#otakon 2015

[dropintomanga]

Thinking About the “Othering” of Japanese Media

For those who keep up with Japanese video games, you may have heard comments from a prominent Japanese video game producer about how a certain term labeling a video game genre felt discriminatory in his own eyes. A recent Polygon article about that term made me think about how the Western media has “othered” Japanese pop culture media for as long as I remembered.

The producer I’m talking about is Final Fantasy XIV and XVI producer, Naoki Yoshida (known as Yoshi-P to his fans). Back in February 2023 in an interview, Yoshi-P said that the term “JRPG” (short for “Japanese RPG”) was considered discriminatory to him and his peers in the Japanese video game industry. Polygon took a look at how Japanese RPGs and JRPGs became a thing in the late ‘90s (starting with Final Fantasy VII’s North American release in 1997) and how media outlets in the West never seemed to take them too seriously. Even worse, the outlets shoved Japanese developers into a sub-category they never asked to be a part of once Japanese RPG popularity started to wane in the mid-2000s’.

After reading the article, I actually thought about manga and its perception when I first started reading comics. When I first discovered what manga was back in 1995, I learned about Ghost in the Shell from an issue of Wizard Magazine (a North American-based magazine highly dedicated to Western comics). The first thing that came to mind when I read what Wizard wrote was that it had a cybersex scene and very adult in nature. My mind was somewhat blown since I was in 7th grade at the time. Now that I think about it, almost 30 years later, I wonder if Wizard was trying to say that Japanese creators were super-perverted compared to Western creators. I still remember a non-fan a friend of mine met at Otakon one year who asked “Isn’t anime sexual?” when inquiring bout anime.

With regards to manga, for most of its history in the overall comics world, it has been othered in the U.S. due to how successful it’s been in reaching out to “non-traditional” comics-reading audiences. Statements like “Oh, it’s just a fad!” and “Manga doesn’t have dedicated buyers (i.e. adults with disposable income) like Western comics does!” were thrown to discredit manga’s popularity. Christopher Butcher (of Mangasplaining/TCAF fame) talked about this in a 2015 article on his website, which still holds some truth today. Even though manga sales have peaked around the pre-vaccine COVID time period, they are steady today. New York Comic-Con in 2022 had a substantial anime/manga presence compared to years past. Anime and manga can’t be ignored any longer.

Yet I know that some things haven’t changed in industry recognition. I will use the Eisner Awards as an example. For those who don’t know, it’s a prestigious awards ceremony that happens around San Diego Comic-Con every year and honors the best in comics. However, their recognition of manga is spotty. There has been recent criticism towards the Eisner committee for recognizing only the “hot” manga creators (i.e. the ones with best-selling manga titles on book charts). The best example I can give is Junji Ito. A lot of his works are nominated despite there being better works worthy of recognition out there. There has been some criticism in the manga circle I’m in about how Eisner judges/representatives don’t seem to take the time to explore the greater breadth of what manga has to offer in its new golden age.

Of course, when awards ceremonies like the Academy Awards don’t really seem to care much about praising Japanese pop culture media, what hope is there, right?

Which brings me to a point that the Polygon article elaborates on the West’s insistence on particular views of Japan.

“It’s clear that the mainstream only courts a specific idea of Japan as being acceptable — often reinterpretations of feudal Japan, largely spanning from the 1500s to late 1800s, when the samurai were still part of Japanese society.“  

I do notice that Japan is supposed to be this “quirky” and “weird” place with wild imagination. If somehow a Japanese title has themes common in Western media/culture, but lacks the exotic style Westerners prefer, it’s sometimes heavily ignored in the mainstream eye. I don’t know. What do you guys think?

Polygon does mention that we’re living in some really good times with regards to Japanese video games being popular again. Many fans, including myself, know that too well. I enjoyed gaming again due to the variety of Japanese-developed titles that came out since 2016 (the start of the Japanese video game industry revival). I see parallels in manga and anime reception too. All of Japanese pop culture media is celebrated overseas. Fans that consume all things Japanese are living through amazing times.

That doesn’t mean that it’s going to last forever. I do know at some point, Western media will find new ways to scrutinize Japanese media and our time in the spotlight will fade again. Some degree of othering will always happen due to human nature and I know that we can use that term for positive purposes. Manga is about how “others” that are different from the norm can become celebrated by the world. Reading this post about manga reminds me that comics of any kind can cover any topic imaginable and definitely be made for “other” people to read. 

[natsuki-bakery]

Inbox check pretty please!!

Here it is! Fresh out of the oven, just for you!

Requests are CLOSED !! [35/35]

Currently working on : since you did Lammy, could you do Rammy from Um Jammer Lammy? I know there's 2 line stickers of her on tumblr

Do you feel comfortable taking requests with the source Postal? I feel like I've asked before but I completely forgot so if I have already I'm so so sorry < \ 3

hii!!! just a question, do you take requests for metalocalypse?? thanks!! ^_^

Hi do you write about the webtoon school bus graveyard? Have a nice day!

Can you please do cg arlecchino hcs? (to l!reader or the house of the hearth kids) tyy

hiii i loved your regressor germany headcanons, would you possibly be willing to write some more? Maybe expanding on your idea of little lud trying to copy prussia bc he's his big brother? or talk abt prussia being a big brother cg for little lud? thank u so much

hhi i saw the byclair graphics && i was wonderin if you could possibly do eddie munson graphics ?? its ok if not btw!^^

could you please do some headcannons for a regressor choji tomiyama and caregiver jo to togame both from windbreaker? thanks!!!!

Can you do Vergil DMC head cannons ?

Hi! Do you write for jjk? And if you do can you please make a Caregiver Nanami please?

HELLO!!! COULD YOU DO A CHINA HETALIA LAYOUT FOR RENTRY?? preferably red-orangeish themed!!

could i have some choso (from jjk) big brother headcanons pretty please?

Are you able to do anything hells paradise related? It had a smaller fandom so it's a bit underground, that's why I was wondering ^_^

/nf

since you did Lammy, could you do Rammy from Um Jammer Lammy? I know there's 2 line stickers of her on tumblr

hi will you edit for genshin impact?

omg hai i was wondering if i could get regressor izutsumi and cg marcille? :3 more specifically izutsumi with an upset stomach while regressed

hihi!! cld I request some cg headcanons for Dazai frm bungou stray dogs ? ty!!

hello! can you make matching rentry graphics? (separate layouts if possible) of nyo!france and nyo! england? thank you so much in advance and so sorry if this is too much work!

Since he's coming to street fighter 6, could I have a moodboard for a cg Terry Bogard? With video games, plush toys and stuff like that? Thank you!

Hiii!!! I was wndering if I could get some hcs for regressor Helena Harper ... N maybe cg Leon Kennedy :3

Helo! If you take requests for How To Train Your Dragon, could I pls request cg Hiccup? Tyty!

hellooo can i please request cg! stephanie and little!nurse bendy hcs if it's ok for u?? have a nice day

Caregiver Portugal (HETALIA World Stars) headcanons pls? I love him sm...

Can you do nyotalia canada x prussia rentry layouts?! (≧~≦)/nf / pos

hi again! could you make some turquoise-themed rentry graphics of snow miku 2015 with some lily of the valley images? sorry that's not very specific ^^ Could you make some Astrodude and Houston headcanons if that's alright? I would like both regressor and caregiver ones if that's okay hiii can u make a KAngel rentry graphic? (from needy streamer overload) if ur uncomfy then u don't have to!! <3

oiiii!! can I request matthew williams (aph) graphics for rentry? thanks! :) not sure if you accept requests from persona, more specifically persona 3 but if you do could I please request a shinjiro aragaki rentry layout?? thank you in advance! and sorry if you arent comfortable doing so!

I know it's not a request but like,, I think ur blog is so cute I love it sm

hi hi hi can i please request some little!otakon and cg!solid snake hcs?

Can I maybe request a CG headcanon of Patrick Jane (From The Mentalist)?? He's so cool and I would love to see him like that. Thanks in advance!!!!!!

[ahiddenpath]

Otakon 2023

Lil ramblin' about the con beneath the cut! But above the cut, my spoils!

I haven't been to a con since NYC Comicon in 2015, so this was a ride!

Amazing Stuff:

-Meeting @citrus-cactus at the Digimon redubbed movies screening! It was so amazing to meet her after being in the same online community for... Like... God, who even knows, like ten years?!?!?! And she is so lovely!

-THE DIGIMON REDUBBED MOVIES SCREENING!!! More on that here!

-My haul above! A sweet lil Kou-chan figure and a Luna plush from the dealer's room and an artbook from Shouri and a Sonic keychain from the artist's alley!

Not my fave stuff and neutral observations:

For reference, I went to Otakon all three days from roughly age 14 straight through college?? Well, in college it would have been Sat/Sun only. After that, I guess I didn't go that often, but any comparisons I make are to that time period (roughly 2003-2011 ish).

The DC convention center as a venue:

-The convention center was easy to get to from the Metro!

-The building was much bigger and better able to handle the crowd than the Baltimore Convention Center.

-There was. NO SIGNAGE. WHATSOEVER. For ANYTHING. Absolutely horrendous. What there WERE were volunteers/employees who bellowed directly into your face to... Do the things you were already doing. Or to... Walk the other way around the pillar. Because the other side leads into the faerie realm or some shit, idek.

-The guide books used to have maps, schedules, opening and closure times, etc. There was a map in this guidebook, but the opening and closing times for different parts of the cons and the event schedule were not printed. Meaning I had to use my phone to know, for example, when and where the Digimon screening event was... And there was poor reception the dealer's room in the lowest level.

Although the event schedule site couldn't load, I was blessed that some of Citrus' discord messages were getting through. She alerted me that the screening room was filling up and told me the room number (bless!!!! Thank!!!).

The con compared to ones I remember:

-I was shocked that there was a digimon panel and two separate Digimon screenings in one day? And the Digimon movie redub screening event was full to capacity- I missed the first film because I was next in line at the shut door D: So, like, Digimon is alive, and I saw two Daisuke cosplays, a Ken cosplay, and someone with a Patamon plush attached to their baseball cap. Patahat! There wasn't much merch. Citrus spotted the main place offering digimerch and sent me there (I got the Kou figure there). She also saw the lone Digimon fanart in Artist's Alley, and we found someone who made baby stage plushes. Another dealer's room place had some vintage plushies of the digimon that looked... like they had been through... some stuff.

Basically, Digimon seems to still be very much alive in terms of audience interest, but not so much the merch and fan art. I don't know what to make of that.

-The con seemed a lot less lively than the ones I remember. I only saw a few interesting cosplays (like the kind where you go, how did they even do that?!). My husband pointed out that the hall is far larger, however, and that the cosplay folks have tons of photo studio rooms to go to. They were likely there.

-The extra space was deeply appreciated (compared to what I'm used to from the Baltimore days), but... Okay, so the Dealer's Room provided empty space. Every aisle had an end area to "pull over in," whether it's for a water or food break, a photo op, or to wait for your bud to make a purchase.

PEOPLE STILL STOPPED DEAD DIRECTLY IN THE MAIN THROUGHWAY. WHY. WOULD YOU DO THAT. PLEASE I AM BEGGING-

My husband says I'm dreaming if I think the provided empty space will stop people from doing that, lol!

-DEMON SLAYER. EVERYTHING IS DEMON SLAYER. THERE IS NOTHING BUT DEMON SLAYER. Look, I enjoy Demon Slayer too, but good gracious, it's clearly the Naruto of the 2020s in terms of popularity.

-I learned who Rem is. Good God there were a lot of Rem figures.

-Looking at my purchases, I bought for three "classic" IPs and supported an artist I've followed for a long time. No new stuff. And I'd say the merch overall was about half "vintage" stuff and half newer stuff. Lots of Sailor Moon, DBZ, Pokemon, etc.

General Con Hardships:

-So a friend suggested to me recently that I might have sensory issues. I balked, because jfc have you seen my list of issues, please don't suggest another, I beg, I am full up, can I have some less sir.

Uh basically she mentioned how much she used to love going to the movies and I said, "I don't go anymore, I can't understand the voice audio." And she was like- Okay so it's true that some movies don't mix sound properly and can't be understood well, but if it's all movies... Um, babe, I think that's an auditory processing issue.

She suggested I get ear plugs, and god DAMN I wish I had them at the con.

Riding in the metro in tunnels? The whoosing and clanking hurt. Volunteers absolutely bellowing in your face at the con? Look, I guess it's their job, but please I am going to cry if you scream in my face like that. People playing music at the loudest volume in the dealer's room and hallways? Why, why would you do that. Someone was walking around playing an ocarina on the way to the dealer's room, so I was stuck with her for about 10-15 min, and I genuinely wanted to lock the damn thing in her backpack on a timer somehow, lmao. Look, ocarinas are easy enough to get the correct note out of, but they are difficult to control tonally. That high-pitched, harsh PHWEEEE noise clawed at my ears.

Of course, you can't control other people. The best I can do is accommodate myself to suit the place I'm going, which means... The damned ear plugs.

Apparently sensory issues and anxiety go hand-in-hand, as of course people feel stressed if the signals around them aren't being processed in the "typical" way, causing strain.

So... The con was exhausting and just... Difficult. But! I'm really glad I went! And I'll just buy the gd earplugs, here's what was recommended to me.

Also, PS: I found a piece of rare digimon merch that was way out of my budget at a dealer's room stand. But when I came home and looked it up, I found it for 35% less (which, at this price point, was a lot). AND NOW I HAVE AN ABSOLUTE TREASURE ON THE WAY AND I CANNOT WAIT TO SHOW YOU! Also, honestly check the retail on stuff in the dealer's room before you buy, this must be why there's no reception down there-

I am ready to not attend a con until next year! But to also go next year! Maybe I'll meet more of my online pals!!!! :D

[usagirotten]

AnimEigo to Launch Kickstarter Campaign for Macross II Anime Release

AnimEigo's Robert Woodhead announced at the Animazement event last week that AnimEigo will launch a Kickstarter campaign for the release of the Super Dimensional Fortress Macross II original video anime film this summer. The company will reveal more details at its panel at the Otakon event, which runs from July 28-30. #Macross2 Kickstarter is coming later this summer. Details at @Otakon panel. We announced this at @animazement but somehow I "spaced" on tweeting about it. If you have interesting ideas for stretch goals, tweet away! — Robert Woodhead (@AnimEigo) June 5, 2023 Biggest announced in July 2022 that AnimEigo would be releasing the anime on Blu-ray discs. At the time, Woodhead revealed on Twitter that his release of Macross II would be a high-definition transfer and not a resolution bump. The six-episode anime premiered in 1992. The story is set eight decades after Space War I and follows a civilian news reporter who meets a mysterious singer from a previously unknown alien race. Studio Nue began the Macross franchise in 1982 with The Super Dimension Fortress Macross, a television anime series featuring the themes of a love triangle, music, and transforming fighter jets. Studio Nue worked with advertising agency Bigwest and anime studio Tatsunoko Production as production partners. The franchise spawned three other television series (Macross 7, Macross Frontier, and Macross Delta), several theatrical films (beginning with The Super Dimension Fortress Macross: Do You Remember Love?), and several video series (including Macross II, Macross Plus, Macross Dynamite 7 and Macross Zero). Macross Delta aired from April to September 2016, after a trailer for the first episode in 2015. The latest animated work in the Macross franchise, the feature film Gekijōban Macross Delta: Zettai LIVE!!!!!!, opened in Japan in October 2021 along with the short film “Gekijō Tanpen Macross Frontier Toki no Meikyū” (Macross Frontier Film Short: Labyrinth of Time). Sunrise is releasing a new Macross animation project. via Anime Networks Read the full article

[anime-herald]

Otakon 2024: Biology of Cells at Work!

Table of contentsTeaching Biology Through AnimeAn Early Morning Lecture Host: Matthew Vaughn Teaching Biology Through Anime On January 26, 2015, Akane Shimizu’s Cells at Work! debuted in the pages of Kodanahs’a Monthly Shonen Sirius magazine. The series, which reimagines the human body as a world populated by a gaggle of anthropomorphized cells, follows a newbie Red Blood Cell as she performs…

[graphicpolicy]

Yomi Hirasaka is coming to Otakon 2024

Yomi Hirasaka is coming to Otakon 2024 #otakon #otakon2024 #otakon24

Yomi Hirasaka will be a guest at Otakon 2024. He is a novelist from Gifu Prefecture in Japan. Hirasaka debuted in 2004 by winning the Excellence Award at the 0th MF Bunko J Light Novel Newcomer Award. His main works since then include “Haganai: I Don’t Have Many Friends” published in 2009, “A Sister’s All You Need” in 2015, and “A Salad Bowl of Eccentrics” (“Henjin no Salad Bowl”) in…

[neik-shal]

Yo, I met you on instagram back in 2015, and then I introduced you to some of my friends at the time, and then they ended up making some hate pages and shit about me for no reason, and you seemed to have left the group to get away from all the drama. I was wondering if you remember that at all? We lived in the same state and met up a few times in person. We also met up at KatsuCon. Do you still cosplay? I don’t and haven’t for years lmao.

Hey! Oof, those days. I remember stuff like that happening all the time in a general sense, the community was very toxic and I wanted to separate myself from a lot of people, if not everyone. but I don’t remember being a part of any groups that made hate pages about someone :( Sorry that happened to you OP, if I was in that group, I’m glad I left. I’ve also never been to Katsu, only Otakon. But no, I don’t cosplay anymore. It was a pricey interest and I’m a college student now lol

[mahoushojo]

“Let me sing a song for you, my princess.”

I’ve been spending a lot of my time gardening and doing yard work these past few weeks! Spring is almost over, so I’ll have to say goodbye to some of our flowers until next year. This is the time of year I’d normally be prepping for summer convention season, but for the time being I’ll just be enjoying some nostalgic photos while chilling at home.

This photo was taken during Otakon 2015 by @porkrindsthinkalike!

[keahcreations]

🌼 “I’m not scared of anything anymore; I’m not alone anymore.” 🌼 Casual shots of my Mami Tomoe from Otakon 2015. 📷 Photographer: Felix Wong Photography View this post on Instagram

[queerasdaycosplay]

Here’s Anasui from Jojo’s Bizarre Adventures finished! I debuted him at Otakon 2015. 

The first picture is with a Hermes I met at the Jojo shoot. The second picture is actually at my friend Tiana’s cosplay themed birthday party. She’s the Jolyne there. I wanted a picture of us together since we spent the con together but didn’t get a good picture there. 

I wore Anasui again next year at Katsucon I think, but I didn’t get any pictures. I missed the Jojo shoot and didn’t even wear him the whole day. It wasn’t as fun without my Jolyne. 

[someawesomeamvs]

Warning: Potential spoilers

Title: The Sound of my ❤   

Editor: Warlike Cygnet

Song: Boom Clap

Artist: Charli XCX

Anime: Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun

Category: Romance

Awards: Otakon 2015 - Best Romance Another Anime Con 2015 - Best Romance Bakurestsu 2015 - Best Romance Anime USA 2015 - Best Romance Anime USA 2015 - Best in Show Runner-Up

[otakon]

AWR Music Productions, LLC is proud to present the official symphony concert world-tour Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY. Launched in conjunction with the twentieth anniversary of FINAL FANTASY, this concert tour features the music of Japanese video game composer Nobuo Uematsu and is conducted by Grammy award-winner Arnie Roth. This multimedia experience combines stirring screen images to match the soaring emotions of a symphony orchestra performing music from SQUARE ENIX’S world-renowned FINAL FANTASY video game series.

[twiztidskull]

A bit late with this weeks hxh toonami picture of the week, maybe I'll get back on time eventually? Lol Pitou cosplayed at Otakon 2015 There was another character, but seeing their look in the picture at this point is just spoilerific for the pace toonami is going. Maybe i'll post that full pic like next year or something

[hashtagprofessionals]

Skies of Arcadia 

#HastagProfessionals - Otakon 2015

Vyse | Ian

[the-voice-actor-enthusiest]

My first time meeting Bryce Papenbrook at Otakon 2015!!! Please take notice to the evolution of my hair as it changes over time XD

[ketchem]

me as Iori Yagami at Otakon 2015