Leaderboard

Hello all, this is where I post my annual series of "Where to Eat for Otakon" videos and shamelessly plug myself! For those who haven't seen them, I just talk about things like transportation, safety in the city and con and of course...where the food is. I try to update from year to year. So, if you would like, please watch and I hope they help you all out! Where to Eat for Otakon, Part One: https://youtu.be/jeNBEibVRlE

ICYMI: Badges have been mailed! I got my tracking number yesterday afternoon, and I should be getting my badge on Monday, w00t. Kinda cutting it close this year, guys...

Game of Thrones would like a word... Anyways, I went to AnimeJapan in Tokyo in 2018, and while it was more of an anime trade show/fair than a traditional con, it had a lot of the same elements. Cosplayers, industry booths, meeting voice actors, merch for sale, etc. Though the most different thing I noticed was that I didn't see anyone arriving in cosplay to the con, most came with rolling suitcases and changed there. Fandom is a thing anywhere there's pop culture.

...Star Trek, anyone?

The preliminary (you KNOW it will change on a regular basis) schedule is up on the website: https://hiroko.otakon.com/events_schedule.asp

Hello All! I see a lot of potential things to see at this year's Con! I would appreciate some help picking out the videos and other activities I would like most. Here are examples of things I like: Most anything with Miyazaki as a director or Studio Ghibli. I loved it when Otakon had The Wolf Children in the past. Anime that I like are the whole Aria series including Aria The Animation, Aria the Natural and Aria the Origination. I like other series by the same director as Aria such as Sketchbook Full Color's I like a lot of Anime that involve folklore and Yokai themes such as Petite Yurie. I enjoy some anime with dark humor such as the Black Butler. I have read a few Manga. My favorite is The Bride's Story which has awesome illustrations and a great story. I enjoy Japanese literature. I have read a lot of Yukio Mishima's work. I enjoyed the novel, The Great Passage by Hiromi Kawakami. I have read some light novels too such as Dark Maidens by Rikako Akiyoshi. I enjoy Pokemon. Last year I participated in the Make a Wish Foundation Pokemon Go activity. My Cosplay was Espeon. This year, my Cosplay will be "Jigglypuff Victim". I'll have stuff drawn on my face and I'll have my Jigglypuff plushie! Here are examples of things I don't like: I am not thrilled with big Mech videos like Gundam and such. I don't like things that have a lot of violence or adult themes such as Kill La Kill. Most Anime that have themes about the characters being in a video game are not my thing. I feel that theme is overdone. So I would like some help sorting through the things offered this year. Can anyone help me figure out which ones I would like? Thanks in Advance. Joanne

I am not being lazy. I have looked at the schedule and have marked some things as potential to see. Many of them happen at the same time so I have to decide which is best. I had knee surgery this month. I'll have a scooter rented for the con. Still, I will have to monitor my pain level. Might just have to do 1 or 2 things per day. I have made these choices so far below. I have to weed through it and figure out which ones are the best. What do you think? 2-3pm -Photoshoot 1 Studio Ghibli or Black Butler at Photoshoot 3 3:15 PM - 4:30 PM Video 3 (Room 146B) That Time I Was Reincarnated As a Slime [D] ***2:15 PM - 4:15 PM Saturday, July 27, 2019 3:15 PM - 4:15 PM Panel 3 (Room 150) Yokai Stories with Hirokatsu Kihara [G] 3:00 PM - 5:30 PM Workshop 2 (Room 140) Getting Real About Fantasy Writing [F] 7:45 PM - 8:45 PM AMV Theater (Room 144) David Bowie: Like Some Cat From Japan [F] Join former Ghibli writer/producer Kihara as he explores Japanese folklore and supernatural stories. Video 1 (Room 147A) Penguin Highway (Premiere) 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM Main Events (Level 3 Ballroom A/B) BRADIO Concert [G] 3:45 PM - 4:45 PM AMV Theater (Room 144) Weirdest Japanese Commercials [F+] 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM Panel 6 (Room 152A) Yurei, Yokai, & School Girls [F] 9:30 PM - 10:30 PM Panel 7 (Room 146C) Ramen? Ramen! RAMEN?! [F]

Sorry to post so much, but, you might want to see an Otakon guest: Hirokatsu Kihara, formerly involved with the production desk at Studio Ghibli. I missed seeing him last year and heard he was really a fun guest. Hope to see him this year!

So, this is the third and last video of Where to Eat for Otakon 2019 and it has a few tips and places to get food! Thank you for watching these videos, I hope they helped you out! Please come back to the channel for a review of Otakon and more of my videos! See you at Otakon!!!!!! Part Two, Staying Safe - Part One, Transportation - A Part of Otakon History & Culture...sort of... -

Same here. Leaving NH and should arrive by the 15th. Less than 2 weeks now!

This episode is all about saying safe for Otakon! Parents, this video is for you as well! As always, if you have any questions, please let me know! Part One, Transportation A Part of Otakon History & Culture...sort of... -

Yeah, I never worry too much about the weather since I spend almost ALL day in the convention center, but getting caught in a random downpour from hotel to convention center does suck.

Have there been any updates to the disability policy for someone like me that has nobody going around with me to stay in line with the proxy lanyard? I definitely understand the intent of the policy, but trying to get some random person to hold it for you never works as you can never find that person, that you don’t know, later on. Thanks.

Hello, Does anyone know where I can apply to be a gofer this year? Thanks!

Hey guys, so someone I talk to says he might not do Otakon anymore past this year due to him having the opportunity of moving across the country to Washington State, and someone in that group chat we're in on FaceBook said for him to move to Japan to attend anime conventions there to spite us all... Is convention culture as strong in Japan as it is in other countries/continents like North America and Europe? To my knowledge anime is so intertwined into the general pop culture in Japan that having a convention for a general TV show genre for them would be overly exaggerated, don't you guys think? Also to my knowledge the only "convention" like things that happen are Comiket (Comic Market) twice a year, the Kyoto International Manga Anime Fair, as well as C3AFA Tokyo, which are convention-like events, but to me it doesn't seem to represent what we in the Western world depict as a true anime convention... This is all speculation on my part really since I've never been to Japan in general, but what are your guys' thoughts?

What would you say is the defining characteristic of a "Western-style anime con"? If you are picturing a mostly fan-organized event then that is what Comiket already is. If you are picturing something that has industry panel rooms, vendor halls, and creator autographs then there are events like AnimeJapan and Wonderfest. If you are picturing something like Otakon that straddles between industry and volunteer efforts, well that might be a phenomenon that is unique to Western audiences because the local fan-generated content is used to fill the gaps that are too expensive to fly Japanese guests for every programming track.

AMV CONTEST FINALISTS Now That's What I Call Drama! (vol. 12) Congratulations to the finalists for the 2019 AMV Contest. May the odds be ever in your favor! AngelMaeVictory AntaresHeart07 Aquiline Studios: Cyanna BecauseImBored1 BioticAMVs BleachShippu5678 Cameron Combe Cirera & Nugettochan DopplerDo Dragontamer5788 hamstar138 JMI Productions Kent Clark Kirbygal lovinyoujacksparrow2 Maboroshi Studio MadMegatax MinetChan Mycathatesyou69 Nekokitkat Nuke Oscar AMV PerkyPastry Pixelblended Studios (EnQuatre) Pixelblended Studios (Xophilarus) Rider4Z Sean.PNG ShinAMV shorisquared SilverEchoAMVs Soltaru Spits & Giggles Studio TheDestineeAMV Under The Box Productions (Krigen) UnluckyArtist Zeeruy AMV Contest Non-Finalists Akuda Aly-san Andrea Apuzzio Annieamvs Ayesha Basedimouto blueshiftofdeath Bry__ Captain Drew carmelaxkawaii Cassandra Wood Casual-swimmer Copycat_Revolver Deejaythink with James Farlow DivineAMV DoctorAn1me AMV Dragon Girl Sam drewaconclusion Elixir EmberFox Erik Heckert Espresso Yourself FullmetalGirl Gwendolyn Wood Jason Wong Jerry Li Jurious Kazemon15 Kireblue Lennon Productions MapleMAD MarieJo's AMVs Mm Durjoe Mysunsai NATALEO Neene95 Opner PaNTSU oF d00m Peppermint Grinder PieandBeer Pikapwn Pokechan ProjectTwinsAMV Prostrate Constantly Pwncakes42 Ramen Noodle Productions Rei-chan RogeDogeLan rogueintellectproductions sacredfoxphoenix Sephiroth ShadyMacro Shinjles ShizayaFanart Silent Hero Studios Speedy180 SpookyYuki Steve Gearhart Sutton Productions TeamKultzow Teriyaki Toon Addict Productions Troubleclef Tsunderbird Studios (KeiichiFace) Tsunderbird Studios (Tsunderbird Seth) TwigglyFiggly Under The Box Productions (Davis 51) VioletOleander731 AMV Contest: What Now? First, congratulations on nobody getting outright disqualified this year! I only listed the studio names in case anyone wants their entry to remain a secret. Secrecy is NOT mandatory! Also, to preserve anonymity for those that want it, I'm not announcing who was moved to "non-finalist" due to our "no previous winners" rule, as that would give them away. We only had a few, but given the drama that's happening "elsewhere", I tried to make extra certain that we were sticking to our rules, to the point where I was actually comparing source lists from other cons to see of people submitted potential finalists elsewhere, under different titles. I want to be exceptionally clear, I look for any excuse possible to NOT penalize a video! The spirit of that rule has always been to remove the videos that sweep contests across the country, to ensure that Otakon's contest is unique. It is not an excuse to smash the "X" and move on to the next act. This year is no exception to previous years. We have an outstanding show that I can't wait to share, and we only got to this point thanks to each and every artist who submitted! Official Otakon 2019 Schedule (subject to change): https://hiroko.otakon.com/events_schedule.asp AMV Contest Pre-screenings AMV Contest entries will be evaluated on 6/29. As of right now, this event is full, as 13 people are about as many as I can fit in my living room without it bursting. We will then send the proposed finalists off to our legal department for final approval, before announcing them. You'll know when we know. AMV Contest Entrant Ribbons If you sent a video to the 2019 AMV contest and it wasn't DISQUALIFIED (being a non-finalist is NOT a disqualification), then you are entitled to 3 ribbons that allow you to skip the line for all AMV contest screenings, and access reserved seats at all AMV contest screenings. Each ribbon is good for the entire weekend. You get 3 so that you can still hang out with your friends, or make some new ones. These ribbons are distributed in PROGRAMMING OPS (though AMV Theater will have a few available). AMV Contest Screenings and Lines The AMV Contest is being simulcast in AMV Theater on both Friday and Saturday. There is no room clear before the simulcast, so if there is room, please come in! The AMV Contest screenings in Featured Events WILL have a line. For Friday's screening, the doors open 45 minutes prior to the event. I believe that they will be clearing the room after the previous event as it costs us money to leave the room open, regardless of whether there's content running or not. For Saturday's screening, there is a room clear during the prior event, and we will start seating 45 minutes prior to the screening. AMV Contest Winners The winners will be announced in Featured Events this year. Doors will open 1 hour prior. This is our first year trying this, so we're not sure if there will be a line, or if the room will fill. Fan Produced Videos AKA: Fan Parodies We're bringing it back. This year we're keeping it mostly short-form, since we only had room for 2x 1 hour blocks, but we will be showing Evangelion ReDeath on Saturday as part of the block, so that there won't be riots. Neither block will require an 18+ wristband, but because of the language, viewer discretion is very advised. If you're up at 11:30pm, you're probably old enough to hear this stuff, but you've been warned. Iron Editor Kind of let the cat out of the bag early on this one, but Pikapwn will be facing off against PaNTSu_oF_d00m. The theme is "Oops! All Butlers!" sources are: Black Butler: Book of the Atlantic Butlers x Battlers Ladies versus Butlers! Hayate the Combat Butler: Heaven is a Place on Earth Hellsing Ultimate AMV Sing-Along Getting people to participate for 45-60 minutes straight has proven to be a tough sell, so we pulled this event from the schedule and will instead put some of the "classics" into the Iron Editor entertainment, instead. AMV Theater Location Same room as last year (144A-C)

That's a good question. Comiket serves the doujinshi creators, while AnimeJapan (nee TAF) is a trade show. JumpFesta is run by Shueisha. Anime conventions as we know them are more of a western concept--not just in the US, but events like Anime Friends and Japan Expo. That's perhaps a byproduct of how anime cons here were outgrowths of comic and sci-fi cons. For Japanese guests, it's something novel and, for musical acts, a feather in their cap.

I'm going to try this again. To whom it may concern, I have been attending your conventions for 2 years now and I have enjoyed meeting many guests, thanks to you. I would like to strongly suggest that you consider inviting Mr. Vic Mignogna to your convention. Although there is a controversy surrounding his name, the claims made against him are currently unsubstantiated. I have enjoyed Mr. Mignogna's work for many years now and it is quite easy to see how he became one of the most prolific names in the voice acting game. While there is no evidence to support these claims, there is a wealth of evidence that has displayed Mr. Mignogna's passion for his work, his kindness towards his fans, and his dedication to both anime and the convention scene. In this country, many of us support the right to due process, which ensures that an individual is given the right to be viewed in a court of law before being judged preemptively. No matter what sort of political leanings we have, this principle is an important one for many millions of people across the world. I would like it if the conventions kept as open a mind as us con-goers and fans have. It would truly be sad to see a convention that I have loved attending refuse an invitation for one of my favorite voice actors, simply because they chose to believe the court of public opinion over one of this country's most valued principles. While many of Vic's contemporaries (primarily his accusers) have taken to social media in attempts to harass, intimidate, and demonize those who disagree with them, Vic has remained quiet and refused to fuel the fire further, seeking counsel and legal advice for the harassment he has endured over the past month. Meanwhile, his contemporaries have made veiled threats to fans of theirs that held opinions of their own on the matter. Threats were made to involve legal entities or government agencies such as the FBI or Homeland Security, while one voice actress even used her social media account to "like" a handful of posts that wished for the death of fans that didn't agree with her. I must respectfully state that if you choose not to extend an invitation to Mr. Mignogna, I will be very disappointed and I will not patronize your conventions in the future. I believe in every person's right to due process and I have decided that I do not want to support a convention or organization that has chosen to deny Mr. Mignogna - or any guest, for that matter - this right. I implore you to consider inviting him and showing the dedicated fans that you, also, uphold this unalienable right. I eagerly await your response. Ultimately, conventions are for coming together as a community and celebrating anime and other parts of Asian pop culture, as per the purpose of Otakon. I truly hope that you will consider this request. Thank you for your consideration.