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How many conventions is too many conventions? Hmm, I'd say three in one month. I sit writing this out of a hotel room in Rochester, New York, and I am too tired to drag myself back to the convention at RIT (Tora-Con). No really, I'm too tired - I've got circles to rival L from Death Note (see above).
It is really a pity I'm so run down. The guests are a great group, especially considering it is only a two-day con. The roster includes Johnny Yong Bosch (Ichigo from Bleach, Claus from Last Exile, Vash from Trigun, etc., etc., etc.) and the most fantastic Funimation voice actors Monica Rial (too many appearances to even begin to list), Chris Sabat (of DBZ fame, and the Strong Arm Alchemist in FMA), and Eric Vale (the most excellent Kanta of the Desert in Desert Punk, and Ryusuke from BECK).
But great guests or not, this Rochester trip comes after having journeyed to Columbus the first weekend in April for Anime Punch! (which ended up as a disappointement as one of the two voice actors scheduled to be there had to cancel due to illness). Then a trip to Pittsburgh for Tekkoshocon (a really great convention, with a fantastic lineup of guests - happily, they also had a premium registration that allowed priority in some lines). Then it was to here, Rochester. And that doesn't include my March trip to A&G Ohio in Cincinnati.
I've had enough of driving. Enough of my books on CD. Enough poring over anime credits on animenewsnetwork.com so I can then extract DVD covers and boxsets to bring for autographing. And definitely enough schlepping workout gear from hotel to hotel. Not to mention MORE than enough fast food and artery-clogging fare.
A big reason I have been going to conventions is to meet the voice actors who have brought various characters (who have thoroughly entertained me) to life. And to get autographs on various DVDs in which their chameleon-like voices appear. But I am SO tired of waiting in line. And of being told "only two items for signing." And though a part of me loves my fellow anime fans, another part of me wants to frankly give some of them fashion advice on their cosplay selections (please, PLEASE choose characters for which your body-type somewhat matches -- I do not wish to see someone with the figure of Sloth of FMA dressing up as Revy from Black Lagoon). I also have had just about enough of hearing a long-time anime otaku sneering at a "newbie" who hasn't seen whatever anime the "expert" believes to be the best thing ever made.
Rules going forward - I think no more than one convention every 4-6 weeks (if that). Definitely only cons that offer a Friday with autographs (when the crowds are not yet fully formed) and preferably cons that offer premium/platinum/VIP or other exalted registrations (with preferential admission to events). I am more than willing to shell out some extra cash to get in line first. What can I say - I think money should buy privileges. And I'll keep thinking so up until I can no longer afford such privileges.
Thankfully, May is a convention-free month for me. The next con I'm considering is Colossalcon - and that takes place at Cedar Point and does not involve the tiring 4-hour drive I undertook after work on Friday or a middling hotel room with an abbreviated channel selection. Ah, a few weekends at home means I will actually have time to WATCH anime, which is something that I have not had much free time to engage in lately.
Back to basics. Me, a room that isn't in a hotel, and a great anime DVD. Sounds like a plan for May.
Long time no post - guilty! I'd blame it on getting older (turned 30 a couple weeks ago), or on a busy work schedule (I think the correct word is "overwhelmed"), or on my crazy anime-con-going schedule (3 conventions - A&G Ohio, Anime Punch! and Tekkoshocon - in the past month). But in all honesty, I've just been a bit run down and a bit too lazy to motivate myself to write something even vaguely worth reading.
So in honor of my absence and new found maturity (ha!) in my third decade, I've decided to make a list of my favorite characters aged 30 or older in anime. I've given myself one ironclad rule - that the character cannot be immortal (sorry to all vampires, androids, alchemists and genetically altered individuals). My favorite immortals are for another time. Without further ado:
10) ** Honorary Mention ** Sophie Hatter (from Howl's Moving Castle), age late teens: Sophie may be in her late teens, but [SPOILER ALERT] she is transformed into an elderly woman by a rather vindictive witch. She has spunk and heart and the tale is truly a pleasure to behold. She's #10 on my list with an honorary mention because she was always an old soul and it was refreshing to see a story where the heroine was not an over-endowed teenage girl, but an older woman who emerges victorious due to her own perseverance and intelligence, and not just a pretty face.
9) Roy Revant (from Solty Rei), age 45: Roy Revant is a prototypical gruff yet caring older guy. Touched by tragedy in his life, you see a pretty moving character arc as he learns to come to grips with his past and (cheesy as it sounds) love again. But not in a romantic sense, it is his recapturing paternal feelings for what turns out to be (you guessed it) some sort of android/immortal. Good show and nice to see an older guy performing heroics - and never a bad thing to spend 24 episodes with Chris Sabat voicing a main character.
8) Legendary Sannin (Jiraiya, Tsunade and Orochimaru) (from Naruto and Naruto: Shippuden), age early-mid 50s: ah, Naruto. A series that seems to never end (which wouldn't be such a problem if not for excessive filler). Still, you have to love the Legendary Sannin - all have their quirks. Jiraiya is, of course, the pervy old sage. Tsunade is old enough to be a "grandma" and keeps herself young with some rather impressive jutsu, not to mention wields some pretty intimidating physical strength. And Orochimaru was our first major and elusive villain! Their characters don't evolve much - but then, they are all fully grown adults and mature. Well, somewhat mature -- what I really mean is that they are old enough to be comfortable in their own skin. Hmmm, I guess Orochimaru is equally comfortable in other people's skin ...... but you get the idea. They are super-powered characters and age is definitely nothing but a number for them, as is evidenced by their stunning abilities.
7) Madame Torogai (from Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit), age unsure (but definitely over 50, er, 60): you have to love a sarcastic, tart, assertive magic weaver who definitely would qualify for an AARP card. This is the grandmother you never cross who remains spry and sharp. Imagine the mind of Miss Marple crossed with the agility of a gymnast. She is saucy and plays a major role, keeping other characters in line and always surprising those who don't know her. Well done.
6) Dutch (from Black Lagoon), age 30s or (more likely) 40s: what a treat. Mercenaries, an R-rated script, cutthroat characters, and wonderful animation. Dutch leads the somewhat improbably team of mercs and is level-headed with a great grasp of business and, believe it or not, human resource management. The actor voicing him has the most hypnotically masculine voice (imagine taking the Old Spice "I'm the man your man could smell like", drop about an octave, and throw in a heaping helping of badassery, and you'll just about have it). A pleasure to listen to and the character's prowess with weapons and strategy makes him a worthy role model for those who want to get better (and badder) with age.
5) Shimada Kambei (from Samurai 7), age unknown (likely in 40s or 50s): if you haven't picked up this remake of 7 Samurai, you should. Kambei is your lead samurai, and has all the self-discipline, military prowess, and an almost zen level of insight that you would expect from such a protagonist. Is he perfect? No. But he is a man to follow and seeing his character revealed bit by bit over the course of the series is always fascinating. Not least of all because you never completely figure him out.
4) Walter C. Dornez (from Hellsing and Hellsing Ultimate), age 69 (b. 1929/1930): Alucard would be on this list if he weren't immortal. But the fact that Walter is nearly 70 and still is a deadly fighter (don't give this man a garrot or you will NOT live to regret it), that he is not intimidated by dealing with a 500+ year old vampire (who frankly gives me the heebie jeebies at times), and that he has that oh-so-suave and imperturbable British accent combine to make Walter the kind of septuagenarian I wish I could be. Without that pesky "freak" infestation problem, of course.
3) Balsa (from Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit), age 30: I kind of wanted to make her #1, but as Moribito as a show does not yet have the cache of the two shows I rank higher, I figured it was too soon to name her my VERY favorite character aged 30 or over. That said, she is by far the character on this list I'd most want to be like. Disciplined, strong physically and emotionally, guided by her own ethical and moral codes, and fiercely loyal to those who have earned it - even her negative characteristics are admirable in a way (stubbornness, self-sufficiency to the point of failing to depend on those who love her, single-mindedness). This anime is utterly gorgeous. Her character is believable, admirable and beautiful.
2) Jet Black (from Cowboy Bebop), age 36: Jet Black seems to be the prototypical mercenary with a heart of gold. Though just when you think he is really the voice of conscience on the Bebop, he will do something you didn't think he had it in him to do (nothing truly reprehensible, but enough to realize that he used to be in law enforcement and will do what needs to get done to survive and protect his shipmates). The wonderful Beau Billingslea voices Jet Black and imbues him with the utmost cool, a lot of heart, a heavy dose of soul, and not a small amount of fatherly concern and toughness. Bebop is something every fan should have seen and Jet Black makes the viewing that much better.
1) Motoko Kusanagi -or- The Major (Ghost in the Shell franchise), age 31: The Major is both all cyborg and all woman. Except when she is all kicking your ass. She is smart, cunning, and built to bring potential badass quotients to a new level. Dare I say it? She might even be able to hold her own with Chuck Norris in a fight - she certainly looks better in a thong than he would. One of the best science fiction series every made (in any medium you care to name), and between her and the rest of the fabulous over-30 cast of characters (really, I'm not sure anyone other than Togusa is under the age of 30), this is a mature show, sharply written and sharply animated. And the Major has more than earned her spot leading the Section 9 crew in the field (under Chief Aramaki's savvy direction) and topping this list of my favorite over 30 characters in anime.
VIEWING CONQUESTS
Naruto Shippuden (disk 1) - thank goodness for the time jump. The characters have all grown up (at least a bit), Naruto is a bit less obnoxious and it looks like the storyline will finally be getting darker. I'm looking forward to learning more about the Akatsuki and finding out what Sasuke has been up to. Good stuff.
Gassaraki (disk 1) - I have a feeling this could be really good, but I was a bit run down when I watched it. The animation is very good for an older show, and the plot seems to be complex and well-crafted (near future, mecha-related show; there is a mystical element, as well). Will need to re-watch.
Soul Eater (Volume, 1-13) - such a fun series. Got to see the beginning of it (and its English premier) at NY Anime Fest 2009. Though some of the characters can be grating, the energy is great, the animation distinctive and stylized, and the plot involving. Love the fight scenes, and it has a good sarcastic edge to it. LOVED meeting Excalibur (the most sarcastic sword ever -- FOOL!). Can't wait for the next volume to release later this month.
Crest of the Stars (Episodes 11-13) - got this from Netflix, finally got to finish the season. The voice acting is pretty stiff, but the character development is excellent and the plot is complex and subtle. It is science fiction/space opera fare, but truly intelligent. Looking forward to getting the next related series (the sequel Banner of the Stars).
The Wallflower (Episodes 9-13) - This is one of the most incredibly haywire shows I've ever seen. Take the normal bishōnen show and then mix in a healthy dose of occult via a female lead who is obsessed with the occult and is literally afraid of beautiful people. Put her in the house with the four gorgeous bishōnen guys and let the good times roll. Not advisable for guys, but really amusing.
READING CONQUESTS
Ouran High School Host Club (Volume 6) - finally getting some of the back story for Tamaki, which makes his character have more depth than would otherwise be apparent. Also start learning more about every one's family via a school festival (where parents come to the school). It is a fun series, with enough light hearted-ness cut with sarcasm to be enjoyable.
PURCHASED CONQUESTS
Evangelion 1.11: You Are Not Alone - on Blu-Ray, yay! But will definitely have to be in the mood for something this dark.
Ergo Proxy - finally own the series. Maybe if I re-watch it, it's convoluted, science fiction-themed plot will finally make sense. Either way, love the voice acting in this one and the animation brings across the post-apolcolyptic and brooding mood perfectly.
Full Metal Alchemist: Conqueror of Shamballa (Blu-Ray) - will be fun to revisit the FMA universe.
Witchblade (Blu-Ray) - Will be good to see this series in Blu-Ray for the first time (not sure when I will have the leisure to do so, though). Be forewarned, though, first-time viewers -- the anatomy of the main female lead and a number of the supporting females is, in a word, impossible. Fanservice in the extreme. But still has great action sequences, so a good watch.
Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit (volumes 3-6) - this fills out my complete collection of Moribito. Still haven't watched the last disk. But it does mean I can now lend out this series (it is so gorgeous and emotionally truthful, great fight scenes, just a class act all the way around). Looking forward to finally finishing it out.
Gunslinger Girl (Viridian Collection) - this show is amazing but very, very disturbing. The premise is a secret government agent that operates under the guise of taking care of orphans and other children who have catastrophic injuries. The truth is it takes such children - all little girls - and gives them advanced medical treatment, simultaneous repairing physical damage and augmenting their strength and physical power. They are then brainwashed and conditioned and finally trained as assassins. This is "girls with guns" at its essence, only done intelligently and with great artistry. Really only bought this version to have Troy Baker sign it (at A&G Ohio); will be getting the Blu-Ray in coming weeks and I'm sure it will be indescribably gorgeous in that medium.
Code Geass (Season 1 Part 1) - Ah, Lelouch. How I've missed you. An anti-hero to rival Light Yagami in Death Note. Some bits of camp, a lead who is arrogant, brilliant, sometimes misguided, and more than once gets his comeuppance from foes he underestimates, all combine for an enjoyable show. Though I admit I've taken a break from it in later episodes because I just wasn't in the mood for some of the moral issues it brings up (same deal with Death Note, actually). Will eventually revisit and finish it out, just not right now.
One of the lovely things about being at a con is getting away from normal errands and responsibilities. This means that on Day 2, I got to sleep in. Late. Very late. So nice.
When I finally dragged myself out of bed and got dressed, I made it downstairs in time to go to the Q and A session with the voice actors. They answered questions from the audience about voicing video game characters, the worst animes they'd ever been involved in, con stories, etc. Troy answered questions about getting into voice acting. Chris discussed the music he likes. D.C. talked about doing film and TV and only recently getting into voice acting. All three explained how they realize at any point the acting jobs could dry up and what they might do if that happened (Troy would consider working in sound recording or teaching, Chris might be a counselor, and D.C. had been doing "day jobs" as recently as six years ago).
After lunch I made my first trip to the Dealer's Room. It was better equipped than I expected. There were tons of Japanese snacks (Pocky, beverages, gummi candies), key chains and patches, artwork, costumes, cosplay weapons, manga and DVDs. I gave in to temptation and bought the volumes of Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit that I was missing (so now I own the complete series), Gunslinger Girl (really just bought it so Troy Baker could sign it -- I should be getting the Blu-Ray edition in the next week, but it hasn't been released yet), and Code Geass: Season 1 Part 1. I also bought a couple of mementos to pass on to friends and family.
Got near the very front of the line for the second autograph session and happily got Chris Patton to sign Soul Eater, Fullmetal Alchemist, The Wallflower, Baccano!, Full Metal Panic: The Second Raid and Princess Tutu. I then was lucky enough to get Troy Baker to sign my newly purchased Gunslinger Girl and Code Geass. Looked around for a bit - saw a guy cosplaying as Alex Louis Armstrong of FMA (this method of cosplaying has been passed down through the Armstrong family for generations!!!).
I headed upstairs and after lazing around in my room for a while - working on blog entries, watching some Soul Eater, getting in my daily workout - I ordered some room service, chowed down while watching some Golden Girls (I don't know why, but I love that show) and then got my stuff together to venture downstairs again.
I tried to make a bee line for the Dealer's Room but found it closed for the evening. This means I'll have to get my ass to bed early so I have time to get up in the morning, exercise, pack up, and make one more soujourn to the Dealer's Room to pick up a few more knickknacks and some Japanese goodies (for some co-workers who have been putting in long hours -- what could be better than Pocky and gummies?). And all that has to be done while losing an hour tonight (curse Daylight Savings Time).
With the Dealer's Room no longer on the evening's agenda I headed to the hotel's restaurant and sat down at the bar. D.C. Douglas was there talking to some of the (very patient, loving and amazing) mothers who had brought their teens to the con. I actually ordered a drink (first one of 2010), and nursed it for about an hour while talking to a very nice woman about anime. Ten o'clock rolled around and I headed to a panel led by Troy Baker. The panel was about gaming, so most of it went right over my head. But it was cool to hear Troy (who is incredibly articulate and has a knack for drawing conversation out of panel attendees) talk so animatedly and passionately about gaming -- and not just strategy, but quality of story, plot lines, character arcs, voice work, and graphics of gaming.
Panel was winding down when someone came in and instructed everyone to leave via the outside exit door - apparently some (incredibly immature, douche-bag-y) con-goer had pulled the fire alarm. There was a fire truck and an ambulance outside. After about 15 minutes in the chilly night air, with rain spitting down in fits and starts (OK, I was only outside for about 5 minutes, I spent the remaining 10 sitting in my car listening to a lecture about the Roman emperors -- I hate rain and I'm a nerd), the alarm was called off and everyone was allowed back in.
Day 2 was pretty low-key. Wish there were more anime-based panels, but I'm sure I'll get more than my fill of that at the three cons next month. Not feeling up to braving the 21+ party tonight -- hell, I'm almost 30 and can't keep up with these younger kids! Signing off for Day 2. . . .
Made it to Cincinnati later than I planned to on Friday (day 1 of the con) - for some reason I can never seem to get myself out the door when I want to. Always one more thing to do, one more disk to pack, one more errand to run. . . . But I finally departed around 2:00 pm and had a fairly uneventful ride down to Cincinnati. I arrived just before 6:00 (after a gas/food stop), and just as a monster of a storm was blowing in.
Hotel is well-equipped, rooms are nice and so far the room is quiet (almost unheard of when you are staying at the hotel where the con is hosted). The hotel's restaurant is pretty decent, and there is a mall and tons of stores around here.
But, more importantly, the guests are AWESOME. Went to the first autograph signing, which featured Troy Baker and Chris Patton (both voice actors), and D. C. Douglas (actor). They were given a microphone and continually offered humorous asides (making random announcements to the crowd about someone with their lights on in the parking lot, and then repeating the message in a variety of langauges; asking autograph seekers for their name and hometown and then announcing such information to the crowd; just generally being silly).
Last event I attended for the day was a panel, "Chris Patton Shares Too Much." Chris said the genesis of the panel was his idea to have a panel where he basically shares TMI. Apparently he often would just have things slip in regular panels and figured having an 18+, no-holds-barred panel would be a good idea. The whole panel had high energy, copious curse words, and topics not for the faint of heart. No questions were out of bounds, and the only questions he said he would not answer is anything that would require badmouthing any companies he worked for or other voice actors, and he refused to give out his room number (seemed a wise decision).
Within a few minutes of the panel starting, whenever anyone opened the door to see what the panel was about, Chris would loudly yell out "Come on in, bitches." Most came in, though at least one or two women left in quite a huff. He admitted and it was pretty obvious that he had consumed a good deal of Red Bull earlier in the evening. Something that many panel-attenders knew, and which would become clear to anyone in the panel, is that Chris is gay. Sorry, ladies - the voice of Sousuke Sagara will not be going home with you. At one point he made a comment about someone and said: "That's so retarded. Damn, I mean 'That's so special needs!'"
Many highly inappropriate questions were asked. For example;
Q: How big is your penis?
A: It isn't embarrassing or impressive, around 7 inches. But I don't know the circumference.
This line of questioning went on for a bit. We heard con stories (fans camping out outside his room, fangirls rubbing their naughty bits on him at anime con dance parties, cosplay outfits that shouldn't have seen the light of day). We heard about fans from his Facebook page who also joined Facebook pages opposing gay marriage and gay rights (Chris' response: Really? I mean, really? Why are you a fan of mine, then?). He told stories of growing up Catholic, with a Jesuit priest for an uncle (who apparently was wonderful to him and very supportive of who he is), dating girls in high school, his mother doing an occult banishing spell to get a harmful influence out of his life, and when he "dated" a guy who believed himself to be a vampire (they broke up when the dude tried to bite Chris' neck). Also, he has dated both men and women, but (in his words): "Women are crazy and guys are stupid. I can deal with stupid. But I can't handle crazy." (or something very close to that). He also enumerated his general dislike for butt sex ("dookie comes out of there!"). All in all, definitely not safe for those under the age of 18.
Upon request, he did Sasame's voice from Pretear and did a Word's Gate segment (Pretear is a somewhat mediocre series, but with some great voice actors, and Sasame is a character who's power lies in sound, his day job is as a radio personality). Something along the lines of: "This is Sasame's Word Gate. This is for all the ladies out there. And by that, I mean this is for the guys trying to get some pussy. If you are at a con and want to get some taco, it's better not to smell like taco. I'm talking about con-funk. I want to introduce you to a wonderful modern invention. It's called soap....." And so on.
Chris was great for the hour panel. He was forthcoming and funny, demonstrating quick wit, an irreverent sense of humor, and a great level of energy. From telling us what city had the most attractive con-goers (apparently it is hands down Toronto, Canada), that he enjoys Lady Gaga, is techno fan in music, and that he suffers from agoraphobia (which made doing Welcome to the NHK a rather introspective project). Definitely still a huge fan of his work and meeting and hearing him talk about himself and his work only makes that work seem better.
This Thursday finds me packing my suitcase with workout gear, my tote bag with various DVDs, and my car with a steady supply of caffeine, snacks and books on CD. I'm getting ready to head down to Cincinnati, Ohio, for an anime convention - namely, A&G Ohio (stands for Animation and Gaming Ohio). As I just started attending conventions (or "cons") during October 2009, all my upcoming con trips are inaugural ones.
The other three cons I've attended (New York Anime Festival 2009, Youmacon 2009 and Ohayocon 2010) have been pretty large affairs. NY Anime Fest takes place in the massive Jacob Javits Center and boasts something in the vicinity of 20,000 + guests (there is some controversy as to actual count due to the way they tally guests - but suffice it to say there are multiple thousands of people there). Youmacon takes place around Halloween in Dearborn, Michigan (though it will be moving to Detroit for 2010), and it had an impressive draw of 6,000+ attendees. Most recently, Ohayocon (out of Columbus, Ohio), is the largest winter season con, and there were 10,000+ attendees this year. All three boasted numerous guests, and at minimum 7 voice actors.
In contrast, A&G Ohio appears to be smaller in scale. There are only two anime voice actors scheduled as guests -- but this is no problem as the guests are Troy Baker (who played Abel Nightroad in Trinity Blood, as well as major characters in some great series, including Bleach, Gunslinger Girl, Darker than BLACK, various Dragonball Z movies, and Naruto Shippuden) and the most excellent Chris Patton (Sousuke Sagara in the Full Metal Panic series, Greed in Fullmetal Alchemist, Ayato in RahXephon, Sato in Welcome to the NHK, and major roles in countless other fabulous series). The website http://www.animecons.com/ (which to my knowledge is the best site to do initial con research) estimates that it gets about 850 paid attendees. With this in mind, I'm rather looking forward to a con whose numbers are less overwhelming. Though all cons I've been to had some gaming component, this con looks like at least 50% of the focus of the con is on gaming. As I am no gamer, this weekend will be a good chance to see two great voice actors, listen to their panels, but still have plenty of time to wander around, people watch, check out the dealer's room (which has people selling various anime merchandise), and veg out a bit.
The con's website is: http://www.aandgohio.com/index1.html . You can check out guest bios, event descriptions and the schedule. You'll have to wait and see if I feel brave enough to witness cosplay wrestling (cosplay, for the uninitiated, is costume playing where people dress up as their favorite characters) or the cosplay musical.
I will try to find time between con-going and catching up on some work (have to pay the bills to be able to keep up my anime habit) to post some updates about the con. So stay tuned!
