RenAi Blogger Is Hinano’s Neo Venezia
Originally I was trying to rig up a poll and ask you “which RenAi Blogger characters did you end up with the first time”? But I changed my mind after giving the game a full, complete play through.
If you haven’t had the chance, an avid AVG gamer will devour this simple, multi-pathing romance adventure in an hour; it should take just 10 minutes or so to get to your first ending as a normal person. Download it at Hinano’s today!
What’s so charming to me about this game is that, believe it or not, is a true to life guide to the life of a weeaboo in Manhattan, looking through Hinano’s eyes. For one, if you are Chinese, for example, you would do your anime craves differently. And I don’t know anyone from NYU who’d hike up to Bryant Park for lulz. But hey, Chase is in otaku paradise.
But having visited many of the places she mentioned in the game, there’s a sense of familiarity and fear at the same time. If I ran into JP and Hinano I will so get lampooned… You think Author’s had it bad?
In all seriousness, in a small and tidy package Hinano and her crew has put together a very solid and thoughtful story that both paints a new look to the various things she ranted about on her blog and gave them life. At the same time she did a great job expressing her online voice (and…probably some offline voice too) in the different characterizations and personalities in the game. The whole thing may be a little contrived but it felt very natural, almost to a degree of innocence.
If Akari was a weeaboo, this is the kind of experience I expect her to deliver if I sign up for a tour?
And the game is cute. The same way a doujinshi is cute, almost. In a non-ero way. Including Impz. I have to say Natsuko is my favorite however :pedobear:
Glossing over the roughness of the production, I think it’s a good use of an hour of your time. Especially if you run around in Manhattan. If you don’t, it’s a good tourist manual (in a very loose sense).
Lastly–JP and Hinano should’ve tried to tie in all those commercial endorsement. I bet some Japanese organization in the city would love to promote her game because it does a good job promoting the different cultural establishments in the city. I wonder who you’d talk to in order to make that happen…
JAM IT IN @ Otakon 2008
Despite the misleading blog post title, all I’m really going to say is more JAM Project and Otakon nonsense. I realize a lot of my readers are far away and unable to get to Otakon even if they wanted to go, but please bear with me just a few more days \o/
1. JAM Project will most likely be at the opening ceremony at Otakon, which is another reason why you should check it out, along with their original opening animation (IIRC?) and other nonsense.
2. The JAM Project Concert is slated to start 7:30pm on Friday, at least I think that’s how it is scheduled now. While that means no Touhou panel for omo almost for sure, that also means the doors will open earlier, and less time in the sun for the long lineup.
3. Autographing is tentatively scheduled at 2:30, which follows the 12:30-2:00 panel on Saturday. It seems that they will use a ticketing system this year, so make sure you go to the panel if you want an autograph (and shame on you if you don’t)! That applies to not just JAM Project, but probably all the other guests. Maybe. Some of the Sunday musical guests will also have a table with stuff to buy after the show for the concert attendees on Sunday, but they might also have panels that takes place right before their Saturday autograph sessions. As an aside, there’s also an autograph session on Sunday noon for all the dub actors and Mr. Maruyama, and possibly others who have the time to do it. Industry will also have sponsored autographing at their dealer room booths for some dub actors and what not. There’s also a possibility that JAM Project will have something after the show, but I think it’s not likely. Just some potential possibilities for you to keep in mind, however slim they may be.
Commonly asked questions about autographs are best answered by Otakon’s autographing policy. For that matter, you should also read the gifts policy (anyone bringing a gift? I might) and guide on interacting with guests at that link.
4. Otakon just announced the guess-the-guest winners from their JAM Project announcement today. The winners are (copypasta):
- Daniel Park - Swag Bag, Express Pass, Reserved Seat (2)
- Chris Lane - Swag Bag, Express Pass, Reserved Seats (2)
- Jeff Chuang - Express Pass
- Phil Kwok - Express Pass
Express Pass means they get to skip the autograph line. Reserved Seats means their seats are reserved for them at the VIP/Press section at the concert so they can skip that line too, when the door to the venue opens. Swag Bag…probably has swag in it. Beats me what’s in it. The contest winners are determined randomly from people who submitted the right guesses.
5. Finally, it’s not too late to get on omo’s mailing list of Doom and Otakon related activities! Put it in the comments saying you are interested, or email me (click on the “omo” link below by Posted By). The ML is mostly going to be omo sending a couple updates as the con draws near(er), especially if you want to meet us. So far we’re just going to chill and sing some JAM Project anthems, but who knows! And there’s still twitter, which hopefully I’ll get to use and read more as con time draws near. I am so inept with this thing, maybe I’m getting old.
This year’s Otakon coverage for me started when I made a conscious effort to read the Otakon forums regularly. It really made the leading-up to it enjoyable because I can just parrot all the news there LOL. And also it’s good to see some of the stuff behind the scenes when fan and industry collide at one of these convention things that I go every year. I tend to blog where my mind is, so the flurry of Otakon-related posts this past month are really showing that I’ve already left the building… I suppose that’s nothing new.
Last thing: it’s time to draw up some questions for the JAM Project panel. Individual or group questions are fine. Got any good ones? Toss it away.
Slutbiri Katsuragi, Messy Miyamura - Random Figure Reviews
I think I’m doing what this guy is doing, but just different. Guess what are we doing that’s the same?
Otakon Scheduling
I guess I can post what I’m going to cover at Otakon. I tend to only do a bit of the US industry stuff since it’s so well-covered by everyone else. Plus it doesn’t interest me as much as actual, mid-production stuff being shown-off like what will surely happen at the Madhouse panel.
Anyways, their full finalized schedule is up. It’s subject to change and it will change, as always, all the way up until the actual panel/event/whatever.
And my own schedule will change too, I can almost guarantee it…
Friday:
- Panel 3 from 1:00pm to 4:00pm - Lantis, Opening Ceremony, Madhouse
- Panel 1 from 6:00pm to 7:00pm - Touhou (maybe)
Saturday:
- Panel 1 from 9:00am to 10:00am - Anime is Serious Business
- Panel 2 from 11:00am to 12:00noon - Bandai
- Panel 4 from 12:30pm to 2:00pm - JAM Project
- Panel 2 from 2:00pm to 3:00pm - Kadokawa (not likely)
- Panel 2 from 4:30pm to 6:00pm - Pony Canyon (meh?)
- Panel 4 from 5:30pm to 7:00pm - Fansubbing/Industry (maybe)
- Panel 1 from 6:00pm to 7:00pm - Satoshi Kon Fan panel (maybe)
- Panel 2 from 9:00pm to 10:30pm - Bandai Surprise (probably)
- Otacafe from 8:00-ish pm to 9:00pm - Waiting from random internet people to say hi
- Otacafe from 9:00pm to whenever pm - LOL Karaoke
Sunday:
- Panel 1 from 1:00pm to 2:00pm - ADV (maybe)
- Panel 2 from 1:00pm to 2:00pm - Udon (maybe)
Sometime Saturday afternoon, I am predicting, is the autograph session for JAM Project.
And sometime Friday (possibly before, or after the Touhou panel) I’ll be in line for the concert. Only if someone would hold my place in line for like an hour and a half.
And hopefully operation glowstick will pan out.
I would probably go to the dealer’s room after the Madhouse panel or before the Lantis panel on Friday, only just so I can scope out the place and make sure I don’t miss anything super obvious and good to know.
There is actually no video programming I want to watch this year at all, which is somewhat unusual. I always at least want to see one thing. Otakon has ditched their 35mm programming and oped for HD projection. Not a bad choice this year I suppose.
And if it wasn’t obvious, I’ll be at the JAM Project show at 8pm Friday and probably at the Jrock thing Sunday. The latter I’ll just show up and see, not going to line up.
I would like to go to the Kadokawa US Premiere panel but I don’t think it’ll fit. I know, nothing’s conflicting with it on the schedule, but this is a total hunch/foresight through experience. Likewise with Pony Canyon. Why is that panel 1.5 hours long anyways?
And while I don’t particularly harbor any ill will towards anyone, it seems fitting if something violent and awesome happened at the fansubbing panel. I suppose it’s a good panel to go meet internet peoples; you got a large room and not enough people interested to fill it up, and hopefully they’ll do this very chill. Tofu-sensei should not disappoint. This year, Otakon is hosting these people, and I cut/paste:
Featured panelists include John Sirabella, CEO of Media Blasters, Lance Heiskell, Director of Marketing for Funimation, and veteran representatives from Live-eviL, Shinsen, Anime-Empire, and Dattebayo fansubbing groups.
That is awesome. Of course Sirabella is a different kind of beast, but I don’t think a whole lot of Lance Heiskell from what I read. Hopefully that’ll change.
Xam’d Episode 3 - Lock Your Crotch?
