KrisZ on Anime, Manga, Cosplay and Video Games

On May 31st, 2011, Anime Expo has announced its newest guest of honor, Miyuki Sawashiro. Ever since her debut, she has been in over 120 different anime over the past 10 years. She has expressed her desire to see her fans overseas, and now she has a chance to do so. An immensely talented Seiryuu (Voice Actress), her roles are as varied as they come and she has done a wonderful job bringing these characters to life. She has done video game voice over roles in games such as Odin Sphere , Persona 3 , Ar Tonelico II , BlazBlue , Street Fighter IV , and the upcoming Tales of Xillia and Catherine . She has voiced characters in well known anime such as Di Gi Chara t, Galaxy Angel , Pita Ten , Kaleido Star , Rozen Maiden , DearS, Strike Witches , Shugo Chara , Maria Holic , Kannagi , Canaan , Kimi Ni Todoke , and High School of the Dead and many more.

When Valkyria Chronicles was released back in early 2008, it revolutionized the strategy RPG genre with its innovative gameplay. The game had a mix of turn-based tactical strategy with real time movement that had incredibly well-designed scenarios to take the gameplay to interesting directions. The game also had an incredible cast of characters that are extremely likable, affable and relatable. One of the characters that I immediately was interested in is one of the primary antagonists in the game. The character is Selvaria Bles, Lieutenant General of the Imperial Army. Selvaria Bles has been on my staff badge since Anime Expo 2008. She is one of the antagonists in the story, but her personality is not one dimensional. I will examine Selvaria Bles in her various interpretations, explain why she is as popular as she is, and show her impact on the general community.

Since its inception in 1984 Cirque du Soleil has rocked the circus world with its inventive storytelling, incredible music, and its daring interpretation of the great circus tradition. As a long time fan of Cirque du Soleil, I have been enchanted by this troupe for a very long time. Cirque du Soleil has a very strong influence on one great anime, Kaliedo Star , which borrows the circus setting, the circus music, and uses many visual cues present in a Cirque du Soleil show. There are many things present in a Cirque du Soleil that can be imitated more in anime that can improve an anime. They can borrow a simpler storyline, more meaningful dialogue, and a stronger musical score to improve their experiences. Simpler Storyline When I was watching Cirque du Soleil Quidam a few weeks ago, what got to me was how simple the main theme of the storyline and how simple the story is. The story of Quidam is about a young girl named Zoe who feels alone and isolated in the world. As she goes throu...

I can say that technology has truly gone a long way with this guest of honor announcement. Hastune Miku is a mix of fan culture and technology. Miku a virtual pop idol, whose voice is made by a vocal synthesizer. Her legendary holographic performance marks the mix of technology and the anime community. Anime Expo just announced that Hatsune Miku will be Anime Expo's first Virtual Guest of Honor, complete with a 3D holographic concert using state-of-the art technology. This concert is brought together when AX partnered with three giants to make it happen: Toyota, Sega, and Crypton Future Media. Hatsune Miku is the creation of Crypton Future Media, a music production company in Japan. They sampled the voice of voice actress Saki Fujita. To make Miku more marketable, they gave her a unique futuristic pop idol design and gave her the green twintails that make her so iconic. Using the vocal synthesizer, the fan community started mixing and making interesting music, like this and thi...

Cheeky Angel (Tenshi na Konamaiki) Story and Art by: Hiroyuki Nishimori Length: 20 volumes American Publisher: Viz Media Have you wanted to wish a problem away? That is what many people want to do to make like a little easier. Cheeky Angel turns the premise upside down with a magic clown screwing up a wish, with interesting results. In the story of Cheeky Angel, Megumi Amatsuka wanted to be a man among men, instead he became a women among women. Silly premise aside, Cheeky Angel is a really good manga about gender in the modern world. It is a fast paced manga about tomboy tsundere Megumi Amatsuka and her circle of friends. It challenges the notions of what defines masculinity and femininity. The story moves fairly fast, the main cast of characters are endearing and charming, and the manga itself is a great experience for people who don't want byzantine conspiracy theories or dark theological discourse.

Kat at Anime LA 2010 Part I Interview In my second interview, I interview Katx, a well known poster on the Anime Expo and Cosplay.com forums. She is a great person who I have become friends with very quickly. We have quite a bit in common, from the anime that got us into the hobby to being a Filipino living in the United States. She is a great cosplayer who has cosplayed as Rukia from Bleach, Xiaoyu from Tekken, and Azusa from Bleach. Due to the incredible length of the interview, I split it into two different parts. You can see the first interview right here . In the second part of the interview, Kat talks about her first cosplay experience, why azusa is her K-On girl, how she came up with the epic crossplay gathering, and her cosplay plans for Anime Expo 2011. Kris: When did you first cosplay and what was your first outfit? Katx: I first cosplayed around 2006, or when Bleach was getting popular. My first cosplay was Rukia's Karakura High uniform. Kris: When...

Anime Expo announced their first musical guest Kalafina on Thursday May 5, 2011. Kalafina is a japanese pop band formed by composer Yuji Kajiura in 2007. They were formed to make the music of Kyara no Kokai - The Garden of Sinners. The band is known for wearing gorgeous gothic lolita clothing during the music videos and the concerts. It is comprised of three vocalists, Wakana, Hikaru, and Keiko. Since Kyara no Kokai they have done several opening and ending songs for anime, including Black Butler and Puella Magi Madoka Magica. If you could read Japanese, here is the announcement on the official Kalafina blog which can be found in the Kalafina website . Here are some of their music videos. Sprinter - Ending of Kyara no Kokai (5th chapter) <p><p><p><p&amp...

A picture hanging out with Kat at Little Tokyo In my second interview, I interview Katx, a well known poster on the Anime Expo and Cosplay.com forums. She is a great person who I have become friends with very quickly. We have quite a bit in common, from the anime that got us into the hobby to being a Filipino living in the United States. She is a great cosplayer who has cosplayed as Rukia from Bleach, Xiaoyu from Tekken, and Azusa from Bleach. Due to the incredible length of the interview, I split it into two different parts. The first part focuses on the differences between anime conventions in the USA and the Philippines, her first anime, and she also learns that K-On was written by a shojo scriptwriter. You can find the second part of the interview right here. Enjoy! Kris: Would you like to introduce yourself? Katx: My name is Katrina, but I'm more known as Katx in the AX forums. Kris: What is your first Anime Convention? Katx : I don't remember, but I...

Yosuga no Sora Studio: Feel Original Run: Oct 4 - Dec 20, 2010 Episodes: 12 Licensed? Very slim chance Kazuha with Violin Ever since anime became popular in the west, there has been a variety of series licensed for release. There are many licenses that are guaranteed to be released in the States. Of the wide span of anime that does get released in Japan, there are a few of them that will see the light of day in the West. The reasons behind holding an anime back is as diverse as the stars in the sky, from incredibly high licensing costs to questionable subject material. An anime that will likely not see the light of day in the states through an official English release is Yosuga no Sora. It is a 12-episode anime based of an adult visual novel. Yosuga no Sora has it all, great character designs, endearing characters, and a wonderful musical score. This begs the question, why wont it get a USA release? The answer is simple, because the anime breaks a societal taboo that challenge...