Finally, another video! (And there will be more to come.) This is our junket interview with the manga artist and director of Trigun at Anime Expo’s press junket. They mostly talk about the upcoming Trigun movie, though there was some madness at the end that was well worth preserving. Check it out!

I wrote this on the train home from San Diego, at the conclusion of Comic-Con 2009. For me, this is the end of the con season; I don’t anticipate going to New York Anime Festival this year and it’s up in the air if I will return to Pacific Media Expo. Before I flood y’all with videos, I’d like to take stock of what the last month or so has been like for me as editor of Anime Diet, and as an avid con-going fan of anime.

To put it briefly: Anime Expo 2009 was more about work, and Comic Con was more about fun.

Note: this is not really a review of the conventions as conventions, of which there is plenty to talk about out separately. You can find out more about that in the forthcoming videos. This is more about what the cons felt like subjectively.

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This is it folks–the official recording of our panel with Anime Genesis and How a Girl Figures at Anime Expo 2009, the Indecent Otaku Comedy Hour! If you missed it, this is what happened. Enjoy!

 

 Podcast Video [4:43m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (721)

Here is the first video from AX I’m releasing! Tomorrow will be the interview with the Trigun folks. It’s our junket interview with Hiroyuki Imaishi and Atsushi Nishigori, the director and character designer of Gurren Lagann.

The way I’ve set this one up is to superimpose the translator’s audio over the original audio, similar to the way it’s done on the nightly news. It really makes the video move much more quickly rather than keeping all the parts where I speak, the translator translators, the interviewee responds in Japanese, etc. So this is a nice, short, and snappy 4.5 minutes long.

Also, for the first time, I’ve decided to start releasing these vids on our podcast channel. So all of you podcast subscribers–you’re getting a special treat. Thanks for subscribing!

Panel’s over. Thanks for coming out, everyone!

 

 Anime Diet Radio 38 [48:44m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (780)

 

 Anime Diet Radio 38 (MP3) [48:44m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (335)

This is not only just the new episode of Anime Diet Radio–it’s a final pitch to come to our AX Events: the Indecent Otaku Comedy Hour TOMORROW at 9 AM, LP3 (live stream available), and to buy our zine at Artists Alley table D24! In the Roundtable we talk a bit of the work and process that went into making it all happen. But there’s still time to actually go and check it out. So come–and if you can’t come, watch the live stream, on this very website!

There are also a few news items–about otaku bride preferences, the Evangelion 3rd movie, and Lucky Star uniforms in a real town in a real school. But all that isn’t as important as to drive home the point that we want to see you at our panel tomorrow morning! And buy our zine!

Show Order

• (00:00-00:05:38) Intro
• (05:39-10:01) News 1: Lucky Star Uniforms in Saitama Prefecture
• (10:02-19:18) News 2: Who Otaku Want to Marry
• (19:19-28:07) News 3: Evangelion 3.0 Title Announced, “Q Quickening”
• (28:08-33:55) Mailbag
• (33:56-48:02) Roundtable about Our Zine and Panel
• (48:03-end) Conclusion

Show Notes

• OP, ED from Haruhi Suzumiya S2
• All the news items are from Anime News Network: news 1 here [http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2009-06-25/group-discusses-lucky-star-uniforms-to-boost-local-tourism], news 2 here [http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/bbs/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=118861], news 3 here [http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2009-06-27/3rd-eva-remake-film-to-be-titled-q-quickening].

Why is one of the first posts from AX from the cameraman? Because I do not have to edit the pictures, that is why. We start off this pictorial tour from the LA convention center. We made a mistake and parked really far away from the press junket. So here is a picture of glorious AX.

Beautiful building and sign

In the pressroom, we ran into our good friend Benu. This is Mike and Benu waiting for the interviews to start.

Mike and Benu waiting oh the waiting

The room is ridiculously hot. Also apparently, Benu is not legit press, because he got rejected from interviewing a band for not being a “true professional press” person. That band is not that classy.

Now we waited for about 2 hours before our interviews started, and this is already after being about an hour late.

Here, Mike is reading over the Anime Diet Zine–buy it from table D24 in Artist Alley. I wrote an article for it, a very funny article, I am thinking. The zine was a group effort by all of us, and it was really fun.

Mike reading the Zine, go buy it and find out why it is so good.

Here, Jeremy is writing questions for his interview with the folks from Trigun. They were really fun. One of them told us he needed to go on a diet–and I suggested an anime diet. Today Mike and Jeremy traded doing interviews. When the videos get edited and posted watch them. We loved working with everyone.

Jeremy preparing questions

Mike and Jeremy would camp outside of the hotel rooms for the interviews. They were prepared with good questions. The thing I was most concerned with was backlighting. I wanted people to be able to see the faces of whom we interviewed. It was a little funny because we were hanging out in the hallways waiting for the magic to happen.

Mike and Jeremy waiting for an interview.

The last picture is of the members of our panel, the Indecent Otaku Comedy Hour. Come out this Saturday at 9 o’clock to see one of the most amazing panels ever. It will be an experience for all of us.

The Indecent Crew

Time for another schedule, everyone! Where am I going to be at the con?

You’ll notice no time given for seating times at main events. That’s because I’m press, baby, and I can get tickets in advance. You’ll also notice no industry panels. That’s because the main reason to go to industry panels–lots of licensing announcements–that heyday is long gone since last year. I feel no need to liveblog anything anymore along those lines.

Day 0 – Wednesday
This is the Press Junket, where we are going to interview as many guests of honor as possible! Stay tuned for videos–if they let us have them.

Day 1 – Thursday
2:30 PM-5:30 PM: AX Idol Voice Acting Auditions
I’ve got a good friend who is trying out the VA part of AX Idol, and I’ll be filming her performance. If she’s a finalist, I’ll be at the main AX Idol competition too.

I should note that I most likely won’t be staying for the whole thing.

9:00 PM-12:00 AM: Battle of the Bands
This is to support our friends and panel guests Makenai, who are performing in this. Again, I may not stay for the whole thing.

Day 2 – Friday
2:30 PM – 4:00 PM: Morning Musume Concert
Hey, I’m interviewing them. I might as well go to their concert! Cross fingers to get at least photographs as press. (Fat chance.)

4:00 PM – 5:00 PM: Takashi Okazaki Panel
This is the creator of Afro Samurai. I saw him last year at Comic Con on a panel with Samuel L. Jackson–let’s see how he is without all that star power beside him. :)

9:00 PM – 12:00 AM: AMV Contest
I really, really hope I can stay long enough to watch the comedy section.

Day 3 – Saturday
9:00 AM – 10:00 AM: The Indecent Otaku Comedy Hour
Our panel. Y’all better be there. Because we sure will. Oh yes, we will. Find out more here, and look at all the prizes we’ll be giving away at How A Girl Figures.

1:00 PM – 4:00 PM: AX Idol Finals
If my friend gets in, I’ll be there to cheer her on! If not, I’ll be going to…

3:30 PM – 4:30 PM: Aniblogger Meetup
Icystorm’s organizing this one, and I should be able to go if I’m not at AX Idol! (I’ll let you know ASAP when this is certain, Icy.) It’ll be good to meet y’all.

8:00 PM – 12:00 AM: Masquerade
The yearly tradition lives on. Let’s see what this year’s meme is! (We had Caramelldansen, 300, and Hare Hare Yukai in previous years.)

Day 4 – Sunday
Most likely, I’m not really going to be there. Other staff may be, however, particularly for the Robot Chicken panel. We tried to get into their panel at Comic Con last year, but failed.

That’s it! If you’re around, come and meet me. This is, of course, subject to change. Follow me on Twitter for up to the minute info.

I’m pleased to introduce a milestone for us here at Anime Diet: we’ll be selling a special fanzine at the Anime Expo 2009 Artists’ Alley this year! This magazine is the work of the entire Anime Diet staff and a large number of local artists, and it has all the spirit of your favorite blog and podcast compressed into 20 full color pages. It’s got games, comics, articles and, as a special treat, bonus exclusive material on the web for all purchasers!

So–if you’d like to support this website, come check us out at Artist Alley table D24, say hi to us, and buy a copy of our zine! See you there.

The Date–July 4, 2009
The Time–9:00 AM
The Place–LP3 (LACC 411), Anime Expo 2009
The Event–The Indecent Otaku Comedy Hour!

And if that doesn’t convince you to come, let Dancing Queen’s promo persuade you to show up bright and early on Independence Day.

If you can’t make it to AX this year, have no fear. We will have a live Internet stream of our show, right here in this space. There may even be prizes just for you Net watchers, too. You’re not going to be left out this year!

The Indecent Otaku Comedy Hour: so exposed, it’s indecent.