The lineup for the Winter 2009/2010 Anime is now online! The lineup is a little less compared to last year’s, although I’ll admit it’s better than what was shown last year. However, the list contains mostly romance series, like the finale of Nodame Cantabile.

Though I said the lineup was better this year, I think I’ll pass this up once again. (wow, how many times have I said that?) The only thing on the list that I’d check out later is So-Ra-No-Wo-To. The art looks a lot like K-ON!, but the plot reminds me of Valkyria Chronicles…

What are you looking forward to watching?

Winter 2009/10 Series Websites

Durarara!!
Dance in the Vampire Bund
Sora no Woto
Hanamaru Kindergarten
Nodame Cantabile (Final Season)
Katanagatari
Seikon no Qwaser
Baka to Test to Shoukanjuu
Hidamari Sketch×☆☆☆
Harukanaru Toki no Naka de 3: Owari Naki Unmei
Ookamikakushi
Rose O’Neill Kewpie
Omamori Himari
Ladies vs Butlers!
Chu-bra!!

Source: Rukinet

Impressions

I’ve heard about Ouran High School Host Club back in the day (only about two years ago) when it was all the rage being fansubbed. Being swapped with dozens of series, I didn’t get a chance to check it out completely: one episode was enough for me. Back to it’s online popularity: of course, the series would eventually get picked up for an English dub.

After time of contemplating, I got the chance to check out more than just one episode. Ouran High School Host Club is a “reverse harem” Anime series-and in a good way! While there are a lot of series that involves 5+ girls, there’s a handful of Anime series that has 5+ boys: Gundam Wing, Neo Angelique Abyss… Dragonball Z?!.

The character roster is as follows: Tamaki Suou, Kyoya Ootori, Kaoru and Hikaru Hitachiin (The Twins), Mitsukini Haninozuka (Hani-chan), Takashi Morinozuka (Mori), and the hero of the story, Haruhi Fujioka…. or shall I say, “heroine”?

When Haruhi is introduced, she is mistaken for a male due to the way she dresses. It is explained towards the end of the first episode of how she became to be. The Ouran boys play along (sans Tamaki) as she is forced to join the Host Club* after she breaks an expensive vase… being in an exclusive school.

(*A custom in Japan involving male “hosts” treating the female guests, ala a Maid Cafe for women-w00t!)

The first episode introduces all of the Host Club boys in their usual routine: “hosting” the female students in the academy. The boys have their unique charm: the Twins care for each other- in the way that is normally seen as taboo (…twin-cest, anyone?). Kyoya is the smooth, smart, calculating (the host club’s expenses) type. Mori: the quiet type, and Hani-chan and introducing Usa-chan, the cute Shota boy-who is actually the same age as everyone else in the academy despite his “kawaii” appearance. Finally, there’s Tamaki, the “King” of the Host Club…who usually overreacts when someone gets in the way of him and Haruhi.

The boys characteristics match perfectly, but I think they could have done better: I don’t know, like… they could have added another [male] character with otherworldly features (Hmmm… a Bara type?). Either way, I’m happy with the Ouran’s cast of characters! Plus, the art is beautiful. At first, it did look a bit crude looking, but that’s what modern Shoujo (from Bisco Hatori) looks like. (Come to think of it… this is the first time I’ve taken anything Shoujo-related seriously).

I am officially in love with Ouran High School Host Club! If you’re unsure about it, you can watch it right now on YouTube (subbed only) via the official FUNimation YT channel.

The soundtrack for the next installment of the (numbered) Final Fantasy series is around the corner…for those who import from Japan, anyway. However, you could still own the soundtrack 5 months in advance before the North American and Europe release.

Retailers are currently taking pre-orders on the Limited Edition of the Final Fantasy XIII OST. While previous FF games involved veteran Nobuo Uematsu, Masashi Hamauzu (also composed “To Zanarkand”, “Besaid Island” and many other tracks in the FFX OST) is involved this time around. Normally, a Final Fantasy OST includes 4 Discs, but the LE version includes a 5th Disc: a Drama CD (spoken in Japanese).

It’s up for pre-order right now on Play-Asia and CDJapan. For Final Fantasy fans and the soundtrack being a Limited Edition deal, it should not be overlooked! ^^

While I am usually not interested in collecting Anime toys that aren’t Gunpla, looking at this screams “Want!”.

This figure is part of the Final Fantasy XIII Play Arts Kai series and is currently available for pre-order on Play-Asia with a release date month of December 2009 (same time as the Japanese game release), with a price tag $49.95 price tag. …And that is why I’m not into collecting figures–at least anymore with Gunpla.

But… it’s Snow! He’s so cute! ^_^

Besides I missed out on Auron* in 2002 (when I was new to Final Fantasy and collecting toys), it’s time I make amends with Snow. Well, at least I have a figure of Paine from FFX-2, but I digress. Maybe I’ll wait for a re-release.

(* Actually, I still plan on finding an Auron figure someday… inb4cosplaysupplies. )

Chattanooga’s very own weekly Anime, Game Music, J-Pop, J-Rock (and now K-Pop) radio show Tokyo Tower FM, hosted by Zippy and The Cay, will have their 100th Episode on October 28th. It’s been two years since the show began. For WAWL vets and Chattanooga Otaku, it’s the predecessor of the original “Sushi Bar” Anime radio show hosted by fellow Anime fan and former Chattanooga native, Johnny Otaku.

Not only will this be the 100th show, but the episode will be Halloween themed. (And they are currently taking requests… Very convenient, ne?) They are also accepting congratulatory messages for a Happy 100th Show. Tune in to Tokyo Tower FM Wednesday nights at 9-11 PM on www.wawl.org. The podcast version is available on the MySpace page.

A student survey is currently underway for the study of American Otaku by a student of Furman University. The survey investigates Otaku culture in the US and Japan and differences between the culture in both countries, including the controversial use of the word “otaku”.

Recommended for Otaku in the States. The survey ends in December. An opportunity for an interview is included in the survey. There are two versions of the survey: Anime fans with general or little understanding of the culture and for seasoned vets.

The Guyver is one of those Anime series that’s been on my mind for several years (like the rest of the Anime at Large posts, of course)… Back in 2004, I’ve ran into a lot of fans (many with “Guyver” in the name) of the show on a few message boards, and it struck me curious as to what the show was about.

At first, it looks like another Power Rangers show, but simply a Sentai show. It cross my mind again after reading about it in the February 2009 issue of Otaku USA, written by Mike Dent (of the R5 Central Podcast).

There no cheery “It’s Morphin’ Time!” catch, but it’s much deeper than that. From Anime News Network’s Encyclopedia:

Sho Fukamachi, a normal teenager accidentally found an alien object called Unit and thus, changed his life forever. The Unit bonded with Sho, resulting a powerful fighting lifeform called Guyver.

With this great power, Sho battled the mysterious Chronos and it’s Zoanoids, in order to protect his friends and his world. Unknown to Sho, the battle against Chronos will lead to the discovery of the origins of human, their destiny, and the Creators….

There is also 2 live action movies based on the same story that was (wait for it) made and released in the US in the early 1990s. The first Guyver movie features Star Wars vet Mark Hamill. But being a Star Wars actor didn’t fool the fans: the movie received bad reviews, and even to this day it constantly gets bashed by fans. (Plus the fact that Sho was renamed to Sean Baker).

That changed when Guyver 2: Dark Hero was released in 1994. While the sequel made improvements of the first movie, Dark Hero also made Voice/Actor, Screenwriter for X-Men 1 & 2 and Watchmen-to-be and Director of “Slaughter’s Road”-to-be, David Hayter a star (well, in the Metal Gear community).

Dark Hero is the first time watching anything of Guyver, keeping in mind that I haven’t watch the first Guyver movie, and probably never will due to obvious reasons… I didn’t get a chance to write a review of Dark Hero, but I’d recommend checking it out right this minute. On the other hand, I’ll have to check out the Anime version soon…

I found this a few weeks ago while browsing for some Final Fantasy XIII screenshots (so I’m not sure exactly where I found these, orz..). Someone was nice enough to continue the year old meme of the infamous Metal Gear Solid 4 Xbox 360 10+ DVD set, if it was released for the system.

Remember, this is not official and is only a joke. On the other hand, the Xbox 360 version is getting a 3 DVD release, so the joke makes (little) sense. While I’ll be getting the Playstation 3 version of FFXIII, I wouldn’t mind having this in my collection…

Tetsushi is an indie artist I found a couple of years ago on the J-Indie site, Muzie, searching for music you don’t normally hear on Online Anime Radio Stations or on weekly shows (no offense to Tokyo Tower FM ^^). He’s an electronica (aka Techno) artist—a genre that is often overlooked for being too… annoying. (But for indie music, an exception can be made.)

A few tracks of Tetsushi’s are my favorite: “S.W.A.K. (Sealed With a Kiss)” (feat. DADOO on vocals), “Urban Street” and “Summer Wind” (solo tracks from himself). S.W.A.K., with it’s fusion of J-Pop and Dance, is a song that sounds like it belongs to an Anime series that contains at least 45% of (pure) romance (I can picture Air and 5cm Per Second).

Urban Street is reminiscent of the days of playing Jet Set Radio; it has no relation to the game whatsoever, but personally listening to it multiple times along with the work of Hideki Naganguma brings back so many memories! And Summer Wind is all Dance. Perfect for those summer evenings cruising along the beach. ^^

Tetsushi has many more tracks, including a few featuring other J-indie artists such as RAIKA and Kappey, which can be found on his website, Muzie and NextMusic (all in Japanese). Did I mention they were free? ^_^ (Full albums are also available at Japanese Music Boutiques for a fee)

Tetsushi’s Website: http://sound.jp/redhothouse/

It’s that time again to start another giveaway on CEN.TAKU.ME! It’s been a long time since the blog had one, but that’s alright: the next one will make up for it! This time, I am giving away Four (4) Netflix Free Trial Codes for those who haven’t tried Netflix before. Most of the people I know already have Netflix. I didn’t want them to go to waste. ^^;

In the trial, you get 1 Month for FREE: DVDs by Mail, along with unlimited, instant streaming on your PC (or compatible device). There are no due dates, no late fees, and free shipping on DVDs sent either way!

However, the offer expires October 31, 2009, so they must be used as soon as possible after the giveaway ends. But before we go on to the rules, how about checking out the movies I recommend you could try out? ^_^ (You don’t have to check them out, it’s up to you!)

Anime Movies

Perfect Blue (DVD / Streaming)

A singer turned actress gets her first role on a controversial TV show. Her role would later cause problems in her career—and her life. (One of Satoshi Kon’s materpieces.)

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (DVD)

An ordinary High Schooler one day finds herself leaping through time. She later finds out that her powers are not to be used frequently. (A movie similar to Satoshi Kon’s work, but by Mamoru Hosoda.)

5cm Per Second (DVD)

A 3-part mini-series about two childhood friends who relocate away from each other. They continue to communicate with each other, but they eventually lose touch with each other. (A title reviewed on CEN.TAKU.ME earlier this year.)

Live Action

2LDK (DVD)

A movie about 2 bidding actress living together in an apartment who fight over a leading role in an upcoming movie. Weapons include a Chain Saw, Bath Tub, and a Hair Dryer. (Screenshot featured above.)

The Guyver 2: Dark Hero (DVD)

Thanks to David Hayter, Guyver 2: Dark Hero is the best Live Action [movie] adaption of an Manga series ever made. Maybe not the best (but definitely better than the first Guyver film), but it’s recommended watch for fans of Metal Gear Solid.

The Rules

It’s very simple: all you need to do is post a comment in this post to be included in the random drawing; The contest ends on October 22nd. It also would be nice if you would subscribe to the blog. If you do, I’ll throw in 2 points! Immediately after the contest ends, 4 winners will be chosen at random and announced. Good luck! ^_^

Sanjo-chan desu! It’s been a bit since I posted anything but my AWA blowout posts. I’ve been busy playing Kingdom Hearts II and Dissidia: Final Fantasy, catching up on Bleach (Fade to Black to follow), watching Ouran High School Host Club for the first time (impressions coming soon), and recovering from an unexpected post-AWA cold (I took care not to catch the con crud, but running back and forth from the Galleria to the Sheraton in the rain was to blame).

In the meantime, I’ve been working hard to finish the “Wave” project, which I hope to launch soon, as well as lending a hand in the upcoming launch of the official website of the Boogie BAM Anime Jam club.

As for CEN.TAKU.ME, new posts are coming up very soon, along with a new giveaway! Lastly, I am considering adding a new writer to the blog. I’ve mentioned this a long, long time ago, but now it’s “Go!” time.

With Anime Weekend Atlanta ‘09 over, it’s about time to share with the readers of what I found in the Dealers Room. I came to the Dealers Room with $150, and not one penny was spared when I found these! ^_^

Gundam 00 shitajiki. This is the first time a Gundam-related Shitajiki was put into my collection (that’s not Gundam SEED…).

Another Fullmetal Alchemist shitajiki, which makes this Board #4!

Probably the best Death Note shitajiki in existence! A little personal story about this particular board: I originally purchased this board earlier in the year on eBay for a little more than what I paid for (eBay: $10 + $5 Shipping; AWA: $4). After waiting almost a month for it to arrive in the mail, I never received it. (I did get my money back eventually.) How lucky I am to get it, being the last one!

Doujinshi Time! I found these 2 FFX Doujinshi from Hen da Ne, a popular Doujinshi dealer that can be found at most big Anime conventions such as Anime Weekend Atlanta and Anime Central.

The first one (on the left) is a PG-rated 4-koma (w00t!) gag doujin—not just about Auron, but Tidus, Braska, Jecht, Seymour, and a few minor characters. The second one is another PG-rated gag doujin (with a hint of Shounen-Ai) featuring Auron and Tidus, along cameo appearances by Jecht and Braska.

Another Doujinshi, this time a Death Note one. This was purchased from another Dealer (whose name escapes me). This is the first Death Note Doujinshi in my collection. The pairing… and content.. is obvious from the cover.

Next is a Death Note plushy of L! I’ve been looking for one all year at For Your Entertainment (FYE). Whenever I go to look for one, all they have is Light plushies. But at AWA, they had enough L’s to take over the world! ^_^

Here is the only Wallscroll I purchased at AWA (I would have brought more if I had extra cash ^^). The only Bleach wallscroll in my possession featuring Byakuya, Renji, and Ichigo. (It could use moar Byakuya though.) ^o^

A wooden replica of Hitsugaya’s Hyorinmaru. I was looking for something like this before AWA, but my only choice was to make a sheath from scratch with basic ninja sword I had already that I brought from JAMPcon.

Finally, we have my first ever (or is it second?) Artist Alley purchase. It’s a replica of Ichigo’s Substitute Soul Reaper Badge (Sadly, I do not remember the artist). Being purchased at the last minute on a Sunday (with all my AWA Program Books packed away), I had Vic Mignogna sign it. ^^

In the end, I did pretty good this year, although I missed out on getting AWA exclusive merchandise (shirts, hats, etc). I was also hoping to buy a replica of the flag of Zeon from Mobile Suit Gundam, but the dealer was no where to be found at AWA. Maybe at MTAC…

After attending the South’s biggest Anime convention, I thought I’d share it with everyone! ^_^ Anime Weekend Atlanta is my 6th convention attended overall (second convention attended the whole weekend, first being JAMPcon), and the first AWA I’ve attended in the con’s 15th year. Let’s take a look at the longest running convention in the region!

Friday

After a small delay, my ride and I left for Atlanta a little after noon Eastern Daylight Time, and arriving at 3:00 PM. That gave us enough time to unload and for me to change into my Hitsugaya (School Uniform) costume. As per Twitter, I was hoping to get there before the 3:30 Bleach Photoshoot, but that didn’t work out well… Saturday and Sunday morning were the only opportunity for this.

I roamed around the Cobb Galleria to check out the sights of Anime Weekend Atlanta for the first time after many failed attempts to attend in the past. The first place I made it to was of course, the Dealers Room. I spent less than I expected (at least for Friday).

I didn’t get a lot of Cosplay photos for Friday, but I’m sure it will pick up on Saturday! I did get a photo or two of the Atlanta skyline. Throughout the week, the region was threatened by thunderstorms. While we experienced some overcast, it cleared up later in day-along with high humidity, making it the hottest day of the convention (from a Cosplayer’s experience).

I hanged out with ProdigalNick of Boogie BAM Anime Jam for most of the afternoon and again later in the evening to check out the popular Totally Lame Anime panel.

Totally Lame Anime is all about faults in many obscure Anime series (usually made in the mid-70s). The errors include missing mustaches, glasses, and storytelling that simply doesn’t make any sense!

A lot of the series showed at the panel were found some VHS Bargain bins back in the day from the panel host Neil Nadelman. I do not remember what the series exactly were, but it’s something that FUNimation, Bandai, or ADV Films Sixon 23 will never, ever license.

The panel runs for 2 hours, but the second hour ran into another panel that I really had to see. It was almost 9 PM: it’s time for the 30th Anniversary Gundam Panel! The panel opened with a familar shot of one of my favorite characters from the original Mobile Suit Gundam, Bright Noa. ^_^

The panel lasted a couple of hours, which was really worth it. The panel hosts were Drew Sutton and Richard Hoelsher of the Akihabara Renditions podcast. They covered Gundam series from the original Gundam to Gundam 00… which is something like I did back in May for BBAMAJAM, except it was more in depth and covered other series [that I haven't watched yet].

The attendees at the panel were awesome; G Gundam and Gundam Wing are the best shows ever made, in the fans (and my personal) opinion. (even Gundam SEED/Destiny was bashed here and there!) Attending this panel has changed my view of the franchise a bit. ^_^

After the Gundam panel ended, it was time to check in one last panel for the night-which is a first for me in attending it so late in the evening (at 11 PM). Let’s say it’s not for everyone, and that a few things were “for sale” that would be hard to find at an everyday store convention. The same thing goes for what they showed at the panel. To simply put: there should have been a sign that says “Tentacle Crossing”. Let’s move on…

Saturday

Saturday started on an annoying note. On my way to participate in the Bleach shoot (wear my Captain’s uniform), I had a little trouble finding the main location: the Fountains. If it were to rain, the backup location were to be at the elevators. Being new the the Galleria, this wasn’t an easy task.

While looking for the fountains, an con attendee informed me that it started raining… on the to elevators! I waited at the elevators with other Bleach cosplayers until the shoot started. When it did, the Bleachers walked all the way to the front of the ballroom of the Galleria for the shoot.

After the shoot was over, I decided to head on back to the Dealers Room to find something that I may have missed. I was right: I found a Dealer that sold Shitajiki for a reasonable price (compared to paying 5% more at other cons).

I purchased* 2 Gundam 00, 1 Fullmetal Alchemist, and 1 Death Note pencil board. Also in the room, I found a wooden replica of Hitsugaya’s Hyorinmaru (something I was looking for prior to the con having to settle with a plain ninja sword instead). After finishing my purchase, I took more photos of wandering cosplayers!

*Note: A post dedicated to AWA Swag will be posted very soon!

Around 3:00 PM, I decided to check out the Classic Mecha panel, hosted once again by the guys of Akihabara Renditions. It was a crash course for those who are interested in checking out other mecha series created before and during the wake of Gundam’s popularity. Before the panel came to an end, we were greeted once again with the screenshot of Bright slapping Amuro from the Gundam movies. ^_^

After the panel was over, I headed back to the Sheraton for a break and a snack. It was around 5:30 that I made my way back to the Waverly to check out Vic Migongna’s (Edward Elric in Fullmetal Alchemist) panel that was to start at 6:00. Waiting for his panel to begin, Catlin Glass’ (Winry Rockbell in Fullmetal Alchemist) panel was going on in the same room.

After Catlin wrapped up her panel, Vic entered the room and was greeted by many of his fans. He began by going over the topics discussed at his panel Friday (which was after the Opening Ceremonies and I didn’t make it to the con until 3 PM). Interacting with fans, he walked down each aisle of the ballroom answering questions.

After answering a few more questions, Vic showed a trailer of a Star Trek short he directed, and even stars in as a Klingon. But it wasn’t shown until at the end of the panel as there were a few technical problems with the computer. However, Vic had a surprise for everyone in the audience: a showing of Fullmetal Fantasy! (Keeping Vic’s promise, I decided not to take pictures nor videos of the film).

When Vic’s panel was over, it was time for the Costume Contest in the same room, but I had to pass it up for another event that was to happen in a couple of hours. I originally intended on checking out the Peelander Z/Omodaka concert, but another panel that took place at the same sounded very interesting: Yaoi After Dark.

The panel was supposed to start at 9:00, but due to certain circumstances, it started at 10. After an extra hour of waiting, we were able to get in. Like the other “panel” that took place on Friday, this also should have had a “Tentacle Crossing” sign. However, this panel was epic-er than last night’s panel-and it’s the first time in my Otakudom that I felt like a true fangirl.

Sunday

Sunday… the final day for AWA 15. I usually find Sunday’s depressing as it’s means there’s no more convention until the next year. It actually ended on a high note. There was a couple of things I wanted to do before heading to the last Bleach photoshoot. I’d thought the shoot was to be held at 10 AM, but remembered Saturday that it was to be 1 PM, unless I heard wrong…

Waiting for the shoot, I ran into a new friend I met on Facebook prior to the convention. It was a Yoruichi cosplayer who was also looking for the Bleach shoot. The both of us walked around between the Ballroom and the elevators until we asked another Bleacher whether or not if it was happening. He also assumed it was at 1 PM, but wasn’t quite sure. We decided to give up on the shoot and waited in line for autographs.

Yoruichi stood in line for Troy Baker (Abel in Trinity Blood), while I stood in line for Vic Migongna. After waiting almost 2 hours in Vic’s line, I got the privilige to meet Edward Elric once again since Anime Central 2005.

Upon meeting him, I asked “Do you remember me?” Vic’s response: “You look vaguely familiar”. It was a shock being almost 5 years ago since the last time we’ve met. It was probably a silly question to ask, having 11,000 fans (according to the Risembool Rangers), but I’m sure I wasn’t the only one to ask.

Conclusion

In the end, Anime Weekend Atlanta was the best convention I’ve attended in 7 years since going to Anime Reactor in 2003, my first Anime convention. Perhaps waiting this long to attend was well worth it.

There were a few things I wish I could have done, such as attending more Voice Actor panels. This year, I did not get the chance to meet Catlin, Troy and Samantha up close. The only Japanese Guest of Honor for 2009, the director of G Gundam and Shin Mazinger Shogeki! Z-Hen, Yasuhiro Imagawa, was unable to attend this year.

I was a little annoyed by the scheduling problems, such as the timing of the Yaoi panel with the Peelander Z/Omodaka concert. The founder of AWA, Jason Merrill, was aware of the problems and promises it will be better next year (which is a problem all conventions go through, so no worries!).

There were a few controversies this year, such as a longtime AWA Lum cosplayer being escorted out of the convention center by Galleria Security (and not AWA Security, who are aware of their very own dress code).

My personal complaints include the lack of knowledge of Galleria landmarks by Centre Security, like the Fountains I had trouble finding Saturday morning-which I know now for next year. (It’s their property, after all. I mean, what if someone breaks into a car near the fountains?).

Then there’s the problems with the elevators, which was talked about here. (I was not on the elevator at the time, but it’s the fact that I had to use the stairs 70% of the con…)

There are are more Cheers and Jeers over at the AWA Forums. Anime Weekend Atlanta 16 is to be held September 17-19th, 2010. Same location: Cobb Galleria Centre/Renaissance Waverly. I’m am looking forward to it!

Check out the gallery for more photos:
Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3

Voice Actor Interviews at AWA 15:
Tokyo Tower FM

Discovered Flickr Galleries:
bluesphx
millermz (Zippy @ Tokyo Tower)
jestovall917

2009 has been a good year, if not decade, for the Gundam franchise. In 2010, it will have been 10 years since Gundam was widely accepted outside Japan. In 2000, Gundam Wing aired on Toonami. That was during the good old days when DBZ ruled the network.

…While the story of Gundam Wing’s premiere in the US has been said time again, it’s time to think about the future. With Gundam 00 airing on SciFi Channel (or “SyFy” for some), it’s time for the franchise to get back on its feet in the North America. When G Gundam aired on Toonami in 2003, it was the last classic Gundam series to air. (Of course, there was Gundam SEED, which was really a shouting match, with Kira being the victor every time. But I digress.)

Anime News Network gave us a few tidbits about Bandai entering the online streaming market in 2010 with the Bandai Channel. It’s already available in Japan, but the company is looking to expand it to other markets, especially in Europe and Asia… (Yes, this includes the US!)

According to ITpro, Bandai Channel is working on a new video distribution system which allows for centralized content management. It plans to roll out the system in Japan in October, followed by America, Europe, and Asia at the beginning of next year.

Back in the Spring, Bandai said that they were interested in releasing just about every Gundam series known to existence (maybe, even the unreleased ZZ Gundam for Americans) in 10 languages. Putting two and two together, I hope it means that ZZ Gundam will eventually be licensed—although ZZ Gundam will probably do fine being stream due to it’s shortcomings (see Impression).

Along with the Bandai Channel, the next Gundam series, Unicorn, will not air in 2009. (Which makes sense as we’ve already had 00 in ‘08 and this year.) However, it will get a worldwide release on Blu-ray: Region Free* playback FTW! With the details at hand, Gundam Unicorn will be a 6 Episode, 50 Minute OVA series.

I think this is a smart move on Bandai’s behalf—as long as they release with English subtitles, or at least market it Stateside. (There’s also the thought of how Sony is ahead in the console war with their BD capable Playstation 3. ^o^ W)

All in all, I think 2010 will be the year Gundam will get noticed again by the mainstream media (maybe even return to TV if the time [and money] is right). When you think about it, Bandai has yet to re-release the original Mobile Suit Gundam series ala 00 or SEED on DVD (but they’ve re-released 0080 and 0083 this year). Well, this is their 30th Anniversary, after all…

*Blu-ray movies released in Japan can play on North American BD Players (as well as PS3 games). Although, there are still some limitations…

Today is the day that I will attend Atlanta’s longest running Anime convention, Anime Weekend Atlanta. 2009 marks AWA’s 15th year…such a lucky and even number! ^_^

As of this post, I will have already left for the Cobb Galleria. But I’ll have a couple of (regular non-AWA related) posts or two to leave for readers who are unable to attend. I’ll upload pictures to the gallery (and respond to contact inquiries) as soon as I return.

Lastly, I will also live blog from AWA via my Twitter page as I’ve previously mentioned. (I was also going to set up a Facebook page but didn’t have enough time). Also check in on @TokyoTowerWAWL and @ProdigalNick for con updates!

Picture via @ericadodd via Twitpic.