12 Days of Anime (2012) – Day 10 – Sakura-Con, My First Anime Convention

In April of 2012, I attended my first anime convention, Sakura-Con, the premier anime convention in the Pacific Northwest.  Although I’ve had numerous opportunities to attend the convention since its inception in 1998 and even made legitimate plans to go while in high school, this year was the first that I actually went to.  For three days, I witnessed and participated in a paradise created by and intended for anime fans such as myself and my experience has provided a permanent impression on how I watch, understand and appreciate anime.

Going on Hiatus

Between now (March 12) and March 26, I’ll be taking a break from blogging and anime in general.  The reason for the pause is I will be busy finishing up my finals and immediately be going on an international vacation to Thailand and later, Japan.  For the duration of the trip, I will be away from my computer which means no anime and even less blogging.

However, while I won’t be actively blogging, I do have a number of posts that are scheduled to be published while I am away so there won’t be a two week gap here on my blog.  There won’t be any new episodic posts but I will be catching up on Last Exile: Ginyoku no Fam and including a few other posts I’ve been meaning to finish up.

Hope you all have a wonderful time while I am away and enjoy anime and blogging and whatever else to their fullest.  I look forward to returning to blogging at the end of March.  Until then!

Year of 2011 – Final Review

Before embarking on another year of anime and adventures, we need to give a proper close to 2011 and give the year of anime an appropriate review.  While the four seasonal reviews provide all my detailed thoughts in a timely fashion, the structure of this post is to give a ranking for the anime of this year, the characters of this year, and a few extra tidbits to recognize this wonderful year and show appreciation it for all it has done.

Autumn 2011 – Season Review

With the calendar of 2011 crowning our comically overfilled garbage bin following the holiday celebrations, there’s no better time than the present to take a moment (or however long it takes you to get through this mammoth of a post) and reflect on the anime from this previous Autumn, the final anime season of 2011.

Shinryaku!? Ika Musume S2 – 12 (Finale)

The second season of Shinryaku!? Ika Musume retained the same charming, soothing, and above all amusing themes from the first season.  But unlike the first season which needed to build its world, mold its characters, and establish central themes, this anime had a foundation already completed and went from there, almost like a baton was passed from season one to season two for it to complete what was started.  And now that the second season has concluded, let’s evaluate how the continuation of Ika Musume performed.

Autumn 2011 – Week 12 Anime Review

Hope you all had a merry Christmas and are enjoying the holiday season.  This is the final week of the Autumn season, so this is the last weekly anime review for now.  Expect the same format to reappear in the 2012 with a slew of new anime and a few favorites from this season to carry over.  This week: Maya in Working’!!, that crazy and random fight between beasts in UN-Go, bonding with Chizuru in Ika Musume, and an appropriate but ambiguous finale for Penguindrum.

Autumn 2011 – Week 11 Anime Review

This week: stalling relationships in Working’!!, the role of the diary in Mawaru Penguindrum, and Dr. Harada in Chihayafuru.