Onward 2015: The Local Anime Magazine Industry
(Originally published at Deremoe on December 2, 2014.)
It’s time once again to check out the Anime Magazine industry after a long slumber, and what is waiting for them next year.
Otakuzine: Not a ‘prodigal son’
We were able to check out Otakuzine Anime Magazine‘s Anime Exhibit at SMX Manila last Sunday, and here’s what you need to know during the event.
- Misa appeared on her meet-and-greet session, and we got to finally hear her side about her disappearance during Ozine Fest 2014. She confirmed that she she was unable to go to the country and has to stay in Hong Kong due to immigration problems, being told that she doesn’t have a work visa.
- Ozine will be supporting WarGods — We have heard of the WarGods.Ozine team, and the upcoming WarGods Gaming Expo 1.0 at Megamall by the last weekend of December. According to WarGods during our chat at ESGS, they will be prioritized. We are yet to receive a response from Ozine’s side on what will happen to those who already had their tickets for the Ozine Anime Figure Special to be held on the same date and venue.
- PSICOM Publishing approached Otakuzine to come back to them, ending speculations that the latter is a “prodigal son,” adding that PSICOM has already managed themselves after the Wattpad hype and their agreement with Viva Entertainment.
- PSICOM also brought with them writers YanaJin, HannaLove, Lloyd Cadena and Marcelo Santos III for a book signing.
- Ozine was supposed to launch Issue 91, but for some reason we didn’t see them on the spot. It doesn’t help that we have heard that some attendees had their copies of Otakuzine confiscated to be returned at the exit. We are getting in touch with Ozine for this matter, and this post shall be updated once we get their response.
Otaku Asia: Walking the talk
It’s been a year since we had an interview with Otaku Asia‘s Editor Kent Diamante, and they stated to us that Otaku Asia will be increasing its price to Php100.00, alongside the expansion of their Gamer’s Arena section and the addition of a Seiyuu section. The December 2014-January 2015 issue will include a 2015 Calendar in which their readers can make, in an effort to make the magazine ‘interactive’.
Otaku Asia has been releasing 16 issues since its inception in May 2013, and they have walked the talk in terms of their magazine’s content. Kent told us that throughout their stint, they have improved the magazine’s readability. When asked about the magazine’s covers, Kent mentioned that their Tokyo Ghoul cover is the first fan art cover that they published.
They still have their challenges along the way, such as the never-ending issue of logistics. While PSICOM Publishing had already their new printers, Otaku Asia still has problems with logistics — they have to set their issues in a two-month basis so that book stores won’t easily pull out their stocks, as this is the case in provincial stores. They also have to remind the publishing’s distribution platform to do their job.
The best issue that they had up this year is the Cosplay issue (with Liui Aquino on the cover) — Kent actually told me that the issue had inspired some of its readers to Cosplay and do their props, something that Otaku Asia is grateful of. After Liui, they are planning to have two Cosplayers to be featured for the whole year ahead.
Moving on, they also had their first online partner this year, which is The Cosplay Café. If people noticed the Otaku Asia website and its lack of updates, the partnership with the blog fits well into the equation.
The Otaku Asia staff are happy to inform Deremoe that they are in plans to make an event next year, with the event venue and place still under wraps.
Ozine and Otaku Asia back under one roof once more
Continuing the discussion with Kent, she has told us that the coordinators for Ozine and Otaku Asia are different, which means that even if they are on the same roof, they have different persons-of-contact to talk to. Regardless of this, Kent personally thinks that Ozine is not a competition to them since she and her Editorial Manager Diane stepped in; they rather want to befriend them — this makes sense to us since Otaku Asia is leaning more as an Otaku lifestyle magazine.