With the finale of Avatar: The Last Airbender coming up this July, I got to thinking about how I happened to get into the fandom at a fairly opportune time. Part of that is just luck and timing in terms of when I discovered the program. The other part of that is the fact that, since this is an American production, there wasn't a time-lag between when I "discovered" it (perhaps in its English-licensed release) and when it started in Japan.

I notice that when I discover fandoms, especially those based on manga, I'm a little "late to the party" if you will. By the time I get there, the comm's dead, or the fans already know the ending because they've been keeping up with it since it was first scanlated. So, there's very little action.

And, let's be honest, most folks like being, if not the first, then an early discoverer of something. Or at least picking up on something at the height of its popularity (we are social creatures after all and "following the herd" isn't necessarily unheard of). No one likes being the last fan...

But, for those of you "in the know," how do you go about discovering a new title, either anime or manga? Is it sheer luck, or do you look purposefully for them? Is it relying on your friends that just so happen to be on the cusp of everything?

I've only been actively reading manga for a little more than a year now, so I'm curious as to how you discovered Love*Com before its English debut or Death Note and Honey and Clover before Viz got a hold of it...

*cue Jimmy from South Park voice* Ta-ta-tarantino's doing a new anime for Kill Bill...Have you heard about this? Have you seen this?

/Jimmy

Anyway, looks like Uma Thurman let the cat out of the bag for Tarantino's latest project-- some tasty additions to the deluxe edition of Kill Bill! Evidently, Tarantino's (supposedly) expanding on the story of the Bride and Bill with two anime sequences that will be shown during the intermission between the two Kill Bill flicks.

As a HUGE Tarantino and animation fan, I'm really excited to see what unfolds (besides the whole animated backstory of O-Ren Ishii in the original flick was nothing short of AMAZING). Tarantino's films have always struck me as perfect for that kind of treatment, too, what with the raw violence, dark humor, and urban landscapes. Anyway, I'm just hoping that the rerelease comes out on Blu-Ray because I would LOVE to see the Crazy 88s scene in hi-def...

Okay, latest news out says that Disney will produce anime "Made in Japan"! In the unforgettable words of Stewie Griffin, "What the deuce?"

My initial reaction is "Disney's slowly taking over the world!" And, of course, then I remember, they've kind of already done that, what with multi-million dollar-grossing films and all. I was also concerned about the Disney-fication of animation in Japan, but then I remember that Osamu Tezuka, the "godfather of manga," was highly influenced by Walt Disney and his work (and the work of other manga and anime artists thereafter) reflects that. Just one look at "Steamboat Willie" and you'll see the influence of the "big eyes, little mouth." Mind you, Tezuka was also influenced by Max Fleischer's work, too.

After reading the article, TBO, it seems like a smart decision for Disney business-wise-- by localizing production and stories, Disney will be able to increase market share in a country dominated by animation produced in that country (and, let's face it, anime is an important cultural export for Japan). Not only will they be creating new programming, but they'll also be adapting other Disney stories, like Lilo and Stitch.

But it isn't only a "win" for Disney, it's good for Japan, too. Japan's economy, which has been in a recession for years, needs this. As any fan of Avatar: The Last Airbender knows, lots of animation is farmed out to other Asian countries, most notably Korea. So, the move will provide more Japanese animators with jobs, if nothing else. And what's better than providing another venue for Japanese animation?

But, enough about what I think, what do you think?

I don't think I've mentioned it here, but the hubby got a gigantic (46") LCD HDTV with all his birthday/Christmas money. So, of course, we had to get the hi-def cable to go with it. Oh, and did I mention the PS3 that plays Blu-Ray discs? And don't forget the Blu-Ray version of Paprika that he got for me...

( Why Rena spends too much time on her ass... )

Anyway, those are my newest obsessions. Now I lie in wait for Sony Pictures and Disney to release all of their back catalog on Blu-Ray, especially since Disney has the U.S. license for all of Hiyao Miyazaki's movies.

Now, off to my night class!

On my morning ritual of eating breakfast in the office while checking out pop culture news, I ran into this. ( A quick rant about a magazine that I fail to get in a timely fashion. )

On another note, I read through this really interesting post on the Publisher's Weekly Web site. In it, the comics blogger, Heidi MacDonald, dissects what went down at the first-ever New York Anime Festival. If you have the chance to read it, look through the comments, too. Interesting discussion going on there on the fans that showed up, what companies weren't there, and what the growing "otaku" culture is looking like...

And, with the end of another year, Johanna Draper Carlson looks at her manga favs and disappointments in 2007. As we get closer to the end of 2007, I'm sure more and more folks will be releasing their lists of picks and pans soon enough. ( Death Note gets some serious criticism. )

As far as new series that quickly became favorites, I'd have to agree with Carlson that Lovely Complex is easy to love-- quirky rom-com that isn't your typical shojo fare. Other series that I've been reading are either continuing series, old series, or only have a volume out, so it's simply too early to review them. ( New manga to be excited about in 2008 )

And there's more than just manga to love in '08-- there are tons of great movies from manga-inspired live-action flicks like Honey and Clover and Lovely Complex, to comic book-based sequels like The Dark Knight and Hellboy II: The Golden Army.

So, what were your favs of 2007 and what are you looking forward to most in '08?

After hearing all the fanfare and news about the New York Anime Festival, I really regret not going. I had a free roundtrip from the airline I frequent and could've had the days off. Alas, finals are nipping at my heels, so it would have been fun, but bad for the whole grad school thing. Ugh, responsibility wins out again...Anyways, on to the manga and anime news from the festival (and, of course, my somewhat snarky thoughts on it)! ( The awesome, the interesting, and the controversial... )

Speaking of finals and distractions (like why am I posting in LJ right now when I could be working on a feature article or reading through my research paper that's due this afternoon one last time?), I got a shipment of manga last week, including more delicious volumes of Mayoko Anno's Happy Mania and Yayoi Ogawa's Tramps Like Us, aka Kimi Wa Petto. ( Where Rena's guilty pleasures=josei manga )

Speaking of Tramps Like Us, I downloaded torrent files of the fansubbed version of the Japanese TV show Kimi Wa Petto (I know, I'm a bad little pirate, aren't I?), but being unskilled in such things, I have NO idea how to watch them. So, hypoactive will you PLEASE show me how to download these properly so I can watch them over winter break? ( Wherein I beg my abfab cousin to help me... )

Well, I guess I should get going. I've got a feature article to write and I really should read through my research paper one last time. For anyone following my trials and tribulations in grad school, I did my paper on media fandom and its growth through the 1900s to the present, with a little exploration of fan fiction. I'm considering the topic for my master's thesis, especially since there's a ton of literature that I haven't had the chance to read yet. I really only scratched the surface of the topic in my paper.

There's quite a bit of descriptive research on media fandom, fans in general, and fan fiction. Also, there's a ton of literature on slash fic and reasons for its existence, which I found a little surprising. On the other hand, I suppose since it's such an interesting genre within fanfic it's really not that surprising that academics would study it. Anyway, if anyone's interested in reading my research paper, I might post it here somewhere. Any takers?

The Best Bleach Boyfriend for You Your Result: Abarai Renji   You want a man from the wrong side of the tracks who has clawed his way to get where he is now -- on top of the world. Don't let his tattoos and his wild hair fool you -- he's a softie at heart even if he's a fierce warrior. If you give him a chance, he will be your best friend and your lover, all rolled into one hot package. Trying to give his wardrobe a makeover will never work, though, so simply accept his wacky sense of style -- including the yellow Chappy shirt paired with bellbottoms.
Yasutora Chad
Kurosaki Ichigo
Hitsugaya Toshiro
Ukitake Jushiro
Kisuke Urahara
Kuchiki Byakuya
Ishida Uryu
The Best Bleach Boyfriend for You See All Our Quizzes

Somehow this doesn't surprise me...My husband is a lot like Renji, now that I think about it: unruly hair, tattoos, bad sense of fashion, my best friend...Yup, this is spot on.

In the wake of the pre-emption of Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni Kai and the cancellation of Kodomo no Jikan, aka Nymphet (remember the brouhaha over its English manga translation?), in Japan, and the worries of the Taiwanese regarding Death Note, I got to thinking about some concepts that I've been discussing in one of my grad school classes. Namely, the concept of media effects, or how a medium can affect its consumers.

In a discussion on an anime/manga review blog, the writer sums it up easily: Do anime and manga influence kids? The recent "pulling" of a couple of shows that can be argued as influential makes it seem as if network TV execs certainly think so (at least in Japan). And can you blame them when stuff like this and this happen?

( So here are my thoughts... )

I think I vomited a little in my mouth during last night's Avatar. ( Cut for spoilerage... )

In other non-Avatar news, I just read an interesting little essay, titled "Manga is a Feminist Issue," by Roland Kelts, author of Japanamerica, a book which explores how Japanese culture has invaded the U.S. In the short piece, Kelts explains the strong female characters in an upcoming anime film, how manga fans are predominantly female in the U.S., and how Japan, despite progress, is still a male-dominated culture. I found it an interesting read...Kelts also did a radio interview with National Public Radio regarding "manga diplomacy," which has recently been pushed by Japanese politicians trying to highlight Japan's cultural contributions globally. The podcast also links to a very good article in the Wall Street Journal that criticizes the current push by Japan to use anime and manga as a PR tool.

To continue the conversation from yesterday regarding downloading anime and manga, here's a little news bit from Anime News Network regarding the halt of fansubbing on Romeo x Juliet. Looks like FUNimation sent a "cease and desist" letter to the fansub group, Shinsen-Subs, and the group complied. It's entirely possible that such actions will become more prevalent in the future, especially as companies take more steps to safegood their licenses and products in an ever-increasingly competitive U.S. market (see Geneon).

Speaking of Geneon, looks like Bandai will be distributing its products exclusively online, as its previous distributor, Geneon, is out of the biz as far as we know. For now, the site (dotanime.us) is under construction...

( On the fanfic front )

The big news this week is that Geneon--the company that brought you Hellsing, Chobits, and Samurai Champloo--is pulling out of the U.S. market. And speculation has already begun on what caused it and how fans will survive. Thankfully, retailers like RightStuf.com are stocking up on product while they wait to see what's going to happen with Geneon licenses...So, if you were waiting to get a Geneon title, now's the time to act.

In other news, Anime Blog has a new "Anime and Manga News Interview Edition" out. They have excerpts of interviews from Arina Tanemura, author of Gentlemen's Alliance and Full Moon; Takehiko Inoue, author of the soon-to-be-serialized Slam Dunk; and Gualtiero Cannarsi, Italian dub director of Studio Ghibli films; among others. While the Tanemura stuff is similar to what she spoke about at Comic-Con, the other content is pretty interesting, especially how Buena Vista Italia screwed up the dubs of Princess Mononoke. Also, the interview with Vertical's former director of marketing is a real eye-opener regarding the industry's acceptance of light novel reviews by fans...

And for once, I lament the fact that I'm not in Los Angeles...Looks like Tokyopop's got a couple of job openings that I'm actually qualified for. T_____T

Lastly, I'm excited for tonight's Avatar episode. I know a TON of people have seen it already, but I'm okay with waiting. Granted, it didn't stop me from checking out spoiler-related info, so I'm really interested to see what all the fuss is about...

For all the Lovely Complex/Love*Com fans, a fanlisting site has been created JUST FOR YOU by my super awesome cousin, hypoactive. This is the officially approved TAFL site...So, check it out and sign up if you're a fan of the manga and/or anime!

...it looks like BusinessWeek had a little interview with Satoshi Kon for their "The Future of Work" column.

Enjoy the quick read and your weekend!

Happy Friday all! So, I haven't been posting much lately--we spent last weekend in Chicago (it was hot, humid, and then it rained...but we had lots of fun visiting family) and I've been busy with work and wedding stuff all this week.

But, I found a couple of interesting things that I wanted to share with you. So, remember Voltron: Defender of the Universe? Well, it looks like there's a live-action film being made about it...I guess the box office success of Transformers has everyone thinking twice about other mecha-themed movies. The article, from Hollywood trade Variety, also mentions other animated classics going live action, including Alvin and the Chipmunks (I don't even want to imagine this sure-to-be travesty), He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, and Street Fighter (didn't they learn the first time around that this was a bad idea?).

The Anime Blog has an interesting poll up today about policing the anime fan community. The author talks about how lolicon, shotacon, and hentai could be ruinous to the general anime fan community and keeping some people away from the animated genre as a whole...It's an interesting conversation and moves into the role of industry- and self-censorship in the anime fandom.

Lastly, I couldn't help but laugh at the introductory news release from Yen Press. Remember my quick description of Sundome from their Comic-Con panel? Well, look at the nice little spin Yen Press gave it (from MangaBlog):

The first, acquired from Akita Shoten, is Kazuto Okada’s high school sex comedy Sundome (Rated M: Mature). Scheduled for release in January, Sundome is the story of an apathetic young man whose dull existence is forever changed when an assertive young woman wants to join the same after-school club in which he is a member. If only all after-school clubs were as hands on as this!

Ah, nothing like good ol' PR spin first thing in the morning...Not to mention a serious double entendre! XD

Well, the Internet is a-twitter with all news Comic-Con. Here are some links if you're looking for updates on what went down at SDCCI:

- Anime News Network has compiled a list of links of their Comic-Con coverage for both manga and anime.
- Publisher's Weekly talks about manga news.
- ComiPress has an exhaustive page full of links.
- And if you're interested in other SDCCI-related programming, check this fun blog, Pop Candy, for all things pop culture that went down at SDCCI.

Today started and ended with inappropriateness...From Shin Chan at 10:30 a.m. on, I felt like I was inside the mind of a pre-pubescent male.

( Shin Chan writers are HILARIOUS! )

Now, for the manga! ( How TOKYOPOP plans to take over the world... )

So, speaking of TOKYOPOP, they also did a little "convention within a convention" at their booth, presenting panels with their many artists and writers. ( Dan Hipp is HAWT! )

After the TOKYOPOP panel, I headed over to room 10 to check out two of the three small publisher panels scheduled (Broccoli Books had their panel during the TOKYOPOP panel I was at). ( So what's Seven Seas got up its sleeve, now? )

While Seven Seas is about niche markets in manga, Yen Press is about finding quality titles that appeal to a broad swath of the market. ( Zombie Loan and raising an autistic child... )

So, that's day two of Comic-Con...Now, I just have to make sure I'm prepared for Saturday. It's a big day with upcoming season sneak preview panels for both Avatar: The Last Airbender and Heroes! There's also Family Guy and Shojo Beat panels, and Del Rey Manga and Futurama panels at the same time! It looks like I've got some serious decision making to do...And if I'm not too tired, I might head to The Sarah Silverman Show panel going on during the nighttime programming...

Looks like Sony Pictures has a trailer up for Tekkonkinkreet...If you're unaware of the 2006 film, it's based on the one-volume seinen manga, Black and White.

Surprisingly, the New York Times has given this a very favorable review. At one point, the reviewer goes so far as to say, "Tekkonkinkreet demands to be seen, if only for its beauty." But what would you expect from the studio that brought you the Animatrix?

Unfortunately, the film is in limited engagement in LA and NYC, but, like Paprika, should be making its way to a theatre near you sometime soon!

So, it looks like Transformers is coming back to TV, as Cartoon Network and Hasbro are teaming up to animate a new series that'll start in January '08. They're hoping to ride on the coattails of the new movie and its DVD release this fall.

And, for those of you who love NBC's Heroes as much as I do, get ready for their international tour! Looks like the ensemble cast will be making their way across Asia and Europe, promoting the release of the first season DVD set. The only North American tour stop mentioned so far is in NYC, but that should change soon!

Lastly, while sitting in bed yesterday like a sick puppy, I scrolled through a ton of different digital cable channels looking for NickToons...To my surprise, there was a new Asian-American cable channel called AZN Television: The Network for Asian America. And I was pleased to find out that they also play anime, too, including new episodes of Last Exile. Amazingly enough, it's played at a somewhat reasonable hour (compared to Ani-Mondays on Sci Fi and [adult swim] on Cartoon Network) alternating between 8:30 p.m. and 1:30 a.m. on weeknights. Unfortunately, it looks like AZN is only available to digital cable subscribers so far, as it isn't on satellite. But I won't look a gift horse in the mouth and just be glad there's another free anime outlet...

If you've seen this, then you already know--I've turned in the epilogue to beyondthemoor and am awaiting her feedback. In the words of the Grateful Dead, "What a long, strange trip it's been..."

It's awesome to think that I started something--a completely new something to me, since I'd only recently learned about fanfiction when I started writing--and finished it! And it's just icing on the cake that I was lucky enough to have an audience that loved the story as much as I do...

( So about that sequel... )

In other news, I decided to blog from Comic-Con-- evidently the entire Convention Center is wireless, so I'll be able share the fun with peeps no matter where I'm at. I expect it to be a nice way to pass the time while I'm waiting for a panel to start...So, I'll be blogging from LJ and for another blog that will remain nameless for the time being (I'm still working out some of the details with them right now). Anyway, I'll be able to share the latest and greatest news from the Avatar: The Last Airbender panel, as well as many others!

And here's the little news round-up I find myself doing every-so-often these days...

( What is it about the movies these days? Plus a new magazine... )

So, I think that's enough fangirlish stuff for the time being...Enjoy!

So, I went and saw Paprika, the new Satoshi Kon flick, on Friday night and it was AMAZING!

The story was interesting, the subtitles were easy to follow without missing the action, and the animation itself was breathtaking. While there were some small unresolved issues, it was nonetheless a highly enjoyable film.

( Cut to spare your f-list of anything you might consider a spoiler... )
Overall, I give Paprika an 'A-minus' and I highly suggest you see this film if it's playing anywhere near you!

This looks like a busy movie-watching weekend for me-- there's Paprika, which FINALLY opens in San Diego this weekend, the new Hellboy Animated: Blood & Iron flick is out on DVD this week, and the premiere of Robot Chicken: Star Wars on [adult swim] on Sunday night...

( My nerdy excitement...and why sunshine is overrated )