Recap of yesterday's meeting! 5/23/10 edition!

Yesterday evening was a club meeting of fun and interesting proportions! Our lineup changed a bit but things turned out well nonetheless.

News

Cyborg 009 was not brought in yesterday. Not only that, the second volume that one of our club members purchased with the first at MegaCon was empty when we open the case for the first time last meeting. So we've learned to open everything we buy at convention dealer room's immediately. Since many club members were vocal about seeing something else, we will. I took Cyborg 009 to the back and struck its pressure points and it's already dead.

Samurai 7, which won second place in the last democratic voting, will be shown in it's place starting next meeting. It sounds like an exciting series to watch!


When I met with the leaders of UCF's Anime Spot last week, we learned a lot about both of the clubs and planned a session for hanging out. We had decided on doing a picnic at UCF that will also involve kayaking and dodgeball. They are pitching it to their club as well but I am glad we are cool with it. If things work out, we can do a hang out on our turf later on.

This may not be club related but I am getting ready to begin talks on a monthly anime showing at a hip local establishment. This could be really cool!

Anime

We showed more of Baccano! and Gungrave. In Baccano!, the plot thickens with the rail tracer and we've discovered more about a secret order of immortals that use alchemy and can even create Homoculi. Looks like Full Metal Alchemist has influenced a lot of recent anime. They can suck people through their hand though! Isaac and Miria make friends with Ennis after she hit them both with their car last time.

In Gungrave, Grave(zombie Brandon Heat) is killing Orgmen and took down a super advanced necrolization of Bob Poundmax. Grave is wielding pistols and giant guns like he's Dante's from Devil May Cry, but without all the crotch shots. There's only seven episodes left and he's probably going to kill everyone else in Millenion. Just a hunch.

We showed that Sonic the Hedgehog OVA. It was an ancient ADV dub and the animation was supremely low budget. The plot was straight out of one of the Megaman games where they trust Dr. Wily for some reason even though it's obvious that he'll show his true colors after the heroes do all the work. This may have been worse than Sonic X.

I wanted to end the meeting with something cool since Cyborg 009 is no more, so we watched a Ranma 1/2 special that was part of the It's a Rumic World set that also includes specials for Inu Yasha and Urusei Yatsura.

The specials were created in 2008 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Shonen Sunday and legendary manga-ka Rumiko Takahashi, the creator of the aforementioned works. Pretty much everything that made Ranma 1/2 a such a loveable show long ago was included in the special with all the nonsense cut out.

If any one is interested in seeing more Ranma 1/2, I recommend watching the first two seasons of the series and then STOPPING. Like any Rumic work, the series falls apart fast and the plots and jokes become very recycled. However, it cannot be denied that her works have helped create many new anime and manga fans every generation.

I hope everyone has fun for Memorial Day weekend! Have safe travels and get lots of rest! We'll meet again the first weekend of June and I will have a surprise feature to show! That's right! It will be a secret!

Next Propeller Anime Club meeting Sunday, May 23rd at 5:00pm!

Our next meeting will be Sunday, May 23rd at 5:00pm on the campus of Full Sail University in FS3B-113! Fun times await! Now check this: I have an assignment for you all! Oh, yes!

Let's get some new members in our club! Zak and Steve have recruited a bunch of people from their film program and now more than half the current club membership consists of film students! We could expand a bit more!

So here's the deal: if you bring in a new anime fan to our club next meeting, then both you and that person shall get candy! Trust me, that's awesome! This gift also applies to anyone who's been too shy to show up to meetings. Now's your chance!

Just don't be some mentally defective fanboy/fangirl who goes absolutely nuts about their fandom(i.e. a Narutard).

Now as far as what we are showing. Our main feature will be the Sonic OVA that stars that lovable blue hedgehog. It's not Sonic X, just so you know. I haven't seen it yet but from what I read, Ninjas Dr.Robotnik has kidnapped the President(and his daughter) and we get see if Sonic is a bad enough dude to rescue them!

Also showing are more episodes of Cyborg 009, Gungrave, and Baccano! That's a whole lot of people shooting guns!

See you all on the 23rd!

Recap of yesterday's meeting! 5/9/10 edition!

We had a super fun time yesterday as guns were blazing in everything we watched at the meeting!

NEWS

• The head of Anime Spot, UCF's anime club, contacted me about the two clubs doing a hangout together in during their Summer term. Our club has a agreed and I have notified their leader! I'll get back to you on that!
• Panels for AFO that have been approved are starting to be posted on their website, including the Rebirth of Evangelion panel that our guys do so well!
• The Guin Saga has been licensed by Sentai Filmworks! Here's hoping for an awesome BluRay release!
• We talked a little bit about Bang Zoom! Entertainment's president Eric Sherman declaring "anime is going to die" and that their studio would stop dubbing anime in 2011 if DVD and BluRay sales did not pick up.
• Since then, he appeared on ANN's podcast and clarified what he meant. Basically, if sales don't improve, companies won't have money to pay for dub production and cease altogether.
• He also said that Bandai Entertainment(one of BZ's customers) is depending heavily on the success of the future Haruhi Suzumiya releases and "one other title." 
• Bandai Entertainment responded saying that things are currently going fine, but if sales don't pick up then no more dubs.

 Say what you will about dubs, you can't argue that they bring in new anime fans. Without dubs, the fandom can't grow. It's as simple as that. We'll see how Bandai Entertainment's future goes.

And now for what we watched!

• In Baccano! we learn of Ladd Russo's backstory as he proceeds to violently smash someone's face in... with his fists.
• In a flashback, Isaac and Miria meet Ennis as she hits them with a car. That makes 88 times that Isaac has put Miria in danger! That's still less than 100!
• Creepy kid Czelaw plans to use Ladd for something and the Rail Tracer makes its first appearance at the end of our showing!
• In Gungrave, we learn that Brandon Heat planned to be reanimated if something were to happen with Harry. Meanwhile, Big Daddy confronts Harry MacDowell and is killed.
• 13 years later, everyone is obviously older and experimenting with other forms of body transformations. "Bloody" Harry finds out Maria is alive with a daughter and wants them both killed.
• Maria dies but her daughter Mika survives to meet Brandon Heat(now known as "Beyond the Grave") and Dr. Tokioka. Next episodes should be action-packed.
• We started Cyborg 009, which seems to suffer from a bad sound mix. The sound effect track is very low so explosions sound like thuds. Tsk tsk.
• Had to remind people about the rules of our democratic choosing of this series. We shall continue it though.
• We started and finished Gunsmith Cats! Like everything we showed at the meeting, there was a lot of shooting. 
• Someone remarked that Gunsmith Cats is what they would show people when they wondered what anime was. Good choice!

Next club meeting will be on Sunday, May 23rd! It will be in the evening since Full Sail's Open House will going on that day. A Sonic the Hedgehog OVA will be our feature showing. It's not Sonic X, in case you were wondering!

Guide to MegaCon 2010: Anime Special Events

We showed you the Anime Main Events happening at MegaCon 2010, now present to you the Anime Event Track's Special Events! We have a great mix of events for you to check out that include fun discussions, serious presentations, and karaoke!

Special Events in room W224B

Friday, March 12th

Propeller Anime Potluck
12:00pm – 2:30pm in W224B
Hosted by Propeller Anime Club
propelleranimeclub.blogspot.com

A Megacon-style anime club meeting with the Propeller Anime Club, established in 2006! This will be a different take on the video room, where classic anime (predating Naruto and Inu Yasha) will be shown. Feel free to come in and socialize with the club while watching some great anime!

Anime is Already Dead?
2:30pm – 3:30pm in W224B
Hosted by Kent Ward
propelleranimeclub.blogspot.com

Anime in America boomed with tremendous popularity in the beginning of the last decade and by now the bubble has burst. What happened and who is to blame? What about anime has changed over the past ten years? Is there hope for the Japanese import? The founder of the Propeller Anime Club provides insight into this matter and how it will affect anime fandom in the future.

Sonic the Hedgehog: This is his life!
3:30pm – 4:30pm in W224B
Hosted by Brandon Bernard, John Merced, and Brotha Kyo

We’ve seen him grow in the many years of our childhood, from Sonic the Hedgehog, to Sonic Unleashed. We welcome you to join us in event that is of course, Sonic the Hedgehog. From laughter, to humorous disappointments, we will rejuvenate the young child in you once again.

The Panel about Everything!
4:30pm – 6:00pm in W224B
Hosted by Kent Ward, Larry Furry, and Jessica Roth

Everything you should hear about convention culture will be discussed! Convention survival, how to talk to girls, the dos and don’ts of anime conventions, and all the dark secrets of the anime community will be covered!

WOW Machinima
6:00pm – 7:00pm in W224B
Hosted by Jason Sadeghi
www.animesushi.com

Come see the best World of Warcraft Machinimas ever made! What’s a Machinima? It takes game footage and uses it to recreate funny and/or epic short films! This will be a great event for WOW fans all over!

Cosplay Beauty: From Set to Stage
7:00pm – 8:00pm in W224B
Hosted by Blikku and Yaya Han
www.blikku.com

This panel focuses on cosmetic selection and application methods for various skin tones in both stage and photography environments.  There will be make-up demonstration of methods which include themes such as Lolita, Gothic, Ganguro, Rave, etc.  Instructions will be included for achieving many looks in cosplay related to both genre and character-specific applications. People that are new to make-up can get their start here, while the make-up veterans can also join in and share their knowledge.

One Piece
8:00pm – 9:00pm in W224B
Hosted by Jessica Roth, John Merced, and Spooky Electric

Into One Piece?  This is the panel is for you!  Spend an hour with other devoted fans discussing everything from your favorite characters to the recent events in the manga.

All Things Resident Evil
9:00pm – 10:30pm in W224B
Hosted by Dee & Ann of The Summasault Crew
msvalentine.tk

For almost fifteen years, Resident Evil has thrilled and entertained fans and shows no signs of stopping. With a game recently released for the Wii and new content available for Resident Evil 5 this is a great time for new players and veterans alike. Come to a panel by fans for fans, where will we explore the recent additions to the series and take a look at the future of the games. Be sure to show up early to secure your raffle ticket and stick around after the panel to play both Darkside Chronicles and the new Resident Evil 5 DLC. Cosplay is always encouraged and welcomed!

Saturday, March 13th

How to be a Pokémon Master!
9:00am – 10:00am in W224B
Hosted by Steve Grinder, Zak Wilson, and Naro Lee
propelleranimeclub.blogspot.com

Have you ever wanted to be a Pokémon Master? We’ll teach you how to be the very best, like no one ever was!  This will also be your chance to get all the info you need on Pokémon Heart Gold and Soul Silver, which comes out the next day!

Manga for American Comic Fans
10:00am – 11:00am in W224B
Hosted by Anime World Order
www.animeworldorder.com

If you like comics about superheroes or even indy books and haven’t given manga a fair chance yet, then the crew from Anime World Order will help clear up any misconceptions you have about manga and make some solid recommendations on what to try out based on your tastes.

Kingdom Hearts
11:00am – 12:00pm in W224B
Hosted by Jessica Roth

Kingdom Hearts is widely popular in both the United States and Japan.  Eight years, and six games later, the series is still going strong!  This panel will be about the changes made to the series, its characters, and will end with a (spoiler free?) review of Birth by Sleep.

Sushi Boy’s Quick Fire AMV F&Q
12:00pm – 12:30pm in W224B
Hosted by Sushi Boy
www.animesushi.com

The head judge of Anime Sushi’s 4th Annual AMV Contest will go through everything about making a quality Anime Music Videos!

It’s MANIME! The Manly Anime Panel
12:30pm – 1:30pm W224B
Hosted by Kent Ward and Brotha Kyo
www.kentward.com

Learn what is to be a true man and makes a manly anime! This one is for fans of series like Fist of the North Star, Berserk, and other testosterone-filled classics! Both old and new anime of manly proportions shall be covered and you will even learn the gospel that is the Twelve Laws of True Man!

Otaku Survival Guide
1:30pm – 2:30pm W224B
Hosted by Corey “Waldo” Waldusky and Rogelio Mosqueda
propelleranimeclub.blogspot.com

Think you’re an Otaku? Don’t know what one really is? Or maybe you’re looking for ways to live in this crazy world as one? Whatever your questions may be, come and found out all the information for your American Otaku lifestyle, and get tips on further delving into your obsession.

Sunday, March 14th

Anime Madlibs
11:00am – 12:00pm in W224B
Hosted by Spooky Electric

We’re seriously letting Spooky Electric do an event on his own! You supply the words that he’ll use to fill in the blanks of his hot new anime fan fiction, and then hilarity will ensue!

The World of J-Pop
12:00pm – 1:00pm in W224B
Hosted by Blikku
www.blikku.com

This panel is an introduction to the J-Pop genre and focuses on an array of artists and styles. Discussion of fan bases will be included such as websites, clubs, and J-Pop inspired cosplays.

SEGA: Welcome to the Next Level!
1:00pm – 2:00pm in W224B
Hosted by Brandon Bernard, John Merced, and Brotha Kyo

SEGA, from past to present, to games, and consoles! SEGA has contributed a vast amount of entertainment throughout the many years of its existence, and continues to carry on the legends that it has created. Come join us as we discuss the topics that have made SEGA to what it is now.

The Analysis of G.I.T.S.  –  Ghost In the Shell
2:00pm – 3:00pm in W224B
Hosted by Emilio Lopez-Centellas
propelleranimeclub.blogspot.com

A definitive Ghost in the Shell panel, covering the classic characters, what Public Security Section 9 is and the technology they use, including the Tachikomas and all of the A.I. units. Everything from the manga to the movies and television series will be discussed! Panel sponsored by Manga Entertainment!

Robotech: The Legacy Continues
3:00pm – 4:00pm W224B
Hosted by Larry Furry

One of the oldest giant robot franchises continues on! Robotech expert Larry “Fuzzy” Furry will discuss all things about the sci-fi epic. Panel sponsored by Manga Entertainment!

Karaoke
4:00pm – 6:00pm in W224B
Hosted by Propeller Anime Club
propelleranimeclub.blogspot.com

We’re wrapping up another awesome year at Megacon with some Karaoke! Sing with friends and have a great time! Come in early because it’s first come, first served!