Anime has really taken the world by storm. No longer are we watching Smurfs, He-Man or Thundercats. Today, most people are watching Pokemon, Dragon Ball Z, Big O, Gundam, Cowboy Bebop and more. Anime is here to stay, and I’m thrilled with the fact that I have been able to see so many wonderful cultural masterpieces over the last few years in the business of journalism.
In that time, I have been to many different conventions; the Otakon, the Shojocon, the Anime Film Festival, and the ICON, but this year, I was never happier that I was when I attended the Big Apple Anime Fest. What a huge event! Three days of events spaced out on several streets; it was an Anime lover’s dream. There was just so much to do that my only major complaint was that I didn’t have enough time to do it all.
The Big Apple Anime Fest took place from Friday, October 26 to Sunday October 28. With the September 11 attack still fresh in our minds, New Yorkers were happy to have something fun to do in the city that still never sleeps. Even Mayor Rudolph Giuliani supported the Anime Fest, featuring fun for a large gathering of animation fans. The annual event was supported by a large group of companies involved in the anime and manga field, like Central Park Media, TokyoPop, Urban Vision, Media Blasters, Funimation and so much more. The event was open to everyone and featured a variety of activities for all age groups. Fans could take part in watching films, series and live events, witnessing characters dressed up as their favorite anime characters (Cosplay) learning from creator panels or at academic symposiums, competing in fan contests, and/or spending their hard earned dollars on a plethora of anime-related items in the dealer room. The event was perfect for anime fans, but awesome for people just discovering the art form.
My partner and I arrived on Friday night to enjoy the festivities. The first thing we did was watch anime and there was a surplus of it. There was so much to see, including Vampire Hunter D, Macross, Revolutionary Girl, Ghost in the Shell, Perfect Blue, The Ping Pong Club and just so much more, that listing them all would take up this entire page. You can read our review of Spring and Chaos in this issue along with links to reviews of many of the other movies and series that were shown. And if you liked movies, then you would have enjoyed the huge grand premiere of Metropolis. World famous anime creators Katsuhiro Otomo and Rintaro take inspiration from a manga of the past to create the anime masterpiece of the future. This was big, black-tie affair big. Due to other jobs, my partner and I arrived too late to enjoy the festivities, but from talking to people who did catch it, Metropolis is a must-see event. Premieres like this one are a real treat for the fans.
Saturday was the big day. I arrived very early in the morning, took in some more anime and then got into some real journalism work. One of the most important things for writers at a fan con are the guests that show up for the event. So many people were there from Rintaro of Astroboy fame, Kunihiko Ikuhara of Sailor Moon and Revolutionary Girl Utena to Crispin Freeman, voice of Tylor in the Irresponsible Captain Tylor and Lisa Ortiz of Pokemon. All the big boys and girls were in attendance to give the fans a peak into the art of making Anime work. I thought this was a great effort by the organizers to bring so much talent to one show, most of whom were really down to Earth, and very accessible to the fans. For more on these talents, check out the subsection for my interviews with several talented members in the Anime Universe.
Then it was off to the Dealer Room. What an awesome room. It was not too crowded. I have been in some dealer rooms where I couldn’t move at all. That was not the case here. The dealers were spaced out to give all us fans enough walking space. I did not like some of the dealers who charged way too much for DVDs and videos. People go to these shows for deals, and not to pay the same prices they could pay at a regular store. I, however, did find the deals and walked out with bags of items. One table was giving out tapes for $1 each and I walked out with the entire Guyver series for $6. Central Park Media had some awesome deals, too-Kudos to them. They are a big Anime company and didn’t have to be cheap when most other big companies were not. In addition to sales, there were a lot of giveaways from AnimeNation, Sony, who was on hand to debut some new PS2 games and their new robotic doggies (Awww!), and many others. I love my Jin Roh poster. The dealer room was visited more than once and I got a lot of my Christmas shopping done early. Can’t wait to check it out next year.
Friday and Saturday nights gave fans a taste of hentai (Nightmare Campus, Twin Angels), if they chose to watch, and adult Japanese movies like Scorpion’s Revenge and Tokyo Mafia, and even some FMW action. There was enough late night action that fans could just stay in the hotel for three days straight, watching anime.
My only real complaint for the event was that everything was too spaced out. There was literally so much to do, and not enough time to do it in. At the Park Central New York Hotel, 870 7th Avenue, most of the events took place. Not far away, at the Director’s Guild of America, movies like Spriggan and Metropolis were shown. Then, not too far away from that, at the Virgin Megastore, 1540 Broadway, many guests, like Lisa Ortiz, were on hand to sign autographs. The worst part was the Symposium at the Japan Society, all the way at 333 East 47th Street. I really wanted to go here, but it was just too cold and I didn’t want to walk that far. Workshops about Freedom of Expression and more were offered, but I unfortunately did not have the time or drive to get down there. Next time, during the cold months, please keep the places in one spot or closer together.
Other than that, I had a memorable experience. So many people dressed up for Cosplay, so many enthusiastic fans, that you couldn’t help but have a good time watching so many exciting people around you. I enjoyed my weekend, watching new Anime I have never seen before, meeting people and learning more about what goes into Anime. I could have done without the Jackie Chan Adventures (not an Anime) and I hope that next year even more obscure anime is shown, but I loved shows like Spring and Chaos, that I may not have watched if I wasn’t at the festival. That is what makes events like this so exciting. I totally enjoyed myself as I got a glimpse at the past, present and future of Anime. Looks bright. See you next year.
Send comments and questions about this article to JMinners@ybfree.com.