MegaCon 2018: Con Report

So the biggest comic/anime/sci fi/horror/gaming/whatever-you-like happened on Memorial Day Weekend, starting Thursday, May 24^th and continuing through till Sunday evening. This year was big and bad with Jeff Goldblum representing the Jurassic Park franchise. Also in sunny Florida for the big day at MegaCon were Lucy Lawless, Jason Momoa, Charlie Cox, Elijah Woods, and many others. However, I was more interested in meeting the two sexiest cosplayers in the world. For my money that would be Jessica Nigri and Yaya Han.

Friday night, with a nice extended weekend and I went to sleep so early. I vaguely remember watching the Spanish horror cult classic, Tombs of the Blind Dead and nodding off often. Then sometime in the evening I crashed hard for 5-hours Then I was up and ready.

After completing my usual pre-con ritual of getting gas, and hitting the ATM, it was time to take the Crosstown and head for Brandon to meet up with my good friend Esther. I exited the Crosstown and was driving on 60 towards Dover and it was nice with light traffic the whole way. Saturday morning just after 7am, I wasn’t expecting much traffic

I made it to Esther’s place without getting lost this time. We headed out early after briefly speaking with her brother who is a big Gold Key comic fan. The logic being, from past MegaCon journeys, the later you go, the worst the traffic and parking is. I love Orlando but I dread the Disney traffic on I4. We avoided it this time.

We played it smart and avoided the long preregistration and registration lines by paying the extra 15 bucks to have our wristbands mailed. The only problem was getting to the parking area. Vehicles trying to cut you off or worse, not moving because the drivers are lost made for a stressful drive. Finally, we were parked and ready.

We waited briefly for the bus and were soon off to the main building at the Orange County Convention Center. Actually our timely was perfect as we got there at 9:47 and everything starts at 10am.

Right at 10am is the perfect time when there are few folks around. I use that time to find the dealers I want to buy from and find the booths for the cosplayers I like. I take it all in slowly at first and I call it the Initial Scope.

For some weird reason, I was starving so we ate lunch at 10:30am. The tables were still clean and no lines. That would change just after 11 and there would be a long, long wait at 12.  We had chicken teriyaki at A Taste of Asia. For some reason I love chicken teriyaki at cons because along with the smaller portion of protein, you also get delicious steamed veggies. Being a diabetic I was worried about eating the rice but Esther reminded me that we would be walking a lot. And we did. We walked from 8:30am till 6pm, only standing in line for about 45 minutes. My legs are still sore two days later.

After an early lunch it was time to mix and mingle. We still didn’t see a lot of people and the occasional cosplayer. I did see a Godzilla cosplayer and fan boyed out over that. My mission was to walk the dealers room and take pictures and look for Godzilla toys.

At 12:20, we walked over to the cosplayer booths to see Jessica Nigri, my favorite cosplayer. There was already a line so we walked around confused looking for the end of the line. Then as we stood waiting the line got longer and longer. Good timing again. Jessica was on a panel with other cosplayers and we had to wait for that to finish. This gave me time to talk to the guy from Miami behind me in line who was proud of building his own war hammer and he let me lift it  up. It was heavy. Later he complained about how heavy it was and his arm hurting. The struggles of cosplay.

Just after 1:15, Jessica arrived and the line moved fast. She had a table of professionally shot cosplay photos for sell. I said hello and had two pictures taken. I didn’t want to hold up the line so I said nice to meet you and dashed off. I will catch her panel at the next con to hear her talk.

Then we went to see my second favorite cosplayer, the lovely Yaya Han, who was a cosplay judge on the reality show called King of the Nerds. We noticed that after 1, the place was packed. Again, when I met Yaya I just said hi, took a couple of pics, and  dashed off.

We were shopping at one dealer room and I saw a vintage Voltron for $30 so I grabbed the box and went to pay for it. Anyway, the dealer hurried over and pointed out $30 was the old Toys R Us sticker price and the markup was $250, so he snatched it from me. Oh well off to find Godzilla toys.

I met some cool vendors that were selling Godzilla toys. Godzilla toys get expensive. I calculated the average price at $260. The highest I saw was $580 for a Godzilla 1954 in the box. However, I met a third Godzilla dealer and he was rude. I was looking for something to get for a college friend and this dealer wasn’t nice so I just strolled off.

I bought one Godzilla toy, from the nice dealer and a couple of shirts but the big thing wasn’t shopping and spending money, it was interacting and joking around with the regular fans while walking around the dealer’s room. I had the most fun just doing that and seeing the costumes, it was like going out at night on Halloween as a kid.

I love the 80’s and was happy to see so many representations of 80’s pop culture from Jason from Friday the 13^th to the Ghostbusters and of course Star Wars movies, The Emperor Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi with Emperor being my favorite.  I was overjoyed to see a Ghostbusters booth and took several pictures there.

Esther and I love Star Trek and were happy to see a recreational of the Enterprise bridge. I ran to the captain’s chair because this will be my only time in life to feel like Captain James T. Kirk. I have waited for this moment for years.

Just after 5, the crowds died down and it was much easier to get around. My favorite writer, growing up in the 80’s, is Stephen King and his novel It meant so much to me when I read it when it first came out. I remember the mini-series and there was a recent reboot movie. I was glad to see the It photo op with kids in yellow raincoats and Pennywise holding a red balloon. I had to get a picture of that.

Right at 6, we were both tired, especially from walking, and headed to the bus area. There was a long line but there were multiple buses and we zipped through that long line. Esther was smart by taking a cell pic of where we parked so locating her van was easy.

It was time to end MegaCon for us by going out to dinner at Benihana, the original Japanese Steakhouse.

On the commute, away from the convention center a car cut us off close, followed by a post office semi-truck that nearly ran us off the road. It was scary getting to International Drive.

However, Benihana was nice and elegant inside. We ordered Hibachi Tuna Steak that was mouthwatering delicious and sat next to a friendly and chatty Brazilian couple. The chef was very funny, and a good time was had by all. I got up to use the men’s room and my legs were just starting to hurt. I would really feel in Sunday morning.

Leaving Benihana and back on I4 it was time to head back home. We both had a great time and are already looking forward to MegaCon in 2019.

Here are all my pics. Please click below.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/genkigaijin/albums/72157696704624714

Let's Go Shopping for Otaku Stuff

As a Tampa native who grew up watching Battle of the Planets in 1978 and Star Blazers the following year, there was not a lot of luck tracking down Anime goods. Across from Plant High School just past the Steak N Shake there used to be a store called Merlin's that sold import magazines and I bought random issues only because Ultraman was on the cover. If you blinked you missed Merlin's in South Tampa because they moved near USF on Fowler and now they are closed.

Also worth mentioning is that in the late 80's I used to ride with a friend to a store called Camelot in Largo to watch my friend pay $40 for two episodes of Robotech. So as you can see not a lot to offer fans of the 80's.

Now in the 21st Century Anime fandom has grown so rapidly that brick and mortar retailers are around. With Suncoast Video long gone, these new stores are better than what I had back in the day.

If you live in Brandon stop by Cafe Anime Tampa and see this unique blend of Anime, manga, and food. I was there for the grand opening and saw cosplay goods, T shirts, DVD/Blu-rays and tons of figures. Be sure to get some Japanese snacks. Cafe Anime Tampa is located at
137 W. Windhorst
Brandon, FL 33510
Check them out here:
https://www.cafeanimetampa.com/

Another cool store and in the extreme opposite direction is Anime Fix. The owner is a friendly talkative guy who frequently visits Tokyo to pick up stuff at Akihabara. So you don't have to fly all the way to Japan. He has a lot of cool merch. My favorite thing is the used DVD/Blu-ray section where I got an old out-of-print DVD of Golgo 13. There is even a comfy chair to sit in near the cash register so you can chat with the owner as he tells you his Tokyo travel tales.
Anime Fix is on Central towards St Pete Beach.
Anime Fix
6185 Central Ave
St Pete, FL 33710
Click below for more.
http://animefix.com/

For manga readers on a budget check out this cool indies bookstore that makes Barnes and Noble fall to its knees. Wilson's Book World has a small but unique selection of cheap used manga. Also there are tons of Sci-Fi and Fantasy books to keep everyone happy until Game of Thrones Season 8 finally starts.
Wilson's Book World
535 16th St N
St Pete, FL 33705
See more here
http://www.wilsonsbookworld.com/

Now they are numerous comic book and gaming stores that I am not going to list because the anime merch is too small or limited. These are my top three recommends.

One of my favorite ways to kill a Saturday is my St Pete Trek from grabbing lunch at 4th St Shrimp Store then hitting Wilson's and on to Anime Fix. Finally ending at the gigantic MD Oriental Market for the whole aisle of Japanese snacks and candy. Be sure to try the toilet candy.

Ghost in the Shell (2017)

Rupert Sanders delivers a stunningly beautiful cyberpunk vision of the future to life in his adaptation of Mamoru Oshii’s anime classic, Ghost in the Shell. Based on the manga by Masamune Shirow, Ghost in the Shell, tells the story of the development of the perfect killing machine, Major Mira Killian, played by the lovely Scarlett Johansson, whose sole purpose is to be a counter-terrorist solider. In a scene straight out of Frankenstein, Mira’s brain is inserted into a cybernetic body. She is given a body, face, and memories that are all artificial and transcend any particular race. As Oshii expressed in an interview at IGN, regarding the whitewashing controversy that Johansson was the lead,  

“"The Major is a cyborg and her physical form is an entirely assumed one. The name 'Motoko Kusanagi' and her current body are not her original name and body, so there is no basis for saying that an Asian actress must portray her.”

Ghost in the Shell, with its urban sprawl with a distinct Japanese/Hong Kong feel, is simply wonderful. The way the tenement apartments loom up skywards show the overpopulation problem only getting worse. The inventive way large virtual people stand among the skyscrapers create a unique surreal style as the people perform simple motions. All this draws you into the cyperpunk world that is ruled by evil corporations, slick and subtle cybernetic implants, and the criminal element best represented by the Yakuza with their bizarre torture fetish.

However all that great eye candy would dissolve if it was not for Scarlett Johannson’s acting and athletic ability as Mira. Johannson proves she can handle the Ghost in the Shell franchise with solid acting, empathy to her plight, and being a total bad ass. Mira’s perfect companion is Batou, played by Pilou Asbaek, a no nonsense tough cyborg who is handy with his gun.

My favorite scenes in Ghost in the Shell are those the show the philosophical angle as Mira tries to remember her  past and confronts question that we have all thought about at some point, like who am I? What is my purpose? To attempt to come up with a workable answer, Mira must get in touch with her own ghost or soul that is the only thing of her former self that not artificial. She has a major mental breakthrough when she meets Hadley Cruz, an older model, who is the hacker that caused Mira to experience hallucinations. Thus develops a strong bond between the two that enrages Cutter, the ruthless CEO of Hanka Robotics that created Mira, Batou, Hadley, and others.

For arguments that Ghost in the Shell does not live up to the source material, I propose to enjoy the anime and manga for what it is and to enjoy the movie for what it is. I can like both without whining and complaining over some detail that was left out, overly exaggerated, or muddled.

I have a great time watching Ghost in the Shell when live action anime is so harshly criticized by all the online arm chair critics. I recommend seeing it at the movies in 3D. Even if you feel the source material was missing, go see it for the visual look and the chemistry between Scarlett Johannson, Beat Takeshi, Pilou Asbaek because the cast is wonderful regardless of the plot.

I hope this sparks a cyberpunk revival, particularly in books and film.

Panda and the Magic Serpent Review

So what were the first anime released in the United States? Astro Boy? Speed Racer? Actually anime hit America way back in 1961 with Magic Boy yet it was Toei’s second theatrical release. Although from a historical perspective it should have been Panda and the Magic Serpent. Here is why. In 1958, Toei released Panda and the Magical Serpent which was the studio’s first full color and feature length film in Japan.  However, due to MGM, Globe Pictures, and AIP all competing to get dubbed movies out for the kiddie market, Magic Boy was released first, soon to be followed by the real first anime movie in color, Panda.

Panda and the Magic Serpent is based on Chinese mythology written during the Song Dynasty and based on the folktale, Legend of the White Snake. It tells the tale of a young boy, Xu-Xian, who falls in love with Bai Niang, a beautiful princess who is really a white snake and has magical powers. Fa-Hai, is a monk, who is determined to break up the lovers. However, it will not be so easy because, Xu-Xian is aided by the strong and fearless Panda and his pal, Mimi, who is called a cat in the US dub but is actually a red panda. Panda and Mimi get in various zany adventures as Xu-Xian searches for Bai Niang.

Sadly, Panda did not perform well at the box office regulating anime to a niche market. Anime fandom didn’t really get started in the US until 1977, so the first three anime movies were all box office bombs. Anime movies could be picked up cheaply and were shown during kiddie matinees throughout the 60’s. 

Part of the problem was that Panda was based on Chinese mythology that didn’t engage Western children, in the same way that Disney movies did. Also, Panda lacked the mad capped humor of Looney Tunes shorts. America was just not ready for this type of anime movie.  Children watching a cartoon so foreign and alien to Western culture were bored to tears.

Despite Panda not being successful it does have merit and every serious anime fan needs to see it. The colors in Panda are very vibrant and the animal characters lack the Disney look, causing them to stand out and offer a fresh take on animal character designs. The music fits in nicely with the Chinese setting. What is unfortunate is the bland narration by Marvin Miller who delivers his lines like Droopy hosting an insurance seminar. 

Also, a bad decision was made in that only certain characters were dubbed in English, with so many other characters left in Japanese. The biggest flaw, is the jarring editing that doesn’t even allow characters time to finish speaking before jumping several frames to a different scene, leaving the viewer to wonder what happened during the missing gaps.  

Panda did make a great impression on a young Miyazaki who might have never gotten into anime if Panda was never made. Watching Panda, you can see scenes with characters interacting that would inspire Miyazaki films.

I feel that most new anime fans lack a sense of history and despite all its shortcomings should view Panda and the Magic Serpent, and also Magic Boy and Alakazam the Great to see how anime has evolved over time and how it has had a global impact and for a better appreciate of anime’s popularity and success.  So the next time you are watching your favorite anime, you will realize how far the medium has come. I just wish that Panda and the Magic Serpent would be released with the original, longer running, Japanese cut.

Cafe Anime Tampa

On a hot day in August with Summer coming to an end, I went to the Grand Opening of Cafe Anime. I arrived early, as is in my nature to do so, thirty minutes till the 11am opening. It was the calm before the storm.

Soon, at 5 minutes till 11, a line formed, the doors opened and everyone rushed in. The first thing I saw was T-shirts and cosplay costumes, I looked at the small figures for sale and spotted a SD Gundam model that was tempting.

My main shopping interest is the DVDs and seeing Blue Submarine No. 6 took me back to my Toonami days. I also saw Kite and the Excel Saga box set. Overall, a great section to start off with.

Next to the DVDs was the manga section. On the top shelf were import Japanese CDs and I was glad to see Cowboy Bebop, some of the best anime music ever. Just below the DVDs were manga like the usual suspects, Attack on Titan and FCLC.

I then browsed the plush toys and looked inside the cases. Cafe Anime even carries Japanese snacks like Pocky and Ramune soda.

I remember when Cafe Anime started out as just a booth at Cons. The larger Cons want a lot of money just to be there but that is where Nathan and Scarlet are smart, they wisely shifted their focus to smaller cons. I like the smaller cons because you get to know people and you are not just pushed around in a crazy fan mob.

Nathan and Scarlet helped me out back when I needed someone to help me host my panel called A Brief History of Anime in the US that covers major US anime releases from 1961 to the present. Scarlet went the extra mile with the Miyazaki Trivia Panel and I am grateful that Cafe Anime donated prices. That panel was set up like Jeopardy with audience members volunteering to compete against each other by answering trivia questions on anime's greatest director, Miyazaki Hayao.  Both panels went over well at Tampa Bay Comic Con a few years ago.

So I am glad Tampa has a legitimate brick and mortar anime store because the only other options are Anime Fix in Downtown St. Pete and Anime Orlando. Both are lengthy drives for me. The best part of Cafe Anime is that you don't have to pay shipping and handling and you don't have to wait around for the mail, instant gratification is better.

It was a great turn out and I saw a few cosplayers. I am looking forward to seeing Cafe Anime grow and add a unique store that has been missing from Tampa for far to long. I wish Nathan and Scarlet all my best. They have both worked extremely hard to get to this point. Good luck to both of you.  

Tampa Bay Comic Con 2016: Con Report

2016 is my 4th consecutive trip to Tampa Bay Comic Con and that is a reason to celebrate. I remember back in 2012, when Comic Con was still held at the Doubletree on Cypress back when attendance was moderate and unlike the 3-day event it has become. It used to be about talking to comic vendors in the dealer's room and buying comics to read, but with the addition of celebrity guests, the astonishing popularity of The Walking Dead, and the unstoppable force of comic movie blockbusters it has blossomed from grassroots origins to a nerd mecca.  Sure, ticket prices were lower in '12 but you were only paying to walk around a dealer's room. The increased price has brought better security, panels, events, more celebrity guests, and a better experience for all at the Tampa Convention Center.

Saturday, August 6th, I was out the door at 6 and outside the main entrance at 6:35am, wound up and ready to go. Here was my view.

Why was I up so early? Was it because I was a die hard fanboy desperate to start spending my life savings? No, this was my second time around hosting a panel, the first was back in 2014. I had a 9am start time and had to arrive an hour early to get in, find my room, and set up.

It was good to see my old high school buddy, Will Robinson, a fellow fan of Star Wars, Cyberpunk, and military history. After a brief misunderstanding with security that was thankfully quickly resolved it was time to find room 5 that was near the river. I got set up and then IT helped me connect my laptop to the projector so I could show my clips.

For a while it was just Will and I, reminiscing about the old days, then fellow panelist, Tina called. She was on the second floor and I had to find her to give her an access wristband. After several minutes of talking I found her and we were off, back to room 5. One more panelist was scheduled to help but was MIA for the time being.

Soon it was 15-minutes to 9 and I cast aside my last minute jitters and we got on stage, ready to start at exactly 9am. The room was packed with people and no seats were left. 9am was such a great time and made me nostalgic for Saturday morning cartoons. We all picked a decade and were quietly preparing by reading over my notes when it was suddenly 9 and we haven't even test the mikes yet. So after everyone tapped their mikes it was showtime. We all introduced ourselves and Tina introduced our panel called A Brief History of Anime in the US. There are several histories of anime online and in books, but none tackle the US solely. Tina is an expect on Osamu Tezuka and she started things off with the 60's. Will and I handled the 70's. because we lived through it. Then one minute past 9 and Jocelynne called and was lost, so I helped her find the room. She found it and our panelists were all accounted for. I talked about the 80's because I am the Robotech fanboy and contributed a lot of my own personal experiences. Will spoke on Star Blazers and explored the military aspects and what made that show such a great space opera. All throughout our panel, I was wondering how we were doing. At the end, the room was still filled, people were cheering and clapping, and we got a standing ovation. It was a hit after all. If you get the chance come see us. A big special thanks to Tina, Will, and Jocelynne. Jocelynne was a great speaker on the 90's. I'm already looking forward to hosting this panel again.

After the panel, I hung out with Will and his wife. We just randomly roamed the dealers room, taking cosplay pictures. Hit Girl was my favorite this year.

Also being a huge fan of The Force Awakens, I flipped out over this one.

The Dynamic Duo took me back to watching Batman reruns on Saturday mornings.

I HAVEN'T HAD MY MUFFIN YET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Standing in line and waiting for my Diet Coke refill I met the one called Sailor Moon. She wore a beautiful figure necklace.

Close to 6pm, after lugging my laptop and camera it was time to head home. I said goodbye to the Robinsons and hiked back to my car at Fort Brooke Garage.

I had a great time and will definitely return for my 5th year anniversary in 2017.

 "Da-dum-duuummmm! I, am Captain Chaos! And this, this is my faithful companion, Cato... Say hello, Cato!"

All my pictures are available here.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/genkigaijin/albums/72157672094769175

Tampa Natsumatsuri 2016

It is that time of year for Tampa Natsumatsuri, the Japanese Summer Festival that authentically recreates a traditional Japanese Festival in Tampa. This was the first time at night from 6pm - 9pm. I assumed my usual job of judging the cosplay contest. 2016 was a great turn out with lots of artisans, craft makers, and dealers selling ceramics, paintings, vintage kimono, and anime goods. Renny's Oki Doki food truck supplied visitors with traditional Okinawan cuisine. Also for those with a sweet tooth, Kona Ice provided shaved ice.

There were a variety of events such as the UF Japanese Club showing off fancy dance moves.

Energetic dancers danced to traditional music. This was followed by an Aikido demonstration.

Next was a lively Kenjutsu, sword demonstration.

My event, the cosplay contest, was rapidly approaching in the evening. As is usually the case, cosplayers do not sign up until the last minute. We had two people signing up just as the contest was beginning and that caused the MC to have to keep speaking to stall for time. Soon we were actually started. We recruited an audience member to have three judges in the event of a tie.

Here were the lovely contestants.

 This was a really easy contest to judge because one cosplayer put so much detail into her costume and really brought her character to life.

And the winner is...

 ...who received the Grand Prize, a 4-day pass to Tampa Bay Comic Con.

2nd Place also had a great look.

She got a Gurren Lagann DVD box set.

At 3rd Places were these two ladies who demanded to cosplay together. They won two free anime shirts. They had a great look, however they were not based on any anime characters. So that being the case, third place was the best option.

The last event was the Raffle with local vendors donating many quality prizes. IACE Travel contributed the grand prize, free tickets to Universal Studios in Orlando.

It was a fun festival this year, with many JET alumni taking pictures together, catching up with old friends, and making new ones. I walked out with Jesse and Hiromi and another successful festival was over.