Otakon 2011 - Overview
Jul. 31st, 2011 11:04 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kristenskAnd, back from Otakon! *sigh* Vacation always goes by too quickly. But, it was a great trip. Much too hot, but fun all the same.
The Con: For once,![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
seekersks and I didn't have to get up at dawn the entire convention. There wasn't anything we were especially interested in until noon on both Friday and Saturday, so we got to sleep in. But, after that, we kept busy. Probably my favorite panel this year was the Voice Actor Story Time. About six voice actors came together to read two different short stories in character voice. It was wonderful. I loved hearing them work where they were free to ad lib.
The Anime: The biggie this year was, of course, Fullmetal Alchemist: The Sacred Star of Milos, which had its US premiere at Otakon. They even flew in the director for a question and answer session after the movie. (And, we were very, very lucky we decided to attend the AMV contest in the same room two hours before the movie because, despite the room holding over 2,000 people, some had to be turned away.)
The movie itself is uhm... movie = Kris fangirlsqueemuchveryhappy? It's a fast-paced adventure with some interesting ideas and a great (if distressing, plot-wise) twist that I didn't see coming at all. They also made some wonderful use of Al and his rather unique situation. And, while the brothers seem to spend a good chunk of the movie split up, their scenes together are that much better for it. Their teamwork is awesome to watch. Oh, and Ed does get to use a glider! (Al does too, but we don't see it! ARGH!)
Plotwise, the director stated that his big focus was creating a unique setting. This is obvious in the storyline. The story is very much about how Ed and Al come to a strange border town and get involved in the various villainous machinations swirling around it as well as the plight of the Milosian people caught in-between. Ie: it's very much less about Ed and Al's quest and more about how they become caught up in other peoples' problems. And, I enjoyed every minute of it. My one gripe is that Mustang is woefully under-used despite actually being present for the climactic battle. (Apparently, this was the complaint of the Japanese audience as well.) The only familiar faces to appear in the movie at all are Ed, Al, Mustang, Hawkeye and Winry with Armstrong and a couple of Mustang's men putting in tiny cameos. And, really, the movie is about Ed, Al and the Milosian characters.
So, yes, I enjoyed it and want to see it again. It had fun little character moments, great music, and, despite my early qualms about the art style, I paid it absolutely no attention while watching the movie's many, many splendid action sequences.
And,jordannamorgan, I'm sending you a PM with a couple more details.
The Random Photos:
The Funimation dealers booth had a really neat statue/figure of Al.
I also finally mustered up the nerve to ask a cosplayer for a picture because he had a good costume and a nifty spear. He was also somewhat tall. Ed would be pleased. Thank you, random cosplayer!
The Random Quotes:
"Now you must wear the neko ears of shame!" - Overheard
"You are my angel. My angel of music. *beat* My angel of applesauce." - Overheard
"Are you wearing your hair as a beard? I approve of this!" - From the Overclocked Remix Panel
The Stuff: I once again failed to find an FMA T-shirt. Well, okay, there was one red one that featured a transmutation circle and a flamel. But, I'm really wanting one with Ed and Al. But, I guess it's just as well. Because I instead succumbed to my true weakness: artbooks. Yes, it turns out there were three regular artbooks released for the first FMA anime as well as what is titled "Fullmetal Alchemist Complete Book Material Side" (at least that's what the English text says). The "Material Side" book includes character model sheets, background artwork and layouts/sketches for settings and vehicles/tools used in the series. It's pretty clearly the source of the images in the little guidebooks that came with my DVD set. And, it vindicates my fanfic decision to write General Gran's name as "Grand"! Because some (but not all!) character names are included in English, and that's one of them. (....Yeah, I like Gran better too, but I'm a stickler for what official sources tell me, and now I've got the English and Japanese guidebooks ganging up on me.) At any rate, it's a shame only the first artbook was released in English because I'd love to be able to read the included notes and interviews, but ah well... the images are fascinating.
The Con: For once,
seekersks and I didn't have to get up at dawn the entire convention. There wasn't anything we were especially interested in until noon on both Friday and Saturday, so we got to sleep in. But, after that, we kept busy. Probably my favorite panel this year was the Voice Actor Story Time. About six voice actors came together to read two different short stories in character voice. It was wonderful. I loved hearing them work where they were free to ad lib.The Anime: The biggie this year was, of course, Fullmetal Alchemist: The Sacred Star of Milos, which had its US premiere at Otakon. They even flew in the director for a question and answer session after the movie. (And, we were very, very lucky we decided to attend the AMV contest in the same room two hours before the movie because, despite the room holding over 2,000 people, some had to be turned away.)
The movie itself is uhm... movie = Kris fangirlsqueemuchveryhappy? It's a fast-paced adventure with some interesting ideas and a great (if distressing, plot-wise) twist that I didn't see coming at all. They also made some wonderful use of Al and his rather unique situation. And, while the brothers seem to spend a good chunk of the movie split up, their scenes together are that much better for it. Their teamwork is awesome to watch. Oh, and Ed does get to use a glider! (Al does too, but we don't see it! ARGH!)
Plotwise, the director stated that his big focus was creating a unique setting. This is obvious in the storyline. The story is very much about how Ed and Al come to a strange border town and get involved in the various villainous machinations swirling around it as well as the plight of the Milosian people caught in-between. Ie: it's very much less about Ed and Al's quest and more about how they become caught up in other peoples' problems. And, I enjoyed every minute of it. My one gripe is that Mustang is woefully under-used despite actually being present for the climactic battle. (Apparently, this was the complaint of the Japanese audience as well.) The only familiar faces to appear in the movie at all are Ed, Al, Mustang, Hawkeye and Winry with Armstrong and a couple of Mustang's men putting in tiny cameos. And, really, the movie is about Ed, Al and the Milosian characters.
So, yes, I enjoyed it and want to see it again. It had fun little character moments, great music, and, despite my early qualms about the art style, I paid it absolutely no attention while watching the movie's many, many splendid action sequences.
And,
jordannamorgan, I'm sending you a PM with a couple more details. The Random Photos:
The Funimation dealers booth had a really neat statue/figure of Al.
I also finally mustered up the nerve to ask a cosplayer for a picture because he had a good costume and a nifty spear. He was also somewhat tall. Ed would be pleased. Thank you, random cosplayer!
The Random Quotes:
"Now you must wear the neko ears of shame!" - Overheard
"You are my angel. My angel of music. *beat* My angel of applesauce." - Overheard
"Are you wearing your hair as a beard? I approve of this!" - From the Overclocked Remix Panel
The Stuff: I once again failed to find an FMA T-shirt. Well, okay, there was one red one that featured a transmutation circle and a flamel. But, I'm really wanting one with Ed and Al. But, I guess it's just as well. Because I instead succumbed to my true weakness: artbooks. Yes, it turns out there were three regular artbooks released for the first FMA anime as well as what is titled "Fullmetal Alchemist Complete Book Material Side" (at least that's what the English text says). The "Material Side" book includes character model sheets, background artwork and layouts/sketches for settings and vehicles/tools used in the series. It's pretty clearly the source of the images in the little guidebooks that came with my DVD set. And, it vindicates my fanfic decision to write General Gran's name as "Grand"! Because some (but not all!) character names are included in English, and that's one of them. (....Yeah, I like Gran better too, but I'm a stickler for what official sources tell me, and now I've got the English and Japanese guidebooks ganging up on me.) At any rate, it's a shame only the first artbook was released in English because I'd love to be able to read the included notes and interviews, but ah well... the images are fascinating.
no subject
Date: 2011-08-01 04:50 am (UTC)And I'm still spelling it Gran. :Þ
no subject
Date: 2011-08-02 04:27 am (UTC)Also, if you're searching for the Japanese editions, it helps to call the books exactly what's on the covers - "Fullmetal Alchemist TV Animation".
no subject
Date: 2011-08-02 06:09 am (UTC)Interestingly, it's one of several Japanese FMA books I've had for ages on my Paperback Swap wishlist without really knowing a thing about what they are. :Þ (All of them have zero chance of turning up in the system there, but still.)
no subject
Date: 2011-08-03 02:49 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-08-03 03:58 am (UTC)