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!

Snowy Saturday? Might As Well Watch Anime!

Oh, the weather outside is frightful!  The heat inside is so delightful!  There's snow outside so inside we'll stay and watch nothing  but anime! Hubby and I started off watching "The Tale Of Princess Kaguya," which was recently released on DVD! 
Sanuki no Miyatsuko, a bamboo cutter, discovers a miniature girl inside a glowing bamboo shoot. Believing her to be a divine presence, he takes her home; he and his wife, Ona, decide to raise her as their own, calling her "Princess". The girl grows rapidly and conspicuously, marveling her parents and earning her the nickname "Takenoko" (Little Bamboo) from the other children in the village. Sutemaru, the oldest among Kaguya's friends, develops a particularly close relationship with her.
Okina comes upon gold and fine cloth in the bamboo grove in the same way he found his daughter, taking these as proof of her divine royalty. He begins planning to make her a proper princess. Her life in the mountains ends abruptly as Miyatsuko and his wife relocate her to the capital. She finds herself in a mansion, replete with servants and fine clothes. She is also saddled with a governess, Lady Sagami, who is tasked with taming her into a proper noblewoman. She struggles with the restraints of nobility, arguing that life should be full of laughter and struggle.
When she comes of age, a royal priest, Inbe no Akita, grants her the formal name of "Princess Kaguya" for the light and life that radiates from her. Okina holds a celebration in commemoration of Kaguya's naming. At the celebration, Kaguya overhears partygoers ridiculing her father's attempts to turn a peasant girl into a noble through money. Kaguya flees the capital in despair and runs back to the mountains, seeking Sutemaru and her other friends. She discovers that they have all moved away to let the mountain replenish itself. Kaguya passes out in the snow, only to awaken suddenly back at the party, not missed at all.
Kaguya grows in beauty, attracting scores of would-be suitors. Sanuki no Miyatsuko is delighted by the mass of prospective husbands, but Ona is less enthusiastic and Kaguya entirely uninterested. Five men of noble standing court her, comparing her to mythical treasures. Kaguya says that she will only marry whoever can bring her the mythical treasure mentioned. Two suitors attempt to persuade her with counterfeits, but are thwarted. The third abandons his conquest out of cowardice, and the fourth attempts to woo her with flattering lies and a promise of life in the countryside. When one of the would-be suitors is killed in his quest, Kaguya falls into depression. Eventually, the Emperor himself takes notice of her, visiting her in person. Taken with her beauty, he makes advances toward her, revolting her. Kaguya then demonstrates the uncanny ability to disappear at will, surprising the Emperor. Understanding that he has been too forward, the Emperor takes his leave, determined to still make Kaguya his.
Kaguya's melancholy worsens, worrying Miyatsuko and his wife. Okina sadly tells her that he hoped a life of nobility would make her happy, but she remains distraught. She finally reveals that she has learned that she originally came from the Moon. When the Emperor made his advances, she silently begged the Moon to help her and learned the truth: Once a resident of the Moon, she broke its laws, hoping to be exiled to Earth, so that she could truly experience mortal life due to witnessing the earthly sorrow of another celestial lady. Now having heard her prayer, the Moon will reclaim her on the fifteenth night of the lunar month, during the full moon. Kaguya confesses her attachment to Earth and her reluctance to leave.
Sanuki no Miyatsuko swears to protect her and begins assembling defensive forces. Ona returns with Kaguya to her hometown in the mountains once more. There, Kaguya finds Sutemaru and tells him she would have been happiest with him; Sutemaru vows to protect her, come what may, and they run away together through the mountains until they magically take to the air. However, when the Moon shines upon her, Kaguya begs Sutemaru to hold her tightly. Despite Sutemaru's best efforts, Kaguya is torn from his grasp out of the sky. He awakens alone in a field, and, convinced that it had been a dream, returns to his wife and child. Kaguya sadly returns home to the capital with Ona.
On the fateful night of the full moon, a procession of celestial beings descends from the Moon astride clouds as a form of transportation. Despite Miyatsuko's best efforts, the divine force is unstoppable as it sweeps in unperturbed, putting almost everyone to sleep. A Buddha-like figure directs some sprites to ferry Kaguya to them; they entrance Kaguya, who glides away, much to Ona's horror. She rises to the Moon entourage, from which an attending apsara offers her a crown and a robe that will erase her memories of Earth. Kaguya puts on the crown, but is stayed from the robe by her parents' cries. She begs the attendant to grant her a last moment with Okina and Ona.
The apsara assures her that upon returning to the Moon, she will be free of Earth's impurities. Kaguya rebuffs her, saying that Earth is full of wonder and life, embracing her parents. The attendant then drapes the robe around her, and Kaguya's expression goes blank, forgetting about her life on Earth. She resumes her seat in the heavenly entourage and they ascend to the Moon, leaving Miyatsuko and his wife distraught. As Kaguya and the other celestial beings leave the earth behind, the many people who played a role Kaguya's mortal life are seen simultaneously viewing the full moon.
Despite her apparent detachment from the Earth, Kaguya looks back one last time, with tears in her eyes, before the group disappears into the light of the Moon.
Honestly, I learned of this story from watching "Big Bird In Japan."   I guess you're never too old for the Muppets or "Sesame Street!"  LOL!    Also today, Hubby and I watched "Lupin The 3rd: Napoleon's Dictionary."  I found it when I was looking for "Lupin the 3rd: Legend of the Gold of Babylon."   I never did find "Legend," but I did enjoy watching "Napoleon's Dictionary."  While Lupin does enjoy racing for the sport of it, the prize in an antique car grand prix across Europe is Lupin's only goal. The prize is a dictionary that once belonged to Napoleon. More importantly, the dictionary was also once owned by Lupin's family and contains the location of one of his family's most prized possessions. Lupin does not know what the possession is, but it is a matter of family pride. With the usual suspects on his trail, can Lupin outrace everyone to the treasure?!  The only thing I didn't like about it was the fact that it was subbed and not dubbed.    I also watched some hentai today, but I won't reveal the juicy details of that! After all, there is such a thing as TMI--Too Much Information!  LOL!

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!

Anime USA 2014: Ani-mazing Con!

First off, I just want to thank the AUSA staff for not following in Otakon's footsteps and making their schedule available only on SmartPhones!  The paper schedules are so much easier to work with!  That being said, I had an interesting time at Anime USA this past weekend (October 3-5, 2014).
I cosplayed, of course.  With my "Toad" (Super Mario Bros.) costume out of commission until further notice, I had to search through my cosplay wardrobe for other alternatives.  I didn't realize how many costumes I actually own!  On Friday, I was a Japanese schoolgirl.  I think I've only worn that costume maybe about 2 or 3 times.  On Saturday, I donned my Totoro Kigurumi complete with matching paw slippers, Totoro purse, Totoro earrings, and a Totoro plushie. Sunday's cosplay outfit was Rei Ayanami from "Neon Genesis Evangelion."  Honestly, I'm not really into that particular anime, but it is what it is.  I sat a few shifts at the DC Anime Club (www.dcanimeclub.org) table. (The DC Anime Club is the organization that my Hubby, Christopher Wanamaker, founded and over which he currently presides).   I also attended a few panels--"School Days!  A History of Japanese School Uniforms," "Nintendo History 101," and "AHHHH!  Video Game Cartoons" to name a few.  Sadly, I missed the screening of the live-action "Black Butler," but I'm sure that it will be released in the United States sometime in the near future!   I stated before that my "Toad" costume is unusable, so I found someone--Ginger Woods of "Gbee Fabrics" (http://gbeefabrics.com/) -- to make me a new one.  I'm hoping to have it by Summer 2015.  I've already got my cosplay outfits for Katsucon 2015 (www.katsucon.com)  planned out.  I plan to be Wonder Woman, Rainbow Brite (once I order a new wig), and to keep warm with my Hamster Kigurumi.  I guess I'm jumping the gun slightly, as I might get to attend Annapolis Comic-Con (http://annapoliscomiccon.com/)  and MAGFest (http://magfest.org/)  before Katsucon in February.  But, back to Anime USA!  Money was a little tight, so I wasn't really able to splurge on much in the Dealer's Room at Anime USA; but I did purchase one DVD, "Parade Parade" (a hentai).  I'm hoping to be able to catch up on "Fairy Tail" at Katsucon, since it occurs a few weeks after my birthday (January 28)!  My cash flow should be a lot better by then!  In the meantime, I don't mind re-watching some of the many anime DVDs in my collection: "Wolf Children," "Grave of the Fireflies," or one of the films directed by the cinematic genius Hayao Miyazaki: "Spirited Away," "My Neighbor Totoro," or "Kiki's Delivery Service" (which is supposed to be adapted into a live-action film) to name a few.  Anime today, anime tomorrow, anime FOREVER!!!!!! 

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