Category Archives: anime

Respect for 30 Years: Otakon 2024

Posted on by

Otakon celebrated its 30th anniversary this year in Washington DC from August 2 through 4. Somehow, despite growing from a humble event to one over 70 times bigger, Otakon still manages to keep a lot of its inner fandom heart intact.

Otakon Matsuri

2024 saw the return of the Otakon Matsuri, a free outdoor event the Thursday before the convention proper. The last time it was held, Otakon was still in Baltimore in 2016. 

The small venue (right across the street from the Walter E. Washington Convention Center) had a stage that featured performances like a sumo demonstration and wotagei dance/call lessons, as well as food samples and food trucks for anyone curious and hungry. The food served wasn’t necessarily Japanese or even Asian-themed, but the variety was welcome. I did not stand in line to get some Fogo de Chao (Brazilian) but I did eat some hearty Indonesian food from the Saté food truck.

The Otakon Matsuri being an outdoor event meant it had to deal with the weekend being especially hot and humid even by already sweltering DC standards. Just standing could be an unpleasant experience, but thankfully, by the time the event started winding down to its main event—the Korean YouTube anime singer aLF—the temperature had become a bit more bearable. 

I had been passingly familiar with aLF, but it was a treat to hear her sing live, the only hiccup being some issues with the speakers. Her setlist included songs like “Brave Heart” from Digimon Adventure, “Chala Head Chala” from Dragon Ball Z, and “Men of Destiny” from Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory. aLF’s solid, yet ever-so-slightly raspy vocals worked especially well with “Men of Destiny” (even if it’s very different from the original singer). She also sang an original number in Korean: the opening for the Korean dub of a Kindaichi Case Files anime (aka Kim Jeon-il). While I generally prefer the original Japanese openings to shows, I like hearing localized intros if they’ve had a lot of care put into them.

General Health

The sky-high temperatures were an issue across the weekend, though I understand that it was well outside of Otakon’s control. But one thing I do want to bring up that they can address is the lack of a real masking policy. The convention encourages masks and respirators as a way to mitigate the spread of disease, but there has not been a mandate in place for a few years now. It’s easy to forget that COVID-19 still exists (and continuously mutates), that long COVID is still an ongoing issue, and there are both new and old forms of con crud hitting attendees. I know the US has pretty much abandoned any attempt to mitigate contagions through masks at this point, but I think high-density events like Otakon would benefit immensely from this. So once again, I’m hammering the point.

The (Former) Bottleneck

If there was one noticeable issue with Otakon in 2023, it was the hall leading to the Artist Alley and Dealer’s Room. The way the con is set up, the lowest floor space is dedicated to these two spaces, and they see a lot of traffic. Last year, Otakon had a point where attendees were supposed to start walking by staying to the right and then switch to staying to the left. If this sounds confusing, that’s because it is. Having to criss-cross with people walking in the opposite direction led to inevitable problems, and it made that corridor more of a chore.

This year, one big change appeared to have solved this issue. Before, the Dealer’s Room and Artist Alley were blocked off from each other, but now the space between them was opened up. The result is that, rather than making attendees go up an escalator and back through the hall to go down a different escalator, it was as simple as walking from one to the other. The result was a near-total lack of bottlenecks, and the complete elimination of the criss-cross.

Another side effect of this was that it made getting to the Autographs area easier. That section is right between the Dealer’s Room and Artist Alley, and this setup allowed those who were looking to get stuff signed to take the Artist Alley escalator instead of being forced to use the Dealer’s Room’s entrance. It was actually an unintentional bonus—Otakon staff mentioned that they did not have that in mind. Because I was looking to get some autographs myself, this was a major boon for me. As for the Autograph Area itself, well, things were more complicated.

Autographs

I know some folks who dedicate the majority of their time to autographs at conventions. My approach varies tremendously depending on the guest list, but this year there were a few guests I was hoping to see. The problem with any signings at a convention, though, is that there’s no perfect system to deal with the fact that you’ll sometimes have many more people vying for those autographs than there is available time. 

For the domestic guests, they’re usually around for long periods, and people generally have to pay for autographs. The foreign (i.e. Japan and Korea–based) guests typically operate by different rules: They’re present for one or two one-hour sessions across the weekend, but charge nothing. As I focus more on the latter type of guest, I got to experience Otakon’s approach quite a bit.

This is not my first Otakon by any means, and this spot by the Dealer’s Room has been the Autograph Area for many years now while always running into similar issues about how to manage the space. This year, the rule was that attendees were only allowed to line up 30 minutes before the start of a signing, but they were also not allowed to loiter in the area until then, lest they incur the very vocal wrath of the staff in charge. It’s an understandable policy meant to prevent fire hazards resulting from huge amounts of people stuffed into that area, but the result is this bizarre meta where the hopeful have to test the limits of what is okay, see how well they can judge the rush that occurs right as the minute hits, and also accept random luck.

For example, I initially failed to get an autograph for Uchida Aya (Kotori from Love Live!) because I got blocked out by a closely packed group of cosplayers. The second time, I managed to get through because I ended up very close, but also because a person a little in front of me had a panic attack from getting tightly packed in between a bunch of bodies—and it would have been worse because I could feel the crowd behind me pushing up against me. I can’t help but feel that the Autograph Area in Baltimore (away from the Dealer’s Room) was a better space, though the Japanese signings were split up from the domestic signings back then. 

I also encountered the scourge of signings in modern times: the Funkopops. From what I understand, people looking to sell famous autographs and make a profit often use Funkopops as their item of choice due to their relatively low cost and popularity. The problem is that these profit-focused outsiders can end up crowding out actual fans, so Otakon (and other cons) implement varying degrees of anti-Funkopop policies, with some coming from the guests’ teams  themselves. In the case of one guest, it was announced at the last second that they would not sign any figures (not just Funkopops). I couldn’t help but feel sorry for those who meant well and brought their favorite figure merch, not realizing that others had ruined it for them. 

Ultimately, I ended up with autographs from Uchida Aya and Kakazu Yumi (Renais from Gaogaigar FINAL and Shizuru from Godannar), plus Japan-based American talent Diana Garnet and manga artist Aiba Kyoko. I think I made out pretty okay.

Fan Panels

I’m a bit ashamed to say that I didn’t attend very many fan panels this year, so I didn’t really get the chance to see anyone with whom I was unfamiliar. Here are a couple of highlights, though.

Ani-Merry Christmas

I’ve attended a number of Viga’s panels over the years, and this one was all about Christmas in anime. It was a fun journey through its portrayal in the media of a that treats it less like a time for family and/or religious reflection and more like a “third Valentine’s Day,” as Viga put it. There were some titles I recognized and expected, but also a couple that I’d never heard of. It was one of the first panels Friday morning, and a nice way to kick off the con officially. 

Anime in Non-Anime

Gerald from Anime World Order ran this panel, and this was a new version of one I’d seen before a number of Otakons ago: Anime in Non-Anime. However, the central thrust of the presentation differed significantly, and that’s because anime has reached actual mainstream recognition in recent years. Thus, talking about all the ways anime pops up in funny ways on the news and such doesn’t quite have the same meaning. Instead, the panel was all about going back to the times when anime was niche and liking it might get you proverbially (or literally) shoved into a locker, and the joy one felt when any show had even the slightest nod to anime.

Fitness in Anime is WHACK and Here’s Why…

I’m not a very physically active person, but I was curious what this was about. The person running the panel mentioned being a track athlete in the past, and called a lot of things cringe. The general takeaways were that anime bodies aren’t realistic because training for different goals will produce different bodies, and the cut and chiseled figures you see are often a result of aesthetic bodybuilding. Also, the exercises that make you want to exercise more are better than great ones that you’ll never want to do.
Incidentally, it was one of two “fitness in anime” panels this weekend, and each was run by a different person. Quite the coincidence.

I feel I need to put a reminder on myself to make the effort to look at fan panels and not just get enticed away by the glamor of the industry stuff. With that said…

Industry

Final Fantasy

The biggest industry guests this year were probably the Final Fantasy VII Remake crew. Not only is VII just a major part of video game history, but the guests included Japanese and English voice actors, as well as staff that had worked on Final Fantasy games for decades. The producer of VII Remake, Kitase Yoshinori, was also the director on Chrono Trigger in the 1990s.

I have never truly played Final Fantasy VII in any form, and so my interest was limited, but I still went to their biggest panel just to see what might come up. Outside of a couple surprise video-only appearances (including Vincent dub actor and Critical Role DM Matt Mercer), it was mostly an audience Q&A. One thing that was interesting was the format they used to take questions: attendees could submit questions online, which would then be filtered by the Square-Enix staff. It was a decent middle ground between totally curated questions and an entirely open mic, allowing for some degree of spontaneity. There wasn’t a whole lot of interesting info, but I did learn that Cait Sith has a Kansai accent in Japanese, and that Kakazu Yumi has been voicing Yuffie all the way since the 1998 fighting game Ergheiz.

Aiba Kyoko

Manga artists are notoriously busy, so it was a pleasant surprise to see not just one, but two at Otakon. Neither are massive names in the business, but getting to hear any artists talk about their work and processes is valuable. 

Aiba Kyoko is mostly known for her BL work, and she ran a panel Friday morning focused on tips to help artists draw in a more “manga”-esque style compared to more typical American comics. She prefaced it by saying that neither approach is worse than the other, but for artists who are always wondering why their art might seem “off,” it might have to do with the stuff one absorbs by growing up in and being surrounded by a particular culture (or lack thereof). For example, the barrel-chested, inverted-triangle superhero anatomy often signals power in American comics. In Japanese media, popular strong characters are often not only thinner but also have a casual nonchalance to their posture that demonstrates a cool confidence. Aiba went with extreme examples to make a point, but I think it was illustrated well.

She took drawing requests from the audience, and we ended up with Michael Keaton Batman and Mordecai from Regular Show. She specifically mentioned how she still has some trouble drawing in that American style, and that she had to widen her Batman drawing to make it look right.

One of the coolest things Aiba showed was actually how she uses kinesio tape (or perhaps some offbrand equivalent?) on her hand. I’ve never used it so I may have this wrong, but I believe she said that the tape actually has to be wrapped in a way that it pulls in the opposite direction of the muscle to stabilize it.

Kino Hinoki

The other artist was Kino Hinoki, whose works include the manga adaptation of NO.6 and a series called Setsuna Graffiti, bout a fireworks maker. Her panel was on Sunday. Funnily enough, Aiba was also there helping the interpreter with obscure manga-specific terms and literally running around with the mic for Q&A.

Kino was very forthcoming with information and tips. Comparing her work on NO.6 to other manga, she mentioned needing to do a lot more plotting in advance (it being an adaptation and all). She gave a tip on using screentone on faces, which is to only use it on closeups. She also cautioned artists to be careful of making what people in the industry derogatorily refer to as “face manga,” i.e. are just close-up headshots with little variety. And when asked about her biggest inspirations, Kino answered 1)  Arakawa Hiromu (Fullmetal Alchemist) for the way she constructs and composes her stories, and 2) Tanemura Arina (Full Moon o Sagashite) for her illustrations.

I asked her if she had her own editor or if she worked with the ones at different publishers, and she said the latter (which is more common). Other fun trivia included the fact that she pole dances as a hobby, she’s left-handed (and thus has to deal with the fact that most devices for digital artists tend to favor righties), and her favorite FMA character is Edward (she likes good-looking short characters).

Animeigo + Discotek

Animeigo has been bringing anime to home video for English-speaking fans since the 1980s, and they’re still alive and kicking. But recently, there was a big change as the original president, Robert Woodhead, sold the company to MediaOCD’s Justin Sevakis, himself an industry veteran. At Otakon, the new Animeigo announced their plans to bring back their known titles in improved editions, such as Megazone 23 and Bubblegum Crash—but also to license rescue works from outside their catalog, like Full Moon o Sagashite. This will be the first time that Full Moon is fully available legally in the US, as the previous release many years ago stalled. This series was an internet darling in the 2000s, and I expect a lot of fans from that era to rise back up for it.

The basic takeaway was that Animeigo and Sevakis came across as very dedicated to media preservation and giving it their all to make releases worth owning. It’s similar in a lot of ways to Discotek, the other current publisher really dedicated to retro anime—a company to which Sevakis also lends his and MediaOCD’s video restoration and authoring skills on a regular basis.

The Animeigo panel was followed by the Discotek panel in the same room. Like every year, it was chock full of announcements, so many that they couldn’t even fit them all in, showing them through an extra stream after the panel had ended. My personal highlights were a trio of mecha works: Space Musketeer Bismark (the original Japanese version of Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs), the HD blu-ray version of Giant Gorg, and the utterly unexpected Groizer X. 

Interviews

I conducted interviews with a few of the guests, namely Uchida Aya, Kakazu Yumi, and Ishikawa Hideo.

Music

Flow

I attended the Friday concert by FLOW, a band I’m quite familiar with—I even got their autograph many years ago at another convention. 

The group was here as part of a world tour that is specifically focused on their anime music. Before the concert began, voices from the titles they worked on gave words of encouragement: Team 7 from Naruto, Lelouch from Code Geass, and Eureka and Renton from Eureka Seven, among others. 

Their set list was as follows.

  • 01 BURN
  • 02 KAZE NO UTA
  • 03 LOVE AND JUSTICE
  • 04 Steppin’ out (Intro, Long version)
  • 05 CHA-LA-HEAD-CHA-LA
  • 06 HERO~Kibou no Uta~
  • 07 DAYS
  • 08 Brave Blue
  • 09 COLORS
  • 10 WORLD END
  • 11 United Sparrows
  • 12 Re:member
  • 13 Member Introduction: Tick Tack
  • 14 Sign ~ Intro Long Version
  • 15 GO !!!
  • 16 GOLD

One could tell how popular a particular show/song was based on the rumbling along the floor. A very new song like their Kinnikuman opening got some cheers. “DAYS” from Eureka Seven definitely caught people’s attention (It’s my favorite song of theirs). “COLORS” reflected that Code Geass was indeed a defining anime for a great many. But when “GO!!!” from Naruto hit, the floor literally felt like it was undulating from the stomps and excitement. I think it really says how essential and fundamental Naruto was to the fandom, and how much that fifth opening helped put FLOW on the map. It’s literally one of two openings people will generally point to as the series intro (the other being “Haruka Kanata”). Overall, it was an excellent time.

Retro AMVs

Otakon this year brought back old school Anime Music Videos, this time from its 1996 Otakon AMV contest. I’ve never been that big on AMVs in general, but there’s just something fun about it as a time capsule. As expected, the anime involved were the fan darlings of the era: Bubblegum Crisis, Armitage III, so much Tenchi Muyo!, and so on. I highly recommend checking this out at least once, not least of which is because of the level of technology the AMV makers had to work with at the time. I do wonder how attendees who weren’t around for this era of anime feel when watching these.

Miscellaneous

Skipped the Korean Content

I keep not attending the Korean stuff despite having every intention to check out at least a little. Maybe next time! 

30th Anniversary Exhibit

Near the front entrance was a special area showcasing memorabilia from every Otakon since the very beginning, including things like Otakon Vegas and 2020’s Otakon Online. It was fun reminiscing on all the past Otakons I had attended, and to see what came before I ever started going. 

The most astounding thing is realizing just how much it’s grown: 1994 had only 350 attendees, and now it’s over 50,000! At the Closing Ceremony, the staff revealed that the entirety of the first Otakon would have fit into the relatively modest 30th anniversary exhibition area.  

Otakon 2025 Hotel Reservation Fiasco

Although this has nothing to do with Otakon 2024, I do need to point out the numerous problems that occurred with reserving hotels for 2024. Otakon announced that the hotel blocks would open at 12PM EST on August 13. Many other conventions have similar queuing systems for everything from autographs to concerts, and usually the point of the queue is that the order is randomized to be more fair to people who couldn’t get there right on the dot.

However, this was not the case for Otakon, which ended up being a first come, first served system. That in itself was potentially not an issue, but Otakon did not communicate clearly that it was non-random, and the social media didn’t announce that they were actually starting at 11AM until the day before. On top of all that, they had apparently tried to test the system at around 1030AM, which opened the queue and allowed people who were waiting to get in before even the earlier start time.

I hope Otakon can fix this problem for next year, as it is one of their biggest missteps in years. 

Food

In addition to the above-mentioned Saté food truck at the Matsuri, I ate at a number of spots over the weekend. As always, the Caribbean food in the convention center is probably the best deal and consistently delicious (though be warned that it’s still convention prices). SUNdeVICH is another mainstay of the Otakon trip, and this year I got their bulgogi-based Seoul sandwich. The kimchi and slaw make it really work. Dolcezza’s gelato is as good as ever.

I also visited a small German restaurant called Prost DC, and got the sauerbraten (see above). It was surprisingly pleasant, and made me reevaluate my previously very neutral opinion on this national dish of Germany.

Cosplay

Closing Thoughts

At the Q&A session on the final day, there were a few people who expressed that they wished it felt more like a 30th anniversary celebration, but I think it feels very Otakon to just do a solid job of putting on a convention. Just about everything I enjoy about Otakon is still there, and I have faith that the hiccups and issues that are there will be at least partly improved by the next go around.

I want to end with a little story: At the Matsuri, I was sitting with some friends, one of whom was chatting with someone else sharing the table. This young individual was attending Otakon for the first time, and they had come to this event cosplaying as Inuyasha. I was a little surprised because the heyday of Inuyasha (and its ubiquitous cosplay at cons) had long passed, but I found out that Inuyasha was this person’s first anime ever. It really felt like time is on some mysterious cycle; perhaps all too appropriate for a 30th anniversary.

Reflecting on the Passing of Rachel Lillis

Posted on by

Rachel Lillis, one of the main voice actors of the original Pokémon dub, passed away recently. She was 55.

I don’t hold that original 4Kids dub in special regard—their voices do not necessarily define the characters for me, even though I think they played the characters well. That said, I feel that they are an important part of my life, and something that took me from kid who liked anime to full-on otaku. 

I think Lillis’s ability comes through in the range of characters she played. As the voice of both Misty and Jessie, she was in virtually every episode talking to herself, and she really sounded like two entirely different people. If I didn’t know they were voiced by the same person, I might not have ever realized. Her performances resonate clearly in my memory—I used to watch the show every day for years and years, I had the 2BA Master CD, the whole nine yards. Whatever my potential misgivings about the dub’s censorship choices, I find that Lillis’s voice work actually felt entertaining and faithful to her characters.

In terms of her influence, I especially remember an early Pokémon fansite, the Team Rocket Headquarters. It was filled with people who absolutely adored Jessie, James, and Meowth, and Lillis’s tragic and arrogant goofball of an agent played a major part in bringing them to be Pokémon die-hards. Also, it apparently still exists????

Pokémon switched English actors in the mid-2000s, which means that virtually everyone who grew up with Lillis’s performances are now full-grown adults. There’s no doubt she brought a lot of smiles to fan’s faces, and I hope those who aren’t familiar with her work can go back and appreciate it too.

In Pursuit of New Experiences: A Sign of Affection

Posted on by

A Sign of Affection is a shoujo anime that makes a powerful impression. Based on the manga by Morishita Suu, it features a hearing-impaired protagonist in her first romance, and the uplifting nature of its story centers around how she navigates life without positioning her as a tragic figure or an example of “overcoming the odds.”

Itose Yuki is a new university student who’s deaf. Not long after she starts school, Yuki meets Nagi Itsuomi, an older student who loves traveling and studying languages. She’s drawn to Itsuomi’s kindness and forwardness, but also his constant desire to broaden his horizons. Itsuomi begins learning sign language, sparking a connection that both of them want to foster. There’s drama, romantic rivals, hopes, and all the things that make for a good love story—but in a way that feels much more realistic.

Historically, characters in fiction with disabilities are utilized as pitiable or admirable “freaks” differentiated from the fully abled. Depicting disability in fiction in a sensitive manner means acknowledging the unique challenges created by a disability without exoticizing it. But there is no universal approach to achieving this, and it is itself a subject of debate. I am not deaf, and so I’m speaking as an outsider, but I think A Sign of Affection manages to be a work that is conscientious of its circumstances without being condescending. Yuki’s situation factors into the complexities of love, but aren’t the sole driving factor. 

One of the unique aspects of the A Sign of Affection anime is its emphasis on lips. Anime is typically known for using generic mouth flaps to animate speech as a cost-saving measure. But when the show is about a girl who has to read lips to communicate with most people, this won’t fly. While A Sign of Affection doesn’t do it for every scene, there are a lot of moments where it animates mouth movements in very fine detail to emphasize how Yuki approaches her interactions.

It’s worth noting that this work is still made mainly for those who can hear. We don’t seem to be at the point where an anime is specifically made with hearing disabilities in mind, but maybe it’ll happen someday.

Spiral Stinger and Photobomber: Ogiue Maniax Status Update for August 2024

Posted on by

Otakon 2024 is this weekend! There are a few guests I’m looking forward to seeing (and hopefully interviewing), like Kakazu Yumi (Shizuru in Godannar, Renais in Gaogaigar FINAL) and Uchida Aya (Minami in Love Live!).

I don’t have any panels this year, but good luck to all presenters! I might be in attendance at yours.

Patreon thanks to the following!

General:

Ko Ransom

Diogo Prado

Alex

Dsy

Sue Hopkins fans:

Serxeid

Hato Kenjirou fans:

Elizabeth

Yajima Mirei fans:

Machi-Kurada

Blog highlights from July

How Takanashi Kiara’s Retro Outfit Reflects Changing Beauty Standards

The phoenix of hololive got a new outfit recently, retro in aesthetics but not necessarily proportions.

Miki Kinemi and the Electrifying Characters of Blue Period

Join the Miki Kinemi Fan Club today!

La+ Darknesss Is Now a Shoujo Manga Author

This hololive VTuber has now been published in Hana to Yume magazine!

Kio Shimoku

A new Spotted Flower chapter and a new volume! Find out more from Kio’s tweets.

Closing

See you in Washington DC, maybe!

Kio Shimoku Twitter Highlights July 2024

Posted on by

New chapter of Spotted Flower came out at the end of last month, which is now followed by a new volume of Spotted Flower too!

https://twitter.com/kioshimoku1/status/1807270496565641715

New chapter of Spotted Flower!

https://twitter.com/kioshimoku1/status/1809110684917248425

Kio’s tortoise will just walk around his room and randomly poop and pee, so Kio got it a diaper made for cats.

Kio retweeted a t-shirt of the Fantasista mascot Sistan, which has art by Koume Keito (who worked on the Kujibiki Unbalance manga. Sistan thanks Kio, who responds that this makes him happy.

Kio attended an event of “like-minded people,” and went to the afterparty despite initially being hesitant. Turns out he enjoyed it.

The tortoise keeps waking up one hour earlier, messing up Kio’s sleep. He can hear it walking around and breathing.

Kio wishes manga artist Kusada a happy birthday.

The electricity and water were out in Kio’s apartment, so he went to a super sentou (large bathhouse) and had a good time. Kusada and him talk about how losing power and plumbing should be a bad thing, but the bathhouse makes for a great way to relax.

Kio contributed art to a special Rakuen: Le Paradis 15th anniversary exhibition (and you can buy a replica if you’re in Japan!). He also realizes that he’s been a manga artist for 30 years, and half of that was with Rakuen doing Spotted Flower.

30 pages inked (out of 134) for the sequel to Kio’s 18+ doujinshi.

https://twitter.com/kioshimoku1/status/1812328649066266919

Kio rewatched the live-action version of his doujinshi, appreciating how the second half is original material that deviates from his version.

Spotted Flower Volume 7 on sale 7/31 (That’s today!). Kio recommends reading it together with Volume 6.

Kio agonized a lot over what to do for the jacket and the underjacket cover of his artbook. 

After retweeting the announcement of the upcoming Ranma ½ remake, Kio thinks the series might be a major influence on why he’s into trans characters.

Kio concurs with Kusada about how great it is to draw the part of the pelvis that sticks out.

Kio thought he managed to get a manuscript done, but it was only one page’s worth of progress.

Kio is reviewing the interview included in his artbook.

Kio is saddened at the death of Ohara Noriko, the original voice of Nobita in Doraemon and Conan in Future Boy Conan.

Kio mentions something vague about remembering something huge and is worried about making it in time, but manages to do so.

The layout and comments, plus the interview page, are all set for the artbook.

https://twitter.com/kioshimoku1/status/1817037873582952810

https://twitter.com/kioshimoku1/status/1818478710523338920

Spotted Flower v7 comes out 7/31 (that’s today!). Note that there are a number of Japanese stores with exclusive bonuses.

Kio managed to get past a part in (I assume) Elden Ring that didn’t have anything to do with gestures or outfits or story stuff.

A Locomotive of Motives: Train to the End of the World

Posted on by

I don’t know if Train to the End of the World is a true turning point in anime, but it feels like an important intersection of a lot of trends and forces that have been at play over the past ten, maybe even twenty years. 

In the world of the near future, an attempt to launch a 7G network actually twists Japan into a nigh-unrecognizable land of bizarre mysteries and fundamental changes to everything people know. In the city of Agano, adults have turned into sentient animals, wireless communications are dead, and information is hard to come by. Chikura Shizuru is a student living in Agano, going through their daily lives in the fallout of the 7G Incident, but when she learns that her missing friend Yoka might be in Ikebukuro, she and her friends commandeer an out-of-commission train in the hopes of reaching Yoka.

This anime touches on a lot of popular tropes, but in a way that plays with expectations. The series is indeed about Cute Girls Doing a Thing—in this case riding a train through Japan—but it can hardly be called “slice of life” because there is a lot of narrative momentum. It follows in the trend of post-apocalypse and travelog series like Girls’ Last Tour and Kino’s Journey, but it’s less about the ennui of the environment and more about exploring a strange new world. The fact that it’s done via commuter rail and with girls whose relationships carry different degrees of baggage pushes the story away from the quiet gravitas such works often exude and into something more personal. Plenty of titles (especially from the studio P.A. Works) highlight less famous parts of Japan, but they don’t typically present them as Escher-like warpings of reality. I think the closest series might be Rolling Girls, but even that series’s brand of fantastical is very different.

What’s more, Train to the End of the World takes all these somewhat contradictory directions and ties them all together in a satisfying manner. This kind of creativity is actually something I was hopeful about when I first heard about the series, particularly because Mizushima Tsutomu was at the helm. As the director of both SHIROBAKO and Girls und Panzer, he’s proven ability to tell remarkably involved stories that marry a lot of disparate energies together. While Train to the End of the World isn’t my favorite of the three, I feel like it might be the most impressive of them from a storytelling perspective. 

I encourage the skeptical to give it a chance.

Miki Kinemi and the Electrifying Characters of Blue Period

Posted on by

I’ve been catching up on the English releases of the Blue Period manga, and I’ve come to a few realizations.

I Really Like Miki Kinemi

Miki first appears while Yatora is taking the Tokyo University of the Arts entrance exam, and her design stood out to me. Her stocky frame and soft features left a lasting impression on me, and I hoped she would become a recurring character. I’m glad my wish turned out to be true.

Miki’s positive personality and enthusiasm for painting, the way she wears her heart on her sleeve, and the way she tries to take on others’ burdens (sometimes to her own detriment) make for an endearing character. Her body type is also a rarity in manga, and I’m very impressed by the author, Yamaguchi Tsubasa, and her ability to draw Miki so well. I’m a real fan—of both Yamaguchi and Miki.

Actually, They’re All Really Attractive 

The more I thought about it, the more I realized that pretty much all the characters in Blue Period are charming in their own way. Girls, guys, gender nonconforming, they all exhibit a real spark of life that is facilitated by their respective visual designs but also goes beyond their appearance. They’re not attractive simply because they have XYZ physical and personality features but because they feel very human—beautiful and ugly and trying to navigate the world with the tools they have. Some of those tools are the result of their own work, but some have been forced upon them.

When I see a character show up again, I can get a tingle in my spine.

When you get them to bounce off one another, it’s like magic. Or art. One of my favorite things in manga is seeing really deep and dynamic character interaction, and Blue Period has this in spades. The subject matter probably helps, as these artists (from veterans to beginners) are look within while also peering into the souls of others for the sake of their work, or they try to run away and inadvertently do so anyway.

Is Blue Period Now One of My Favorite Manga?

I’ve thought highly of it for a long time, but now I like it even more. So yes, probably.

Bringing the Band Back Together: Sound! Euphonium 3

Posted on by

Sound! Euphonium 3 concludes a nine-year journey that follows the students of the Kitauji High School Music Club through the drama of high school and band competition. Taken in isolation, this season feels like the end of an era. Factoring in the tragedies that the studio Kyoto Animation has gone through, it’s one of the greatest victories ever.

Euphonium player Oumae Kumiko and her friends are now the seniors, and have thus gone from newbies to leaders. For Kumiko, that’s more than literal; she’s now the president. They’ve seen the club go from recreational to competitive, and they have one more chance to earn what has eluded them the past two years: gold at nationals. But a few challenges lie ahead, like trying to guide the club as its veterans, and figuring out what their respective futures in music (if any) looks like. Kumiko also meets a transfer student named Mayu who’s a euphonium player herself, and she has to think about the degree to which this final year is meant to be her own time in the spotlight or Kitauiji’s. 

Can the club hold together and win nationals, or will it fall apart before even making it back?

In preparation for this review, I read through my old posts about Sound! Euphonium. Seeing where Season 3 begins in comparison really highlights the fact that these characters have each gone on their own journeys while part of a greater overall adventure. Kumiko now sees herself as a euphonium player through and through, and her previous ambivalence about music has made way for a different type of ambivalence focused more on what comes next. Trumpeter Kousaka Reina has gone from upstart prodigy to the central pillar of the club, where her unmatched skill, no-nonsense attitude, and unwavering dedication to music positions her as an intimidating yet inspiring upperclassman. Kawashima “Midori” Sapphire has become the gentle but firm mentor to a fellow contrabass player. And Katou Hazuki, who had joined the club on a lark and with no musical experience, can now play the tuba with consistent confidence. They can all display genuine skill with their instruments now, despite how differently they began.

Being the veterans also means new obstacles. One is the fact that the first-years did not go through the fires of change with their teacher, Taki-sensei, and don’t understand why the older members revere him. Another is that Kumiko and the others have managed to rehabilitate the school’s reputation to the point that some students enroll specifically to join the music club, and so many already have entrenched ideas of what to expect. With the main cast as the seniors, they’re now in a place where they are the most mature people in the room. 

At the same time, the third year of high school in Japan also traditionally marks the end of immaturity. Kumiko struggles with envisioning her future, which is made all the more difficult by the fact that Reina is ready to dedicate the rest of her life to reaching greater heights in music. The previous club leaders can seem like giants who had it all figured out, so why does it seem so different now? The transition from childhood to adulthood underlies this final season. It feels genuine, and I find myself reminiscing a bit about what it was like.

Five years have passed since I last watched any Sound! Euphonium, so it’s hard for me to directly compare this concluding season with the previous entries. Even so, I think it holds up to my memories of the anime and as a work unto itself. But when you’re aware of the catastrophes that Kyoto Animation faced—namely an arson attack that claimed the lives of over 30 people and injured dozens of others as well, and then COVID-19—Sound! Euphonium 3 is a true triumph for everyone involved. The fact that they had such devastating setbacks and managed to pull off a final season that looks and feels so satisfying really speaks to how great KyoAni is at spreading institutional knowledge and making sure it’s not just the veterans who hoard all the glory. When it comes to both the Kitauji High School Music Club and Kyoto Animation, understanding the importance of passing the torch is paramount.

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba and Kibutsuji Muzan’s Great Flaw

Posted on by

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba’s Hashira Training Arc has just finished, acting as the prelude to the end. There’s a controversy over its pacing (namely that it streeetches out what is a brief section of the manga despite relatively little source material), but I’d like to put that aside to talk about what I think is the most important moment from the season—one that highlights a core aspect of the main antagonist, Kibutsuji Muzan.

In the final episode of the Hashira Training Arc, Muzan confronts the head of the Demon Slayer Corps, Ubuyashiki Kagaya, who is bedridden and not long for the world. The eternally youthful Muzan mocks Ubuyashiki for his physical deterioration, only for Ubuyashiki to speak about Muzan’s obsession with his own immortality. The demon slayer leader juxtaposes this obsession with the driving animus of the Demon Slayer Corps: though it may consist of mortals, their collective will to defeat the demons lives on. In contrast, the demons rely entirely on Muzan for their continued existence. If he perishes, so too will they.

There lies the inherent opposition between the group structure of demon slayers vs. demons. Muzan has created a system where he alone holds all the cards, going beyond even the most tyrannical despot. And not only does he view his minions as property, he is unwilling to cede any degree of power to them if it is not under his full control. Whereas Ubuyashiki’s followers come to respect him for his compassion and determination, the demons cower in abject fear of Muzan because they are nothing without him. The Demon Slayer Corps legacy carries on, and not simply through childbirth. Instead, it is accomplished primarily through teaching and raising the next generation to be better.

The difference between Ubuyashiki and Muzan comes down to selfishness. It’s the boss who expects everyone to be at their beck and call, the narcissistic parental figure who demands their children listen to them just because, the political leader who passes laws to benefit themselves rather than their citizens. It didn’t have to be the case that toppling Muzan ends the demons, but the man set it up that way, mistakenly believing his weakness to be strength. As we now await the final movie trilogy to conclude Demon Slayer, I’m interested in seeing how this all plays out.

Muscling Through: Ogiue Maniax Status Update for July 2024

Posted on by

Things are looking dire in the United States because of the recent Supreme Court decision that grants presidents broad powers with few if any checks. I will admit that I’m very concerned about this, but all I will say is that those who think they’ll be safe from abuse of power are fooling themselves. Independence and freedom don’t just mean “I can do whatever the hell I want, even if others suffer for it.”

I hope that talking about anime will provide some comfort as I think about what to do next.

The summer anime season is officially upon us, and there’s lots of anime being remade and revived right now. The one I’m looking forward to most is Kinnikuman: Perfect Origin Arc, which is based on the 2011 continuation of the original Kinnikuman manga. Based on the promotional materials, I feel like it actually has a chance of getting some real traction with a modern audience. Might Kinnikuman be the next JoJo in the English-speaking market?

I hope so.

Thank you to the following Patreon supporters for the month:

General:

Ko Ransom

Diogo Prado

Alex

Dsy

Sue Hopkins fans:

Serxeid

Hato Kenjirou fans:

Elizabeth

Yajima Mirei fans:

Machi-Kurada

Blog highlights from May

The Psychological Price of Distance—Gundam Reconguista in G Part IV: The Love That Cries Out in Battle

My review of the 4th G-Reco movie.

Revisiting “The Transformers: The Movie”

This is a movie from my childhood, but it had been a long time since I watched it in full.

La+ Darknesss Is Now a Shoujo Manga Author

This hololive VTuber has now been published in Hana to Yume magazine!

Kio Shimoku

He has an artbook coming out soon! He talks about this and more in his tweets.

Closing

A lot of hololive birthdays and concerts happened in June, but I think the ones I want to point out most are the Japanese 1st Generation’s 6th anniversary concert (featuring Haachama) and the Gawr Gura 2024 city-pop-themed birthday concert. Not only did La+ show up as a guest, but Gura actually threw in a reference to Legend of the Galactic Heroes!