Genres: Humor, Romance
Director: Yutaka Yamamoto
Studio: A-1 Pictures
Version reviewed: Anime News Network video stream (also available in Bandai Ent. box set)
Release date: October 4 thru December 27, 2008 (JPN), July 16, 2009 (NA)
Rated: Unrated (appropriate for 13+)

To be entirely honest, I was not the least bit excited about watching Kannagi. It was one of three choices provided to me through the Reverse Thieves' "Anime Secret Santa" project, the other two being Air and True Tears, but seeing as I am generally not a fan of the "moé" subculture of anime fandom, I was not expecting to enjoy this series.

And would you look at that! I didn't.

The plot, laid out by Hideyuki Kurata (Now and Then, Here and There, Read or Die) follows our mostly cookie-cutter protagonist Jin Mikuriya, who is living alone while his parents are away on a business trip. On the day that he completes his wooden carving of a local goddess, the statue breaks apart, revealing a teenage girl inside! The petulant girl explains that she is Nagi, the goddess that Jin was carving a likeness of. Naturally, she ends up staying with Jin, pretending to be his "long lost sister" to explain it to friends. (Can you count the clichés?) As the story drags on, the cast is filled out with Jin's art club friends (the otaku Akiba and the shy, tall Daitetsu), childhood friend Tsugumi (who has a crush on Jin), and Nagi's goddess sister "Zange-chan" (who – surprise surprise! – also likes Jin).

So how about the conflict? What drives these characters to do what they do, and keeps the viewer interested enough to move from episode to episode? Well, nothing! The first few episodes feature Nagi and Jin trying to capture and destroy "impurities," evil spirits (or something like that) in the shape of black insects. What are the impurities and why does Nagi need to destroy them? It's not really explained, but the show sure does make a big deal about these things at the beginning.

Later the show focuses on Nagi and Zange trying to outdo each other at being teenage idols. The reason for that conflict is weak as well, with the only explanation being that the two need to gain followers to increase their powers as goddesses. Curiously, though, their "powers" never seem to manifest into anything remotely useful. This arc in particular highlights the show's obsession with the otaku subculture, especially its uncomfortable tendency to pander to its audience at every single turn with teen idols, magical girls, and maid cafés.

The middle of Kannagi forgets about BOTH of these conflicts and lapses into pure comedy, with a few episodes about Nagi locking herself in a closet, a karaoke trip, and other silliness. Here the show really shines, as it takes its very simple, one-dimensional cast and uses their comedic strengths – much like 2006's enjoyable The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya – to pull off some surprisingly funny scenes.

Finally, it all comes back to a dramatic trio of episodes at the end that seems like a half-hearted attempt to transform the characters of the previous ten episodes into real human beings that the audience should care about. However, when Kannagi's excuse for character introduction is a girl listing off the archetypes that each character fits into, it's only natural that an attempt at real development meets with some massive cognitive dissonance. A few moments in the final episode or two might provoke some real emotion, but mostly you will just want to punch Jin for turning into Shinji Ikari at the last moment.

The biggest central conflict that Kannagi has going for it is the romantic relationship developing between Jin and Nagi, but it falls flat in this as well. Unlike Haruhi Suzumiya (also directed by Yutaka Yamamoto), which had a similarly subdued romantic conflict between a deadpan guy and an impatient, immature girl, Kannagi doesn't have a romantic payoff (the kiss scene in Haruhi). Admittedly this is because Kannagi is based on a manga that has not finished, and the show was intended to have a second season, so it is hard to fault the folks at A-1 Pictures for the weakness in the narrative. However, it undoubtedly weakens the first (and only) season as a stand-alone show.

With all of this negative talk, you might think that I hated everything about Kannagi, but that is certainly not the case. The animation, for one, is beautiful, and it is clear that animating the character's movements – Nagi's in particular – got a lot of focus from the team. The show might not look as beautiful as Haruhi, which was particularly noticeable for its stellar animation, but it's one of the closest things you can find out there in terms of both animation and art direction.

Oddly enough, the background music at the beginning is impressive, using a lot of interesting electronic instrumentation rarely found in anime background music, but later episodes cut back on the use of Satoru Kousaki's fascinating, emotive music in favor of uninspired instrumental versions of the opening and ending themes.

Despite its technical high points, when it comes down to it Kannagi is a waste of time. The show features characters defined only by the archetypes they fit into, but instead of consistently using this potential weakness to the show's comedic benefit, Kurata spends an inordinate amount of time on poorly executed drama and an unsatisfying romantic plot. Still, the most pressing issue that I have with Kannagi is that it simply has nothing to say. At the end of the experience, I was left with only a feeling of, "well yes, that happened." A goddess moved in with a boy, they did some silly stuff that sometimes made me laugh, and they both sort of like each other. Behind all of the big-eyed teenage girls and the half-baked attempts at romantic comedy, Kannagi has no substance, and that is ultimately its greatest failure.

weak.

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And so begins the Anime Secret Santa Project!

Clearly I've been more naughty than nice this year. It's the only thing that makes sense, considering the three anime chosen for me by my "Anime Secret Santa." The project, run by the Reverse Thieves, has a wide cross-section of anime bloggers trading review requests Secret Santa-style, with the goal of the choices being things that the reviewer on the receiving end might like despite having never seen before.

Somebody, however, is not out to make my Christmas a happy one. Whoever you are, my undercover friend, you should know right now that I shall never forgive you for what you have done. I shall hunt you to the ends of the earth, though you may hide behind the guise of Internet anonymity. "Why the hatred?" my readers might ask. "Why this open loathing for one whom you have never met?"

The reason, as the more astute among you may have already guessed, is that my Anime Secret Santa has had the courage (and cruelty) to request not one, not two, but THREE anime series straight out of the bowels of the dread spectre of moé (not exactly my favorite genre, to put it lightly). My friends, I am now tasked with choosing between Air, Kannagi, and True Tears.

So let it be known that I accept your challenge, oh mysterious fellow blogger. My poison of choice is Kannagi: Crazy Shrine Maidens, the Next Big Thing from Haruhi director Yutaka Yamamoto. I am prepared to stare without fear into the gaping maw of the moé menace. Do your worst.

My review of Kannagi will be posted on or around December 24. The pairings for the Secret Santa Project will be revealed on the 25th.

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Ani-Gamers Podcast #018 - The Mega-Podcast

Hosts: Evan "Vampt Vo" Minto, Alain (Hisui), Kate (Narutaki), Carol (Kohaku), and Carl
Topic: Otakon 2009

At long last the Ani-Gamers Podcast has woken from its Otakon-induced slumber. Today we've got a mega-podcast (four co-hosts is pretty mega!) that was supposed to be recorded while we were mega-riding the Megabus charter bus service. But since there were so many normal people on the bus, we couldn't record it, and our intrepid bloggers have come together using the power of Skype to send this Otakon 2009 convention report into the great beyond that is the Internet.

Unfortunately, Skype is a fickle friend, so we faced off with such problems as echoes and inexplicable audio dropout. The resulting podcast might not sound as great audio-wise as most of our other episodes, but believe me, it took a lot of work to edit it to a point at which it would actually be listenable. Nevertheless, I hope you enjoy it!

Show notes and links can be found after the break.

DIRECT DOWNLOAD - RSS Feed - iTunes - Send us Feedback! - More episodes


(Runtime: 1 hour, 10 minutes)

[0:00:00] Intro: Voice actor Michele Knotz (recorded at AnimeNEXT 2009)

[0:00:05] Opening Song: "R.O.D Theme" by Taku Iwasaki (R.O.D. OVA opener)

[0:00:19] We've got a lot of people on the podcast today! So many that Skype can't handle the power, and it shuts us out of our conversation again and again. Curse you!

[0:01:46] What'cha Been Doing? Kate has been watching Eureka Seven, Carol has been watching Kyo Kara Maoh!, Alain has been playing Umineko, Carl has been watching Pretty Cure All Stars DX, and Evan has been watching Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi.

[0:08:40] Break: "Watashi no Kare wa Pilot (My Boyfriend Is A Pilot)" by Mari Iijima (from Super Dimension Fortress Macross) I swear that this is appropriate, because, y'know, Ishiguro directed Macross! Also it was the only Macross song I had on my harddrive at the time. I swear!

[0:09:33] Discussion: Otakon 2009 was awesome. However, there were some problems, such as Daryl Surat being shut down for showing Apocalypse Zero and us getting NO INTERVIEWS AT ALL. Highlights include: Yutaka Yamamoto is a classy guy, the Space Battleship Yamato blowing up the Starship Enterprise, and morse code podcasts. For more information about the guests we saw and the panels we attended, check out the official Otakon website or read Ani-Gamers' continuing coverage of the convention. And finally, that picture of Noboru Ishiguro that I kept talking about is attached to this post.

[1:04:10] We chatter for way too long as we try to plug everybody's blogs and say goodbye. Don't listen to this part. Doctors believe that it actually makes you stupider. (And please do visit the Reverse Thieves and Ogiue Maniax)

[1:09:37] Ending Song: "WORLD END Instrumental" by FLOW (Code Geass R2 second opener)

[1:09:52] Outro: I've discovered your true identity, Reverse Thieves! By night you fight crime as anime bloggers, but by day, you're really... A BEATLES COVER BAND!

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Ani-Gamers Podcast #012 - NYCC09 Blogger Roundtable

Hosts: Evan "Vampt Vo" Minto, Brigid Alverson, Alain a.k.a. "Hisui," Kate a.k.a. "Narutaki," Scott VonSchilling, Greg
Topics: New York Comic Con 2009

Recorded on the last day of the New York Comic Con, this episode has four other bloggers and Evan talking about our experience at the con, our favorite announcements and events, and our opinions on the state of the anime and manga industries. This was literally a blogger roundtable, as we were bloggers sitting around a round table in the press room. The guests include the folks from Anime Almanac, MangaBlog, and Reverse Thieves.

You might notice that Evan forgets to introduce himself at the beginning. For those who are new to the podcast and can't figure it out on their own, he's the EIC of the blog and the host of the podcast.

Show notes and links can be found after the break.

Direct Download - RSS Feed - iTunes - Email Us! - More episodes


(Runtime: 45 minutes, 38 seconds)

[0:00:00] Intro: Todd Howard, Executive Producer for Fallout 3

[0:00:05] Opening Song: "R.O.D Theme" by Taku Iwasaki (R.O.D. OVA opener)

[0:00:21] Getting right into the action, we are recording a live show at the New York Comic Con! Introductions ensue: Scott, Alain, and Kate and special non-credentialed guest Greg.

[0:01:24] "What are your opinions on the con?" It was packed, particularly on Sunday due to Joss Whedon's presence. Alain talks about people cutting their fingers off in order to see Whedon. This did not actually occur, though it certainly would have been entertaining if it had.

[0:02:07] Brigid Alverson (from MangaBlog.net) joins in on the fun, bringing her ungodly amount of manga expertise to the podcast.

[0:06:41] We were going to talk about everyone's favorite announcement, but Scott is intent on industry discussion, so we get into that. He talks about the ICv2 Conference, which I unfortunately didn't attend. Brigid brings up the awesome new licenses for the Viz Signature and VizKids lines. Yen Press's Yostuba&! license comes next, and we all fall head over heels in love with Yen. (Hey Scott, if you love them so much, why don't you MARRY THEM?) Brigid loves CMX too. Also, Viz just licensed Rumiko Takahashi's new manga, so we talk about that, and Alain predicts the plot synopsis.

[0:18:20] Scott moves us along to anime with a discussion of Bandai Entertainment's new YouTube-based online distribution system. I bring up the quote, "single-volume DVD releases have gone the way of the dodo," and we talk about the anime distribution model. (Read more here)

[0:21:01] We get to a little bit of general comics discussion as we consider the possibilities of comics being published first as webcomics and later as trade paperbacks. According to Art Spiegelman, people will never give up that experience of reading a comic on the printed page.

[0:28:20] I ask everybody about the non-industry events that they went to. Scott and Alain comment on the Yatterman premiere, and how nobody was there to see Takashi Miike since the room was filled with squeeing Sho Sakurai fangirls. (Read the complete and terrifying story from Dave on Colony Drop)

[0:32:33] Brigid gets to talk about her panel, "NewsFlash! Teen Girls Read Manga." Evan brings up the really interesting idea of flipping manga aimed at mainstream readers. There will be an article about this on Ani-Gamers in the future. Soon we get to talking about literature being adapted into manga. Then we complain about Del Rey's new OEL manga featuring (as Kate called him) "Bishie Wolverine." Evan makes Kate angry by mentioning a potential Twilight manga.

[0:44:43] "Final thoughts?" It's awesome. Crazy and hectic, but so worth it. That's a wrap!

[0:44:58] Ending Song: "WORLD END" by FLOW (Code Geass R2 second opener)

[0:45:17] Outro: Brigid's in the Twilight Zone!

Links:
Anime Almanac
MangaBlog
Reverse Thieves
Dave's Yatterman story (Colony Drop)

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Ani-Gamers Podcast #011b - Goodbye 2008! (part 2)

Hosts: Evan "Vampt Vo" Minto, Alain a.k.a. "Hisui," Kate a.k.a. "Narutaki"
Topics: Fate Tiger Colosseum Upper (Game-PSP), The Daughter of Twenty Faces [or Chiko, Heiress of the Phantom Thief] (Anime-Sub)

We've got a really short one this time, as the Ani-Gamers Podcast is invaded by Hisui and Narutaki (real names Alain and Kate) from the Reverse Thieves anime blog. These two are here to talk about some overlooked gems from 2008 - including the Capcom game (featuring Type Moon characters) Fate Tiger Colosseum Upper and the BONES anime The Daughter of Twenty Faces. Oh, and see that litle "part 2" in the title? That means that you should listen to podcast #011a, since this episode is sort of a continuation of that one. Sort of.

And before anybody asks: yes, Alain and Kate are talking about things that were not released in America, even though our Best of 2008 write-ups had that as a requirement. It's fine - it's not like we're giving out any official awards here.

Show notes and links can be found after the break.

Direct Download - RSS Feed - iTunes - Email Us!


(Runtime: 18 minutes, 3 seconds)

[0:00:00] Opening Song: "R.O.D Theme" by Taku Iwasaki (R.O.D. OVA opener)

[0:00:10] Pre-show thing, wherein Evan talks about how you can subscribe to us, where our blog is, and other things that you already know because you're currently reading the blog. Also, he thanks Erin and Noah of the Ninja Consultant Podcast for playing our promo on their show. (and for posting this awesome picture of him from MangaNEXT)

[0:01:44] Introductions, introductions. Hisui (Alain) and Kate (Narutaki) introduce themselves, but never really manage to mention their online aliases. That's why we have show notes. They explain how their blog is NOT about burning things in fire. This is a shameful thing for any blog.

[0:03:00] Musical Break: "Try Real!" by Yui Sakakibara (Fate Tiger Colosseum Upper intro song)

[0:04:20] In this segment, Alain is simultaneously explaining why Fate Tiger Colosseum Upper is awesome and trying in to pronounce its name. This game is based on the Type Moon franchises (i.e. H-GAMES), but it has cute little characters and silly storylines. Topics for this segment include Magical Sister Priestess Karin and vicious chibi violence.

[0:09:12] Musical Break: "Kasumi" by 369 miroku (The Daughter of Twenty Faces opener)

[0:10:25] Now it's Kate's turn, and she's talking about The Daughter of Twenty Faces, which could also be called Chiko, Heiress of the Phantom Thief if you were the Anime News Network. It's a mystery anime by BONES that centers around some girl and a thief who probably doesn't have twenty faces, but people call him that anyway. Topics for this segment include every mystery cliche ever, Matsuda, and "The Detective Girls."

[0:17:12] Ending Song: "WORLD END" by FLOW (Code Geass R2 second opener)

[0:17:44] Outro: Black Jack? Yes, Black Jack.

Links:
Ninja Consultant Podcast
Reverse Thieves

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A proposition from the Reverse Thieves

I've got a note from the Reverse Thieves blog about a new project they're doing. If you want to check out the official home for their project, click here.

Hi this is Alain from the anime blog Reverse Thieves. As a regular listener to your podcast I was wondering if you could do us a favor and mention a project we are currently recruiting for. If you find our project interesting could you mention the Otaku Diaries on your next podcast and/or post our project information and contact information on your website.

We at Reverse Thieves are looking to do something a little different.

We are proposing a project called the Otaku Diaries. We are looking for people who consider themselves otaku to participate in an anonymous survey. It will be profiling the lives, loves, and losses of these individuals and how their hobby has related to shaping them. We will also be looking for patterns as well as differences in the cases. We are looking for diverse people who are not afraid to get personal, questions will include topics like prior relationships, profession, and sexuality.

If you are interested here is how it is going to work. Send us an email at otakudiary@gmail.com with a brief description of yourself include your age, sex, and location. No names need be exchanged and your anonymity will be protected, create a separate e-mail account just for this survey if you wish. If you are selected to participate, you will be given a case # to which all your answers will be attributed. After all the data is collected we will be doing several blog posts about the results.

We hope to start at the end of February, depending on the number of responses.

Thanks!

- Hisui (Alain)
www.reversethieves.com
reversethieves@gmail.com

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