Katsucon 2017 AKA Kat-Sick-Con

Another Katsucon has come and gone.  I attended Katsucon for the 14th year in a row.  The weather was more like spring than winter, what my mother likes to call "pneumonia weather."  She wasn't too far off this time.  My husband, our friend Edward Thomas, and I all ended up with nasty colds AKA "con plague."  Today--Wednesday (2/22/2017)--is the first day I've felt well enough to work on this blog post.  It wasn't my best con.  I bought some accessories for my kimono, but didn't buy any DVDs this year.  I missed the Funimation panel and the Feedback panel, the 2 panels I usually make it a point to attend every year.    I also missed the chance to see Monica Rial, one of my favorite voice actresses!  On the up side, my cousin Janessa attended Katsucon for the very first time.  I'm pretty sure she had fun; I'll have to call and check on her soon.  Another thing that I always look forward to is seeing Steve Bennett, whom I've dealt with at previous cons and who is now considered a friend.  I am a little peeved at the whole weather situation; it forced me to change my cosplay plans at the last minute!  My original cosplay lineup was supposed to be my Totoro kigurumi, my Rainbow Brite cosplay, and my hamster kigurumi.  However, Mother Nature said it was going to be too hot for all of that, so I ended up wearing my ThunderCats skirt with the matching jacket and a red turtleneck on Friday, my Toad (Super Mario Bros.) cosplay on Saturday, and I wasn't feeling great on Sunday, so I just threw on a t-shirt and jeans.  I was originally supposed to wear my Mega Man T-shirt with my blue chiffon skirt, but I was just starting to feel ill, so I wasn't trying to dress up!  Another thing that I normally do that I didn't this year is take a lot of pictures.  I don't know if the costumes weren't remarkable or I just didn't care.  After 14 years of con-going, I may just be burnt out!  On the up side, I did get to see my friends Phyllicia Hart and Bertina Lomotey.  Unfortunately, I was kind of disoriented when I ran into Bertina and had no idea who she was, so I somehow found myself in the hands of Katsucon's medical staff.  They diagnosed me with low blood sugar, gave me some orange juice, and sent me on my way.  Bravo!  (And I mean that with the utmost sincerity).  I'm hoping next year's Katsucon (February 16-18, 2108) will be better!   In the meantime, I have the Sakura Matsuri to look forward to come springtime.  Also, a new con will be coming to Washington, DC this summer.  BlerdCon will be happening June 30-July 2!  (http://blerdcon.com/)  “Blerd” is an acronym for Black nerd; this has become a phrase embraced by minority nerds of all backgrounds, no matter what their skin color. The word blerd has evolved to become a symbol of unity for all nerds; BlerDCon is a team of lifetime geeks that has rallied around this concept to create a con for all.   Oh! And before BlerdCon, there will be Awesome Con.  (http://awesome-con.com/) Though why they put that one during Father's Day weekend is beyond me!  I've got a busy season ahead of me!  Not a free weekend in sight for the foreseeable future!  Ah!  The life of an Otaku!

Katsucon 2016 was KatsuCOLD!

Another President's Day weekend has come and gone, and I spent it as I have every year since 2003...by attending Katsucon with my Hubby! As usual, there was some drama, but I'll get to that later.  Friday, Hubby Christopher Wanamaker and I drove down to the Gaylord with our friend, Marvin Aristide.  I wore my Totoro kigurumi and was fully decked out with the matching slipper feet, earrings, purse, and backpack!
 Having finally figured out how to use my IPhone properly, I was able to view the schedule and  attend almost every event or panel I wanted to. I made it a point to attend the Funimation industry panel.  I am really looking forward to getting the 2 "Black Butler" movies that were mentioned.  "Black Butler: Book of Circus" will be released on April 19 this year, and "Black Butler: Book of Murder" is set to come out on May 17, 2016.  I can't wait!  "Black Butler" is one hell of a series about "one Hell of a butler!" (I reviewed it in a previous blog post.)
As for my cosplay outfits, I wore the following: my "Totoro" kigurumi on Friday, my "Rainbow Brite" costume on Saturday, and my hamster kigurumi on Sunday. Needless to say, I had appropriate and cute accessories for each outfit! 
Of course, I managed to snag some great souvenirs!  I bought some accessories for my kimono, as well as a few DVDs I wanted.  I had to replace my copy of "Kiki's Delivery Service," because the one I already had got scratched (Don't ask me how!  I have no idea how it happened)!  I also found the "xxxHolic" movie (which was sold as a CLAMP double feature--along with the "Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicles" movie), "Haganai Next" (I got the first season at a DC Anime Club Swap Meet), "Lupin The Third: Bye Bye Lady Liberty," and some hentai titles (Don't judge me!).
As I mentioned before, there was some drama.  A fire forced everyone to evacuate the Gaylord on Saturday (2/13/16). I was wearing my Rainbow Brite outfit, and was FREEZING outside!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I felt really sorry for the guy (I don't know who he was) who, unfortunately for him, was in the hotel's indoor swimming pool when the fire alarm went off.  Apparently, the fire was caused by an electrical issue in the kitchen. (Though, there were rumors flying round that someone pulled the alarm as a joke!  If that had been true, I suspect that a bunch of cosplayers would be in jail for murdering the alarm puller!)  Sunday was Valentine's Day and the last day of Katsucon. I wore my hamster kigurumi, which, in hindsight, I wished I had worn on Saturday when we were evacuated.  I'd have probably been a little warmer!  Nothing much to report about Sunday.  I did my table shift as part of my duties for the DC Anime Club, which was founded and is presided over by my husband.  Sunday was also the day I bought (or had Hubby buy) some of the DVDs I wanted, as previously mentioned in this post.  All things considered, I had a great time at Katsucon and can't wait to attend MAGFest over the coming weekend!

Me dressed as "Rainbow Brite," holding my trusty Sprite & sidekick, "Twink!"

Snowy Satruday 2016: Food Fights, Fish, & Finding Yourself Snowbound!

Surprisingly, I haven't written anything in this blog for almost a year!  That's not to say that in the past year I haven't watched some amazing anime!  I've just been so busy, I guess I forgot to update the blog.  I'll blog about "Michiko & Hatchin" & "Good Luck Girl" another day.  Today's post is regarding anime I watched during the blizzard of 2016!  On this snowy Saturday (1/23/2016),  I watched "Ben-To," an anime about the ultimate food fight!

While innocently reaching for some half-priced bento, Yō Satō finds himself beaten up on the floor of a supermarket. He soon learns that getting half-priced bento is an all-out brawl between customers. Yō is invited to the Half-Priced Food Lovers Club by one of the top fighters, Sen Yarizui, in order to train to compete in these battles.

Bento brawls are big, all-out, free for all battles for half-priced bento boxes, where victors are decided by who claims the bento first. The brawls are governed by a set of unspoken rules among the brawlers, mainly to keep each brawl fair and even.

• Every brawler must wait away from the bento area until the God of Discounts, the ones who put the half-priced sticker on the bento boxes, put the sticker on the bento boxes and leave to the break room before beginning to battle. To take one beforehand and to harass the God of Discounts is disrespectful as the last thing they need at the end of their shift are people harassing them for their discount.
• If another brawler manages to get a bento for themselves, they cannot be attacked. If two or more brawlers get their hands on the same bento, then they fight among themselves until the other lets go of the bento.
• A brawler can only take one bento, to take another would be greedy and would spoil the victory for another.
• Brawlers should never do anything to cause a bento to spill, doing that would mean one less bento for someone to get.

Asides from that, whatever methods one can use in obtaining a bento can be used from simply brawling to using baskets and chopsticks as weapons, even running around avoiding fights altogether are valid strategies. Sometimes brawlers fight in groups, such as the Half-Priced Food Lovers Club (Yō, Sen and sometimes Hana) and the Orthros pair who will often fight with each other while going after separate bento or team up to take out a threat before brawling with each other.
Those that fight for bento boxes are often known as "wolves". Inexperienced bento brawlers are considered "dogs", usually considered as such when they do not understand the essence of bento brawls and use tactics that are looked down upon. Those that go against the rules and will selfishly go after bento and harass the staff are known "boars" and have no respect among brawlers. Bento brawlers will often do everything in their power to stop boars from obtaining bento as they go against everything brawlers stand for and thus do not deserve the bento. Strong and notable brawlers are often given titles (which are usually associated with personality or appearance), though how they get their title (and in the case of Yō, the title itself) are usually less than impressive.

A little more violent than my average anime diet, I found it amusing nevertheless.  I definitely think it's worth a second watch, although I do think the ending could've been better.  Then again, it's not the first time I've been disappointed in an anime ending.  For example, "Michiko & Hathin," which I watched last year, but never blogged about, was entertaining, but ended on a rushed, anticlimactic note.  But, as I previously stated, that's a story for another day!

Following "Ben-To," I found myself re-watching "Wolf Children," one of my favorite anime movies.  I remember the first time I watched it was a free 10-minute preview via my cable's OnDemand feature.  By the end of the preview, both Hubby Christopher Wanamaker and I were so hooked on "Wolf Children" that it was the first DVD we sought out at the next anime con we went to! 

I concluded my anime marathon with a movie from my favorite anime director, Hayao Miyazaki.  "Ponyo" is an anime movie loosely based on "The Little Mermaid."  However, seeing as I have previously blogged about it, to do so again would be redundant.  However, I will say that that animation quality is AMAZING!  The movie, if you have not seen it, is one I definitely recommend adding to your movie collection!

I am a little behind on my blogging, so look for one or 2 more updates before Katsucon weekend! (February 12-14, 2016).  I'm hoping to expand my anime collection at that con and also at MAGFest, which is the weekend following Katsucon this year!

Katsucon 2015

I had a relatively good time at this year's Katsucon, in spite of the fact that Chris and I didn't have a hotel room and commuted daily from our apartment to the Gaylord.  And I missed my Grandmother's funeral to attend the con.   But what could I do?  Katsucon was in the works way before she passed away.  Plus, the funeral was way down in Virginia, and it would have been impossible to attend both  the funeral and the con.  Mom understood. She's the one who told me not to worry about the funeral.  Sigh!  Life goes on, I guess.    I had a pretty decent cosplay lineup this year.  2 kigurumis (Totoro & a hamster) and my new Toad (Super Mario Bros.) costume.  I didn't have much money, but Hubby bought me a few "Lupin The 3rd" DVDs and one hentai DVD.  I was also hoping that one of the merchants might have had "The Tale of Princess Kaguya," but that movie won't be released until later on this week.  Hubby said he'd buy it for me when it comes out!   I tried to attend a few panels, but between commuting and my table shifts for the DC Anime Club, I missed the majority of the panels I wanted to attend!  Mercifully, Hubby said we will be getting a hotel for Katsucon 2016.  I'm glad!  I hated going back and forth this year.  Though, it wasn't the first time.  I stayed with my whackjob cousin Pam back in 2007 and commuted back and forth from her apartment to the Omni Shoreham hotel in Washington, DC. Unfortunately, it took another 2 years to see how crazy she truly was and to completely sever all ties with  her! But, anyway..... back to Katsucon! I ran into Larry Reclusado and a few other individuals I normally only get to see at cons.  Sadly, Steve Bennett didn't show up this year.  Mercifully, after the recent drama on Facebook, I didn't run into Adam Wright, either!  All in all, it was still a good con, and I can't wait until next year's Katsucon!  In the meantime, I'm going to be attending other cons as usual this year.  T-MODE, Otakon, Anime USA, and my first West Coast convention, San Diego Comic-Con!  I can't wait!

Otakon 2014--The Story of the Wardrobe, The Writer, & The Wallet

Another Otakon has come and gone.  Sadly, I won't be around for Otakon 2015.  Hubby Christopher Wanamaker and I are planning to venture to a con on the West Coast next year, just for a change and a standard of comparison.  Hopefully, we'll be around for Otakon 2016.... But, back to Otakon 2014!   I was planning to cosplay as Toad ("Super Mario Bros.") all 3 days--August 8, 9, & 10, because Hubby was doing a different version of Mario for his cosplay outfits: Fireball Mario, Cape Mario, & Classic Mario.  Unfortunately, a wardrobe malfunction  rendered my Toad costume unsuitable for public wear after Friday.   Mercifully, I had--as I always do-- packed a pair of jeans a and few t-shirts in case of emergency.  On the upside, I did replace my copy of the DVD "The Last Unicorn." (Note to self: Stop loaning your stuff out to people who are likely to ruin or lose it!).  I even got it signed by Peter Beagle, who wrote the book that inspired the animated film adaptation.  I was lucky enough to have my picture taken with him.  That was the highlight of my weekend, though I did purchase some DVDs to add to my collection--"Garden Of Words," "Dragon Pink" (a hentai), and the aforementioned "The Last Unicorn."  I also walked away with a free disc of  "The Ping-Pong Club."  Aside from the DVDs that I got for myself, I was also thinking of my friends who were unable to attend Otakon.  I bought my friend Curtis the complete DVD set of "Deadman Wonderland."  I wish I had had enough money to catch myself up on the "Fairy Tail" anime, but 5 DVDs threatened to put a strain on my finances!  Oh, well!  There are plenty of cons where I will have an opportunity to catch up, right?  I do plan to attend Anime USA from October 3-5 of this year, and Katsucon during President's Day weekend in 2015.    I normally attend a few panels at every con, but I had a problem with the schedule. Unfortunately, someone on the Otakon staff thought it would be a brilliant idea to make the schedule available only via a SmartPhone app!  In other words, because I was too brainless to properly use my IPhone, I missed out on most of the panels.  Oh, well!  I still had a relatively good time, and I am looking forward to attending Anime USA this autumn. It is being held from October 3-5, 2014 at the Washington Marriott--Wardman Park, though I will probably not have a hotel room for that con. I'll probably just commute from my apartment.  For further details regarding the upcoming Anime USA, visit www.animeusa.org

Katsucon: 2 Decades of AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I spent yet another President's Day weekend with my Hubby Christopher Wanamaker and hundreds of fellow Otaku at Katsucon. It's the only con I've been to every year since I became interested in anime and Asian culture in general. Hubby and I roomed with another couple (Hi, Renee! Hi, Matt!) I'm kinda ticked because I left some of my essential cosplay accessories at home. I was supposed to be Rei Ayanami (Neon Genesis Evangelion) & Toad (Super Mario Bros. video games), but ended up wearing my Domo hoodie and my hamster Kigurumi. On top of that, I lost a few things over the weekend: a tote bag with the book I was supposed to be reading, as well as my Nintendo DS Lite and a few video games, not to mention my journal. On the up side, I saw Steve Bennett--a great artist and a good friend to both me and Chris--for the first time in quite a few years. (Hi, Steve!) I also bought a few DVDs for myself--"Wolf Children", "Fairy Tail: Phoenix Rising" (movie), and, yes, some hentai (hanging my head in shame)! I watched "Wolf Children" with Hubby when I got back Sunday evening. It was AWESOME! Hana is a 19-year-old student who falls in a "fairy-tale like" love with a "wolf man". Over the course of the 13-year story Hana gives birth to two children—older sister Yuki, and younger brother Ame, or "Snow and Rain". At first the family quietly lives in city trying to hide their wolf heritage, but when the "wolf man" suddenly dies Hana makes the decision to move to a rural town, far from their previous city life. I must be burnt out on the anime con scene. I barely attended the panels at Katsucon, and I hardly took any photos. Or maybe, I've just attended the same cons over and over again. I guess it's time for a change! Which is why I'm looking forward to attending Awesome Con for the very first time this year. That will be happening April 18-20 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. Details relating to that con can be found here: http://awesomecondc.com/

Katsucon 19: The Final Teen Year!

This weekend was epic! I've spent the last several hours trying to wind down and get settled in at home. What happened this weekend? The 19th Katsucon, and the 10th year I attended this particular con! I'm exhausted, but I definitely had a ball! I cosplayed, raided the Dealer's Room, and managed to promote my blog and fanpage. Sadly, I missed 3 key things: 1. Seeing Steve Bennett, 2.Seeing Monica Rial, and 3. Attending the Funimation panel. On the upside, I managed to get some of the DVDs I wanted, as well as a few that I got for members of my family. I admit it: I bought hentai! I got "Chains Of Lust" for a friend, and I bought one called "Sextra Credit" for myself! I bought "The Secret World Of Arrietty" for my niece. And of course, I wore my cosplay outfits! I was Rainbow Brite, Toad, and Rei Ayanami. Chris was Krys, Mario, and Ben 10. Quite a few people were taking pics of us, in spite of the fact that my Rainbow Brite wig was ill-fitting. The company I ordered it from claimed it was for adults, but I honestly believe they sent me the child-size wig! Oh, well! I have plenty of time to order a new wig. I won't be cosplaying as Rainbow Brite again until Anime USA! In the meantime, I have to plan on moving out, a vow renewal ceremony for me and the Hubby, another anime con this summer (Otakon), and a few other life events!

Anime USA 2012

I am physically drained, but I am determined to finish this post tonight! I got home from this year's Anime USA a few hours ago. This was the first anime con where I wasn't working on the staff, for the press, or manning a table with Hubby Christopher Wanamaker and the DC Anime Club. I can look at this con solely from the point of view of an attendee. On the whole, the con itself wasn't horrible. Hurricane Sandy prevented some of the guests from attending, which meant that some of the panels had to be rescheduled or cancelled. Friday was pretty good. Chris and I dressed as Mario and Toad from the "Super Mario Bros." video games. We even participatd in a photo shoot! I wanted to check out the first 3 episodes of "Puella Magi Madoka Magica," which was being shown in one of the video rooms, but I decided to skip the viewing and check it out via Netflix instead. I spent the rest of Friday evening in the hotel room watching television with Hubby. Saturday was a lot of fun. Chris and I dressed as Rainbow Brite and Krys from the "Rainbow Brite and the Star Stealer" movie. Quite a few people asked to snap pictures of us, and we even had some professional photographs taken. Of course, one of the highlights of any con is seeing familiar faces. For me, one of those faces is Kevin Bolk! (Hi, Kevin!) I didn't see the guy who likes to cosplay as Ponyo's father at this con, but I did see several other people I knew: Penny Weir AKA "Moon Mama", her daugthers Rusty and Melissa, and several members of the DC Anime Club, which my Hubby founded and is President of. The last day of the con wasn't bad. Several people made it a point to attend the Feedback Panel. Chris and I cosplayed as Wonder Woman and Wolverine from the DC & Marvel comic book universes. The one thing I missed this year was attending the Masquerade!!!!! I think Chris and I were too tired to attend. However, this is a staple at almost every anime con we've been to, so we'll probably catch it at Katsucon 19, which is scheduled to take place in February 2013 over the President's Day weekend. (Side note: the deadline for Katsucon registration is the end of December!) In the meantime, I have a couple of anime DVDs to keep me occupied: "Panda! Go Panda!" and "Sea Prince and the Fire Child!" I know what I'll be doing this Saturday! (Aside from catching up on sleep, that is!) LOL!!!!!

"Fairy Tail' Is A Dream Come True....So Far!

I spent most of yesterday watching Funimation's "Fairy Tail."  I only own the first 2 discs of the series, but at least 2 more volumes have already been released or slated for release.  I first learned of this show via the Funimation Channel (which was recently removed from the Verizon FiOS channel lineup! Damn!), and it piqued my interest enough for me to add it to my Wish List!  Hubby Christopher Wanamaker found the DVD/Blu Ray combo sets at Katsucon 2012!  (Thanks, Boo!)
"Fairy Tail"  follows the adventures of the celestial wizard Lucy Heartfilia after she joins Fairy Tail: "a certain guild in a certain town that soars high above the rest. One from which countless legends have been born; a guild that will no doubt continue to create legends well into the future" and partners with Natsu Dragneel, who is searching for the dragon Igneel.  Natsu aka "Salamander," is a Fairy Tail wizard and easily recognizable by his pink hair.  Natsu is the main male protagonist of the series.
Though to date, I've only watched 24 out of 124 episodes, I already find it to be highly interesting and entertaining.  I will admit, however, that it does focus quite a bit on fighting.  I have no problem with that, as it develops the storyline.  I did find one slightly annoying character--Happy, Natsu's blue feline partner. However, Happy also provided some comic relief, so that provided a balance to the annoying side of his personality.  Another character worthy of notice was Erza Scarlet, a  19-year-old S-Class wizard, who is usually tasked with performing extremely dangerous missions, and considered by many to be the most powerful female member of the guildcommon sense.  Scarlet was a little bossy, but still not a character to be hated.
I know that at least one more DVD of the series has been released, and I plan to get it when I attend Otakon this summer.  In the meantime, I can keep myself occupied by watching "Witch Hunter Robin," another title that was purchased for me at Katsucon!!!!!!!!!!!!

"Taro" is Terrific!

My Hubby, Christopher Wanamaker, bought me "Taro The Dragon Boy" at Katsucon last weekend.  I just finished watching it. Honestly, the storyline was good, though the animation quality was a bit archaic! (It was created in 1979).  "Taro The Dragon Boy" is the story of Taro, a lazy, selfish boy who loves to eat and sleep and wrestle with the animals.  He has little direction or inspiration in his life. That is, until a wizard passing through the forest one day bestows young Taro with a magical potion.  Upon drinking the potion, he gains the strength of a hundred men!  However, there is a catch: he may only summon this power when he is helping others.  Taro soon learns that his long-lost mother was transformed into a dragon as punishment for her greediness.  He sets forth with a sense of purpose  to locate his mother and free her from the spell.  All the while trying to help the peasants of his village, as well as other colorful creatures that inhabit the mountain.
 I can't be sure, but I think one of the voice actors for "Taro" also provided the voice of Giuseppi Mayart in "Wicked City!" (At least, it sounded like him!)  
More perplexing and probably shocking to prudish Americans is the film's casual and unashamed nudity, from Taro's genitals, which are inadvertently flashed when he stands on his head, to the surprising but completely logical appearance of semi-naked women several times during the story. The film is suitable for all ages, however, and such scenes will probably bother parents much more than their kids.    Inspired by an ancient Japanese folklore, "Taro the Dragon Boy" is an enchanting animated masterpiece! 

Katsucon 2012: Exhiler-18-g!

I spent President's Day Weekend 2012 as I have since 2003--at Katsucon with Hubby Christopher Wanamaker!  (and the rest of the Otaku!)   Friday (2/17/2012), Chris and I cosplayed as Jem & Rio.  Saturday, our alter-egos were Mario & Toad (Super Mario Brothers), and on Sunday, Chris was Ben 10 and I was Rei Ayanami (Neon Genesis Evangelion)!  Of course, the Dealer's Room had me feeling like a kid in a candy store! LOL!  Chris bought me most of the items on my Wish List.  2 discs of "Fairy Tail," "Taro The Dragon Boy," part on the the TV series "Squid Girl," the complete collection of "Witch Hunter Robin," and "Princess 69: Lesson 1" (a hentai!).   I bought a few DVDs for my cousin Lonnie and my friend Amber.  (Don't make me have to beat you down like Stewie Griffin beat Brian....I want my money!)   I also found a stuffed "Ponyo!" (I've been wanting one since I bought the DVD when it first came out!)  Sadly, I could not find "Princess Mononoke" for my niece, Anaiya!  I guess I will make a trip to Best Buy to see if they have it!  Or wait until Otakon this summer!  Aside from the Dealer's Room, I also enjoyed attending the Funimation panel.  It was there that I learned that the second season of "Black Butler" will be released on DVD in April!  Of course, I'm going to check it out!!!!!!!!!!  I blogged about the first season of "Black Butler" in 2011.  (see the post "Black Butler: One "Hell" Of An Anime About "One Hell Of A Butler!")  Not surprisingly, I managed to get some great photos!  There were cosplayers dressed as characters from "Fairy Tail," "Black Butler,"  and several people cosplayed as characters form the "My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic" series.  I think my favorite cosplayer was the woman who was dressed as Satsuki and carried a doll of Mei (from "My Neighbor Totoro)!  There was also a guy dressed up as Totoro himself!  Needless to say, I had a great time, and can't wait to attend Otakon   this summer!!!!!  In the meantime, I have plenty of anime to keep me busy writing this blog!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I know what I'll be doing on Saturday!!!!!!!!!!  Watching anime (hopefully) uninterrupted!!!!!!!!!!!!  Woe unto those who dare disturb this "Anime-niac!"  LOL!!!!!!!!!!!

Anime USA 2011: The Last Hurrah!

I just spent the greatest weekend ever at Anime USA (probably the last anime convention I'll attend until Katsucon in February 2012.)  I, along with my Hubby (Christopher Wanamaker), cosplayed all 3 days!  We cosplayed as Wonder Woman & Wolverine from the comic book world, Jem & Rio from the popular 1980s animated series, and Mario and Toad from the "Super Mario Bros." video game franchise.  I also managed to get some great DVDs (Thanks, Hubby!  I love you!), including the last 2 box sets of "Nana," "Demon City Shinjuku," and "High School Of The Dead," but the highlight of my  weekend was meeting AND getting to take a picture with Monica Rial, one of my fave voice actresses in the anime world!!!  She also autographed my "Angelic Layer" manga!!!!!!!!!!  I wasn't impressed with the Cosplay Masquerade this year.  Only one of the skits impressed me, the one involving "The Cat Returns" featuring con attendees Jay & Lee (I don't know who they are, I just liked their skit)!  LOL!  That being said, maybe I'll try to do better and put my money where my mouth is and perform a skit at Katsucon 18 (February 17-19, 2012)!!!!

Kiki Delivers Nana

I am so excited!  This weekend, I get to watch some of the anime I purchased at Katsucon last weekend!  I am especially eager to watch "Nana!"  I saw one or 2 episodes on TV a while back, and it looked like an interesting series.  As usual, I'm starting off my anime marathon with a movie.  "Kiki's Delivery Service"  is one of Hayao Miyazaki's best films, and teaches a very good, if not predictable, lesson in believing in oneself!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiki's_Delivery_Service

2 Girls...1 Name...Nana!

On board the train to Tokyo to meet her boyfriend Shoji, Nana Komatsu ("Hachi") happened to sit beside Nana Osaki who was traveling to Tokyo to fulfill her dreams of becoming a musician. The vocalist for her punk band "Blast", Nana aims for a major debut for "Blast" in Tokyo where her boyfriend, Ren, is the guitarist for a popular band "Trapnest". Sharing the same name "Nana", both girls quickly form a bond of friendship. Their paths cross again when they encounter each other while searching for accomodation in Tokyo. Eventually they decide to live together in the same unit and this further strengthens their bond as the two "Nana(s)" go through their love lives and career.

The two completely different girls who share the same name; Oosaki Nana and Komatsu Nana (Hachi) meet on a train to Tokyo. Oosaki Nana leaves her band 'BLAST (Black Stones)' to become a pro musician and Hachi moves to Tokyo to be with her boyfriend, Shouji. Girls encounter each other while looking for the same apartment, and they decide to live together. From that moment on, they face the hardships and good things of the life together...

 

I hope I enjoy the entire series as much as I did the first episode, but only time will tell!!!!!!!!!!!

Ai Yori Aoshi: Bluer Than Indigo Made Me Blue

I woke up around 6 o'clock this morning in anticipation of one final anime marathon before I attend Katsucon over the President's Day weekend,  I was in the mood for a romantic comedy, so, of course, Ai Yori Aoshi (Bluer Than Indigo) came to mind.  I love the storyline!!!  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ai_Yori_Aoshi
Sadly, a scratched disc brought my marathon to a grinding halt around noon!!!!!!!!  DAMMIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!  After fixing myself a quick lunch, I decided to watch "Mermaid Forest," an anime based on the work of  Rumiko Takahashi, who is best known for Ranma 1/2.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mermaid_Forest
I wish Katsucon would hurry up and get here so I can see if the vendors in the Dealer's Room have any of the anime I want!!!!!!!!!!

Grave-ly Entertaining

With Katsucon rapidly approaching, I find myself eager to purchase new anime.  Until then, I must satisfy myself with what is already in my collection.  As I write this, I am watching "Grave Of The Fireflies," one of my favorite movies.    I think I will watch "Ai Yori Aoshi" tomorrow.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grave_of_the_Fireflies

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Ai_Yori_Aoshi_episodes

Animania!!!!!!!!!!!

I spent the better part of this afternoon at the FYE in Ballston Mall (4238 Wilson Blvd. Arlington, VA 22203), where an anime frenzy, or "Animania" broke out!!!!!!!!!!!! Sponsored by the DC Anime Club (http://www.dcanimeclub.org/) and Transworld Entertainment, the event featured a trivia contest, cosplayers, and dancers. My husband Chris, President of the DC Anime Club, dressed as Mario from the Nintendo video games franchise, and I cosplayed as Toad!!!! (SN: Man, it was cold in that costume! LOL!).  A few of our friends showed up as well.  Still, the overall turnout was somewhat of a disappointment.  The store didn't have the one anime I could think of that I wanted to buy, so I will wait until President's Day weekend when I can attend Katsucon (http://www.katsucon.org/) and hope that I can find what I'm looking for in the Dealer's Room!!!!!!!!!  On the upside, I did find a new friend in one of the store's employees, so the event wasn't a complete failure!!!!  I may try to check it out again if there is one in the spring!!!!  Hopefully, it'll be warmer by then!!!!!!!!!!!