VIVA-PSICOM’s Manga is in Filipino for fair competition

The October 2014 issue of Otaku USA Magazine featuring a preview for the Shokugeki no Soma Manga that is distributed by Viz Media in the United States. [File Photo] We’ve recently released a news post that VIVA-PSICOM Publishing (to be referred henceforth in this piece as PSICOM — take note that the main PSICOM and VIVA-PSICOM are still treated as two entities) will be releasing Filipino editions of Fairy Tail and Attack on Titan manga series by next month through a launch event at SM Megatrade Hall 3 in Mandaluyong. Now, I’ve read some reactions off Facebook saying that they’d rather prefer PSICOM to release the titles in English. I’m going to put up my stand on this with the intention of convincing everyone here that PSICOM’s move is a viable, if not the only choice. ...

May 17, 2015 · 3 min

Yoru no Yatterman: Heroes from enemies

I’ve watched the 2008 of Yatterman on local TV, so I am surprised that they did a different take on this. Yoru no Yatterman (Yatterman Night) is a 12-episode series done by Tatsunoko Production as part of the Time Bokan series that has celebrated its 40th anniversary. This stars Eri Kitamura, Kenta Miyake, Shizuka Itou, Hiroyuki Yoshino among others, and tells the story of Yatterman different from the one we’re used to. ...

April 9, 2015 · 2 min

Otaku Urule Japanime 2015

I went to the Polytechnic University of the Philippines for the first time in my life, and I covered Japanime 2015 there. Its organizer, the Otaku Urule organization, have been running for five years now — a month older than us, apparently. As with most of our event reports, I will be discussing this chronologically. The PUP Freedom Plaza [Google Earth], with a view of the event venue as of 4:45p.m. [Inset] ...

March 23, 2015 · 2 min

The Top 10 Filipina Cosplayers according to “Ang Pinaka”

When I got tipped of the news about the March 15 episode of GMA News TV’s magazine show Ang Pinaka listing out ten (10) Filipina Cosplayers, I made sure that I will watch. For this post, I will use a subjective stance. To begin with, the program’s panel include Marko Villaluz, Sam Beltran and Guy Singzon. Villaluz has participated the Cosplay Tournament of Champions as part of the Adventure Team years ago, wherein Singzon was among the hosts. Beltran wrote the “Top 20 Cosplayers to Watch Out for” article on When in Manila that drew the ire of yours truly. ...

March 14, 2015 · 2 min

Direk Joey Reyes on Mainstream, Indie and Maindie

[Top Photo] Vispathè cinema, in Campi Bisenzio, Italy. (Wikimedia Commons); Director Reyes’ self-portrait with broadcaster Mike Enriquez (Instagram) I was lucky to participate in the 1st De La Salle University Communication Conference held last 27 February 2015, and I am still on a hangover a week after. After all, this is the first conference in La Salle since the launch of their Communication Arts program forty years ago. Various speakers from different industries gather to share insights on the communication landscape in the country, among the things that I’ve taken note of there, Director Jose Javier Reyes‘ talk on the Film and Movie industry made me think the most. In this post, I will write about what I have understood in his talk; meaning that alongside the information and the arguments he shared with the audience, I will try to make sense of each of it. ...

March 3, 2015 · 5 min

MyAnimeList in 2015 — New investors, new infrastructure

I have decided to write something about MyAnimeList after all these times, these 12,000 years of aishite — okay, okay, a long time, I mean. It’s been long since I tracked my Anime fix — which I did just now for my Fifty (Anime) Ships segment — and I’ve tried to gather my MyAnimeList and Hummingbird.me data to do that. There’s only one thing that made me curious about MyAnimeList now — almost a month ago, they’ve been divested from CraveOnline, LLC. This means that they are now MyAnimeList, LLC, which has a different set of investors with them. Not only that, they also now have their own Facebook and Google+ profiles — after, again; all these times, these 12,000 years of aishi– okay, I’m shutting up on that now (I barely know the series where I got that track). So, what happened? ...

February 15, 2015 · 4 min

In-Focus: Cosplay Event at Siena Taytay School Fair

[Left] The St. Thomas Aquinas Building of Siena College of Taytay; [Right] The Stage for their school fair’s Gakuen Clash Year 3. (Photos: Ricky, JustForPics; Francis Laus, Team Prank Multimedia) Just yesterday, I spent almost the whole day at Siena College of Taytay to observe what seems to be my first experience of a Cosplay event inside and academic institution. Siena Taytay is celebrating their school fair, with the theme “Saya pa more sa [More fun at] Siena Taytay,” and their annual Cosplay competition is at its third year. In this post, we’re not just profiling the event, but I’m going to put the spotlight on one Cosplayer that I’ve just met. ...

February 12, 2015 · 4 min

I went to LiSA’s first Philippine concert, and it was wonderful.

This photo released by the staff of anison singer LiSA shows the audience reception and the viability of the event — the one marked in the balcony area is this writer. [@LiSA_STAFF on Twitter] There’s a little bit of a story before this event happened — weeks before this, I actually had tantrums as I was thinking of the worst possible scenario of not actually being able to come here, but then one day Al gave me a ticket to the balcony because it’s just too hard to miss, and he want me to narrate the situation. I will not delve further on what he did, but please, let’s focus on the report. ...

January 30, 2015 · 8 min

Chronicling the 15th International Manga Conference

Scenario inside the Leong Hall of the Ateneo de Manila University. For the first time, I was able to attend an international Manga conference — and I’m ecstatic about this. For that reason, I’ll write a journal of what I have done there. Last January 23, 2014, I was at the Leong Hall of the Ateneo de Manila University to take part in the second day of the 15th International Manga Conference, with the title “Manga and the Manga-esque: New Perspectives to a Global Culture.” This also includes the 6th Women’s Manga Conference, so most of the content is not only focused on the ‘Manga-esque’ (to be discussed later); but also on the women who are either the focus of it or doing it. ...

January 28, 2015 · 16 min

Wargods Gaming Expo 1.5

WGX 1.5 is summed up in this picture. In this post, I will share to you my experiences at the Wargods Gaming Expo 1.5 held on July 12, 2015. Unlike their first iteration, the guys at Wargods were able to get a good set of partners this time around. The event was held at Playland inside Fisher Mall in Quezon City. It’s a three-jeep stop from our base in Cainta (via Anonas). The event was co-organized with the Polytechnic University of the Philippines’ Otaku U Rule organization which also provided marshals. Playland is a three-floor amusement area at the fourth level of the mall. At the ground and second levels are arcade games while the third level has a basketball court, an airsoft field, and a billiard hall. ...

January 17, 2015 · 4 min