ANIME TODAY Talks Conventions With AnimeCons.com Founder Patrick Delahanty!
Posted on: Friday, September 14, 2007
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Episode run down:
Beginning with this episode, we’ll be gearing up our convention-related coverage starting with a call to the founder and webmaster of AnimeCons.com, Patrick Delahanty. Hear how Patrick started this extensive site and about the other roles he’s played in the US convention circuit. All this and more on episode 49 of Anime Today with your hosts Nick and Rich.
Chad’s got his picks in What’s Hot in the World of Anime and Manga followed by another Uso Deshou mystery plot. Next, we’ll play the first part of our quick interview with Patrick from AnimeCons.com. For this episode, we’re kicking off our Fast-Forward to Fall Savings sale, and Shawne’s going tell you how you can save an additional 20% on most in-stock items at RightStuf.com. Kris and Judy then join us for the Anime and Gamers Guide to Japan, and talk about the necessity of traveling light in Japan. Lisa Marie then brings us her review of the graphic novel, Love*Com. Then, in the second part of our interview with Patrick, we’ll be talking with him about the types of events that a fan can expect at a con, what trends he’s noticed, and his advice on attending a con for the first time. Judi-sensei then returns to the classroom with another Mini-Japanese 101 lesson, and Rich will return with the Galaxy Angel Rune Contest winners; Rich will also have the details on our next contest which also features some great Galaxy Angel prizes. Finally, we’ll finish up this episode with some customer reviews from RightStuf.com. And be sure to stick around for Nick's favorite bloopers from the first 26 episodes of Anime Today!
What's Hot?
World-class detective Kiyotaka Narumi's last words continue to haunt his younger brother, Ayumu, but the 10th-grader has even more immediate problems when he is mistaken for the prime suspect in a murder at his school. As his detective sister-in-law works to help him clear his name, Ayumu uncovers strange connections to his brother’s sudden disappearance. Who are the Blade Children? And how are they involved in these mysteries? He finds more questions than answers when the manga Spiral: Bonds of Reasoning, which inspired the anime of the same name, makes its debut on October 31st.
A civil war is raging, and there’s no end in sight… until a photographer snaps a picture that receives the name “Flag.” The image isn’t just iconic. It serves as an inspiration and rallying point as the factions involved attempt to broker a ceasefire. When this symbol of unity is stolen by an unknown guerilla sect, a U.N. Special Development Command is dispatched – and “The Flag” photographer is recruited to document the mission. Witness their trials and triumphs from behind the camera's view-finder when Flag DVD 1 streets on November 6th with regular and limited art box editions.
The annual school culture festival has begun and with it, the debut of Haruhi's surreal film! Who did she threaten to get her movie shown? And what else has she schemed up this time around? To add to the craziness, Yuki’s fortune telling is eerily accurate, and Haruhi has started a war with the computer club! Can they possibly win? Or will defeat drive Haruhi into a world-ending rampage? Find out when The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya DVD 4 arrives with regular and special editions on November 6th.
It was a small Japanese mining town on the downhill slide of economic growth… until its residents decided to transform it into a “Hawaiian Paradise” to attract tourists and save their village. But there are a few problems: There are no palm trees… and no one knows how to hula! When a skeptical dance instructor is brought in from Tokyo to teach the coal miners’ daughters to hula, she is soon won over by the girls’ sincerity and dedication – and viewers will be, too! A hilarious comedy inspired by a true story, the acclaimed, live-action film Hula Girls makes its North American DVD debut on November 6th.
Light Yagami is an ace student with great prospects – and he's bored out of his mind. All of this changes in the blink of an eye when he discovers the Death Note, a notebook dropped by a rogue death god. Any human whose name is written in the notebook will die. And Light has vowed to use this power to rid the world of evil. But when criminals begin dropping dead, the authorities send the legendary detective L to track down the killer. With L hot on his heels, will Light lose sight of his noble goal...or worse, his life? Catch Death Note, Vol.1 when it drops on November 20th with regular and limited editions.
Save 25% or more on these titles by preordering them from RightStuf.com at least 10 days before their street dates. Get another 10% off by joining the Got Anime purchasing club for Frequent Buyers.
Patrick Delahanty
The Chibi Project: http://chibiproject.com/
Shawne's Specials and Fastforward to Savings Sale!
As I left the lair earlier in the week in search of my favorite sustenance, Pepsi-cola, I noticed that there was just way too much stuff in the warehouse! So, I have decreed that it must go away. And that means savings for you, and hard work for the minions to get it out of here!
If you can’t wait for autumn to start? Fast-forward to Fall, and get your favorite anime, manga, merchandise and more for an extra discount!
From now until September 23rd, take an additional 20% off our regular sale prices on our in-stock inventory!
Just use the reusable coupon code fastforward when you check out through RightStuf.com! Remember, weekly specials, bargain bin, and closeout items are not eligible for the coupon, but they’re still great deals, so add them on for even more savings!
Plus you can stack your GotAnime membership for more savings still - another 10% off! Check out www.gotanime.com to find out how you can become a member of the dark lord’s (not-so) secret anime cult today.
Every week, I do have a whole new set of specials to tempt you to my cause - some weeks, I do better than others in tempting many of you. Some of you are very difficult to tempt. Here’s hoping there’s something on Shawne’s new list that is of interest to you! Sometimes, the savings can be substantial! And that doesn’t even include the great offers that are posted EVERY DAY in the Daily Deals!
So get this stuff out of my warehouse... I need to make room for... Something. After all, there’s more than three months left before the new year!
See all of Shawne's Weekly Specials!
Check out the Bargain Bin!
The Anime and Gamer's Guide with Kris and Judy
© 2007 The North Face
Marie's Manga Review: Love*Com
When Kare Kano ended in January, I felt a bit bereft without new volumes to look forward to. Yes, there were and are lots of good titles out there, but nothing quite like the quirky comedy about a romance between a school’s two top students. That changed when I discovered Lovely Complex, or Love*Com for short. A series about friendship, love, and the potentially gaping chasm between the two, Love*Com turned out to be everything I was missing plus plenty I’d wish I’d known to ask for.
Risa Koizumi is the tallest girl in her class by a wide margin. Atsushi Otani is the shortest guy. Naturally, they dislike each other on sight and bicker at every opportunity – leading their teacher and the rest of the school to dub them a comedy duo and a romantic couple. Determined to set the record straight, the two team up to pursue their true objects of affection. Unfortunately, the plan calls for Otani to talk Risa up to her would-be boyfriend and for Risa to say good things to the girl Otani has his eye on. This, of course, only convinces everyone even further of their couple status. Will they ever shake their romantic connection?
If I answer that question by referencing When Harry Met Sally, is that a spoiler? While they really aren’t a couple, Risa and Otani do quickly become good friends, and that’s one of my favorite things about the series. Their friendship is based around actually having things in common, such as liking the same band or both having huuuge height complexes, and the relationship slowly grows from there. After all, much as Yuu Watase would like us to believe otherwise, not everyone can find their soulmate as easily as falling off a bridge…unfortunately.
Although the plot similarities begin and end with the words “high school romance” and the art isn’t remotely similar, Love*Com feels amazingly like Kare Kano to the point where I’m willing to dub it a spiritual successor. Like Kare Kano, Love*Com tempers romance with humor, and places the bulk of its emphasis on developing its characters. There’s plenty drama to keep the plot moving, but it’s never overpowering.
In fact, one of the things that makes Love*Com stand out is its light-hearted tone even in the face of such potentially angsty shojo topics such as confessing your feelings to a crush. While the characters are seriously intent on finding love, humor abounds. Some of it’s built-in via Risa and Otani’s involuntary “comedy duo” act, but a lot of it comes from the inherent comedy of being a high schooler. Manga-ka Aya Nakahara’s impeccable pacing and gift for character expression seamlessly integrate everything from slapstick and double-take reveals to cutting wit and bad puns. Then, without ever disrupting the dramatic flow, she neatly side-steps for sweetly touching scenes. Then, she brings the comedy back in full force the next day at school as characters agonize over what to do next while their friends encourage them in the most overbearing and embarrassing way possible. You know, like high school.
Love*Com has been ridiculously popular in Japan, with a live-action drama, a movie, an anime, and even a PS2 game all either already produced or currently in the works. Here in Region 1, the movie was just recently acquired by Viz Pictures for release next spring, and I’m really looking forward to seeing what Risa and Otani’s antics look like in real life. Like any good manga, you can already feel the movement on the pages, and Aya Nakahara’s characters have a remarkably “real” feel to them which I imagine will only translate for the better to the live-action adaptation.
I’d heard good things about the Love*Com manga for ages before I finally got around to reading it, and I wish I hadn’t delayed so long. All the good things my friends had to say are true, and as for the bad things… well, I don’t think I’ve even heard a single bad thing about the series. Love*Com a brilliant blend of character development, romance, and humor, and the art’s not bad either. Highly recommended to just about everybody.
Right Stuf Contests and Updates
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Congratulations to Timothy S, of Aventura, Florida, and to Jessica M, of West Covina, California! Each of you will soon be receiving a prize package that includes both volumes 1 and 2 of Galaxy Angel Rune! |
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In our newest contest, SIX lucky winners will receive a Galaxy Angel prize package from Bandai Entertainment that includes a beach ball, a Normad stress ball and a Normad plushie that moves when you pull his string!
Be sure to check out our Contests page, under “What’s Hot” at RightStuf.com and get your entry in before September 27th! We’ll be announcing the winners on the NEXT episode of Anime Today!
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