Anime Diet

Anime USA may have achieved the unthinkable in edging out Otakon as my favorite con. I enjoyed myself immensely even if I didn’t have any guest interviews and missed cosplay burlesque TWICE. The depth of programming provided ample entertainment of which I recollect some below. And I learned something. The con’s smaller scale affords an [...]

Continued from part one. Or perhaps it’s the other way around? The juxtaposition between boy band dance moves and abrasive noise created an image that left my thoughts in disarray. Seek played ridiculously fast, his hands a blurry fury on the bass guitar, a juggernaut of decibels felt over my ear plugs. Yet, inches away [...]

I had reservations regarding the location for the Platform One concert. Sandwiched between two adjacent rooms on the lower level, the space is more suitable for a panel than rocking out. When technical difficulties arose, I hoped for a relocation but instead, the show got delayed for roughly three quarters of an hour. Nigel, lead [...]

I knew my last chance at Cosplay Burlesque for the weekend would be doomed by the interview but Celestin and Joo Young made it very worthwhile. The two dapper hosts were engaging and charming. They spoke with immense energy and excitement, eager to offer details and extending their private refuge when it got too loud. [...]

I like to thank My Cup of Tea and specifically, Melody and Toya, for granting me an interview before the never ending line on Saturday. The two lovely maids were irresistibly delightful as they chatted with me and between themselves. It felt more like a conversation than interview where answers often ran off in tangents [...]

Tony is the greatest host ever. He made the Host Club for me. I declined to pick a host like I did earlier that day at the Maid Cafe. And once again, I struck gold. Shortly after we were seated, Tony confessed to me that I was his first table that night. No one had [...]

Do you believe in magic? One needs to look no further than the line of merry maids standing at attention to greet patrons minutes before doors opened Friday morning. My Cup of Tea, the maid cafe at Anime USA, features thirty maids of your choosing. Patrons are invited to pick from the photo board at [...]

Shota Nakama was the only one present at the start of the panel. He was joined by Livan and Yohei at the end. Shota fielded questions from the audience of which I have reproduced the answers below. Shota promised to return to DC for MAGFest in January and revealed that VGO is working with the [...]

Anime USA deserves the loudest ovation for making the concert standing room. While I understand that concerts are not the forte of an anime convention, the seated format for concerts really subdues the experience. Here’s hoping that Anime USA set a precedent for others to emulate. (I am looking at you Otakon =P) Staff divided [...]

I had missed the panel at Otakon earlier this year so at the urging of Shizuka, not to mention three tweets requesting my attendance, it was destiny. If only I knew it then. The moderation and atmosphere were conducive to audience participation. It felt more like a roundtable discussion than a lecture. And a safe [...]

I don’t care for video games. I was never an avid video game player, preferring a mouse over a gamepad. In fact, I haven’t played video games for over ten years. And I certainly had no interest in video game music. Until Friday night. I had little expectations going in so I arrived a few [...]

My decision to pop my cherry with Anime USA coincided with her decision to relocate to a new location for 2012. As one might expect, there were a few issues regarding accommodations but the friction soon gave way to a delightful and memorable experience. I overhead previous attendees that led me to believe that prior [...]