kate

The animation business can be a very chaotic experience...

The Lamp has had many films in production that would either shut down (Newt) because of similarity to another project (Rio), or drastically changed (Ratatouille) to make the release date. Word from my Bothans is that there is another having such difficulties.  It's not a good thing, but it is a normal, yet chaotic process.  Which film?

The Good Dinosaur.

The producer and director of the film had been removed, but the film is not as of yet in turnaround. John Lasseter has reportedly taken Bob Peterson off the film, and is attempting to still meet the 2014 release date.

This will not be an easy task, but they're hopeful that another director will be able to bring the project back in to better focus as the story wasn't coming together.  The meteor that killed the dinosaurs hasn't yet destroyed this film, but it has put it in jeopardy.

Developing...

just a quick doodle of Mako Mori. I’m still not over this movie XD

Back when I wrote about Claymore for this column, some of you folks recommended I try Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit as well. In a fit of profligacy, I bought the DVDs... and they sat on my shelf until recently, when I took a holiday from the real world and spent a day and a half doing nothing but watching all twenty-six episodes.

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The anime Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit is based on the fantasy novel of the same name by Nahoko Uehashi. (Said novel is the first, apparently, in a series of twelve, although only two, Guardian of the Spirit and Guardian of the Darkness, are as yet available in English translation.)

I’m the first to admit my complete ignorance when it comes to anime.* Apart from this and Claymore, my exposure consists of a few episodes of Bleach and half an episode of Rurouni Kenshin. I’m not qualified to critique: only to point at what I like and say YES THIS I LIKE THIS.

*And let’s not pretend my understanding of Japanese history and culture in general is anything to write home about. I know it exists. I have heard of things like the Tokugawa Shogunate and the Sengoku period, and I identify in the Japanese-originating media I have seen somewhat different conceptions of the role of the individual in society to those in modern UK or US productions. But that’s about the sum of things.

Moribito? YES THIS. I LIKE THIS. WHERE CAN I GET MORE?

Balsa, a spearwoman and wandering warrior pushing thirty, returns to the country where she did a lot of her growing up. Matters open with her saving the life of young Prince Chagum from an ostensible accident. But Chagum’s accident was no accident: he carries within him a kind of spirit, on account of which his father the Mikado wants him quietly done away with, so that the image of the dynasty won’t be tainted by magic. His mother, the Second Queen, convinces Balsa to take on the task of bodyguarding him—which means leaving the palace and going into hiding.

Pursued by the Mikado’s elite guardsmen.

While trying to find out why all the signs appear to point to the spirit (the spirit’s “egg”) inside Chagum being the cause of the omens of a coming drought that the Mikado’s star diviners are reading in the constellations.

It ain’t an easy job, that’s for sure.

Although at a casual glance, Moribito seems to be preponderantly about men and their concerns,** further examination reveals that the female characters are among the most interesting, and it’s principally their actions that propel the anime’s narrative. Let’s leave aside the maternal protective choices of the Second Queen, though, and focus on Balsa and one of her allies, Madame Torogai.

**I’m not entirely certain it passes the Bechdel test, since most of the conversations between the female characters concern the not-quite-twelve-year-old Prince Chagum and his spirit egg. But the Bechdel test isn’t the be-all and end-all of screen feminism.

The English dub translates Madame Torogai’s role as “magic weaver.” She’s an old woman, a master of her craft and of old ways of magic (who rather reminds me of a cross between Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg, if I’m being honest), unfailingly blunt, unfailingly interfering, unfailingly cranky—and unfailingly competent. If Gandalf the Grey was an old woman with few manners and a gerbil living in his hat, he’d look a lot like Madame Torogai. It’s her knowledge, skill, and ability to communicate with elemental creatures that in the end produces answers about the nature of the spirit inside Chagum.

As for Balsa... she’s the quintessential wandering warrior. But she’s dedicated herself to fighting without killing, and to saving eight lives in order to atone for eight deaths in her past. She is badass, and interesting, and when she takes on the charge of protecting Chagum has to combine the role of martial protector with the role of parent. She’s essentially adopted an eleven-year-old prince who has very little understanding of how the real world works... And who has an awful lot of people who seem to want him dead.

It’s a remarkably strong series. Many of the episodes stand out for their narrative quality: next to none of them sag into tedium or over-extended fight sequences—even the fights tell a story of their own. I really enjoyed it, and recommended it exceedingly.

And as soon as I had finished watching it, I went out to order the novel.

MORE LIKE THIS, please.

---

Liz Bourke is a cranky person who reads books and occasionally watches things

This is a grammar comic about the proper usage of who versus whom.

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Titanfall looks amazing, but it plays much, much better than it looks

The secret arcade deep inside a London industrial park

Client: Where’s my website?

Me: I’m still waiting for your specs. All you sent me was a PowerPoint presentation with no notes or direction.

Client: That presentation is what I want the website to be!

Me: Well, I guess I can build from that and have something for you to review in a couple of days.

Client: Couple of days!? It should be up and running already! I sent you a PowerPoint!

Me: Well there isn’t a magic program that you can feed a PowerPoint into which then spits out a website.

Client: Then what’s the point of having a f***ing computer!?

Having a secret base sounds like an awesome idea until you realize that you’re not supposed to tell anyone about it. Of course, if the joint is truly a cool hangout, then people in the know--and superheroes looking to bust up your schemes--will come to you. 

Bar Shocker is the friendliest pub with the toughest name in all of Nakano. Christened after the evil organization from Kamen Rider, it was originally a biker bar before the new owner, in spectacular Shocker fashion, threw out the Hell’s Angels decor in favor of figures and memorabilia from his personal collection.

While there’s only bottled Asahi on tap and canned meat on the menu, the staff have pooled their anime and tokusatsu resources into a comprehensive film library of best hits and rare releases from the past to the present. Ask the bartender to put on his recommendation and you might discover a new favorite series!

The low-key vibe makes it the perfect hideaway for industry types. An original sketch of the demonic Momotaros drawn by Kamen Rider Den-O creature designer Yasushi Nirasawa looms on the wall, while Comiket organizer and chief editor of Young King Ours Yoshiyuki Fudetani is known to drop by with fledgling manga authors. 

Don’t dismiss the staff as mere fanboys. The owner is a former PC-Engine game developer and manga editor during the 90’s. Then there’s the head barkeep, an active member of the dojinshi scene, furry aficionado, and Japan’s first Brony. Even if you can’t speak Japanese, otaku share a language that breaks all linguistic barriers, and friendship is magic!

The bar is conveniently located on the side streets next to Nakano Broadway. From the North Exit of the station, walk across the square towards the Sun Mall covered shopping promenade. Turn right at the front of Sun Mall, then turn left down the alley at the Kentucky Fried Chicken. Continue straight until you pass a Family Mart convenience store on your right. Turn right here, then turn left at the first intersection. Bar Shocker will be two blocks up on your left.

5-53-10 Nakano, Nakano-ku, Tokyo
Hours: 20:00 until last order
Table charge: 500 yen

 

Well, it’s that time of year again. A couple animated films perform below-average at the box office and the mainstream media begins asking, “Are Hollywood studios cranking out too many animated films?”

The article is filled with alarmist descriptions of the film animation industry, like “a flood of computer-animated movies” (because five films apparently constitutes a ‘flood’) and eye-roll worthy quotes like this one from DreamWorks CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg:

“We’ve never experienced this level of animation congestion in a period of time.”

and this gem from Illumination chief executive Chris Meledandri:

“[A]s more films are planned, it’s inevitable that there will be more acute cannibalization of each other.”

Cannibalization? Let’s get a grip, here. There are only eleven major animated releases planned for this year. That’s compared to hundreds of live-action releases. How is it that the feature film market can support hundreds of live-action films but less than a dozen animated pics?

The problem isn’t that there are too many animated films; the problem is that every single animated release is targeted at the same family demographic.

Yes, there were five animated releases this summer in the span of a couple months. That’s hardly newsworthy considering that there were dozens of live-action releases in the same period. The issue is that all five of those films were targeted to the exact same audience. I suffered through a couple of them, and if you have an intellectual capacity beyond a seven-year-old’s, chances are you’re going to want to watch something more stimulating.

A far more illuminating article would have been to ask why film executives ghettoize the animation art form and refuse to cater to a broader range of audiences, as animated filmmakers in Europe and Asia routinely do. Hayao Miyazaki’s controversial new animated feature The Wind Rises is geared toward adult audiences, and has not only been the number one film in Japan for the past month, but will likely become Japan’s number one film at the box office for all of 2013.

The writer of the LA Times article, Richard Verrier, who should know better considering that he covers the film industry for a living, erroneously refers to animation as a genre in his piece on multiple occasions. But, as we’ve discussed many times before, animation is NOT a genre. It may be perceived as a genre by Hollywood execs, but animation is as much a genre as live-action is.

To quote the animation industry’s patron saint of common sense, Brad Bird:

I think that there is more misreading of trends in animation than any other of the film community. If Cool World fails, then all adult-themed animation is doomed. And if Disney fails, all of animation is doomed. And it’s not like, “Well, hey, man, you know, maybe people are tired of five songs and a familiar story.” … That’s like if George Lucas hit a rough patch, somebody would suddenly say, “Well, people are tired of science fiction.” It’s ridiculous! It’s the kind of idiotic statement that never seems to go out of style in Hollywood… Animation is not a genre. It is a method of storytelling. People are constantly analyzing it and misanalysing it as if it is a genre. It isn’t a genre. It can do horror films, it can do adult comedies if it wanted to, it could do fairy tales, it could do science fiction, it could do musicals, it could mystery, it can do anything. Because Disney has been the only one that’s lavished any care on it, people [then] think it’s the only kind that can be told successfully.

And even if you want to lump all animation as a genre, the argument is still flimsy and incorrect. How is there a glut when two of the top four films at the American box office are animated this year:

1. Iron Man 3 / $408,195,474
   
2. Despicable Me 2 / $346,642,075
   
3. Man of Steel / $289,694,329
   
4. Monsters University / $261,134,998
   
5. Fast & Furious 6 / $238,464,720
   

On top of that, Despicable Me 2 is the single most profitable film in the history of Universal. The financials alone would suggest that the success rate in animation is far higher than live-action’s hit rate. Perhaps then, the writers of the LA Times should be exploring whether there’s a glut of live-action films in Hollywood.

Anime Food in Antique Bakery

Earlier this year, Cartoon Network partnered with the Taiwan High Speed Rail Corporation for a public transportation advertising campaign called Cartoon Express. The campaign features a passenger train wrapped entirely, inside and out, in Cartoon Network character decals.

During its inaugural journey, the passengers, which included children from underprivileged backgrounds, received train announcements from the voice of Adventure Time’s Jake the Dog, played a CN-specific bingo game and mailed Cartoon Express postcards to loved ones via an on-board mailbox.

The Cartoon Express runs between the Taiwanese capitol of Taipei to the southern city of Kaohsiung and it is estimated that it will serve several hundred thousand passengers during the run of the campaign.

More images of the train can be seen on the Catsuka’s Tumblr.

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This “Disney Princesses vs. Capcom” series comes courtesy of Mike V, who’s also done a rather spiffy collection of 8-bit style Disney characters.

You kick some butt, Cinderella. That’s what they get when they don’t let you go to the ball. Check out the rest behind the jump.

(via: BuzzFeed)

Previously in Disney Princesses…

• …As Pokémon Trainers
• …In the World of Avatar: The Last Airbender
• …As Marvel and DC Superheroines

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Drifting inside Walle-E? Well, everybody keeps making Buzz and Woody jaegers, but personally I think Merida and Elinor would probably be pretty good. I mean, we could also say her little brothers, but Wall-E doesn’t have a third arm.

(Torokun on DeviantArt via io9.)

Previously in Pacific Rim

• Pacific Rum
• Guillermo del Toro’s Notebook
• Pacific Rim is Not Your Average Action Juggernaut

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Unlike some people, I actually enjoyed back to school season. But pretty much only because my mom would give me money for a new outfit. If only WeLoveFine.com existed back then! Check out their Back to School collection which features cell phone cases, messenger bags, leggings and more from Marvel, Star Wars, My Little Pony, Adventure Time and other favorites. I may just have to pretend I’m going back to school this year.

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And now the circle is complete and the monsters will rise to inflict ... deliciousness at your breakfast nook.

According to a press release, General Mills announced that discontinued monster cereals Frute Brute and Fruity Yummy Mummy would return in late August to join their brethren Count Chocula, Franken Berry, and Boo Berry on shelves for a limited time.

While Halloween cereal mainstays Chocula and Franken Berry were introduced in 1971, with Boo coming in '73, the werewolf-themed Frute Brute (formerly known at Fruit Brute, and we are curious about the dropped "I") was discontinued in 1982 after being available for eight years. Meanwhile Fruity Yummy Mummy was put back into the crypt in 1990 after only a three-year run.

Frute Brute in particular has a fan following because it was featured in Quentin Tarantino's "Reservoir Dogs" and "Pulp Fiction," but Yummy Mummy has also been missed.

For the uninitiated, Frute Brute tasted like "artificial fruit flavor cereal" with lime-flavored marshmallow bits while Yummy Mummy was "artificial fruit flavor frosted cereal with vanilla flavor marshmallows." But if you don't remember, no worries since they'll still taste the same.

"It’s exciting to see the passion for the return of these two cereals," Ari Zainudden, marketing manager in Big G, said in a company blog post. "We chose the current flavors of Fruity Yummy Mummy and Frute Brute to be as close as possible to the original flavors while taking into consideration consumers’ preferences. Consumers can get a taste for what these cereals were like when they were originally on shelves."

So not only will the two long-lost monster cereals taste like they originally did, for better or worse, Target stores will also sell all five cereals in retro packaging in addition to the re-designed boxes available at other retailers.

Eat them all and discover whether bringing the five monsters together will fulfill some cereal prophesy -- or just contribute to a belly ache.

--

Follow @MTVGeek on Twitter and be sure to "like" us on Facebook for the best geek news about comics, toys, gaming and more! And be sure to follow @aaronsagers for more fun!

There's quite a few capacitive stylus options on the market for iPad (3, 4 and Mini) users, but Wacom will leverage the pressure-sensitivity of its Intuos brand starting this October with the release of the $99 Intuos Creative Stylus at Wacom's eStore and Best Buy stores. Wacom says it'll sport 2048 levels of pressure by way of Bluetooth 4.0 and the pen's tip, which like most capacitive stylus pens is covered by swappable silicon nibs. So far, the new stylus is confirmed to be optimized for use in Wacom's own free Bamboo app, along with the iOS versions of SketchBook Pro, ArtRage, ProCreate and Psykopaint.

Continue reading…

What artist Robert Valley did with his four-minute Wonder Woman short for Warner Bros. Animation's DC Nation campaign was much more than simply express the powerful essence of the iconic superheroine. In just a few precious seconds, Valley defies every expectation absolutely anyone would have about what Wonder Woman could be, from the most hardcore fan to entertainment executives who've been endlessly vexed by how to depict the Amazon princess Diana in motion. But how it works is not simple; it's not easy to articulate. But its success is totally manifest, and that quality is part of what defines the work of a great artist; someone with vision.

It is also inescapably f***ing cool, and demonstrates in vivid terms the versatility of her character.

Continue reading…

We've seen some pretty impressive sketchbooks over the years, but when it comes to ingenuity, Chris McVeigh has topped just about everyone. He's an artist specializing in LEGO creations, and while he does a lot of awesome creations based on old computers or cameras, he's also been doing "sketches," complete with LEGO "pens" (a pretty nice touch).

Check out his bricky take on Batman, Raphael, Pikachu, Jake the Dog and more below!

Continue reading…

Kahotan recently tweeted and posted a photo of a painted prototype of one of Max Factory's latest figmas Eren Yeager. As many of you probably know Eren Yeager is the leading male from the currently popular series Attack on Titan. By the way you can watch Attack on Titan over at Crunchyroll.

It's a little hard to say for sure from one photo but Max Factory's Figma of Eren Yeager looks to be coming along great. His expression is nearly perfect and a lot of work was obviously put into getting his maneuver gear looking right. I hope that Max Factory includes parts for him biting his thumb or other items to allow for character specific poses. Time will tell but it looks pretty good to me. What do you think Tomopeeps?

Via Kohotan's twitter.

While I do not feel that Nendoroids are the best medium for Attack on Titan collectibles, I can say that I find GSC's Mikasa to be one of the better looking Nendoroids I have seen made based on the series. Mikasa's face and hair look pretty good. In particular it looks like her jacket has undergone a lot of styling and painting. 

What interest me most is not what is shown but rather what is not. What kinds of accessories will come with Mikasa for her different poses? The swords are really cool sure and actually I can just see her posed with one of those suction cup mounts to someones collectible shelf, along with an Amy from Gargantia. Yup. I can see it already.

What do you think Tomopeeps? Anyone interested in this Mikasa?

Via GSC_Guma's twitter.

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I actually mentioned something about this on Twitter last Thursday:

Animal Crossing should allow you to, under the cover of darkness, commit acts of arson against villagers who build their homes in bad spots.

Anime Food in Yumeiro Patissiere

etonia:

365daysofhalloween:

fuckyeahallhallowseve:

OH MY GOD. PUMPKIN SPICE M&M’s! NOT A DRILL YOU GUYS, THIS IS NOT A FUCKING DRILL. FOUND AT TARGET

OMG CAN SOMEONE FIND THESE AND SHIP THEM TO ME IN KOREA?!!?!???!!1

I’M GOING TO TARGET ON PAYDAY

oh boy

This is actually just the first part of Final Fantasy VII on Facebook. If you enjoyed this, you can head on over to Team Pwnicorn to read the other two.

Master Lego builder James Pegrum chronicled over 4,000 years of British history, beginning with the building of Stonehenge to Maggie Thatcher's first day at 10 Downing Street, all with Lego. From Boudicca to Guy Fawkes, these are iconic moments in the history of Britain as only Lego could show them.

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Have you ever wanted to have someone at your beck and call? At a butler cafe in Japan, you can (for about 80 minutes). I recently had a chance to visit one of the most famous ones, the Swallowtail Butler Cafe in Ikebukuro. The place is named after the butlers’ tailcoats and is located near the end of Otome Road in Ikebukuro. Reservations for an 80-minute romp as a bourgeoisie (dinner time is 120 minutes) are taken up to two weeks in advance and can fill up very quickly. The establishment is foreigner-friendly with an English version of their reservation page and English menus available, but the butlers can only speak Japanese.

Swallowtail is supposedly an annex of a much larger mansion serving England’s best teas and sweets, where monsieurs and madams can spend some quiet time in an elegant atmosphere.

This was my first time at a butler cafe and it was quite an experience. After checking in, you are greeted at the door with an “okaeri nasaimase” (welcome home) by an elderly butler named Shinomiya (think Tanaka from Kuroshitsuji when he’s not in SD form) who then takes any bags you don’t need with you to the cloak room. Another butler takes your other bags and escorts you to your table.

The only thing you need to know when coming here is that you do not do anything yourself. Your butler will seat you, put your napkin on your lap, serve you, pour your tea, take you to the restroom--everything! No photos or usage of cellphones are allowed in the cafe. You are not even allowed to stand up by yourself! If you need to get up for any reason, you must ring the bell to call over a butler who will then escort you. Breaking any protocols will most likely send the butlers into a panic.

The set menus don’t change but there is a huge selection of teas, desserts and other delicacies that change monthly. I went with the Anna Maria lunch set--a scone, your choice of two preserves, either sandwiches or a quiche (I had the sandwiches), and three desserts. All sets include tea, with hot tea coming in a teacup specially chosen by your butler. The food came presented on a 3-tier tower, and you are asked which you would like first, sandwiches in my case. There were three types: chicken, salmon, and dessert, and they were all delicious though miniscule. Bite-sized even. When the butler noticed that I had finished the sandwiches, he quickly came over to ask if I would like to change plates. Remember-- You’re not allowed to do anything yourself! The scone was still warm and tasty. The desserts were good, but not really anything to write home about. A butler was hand making ice cream at a nearby table, which was kind of cool.

Going to the restroom was very embarrassing, if only because you have to ring the bell to get a butler to escort you. When you are done, you must wait for them near the door to take you back to your table. I’m told that you get used to it, but until then, it’s pretty awkward.

Your bill is paid 20 minutes before your time is up. When it comes time, your butler will politely tell you that it is time for your next appointment, or that it’s time for your riding lesson, etc. The reasons they come up with to boot you out are amusing. The butler took our bags and led us to the entrance where we were thanked for stopping by, and then escorted out with an “itterasshaimase (take care).”

Overall it was an interesting experience, though personally it’s not something I find myself getting hooked on since the royal treatment was a bit too much for me. Then again, there was more than a fair share of eye candy. Lunch starts at 2800 yen and dinner at 4200 yen so it’s not cheap, but it’s definitely something to try out at least once.

Whether you come for the servers or the service, a butler cafe will turn some of your dreams into a reality.

 

At points it seemed like one, and only one, anime came out last year. Some people loved it, some people hated it with the fiery passion of a thousand suns, with other felt the show had a major shift in the middle. It was on inordinate number of year in review lists in the general anime blogosphere. The hyperbolic Kotaku reviews did nothing but throw fuel on the fire of the discussion. And so now that the shows in question, Sword Art Online, is playing on Adult Swim it seems like the conversation about the show never stopped.

As we have mentioned multiple times during these Otakon reports they pulled out all the stops for the 20th anniversary so getting Shingo Adachi and Tetsuya Kawakami who were involved with Sword Art Online was no surprise. I’m sure staff members from the show were some of the most requested guests this year (other than Attack on Titan which came out a bit too recently to be negotiated as guests for this years con.) As Sword Art Online is getting a second wave of popularity while playing on TV they could not have timed their arrival at a better time. The only way it could have been better is if they got Reki Kawahara as well (my roommate is a huge Accel World fan so I’m sure he would have loved to meet him) but their lineup was hardly shabby.

The interview was supposed to be a roundtable discussion with 4 press groups but one group dropped out and the other just vanished. In fact at first it looked like I was the only person who was going to show up. But I did get to talk to Shingo Adachi and Tetsuya Kawakami with some members of the Ninja Legion podcast. I find that amusing because up until that point there were only that anime podcast that people always confuse with the Ninja Consultants. If nothing else that meant that both of our sites were pretty much free to ask both guests as many questions as we liked which was very nice.

Sadly, we were not able to record any audio or video of the interview so we will have to go off my handwritten notes about the affair. I apologize in advance about that.

We went back and forth each asking one question each. I decided to start with a nice easy question for Mr. Adachi. I mentioned that he had a Pixiv account so I asked him how much does he look at what other people are doing on the site and what interests him most about the professional and fan-art coming out of the site? He said that he often frequents the site but is often depressed when he sees how much good stuff was out there.

The Ninja Legion asked what was in inspiration behind the characters in Sword Art Online. Mr. Adachi mentioned that he only adapted the designs from the original light novel series. He just strove to take those designs and bring them to life in an animated form.

I then mentioned that Sword Art Online has two distinct parts with one half taking place in the online world of Sword Art Online and the other half taking place in the newer game of Alfheim Online. I was curious to know how Mr. Adachi worked to make his adaptations of both worlds distinct. He said that when they worked on the world of Sword Art Online they made sure to play up the physicality of the characters since it was all based on melee combat. But since Alfheim Online was a game with magic they focused on emphasizing the magical effects and how they effected the world and its design. Also since if you died in Sword Art Online then you died in real life they went for a very grim tone. On the other hand Alfheim Online went for more traditional gaming aesthetics since everyone’s lives were not on the line.

The ladies of Ninja Legion then inquired if either artist had a set routine when they worked. Mr. Adachi said that he tries to give himself a different challenge every time he sits down to work. Maybe one time he will focus on doing his best with a character’s hair but some other time he will give himself a challenge with their clothing. Mr. Kawakami said the only thing he strives to do when ever he works is to forget the work that came before it. He wants each of his designs to stand alone and not merely ape the ones that came before it. Mr. Adachi agreed that Mr. Kawakami was very good at doing that and complained his work on Sword Art Online was a bit too much influenced by his work on Working!! for his liking.

To shake things up a bit I asked Mr. Kawakami about his work on the upcoming Robot Girls Z (you can see the promo episode here). I wanted to know what did he have to do to turn such classic robot designs into cute girls. I also asked him what his favorite mecha design was. At first he was surprised that anyone in America was aware of the show. But I assured him as a mecha aficionado it was a show I had my eye on. After that little revelation he said he had two major focuses when turning beloved mecha into bishoujo. First and foremost they should be cute. Beyond that he wanted the designs to help facilitate anyone being able to sit down and laugh at what was going on in the show. This sparked a bit of a conversation between Mr. Adachi and Mr. Kawakami about their favorite robots but sadly due to time constraints that part of the conversation could not be translated. Mr. Kawakami did mention his favorite mecha was actually the villainous Doublas M2 from Mazinger Z. He also said the would take word back to Japan that there were fans of Robot Girls Z in the states.

The next question built on mine by asking what were the biggest challenges in working on Sword Art Online. They said the biggest challenge was making the game feel like a game you might actually play in the future. With the Sword Art Online universe that meant making the swordplay effects and user interface feel as organic and realistic as possible. They admitted that no one could really know how games would be in the future but they tried their best to make something that would hopefully stand the test of time. Therefore they went out of their way to make things as simple and cool as possible. Mr. Adachi even went to a friend in college who was a game designer for some tips in the regard. Their ideal was the design of something like Google Glass. In that respect they tried to make pop up windows feel very old school in hopes of invoking the feeling of a timeless classic. They also learned that script changers to constantly translate thing into different languages were extremely complex and not easy to program. Knowing that they made the user interface as text-less and intuitive as possible.

I know that Kate was very interested in how Mr. Adachi’s work on the charity poster came about. He said that when he was invited to be a guest they also asked him if he would like to work on the charity poster. Going into it he did not know that Otakon had mascot characters. He was extremely amused to the point of cracking up when it was requested that the two characters be dressed as if they were in the world of Sword Art Online. Past that point he was just curious to see how the poster would be used.

Moving on from there the Ninja Legion wanted to know which of their characters they both saw themselves the most like. Mr. Kawakami said he most associated himself with Fumika from Shigofumi: Letters from the Departed. Since she was the first character he worked on she has a special place in his heart. Mr. Adachi said that Aoi Yamada from Working!! came to mind. He felt she was extremely quirky and amusing. She was extremely fun to draw and therefore he was always able to finish any work involving her very quickly.

I asked a somewhat problematic question about their key frame animation work. It was sort of funny. The translator and some of the staff had a hard time getting what I was going for. But oddly enough the guests understood the question almost immediately. For some reason the staff thought I was talking about Key games studio as opposed to key frame animation. I regret not writing down the term 原画 Genga for key animation. Live and learn. Oddly enough despite the language barrier the guests pretty much got what I was saying right away. It was probably the fact that since the guests work in the animation industry they probably know the English word for key frame as well as the Japanese.

But soon enough it was all sorted out and I was able to ask what their specializations were when it came to key frame animation and if there was anything they were known for. Mr. Kawakami said that when he started working he was known for being really good at adding fluid motion to action scenes. But now a days he mostly finds himself being called in when they need to do scenes with cute girls. Mr. Adachi said he has always been far better at bringing out the expressiveness in characters than he has even been at actions sequences.

In a bit of a broader scope the next question was if both of them grew up wanting to work in animation. Mr. Kawakami said that he was always drawing as long as he could remember so he just eventually found his way into the animation industry as the natural course of his life. Mr. Adachi said he was a bit stranger as when he was a child the only manga he could buy or read was Doraemon. So he grew up drawing Doraemon and only Doraemon. Not any of the human characters from the series. Just the blue cat robot. It was not until he saw Kiki’s Delivery Service that he became aware that animation could be more than Doraemon.

To follow that up I asked Mr. Adachi since he has adapted character designs for anime from manga, video games, and light novels was there is a difference in adapting those designs to anime. He said when he worked on Megaman Star Force he worked really hard on making the series accessible to children. Also when adapting designs from video games he tends to make things simpler without a lot of lines or shadows. On the other hand when he adapts comedies like 4-koma series his primary job is translating the humor in a way that makes people want to go back and check out the original manga or novel.

The Ninja Legion decided to go out with a peppy question asking who would win in a fight between Superman and Batman. Mr. Kawakami went with his gut and said that he would place his money on Batman. He likes Batman better and he loves the Batman: Arkham games. Mr. Adachi said that while he preferred Batman as well he would have to side with Superman. His strength just makes him unstoppable.  Mr. Adachi mentioned that if Mr. Kawakami watched the recent Man of Steel movie he would understand what he was saying.

I decided to go out with the final question of the interview being when both guests create their own characters what styles are they drawn too? I also wanted to know what is their favorite type of characters to draw were. Mr. Kawakami said that when he was growing up Dragon Ball was king and everyone he knew was obsessed with Akira Toriyama’s work. In grade school all the boys would draw Goku. Because of that he has penchant for comedic characters with a bit of a broken down style. Mr. Adachi said he was not an expert on Western animation but he felt in Japan there was an emphasis appealing to guys with sex appeal. He felt that risks alienating women far too often. He strived to make characters with a unisex appeal to men, women, and children if at all possible. He said that he hoped that his original work on the upcoming Noitamina show Galilei Donna about the descendents of Galileo Galilei would embody that philosophy. (By the way here is a trailer for that show.)

Overall I think it was a fun interview. Since so many people had dropped out I was able to pretty much ask all the question I wanted to. I think both sides of the table started off a bit stiff but as the interview went on the discussion really started to open up. If nothing else I am looking forward to Robot Girls Z and Galilei Donna when they come out.

- Alain

More Otakon 2013 posts:

Otakon 2013: Tweets
Otakon 2013: Our 6 Favorite Announcements
Otakon 2013: General Impressions
Otakon 2013: Shinichiro Watanabe
Otakon 2013: Artist Alley
All Points Bulletin: Leaving Baltimore, Heading To Las Vegas
Otakon 2013: 10-minutes with Yuzuru Tachikawa and Michihiko Suwa
Otakon 2013: Concerts
Otakon 2013: Guests
Otakon 2013: Fan Panels
All Points Bulletin: The Gamification of Otakon
The Speakeasy #044: Baltimore Zoo, Otakon 2013

Filed under: Conventions, Events, Otakon Tagged: Otakon

Captain Awkward, 20 August 2013:

Dear Captain Awkard: So I’ve been dating this Sagittarian for 8 months. It was going swimmingly and due to his couple of months free waiting to get exam results and find a new job, along with me working for myself and being able to take loads of time off, we were intenso – inseparable for 3 months. Mix up his exotic hotness, ambition, brains, resounding (seeming) lack of baggage, patience, easygoing nature and ability to deal with me. Slather on some pretty great sex, a holiday in Rome, my friends loving him, lots of late night spiritual and philosophical convos and I was fully baked. He’s only 26 and I’m 28 but sure cool. Then he gets the job he wanted. Head and neck surgeon and pretty full on, but only 8-5 and no weekends. I would have been fine only for 2 things: sex took a massive nose dive and he’s absolutely exhausted all the time. I’m a Gemini. Fairly well-adjusted but I get bored of the trivialities of 9-5 life, that’s why I’m an entrepreneur. I also adore traveling and love my work, I see life as being about relationships and experiences. I feel as though he’s choosing his career over the rest of his life, including ME. Now I’m a bitter hag about the sex, having asked if it’s because he’s gay (both honestly and nastily), or just doesn’t fancy me (ditto) or if he has issues about sex (not much experience/possible mother issues or whatever) and he swears it’s none of these things, he’s just tired. He also now thinks I’m a nympho, which is ridiculous. He can’t seem to sleep earlier than 12 and gets up at 6 so I KNOW he’s tired but he has to take responsibility for that himself, I don’t force him to stay up or eat late! He’s trying different diets, gave up smoking 2 months ago for the first time in 14 years, getting exercise, is going to try yoga, but it’s not working so far. I feel neglected, betrayed, disappointed. On top of that he’s not very romantic or good at expressing his feelings verbally. Not terrible but not great. We’ve entered a massive power struggle and are constantly bickering, mostly started by me. Throw in the fact that his 6 month contract ends soon and he may have to spend much of his career moving around the country. I am fairly free to go with him but my LIFE is here in London and I’m not the type of person who wants to be traipsing around after a man. I feel really badly towards him and I know that I’m pulling away because I don’t want to compromise myself and/or get hurt. Oh and I don’t like his mother. Dealbreaker?

Dear Dealbreaker?

One sure way to know that a nine-month-old relationship is meant to last is if you’re berating your partner for possibly being gay because he spends too much time being a surgeon and not bowing to your every sexual whim like that one time you went to Rome in your own personal Wes Anderson movie. You kids are so lucky.

But no one, least of all an exotic intenso hot guy whom you have singled out as a mate at all costs, has a right to focus on his career when he should be banging his girlfriend. Have you had any convos about how totes ridonk his desire to practice medicine is, in light of the fact of your vagina?

As you’ve correctly ascertained, your (awesome, free-wheeling) personality was set in (really gorgeous) stone by the stars before the sands of time began to fill the hourglass, and it is up to this Saggi dude to accommodate how incredibly chill you are by not working too much, going to sleep when you tell him to and proving to you repeatedly with his boner that he is not gay, which he would have to be if he doesn’t want to have sex with someone who keeps track of his dietary habits and whether he’s had enough yoga this week in your opinion.

If only he could see how unconcerned you are with the trivialities of life!