KrisZ on Anime, Manga, Cosplay and Video Games

Kalafina at Anime Expo Anime Conventions happen on a regular basis in the United States and Canada. North America is one of the most competitive places in the world for Anime Conventions. Out of the various anime cons that happen in a year, there are only a few large Anime-focused conventions that are above the 10,000 mark in the United States. A successful large convention is a combination of having a vibrant anime community, passionate staff, a large market, and an ability to draw people from outside the local constituency. Without further ado, here are the largest anime conventions in the United States. 10. Ohayocon   Link  Venue: Hyatt Regency and Columbus Convention Center, Columbus, OH Started: 2001 2011 Attendance - 10,120 Unique Ohayocon is the largest winter anime convention in the United States. It takes place in Ohio, and it's name "Ohayou" means "Good Morning." It is a fast growing three-day anime convention in the Midwest and with its Lat...

Being 2nd place sucks, doesn't it? Especially when you lose to someone who just arrived late to the party. There are many different anime and manga romance series out there. Many of those series seem to have a similar character, the unlucky childhood friend. I say that this person is unlucky because odds are very high that this person will not get their childhood friend to fall in love with them. It normally develops as a one-sided relationship where someone has unrequited love for someone else. This character type is not limited to anime; it is actually a very common case in real life. On the receiving end of “unlucky childhood friend” myself; I can say it from experience. It is commonplace for anime and manga to put the childhood friend at a competitive disadvantage. Why does it happen? I will also explore how some characters are able to break this evil curse.

Siliconera has confirmed that NIS America will be publishing Hyperdimention Neptunia in the United States and Europe in 2012. It is the sequel to Hyperdimension Neptunia, a game that was panned but I thoroughly enjoyed.it .I asserted in my post a couple of weeks ago during the Japanese Release of Hyperdimension Neptunia Mk2 that the game has a very small chance of getting a USA release , I am happy to eat my crow and admit that I am wrong. Thank you NIS America, look forward to a review from yours truly when the game gets released in the USA. Hyperdimension Neptunia Mk2 focuses on the little sisters of the four goddesses, which means that this game is about the handheld console game wars. Due to Arfoire (the main villain from the first game) defeating and capturing the four goddesses of Gameindustri; the game focuses on the little sisters of the female leads of Hyperdimension Neptunia. You have Nepgear, the female lead of Hyperdimension Neptunia Mk2. Nepgear's design is a...

Anime Expo Staffers, aren't they happy? Being a fan of anime, manga, and Japanese video games means that we love a hobby that isn’t completely accepted as part of the social norms of Western society. These media are niches that appeal to segments of the population, while the other segment finds it foreign and different. Due to the fact that our beloved hobbies are not part of mainstream society, it may be difficult to find people who share the same hobbies in our daily lives. The love of anime, manga, and video games is not blind to race, religion, age, nationality, culture, and education, it cuts across many different demographics. In an Anime Convention, we are able to meet people like us that are in similar situations from a variety of fandoms and segments of society. To make a convention run, there are people behind a convention called “staff” who make this great experience happen on a regular basis. I have been staffing Anime Expo for almost 8 years, so I will give my reaso...

With all the unrest in the world, the unease with the economic downturn and the changing fundamental nature of how we interact with each other the world right now is a pretty scary place. The unrest, unease, and the volatility of today’s world make it very stressful for many of us. It is compounded by very popular anime, manga, TV shows, movies, and videogames whose central premise is a dark storyline in a bleak world. All this negativity creates a self-fulfilling prophesy that spirals into thinking negatively and being negative. This series of articles focuses on anime that makes you feel good when watching it. I want to stop this spiral of negativity by introducing shows that make you feel good about humanity and will motivate you to do better and be a better person. Without further ado, here are 5 excellent anime that makes you feel good.

The world of home console is one of the most competitive arenas. One of the saddest losses in the video game industry was the death of the Dreamcast, which ushered the end of SEGA as a competitor in the home console market. Today the Dreamcast celebrates it's 12th Birthday. For a console that had what amounted to a 2 year lifespan left a huge gaping hole in the console landscape. It was a short time period it existed when it launched 9/9/99, but for a two year time period the Dreamcast had one of the best gaming lineups in console history. The discontinuation of the Dreamcast and SEGA pulling out of the console market was one of the greatest gaming blows I will probably never recover from, but at least SEGA left the console world with one of the greatest pieces of hardware. One of my favorite games of all time Whent the console launched, it was a huge success. It was one of the first consoles with a shortage when it was released. The two launch games I bought on the Dreamcast ...

Tales of Xillia Platform: PlayStation 3 Genre: Role-Playing game Developer: Namco Tales Studio - Team Symphonia JPN Release Date: 9/8/11 Franchises die and fall depending on how it is managed, and it is a miracle that the Tales franchise lasted as long as it did. Depending on the fans you talk to, the perception of how the tales franchise is treated in Japan and the United States range from negative to extremely negative. Even with the poor marketing efforts and lack of direction, the tales franchise is resilient. Its resiliency is because of its great storyline, amazing battle system, and infectious memorable characters that are affable and amicable. Tales of Xillia is the franchise’s release for its 15th anniversary, and it looks like quite an incredible experience. The tales franchise is known for its great cast of characters, and you can choose between two lead characters in the beginning of the storyline that will change the perspective of the unfolding storyline. The fema...

When watching an Anime or reading a Manga series, one of the things that people notice is the predominance of mass transit. Japan has a rich system of mass transit, with a mix of high-speed rail, commuter rail, and subways that connect the entire country together. For people in the West, especially in the United States, this dependence on mass transit is completely foreign to us. The long history of the United States chronicles the rise and fall of mass transit and the rise of suburban sprawl and automobile dependence. In this edition of culture shock, I will explore Japan’s rich mass transit system and explain why we Americans see it as foreign, and I will delve into the special case of mass transit in Southern California. Mass Transit in Japan When watching an anime or reading a manga, it becomes quite apparent how ubiquitous mass transit is. In almost every single anime or manga out there, light rail, commuter rail, subways, and high-speed rail are showcased as the main mode of...

Comic-con International has announced that they will be moving Wondercon to the Anaheim Convention Center for 2012 ( source ).  Wondercon is a comic-book convention like Comic-con, but it has been headquartered in San Francisco since it first started in 1987. The reason behind the move is the renovations being done in the Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco. Due to the move being based on renovating a convention center, this event will likely be a one-time only event and Wondercon 2013 will likely be back in San Francisco.

New P4 Girl Mari Persona 4 was a very popular game in the states, being one of the highest-selling Japanese RPG's in the United States and one of Atlus's highest selling games of all time. The game was one of my favorite RPG's released, with a great cast, an incredible soundtrack, and a great modern setting. This fall comes the debut of the Persona 4 anime, which has the potential to be very good. Persona 4: The Golden Earlier this week Famitsu broke the news that Persona 4 will have an enhanced port for PlayStation Vita. It will have a new female character named Mari, it is unknown if she will be a part of the new cast or if she will be a new side character. This version has added social links, about 1.5x more voice acting and a whole host of anime sequences that were not in the original release. With the PS Vita being a very powerful machine, expect the final release to be a better looking rendition of the franchise. There will be more information released, wit...