AquaStar Blog

It’s been quite awhile since I’ve written in this.  Working and studying at the same time can really take a lot out of you.  Of course, that hasn’t stopped me from the enjoyment of my hobby.

This past weekend I attended AnimeUSA here in the D.C., and although the feel of it is much different than the first years I attended, it still manages to keep itself at a moderate and enjoyable size that you don’t get overwhelmed.  One of the great things about going to these conventions is meeting up with friends and even making new ones on occasion.

My first AMV which I can finally call as completed after 3 versions did make the finals in the Romance category at AnimeUSA.  Didn’t win, but that’s okay since people seemed to like it, and the video that won definitely deserved it as the theme and overall editing was amazing.

Since I’m not much of specialized fan of particular series or participate in cosplay and such, most of my enjoyment comes from being able to hang out with my friends and also learning about the inner workings of this industry, since this is a genre sub-type of the entertainment industry in a sense.  What I mean by that is like you have US TV shows, movies, etc., although anime originates from Japan, it has a definite presence here in our market in that it’s on TV, DVD, printed media and it involves companies such as Funimation, ADV Films, Bandai Ent, Media Blasters, Nozomi Ent, etc, who do production, marketing, and in some cases, even have their own TV channels or have their shows on Sci-Fi, Cartoon Network, IFC, etc.  And let’s not forget the voiceover actors, directors, scriptwriters, producers, etc. who bring out the personalities of these characters in English dubs.

Anyways, getting back on track, friends and keeping up with this industry are two big reasons for why I enjoy attending conventions.  Also, finding anime related merchandise like the fan in all of us is another.  I think that within the past 4-5 years, I have made some very good friends through the con circuit, as when I first came back to the US, most of my friends from undergrad were spread out everywhere with their own lives moving forward, and therefore I literally had to start over again with my social life.  And now, I’m really glad that I’ve met all of them.

As of recent, our group has been working on a series called Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu, and have just started ef – a tale of melodies.  Nogizaka Haruka I have enjoyed working on tremendously and hope we can finish it soon.  Of course, studying comes first which is why I as well as my staff keep each other updated but don’t rush on things since real life stuff comes first, and for me, that’s making sure I’m studying sufficiently for my boards.

A recent piece of exciting anime news is that the series Clannad has officially been picked up by ADV Films.  Like Kanon and AIR, I absolutely love this series.  This is definitely a great title for them to have to pick themselves back up and take off running again.

I think that’ll do it for now.  I’ll probably post again after I take my exam in a few weeks.