Tag: Anime

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Anime Idol Convention 2024: Fans Reunited

It’s been four years since the last Anime Idol Convention was held, and this year’s comeback spelled the return of the presence of anime idol fans to the stage.

Several factors came into play for the positive return of AICon this year:

  • First, the cloudy weather matched with the cold temperatures we are facing at the moment (I am grateful it did not rain at all).

  • Second, the new venue at Elements at Eton Centris, which a short distance away from the Quezon Avenue MRT Station.

  • Third, is the overall reception of fans and performers alike, understanding that all of them have been waiting for this moment to come once again.

I have been waiting for the return of AICon too – last time (2020), I had to substitute someone to produce a video feature for the said event. Now that I’m back on solo flight, I am more than happy to be present there.

I landed at the venue at exactly 4pm, two hours before the event closes. Just outside the venue, I see fans adorned in the costumes of their favorite anime idols. Some have already catched up to the current LoveLive! meta like the ones dressed as the characters from Hasunosora.

I only have three things in mind beside my participation as media for AICon 2024:

  1. Meet the organizers at Pygmalia who continues to reach out to keepsakes. to cover this event despite my deeper inclination to VTubers (they are the same minds behind the ONLive Convention which also received positive reception as one of the rare VTuber-focused events worldwide next to Thailand’s V-FESTA and the pioneering OffKai Expo).

  2. Make sure to capture photos of a COMPLETE ChamJam (OshiBudo) cosplay group because I do not want to miss this RARE opportunity of seeing a complete cosgroup from one of my Winter 2020 sleeper hit favorites.

  3. Support NIKO LAB, who I treat as a successor to numerous anime idol cover groups such as Aquarius and the Alliance of Limitless Idols Connecting Everyone, aka AliPro (or as I call it, Alyansa).

I did mention earlier that I came in late, but I was just in time to complete this checklist. I have several short videos in mind, which I plan to release soon.

Moving back, I met once again the people I know from the anime idol fandom, such as this rice knight whom I will hide under the name Robin Emblem. He looked like the same rice knight I knew from years ago.

I also went ahead and met the titas of Seishun Kakumei who always looked like the titas I knew from way back then.

I made sure that I get to capture cosplay photos of anime idols as much as possible, including what was left of the A-RISE group (LoveLive!) and THE iDOLM@STER SIDE M delegation.

Despite such nostalgia, other matters were also present at AICon 2024, such as the presence of Yume Shou dressed as characters from fan-favorite idol drama anime Oshi no Ko, as well as the impending closure of the LoveLive! School idol festival game with a three-month send-off for the global audience.

With all the factors mentioned, I made my AICon 2024 experience a memorable keepsake which i will carry in speech and prose. Thank you everyone for making another milestone in local fan history.

More photos from AICon 2024 on Facebook, check the album and see if I got you captured.

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Challenging Anime’s “Middlemen” on “Anime x Angas”

Once upon a time, I was invited to join a Discord server called “Anime x Angas,” who was at that time looking for guest panelists. Last Sunday, they figured out that they’ll be busy going to ESGS this weekend (I will also be there!), so they called for everyone who was available.

I was about to hit the sack, but I figured why not join them for a discussion until I pass out (I did pass out). This episode of Anime x Angas deals with me challenging the middlemen of the anime industry, and trying to change the narrative on how we can support this industry.

Like a guy with a tinfoil hat and some conspiracy theories, I rambled about the following points:

  • Recognizing Osamu Tezuka for building a process, a supply chain, that the anime industry still follows to this day, while lambasting him for the reason why animators’ labor was cheap (you can fact-check me on this point);
  • Understanding that there are middlemen who help promote each anime series to popularity—this is where production committees and publishers come in, and each title need the likes of them—while also criticizing the way they profit from each title while animators earn a bit less (you can fact-check me on this as well);
  • Laying out a working business model where anime fans keep watching a title on ad-supported legal platforms and let licensors earn so they can acquire more new titles (which I presented in 2020, so most likely there’s newer information after this);
  • Why are we still paying fees for multiple streaming providers plus a decent, working internet connection when this goes far away from the spirit of cord-cutting (I’m looking at you, exclusive-licensed anime titles);
  • How illegal streaming sites do not contribute at all by earning profits for themselves to augment their hosting bills (look at those ads which are not from Google AdSense, y’all); and
  • How I stray away from actually discussing the actual topic of “Illegally watching vs Paying for a Subscription” which I chose among several topics the show is offering.

Listen to the episode below and let’s start a wider conversation.

Once you’re done listening to the episode, why not listen to my previous podcast guesting as well? I laid out a playlist of podcast appearances on Spotify, as I return to podcasting soon.

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Here’s why these TVs are great for watching your favorite anime

If you’re a sucker for watching great anime, whether it’s because of the intricate storytelling, the beautiful art style or even the lore in the anime, anime has got that special something in it that just happens to tickle any anime fans’ fancy.

Image courtesy of Nick Romanov on Unsplash

It doesn’t matter whether you are a huge fan of Hayao Miyazaki’s work or whether you are more into Satoshi Kon’s work. Anime doesn’t discriminate as there are plenty of genres that will fit your liking.

Speaking of anime, wouldn’t it be great if there was somehow a list of TVs that would be able to display all those amazing visuals and fascinating narrative that anime is so well known for? Well, lucky for you, here is just one of those lists. Sit back, relax and read on!

1. LG OLED 77W9PPA

Image courtesy of LG

If you’re looking to splurge on the latest and greatest in TV technology, then having an LG OLED77W9PPA will do you just right.

It has a rather impressive looking 77-inch screen so you get to enjoy all those breathtaking scenery in animes like Your Name and In this Corner of the World on a massive widescreen TV to get that immersive feeling.

Also, colors will be more lifelike thanks to the OLED technology. What you get with OLED is having true black levels and infinite color contrast. This means amazing visuals which will be as close to the cinematographer’s artistic vision as possible.

2. Sony A9G

Image courtesy of Sony

This premium level TV from Sony is a wonderful addition to have in your living room or home theater where it will enhance the overall anime watching experience through a number of nifty little features which will definitely come in handy. 

One of the major improvements that Sony has made with the launch of the Sony A9G is in the sound department. Oftentimes, TV buyers would have to fork out additional money to spend on soundbars, audio/visual (AV) receivers, bass systems and what have you to make up for the lack of audio punch that is sorely missing from today’s TVs. But with the Sony A9G, you’re getting a premium quality TV with premium quality sound, so essentially you are getting the best of both worlds.

3. Samsung Q60T

Image courtesy of Samsung

We’re not forgetting some of those anime fans out there who are price-conscious. The Samsung Q60T offers great visuals for its class and comes in a wide range of sizes and prices so that you can find one that’s perfect for you.

The largest screen that the Samsung Q60T offers goes all the way up to an incredibly massive 85-inch screen! Imagine watching a wall-sized Studio Ghibli film, that would be a sight to behold.

Besides that, the Samsung Q60T offers a handy little feature that would allow you to watch all your beloved anime collection without running the risk of screen burn-in thanks to its Quantum Dot Technology. 

For the unaware, burn-in happens when an image gets imprinted on the screen due to prolonged use but with the Quantum Dot Technology, there’s no need to worry about that.

These are some of the TVs that we recommend if you want the best anime viewing experience. You only need access to the latest anime wherever available. Thank you for reading, and look forward to more recommendations soon!

Special thanks to iPrice Philippines

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Last keepsakes. podcast of 2020 features “Saekano the Movie: Finale”

For the final podcast for 2020, I talked about “Saekano the Movie: Finale” with Anime Corner‘s Marlo Barcellano.

Marlo, who has seen the movie already way ahead of us, joins me for a brief discussion on what makes Saekano special, including our best moments from the movie.

Did I mention that Marlo has watched this movie when he was at C3AFA Singapore 2019, when Aniplus had a screening there? Lucky him.

Listen to this podcast episode now:



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Netflix’s next anime lineup wants me to subscribe soon: 4 titles I’m eagerly looking forward to

Alexandra Trese, as seen in this key visual for her upcoming Netflix series. (Photo: Netflix PH on Twitter)

Last Tuesday (October 27), Netflix streamed its Anime Festival live on YouTube, announcing SIXTEEN anime titles coming up on the platform next year: Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness, Godzilla: Singular Point, Eden, Vampire in the Garden, Yasuke, Pacific Rim: The Black, TRESE, B: The Beginning Succession, Baki Hanma, Thermae Romae Novae, High Rise Invasion, Rilakkuma’s Theme Park Adventure, Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan, The Way of the Househusband, and Spriggan.

I’ve been caught off-guard with this, so it surprised me that they announced something THIS big. I’ve kept in touch with Anime Pilipinas’ Live Twitter feed retweeting updates about the event, therefore I’ll get the data from most of the tweets posted there.

How’s Anime on Netflix so far?

Prior to all of this, Taiki Sakurai, Netflix’s Chief Anime Producer, shows what’s been going on at his turf, just in time for the 5th anniversary of Netflix’s step into the land of the rising sun:

  • Over 100 million households globally watched at least one anime title on Netflix between October 2019 and September 2020, representing an increase of more than 50% in 2019 (as reported by Variety).
  • Almost 1 in 2 Japanese households watch five hours of anime on Netflix every month.
  • They have four more anime studio partnerships for 2020: ANIMA&COMPANY (NAZ), Science SARU, Studio Mir and MAPPA

4 titles I’m eagerly looking forward to

With these data in hand, they proceed to introducing the 16 upcoming titles mentioned above – and so, here’s the titles that will make me want to subscribe to the on-demand service, even if it’s a mere mobile-only plan:

High-Rise Invasion

Not gonna lie – I saw the manga being shared on Facebook, I read it, and I kept reading it.

This time, I know I got to finish understanding the story. I’m curious how things will conclude in this series.

Voice actors Haruka Shiraishi, Shiko Aoki, Akira Sekine, Junya Enoki and Yuuichiro Umehara lead this series which is set for release in 2021.

The Way of the Househusband

Another series that popped up in my Facebook feed sometime last year is this different take on the slice-of-life genre (I’m claiming it). I assume that there should be enough stories from this series which can be adapted into anime as soon as it enters Netflix next year.

This series casts Kenjiro Tsuda as the lead character, a retired yakuza member living as a househusband. He did the same role for the live-action promo video of the manga series.

TRESE

For someone who has been in the otaku/anime/cosplay community for more than a decade already, I’ve seen covers of TRESE in local conventions such as Komikon (and to some extent, the Philippine TOYCON).

There’s cosplays of her Kambal (Twins) posted on WorldCosplay.

There’s lots of fan art on DeviantArt as well.

I can safely say that Alexandra Trese is already overdue for anime entry – and with Netflix backing this up, I’m excited to explore what goes beyond the covers, cosplays and fan arts.

Thermae Romae Novae

When Deremoe was still active, colleague Al reviewed this series and gave it positive feedback. I failed to get any excerpt of his review, but I’m sure he love it despite the limited animation.

After two live-action movies, we get to see another adaptation. I hope the story won’t be dependent on its previous adaptations as I haven’t seen all of it.

These series, plus a choice set of titles that I’d like to watch but had no time for, will make me want to subscribe to Netflix – kahit sa mobile-only plan lamang nila – soon enough.

So, turning the table to you: Which if these SIXTEEN upcoming additions got your fancy?