Anime Genesis

Anime Expo 2008 - Day Zero

Benu — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 07:39:59 +0000

The Nokia Theater In LA

Anime Expo 2008 started a day early for me this year. I woke up early and took the train down to LA to attend Day Zero of Anime Expo 2008. Day Zero was for pre-registered attendees to pick up their badges, but for the press it was the day the press junket was held. I got to the convention center a bit early so I waited around the Nokia Theater where the press junket was to be held. I met and chatted with some people from Henshin TV while waiting around for the press check in to open. The press check in finally opened and after I checked in I was escorted to a room somewhere inside the theater where the press were being held. I put my name down for the guests I wanted to interview and sat down and waited around till they called me to interviews the guests.

Shortly after my name was called for my first interview of the day with Jyukai.

Jyukai

I was the first in line to interview Jyukai and they seemed to be very happy about it. They were so happy that they personally gave me their newest CD/DVD that I also got them to sign at their signing during the con. I thought it was awesome that they personally handed me their CD. I gave them both Anime Genesis T-shirts in return. I would like to thank Geneon and Jyukai for letting me interview them and for being so incredibly kind and nice. After interviewing Jyukai I went back to wait in the press room till I was called for the next guest I was in line for. After interviewing Jyukai I ran into Stephanie Yanez in the press room and next thing you know I was being filmed for her show Anime Pop. Later my name was called again for the next guest I was to interview. That was none other then the legend Mr. David Hayter.

David Hayter

David Hayter was also an incredibly nice and down to earth guy. It was a bit nerve-wracking to interview him one on one like I did to be honest. The interview went really well though and it was fun. Thanks to Mr. Hayter for the interview and being a really cool guy. After that I hung out with Mike and crew from Anime Diet while waiting to be called for the last and final interview of the day. I was also interview by Mike which you can see the video here. The interview I was waiting for was the big one. It was the interview with the lovely, one and only, Miss Shoko Nakagawa.

Shoko Nakagawa

This was the big interview I was really excited about. I could hardly believe I got the chance to interview and meet Shokotan. I even gave her an Anime Genesis T-shirt and I shook her hand. A picture of her holding up the Anime Genesis T-shirt showed up on her blog later that night which totally shocked and blew me away. Thank you giza much Shokotan! I must have thanked her like a million times when I talked with her again during her signing. I also ran into Dale and Tim From Japanator. After that I headed to pick up my press badge and met up with Dancing Queen and Jenag on my way over to registration. After picking up my press badge I headed back home on the train. So much happened and the con really had not even started yet. What would Day 1 hold in store for me? You have to wait for the Day 1 post to find out.

Benu On Anime Pop

Benu — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 15:51:42 +0000

Check out this episode of Anime Pop with Stephanie Yanez and keep your eye out for a familiar looking guy. More Anime Expo coverage coming!

Episode 4 - Live From Anime Expo 2008! (Video)

Benu — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 03:16:31 +0000

This is the Anime Genesis/Anime Diet Live panel from Anime Expo 2008! Experience the madness in audio and video! Pay no attention to me saying this is Episode 5, it is Episode 4. Also it’s anime-gen.com not anime-gen.net. More Interviews, an Anime Expo wrap up episode, and pictures, as well as a day by day recap of AX coming soon!

AX ‘08 - David Hayter Interview (Video)

Benu — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 20:57:40 +0000

Anime Genesis was lucky enough to sit down and chat with voice acting legend David Hayter at Anime Expo 2008. David Hayter is most well know for his role as Solid Snake in the popular Metal Gear Solid video game series.

AX 08 - Day Zero

Benu — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 06:59:31 +0000

http://blog.excite.co.jp/shokotan/2860475/

Today was amazing, that link pretty much sums it all up. Got some amazing interviews! See you all tomorrow at the first day of the con!

Last Chance To Get Your Questions In Before AX!

Benu — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 18:01:43 +0000

I mentioned on the last podcast if any of you out there had questions for any of the guests at AX to let me know. No one has taken me up on that offer still. If you have any questions for any of the guests of honor at this years AX please put your questions for any of the guests that you would like to have answered in the comments below. The guests at AX this year are as follows.

Please put any questions you may have for any of the guests below in the comments and I will try to get them answered. I need all questions in today! If you are going to AX I hope to see you there! Don’t forget to come to our panel on Friday!

Ramen Revolution Interview Airs Tonight!

Benu — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 03:58:50 +0000

Here is a reminder for all of you in the LA area. My interview on Ramen Revolution will be airing tonight on channel LA 18 KSCI-TV at 12:30 tonight! Make sure to watch to see my first ever TV appearance!

Anime Genesis & Anime Diet LIVE! At AX 2008!

Benu — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 20:05:59 +0000

That’s right! Anime Genesis and Anime Diet will be rocking AX this year with the most amazing panel you are ever going to attend at AX! Come and see Benu, Mike, Jeremy, and Ray (will be there somehow…) live on stage! It’s all going to be on July 4th 2008 at 7pm in LP 4 (LACC 411), that’s the theater in the LA Convention Center. Check out the schedule on the Anime Expo website for more details. The panel is listed as Anime Genesis Live! on the schedule.

Feel free to play the promo on your podcast.

Ikari “Mike” Gendo Is Not The Only One Running For President!

Benu — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 00:17:44 +0000

I Benu, am announcing my entry into the 2008 presidential race. Gendo “Mike” Ikari may offer a change you will believe in, but I offer change that will actually happen. I am very honored to be the chosen candidate for the Haruhiist party.

The End Of Otaku Culture As We Know It…

Benu — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 21:56:23 +0000

There has been a lot of talk and controversy over the recent killings that happened in Akihabara. Seven were killed and 11 were injured. I’m not going to go into all the details as there are many other sites that have already done so. These killings have a lot of people worried as evidenced by the many blog posts here, here, here, and here. At first everyone thought it was just a random killing and it would not be connected to anime or otaku in any way. Patrick Macias had a totally different view from the beginning on how this would play out.

This guy just killed Akihabara the way Charles Manson killed the sixties. And we’re all under arrest now…

Patrick thinks this was the worst time for something like this to happen: there was already alot of tension over recent events in Akihabara as it is. But he also said he didn’t think the media would “peg this as a return of the Murdering Otaku archetype.” They recently found out, though, that the killer in fact liked anime, and his only possessions were some doujin manga they found in his apartment. Now many are scared that the killer will be pegged as a crazy otaku murderer and the media will start blaming anime and manga as the reason for the crime. Some even are claiming that this could be the end of anime, manga, and the otaku culture as we know it in Japan and the US and even suggest that it will lead to an eventual collapse of the industries on both sides of the globe.

My thoughts and prayers go out to those that were hurt by this horrible act of violence.

Do you think this is it for otaku culture? Or are people overreacting?

ANIME EXPO® 2008 & INTERMIXI TOURS TO GIVE AWAY TRIP TO JAPAN AT JYUKAI CONCERT

Benu — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 19:51:37 +0000

One Lucky Winner Will Experience the Ultimate Japan Trip

Anaheim, California (June 9, 2008) ‹ Love Jyukai? Fans of Yoko Ishida? Want
to experience Kyoto? Get wild in Osaka? See the all that is anime/manga in
Tokyo? Attend the Tokyo Anime Fair? Be part of the Tokyo Game Show? Anime
Expo® 2008 and Intermixi Japan Tours will be giving away an ultimate trip to
Japan to a Jyukai Concert premium ticket holder at the Jyukai Concert with
special guest Yoko Ishida at Anime Expo® 2008! The lucky winner will be
announced at the Jyukai Concert held at Anime Expo® 2008. Anime Expo® 2008
will be held from July 3-6, 2008 at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los
Angeles, CA. More information can be found on the website
www.anime-expo.org.

One (1) lucky Jyukai Concert premium ticket attendee will win an all expense
paid trip (including roundtrip airfare, hotel, excursions, some meals and
much more) courtesy of Intermixi Japan Tours. Winners will be able to
choose from the following seasonal tours (as available):

· Kame Hame Kansai Tour
· Neo Tokyo Tour
· Tokyo Game Show Tour

For full description of tours, please go to www.intermixi.com.

Current list of official Guests of Honor include up and coming director
Masahiro Ando, legendary American voice actor David Hayter, famed POKEMON
director Masamitsu Hidaka, the dynamic duo known as Jyukai, renowned
animator Hiromi Kato, celebrated veteran voice actor Toshihiko Seki, the new
Japanese ³It-Girl² Shokotan and the legendary character designer Takada
Akemi in Anime Expo® 2008¹s amazing line up of Guests of Honor.

Attendees that have pre-registered can also update their information and add
on orders for main event tickets via the Anime Expo® 2008 Online
Registration Area at www.anime-expo.org.

Free shuttle services for all hotel attendees will be provided. Regular
non-hotel attendees will have access to utilize the free shuttle services
during designated hours as well. All schedules and routes will be posted in
the lobby of each shuttle hotel. Frequency of service is pending local
traffic, road conditions and can change without notice. Also, no shuttle
service provided to the Holiday Inn City Center and the Figueroa Hotel (both
are within walking distance of the Los Angeles Convention Center).

Attendees, Press and Industry Members are also encouraged to view the video
coverage site of the 2007 convention at www.AXBackstage.org.

This year¹s Red & Black Sponsors are FUNimation and ImaginAsian Television.
Platinum Sponsor is Imagi Studios. Gold Sponsor is Digital Manga
Publishing. Silver Sponsor is Gaia Online. Patron Sponsors are Central
Park Media and COPIC Markers.

About Anime Expo®
Located in Los Angeles, California - Anime Expo®, the nation¹s largest
anime/manga convention, serves to foster trade, commerce and the interests
of the general public and animation/ comics industry. This event serves as
a key meeting place for the general public to express their interest and
explore various aspects of anime/manga, as well as for members of the
industry to conduct business. AX 2008 will be held July 3 July 6, 2008 at
the Los Angeles Convention Center in Southern California. More information
can be found at its website (www.anime-expo.org).

About Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation
The Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation (SPJA) is a non-profit
organization with a mission to popularize and educate the American public
about anime and manga, as well as provide a forum to facilitate
communication between professionals and fans. This organization is more
popularly known by its entertainment property Anime Expo®. More
information can be found at its website (www.spja.org).

About Intermixi Japan Tours
Intermixi Japan Tours have been established to provide both the casual and
intermediate traveler an alternative, pop cultured look at the ³land of the
rising sun². While not ignoring the cultural history of Japan, Intermixi
Japan Tours shows you the side you will never see anywhere else. Intermixi
Japan Tours current yearly schedule will be the summer, fall and winter
season. Please contact for special tour inquiries. More information can be
found at its website (www.intermixi.com)

The statements made in this press release that are not historical facts are
“forward-looking statements.” These forward-looking statements are based on
current expectations and assumptions that are subject to risks and
uncertainties. The Company cautions readers of this press release that a
number of important factors could cause Anime Expo®/SPJA¹s actual future
results to differ materially from those expressed in any such
forward-looking statements. Such factors include, without limitation,
product delays, industry competition, rapid changes in technology and
industry standards, protection of proprietary rights, maintenance of
relationships with key personnel, vendors and third-party developers,
international economic and political conditions. The Company may change its
intention, belief or expectation, at any time and without notice, based upon
any changes in such factors, in the Company’s assumptions or otherwise. The
Company undertakes no obligation to release publicly any revisions to any
forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date
hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

CATCH A LUCKY STAR AND PIERCE THE HEAVENS AT ANIME EXPO® 2008 WITH BANDAI AND AMERICAN COSPLAY PARADISE!

Benu — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 18:14:12 +0000

June 5, 2008 (Cypress, CA) - Bandai Entertainment and American Cosplay
Paradise are proud to celebrate the US release of LUCKY STAR and GURREN
LAGANN at Anime Expo® 2008 in Los Angeles (July 3 6, 2008; Los Angeles
Convention Center; www.anime-expo.org) Stop by Bandai’s booth on Friday and
Saturday in the exhibit hall, where you will be treated to various games
testing your otaku knowledge, singing, and random prize giveaways! The
highlight will be a performance from the LUCKY STAR Cheerleading Squad,
featuring members of American Cosplay Paradise (ACP) as the cast. Whether
you’re a diehard fan of the show, someone who has no idea what LUCKY STAR
is, or just someone that likes cheerleader outfits, there’s a little bit of
something for everyone, so don’t miss out!

For something a little more “manly”, be sure to check out the GURREN LAGANN,
also at the Bandai booth! Kicking off its US debut, Cosplayers from ACP will
be representing the cast of GURREN LAGANN and offering promotional goods to
attendees, as well as posing for pictures. There may also be “unexpected
surprises” in store for attendees, so be sure to show up! If you have a
GURREN LAGANN costume, ACP encourages you to show up for what is to be a
gathering of epic proportions.

About Lucky Star
LUCKY STAR is a 24 episode television series from Kyoto Animation, the same
anime production company that created the anime series for HARUHI. LUCKY
STAR¹s main character is Konata Izumi, a lazy high school girl who isn’t
interested in anything besides anime and video games. The series is
described as the ultimate “otaku anime” — it pays tribute to anime culture
and other series with in-jokes and hilarious references.

About Gurren Lagann
The 27-episode science fiction, comedy action series centers on Simon,
Kamina, and Yoko, youths who live in an underground village on a future
earth. They become embroiled in a conflict with surface “Beastmen” who
pilot mech known as Gunmen, one of which they take for themselves and name
GURREN, and lead the battle against the Beastmen. Recently the series won
“best television series” and “best character design’ at the 2008 Tokyo
Animation Fair (TAF)

About Bandai Entertainment
Bandai Entertainment Inc. is a subsidiary of Namco Bandai Holdings (USA)
Inc. and the premier distributor of Japanese animation on DVD and
programming for television broadcast in North America. Titles include THE
MELANCHOLY OF HARUHI SUZUMIYA, COWBOY BEBOP, OUTLAW STAR, ESCAFLOWNE, GHOST
IN THE SHELL: STAND ALONE COMPLEX, GUNDAM SEED DESTINY, MY HIME and many
more.

About American Cosplay Paradise
Founded in 2000, American Cosplay Paradise (ACP) serves as an extensive
database for cosplayers, people who dress up in costumes. Members contribute
pictures of their costumes, which are sorted by series and character for
easy searching. With live photo and video coverage of the various anime
conventions in the US, ACP is one of the leading resources for finding
costumes of your favorite anime, manga, and videogame characters. For more
information can be found at its website (www.acparadise.com)

About Anime Expo®
Located in Los Angeles, California - Anime Expo®, the nation¹s largest
anime/manga convention, serves to foster trade, commerce and the interests
of the general public and animation/ comics industry. This event serves as a
key meeting place for the general public to express their interest and
explore various aspects of anime/manga, as well as for members of the
industry to conduct business. AX 2008 will be held July 3 July 6, 2008 at
the Los Angeles Convention center in Southern California. More information
can be found at its website (www.anime-expo.org).

How Fansubs Are Destroying Anime

Benu — Fri, 30 May 2008 00:03:21 +0000

I just saw this so called documentary on fansubs. I was expecting this to be something on the history of fansubs but instead it’s just an excuse to complain about how horrible modern fansubs are as opposed to fansubs back then. The host “Otaking”, apparently a professional translator, takes us through why he thinks modern fansubs are horrible by trying to point out how the translations are horrible and far from anything of professional quality. He does this by taking clips from various fansubs and trys to point out mistakes and things that fansubbers do that distract your eyes, such as drop down translation notes. Some of the points he makes about translation are also highly debatable but is right on with some of the things he says about them.

He makes some good points overall, but I don’t think we need a 30 min. video trying to tell us what most of us already know.

What do you think about subtitles in fansubs compared to professional ones?

[Via Japanator]

Awesome Automatic Mario Video Set To Nico Nico Douga

Benu — Thu, 29 May 2008 01:12:11 +0000

I never really got the point of these automatic Super Mario World videos. These are made by hacking a rom of the game and placing things in the exact place so Mario bounces, lands, and hits things exactly. Akasha posted this awesome video set to Nico Nico Douga on the fan site today. It reminded me that someone showed this to me the other day and I was going to post it here but I forgot. This video was so well done and awesome that I couldn’t ignore it.

Do you like these automatic Mario videos or do you think they are stupid and pointless?

Ramen Revolution Video Report! (Video)

Benu — Sun, 25 May 2008 03:47:08 +0000

The Ramen Revolution video report is finally here! Watch as I take you backstage before I go live! I also throw in some clips and pictures from some of the other awesome stuff that happened at the show! A huge thanks to the whole Ramen Revolution crew! I had alot of fun being a guest and hanging out with you all! Remember to watch Ramen Revolution Saturday nights at 12:30 on LA 18 KSCI-TV.

Ramen Revolution Is Live Tonight!

Benu — Sat, 17 May 2008 16:38:21 +0000

Just a reminder, I will be a guest as well as guest hosting at Ramen Revolution tonight! The show starts at 6pm. Come to the show and say hi! Hope to see you there!

http://www.ramenrevolution.com/

Anime World Order Podcast Interviews Anime Director Noboru Ishiguro

Benu — Thu, 15 May 2008 05:28:59 +0000

A forty year veteran of the anime industry, notable for titles such as Astro Boy, Space Battleship Yamato, and Superdimensional Fortress Macross

ORLANDO, FL, May 15, 2008 – The Anime World Order podcast is proud to present an audio interview with Noboru Ishiguro – the President of Japanese animation studio Artland, Inc. As a veteran of the Japanese animation industry for over 45 years, in this exclusive interview Mr. Ishiguro discusses some of his most famous science fiction works such as “Superdimensional Fortress Macross: Do You Remember Love?”, “Megazone 23 Part One,” “Legend of the Galactic Heroes,” and “Space Battleship Yamato” which was adapted in the US as “Star Blazers.” Also, he talks about his creative influences, modern digital production techniques, the possibility of additional “Yamato” sequels, how Japanese animation has affected American animation and film, and the validity of animation as a medium for science fiction.

Visit http://animeworldorder.blogspot.com/2008/05/bonus-interview-with-noboru-ishiguro.html to download a podcast of this episode, Archives of all previous Anime World Order episodes and show notes are available at http://www.animeworldorder.com. Listeners may also choose to subscribe to the Anime World Order podcast via the iTunes Music Store, Podcast Pickle, Digg, or any RSS feed aggregator.

ABOUT ANIME WORLD ORDER
Anime World Order is one of the longest-running and most popular fan-produced podcasts targeted at dedicated enthusiasts of Japanese animation (”anime”) and comicbooks (”manga”), having received favorable mentions on websites such as Ain’t It Cool News and Anime News Network as well as print publications such as Otaku USA and the Japanese language publication Weekly ASCII. Currently in its third year, each episode features listener feedback, news, reviews, and roundtable style discussion of titles both classic and contemporary. Additional material related to anime and manga fandom is also provided in the form of convention reports and interviews.

“Anime World Order is extremely informative and entertaining. The hosts are not only knowledgeable, they display a true love for good anime which is infectious to the listener.”
- User review on iTunes

Due to subject matter and language, the Anime World Order podcast is for mature audiences and is labeled as Explicit on iTunes.

Kyo-Ani Has Heard My Demands!

Benu — Fri, 09 May 2008 20:42:09 +0000

It seems that someone over at Kyoto Animation heard me when I complained about the change of director for the second season of Haruhi. The offical Haruhi site has been updated with a change of staff for the upcoming sequel. Tatsuya Ishihara has been named as the “brigade chief representative” and the former confirmed director Yasuhiro Takemoto has been named “brigade chief assistant”. This is so awesome! Haruhi is now going to be just as awesome if not more awesome as the first series.

Source: ANN

ANIME EXPO® 2008 INVITES A STRANGER

Benu — Fri, 09 May 2008 20:00:02 +0000

Latest Guest of Honor Announced for Nation’s Largest Anime/Manga Convention

Anaheim, California (May 9, 2008) ‹Anime Expo® 2008 announces the attendance
of Masahiro Ando as an official Guest of Honor to this year’s Anime Expo®
2008 held from July 3-6, 2008 at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los
Angeles, CA. More information can be found on the website
www.anime-expo.org.

Born in Hokkaido, Masahiro Ando has played a key role in the creation of
many popular animation features and TV series. He has also been involved in
production, mainly with BONES. Mr. Ando is most well known for his
involvement with such features as COWBOY BEBOP: KNOCKIN’ ON HEAVEN’S DOOR,
JIN-ROH, METROPOLIS and GHOST IN THE SHELL. He has also worked on the
storyboard and production of FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST (TV/Film).

Mr. Ando’s current work includes his debut as the director of SWORD OF THE
STRANGER-a historical action animation set in feudal Japan five hundred
years ago revolving around the friendship between two people with tragic
pasts, a fiercely powerful warrior “No Name” (Ronin) who has vowed to give
up his sword and a “boy” who has lost his parents and has a contract out on
his life.

Masahiro Ando joins legendary American voice actor David Hayter, famed
POKEMON director Masamitsu Hidaka, the dynamic duo known as Jyukai and the
new Japanese “It-Girl” Shokotan in Anime Expo® 2008’s amazing line up of
Guests of Honor.

Attendees that have pre-registered can also update their information and add
on orders for main event tickets via the Anime Expo® 2008 Online
Registration Area at www.anime-expo.org.

Attendees, Press and Industry Members are also encouraged to view the video
coverage site of the 2007 convention at www.AXBackstage.org.

This year’s Red & Black Sponsors are FUNimation and ImaginAsian Television.
Platinum Sponsor is Imagi Studios. Gold Sponsor is Digital Manga
Publishing. Silver Sponsor is Gaia Online. Patron Sponsors are Central
Park Media and COPIC Markers.

About Anime Expo®
Located in Los Angeles, California - Anime Expo®, the nation’s largest
anime/manga convention, serves to foster trade, commerce and the interests
of the general public and animation/ comics industry. This event serves as
a key meeting place for the general public to express their interest and
explore various aspects of anime/manga, as well as for members of the
industry to conduct business. AX 2008 will be held July 3 July 6, 2008 at
the Los Angeles Convention Center in Southern California. More information
can be found at its website (www.anime-expo.org).

The statements made in this press release that are not historical facts are
“forward-looking statements.” These forward-looking statements are based on
current expectations and assumptions that are subject to risks and
uncertainties. The Company cautions readers of this press release that a
number of important factors could cause Anime Expo®/SPJA’s actual future
results to differ materially from those expressed in any such
forward-looking statements. Such factors include, without limitation,
product delays, industry competition, rapid changes in technology and
industry standards, protection of proprietary rights, maintenance of
relationships with key personnel, vendors and third-party developers,
international economic and political conditions. The Company may change its
intention, belief or expectation, at any time and without notice, based upon
any changes in such factors, in the Company’s assumptions or otherwise. The
Company undertakes no obligation to release publicly any revisions to any
forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date
hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

COME SEE BENU LIVE ON STAGE!!!

Benu — Fri, 02 May 2008 08:10:35 +0000

Here is the first big announcement! Come see me live at my first ever TV debut! I will be a guest at the upcoming taping of the Ramen Revolution TV show. Ramen Revolution is a new TV show all about Anime and Asian pop culture. Other guests on the show will be Stephanie Yanez of AX idol fame, anime cover band Makenai, and more. So here is the Info.

When:

May 17th, 2008 @ 6pm

Where:

The Granada Theater

303 No. Euclid Ave.

Ontario, CA 91762

Tickets:

$15 Online

$20 @ The Door

If your in the area, come out to the taping. You don’t want to miss out on this! The first episode premiers this Saturday night at 12:30 am on LA 18 KSCI-TV. You can also watch the show at the Ramen Revolution website. I hope to see you at the show!

Get your tickets now!

The Revolution Is Coming!

Benu — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 06:40:54 +0000

Are you ready for the revolution?

Aya Hirano’s Best Single Yet!

Benu — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 05:08:21 +0000

Aya’s Unnamed World single is absolutely her best yet. It surpasses Neophilia on many levels. I agree with Hashihime that Aya’s best music is being ignored. Aya rocks harder then she had rocked before. Its no surprise that her best musical effort yet is being hated on by the otaku once again. At least they think her performance in Nijuu-mensou no Musume is good for once. Her new hair cut makes her look ten times more cute in the video. This single is totally worth importing. Also, Nijuu-mensou no Musume is an awesome show.

If you are wondering why there haven’t been any updates in a while, It’s because I’ve been preparing Anime Genesis for it’s move into…video…that’s right video. Also I have two huge announcements to make that you are not going to want to miss. Really these are two really big announcements. I should make first announcement by the end of the week, so keep checking the site for updates.

THE CHICKEN FLIES THE COOP TO ANIME EXPO® 2008

Benu — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 19:21:41 +0000

Emmy Award Winning Show Attends the Nation’s Largest Anime/Manga Convention

Anaheim, California (April 18, 2008) ‹The Emmy Award winning and popular
stop-motion animation sketch comedy show, Robot Chicken, which airs on
Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim is slated to appear at this year’s Anime Expo®
2008 held from July 3-6, 2008 at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los
Angeles, CA. More information can be found on the website www.anime-expo.org.

Attending Anime Expo® 2008 via an official Robot Chicken panel will be cast
and crew members:

Cameron Baity
Cameron was born during a heat wave in Richardson, Texas. He has been
drawing and writing ever since he figured out how his hands work. At eight
years old he wrote and illustrated his first story about a confused wombat.
Cameron attended the Arts Magnet High School in Dallas where he co-produced
a half-witted cable access show called Fabrication Avenue. He won accolades
for his early art including First Place in Painting at the 1996 Visual Arts
Guild Exhibit in Dallas.

His obsessions with art and story collided when he discovered animation at
Pratt Institute and School of Visual Arts in Manhattan. He finished his
animation degree at CalArts and with a couple films under his belt, he has
screened at festivals around the world and won several awards including Best
in Animation at the Angelciti Film Festival and Vuze Audience Favorites at
Cinequest. Cameron has worked creatively in film and animation for the past
nine years on a wide array of projects such as Spongebob Squarepants,
Willard, Team America, and Robot Chicken. Cameron will sleep when he is
dead.

Mike Fasolo
Mike Fasolo is a Writer, Voice Actor and Co-Creative Director on Adult
Swim¹s Robot Chicken where he¹s been since its inception in 2004. He began
his illustrious writing career as a staff writer at Wizard Magazine back in
1994. He enjoys dog sledding, curling and Revolutionary War reenactments
where he always plays Benedict Arnold.

Chris McKay
Picking up a Super-8 camera at age 10, Chris McKay has been making movies
with toys for most of his life. In addition to his co-producing, directing
and editing duties on Adult Swim¹s Emmy Award-winning Robot Chicken, he is
also a writer, director and co-executive producer on Adult Swim’s Moral
Orel. Robot Chicken is currently in production on its fourth season.

McKay studied Film at the “Harvard of the Midwest”: Columbia College. He was
once beaten up for wearing Luke Skywalker’s Tatooine outfit to school.

Jeanette Moffat
Jeanette Moffat has contributed to Robot Chicken from the first season as a
Puppet Fabricator, creating many memorable characters including “The Nerd &
Unicorn,” “Composite Santa” and “Twinkie the Kid & Celery,” to name few.
More recently she has been working as the Costume Designer and Supervisor
for Robot Chicken and Moral Orel. Her talents in the visual arts became
apparent at an early age when she began designing clothes for her Barbie
dolls, which makes her current position a childhood dream come true. A
CalArts alumni, she combines her fine art background with her love of
puppets to create costumes for stop-motion and live-action puppets. Besides
shows featured on Adult Swim, her puppet costumes have been seen on the My
Name Is Earl episode, “Robbed A Stoner Blind” and in Norwegian band Maika’s
music video for their song, “Desert Gold.” She currently resides in Los
Angeles with her husband and two rabbits that eat their furniture.

Tom Root
Tom Root is co-head writer and co-producer of Adult Swim¹s Emmy
Award-winning Robot Chicken, as well as a frequent director and recurring
voice talent. Robot Chicken is currently in production on its fourth
season.

Root was also writer and associate producer on Robot Chicken’s predecessor,
Sweet J Presents, a series of 12 animated episodes which ran from 2001-2002
on Sony Entertainment’s Screenblast.com.

From 1997-2001, Root was a staff writer at Wizard Entertainment Group, where
he wrote for publications including Wizard: The Comics Magazine, ToyFare:
The Toy Magazine, InQuest Gamer, Anime Insider and Toy Wishes. ToyFare’s
³Twisted ToyFare Theatre² comic strip, which Root co-wrote for 90 issues,
has been collected into several trade paperbacks available worldwide.

As a freelance writer, Root has also authored PPV: Pay-Per-View, a
three-issue comic book mini-series for Antarctic Press. His first book,
Writers on Comics Scriptwriting 2, a collection of interviews with comic
creators he co-wrote with Andrew Kardon, was published by Titan Books in
2004.

Root holds a bachelor’s degree in Journalism from Central Michigan
University

In addition, exclusive anime/manga related Robot Chicken skits will be
played along side other original Anime Expo® programming during the I-Show
at the convention and at official Anime Expo® 2008 convention hotels on the
official AX Dark Channels.

Attendees that have pre-registered can also update their information and add
on orders for main event tickets via the Anime Expo® 2008 Online
Registration Area at www.anime-expo.org <http://www.anime-expo.org> .

Attendees, Press and Industry Members are also encouraged to view the video
coverage site of the 2007 convention at www.AXBackstage.org
<http://www.AXBackstage.org> .

This year¹s Red & Black Sponsors are FUNimation and ImaginAsian Television.
Gold Sponsor is Digital Manga Publishing. Silver Sponsor is Gaia Online.
Patron Sponsors are Central Park Media and COPIC Markers.

About Robot Chicken
Robot Chicken airs on Cartoon Network¹s Adult Swim and is created and
executive produced by Green and Senreich under their own Stoopid Monkey
Productions, in conjunction with ShadowMachine Films. The series uses
stop-motion animation to spoof both retro and current pop-culture icons and
events in a modern take on the variety/sketch show format. Past parody
targets have included Lance Armstrong, Quentin Tarantino¹s Kill Bill, an
array of superheroes and most recently, George Lucas¹ Star Wars. Rated
TV-MA. On July 22nd, the show¹s ³Robot Chicken: Star Wars² special will be
released on DVD. The special earned Seth Green this year¹s Annie Award for
directing.

ANIME EXPO® 2008 ANNOUNCES 2nd MAIN EVENT CONCERT GUEST OF HONOR

Benu — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 21:18:05 +0000

Dynamic Musical Duo Attends the Nation’s Largest Anime/Manga Convention

Anaheim, California (April 15, 2008) ‹Anime Expo® 2008 is proud to announce
the attendance of Jyukai-the musical duo consisting of Manami (vocals) and
Dewa Yoshiaki (composition) to this year’s Anime Expo® 2008 held from July
3-6, 2008 at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, CA. More
information can be found on the website www.anime-expo.org.

Jyukai, formed in the summer of 2004 and began performing live around Osaka.
On March 15th, 2006, they had their TV anime debut with the ending theme for
“Fate/Stay Night.” Their song, “Anata ga Ita Mori” (The Forest in Which You
Were), ranked 16th on the March 27th Oricon Chart in its first week of
release. Since then they have released songs for various anime and movies
including the opening song for “Ah! My Goddess: Flights of Fancy,” the
ending theme for “Buso Renkin,” and the opening theme for the live action
movie “Shin - Onna Tachigui Retsuden” directed by Mamoru Oshii (Ghost in the
Shell: Innocence). Last fall they released “Ai no Hoshi” (Love Star) and
“Hanamuke no Melody” (Farewell Melody) as well as a cover of the opening and
ending themes for “Ah! My Goddess: Fighting Wings,” a special commemorative
program for the 20th anniversary of “Ah! My Goddess.” They recently
released their second album, “Harvest,” on December 12, 2007. Their album
has received favorable reviews for having such high quality songs.

Jyukai’s songs are usually composed and arranged by Dewa, while the lyrics
are written and sung by Manami. With his policy “never forget the pop parts
in any song,” Dewa creates delicate music with a sense of sorrow. His songs
are easy to listen to and fascinate people time and time again. Manami’s
lyrics possess their own realistic and unique vision, often unlocking
stories and memories deep within everyone’s heart. Manami’s emotional vocals
strike a chord in the hearts of the listeners, touching them deeply.

Jyukai joins legendary American voice actor David Hayter, famed POKEMON
director Masamitsu Hidaka and the new Japanese “It-Girl” Shokotan in Anime
Expo® 2008’s amazing line up of Guests of Honor.

Attendees that have pre-registered can also update their information and add
on orders for main event tickets via the Anime Expo® 2008 Online
Registration Area at www.anime-expo.org.

Attendees, Press and Industry Members are also encouraged to view the video
coverage site of the 2007 convention at www.AXBackstage.org.

This year’s Red & Black Sponsors are FUNimation and ImaginAsian Television.
Gold Sponsor is Digital Manga Publishing. Silver Sponsor is Gaia Online.
Patron Sponsors are Central Park Media and COPIC Markers.

Macross Frontier - Episode 1

Enigma — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 14:10:32 +0000

The first episode of Macross Frontier is now out in Japan. There was an earlier promo version of the first episode out with no intro song and different scenes. The broadcast version has a bit more back-story explanation and different scenes. The CG of the space and fight scenes are sleek and detailed as VF fighters fly through space. The big shock for me was the music. Yoko Kanno who is well known for doing the music in shows such as Wolf’s Rain and Macross Plus is also doing the music for Macross Frontier. The only issue I have is we don’t know much about the characters, but its too early in the series to expect. Since this is the first episode, I would like to see how the show evolves in later episodes.

The Otaku Second Life?

Benu — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 04:09:42 +0000

ANN reports that there will be a 3d world type mmo where you will be able to create your own character and interact with various characters from Clannad, Shuffle, and Da Capo. This is really interesting. It sounds alot like second life. We will probably never see anything like this in the US though.

What do you think about ai space?

Source: ANN

Appleseed Ex Machina Review

Enigma — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 03:38:41 +0000

The sequel to Appleseed is out with Appleseed Ex Machina, based on the Masamune Shirow manga series of the same name. The story follows Deunan Knute and Briareos Hecatonchires as they are combating a cyborg terrorist group with unknown intentions. Deunan Knute and Briareos Hecatonchires search for clues from different characters and travel through the streets of Olympus to a zero gravity factory for the final confrontation.

The introductions of the new character Tereus offers character conflict and a love triangle to the movie. The character development is paced well as we see Deunan and Briareo’s relationship is under strain. The film’s use of motion capture actors has helped greatly with gaining a connection to the characters and making the characters feel real. This helps especially with Briareos who can’t show facial expressions due to being a cyborg. The combat scenes are much eye candy since John Woo is the producer. If you’re familiar with John Woo’s work you will see exquisite gun play throughout the film, with dual wielding of guns. And a brotherhood moment between Briareos and a supporting character. The unfortunate side is that we don’t learn enough about the antagonist’s back-story, which I would have liked to see. The last action scene reminded me of the Matrix Revolutions movie which I didn’t enjoy too much, maybe its just me.

Overall the movie is well done with the help of the motion capturing and John Woo action scenes. This is a good watch and must see for anyone who follows Appleseed.

ANIME EXPO® 2008 ANNOUNCES ONLINE TICKETING FOR MAIN EVENTS

Benu — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 18:40:40 +0000

Regular, Hotel Room Block and Reserved Seating Block Attendee Tickets
Available Now

Anaheim, California (April 7, 2008) ‹ Traditional Main Events (including
Opening/Closing Ceremonies, Masquerade, Anime Music Video Contest, AX Idol,
Charity Auction and concerts) are all accessible free of charge to
registered attendees at this year¹s Anime Expo® 2008 held from July 3-6,
2008 at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, CA. More
information can be found on the website www.anime-expo.org.

All Main Events will be held at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live (Past, current and
future events include the Grammy Awards, American Music Awards, American
Idol Finals and a host of concerts including Mary J. Blige, John Fogerty,
Kanye West, Duran Duran and many more) a 7,100-seat venue which offers
attendees event intimacy with no seat further from the stage than 220 feet
with exceptional comfort and amenities never before offered to guests at
other concert/event venues. Due to Nokia Theatre L.A. Live policies, high
attendee interest and limited seating, all Main Events will be require
tickets for entrance. Tickets will be handed out to attendees during a set
time frame each day with each individual ticket applicable towards one event
in the venue. Attendees will have the opportunity to pick up tickets to
multiple shows based on availability.

There are three ways to obtain tickets:

· Reserve a hotel room within the Anime Expo® hotel room block through
our online hotel reservation service (www.anime-expo.org) by Sunday, June
15, 2008, 11:59 PM, PDT and obtain one (1) guaranteed event ticket of choice
per registered guest (up to a maximum of four (4) tickets per room), based
on availability
· Purchase a Reserved Seating ticket ($20.00 U.S.) for the desired
event(s) (events only include Masquerade and Concert Events) before Sunday,
June 15, 2008, 11:59 PM, PDT. Reserved Seating tickets are considered prime
seats within the ³floor²/orchestra area and allow attendees to be up close
to the event stage for maximum viewing pleasure. Attendees are limited to
one (1) ticket per event per unique registration ID for a maximum of three
(3) unique tickets
· Line up in the Standby Line at the east entrance of the Nokia Theatre
L.A. Live three (3) hours before show time on the day of the desired event.
The number of tickets given out is based on availability. Please note that
queuing for tickets at this time does not guarantee entrance into the event

Attendees that have already pre-registered can update their information and
add on their tickets via the Anime Expo® 2008 Online Registration Area at
www.anime-expo.org.

In addition, one lucky AX Idol audience member will win a tour package to
Japan courtesy of Destination-Japan! Tour package includes round-trip
airfare from L.A. International Airport (LAX) to Narita (NRT), Tokyo
(Airline TBD), Hotel accommodations during the tour (Hotel TBD), all tax and
fuel surcharges and all standard tour activities and services detailed on
the tour itinerary (TBD). All trip/tour prizes do not include tour
extensions, optional tour activities, or transportation to Los Angeles
International Airport. All travel arrangements are to be handled by H.I.S.
International Tours (L.A.), Inc. Winner will be announced during AX Idol
and will be based upon ticket/seat number (winner must be present and ticket
MUST be in hand and presented or prize is forfeit).

More information regarding tickets (i.e. pick up procedures, ³faqs², open
distribution, etc.) can be found online at www.anime-expo.org. Attendees with special needs must inquire
about seats with our Disabled Services Coordinators located at the Anime
Expo® Information Desk located at the Registration Area (West Hall A).
Please note that there are a limited number of handicapped spaces available
in the Nokia Theatre L.A. Live. Space is limited, and tickets will be
distributed on a first come, first served basis. Tickets for these sections
cannot be obtained through the Box Office or through the open distribution
process.

All registered attendees to Anime Expo® 2008 with valid badges, with the
exception of ³Exhibit Hall only² passes are eligible to obtain tickets to
attend ticketed events. Tickets are non-transferable. Attendees will not
be allowed to apply their Room Block ticket and a Reserved Seating ticket on
the same event. Lost or stolen tickets can/will not be replaced. All
attendees are subject to the Code of Conduct and are expected to adhere to
the policies set for the Nokia Theatre L.A. Live. Unlawful resale (or
attempt) is grounds for seizure and cancellation without compensation. Any
person caught buying or selling any Anime Expo® event tickets will face
immediate ejection from the event and a ban of one year (minimum) from the
convention, effective immediately.

Attendees, Press and Industry Members are also encouraged to view the video
coverage site of the 2007 convention at www.AXBackstage.org.

Otaku USA Podcast - Episode 2

Benu — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 06:47:48 +0000

Episode 2 of one of the great new podcasts from Patrick Macias is now out. In this episode of the Otaku USA podcast Patrick and Mike Dent from R5 Central talk about Shoko Nakagawa and Jam Project as guests at this years biggest conventions. If you couldn’t tell from the last episode I really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, like Shokotan! Both Patrick and Mike have some interesting things to say about Shoko in the episode. If you haven’t given the Otaku USA podcast a listen yet then you must!

GO LISTEN NOW!

Because I Didn’t Have Time For An April Fools Post…

Benu — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 07:07:28 +0000

I’M STILL CRAZY ABOUT AYA HIRANO!

Now The American Dub Studios Don’t Have An Excuse

Benu — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 06:06:56 +0000

Bandai has introduced its protoype for its dubbing machine that uses its brand new Afrec! technology at the Tokyo Anime Fair recently. Supposedly the machine will allow you to dub anime scenes instantly with the karaoke style machine. They will start selling the machine sometime this year and Bandai is hard at work on a machine for dubbing films.

This is a really interesting idea but does it actually work? Are any Japanese studios actully going to use this or is it just an expensive toy? If this does ever come to America I wonder if any American studios will be able to use this to produce dubs faster.

Do you think this Afrec! machine has some real promise or is it just an expensive toy?

Source: ANN

Episode 3 - Astro Shokotan

Benu — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 06:47:10 +0000

Anime Genesis is back for another week full of anime goodness. Benu runs through the weekly news as usual and takes a look at a 1980’s remake of a classic anime Astro Boy.

Show Notes

News

DVD Review

Astro Boy: Greatest Astro Adventures

Final Verdict: A

People Who Commented This Week

MiniRamen

Email me at: animegen@gmail.com

Visit the fan site at: fans.anime-gen.com

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