Anime America '95
As Good Of A Re-entry Point As Any... ^_^;
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Anime America '95
As Good Of A Re-entry Point As Any... ^_^;
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Beta version 6.20 - last: 2001.11.15 - design by r3... new generation pre 3...
July 8, 1995...
That day marked my return to anime convention-going after a three-year absence. (Perpetuated by a job schedule that didn't allow for it during that time, following a change in jobs) The last time I headed to the Red Lion was during Anime Expo '92, and, what I saw there this last weekend (July 8) was pretty similar, with a few new things here and there.
The dealers' room was pretty impressive, with most of the majors represented: A.D. Vision, Viz, Studio Proteus, among them. I spent quite a great deal of time at the Software Sculptors table, contemplating over whether or not to buy the Bubble Gum Crisis screen saver. (Well, I'm happy to say that Priss and the Knight Sabers have found a new home on my desktop! -- A tip of the hat to Software Sculptors for getting together a solid accessory that can do its stuff on low-end systems as well as high-end ones! -- Had to test it out on my sister's system, since that's where I stayed in San Jose... Saved me money over a hotel - Now, if ALL of us otaku out there were SO lucky! ^_^ )
The YanYam Masquerade
Fun, fun, fun!! I only wish I made it to the Megumi Hayashibara concert (Well, I had to do a few things in the afternoon beforehand - a little nap, dinner... MORAL: Never stay up all night before going to a con! -- Besides, I'll have to allow myself to see a lot more of Ah! My Goddess... I've only
seen the first video, folks!).
Anyway, the masquerade (cos-play, or whatever you prefer to call it) was excellent, for my first time of seeing such an event. Let's see... I've seen two Ryogas, two Ranma-chans (One of them also entered as Shampoo later on in the event - the infamous Peter Brown...), Deunan and Briareos, two Lupins (“Dubbed Per-son-a-li-ty, Subbed Per-son-a-li-ty!”), three very cute young women as Urd, Skuld, and Belldandy (Wow!!) from A!MG, and the White Ranger (Best costume), among the most notable contestants. “Ex-TRA! Ex-TRA! Ex-TRA!...” But, the real show stealer was one person who didn't go as any specific character, but as an extra from Ranma 1/2. The audience went wild, even promting a few from the audience to accuse him of “not being in character” (o-KAY, yeah, uh-huh, shyeah, RIGHT!)
The Video Program
While the judges retired for 25 minutes to pick the winners, we were treated to fan videos, where clips from various anime shows were set to music. Some stand-outs: Macross movie clips to Van Halen's “Right Now,” Iczer-1 footage set to Metallica's “Enter Sandman”, and two films featuring Bonnie Tyler's "Holding Out For A Hero" (Once was enough for me...). But, the real stand-out was the music video from Gatchaman '94. It featured the original music theme, remixed for the new series. Some fans in the audience were singing along in Japanese (No small feat, since I didn't know the song HAD lyrics.... That's what I get for watching G-Force too long.) Speaking of it, that clip alone has made me want to swear off "Battle Of The Planets" and "G-Force" forever!
Desperately Seeking Gatchaman...
As I stated in the last paragraph, I'm hoping to get in touch with anyone who has seen any Gatchaman (new or old), and cah hopefully point me in the right direction in tracking down tapes, LD's, plot summaries, or anything related. After hearing about it for so long, and having to settle for Sandy Frank's slice-and-dice version, I want to track down and experience the original version. If anyone out there can help out, please contact me by e-mail or flag me down on #anime!
(Mission Status Update: 2001.11.15 - I've mentioned that I saw the final episode of the original Kagaku Ninja Tai Gatchaman series from 1972-1973, where Joe the Condor dies, but not without fucking things up for Sosai X and Berg Katse. About a month ago, I finally got my hands on the 1994 Gatchaman OAV series, sporting the Yasuomi Umetsu character designs (think LilyC.A.T. and Megazone 23 part 2, and the remake of Casshan: Robot Hunter, and that Presence segment from Robot Carnival) Great stuff, and I'm hopelessly hooked. More on my Gatchamania later on. Still looking for classic Gatchaman, tho.)
End Of An Era...
Anime America is Dead as of 1996! Long Live Anime Expo and ACen! And, of course Fanime Con and all the other cons out there.. ^_^;Studio Calico/Final Raider3 Project is not underwritten, sponsored, or endorsed by any of the aforementioned cons... Even though I've sided with ACen now...
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Unless otherwise indicated, all page content © 1996-2001 Michael A. Fontes/Studio Calico/Final Raider3 Project.
All Rights Reserved. Legal Notice.
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