An Eternal Thought in the Mind of Godzilla

１２月２５日～１月１１日東京にいます！

Dude, I will totally be in Tokyo from Xmas day until at least 1/11. I'll be hiding out in a weekly mansion in Nishi Shinjuku this time, will see the Yamato and Ultraman movies and interviewing some fun folks along the way. Also hoping to destroy Ginza with a half-naked girl in my awkwardly proportioned T-rex arm (see above). As always, hit me up if something/anything is going on.

passionate exam warrior

On Mon/14, I’ll be presenting a lecture entitled “Drifting Classroom: Theoretical Perspectives on Manga, Anime and Otaku” for the ‘Manga, Anime and Modern Japan: the Reality of an Illusion’ course at California State University Monterey Bay.

Perhaps I’m piling too many toppings on my pizza pie, but I’m crafting it to be a survey of various economic, sociological, and psychological interpretations of Japanese cartoons and comic books -- and their admirers -- that have arisen in the academy and elsewhere over the years.

While the attendance will be limited to CSUMB students, I’m told the event will be filmed and I’ll be capping the audio with my trusty ZOOM, so it’s bound to leak out one way or another.

Celtic Cross Spread - No Reversals

The word is out about the grand opening of the Viz Pictures NEW PEOPLE building next week in San Francisco's Japantown. If  you aren't up to date with the myriad of music, film, and fashion related events slated for Aug.15, ANN has a summery of the happenings here.

What's my part in NEW PEOPLE masterplan? For starters, I'll be moderating a panel discussion with artist Yoshitaka Amano at high noon on Sat/15 at the "summit stage." Having seen Angel's Egg and Vampire Hunter D about a billion times, as well as having gone through multiple copies of the Amano Tarot, it will be a massive thrill to just be there for the unveiling of the new DEVA LOKA USA art exhibit (above) at the new SUPERFROG gallery.

Also: I've been asked to produce / host a new podcast for the NEW PEOPLE website. I'm envisioning it as a mix of j-pop related conversation and Hot Tears of Shame-style coverage of ongoing events at the NEW PEOPLE building.

I've recorded the first episode already, and hope to get it up soon, but there's like a billion things to do (for all involved) before the grand opening next week. 

Thanks in advance for your support of the NEW PEOPLE project!

Bijo to Ekitainingen

Those ding-dong OTAKCERS boyz are at it again! Looks like Matt Alt and myself managed to sneak into a photo spread in the new issue of ORICON STYLE magazine. The hard-hitting "Ori Star" story is about the day in the life of otaku idol Shoko Nakagawa, complete with gruelling fashion shoots, hair and makeup sessions, itenerate blogging, and having to put up with fawning American fanboys.

If I look unbearably thrilled in that picture, it's because I'm trying to keep my brain from shooting out of my skull from the GIZA GIZA pain of a hangover-sleepless night combo. I guess that's just peanuts compared to what a real trooper like Shoko-tan has to put up with...No wonder the OTACKERS Oricon ranking is so low!

Harajuku Unlimited Generation vol. 3: "KAWAII!"

Harajuku Unlimited Generation (AKA H.U.G.) is throwing their 3rd event on 9/23 at the Harajuku Quest Hall.

The theme is "KAWAII will save the world!...What is kawaii? What is the secret power of kawaii? What are the new possibilities of kawaii?" Artist and toy designer Noriya Takeyama will lead the discussion and finds the answers while the amazing nipponia electronica will be supplying music and video. Sebastian Matsuda of rad Harajuku store %6 DOKIDOKI is directing the event with support from Takara Tomy and Harajuku Kiddyland. Expect cameos from the Care Bears, Blythe, Rilakkuma, and other icons of kawaii.

Tickets are 500 yen in advance and 800 day of show with 20 yen from every purchase going towards children's medical charities.

Full info on the event here.

Kinyobi no usotsuki - Marina Watanabe

Cool Japan: Why Japanese remakes are so popular on American TV, and where we’re getting it wrong

Ok, I'm in the new issue of Asian Week alongside Alvin Lu and Lisa Katayama talking trash about your favourite Japanese-inspired game shows. Click the headline above to read.

As with the MSNBC story, feel free to come at me with filament wire or razor floss if you even slightly disagree with anything I said. I've covered the place with Claymore mines and I'm armed with Martyrdom perks and an Andrew W.K. CD.

HIGHLIGHTZ of AX 08 4 Me!

VENICE BEACH
A looong way from the AX at Disneyland days and a paradise for all kinds of burnouts, crazy white people, and tough hombres who don’t mind eating whatever comes out of the water. We saw an armless black guy speeding by in a wheelchair covered in stuffed animals and flashing lights like a human deco-truck. I barely made it back to the hotel alive on the 4th of July as bottle rockets, cop cars, and house parties blew up around us like some bad-but-fun Hollywood Michael Bay shit. Totally awesome!

SHOKO NAKAGAWA
Yeah, OTAKU USA got mad face time for interviews and photos with Shokotan, but what did you expect? We talked about the AKB Massacre, retro vs. new anime and manga, why tokusatsu rules, and what prefect little Idols are made of, the whole thing capped off by a standing offer to go shopping at Nakano Broadway together some sunny day, which may never happen even in my dreams, of course, but it’s fun to pretend. The resulting interview will run in issue 8 of OUSA!

OTAKU USA BOOTH
I suppose no one out there wants to hear anyone say anything positive or have any pride in what they’ve managed to accomplish in spite of overwhelming hardship and struggle (and even I'm looking at my watch now) but yeah, we sold out all our back issues and signed up a lot of new subscribers. The guys from the home office are happy. We’ll be at New York Anime Festival doing roughly the same thing in September. Thanks to all who came and visited and said hi and gave yer support. We like you too!

MARUIONE.JP x KERA STREET SNAP
Anyone who came to the show dressed in Harajuku inspired street fashion came to the booth (and no, ripped pantyhose and cat ears do not count), with the same hardcore Gothloli girls coming back again and again. Top brand from the look of things: Angelic Pretty. Some of the results of the International Street Snaps are already up at LIVEJ. MARUIONE’s next stop: Otakon in Baltimore!

TOKIDOKI
You girls really need to stop buying this stuff and I pray this is mostly some LA thing that will just blow over real soon. Update: it's all over the fucking place and wrong for so many reasons.

OTAKU USA PANEL
This was thrown together so last min. (partially my fault, partially AX’s) but it went off pretty good without a hitch. The best part was probably when the kid working the door asked me if "otaku" meant pervert. Ed Chavez was a no-show (I hope a bookcase full on manga did not fall on him), but we had Carl Gustav Horn on the panel to make a special keynote speech, which was wall-shaking powerful in a Steve Jobs meets Blofeld kind of way. We gave away tons of stuff, including a toy uzi, although, sadly, NO ONE showed up in a club shirt!

ANIME CLUB SHIRTS
I counted only four the whole time I was at the con and all of them were Dragonball Z-inspired. I'm not ready yet to live in a world without Anime Club shirts, so try and help me out on this!

NEWTYPE WINS THE SPJA AWARD FOR BEST PUBLICATION
Since dead mayors can win re-elections, presumably, Heath Ledger will win an Oscar as well.

A FAT CYNICAL NERD TROLLING THE HALLWAYS LOOKING TO MAKE FUN OF OTHER FAT CYNICAL NERDS
Self loathing is its own reward, I guess.

THE J-ROCK REVOLUTION PANEL WAS AWESOME
No, I don't actually like J-rock music very much, thanks anyways, but this web community's panel, co-hosted by the editorial staff of Japan's CURE magazine and lorded over by some insane androgynous jrock star whose name I already forgot was the most fun I had at the con. The fans are roughly at the same place where anime geeks were decades ago, having to share con space with a bunch of people they fundamentally don’t like and won’t admit they have anything in common with (substitute Star Trek fans for anime and manga fans, and you get the picture). Even more amazing, when they have Q&A at their panels, they practically have tears in their eyes while asking questions instead of acting like a goddamn lynch mob (man, those ADV panels were tense and frightening). There was some dumb high school stuff that went down at the Jrock panel too, but to be real honest, it was a lot of fun to sit in on. I just hope they never ever make believe that their hobby is some kind of important INDUSTRY and ruin everything that way.

BEING HOME
Call of Duty 4. My boo-boo. Next stop: San Diego. Anime Weekend Atlanta, and Tokyo again, hopefully in late September.

A High School Rec Room Writ Large

Gosh. Leaving for Anime Expo tomorrow. I wonder what fantastic adventures await in downtown LA! Like everyone else, I still *really, really* wish this thing was back out in Anaheim, where Noboru Ishiguro could put on some mouse ears, have a beer, and give a white woman a back rub without having to take a taxi all the way across town.

Will try and be at the OTAKU USA booth most of the day Sat and Sun if anyone wants to come by, talk shop, or buy me a hot dawg. Updates as I see fit via my new trendy Twitter page, which also has a feed on this blog as well (because I've got to do my part to keep the Internet moving towards becoming nothing but an infinite supply of quickly gratifying and instantly obsolete soundbites that no one can keep up with so that books and magazines start looking really next-gen by comparison). And of course, don't forget about our merry mag's panel on Sunday.

Anime Expo® 2008
Find out why they call it "THE INDUSTRY"!

(Kind of) Another Akihabara Stabbing Today

For those of you keeping score...

Courtesy of Lord Bashcraft @ Kotaku

Just hours ago, a man stabbed a police officer in Akihabara during a random bag check. This comes in the wake of the tragedy earlier this month when Tomohiro Kato drove through Akihabara in a truck and proceeded to stab 18 pedestrians with a knifes, killing 7. Today's incident happened at 1:30pm Japan Time, and the individual that attacked the officer is being detained and questioned. The officer sustained a slight injury to the hand as the knife was apparently small.

Tokyo's game/anime/manga haven Akihabara certainly doesn't seem as safe as it once appeared...

In other news...AKIBA-CHAN!

Update: Tis only a flesh wound. Read comments.

MAIDS x Me x NY TIMES

6/25...The New York Times (perhaps you've heard of it?) investigates the globalization of maid cafes with the help of a Very Special Friend.

“The concept started off as a club for the loneliest guys in the world,” said Patrick Macias, editor in chief of Otaku USA magazine. “Here at last was a place where single young otaku men could go and interact with kind women, and also get lukewarm hamburgers and lousy cake.”

Link: 'Service With a Wink to a Japanese Fad'
(Usual annoying registration may be required)

Have You Come To Tell Me You Change What You Hate and Live With What You Don't Like?

Yoshiki on Tomohiro Kato (of "The AKB Massacre" fame)

"I think the thing you Americans and even many of Japanese TV people didn't get from the killer's note, is that he is so empty. He is empty in every way. He is a Hollow Man.

There is no such thing like deep thought, nor imagination. No nothing, but the envy to the others (who seem to him that they got everything), and strong resentment. Of course none of them are based on fact, thought, or any kind of intellectual activities.

I said he is a stupid piece of shit because he is trapped inside a trap of his own making.

It goes like this: I am alone and pathetic--because I couldn't win the game anyway--because my face is ugly and my life is a mess--that makes me alone and pathetic--because [back to top].

Or, it might go like this too: People seem to be happy all the time--but I am not--because they have the love ones and money and car and steady job and--but I don't have none--that makes me a fucking looser--but I can't do anything about it--because I am ugly and my life is a mess--so there's no chance that I'll be happy--I'll never have a girlfriend--that makes me unhappy--People are happy because they STOLE my happiness, or chicks to fuck--I am alone and have nothing to do, I am totally miserable--On the other hand, other people seem to be happy all the time [back to top].

See how stupid and hollow it is? The important fact is this is ALL he got in his ENTIRE FUCKING LIFE. What a waste of oxygen, food, water and humanity.

Oh I forgot to tell you, that he had one another thing. It's his memory of his elementary to junior-high school age. At that time he was a superman who was good at his study (because his parents helped him), and sport.
Then he went to a good high school, which is filled with real smart kids, which he and his parents couldn't win. His scores went down and so is his confidence. He was empty from the beginning. When grown up, he started to blame his parents to have helped him back in that time, he thinks his life went wrong because of that. Now you see why I said 'He was a kind of guy who is always waiting some lucky shit will happen to him without
doing nothing'.

Anyway I am so sick and tired of this bitch. Fuck. thanks."

Subject: killer's boring notes

Another AKB Massacre update along with some commentary from Yoshiki Takahashi, who probably deserves a Pulitzer Prize, along with a unlimited supply of red meat and Jack Daniels, for all his help in covering the latest headlines from Cruel Japan...

"Here are the quotes from the keitai BBS which the killer was writing regularly up until the day. (It's more like twitter than BBS. Everybody can make some small bbs of their own, so the killer made it, then rebuild it two days before the massacre, because the old one was full (of blurbs).)

Those small bbs are not viewed by many people as normal internet bbs, but a few young fuckers blurbs and take a look at one when they think the topic title is interesting. Maybe 4 to 10 people was involved with this sucker's bbs.

The links below are the blurbs of the killer found on the remain of the keitai bbs.

If you read it, you can easily understand what kind of cocksucker he is. He is a fucking loooooser who blames everything and hates everybody, especially when they have what he hasn't, such as a girlfriend, good looking face, car, nice job, etc, etc.

His world is so limited, like, he doesn't read, he doesn't seem to have any hobby (yup I know he had some games and Dojinshi but the quantity is so small and it's hardly a hobby, I guess), he doesn't have any friend outside his factory. I don't call it solitude, since he's been to some offline meetings or izakaya party of fucking 2channel and shit. But he couldn't make any friends, according to what he says, "because nobody asked me my keitai number or e-mail address". That's right, he was a kind of guy who is always waiting some lucky shit will happen to him without doing nothing. He blames people for "not asking him his keitai number", nevertheless he never did it to anybody! Can you believe this shit?

Kato is a pathetic stupid piece of shit, and I know he's now regretting what he did (he said it to a detective), wishing to rewind the time itself before what he did. I heard in the news that he's fucking weeping and crying in his jail chamber. What a looser."

http://www11.atwiki.jp/akb_080608/pages/29.html
http://www11.atwiki.jp/akb_080608/pages/25.html
http://www11.atwiki.jp/akb_080608/pages/26.html
http://www11.atwiki.jp/akb_080608/pages/27.html
http://www11.atwiki.jp/akb_080608/pages/28.html
http://www11.atwiki.jp/akb_080608/pages/33.html

Subject: Moe

Again, via Yoshiki Takahashi

"These are some of the MOE games and shit from killer's (Tomohiro Kato's) apartment."

Doesn't look like much, but what does it take to turn a downtrodden member of Japan's "working poor", living in a company dorm and heavily in debt, into a cold-blooded killer in the streets of Akihabara?

Full story at zakzak.co.jp

Hachi-One Diver Ep 2

Screen caps courtesy of burndvdburn.blogspot.com

6% DOKIDOKI Vs. Space Invaders

Boy's Knuckle

I'll be back where I ought to be, in Draft One, Shimorenjaku, for business/pleasure come next week and to rip shit up as per usual. Let me know if anything is going on, if you'd like to hook up, have a collectible card game battle, etc.

MACIAS MONDO TOKYO show: SF Sat/19

'Mondo Tokyo' at Other Cinema in San Francisco, April Sat/19

Here's the national magazine editor of 'Otaku USA', Patrick Macias, with his outrageous subcultural survey, taking us on a breathlessly wild ride through Weird Tokyo. Macias has become the main agent for interpreting Japanese youth genres like anime, manga, and cult films, and his years of trans-Pacific travel have generated a veritable encyclopedia of bizarre fan-boy obsessions. Among the features of the feverish J-Pop imagination are the “maid cafes” of Akihabara, the action-figure fetish cults (both erotic and warrior), costume role-playing, and delinquent bikers, revealed in all their exotic detail through Macias’ anecdote-rich live narration. Consummating the program is a monstrous sample of old-school exploitation, the incredible last reel of 'Gamera, the Invincible', in glorious 16mm B/W, with live audio “enhancement” by Hans Grusel-san and the Anti-Ear. Free robot model-kits, and magazines, too!

Come in COSPLAY costume for a dollar off admission price.

SAT. 4/19: MACIAS' MONDO TOKYO + GAMERA (AMPLIFIED) +

April 19, 2008
08:30 PM - 10:30 PM

Other Cinema
992 Valencia Street at 21st
San Francisco
www.othercinema.com

Cost:
$8

STUDIO VOICE - Gravure Magic

The May issue of "Multi-Media Mix Magazine" STUDIO VOICE features a scintillating 40+ page feature on "Gravure Magic". Lots of photo (ahem) spreads, interviews with models, photographers, and a dizzying history of the genre since the '80s.

The mag also features my monthly "Paranoid States of America" column. This time, I'm on about RFID "Spy Chips" which, co-incidently, are going to be used shortly at an Ohio anime con to "track attendees."

Games for OTAKU and EVERYBODY: San Francisco 4/13

Sun/13, I'll be delivering a presentation in San Francisco sponsored by the Consulate General of Japan as part of the Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival.

Lecture- "JAPAN: Games for OTAKU and EVERYBODY" by Mr. Patrick Macias

Together with anime, manga, J-pop and fashion, computer and video based gaming is another major aspect of contemporary Japanese pop culture. Popular writer, editor, and internationally recognized Japanese pop culture expert Patrick Macias, will give a power point presentation entitled "JAPAN: Games for OTAKU and EVERYBODY" In his presentation Mr. Macias will provide a broad overview of modern game-based culture in Japan beginning with a look at the uniquely Japanese cultural roots of gaming. He will discuss the emergence of otaku culture in the late 20th century and show how gaming in Japan has broken into new markets both domestically and internationally while still maintaining the public "Game Center" as a social gathering space.

WHEN: Sunday, April 13 1:00 - 3:00 p.m.

WHERE: Kabuki Hotel, 1625 Post Street, Spring Room 'B' (across from the Imperial Ballroom)

ADMISSION: Free!

American Casual

Marxy over at META no TAME reveals the deal about our upcoming appearance at the UCLA J-Wave conference beginning this Friday.

The University of California at Los Angeles (”UCLA”) will be hosting a conference on exporting Japanese pop culture called J-Wave USA this upcoming weekend (March 13-15). Full schedule available here.

I will be presenting at 11:10 on Saturday morning at the sesssion “Japanese Street Fashion in Japan and the US” with Prof. Yuniya Kawamura, moderated by Patrick Macias. My presentation will look at whether Japanese fashion styles are “bottom-up” or “top-down” and how fashion magazines play a part in setting trends.

Admission is free, but registration is required for researchers hoping to attend. I will be at the other events that are open to the public, so say hello if you see someone very tall.

While this won't be no anime con, attempts to "Glomp Me" will be tolerated on my end as well.