Month: March 2016

Anime Milwaukee 2016: Recap

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It was a weekend of teens, panels, and lines.

Anime Milwaukee 2016 was a fun time for me this year. This convention has grown over the last several years and this year topped over 9000 (yes I know) attendees.

Highlights for us (my younger son and I) this year was the Sgt Frog panel with Brina Palencia and Todd Haberkorn (and later Cherami Leigh). Winning some Blue-rays in a Sentai Filmworks industry panel. A Funimation panel. The dub release and showing of 4 episodes of Monthly Girls Nozaki-kun. And my son finally getting Kerero (Todd Haberkorn) to sign his Kululu cosplay head piece.

Downsides: Lines…

The time taken to get Todd’s autograph: 2 1/2 hours. We also did get to meet Lauren Landa (voice of Sayaka in Puella Magi Madoka Magica) which was cool for me, being the Madoka fan that I am.

We also tried, and failed, to get Christopher Sabat’s autograph for my son (Chris voices Giroro on Sgt. Frog). We waited for 2 hours in line on Sunday and the line was cut and we were turned away.

I know this is a risk at conventions while trying to get autographs, and it is why I am personally kind of against it, but my son really wants to get as many Sgt. Frog characters as he can so I indulge that for him.

The Sgt Frog panel was probably the best experience of the convention for us both. The guests were very funny. They really all seem to be fans of Sgt. Frog as a show and I have always heard good impressions for those who worked on it. The bonus was my son raising his hand at the “wrong” time and as a result was being picked on (in a silly way) by Todd. It was hilarious, my son was in heaven and couldn’t stop laughing.

I didn’t get a ton of pictures, but I will share with you some of the many talented cosplayers we came across.

Well, Crap… My Son Got a Dakimakura

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As previously noted in my blog post, Why I Haven’t Got My Older Son a Dakimakura, I had avoided getting him his own sexy, anime, body pillow.

There’s a thing about teens…you can’t leave them to their own devices.

But at Anime Milwaukee I did just that.

I set him loose with his best friend and his cousin and gave him some money while I went to enjoy the convention with his little brother (who is not old enough yet to wander by himself).

I come back to the room for a break and a snack at some later point in the day and what do I find?

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I was speechless.

I wasn’t mad, or annoyed, or anything. I was somewhere between amused, slightly disturbed, and wondering what his mother was going to think when I dropped them off after the convention (she thought it was gross).

He was not in the room. His best friend was however. She laughed her butt off and texted him my reaction much to her glee.

So the moral of the story is: Teens are not to be left to their own devices with money, if they are: they might end up with a dakimakura.

Live and learn.

Now he wants another one…

Anime Milwaukee 2016

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It’s that time again: Convention time.

Myself, my two boys, their cousin, and my older son’s best friend are all packing into the car and headed out for the 3 day convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin next weekend.

Anime Milwaukee is in it’s 9th year and this will be our 4th time going (at least for my boys and I).
Guest highlights this year:

Todd Haberkorn

 Todd Haberkorn

A prolific voice actor know for many roles such as: Natsu from Fairy Tail, Italy from Hetalia, Ling Yao from Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Cheren from Pokemon, Allen Walker from D. Gray Man, Hikaru Hitachin from Ouran High School Host Club, Death The Kid from Soul Eater, as well as my younger son’s favorite Kerero from Sgt. Frog.

BRINA PALENCIA 2

 Brina Palencia

Another voice actor with a Sgt Frog credit (Tamama) along with some of the other following roles: Touka in Tokyo Ghoul, Chibitalia in Hetalia, Ciel Phantomhive in Black Butler, Holo in Spice and Wolf, Yumi Azusa in Soul Eater, Rei Ayanami in Evangelion 1.0 and 2.0, Chiaotzu and Puar in Dragon Ball Kai, Tony Tony Chopper in One Piece, and Georgie in Shin Chan.

Sabat (Print-Web)

Chris Sabat

The final member of Sgt. Frog’s armpit platoon, Giroro, Chis has a great number of other voicing acting credits such as: Alex Luis Armstrong in Fullmetal Alchemist, Roronoa Zoro in One Piece, Ayame Sohma in Fruits Basket, Shio Sakaki in Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple, Yugo “Braun” Tennouji, as well as numerous voices on Dragonball Z.

 

All of these people are talented voice actors, but also as producers, writers, and directors. There are more guests (Sonny Strait Cherami Leigh, Kyle Herbert, Lauran Landa as well as other non-acting guests), but these are a focus. Why? Because of my younger son’s desire to get as many autographs on the head piece of his Kululu cosplay as possible.

Him with Chuck Huber (Kululu) last year at Anime Midwest.

Another fun guest pair is:

Dan

Samurai Dan and  Jillian

A comic duo, writer, and martial artist: they are a lot of fun to see. If you see them listed as guests at a con you are attending do yourself a favor and attend one of their panels. They are a lot of fun.

I will update my adventures (with pictures) after the convention.

Until then,

Happy viewing!

-the images on this post are not owned by this blog-

 

Wait…What Just Happened?

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Chaos; Head

I finally got around to watching the first in the “Science Series” of visual novel adaptations from 5pb and Nitroplus (others in the series being Steins; Gate and Robotic; Notes). While all three of the visual novels (and thus the anime’s) are set in the same world,there is not a story that links them together. They all stand on their own, and Chaos; Head is the weakest of the three.

The story is set around Takumi Nishijo who for all puposes is a hikkikomori, rarely attending school, playing video games all day, and keeping to himself. After a conversation with an online friend in a chat room he gets a cryptic message with a picture file attached. The picture depicts a ritualistic style, brutal murder. From here on in Takumi is drawn into a world where the lines of reality and delusion become very blurred.

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I could try to describe this better, but I won’t…I’m not sure I could. And this becomes my main problem with Chaos; Head: it is confusing. The show has a lot of cool ideas, but the story is confusing and poorly structured. There are shifts between reality, girls who carry around imaginary (di) swords, a council of bad guys, another bad guy, lackeys, nasty murders, and a creepy old guy in a wheelchair.

This all leaves Takumi frequently clutching his head and screaming: “I don’t know what is happening!”

And I can sympathize, neither did I.

It wasn’t all bad. The explanations for the “science-y” things that were happening were interesting, probably a big load of horse poo, but at least interesting sounding horse poo. The animation was decent, nothing to get excited about, just good. The OP and ED were both good as well.I watched the English dub and felt like it was well done.

Attention Parents: The show contains blood, violence, and murder. There is some minor fan service elements, but not too much. Some of the violent themes would be disturbing for a younger viewer. And again, it’s confusing.

I was a little sad in the end that I didn’t enjoy this more. Perhaps it works better as a visual novel? Give it a look if you’re really curious: I’ll don’t often tell people to not watch something: different strokes for different folks.

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It’s okay Takumi. It’s over.

 

Until next time: Happy Viewing!