Greetings old school cosplayers! The previous Old School Gathering (three years ago!) was a blast as always, thank you all for your amazing attendance, awesome cosplay, and continued representation of the fandoms that created anime conventions! Of course I'm back to host yet again! Continuing the tradition of the gathering that got me into cosplay, I announce the...
Fanime 2022 Old School (Pre-2001) Cosplay Gathering!
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Come celebrate the rich history of Japanese entertainment culture!
This is a hugely open gathering for those of you / us who cosplay as characters from the previous century.
Essentially if your cosplay character appears in Anime, Manga, Video Games or Live Action that began PRIOR to 2001, then this is the gathering for you! Although I like to have a decidedly Japanese lean to this gathering, it is not completely exclusive.
Day : Friday, May 27th, 2022 (Day 1).
Time : 6PM - 7PM.
Meeting Place (MP) : Same as Location.
Location (L) : Gatherings G7, The Slab - the raised area outside between the video rooms and Hilton.
This will be our fifth consecutive year hosting! Due to an outdoor requirement for gatherings, we will be at a
new location this year! Exit the main Convention Center entrance, then turn left and walk AROUND the building that houses the video rooms and follow the path between it and the Hilton. We will be at the end up on the raised area (The Slab).
Gatherings G7 is the large raised concrete area in between the video rooms and the Hilton, NOT the lower area just outside the video rooms.
Cosplayers : If you would like, please post who your cosplay character is, what title it is from and what year you are representing! As this gathering is a total wildcard mix of different characters, series, studios, and genres - spanning time rather than properties - a definitive list is otherwise not provided. Part of the fun of the OSCG is seeing just who shows up.
Legal Statement : Fanime will be taking group pictures during the Gathering/Event this year. If you do not want to be included in those pictures please step aside for those photos. By remaining with the group when the pictures are being taken you give your consent to be photographed.
Photography Order : If there is any specific setup or shot you would like, just let me know! This gathering is to celebrate all of us as cosplayers who keep the vintage fire alive.
Group shot.
By era - 1960's (or earlier).
By era - 1970's.
By era - 1980's.
By era - 1990's (to 2000).
Characters who use swords / knives / blades / etc.
Characters known to get physical / fighters / brawlers.
Military / rank and file / soldiers.
Characters with psychic powers / spiritual powers / espers / magic / etc.
Pilots / drivers / craft operators / mech jockeys.
Teachers / students / faculty / school attendants / etc.
Characters who use firearms / laser guns / projectile weapons / etc.
Magical girls.
Animals / pets.
Spacefaring characters / those who live off-world.
Robots / androids / synthetic people / mecha.
Characters who are mysterious / shadowy.
Public servants / government organizations / secret organizations.
Characters with secret identities.
Characters in uniform of any type.
Battle teams.
Video game characters.
Characters who are on the run / fugitives / scoundrels / bounty hunters.
Monsters / demons / youma / zombies / etc.
Characters who are technically minded / deductive / intelligent / geniuses.
Great warriors / legendary masters.
Civilians.
Aliens.
Heroes.
Villains.
Heroes vs Villains.
Cosplayers representing the manga version of their character.
Age vs Youth / old characters vs young characters.
Live Action only characters.
Pairings / couples.
Group shot for late attendees (regular / humorous).
Series groups (dependent on attendance / cosplayer request).
By studio / production team (dependent on attendance / cosplayer request).
Solo shots (cosplayer request).
Additional requests (cosplayer request).
I am always up for future ideas to add to the list! A good portion of the photo order is built upon suggestions from previous years. I may be trimming the list a bit this year to get the order cycled faster.
Facebook Event Link: https://www.facebook.com/events/974633966226466/
This is an excellent gathering to psyche you up for the convention weekend. If you're an old school cosplayer, stop by and join us! Feel free to pop in for a moment to say hi, see some incredible cosplay, pose for some pictures, and continue to prove that just because it's old doesn't mean it isn't awesome!
Thank you so very much. Let's have another great turnout and continue this wonderful Fanime tradition!
Here is a map that will show you how to get to the Gatherings G7, The Slab location, starting at either the main entrance to the convention center or the area where we were in 2018 and 2019 (Gatherings G3). Note that the maps of the street level don't show the large second floor ballroom expansion where Artist's Alley is generally located, as it's facilities operations space beneath, but I've filled it in so the map is more accurate to the actual layout.
Do not stop at Gatherings G8 (the Hilton Tree Walkway), keep going all the way to the end and up the little set of stairs to reach G7.
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REMEMBER - There is NO ACCESS to G7 - The Slab from inside the convention center concourse! If you attempt to go through the fire doors you will set the alarm off. You have to approach G7 from the sidewalk along side San Carlos Street, either from the front of the convention center or by walking around the Hilton.
2022 PHOTO GALLERIES!!!
2022 PHOTO GALLERIES!!!
2022 PHOTO GALLERIES!!!
Unofficial gallery, taken by my co-host: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1947430818779384
I should be there as Satsuki from My Neighbor Totoro! :)
So, I'm working on two UC Gundam cosplays in the works to compliment my partner's Bright cosplay. Looking forward to this!
Housing over the horizon! This is the first FanimeCon since I've started cosplaying where we don't have any new cosplay lined up. There's stuff we're working on but don't plan on having it ready to go for Fanime 2020. Present plan for the gathering is to bring back our Patlabor captains cosplay, since we didn't wear them at all in 2019 - surprisingly!
Quote from: Angelx624 on January 02, 2020, 01:41:55 AM
I should be there as Satsuki from My Neighbor Totoro! :)
Woohoo! Still a long way off but I hope your cosplay and scheduling plans come together smoothly. Thank you for attending every year!
Quote from: Eri Kagami on January 05, 2020, 07:15:33 PM
So, I'm working on two UC Gundam cosplays in the works to compliment my partner's Bright cosplay. Looking forward to this!
Awesome! I love seeing Gundam characters at the gathering!!
Yup, though I've had the cosplay done since last August. And you're welcome! ^^ Hopefully this time I won't be late.
Depending on what I can put together, I could show up this year as Ichiro Ogami from Sakura Wars. If not, then I'll return as Shinji Ikari from NGE.
Our Outlaw Star crew will be back, yet again! The best gathering at Fanime!
There is a possibility I might be bringing Sheeta instead, but the blue dress instead of the other outfit.
But will know for sure closer to the con. ^^ (If I bring Sheeta, I'll likely bring Satsuki to AX)
Tokyo mew mew began putting out copies of its manga in 2001, would that still be included in this gathering? It was being written in 2000. I'm thinking not because it didnt end until 2003, but i thought i would check just in case :)
Quote from: Cyanide_Exploder on January 17, 2020, 07:22:26 PM
Depending on what I can put together, I could show up this year as Ichiro Ogami from Sakura Wars. If not, then I'll return as Shinji Ikari from NGE.
Either would be great! Crazy times we live in, as the first Sakura Wars game ~just~ had a fan translation released.
Quote from: The Sea-Faring Otaku on January 28, 2020, 09:43:29 PM
Our Outlaw Star crew will be back, yet again! The best gathering at Fanime!
Your group is awesome, thank you for attending over the years!!
Quote from: Angelx624 on February 09, 2020, 07:35:25 PM
There is a possibility I might be bringing Sheeta instead, but the blue dress instead of the other outfit.
But will know for sure closer to the con. ^^ (If I bring Sheeta, I'll likely bring Satsuki to AX)
All good either way. Fanime seemed so far away but only three months to go now!
Quote from: sylveoncos on February 16, 2020, 05:44:39 PM
Tokyo mew mew began putting out copies of its manga in 2001, would that still be included in this gathering? It was being written in 2000. I'm thinking not because it didnt end until 2003, but i thought i would check just in case :)
The golden rule for the gathering is the series / game / property had to be RELEASED before 2001. That said, although collected volumes of Tokyo Mew Mew weren't published until 2001, per my research it was first published serialized in Nakayoshi in late 2000... so it ~just~ makes the cut, so you're good to go!
Note: while I
REALLY try to ensure we're all pre-2001, I don't narc and research every series / character. However I
do also host a vintage anime panel (Vintage Anime Name That Year - returning for two hours on Saturday morning for Fanime 2020), so I always look into series that people bring up for possible use there. :)
Thank you so much for the reply! :)
I do make sure to research that the series/movie/etc my cosplay is from was released before 2001 if it's not obvious or if I don't know for sure beforehand. :3
Quote from: sylveoncos on February 27, 2020, 11:05:28 AM
Thank you so much for the reply! :)
You're welcome!
Quote from: Angelx624 on February 27, 2020, 04:14:52 PM
I do make sure to research that the series/movie/etc my cosplay is from was released before 2001 if it's not obvious or if I don't know for sure beforehand. :3
Thank you! I have learned about so many more anime and manga series through the past five years hosting this gathering - through discussions at con, here, and on the Facebook event page - than I ever would have otherwise.
Additionally there are so many who have no idea a series they love or cosplay from is from before 2001 - Wangan Midnight is a series that comes to mind as an example. Sure the anime is from 2007 and video games based upon it continue to be released to this day but the manga began in 1990 - predating even Initial D! (another series that gets overlooked as old school)
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As for gathering updates, the gathering has been officially submitted for the usual day / time (Friday, 6PM). Now that the form is active, I'll be more active both here and on the Facebook event page. (yeah, that means it'll be time for the traditional anime openings soon.......)
Good morning old schoolers!
Among concerns in relation to Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Silicon Valley, I want to state that as long as FanimeCon is held as scheduled, both the Old School Gathering and our Vintage Anime - Name That Year panel WILL BE HOSTED as scheduled. We are local to FanimeCon, are living our lives as normal, and absolutely plan on attending this May.
Best practices of washing hands before and after eating, using the restroom, or utilizing public transit are no different with or without a viral outbreak. As are confining coughing and sneezing, and avoiding others when sick. Although these are general hygiene precautions, it can't hurt to be reminded of them now and again.
If anyone has any questions or concerns, feel free to contact me either here or via the Facebook Event Page. Thank you.
Good afternoon old schoolers!
A lot going on right now in the world and here in Santa Clara County where FanimeCon is hosted. Santa Clara County Public Health Department announced today an additional mandatory countywide moratorium on gatherings of more than 100 persons, and a conditional countywide moratorium on gatherings of between 35-100 persons, for at least three weeks from 3/14/2020.
It should be said, while I am NOT convention staff in any way, the likelihood of FanimeCon 2020 being rescheduled or canceled is a real possibility as we have seen with other conventions and events around the world. This is reality right now, and I implore everyone to resist becoming cynical or angry in response. We're too awesome of a fandom for that.
I want to emphasize that if FanimeCon 2020 is is postponed, whenever that may be - EVEN IF IT DOESN'T HAPPEN UNTIL 2021, we will host this gathering on the evening of Day 1 as tradition. Additionally as long as Fanime Panels are held whenever the convention may occur, we will absolutely host our Vintage Anime - Name That Year panel as intended. We are continuing to prepare for both this gathering and our panel as if it were business as usual. We are totally committed to hosting these events at FanimeCon. Best case, worst case, it will still go on once we come out of this crisis.
That's what old school otaku do, we persevere.
To that end, at minimum, every Friday I'm going to share an old school anime opening or ending right up until Fanime, as usual. If by worst case scenario FanimeCon doesn't happen for a year - then you have a year of these posts to look forward to, and we'll keep that old school fire burning. If you have any questions or concerns, just let me know.
So today I kick things off with a smooth, jazzy, relaxing ending that is one of my favorites - from my favorite hard sci-fi anime series -
Celebrating An Era - 1980's! Armored Trooper VOTOMS (1983) [ENDING]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jcJoViCuefc
Hoping for the best and that Fanime doesn't get cancelled. But if it does, there's nothing we can really do.
Just gonna plan ahead regardless. :)
Quote from: Angelx624 on March 17, 2020, 06:28:34 PM
Hoping for the best and that Fanime doesn't get cancelled. But if it does, there's nothing we can really do.
Just gonna plan ahead regardless. :)
Absolutely. A postponement (even until 2021) doesn't mean the end of Fanime, fandoms, cosplay, or conventions in general. Sure it isn't ideal but that's just how it is.
Good morning old schoolers!
As I'm sure you are all aware, the global COVID-19 situation is continuing to unfold and affect events and everyday life everywhere you look. Here in Santa Clara County (where FanimeCon is hosted), we have been under shelter-in-place ordinance for the past week, ahead of the statewide California ordinance issued yesterday. We're doing fine, are thankfully able to work from home, are good on provisions and are adjusting well to the changes for the short future ahead.
I'm sure at this point FanimeCon 2020 will either be postponed or canceled for 2020. What I continue to implore attendees NOT to do is get cynical or angry toward FanimeCon or facilities staff before a specific announcement is made. A FanimeCon cancellation and refund is completely new territory for this event (as it is with many others), and as such its implementation will take time.
As stated last week, we are committed to hosting this gathering whenever the next FanimeCon is held (even if it isn't until 2021), on the evening of the first day, as tradition. Additionally I am committed to sharing an old school anime opening or ending every Friday until that glorious day comes.
With that, here is this week's anime opening, from the Gundam series that everyone seems to like.
Celebrating An Era - 1990's! Mobile Suit Gundam The 08th MS Team (1996)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKlR_J2H6YA
Good afternoon old schoolers!
I do hope you are all well and following shelter-in-place ordinances if they are in effect where you reside. We are continuing preparations for the gathering and our panel, however with rumblings that the California shelter-in-place ordinance will last between 8-12 weeks, we do believe that FanimeCon 2020 will be postponed until 2021. That's fine though, as we'll be there on the other side of this to continue our annual FanimeCon events.
Nothing is certain until an official announcement is made but at this time it's pretty much inevitable. Once an official announcement is made, we will be sure to update the relevant initial threads for the convention programming we host.
Continuing with a weekly anime OP or ED, I thought we could all use a modern classic most of us are familiar with.
Celebrating An Era - 1990's! Cowboy Bebop (1998)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRI_8PUXx2A
Quote from: InsaneDavid on March 27, 2020, 03:51:06 PM
Good afternoon old schoolers!
I do hope you are all well and following shelter-in-place ordinances if they are in effect where you reside. We are continuing preparations for the gathering and our panel, however with rumblings that the California shelter-in-place ordinance will last between 8-12 weeks, we do believe that FanimeCon 2020 will be postponed until 2021. That's fine though, as we'll be there on the other side of this to continue our annual FanimeCon events.
Nothing is certain until an official announcement is made but at this time it's pretty much inevitable. Once an official announcement is made, we will be sure to update the relevant initial threads for the convention programming we host.
Continuing with a weekly anime OP or ED, I thought we could all use a modern classic most of us are familiar with.
Celebrating An Era - 1990's! Cowboy Bebop (1998)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRI_8PUXx2A
Here's hoping! If things fall through, I'm planning on trying to post some updated cosplay photos the day of the meetup. If we can't do it in person, we can do it virtual, right?
Quote from: The Sea-Faring Otaku on March 28, 2020, 04:00:14 PM
Here's hoping! If things fall through, I'm planning on trying to post some updated cosplay photos the day of the meetup. If we can't do it in person, we can do it virtual, right?
That's cool! I'm thinking of running through the 2018 and 2019 versions of my Vintage Anime - Name That Year panel and posting them on YouTube if Fanime 2020 ends up being postponed until 2021 (where the planned 2020 version would be run) as a bit of a consolation.
Good evening old schoolers!
Adjusting to the current normal? Things around here have started to level out a bit - as more follow the requested precautions, grocery stores begin to get their stock levels back to something resembling a standard, and each day rolls on. I've been getting more and more in the cosplay mood as even if postponement until 2021 is more than likely over the horizon, as even those far-off dates are growing closer every day.
This Friday's weekly old school anime OP is from a reasonably obscure series that I love. The film version - SF New Century Lensman (which came before the series) was localized and released simply as "Lensman" by Streamline Pictures, and actually aired as one of the three original anime films on the Sci-Fi Channel under their "Adventures in Japanese Animation" film showcase. The series has been slowly undergoing high quality fansubbing and it can be found with a simple web search. While it has very little to do with the Lensman books (which themselves influenced pretty much all modern space operas), it's still a lot of fun and has some very unique ship designs.
Celebrating An Era - 1980's! Galactic Patrol Lensman (1984)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBod6EKQaok
Good afternoon old schoolers!
I do hope you are all safe, all well, and are all taking precautions where possible and necessary. With the in-person Bay Area school year recently scuttled, I believe the Fanime 2020 cancellation notice is just around the corner. That doesn't matter for us though, as we're in this for the long haul. Here's a great opening for today of a really wonderful series I'm in the process of watching. (the Blu-ray is really cheap if you're curious)
Celebrating An Era - 1990's! Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water (1990)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bC-ZOme1UEA
Good evening old schoolers!
As FanimeCon 2020 has been postponed until 2021, we're going to go ahead and roll the gathering over to 2021 as we predicted would happen a couple weeks ago. Nothing has changed for the gathering, other than the date. For this week's old school anime OP, I thought I would go with one that exudes positive energy. It's also my favorite anime OP, from one of my absolute favorite anime series.
Celebrating An Era - 1980's! Mobile Police Patlabor - Early Days (1988)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMpI_bc3LrI
Quote from: InsaneDavid on April 17, 2020, 05:13:38 PM
Good evening old schoolers!
As FanimeCon 2020 has been postponed until 2021, we're going to go ahead and roll the gathering over to 2021 as we predicted would happen a couple weeks ago. Nothing has changed for the gathering, other than the date. For this week's old school anime OP, I thought I would go with one that exudes positive energy. It's also my favorite anime OP, from one of my absolute favorite anime series.
Celebrating An Era - 1980's! Mobile Police Patlabor - Early Days (1988)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMpI_bc3LrI
Can't wait to see y'all in 2021!
Good evening old schoolers!
This week's old school anime OP is one of slickest ever made and a series that was incredibly out of print until very recently. 2020 marks the OVA's 25th anniversary!
Celebrating An Era - 1990's! Gunsmith Cats (1995)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7HPyUcy37I
*** 25th Anime Anniversary ***
Sad that we won't be having Fanime this year, the wait's gonna be long but we'll make it!
Quote from: Angelx624 on April 25, 2020, 01:06:46 AM
Sad that we won't be having Fanime this year, the wait's gonna be long but we'll make it!
Absolutely!
Good very late evening / morning old schoolers!
Had a bunch of connection downtime today so this post is a bit late, but here as always. So May has begun, the first May for many of us that won't feature a FanimeCon. Shelter in place has been extended to May 31st, which I am sure doesn't surprise anyone currently. This week's old school anime OP is an adaptation of a massively influential work by Go Nagai, that continues to be popular to this day. I honestly prefer the anime adaptation over the original work - but I know I'm in the minority.
Celebrating An Era - 1970's! Devilman (1972)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQF_dw2eivM
Good evening old schoolers!
How about an old one this week, an old property that is still well-known and going strong. Not bad for a manga series that began in 1962!
Celebrating An Era - 1960's! Osomatsu-kun (1966)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGjzVewfIAU
Good evening old schoolers!
Going with another Gundam series for this week as I've actually been working on some Gunpla during shelter in place. I hadn't touched one in almost twenty years but it has been entertaining so far. I really only like very specific kits, one of which is in this opening sequence!
Love it or hate it, Gundam Wing is without a doubt the most important Gundam series in the west. When it first aired on American television it almost instantly made Gundam mainstream and along with it Gundam kits began to show up at virtually every big box store. On the surface Gundam Wing isn't the best series - it's character development is kinda weird, it was more or less made to attract a female audience with its pretty-boy cast and political rise of its young female lead, and the longer it runs the more its narrative falls apart. It's not bad, it's just strange for a Gundam property. There are way better Gundam series to check out, both if you're looking for crazy mech action or more somber and adult stories.
.....that said, Heavyarms is my all time favorite Gundam and its pilot, Trowa Barton, is my favorite Gundam character. It's such a unique take on the mecha of the series, relying on massive conventional firepower rather than fancy gimmicks or fanciful weaponry. It's a bit like a scopedog from VOTOMS equipped with the missile pods of a valkyrie from Macross. Then of course the massive gun on its left arm, which is combined with a defensive shield. I also really, really like the Tallgeese from Gundam Wing as well. ...I guess there's a lot I like in a series that I really don't care for.
It's also celebrating its 25th anniversary this year!! (crazy)
Celebrating An Era - 1990's! Mobile Suit Gundam Wing (1995)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JY1IH4D1LNQ
Good evening old schoolers!
This is by far the strangest gathering update I've written in the five years since inheriting the Old School gathering. Today would have been Day Zero for FanimeCon 2020, with many of us already on site and heading over to Day Zero swap meet. I can remember at this time on Day Zero in 2019 I was finishing up dinner downtown with my wife (who is also the gathering co-host) and roughing out some video room plans for the weekend and discussing photography setups for the gathering.
Occasionally I get a bit of the post-con depression but I think this year we're all going to have a bit of pre-con depression. I can't express how much I miss being at Fanime, hosting this gathering, and seeing all of you. We have so many cosplayers who attend the gathering consecutively year after year - which just amazes me! The way I look at it right now is every day that passes is another day closer to the 2021 convention. That's a great thing - that a little further over the horizon we'll be able to have this convention, this gathering, and I assure you it will be a blast.
Although I will not be hosting any online events this weekend (cosplay prep time was traded for making non-medical face masks), if anyone is hosting any old school anime related events or panels online - please let me know and I will promote them here over the weekend. With the deferment to 2021 I haven't been promoting the gathering as much as I usually do, but I will do what I can to shine a bit more attention on events that attendees may be hosting.
How I'm going to contribute to this "Fanime at home" programming that a few are running with, is provide an old school anime video link that is NOT an OP or ED but something you may enjoy that won't take much of your time. I'm going to post one today, and then Friday - Monday.
Please stay positive, please stay safe, and please remember that when FanimeCon 2021 rolls around you'll see me standing at the top of the Gatherings G3 stairs on Fanime Friday with my megaphone in hand.
Today's special video is a couple of music videos from Project A-ko, a film and OVA series that was crucial to getting me into anime during the second western anime boom in the early 90's. Nostalgia is a big part of a lot of the anime from this time but the first Project A-ko movie is really freaking entertaining all on its own. The two songs featured in this video, Dance Away and Follow Your Dream, not only instantly send me back to my early anime days, they're also perfect for what we're currently going though.
- Special Virtual Old School Celebration -
Celebrating An Era - 1980's! Project A-ko (1986)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdX6U5OOoag
Good morning old schoolers!
So here we are, the clock has continued forward, and we are at the day that would have been. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't saddened today but I'm glad to be healthy, to still be working, and have things still good enough where I can feel bad about an anime convention being postponed.
Again - anyone who may be hosting some kind of online or virtual old school anime / retro event today, please let me know!
Continuing with the special weekend of videos to share, this one is an official music video that features a song - Full Moon Light - that instantly sends me back to the mid 1990's. Hearing it totally makes me feel like I'm in high school again, it's the weirdest thing. There was a time that Devil Hunter Yohko was a core series that virtually every anime fan had seen or at least knew about. It was the first title that ADV distributed, making it one of the most important anime series to the introduction and growth of anime in the west during the 90's boom. It blows my mind to think that it's currently a lost property in desperate need of rescue and re-release.
This video is from the fourth OVA (Devil Hunter Yohko 4-Ever), itself a collection of music videos - essentially AMVs before there were AMVs. Apologies for the video quality and non-English subs.
- Special Virtual Old School Celebration -
Celebrating An Era - 1990's! Devil Hunter Yohko (1990)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24jDOctBdXc
Good afternoon old schoolers!
How're you all holding up over this non-convention weekend? I was planning on recording some virtual panels but it really doesn't work out with my setup as they're so heavily based on audience participation. On the bright side, we do have a bit of a heat wave coming up here in Fanime's backyard so at least we're avoiding that - have to look for the positives.
For today I have a few special videos to share, two advertisements and the television version of one of my favorite OVA films.
First off is the Columbia House anime video club and their Akira commercial, something that was on heavy rotation on 90's cable television. If you haven't seen Akira (or haven't seen it in awhile) it's the perfect time to give it a watch as it surprisingly lines up with the world we're living in right now - right down to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. It's currently available on many streaming services.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIfu-FsxG00
Second is an old Sci-Fi Channel promo for "Adventures in Japanese Animation" which was the American television premier of Robot Carnival, Lensman, and Vampire Hunter D. This was the first showcase of anime films on the network and what would be come their annual "Festival of Anime" in the summers and later "Saturday Anime." Of these films, Robot Carnival and Vampire Hunter D are currently licensed and available from your favorite anime distributor. As for Lensman (which is the Galactic Patrol Lensman film), due to a number of factors it's in a licensing hell it will never get out of, although if you search online the entire film has been restored with the English dub track and English fansubs and can be found - including the series that later spun off from it. These are all great films, with Robot Carnival being my favorite of the three.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvF5Mw8iR7A
And finally, something a little different. This OVA is available from Discotek Media right now on DVD in its original four episode format, both the dub and previously unavailable sub - go buy it if you're even remotely interested! Please support the physical media anime industry! The version included below is a VHS recording of 8 Man After as it once aired on the Sci-Fi Channel, television edits, commercials, promos and all. It is being presented here only for nostalgia and because it's one of the most old school con-at-home type things I can think of. The original 1963 8 Man series was hugely influential to anime history - arguably being the first anime series to incorporate dynamic camera movement, realistic character designs, and possibly the first use of speed lines. He's also Japan's first cyborg superhero! (energy cigarettes not included)
- Special Virtual Old School Celebration -
Celebrating An Era - 1990's! 8 Man After (1993)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzpVJUIgpSk
Good afternoon old schoolers!
Continuing with this weekend's special posts, here's a half hour compilation vintage Japanese Sailor Moon product commercials. I want to also mention that the Sailor Moon Super Famicom RPG (of which a commercial is shown in this video), Sailor Moon Another Story, has recently been fan re-translated and is absolutely worth taking a look at as it features an excellent post-Sailor Moon S story. As for the commercials in the compilation - everything from video games to fish sausage... and a strange amount of sliding puzzles. Were those really that popular for licensed properties?
- Special Virtual Old School Celebration -
Celebrating An Era - 1990's! Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon (1992)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8rV3i71C8c
Good morning old schoolers!
Any other Monday of Fanime I'd more than likely be sitting in a video room, finishing my coffee and stretching out before doing another run through the halls right about now. Convention Monday's have always been a bit low-key, usually either not cosplaying or wearing something that is reasonably less involved. Heck, the past two years wearing an Ultraseven festival mask has been the extent of my Monday cosplay.
As we close out this convention weekend that wasn't, I'm going to pull back to an OP / ED with a specific ending. Hundred Beast King Golion is most famously known as the original source of Lion Force Voltron (AKA Voltron III), which has continued to take on a life of its own outside of Japan. The original anime series is still where it's at though, with a good balance of drama and humor, story and action. I also can't think of another combiner super robot series where what is seen in the anime actually goes together the same way with the toys and figures. This is the ending theme, and the key here is the repeated line at the end which translates to, "We five will go down the same road." I hope that road leads all of us to FanimeCon 2021.
Regular Friday OP/ED posts will resume this Friday, right up until the 2021 convention!
Celebrating An Era - 1980's! Hundred Beast King Golion (1981)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Zfp1uleAQs [ENDING]
Good evening old schoolers!
So now the clock begins ticking as we advance toward FanimeCon 2021. In fact the date of the gathering for next year is now one day less than one full year away! For today's OP, I though I would dust off one relevant to a piece of video game hardware that just began shipping worldwide, the TurboGrafx-16 Mini. For whatever reason the game NEC bundled with the console during its original North American release was Keith Courage in Alpha Zones - a rather strange localization of a Japanese game based on an anime property. That property was Mashin Hero Wataru, and that's the OP for today. While the game isn't bad, it is rather underwhelming and certainly not a title to introduce a new generation of video game hardware with.
Celebrating An Era - 1980's! Mashin Hero Wataru (1988)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bimWq6_oUcc
Good morning old schoolers!
To say a lot has transpired since last week's post would be an understatement. I sincerely hope you are all safe and that you are taking care of one another. Please make a positive impact on yourself and your surroundings - and help others to do the same.
For today's OP I decided to go with one that I have always really liked. While Dairugger isn't a series I'm super in to, it does feature possibly my favorite super robot OP and theme song (Youth of the Galaxy). I can't think of another super robot series with such a large cast. The series was localized as Vehicle Voltron (Voltron I), with the usual World Events Productions changes and edits in the mid 1980's. As with WEP's attempt at a Golion DVD release, the subtitled version of Dairugger was of mixed quality and quickly went out of print. It fetches crazy money now and is honestly not worth the cost for what you're getting. However... the link to the OP for this week is an official one from Bandai, and if you look at that YouTube account you'll see they are offering the entire series with English subtitles! Well worth checking out, at least a couple episodes.
Celebrating An Era - 1980's! Armored Squadron Dairugger XV (1982)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4UBY2W1GRI
Good afternoon old schoolers!
Yes, I'm still keeping it rolling here. This week's old school OP is Martian Successor Nadesico, a series I'm not very familiar with but the opening is super nostalgic. Why? Because it seemed to play as a preview before so many anime releases of the era that I bought or rented! ...I can't be the only one.
Celebrating An Era - 1990's! Martian Successor Nadesico (1996)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XphjF-fHZkM
Good late evening old schoolers!
Going with a fan favorite for today, the rare case of both the dub and sub being equally as enjoyable as one another. Kyatto Ninden Teyandee will be more familiar to those in the West as the series that was reworked into Samurai Pizza Cats. While both shows are full of off the wall humor and antics, the Japanese original is a bit more structured than the flat out comical localized release - just a bit. Either way the series is great fun and just as enjoyable now as it was when it first aired.
Celebrating An Era - 1990's! Kyatto Ninden Teyandee (1990)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-jelS4x-hI
Good morning old schoolers!
Closing out June today, I hope everyone is doing okay - not going too crazy with the adverse weather we've been having in many parts of the country lately. Also hope everyone is safe and taking whatever required precautions are necessary for whatever you need to do day-to-day.
This week's OP is a great one from an outstanding series, it's also an OP that looks way more modern in my opinion than its 1989 vintage. Yawara! A Fashionable Judo Girl! is an adaptation of the long-running manga series that began in 1986, about young Yawara Inokuma and her reluctant rise in the world of competitive judo. The anime ran for a total of 124 episodes and the first 40 episodes were actually released subtitled in English by AnimEigo in 2008, although no other releases followed and it has long since went out of print. The entire series has been fan translated and is out there but it would be awesome if a company such as Discotek could rescue this one and give it the English subtitled release it deserves. A judo anime may not sound all that interesting at first but definitely check this one out if able!
Celebrating An Era - 1980's! Yawara! A Fashionable Judo Girl! (1989)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FjXJrkxQeAE
Good evening old schoolers!
As tomorrow is Independence Day, I figured I'd share an obscure one that's tangentially related. Eagle Sam is one of two anime series that were based on Olympic mascots, in this case for the 1984 Summer Olympics held in Los Angeles. The anime series began the year before and, if you can believe it, ran for 51 episodes. Yes, this wasn't some little promotional OVA, it was a full on series that ran for a year on Japanese television.
Celebrating An Era - 1980's! Eagle Sam (1983)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSZuuIP3Sdk
We will see what next year brings, but for now I'm planning either Sheeta or Satsuki at this point.
Gotta represent Ghibli 8) I miss that person who had the giant robot cosplay from Castle in the Sky! :(
Quote from: Angelx624 on July 04, 2020, 12:27:45 AM
We will see what next year brings, but for now I'm planning either Sheeta or Satsuki at this point.
Gotta represent Ghibli 8) I miss that person who had the giant robot cosplay from Castle in the Sky! :(
Agreed, who knows how things will be next spring but until it gets closer I'm going to remain optimistic. I miss the guy with the giant robot too!
Good evening old schoolers!
Tonight's old school OP is from my favorite Sailor Moon ... anything. In my opinion nothing in the vast series ever topped the Sailor Moon S anime. In fact undoing the Sailor Moon S anime ending at the beginning of Sailor Stars is one reason (among many) I really don't care for the final series. Interestingly, Sailor Moon S had a sequel of sorts - a Super Famicom RPG that takes place shortly after the conclusion of S and incorporates characters and plot from both the anime and manga that came before. It was recently given a revised fan translation and is well worth checking out if you haven't yet. For FanimeCon 2018 and 2019 we cosplayed as origin story episode Haruka (professional driving suit) and Michiru (white and teal school uniform) - unique outfits only seen in the flashback portion of episode 106.
Celebrating An Era - 1990's! Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon S (1994)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUnr-qmqKAA
Good evening old schoolers!
Hope you are all well this Friday. Here's one that is going through a bit of a revival currently as a lot of people seem to be discovering it (or re-discovering it without the terrible "Cardcaptors" rework) via current streaming distribution.
Celebrating An Era - 1990's! Cardcaptor Sakura (1998)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-fLrxTsYIc
Good evening old schoolers!
Going with a personal favorite for today, a series that was completely fansubbed in English a few years ago. Star Musketeer Bismark is probably better known (if at all) outside of Japan as the series that was reworked into Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs. Handled by World Events Productions, the reworked English adaptation was an attempt to duplicate the success their Voltron project, specifically Lion Force Voltron (itself a rework and expansion of Hundred Beast King Golion). While it never reached the popularity of Voltron, and had massive rewrites over the Japanese original, I always really loved the series. Saber Rider aired in the afternoons in the bay area on local channel 26, where I watched it as a kid - and for many years it seemed like no one else had ever heard of the show but me. The Japanese original is even better, and interesting as it's a battle team series with a giant robot that isn't assembled from different parts. What other space western features a giant robot modeled after a caped desperado?
Celebrating An Era - 1980's! Star Musketeer Bismark (1984)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WA8OYMwqkM8
Good evening old schoolers!
How about a series today that everyone seems to love but me? I've never been able to place my finger on it but I just can't get into Irresponsible Captain Tylor. It also seems to be a show that runs pretty much every year in the Nostalgia Room at Fanime - and always happens to be running during a time in the middle of the day I want to sit down and watch some anime... so I always end up sitting though an episode or two... and still don't like it. That all said, I still do really like the opening and ending themes and the OP is cut pretty uniquely.
Celebrating An Era - 1990's! The Irresponsible Captain Tylor (1993)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8W7eF49xv4
Good afternoon old schoolers!
After taking some time off from cosplay related things (other than posts here), I've finally begun getting back into them. I've also been watching the series featured as today's old school anime OP, Future Police Urashiman - which is streaming on HiDive. The series is a lot of fun, about a thief who is transported from 1983 to 2050 while evading the police. The time slip causes him to lose his memory, and with few other options he joins a specialized mech police force to protect his new home of Neo Tokyo. Super catchy theme song as well.
Celebrating An Era - 1980's! Future Police Urashiman (1983)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kvf_Y_HTdls
Good afternoon old schoolers!
Crazy heat wave beginning in Fanime's backyard today and for the next few days. For this week's OP how about a sadly very much forgotten OVA series? 801 T.T.S. Airbats is one of those quintessential 90's anime series, to me anyway, that you would always see at Suncoast or if your local video store had a good anime rental section. This one is right up there with Devil Hunter Yohko in bringing back wonderful memories and instantly transporting me to the time in which I first saw it. Only seven episodes long, it uses every moment to hit all the hallmarks and tropes of anime during the 90's boom. An episode that revolves around an all-you-can-eat ramen contest at a newly opened shop is one of my favorite episodes of any anime series. Additionally the final episode of Airbats is so sugary sweet and mature that you'd swear it was concluding a full 50 episode show.
Incredibly this series has been out of print for FIFTEEN YEARS!! What gives? Time for a re-release! It's probably not even an expensive one to acquire the rights for!
Celebrating An Era - 1990's! 801 T.T.S. Airbats / Aozora Shojotai (1994)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5stkSssFXnI
Good evening old schoolers!
As fire crews battle massive wildfires across the state of California, I hope you are all safe and well. For this week's old school OP I decided to go with something swanky and cool - and you can't get much more of those things than with Space Cobra. An English subtitled release went out of print not to long ago but Discotek rescued it almost immediately and a Blu-ray release is on the way shortly.
Celebrating An Era - 1980's! Space Cobra (1982)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dt6XXfcdVY0
Good evening old schoolers!
Still moving along here, these weekly posts are really helping me not drift away from cosplay and give a routine cap to each workweek. True to my word, I'm going to keep going with these every week. This week's OP is a series with an interesting English release history and a pretty rocking opening theme. Mospeada was reworked in the USA to be the third "generation" of Robotech, heavily reworking the series as was done previously with Southern Cross. Taken on its own, I like Mospeada fine, however the subtitled DVD release is a total mess. Rather than romanize the Japanese names, ADV and Harmony Gold modified them into odd half-localized versions. About half of the main cast had their names mangled in the subtitles, due to bringing along baggage from the Robotech fan community of the time. I believe all releases that followed used these subtitles - which is kind of a shame. I waited so long to have this series in its native Japanese, dropped the $120 for the box set when it was announced, only to get subtitles on par with a bootleg release. Mospeada deserved better.
Celebrating An Era - 1980's! Genesis Climber MOSPEADA (1983)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_xhAxuUvGE
Good late evening old schoolers!
With Labor Day just around the corner, the unofficial end of summer is upon us. Kind of hard to believe, as this lost year of sorts continues to roll on. Rather than an OP for tonight I'm going with an ED, from my favorite shojo series - looking forward to the possibility of a normal spring and summer next year.
Celebrating An Era - 1990's! Marmalade Boy (1994)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YzKdSGVuGA (ENDING 1)
Good late evening old schoolers!
Horribly smoky skies overhead here lately but very thankfully no threat of fire. Going with another ED rather than an OP tonight, from Star Musketeer Bismark - a series I love. I posted the OP a few weeks ago but the ending is equally as awesome. Honestly, the ending feels like the prototype for a Sailor Moon ending credits sequence - total shojo vibes. Remember, the entire series has been fansubbed by GANGO Fansubs and can be found at the usual places.
Celebrating An Era - 1980's! Star Musketeer Bismark (1984)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVKNA13C3yI (ENDING)
Good evening old schoolers!
Some clear skies here today finally, a welcome change - even if just for a bit. Today's OP is more of a fun, end of Summer vibes type thing, from a series that while isn't great - is pretty entertaining for its devotion to fan service. This is actually the second opening theme and I believe the fourth opening as they changed up a bit of the animation each time. Either way, I like this opening song way more than the original OP.
I also want to once again emphasize that we intend to host this gathering whenever FanimeCon gatherings resume, even if that means FanimeCon retruns with modifications on Memorial Day Weekend in 2021, or at another time. The future continues to be very uncertain but one thing that is certain is that the conventions are going to be out there again sometime eventually. I will continue to post weekly OP's and updates every Friday until the gathering, whether it occurs on the optimistic date of Memorial Weekend 2021 or the longshot of sometime in 2022. That's all simply unknown at this point but until it all comes back, I'm going to continue with these posts.
Celebrating An Era - 1990's! Aika / Agent Aika (1997)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1ay7HKlQd8
Good evening old schoolers!
Closing out September with this week's post, which is kind of hard to believe, but every day brings advances that will lead to us all getting together once more again at FanimeCon and other conventions. Today's OP is a true classic, Gatchaman! I really need to sit down and re-watch the series but it's a MASSIVE time sink to complete the continuing story of the first three series. I do love this OP, especially the little nod to Mach GoGoGo (Speed Racer) that Tatsunoko apparently slipped in.
Celebrating An Era - 1970's! Science Ninja Team Gatchaman (1972)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_sxKcF4VE9s
Good evening old schoolers!
Sharing one of my favorite ending sequences today, the second from Dancouga. The imagery, the instrumentation, and the lyrics aren't what one may expect from a series about a giant combiner robot. Then again, Dancouga kind of does its own thing right from the start. Even more interesting is that the ending sequence is all about the bad guy, Shapiro Keats, who betrays the Earth at the very beginning of the series.
Celebrating An Era - 1980's! Super Beast Machine God Dancouga (1985)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4z6oVUtlJs (ENDING 2)
Good evening old schoolers!
Going with an OP I really like, of a series I love, featuring characters we frequently cosplay as. City Hunter 2 is arguably the best series of all the City Hunter adaptations, it was also the longest running (63 episodes). It takes the very well established characters and concepts of the first series and continues to expand upon them - both dramatically and comedically. It's also still very welcoming to new viewers, where City Hunter 3 and City Hunter '91 were more focused on additional adventures for long-time fans, which makes sense since they were adapted from later manga chapters. Episodes 49 and 50 are the peak of the entire franchise for me, with a very serious and adult story that not only delivers action and thrills for new fans but is also a massive payoff to those coming in over 100 episodes deep in the adventures of Ryo and Kaori. Come on, we wouldn't be Mokkori Cosplay if we didn't love City Hunter.
Celebrating An Era - 1980's! City Hunter 2 (1988)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLWjBJMEMaU (OP2)
Good afternoon old schoolers!
Well the calendar says October but the weather outside sure feels like May or June - it's giving me Fanime vibes. This week's OP is one of the coolest ever created in my opinion, from a very overlooked OVA series. The thing is Iria: Zeiram the Animation shouldn't be all that overlooked, especially with it aired on the SciFi Channel during their annual anime festival days. A prequel of sorts to the live action Zieram films (of which the first is a lot of fun and the second is just kinda boring), the series boasts some of the most unique environmental and character designs to ever grace anime. In fact the only thing I don't like about Iria is that is just sort of ends as if there's another episode to come. Granted, the live action films are supposed to follow but they don't quite match up.
As for the opening, it is freaking beautiful - and not just from an animation and design standpoint. The opening theme, the way the visuals are cut to the music - the backdrops, the patterns, the lighting, the effects - it's all amazing. No other anime series looks like Iria - a mash-up of Eastern Europe and Western Asia, the future and the past, technology and tradition. If you haven't seen this one, it's a very short watch that is still unequaled over 25 years later.
Celebrating An Era - 1990's! Iria: Zeiram the Animation (1994)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBZuBUw_F68
Good evening old schoolers!
How about another hauntingly beautiful opening for this week? Armor Hunter Mellowlink is an Armored Troopers VOTOMS spinoff, that unlike most VOTOMS spinoffs and sequel series, is actually really good and stands on its own. Unfortunately it was not included in the recent VOTOMS Blu-ray releases, although pretty much everything else was. Kind of a shame, since I doubt it would do very well if released on its own, simply because of limited recognition outside of Japan. The entire series has been fansubbed however.
Celebrating An Era - 1980's! Armor Hunter Mellowlink (1988)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySnuPN_3Xts
Good morning old schoolers!
Held this week's old school post back a day to align with Halloween. Today's title is a film rather than a series, so the opening of the film is what is being shared. Demon City Shinjuku is one of my favorite anime films and has been one of my favorites since when I first really began to get into anime in the mid 1990's. Unlike the other Yoshiaki Kawajiri films that tend to bookend it in most conversations (Wicked City and Ninja Scroll), Demon City Shinjuku is a much smaller and more contained story with a very slim cast. That's actually one of the reasons I really like it - it has a strange isolated feel. The story moves along very briskly, almost as a series of short interludes, which makes it unlike any other anime film I've since seen. The great thing is it is available currently both on physical formats and streaming, the novel it was adapted from has been translate into English, as was the sequel novel. A great film to watch this Halloween.
Celebrating An Era - 1980's! Demon City Shinjuku (1988)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3CI_zgpyWk
Good evening old schoolers!
Going with an OVA for this week, and a rather stylized OP that features an excellent piece of music. Area 88 is unique property, mostly a gritty air combat war drama - with just a tiny bit of shojo squeezed in. A huge manga series (that was never fully translated into English - yet another abandonment from Viz many years ago) that spawned this three episode OVA (usually released as 1+2 condensed into a single episode) in 1985, and a short television series in 2004. Also an arcade game, which was re-titled U.N. Squadron outside of Japan - with a fairly popular Super Nintendo release.
Celebrating An Era - 1980's! Area 88 (1985)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlE-1lOHS6I
Good evening old schoolers!
How about something Friday the 13th appropriate? Ghost Sweeper Mikami is a cool series with unique character designs that not many people seem to know about. Admittedly my first brush with the series was the Super Famicom game, which is also worth checking out. This is also a series where the US licensing and release was totally fumbled by various distributors with Manga Entertainment first releasing the OVA film (which really makes no sense without any familiarity with the series) and nothing else. Eventually Sentai Filmworks released the series, but it was sold as four individual volumes - and we all know how that goes with obscure anime. Obviously it's long out of print. However, Toei Animation still has the entire series with English subtitles on their YouTube channel (ToeiAnimationUS), so it can be enjoyed for free legally. With a length of 45 episodes it will require a bit of an investment, but give it a try sometime, it's a lot of fun.
Celebrating An Era - 1990's! Ghost Sweeper Mikami (1993)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avngzfSBvZc
Good afternoon old schoolers!
I do hope you are all doing well - or at least okay. Before we get started with today's OP, I want to acknowledge the passing of voice actor Kirby Morrow. While he provided English voice talent for many anime series that were important to the international mainstream anime boom in the 1990's, the role I always associated him with most was that of Trowa Barton in Gundam Wing. As I've said previously, Gundam Wing is a series I don't care much for but Trowa is my favorite character in the entire Gundam franchise - a lot of that has to do with how he was voiced in the English dub. That English dub running on Cartoon Network is really where Gundam outside of Japan began. Unless you were hardcore into Gundam before then, you really owe that dub not only the creation of modern Gundam fandom outside of Japan, but also where gunpla really began to gain traction in earnest in the West. I get kind of emotional when I think of his passing, as Trowa is a character I've always really loved since watching the first episode he appeared in - and when I first heard him speak, he was voiced by Kirby Morrow. In the same way Susan Roman will ALWAYS be the voice of Makoto Kino in Sailor Moon (as much as I love Emi Shinohara's voicework), Kirby Morrow will ALWAYS be Trowa Barton to me.
I thought I'd ride some of the 90's nostalgia wave with the OP for this week. In my experience, Serial Experiments Lain was the show that was kind of the "high concept, adult, mature" series that a lot of friends got into as their first anime series that was more serious in tone of storytelling. It also hit at the perfect time for the explosion of online communities made up of regular people, that fansite and chat room era I seem to talk so much about. Crazy that it was actually broadcast on extended cable TV (along with another surprise, Boogiepop Phantom) on a non-science fiction, non-animation channel - TechTV. While I enjoy the series and its style and concepts, it never made a huge impact on me for whatever reason. What surprises me these days is how little people talk about it, when it's honestly relevant now more than ever.
Celebrating An Era - 1990's! Serial Experiments Lain (1998)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hp5kUmni5Dk
Good morning old schoolers!
Here we are in the middle of a holiday weekend, one that looks very different than I'm sure many of us have seen before. Then again there was another holiday weekend of traditions that was very different this year to all of us - Fanime. Yet we're here, and we're moving along, and it's okay. Here's looking forward to when that holiday weekend at Fanime can resume once again.
Today's OP is from a favorite series of mine, top five easily, Armored Troopers VOTOMS. I've talked about it at length many times, including one year in our Vintage Anime panel, but this is a slow burn sci-fi war epic. What's different is that rather than being told from the perspective of a society, or an armed force, or a military detachment - it's told from the perspective of one person, Chirico Cuvie, as he unravels his past and comes to command his future. It's definitely not for everyone, and it sure has its goofy moments, but if you haven't seen it and you're looking for a mechanized war epic without all the wax and polish of some Gundam series, give it a try.
Sentai Filmworks online store actually has the entire series on Blu-ray right now on sale for $30. It is EVERYTHING VOTOMS with the exception of the rather excellent Armor Hunter Mellowlink OVA spinoff series. Some of the VOTOMS OVAs are really good while others are not but it's cool to be able to grab them all in one set, it also fixes some of the encoding issues with the previous Blu-ray releases. Looks like inventory is low though, so move quick.
Celebrating An Era - 1980's! Armored Trooper VOTOMS (1983)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjJt58geu9U
Good evening old schoolers!
December is upon us and while we're still deep within the rough patches of the pandemic, the light is finally starting to shine at the end of the tunnel. How long it takes to come out the other side remains to be seen but it is there - and it really does look like we're closer to the end than we are to the beginning.
For this week's OP, how about a badass series that no one talks about anymore? Zenki is freaking awesome, it has one of the greatest anime themes ever, and it was always the anti-Inuyasha to me. (much to the irritation of some friends) Check it out!
Celebrating An Era - 1990's! Kishin Douji Zenki (1995)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G55UQClMw9I
Good evening old schoolers!
I actually picked today's OP at random, basically scrolled around in my OP list with my eyes closed and stopped on it. It's a really good one though. Kare Kano (better known as His and Her Circumstances in the west) is often considered one of the best high school shojo anime series although it is noted as being quite a departure from the manga, which is rumored to have created disagreements which lead to only the first third of the long-running series being adapted. While in my opinion it's no Marmalade Boy (ha ha), it's an entertaining series with some really cool visual quirks that border on being experimental. I've head the manga turns into a mess near the end however, so the story may not be worth pursuing beyond the anime.
Celebrating An Era - 1990's! His and Her Circumstances (1998)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Hym2-PDJ9A
Good afternoon old schoolers!
A little later in the weekend for the weekly post but I didn't forget! Let's go high energy for today with a much loved series, better known as Fist of the North Star in the west.
Celebrating An Era - 1980's! Hokuto no Ken (1984)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s15JKP_TpIY
Good afternoon old schoolers!
I hope everyone had a nice Christmas, and if you don't celebrate then I hope you had a nice day just the same. This week's classic anime OP is one from a series I was just watching last night. Zillion is a very interesting series, if not for the series itself then for the incredible amount of reach the series had - whether people knew it or not. Although produced at Tatsunoko, Zillion series producer Mitsuhisa Ishikawa took the team he was heading and spun them off into IG Tatsunoko, which would later become Production I.G during the production of Patlabor 2 The Movie. Due to that, Zillion is often regarded as Production I.G's first work.
Zillion is also known to most people in the west for a pair of video games on the Sega Master System (which were also released on the Sega Mark III in Japan). Opa-Opa from the Fantasy Zone games, is actually a robot character in the series. Additionally the three Zillion guns the main characters are armed with were used as the design of the Sega Light Phaser, the Sega Master System's light gun. Additionally there were Zillion branded laser tag sets sold in Japan and Brazil - in fact the weapon loadout in the anime really does give off some serious 80's laser tag vibes. Lastly, Zillion is the anime series briefly seen in the Michael Jackson Scream video - meaning Zillion is possibly a favorite series of Space Michael from Space Channel 5. Wow, that's a lot of tie-ins.
On top of all that, the series is a lot of fun and has an outstanding opening theme. It has also been recently re-released on Blu-ray (after being a DVD / Blu-ray combo pack a couple yeas ago), is very affordable, and the case and disc artwork is an homage to classic anime VHS rentals, with the US Master System cartridge label used as the disc art, complete with the episode numbers written as if done with a Sharpie. It's pretty much the most intentional old school love I've ever seen on a modern anime release.
Celebrating An Era - 1980's! Akai Kodan Zillion (1987)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=la-lgb-BPhI
Good evening old schoolers!
Happy New Year everyone, I hope you are all doing well. For this week's classic anime OP or ED I was trying to think of something New Year's themed and came up with the most "new year's resolution" one I could think of off the top of my head. Cat's Eye is a spectacular manga series, every bit as entertaining as Tsukasa Hojo's more popular City Hunter. The first season of the anime is wonderful as well but it kind of falls apart in the second season (and the anime doesn't really have an ending), so I generally recommend that most people stop watching after the first season and go read fan translations of the manga afterward. This is the first ending, a super catchy exercise theme that is undeniably of it's 1983 vintage.
Celebrating An Era - 1980's! Cat's Eye (1983)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWgCK8fnjbU (ENDING)
Good ...well I guess it would be night... old schoolers!
A little late today but I haven't forgotten. How about a mecha series that is part of an anime institution, has what many consider one of the best hero mecha designs of the franchise, an incredibly well designed and animated opening, a spectacular theme song, buuut... a hero character most don't like and a story that people seem to love or hate? Yeah, it's Stardust Memory. Can't say I disagree about a lot of the flack this series gets - I really need to watch it again soon and see if my opinion has changed. Amazing OP though - and it is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year!
Celebrating An Era - 1990's! Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory (1991)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WoM3nJVDaCk
*** 30th Anime Anniversary ***
Good evening old schoolers!
Today's OP was chosen as I was working on a Mazinger Z model kit today. Go Nagai created so many influential works but in my opinion none had as big an impact as Mazinger Z - more or less creating the super robot genre as it has been known since. Even if you're not familiar with the series, all it takes is one viewing of the opening sequence and you're sure to be reminded of something you've seen another later series. Heck, my all time favorite tokusatsu hero - Jet Jaguar - is essentially a combination of Mazinger Z and Ultraman. Apologies in advance if you're walking around later with "supa roboto - Mazinger Zetto!" stuck in your head.
Celebrating An Era - 1970's! Mazinger Z (1972)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08rKB66E03I
Good evening old schoolers!
This week's OP is one chosen at random. While reasonably obscure, Esteban Child of the Sun may be better known to some as The Mysterious Cities of Gold. This is French-Japanese co-production, with the English version airing during Nickelodeon's early days. Yeah, this is one of those strange cartoons that would run early on weekdays (the French series Spartakus and the Sun Beneath the Sea being another one) that I would often catch just a glimpse of if I was up early enough.
Celebrating An Era - 1980's! Esteban Child of the Sun (1982)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0AJ796pb6k
Good evening old schoolers!
While the immediate future of FanimeCon remains to be uncertain, I will continue to post a classic anime OP or ED every week until the convention - and this gathering - resumes.
To close out January, here's an opening from the first series in a franchise I truly love. The first Cyber Formula series is a lot like Mach GoGoGo / Speed Racer except in the near-future where a combination of super powerful cars equipped with AI navigators have advanced motorsport to its highest echelon - Cyber Formula. While the first series takes an "anything goes" format, the sequels fall more in line with what would be expected of a motorsports formulae that would surpass F-1. Teams come and go, new characters are introduced, old characters leave, business relationships are formed and broken, romantic relationships grow and fall apart - it really is a spectacular franchise across five very distinct series. The original Cyber Formula actually had an English subtitled box set release on DVD but has long since went out of print. Double-One (series 2) and Zero (series 3 - also my favorite) have pretty excellent fan translations, while Saga (series 4) and Sin (series 5) have passable "HK subs" that can be slogged through. The whole thing really needs a proper subtitled re-release / release.
Celebrating An Era - 1990's! Future GPX Cyber Formula (1991)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3WAWOGESu8
Good evening old schoolers!
For this week I have picked Macross II, simply because it doesn't get nearly enough love for what it is. Sure, Macross II: Lovers Again has become the black sheep of the Macross franchise but if it wasn't for this series keeping some level of the fire burning, Macross probably wouldn't be as long-lasting as it is today. Macross II is what stirred the pot that eventually gave us awesome things like Macross Plus and Macross 7. For that it deserves some respect, also "Riding in Your Valkyrie" is my favorite Macross song, and Wendy Ryder is the best Macross pop idol - you know it's true.
Celebrating An Era - 1990's! The Super Dimension Fortress Macross II: Lovers Again (1992)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ppTY6EmTeE
Good evening old schoolers!
With Valentine's Day this weekend, I thought the OP from my favorite shojo series was in order. I simply love Marmalade Boy. The premise sounds really out there - two couples run into one another on holiday and fall in love with the other's spouses, so they divorce and swap partners. Rather than break apart their families they decide to buy a big house and all live in it together - including their teenage daughter Miki and teenage son Yuu. Miki and Yuu don't get along much at first but over the massive run time of the series (76 episodes) their relationship grows as they fall for one another. That's just one part of a very complex drama with a very diverse and developed cast. As odd as that all may seem, it really is just the sweetest shojo anime and my love for it has never diminished since first watching it. It has also been re-released by Discotek Media after being out of print and very expensive for many years!
Celebrating An Era - 1990's! Marmalade Boy (1994)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5VzUAMWL5o
Hello old schoolers!
A bit late with the post for this week but here it is - we're still going with these! This week is a modern take on a classic tokusatsu show, Android Kikaider: The Animation. Of all the anime that ran on Cartoon Network at one time or another, to me this was the one that was the most subtly adult. Also a series that one doesn't see talked about much but if you bring it up, so many people seem to have really enjoyed it or at least watched an episode at one point.
Celebrating An Era - 2000! Android Kikaider: The Animation (2000)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6oSVBKLaoo
Good evening old schoolers,
As I am sure you are aware, FanimeCon 2021 cannot be held in-person and will instead be a virtual event. As the notion of a gathering is to bring people together in person, we will be rolling the gathering ahead to 2022, when hopefully FanimeCon will be able to be held physically once again. We are fully committed to hosting this gathering (as well as our Vintage Anime panel) in 2022.
Until then, not much changes here. I'm still going to continue to share an old school anime opening or ending right up until Fanime, as usual. Yeah, I'm going to keep it rolling until 2022. The Facebook event page has been updated to reflect this, and the forum thread will be updated as well shortly.
With the expected delay and postponement to 2022, I decided to go with my favorite of all the Sailor Moon endings this week, that of Sailor Moon R. Otome no Policy "A Maiden's Policy" is also my favorite song in the entire franchise. The ending itself is perfectly matched to the music and showcases Usagi's double life in a very subtle way - along with some interesting animation motion. I've also always felt it to be the most "Usagi" of all the Sailor Moon music, not entirely confident but tenacious in positivity. Perfect song for the announcement of further Fanime deferment and presentation of virtual events for this year.
Celebrating An Era - 1990's! Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon R (1993)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7habakK5OYY (ENDING)
Good evening old schoolers,
How about a relatively unknown one with a cool style, awesome opening theme, and a very small animation budget? Violinist of Hameln had a very long running manga series which spawned this loose anime adaptation. Unfortunately the budget was so tight that the animators were forced to use still images for massive parts of it all. Perhaps a further condensed rewrite could have gone better? Who knows. There is also a very charming Super Famicom (Super Nintendo) game that has a wonderful English fan translation. It's an action platform puzzler unlike anything else, definitely worth checking out. The entire anime series has also been fansubbed but this can be a hard one to find these days.
Celebrating An Era - 1990's! Violinist of Hameln (1996)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4d7wM6A1KtY
Good evening old schoolers,
Going with a Go Nagai classic today, perhaps not his most influential work but that's only because so much of his work was incredibly influential. The original Cutey Honey (and yes, I'll always spell Cutey that way) anime series is a lot of fun and far more approachable for the masses as it's toned down quite a bit from the original manga - which is also available in English! There are a bunch of sequels and re-imaginings of the lovely warrior but I still totally recommend the original anime - even if New Cutey Honey is my personal favorite.
Celebrating An Era - 1970's! Cutey Honey (1973)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCX77Je16fk
Quote from: InsaneDavid on March 12, 2021, 06:03:28 PM
Good evening old schoolers,
Going with a Go Nagai classic today, perhaps not his most influential work but that's only because so much of his work was incredibly influential. The original Cutey Honey (and yes, I'll always spell Cutey that way) anime series is a lot of fun and far more approachable for the masses as it's toned down quite a bit from the original manga - which is also available in English! There are a bunch of sequels and re-imaginings of the lovely warrior but I still totally recommend the original anime - even if New Cutey Honey is my personal favorite.
Celebrating An Era - 1970's! Cutey Honey (1973)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCX77Je16fk
I picked up the manga not long ago and was quite surprised by some of the content lol.
Quote from: Amanojaku on March 17, 2021, 02:42:12 PM
I picked up the manga not long ago and was quite surprised by some of the content lol.
Yeah, it is kind of a trip compared to the anime series. In retrospect while it seems like they got away with a lot in the anime, compared to the manga it's super tame. The action and comedy used to make up the difference basically reset the template for action shojo anime from then on, so I suppose it all worked out in the end.
Good evening old schoolers!
This week I have an OP that I am very excited to share. Grimm Masterpiece Theater is a collection of classic fairy tales adapted from the collected works of the Brothers Grimm. The stories generally follow the folk tales as they are known, with a few alterations and twists as the Grimm stories have been subject to from the beginning.
While this may seem like an obscure series to be excited about, it's also one that a lot of us have probably had exposure to. Grimm Masterpiece Theater and its companion series (New Grimm Masterpiece Theater) were adapted for American audiences under the title "Grimm's Fairy Tale Classics" and rather famously aired on Nickelodeon for many, many, many years throughout the 1990's. The English adaptation has so many classic anime English voice actors throughout, it really is kind of a wonderful snapshot of quality syndication dubbing of the time. This includes a few appearances of my personal favorite voice actor, Mike Reynolds.
I'm presenting this one today as Discotek Media is going to release the first series on SD Blu-ray at the end of May! In addition to finally having the original Japanese version with English subtitles, it will also have the entire dub version of each episode that had an English release. While I'll have to wait until the second volume is released for Bearskin, my favorite Grimm story, this is one of those "it'll never be released" series that we're going to be getting in just a few months. I am overly excited about this one.
Celebrating An Era - 1980's! Grimm Masterpiece Theater (1987)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVaXJMcMyP0
Good evening old schoolers!
Closing out March with a classic space opera and a cornerstone of the Leiji Matsumoto universe - Space Pirate Captain Harlock. While I always recommend Galaxy Express 999 as an outstanding 1970's anime, admittedly it does run really long and it's easy to lose interest. Harlock on the other hand gives you that same type of downtrodden adventure with a third less of the episodes. I actually watched the whole series again a couple years ago, two episodes a night, on a free streaming channel and truly enjoyed it beginning to end. I think spreading it out like that - how it was intended and broadcast - did a lot to really enhance that. Give this one a shot, it's really enjoyable and filled with iconic characters.
Celebrating An Era - 1970's! Space Pirate Captain Harlock (1978)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgBOlg_xNcU
Good evening old schoolers!
Starting this month off with a series that premiered 24 years ago today. Revolutionary Girl Utena borrows a little here and there from shojo of the past and builds upon it with a more modern focus and unique approach - both serious and unapologetically over the top all at once. This was obviously a very important series during the 90's anime boom in the West - both for anime and manga. It truly was a revolutionary series, following a lineage first first began in 1953 with Osamu Tezuka's Princess Knight but expanding upon what came before to smash through into a genre of its own.
Celebrating An Era - 1990's! Revolutionary Girl Utena (1997)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FmCys68ELpg
Good late evening old schoolers!
A bit of a random pick for this week, a series that began as a strategy RPG / dating sim / visual novel and pretty much exploded into all Japanese media. The Sakura Taisen TV series is an adaptation of the first video game and is reasonably entertaining - also an accessible place to start if the property looks interesting to you. Should also be noted that the original 1996 Saturn game has been fan translated fairly recently.
Celebrating An Era - 2000! Sakura Taisen TV (2000)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71L-EEB7yJE
Good very late evening old schoolers!
Another random pick this week but one that is a series I very much enjoy. Galaxy Express 999 is a long series, which can make it seem like it drags a bit here or there for some. I've always thought that was kind of the point however, as the journey shows what a genuinely screwed up and dark place the galaxy is - and it only gets worse the further Tetsuro and Maetel travel. Seriously, after awhile I just want to see them catch a break and spend one layover on one calm planet. The entire series has been released in wonderful quality, subtitled in English, in three box sets and can be purchased currently. If the runtime is too daunting, an alternate telling of the series is featured as the first Galaxy Express 999 movie - which ran on the Sci-Fi Channel at one point, exposing GE999 to the mainstream during the 90's anime boom.
Celebrating An Era - 1970's! Galaxy Express 999 (1978)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gq-b_iNrQaQ
Good evening old schoolers!
As I'm sure many of you have seen, virtual FanimeCon 2021 has awoken a bit. While we won't be gathering this year (and our vintage anime panel is being rolled forward to 2022 as it has so much audience participation / discussion), I am really happy to see Fanime attempt to provide some content and added value for those who registered back in 2019 / 2020.
For this week I've chosen an ending that totally brings back that old school anime vibe, especially if you were into anime during the 1990's western boom. I love Dominion Tank Police and have since I first saw it. I also amazingly still find it just as hilarious today as I did 25 or so years ago. Of course it also ran during Sci-Fi Channel's "Festival of Anime" albeit in a slight edited form, so it's an obscure one a lot of people may have seen. It's also one of the series that I will endlessly advocate that the English dub is the best way to watch it. It blows my mind it is currently out of print and has been for so many years - kind of crazy considering it's such a short OVA. There have been a lot of reworks and interpretations of this property (in fact this OVA is a rough prequel to the manga) but this is still what I like best. Simple as the dub music is, it just fits so much better with everything - but that could be nostalgia talking.
Celebrating An Era - 1980's! Dominion / Dominion Tank Police (1988)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvMOk0oiR7k (ENDING - Dub)
Good evening old schoolers!
Closing out April today and I will admit it still feels more strange rather than normal to not be preparing for an in-person FanimeCon during this time of the year. I suppose that's a good thing, means my interest in cosplay and conventions hasn't lessened in this time away from them. Really glad to see things starting to turn around in regards to the ongoing pandemic, at least in my area.
This week's OP, from Super Dimension Calvary Southern Cross, is one I enjoy although I absolutely do not care for the series it leads off. Southern Cross just never clicked with me - nor did it with Japanese viewers in 1984, as it was canceled before its originally planned ending due to low ratings. Not exactly the best way to follow up the other two unrelated "Super Dimension" series - Macross and Orguss - which were both quite successful, especially Macross (although Orguss is way better and you all know it.....) Still has a cool opening song though!
Celebrating An Era - 1980's! Super Dimension Calvary Southern Cross (1984)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7UUQd7lLbA
Good evening old schoolers!
May is upon us! To kick off the month that means in-person Fanime is a year away, I decided to go with a pretty great ending. It's no secret I love City Hunter - after all, my wife and I cosplay under the name Mokkori Cosplay with "mokkori" more or less being the series catchphrase. Discotek Media announced that the first half of City Hunter 2 on Blu-ray will be released this July. I consider City Hunter 2 the best series of the franchise as many of the stories span two episodes, allowing deeper storytelling with just as much action and comedy. Episodes 49 and 50, "Goodbye Hard-Boiled City," is often considered to be the flat out best story in the entire franchise. I agree, although the City Hunter '91 episode "My Love For Tonight Only, Cinderella Story in the City" is my favorite episode, and a perfect adaptation of my favorite City Hunter manga story (chapters 143 and 144, Cinderella in the City). I really do miss cosplaying as Ryo Saeba, doubly so considering that City Hunter was just beginning to ride a new wave of international popularity at the beginning of 2020.
Celebrating An Era - 1980's! City Hunter 2 (1988)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqTao0YEvRs (ENDING 1)
Good evening old schoolers!
Mixing it up a bit with a Saturday post for this week. I hope everyone is doing alright. I want to again commend FanimeCon for attempting to ADD value to 2020 registrants with the virtual event for 2021, rather than saying "well we're just going to roll it over for another year." Sure, virtual cons are inherently imperfect and limited but if the last year has taught me anything it is that you have to approach most things with an element of flexibility. That all said, I am so looking forward to 2022 and hoping that momentum builds up to it, rather than fades away.
For this evening, I'm going with a really chill, urban opening. Boogiepop Phantom is a bit of an odd series to go into cold - but it also sort of works out as the best way to get into it. Technically it is a standalone series meant to follow the first and sixth (which serves as a prequel to the series) Boogiepop light novels. The idea was the live action film adaptation of the original light novel would be released with the anime following shortly after, making it easier to get into. However the film wasn't released in Japan until after the series concluded. What I still can't wrap my head around is how this aired on limited basic cable in the USA, on TechTV of all places. Either way, it's a short series - only 12 episodes - and if it piques your interest, there's a whole lot more to check out with English translations of the first six light novels, the manga, the live action film, and the follow up anime series that is an adaptation of the original light novel.
Celebrating An Era - 2000! Boogiepop Phantom (2000)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRNW70gWKjE
I do plan on at least checking out Virtual Fanime. If it can fill at least some of the void of not having an in-person con, then that's good enough for me.
Then we can all finally return in Fanime 2022! ^^
Quote from: Angelx624 on May 15, 2021, 07:16:56 PM
I do plan on at least checking out Virtual Fanime. If it can fill at least some of the void of not having an in-person con, then that's good enough for me.
Then we can all finally return in Fanime 2022! ^^
Same here!
Good evening old schoolers!
Any other year and this would be the big run-up weekend of posts and promotion, styling wigs, giving cosplay its final fittings and pressings, getting panels rehearsed one last time, sorting out business cards and badge ribbons, and everything else that the week before FanimeCon entails for many of us. However we know this year's Fanime is different than any that has come before, even 2020's full postponement. With that said, it's awesome to see so many people excited about the virtual 2021 events and coming together to begin to plan fan events and gatherings for 2022 already. This week's OP is a true classic, beautifully animated with a rousing yet relaxing opening theme.
Celebrating An Era - 1960's! Jungle Taitei (1965)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgeBFRjWxiU
Good morning old schoolers!
Well here we are, what would have been Fanime Friday for 2021 (and still is for Virtual FanimeCon). I cannot emphasize enough how much I wish we were all going to be meeting up together on this evening for what is my favorite Fanime tradition. This gathering truly is what got me into cosplay, first in 2014, and is a large part of what brought me back into anime fandom completely after returning to conventions in 2012. All of you who attend, who have such varied interests in anime and cosplay characters, who inspire me to look into the series and movies and manga you cosplay from (which although all from before 2001, seems vast and ever expanding), to see your construction and design techniques for costumes where you may be the only person at the entire convention cosplaying as that character - are a part of what brought me back into the convention fandom as well.
Please take care of yourselves, enjoy the virtual Fanime weekend if you are participating, and I hope to see you all in one year's time.
For this week's OP I'm going with a film special that took a bunch of "usual suspect" Tezuka Productions characters and mixed them up together in different roles and circumstances - a bit like the convention scene as of late. Marine Express was a television movie commissioned for an annual 24-hour charity special. In addition to having been shown at Fanime in years previous, it also makes an appearance in the outstanding Game Boy Advance game Astro Boy: Omega Factor, which itself is an amazing love letter to Osamu Tezuka fans.
Celebrating An Era - 1970's! Undersea Super Train: Marine Express (1979)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBOr140mjlY
Good late evening old schoolers!
I'm considering this the first post on the way back to normalcy as now we're within one full year of the next convention cycle. Outside of everything else in the world, the past two years (one without Fanime and one with the virtual convention that just wrapped up) have felt very different without an in-person FanimeCon. Things continue to look up in this corner of the world, making the return in 2022 look more and more like a certainty. With that, I'm going to continue to post every week right up until FanimeCon 2022, and dare I say maybe even start to promote the gathering again in the next few weeks.
ONE YEAR TO GO - START!
Going with the Sailorstars opening this week. Although it's probably my least favorite season of Sailor Moon, I really do like the opening sequences and the opening song.
Why do I dislike Sailorstars so much? Ah... for a number of reasons - namely retconning the anime ending of Sailor Moon S, having "hero" characters who are completely worthless, and lacking any kind of character arc outside of a couple really well written episodes centering on Haruka and Michiru. A lot of this has to do with trying to curve the manga back into the anime plots, which by this time had gone off in completely different directions, resulting in this kind of strange third chronology that doesn't really adapt the manga nor follow the anime it's supposed to cap. In my mind Sailorstars always got a free pass for all of that due to its erroneously perceived adult and serious nature that supposedly prevented it from being adapted into English for the longest time. A lot of its notoriety in the United States stems from it being perceived as this mythical final season of Sailor Moon that you couldn't watch - at least in my opinion.
Celebrating An Era - 1990's! Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon Sailorstars (1996)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWPkNVOdszE
Good evening old schoolers!
Continuing on with an absolute classic, not much more can be said that has already been. However, if you are only familiar with Dragon Ball Z or the more modern flavors of Dragon Ball, the early anime series is absolutely worth checking out.
Celebrating An Era - 1980's! Dragon Ball (1986)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t61DxVsJwqk
Good evening old schoolers!
I hope those in the Fanime area have been keeping cool over these past few days, as the temperatures have been roasting. For this week's OP, an interesting one from a series that is finally getting an official English subtitled release shortly. The story goes that when World Events Productions was planning out their Voltron project they wanted to combine three Japanese series to make one healthy syndication package. The intention was to use Dairugger, Albegas, and Daltanious. Due to a misunderstanding, asking for "the one with the lion," they were sent Golion in place of Daltanious. After seeing the far more modern and slick Golion, the arrangement was made to acquire it for redevelopment and localization instead. Golion became Lion Force Voltron / Voltron III, Dairugger became Vehicle Voltron / Voltron I, and Albegas was intended to be Voltron II but was dropped in favor of contracting additional US-centric episodes of Lion Force Voltron. ...and well, Daltanious became little more than a footnote in the history of 1980's Americanized anime. I still swear I saw a Daltanious VHS tape in a Suncoast in the early 2000's but have never been able to come up with any proof... oh well.
Celebrating An Era - 1970's! Future Robo Daltanious (1979)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WT8itiVr4ng
Good evening old schoolers!
Apologies for being a couple days late for this week, things have been busier than usual! This time around, an extremely popular series that I've been watching lately.
Celebrating An Era - 1980's! Kimagure Orange Road (1987)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTOZhZSr6RY
Good late evening old schoolers!
On this Independence Day, how about something explosive?
Celebrating An Era - 1980's! Dragon Ball Z (1989)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcdDnwm4pAE
Quote from: InsaneDavid on June 28, 2021, 05:46:17 PM
Good evening old schoolers!
Apologies for being a couple days late for this week, things have been busier than usual! This time around, an extremely popular series that I've been watching lately.
Celebrating An Era - 1980's! Kimagure Orange Road (1987)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTOZhZSr6RY
I just started watching this on RetroCrush and I love it. How can something I've never watched before make me feel so nostalgic? lol
Good evening old schoolers!
Over the next week or so I'm going to get the gathering thread / events page set back to a regular "for the next Fanime" state rather than the "until we can all be together again" as it has been since mid 2020. Weekly OP / ED posts will continue, though they may be anytime Friday - Sunday rather than always on Friday. It also means I can get back to promoting the gathering once more as there is a really good chance we'll all be at-con again next year.
For this week, how about an odd one? Pilot Candidate / The Candidate for Goddess began as a 1997 manga that had an anime adaptation begin in 2000 while the manga was ongoing. It only ran for 12 episodes and was abruptly discontinued. An OVA series of a single episode followed but did little to complete the narrative, making this an anime adaptation that was more or less quickly abandoned, possibly do to poor ratings. For whatever reason Cartoon Network thought licensing and airing the series was a good idea - incomplete as it was. I swear, who signed off on this over something else?
Celebrating An Era - 2000! Pilot Candidate (2000)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RylNH1nTvhM
Good evening old schoolers!
Closing out the weekend with a true classic - a manga that began in 1964, had anime films in 1966 and 1967, and in 1968 an anime television adaptation that is this week's OP. Over fifty years later and Cyborg 009 is still going strong.
Celebrating An Era - 1960's! Cyborg 009 (1968)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUiqCoUGrnQ
Good afternoon old schoolers!
For this week, one I've already posted for this "year" of the gathering - but that was awhile ago and it's pretty appropriate at the moment. A great series and an opening that looks more modern than the 1989 production would lead one to believe - at least it did so when it was featured at Vintage Anime - Name That Year last Fanime.
Celebrating An Era - 1980's! Yawara! A Fashionable Judo Girl! (1989)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FjXJrkxQeAE
Good morning old schoolers!
Another week and another month already, crazy! For this week, a series I don't personally care a ton for but I do like the concept and always like to see the amazing cosplay that it generates! Perhaps the years playing the terrible Famicom games based on the series have tainted my enjoyment...
Celebrating An Era - 1980's! Saint Seiya (1986)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=icmOvrKdpQo
Good evening old schoolers!
Almost missed this week! This time around, the opening from the fourth Cyber Formula series, Cyber Formula SAGA. This one tends to be the favorite of many Cyber Formula fans and although I prefer Zero, SAGA does have a very interesting narrative about where the limits of a cyber system lie - which factors into the final series, Cyber Formula Sin. The art design also took its biggest modernization jump in SAGA, which is again why I like the middle ground of the earlier Zero a bit more, but everyone is a lot older by this spot in the timeline.
Celebrating An Era - 1990's! Future GPX Cyber Formula SAGA (1996)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQiO6F4hthU
Good afternoon old schoolers!
Apologies for being away for a couple weeks, things have gotten busier than usual. Everything's good however. I'm officially moving the gathering updates back to our usual weekly posts as I remain optimistic that come Memorial Day Weekend 2022 we'll be having an in-person FanimeCon. Although I have elected to personally skip conventions until 2022, they are starting to spin back up - even in downtown San Jose. These are important, as they will set the precedent for how conventions will get rolling again and be planned out into the next year. I know it can seem really discouraging that this isn't all behind us at this point, but we are so close to getting it under control - truly. I hope you are all doing well.
For this week, an OP we've featured "this year" but it just seems appropriate with how things are. At one point I planned it as a dirty trick for the tiebreaker round of our Vintage Anime - Name That Year panel, as visually the OP is mostly nothing but rolling flames until the very end.
Celebrating An Era - 1980's! Area 88 (1985)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlE-1lOHS6I
Good late evening old schoolers!
I've actually been watching quite a bit of anime over the past few days and this week's OP is from one of them. Cyber City Oedo 808 is a three episode OVA set in cyberpunk Japan of the year 2808. Three criminals - Sengoku, Benten, and Gogl - are enlisted by the Cyber Police to complete assignments in exchange for a reduction in their sentences. However with each of them serving terms of over 300 years, and each completed mission only removing a fraction of that time, the chances of any of them eventually going free are slim. Each of them wears an exploding collar around their neck, controlled by their supervising officer, Chief Hasegawa. Hasegawa sets a time limit for each assignment, with the collar exploding if it is not completed in the allotted time. Additionally he can manually detonate a collar at any time and often changes the rules and parameters of an assignment on the fly.
The series is a futuristic take on the police practices of the Edo period of Japan, complete with each criminal being armed with a jitte both as a practical weapon and symbol. It is beautifully animated, full of great action, interesting stories, and dynamic character designs. It's also very short, with only three episodes that are each focused around one of the main characters as they complete assignments. The whole thing is presented as if it is a small slice of a larger narrative but this is a one-take OVA, with no expanding anime series or manga. Honestly it is done so well and is so interesting that it's kind of a shame there isn't more of it. It was recently re-released on Blu-ray by the good people at Discotek Media, including both the US and UK English dubs in addition to the original Japanese with English subtitles.
If you like cyberpunk and the work of Yoshiaki Kawajiri (who also directed Wicked City, Demon City Shinjuku, Ninja Scroll, and much more) then this is either one you're familiar with or haven't seen in awhile. Check it out again, outstanding opening song as well.
Celebrating An Era - 1990's! Cyber City Oedo 808 (1990)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lu0bReALU6Y
Good evening old schoolers!
Going over ground we've covered very early in the gathering thread but with the preview trailer for the live action Cowboy Bebop series being released, I figured we could do it again. I've never been the biggest Cowboy Bebop fan - by that I mean I was never crazy into it the way so many others were / are but I do really like series. If anything I think the live action series will be entertaining and if it isn't, it doesn't change what the anime was. I mean, there was a French live action City Hunter movie released in 2019 that did the main characters justice and was fine, although it was gummed up with French slapstick comedy - which I've never been a fan of - but it wasn't terrible or anything, so who knows.
Celebrating An Era - 1990's! Cowboy Bebop (1998)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRI_8PUXx2A
Good evening old schoolers!
A random pick for this week that happens to be a very early title. While Tetsuwan Atom / Astro Boy isn't the first anime series by any stretch, it was still massively influential and important - and surprisingly holds up as well today as when it was first created.
Celebrating An Era - 1960's! Tetsuwan Atom (1963)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSbaZuTW1Q0
Good evening old schoolers!
Although the Old School Cosplay Gathering generally features anime and manga characters, pre-2001 video game cosplay is also always welcomed. In the years since I began hosting duties we have always had at least a couple old school video game cosplayers. For this week's OP I'm going with the opening of what has remained my favorite RPG since first playing it back in 1999. When the original version of Grandia was released on the Saturn in 1997 it was considered to be the pinnacle of traditional RPGs on the system. A PlayStation conversion followed, which was localized into English and released in 1999. The series would spawn sequels and spinoffs but this first game in the series is far and away the best title of them in my opinion. To be honest, aside from the original the only other Grandia game I liked was Grandia III and it wasn't without its problems. Funny enough, playing a demo of Grandia that was included with an issue of Official US PlayStation Magazine was what got me to buy the game way back when. Proof that sometimes a demo does lead to a sale.
Celebrating An Era - 1990's! Grandia (1997)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ze7FPcxpQvI
A word from your host:
Hi everyone, this is David from Mokkori Cosplay. First off, an apology for being MIA for a while. Everything is good, just been busy with life and work and and the time of the year and everything else. With that all said, I'm going to start spinning things up here again in preparation for Fanime 2022, with the goal to have weekly posts once more.
Cosplay Gatherings Department has begun to reach out in preparation for the upcoming convention. As things stand, we are still on for Friday evening at 6pm at location G3. Of course everything is subject to change and we will fully follow convention, convention center, city, county, and state requirements and regulations - which as you know are subject to being in flux. If you've ever been to the Old School (Pre-2001) Gathering during my years as host, you know it has always been about celebration and safety for those of us who represent anime's history and the fandoms that created anime cons to begin with. I wouldn't be a cosplayer if it wasn't for the Old School Gathering, and ensuring that you are able to be celebrated safely at FanimeCon is my top priority as host.
Fanime is more or less a half year away at this point. A lot can happen in a half year. Things can get a lot better, they can get a lot worse - but I remain optimistic. If Fanime 2022 is an in-person convention that has gatherings, we will be there for you. If it has to be outside, if it has to have specific restrictions and requirements - we will adapt. If there's one thing I know about the retro anime fandom, it's that it perseveres.
Getting back to old school OP's and ED's - something a little different to kick off the year! The pandemic has had an affect on everything to some degree, especially musicians. J-MUSIC Ensemble is an awesome group of musicians who jam together performing classic video game and anime music, as well as tons of other stuff. Let's start the year off with Patrick Bartley and Juna Serita covering the Theme from Lupin III '78 -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5SKH_gsj2g
Good afternoon old schoolers!
Wow, it's crazy to think that Fanime 2022 housing opens in two days. I know the state of the pandemic isn't good right now and it may seem strange to think about going to a huge convention, especially staying at a hotel there. However we all know the situation can change week to week, day to day. Fanime is still over four full months away and things may look up considerably by then, it's impossible to predict one way or another.
Also to those outside of the San Jose area who may be confused by how slim the hotel list is this year, the problem is two fold. Hotels in the downtown area have only recently begun to reopen in any realistic capacity, and the Fairmont San Jose has been closed since last March when it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. It has since emerged with a new management contract and is slated to open sometime this year (2022) under "Signia Hilton San Jose" branding. That's a huge chunk of rooms that are still a bit of an unknown at this time, not to mention how panels may shakeout without their ballrooms. Of course, if that does reopen in a couple months, that could be a lot more housing added sometime later and panels may be business as usual - who knows.
Getting back to old school anime openings and endings - here's a bit of a nostalgia curveball for some. If you watched Nickelodeon in the late 1980's - early 1990's you may remember a cartoon called Noozles about a stuffed koala who can be brought to life by rubbing noses with it. The koala is in fact an extra-terrestrial named Blinky, and along with his sister Pinky, he goes on adventures under the care of his human friend Sandy. The series is Japanese in origin and aired on Japanese television in 1984 as The Wondrous Koala Blinky. For a kid's show, especially an anime kid's show that was reworked for English broadcast, it gets pretty out there... like, really out there. I haven't seen it in a long time but I think I need to download it soon and give it another watch (you can find the complete English version on Archive).
Celebrating An Era - 1980's! The Wondrous Koala Blinky (1984)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJeNN9NFTI0
Good afternoon old schoolers!
For this week I'm going with an OP that I am so happy to see online again. For whatever reason it was always "the one that gets taken down immediately." Blue Seed is an awesome series with a spectacular opening and a rocking theme song. It's also a series that was hugely popular during the 90's anime boom in the West and is also a series that became almost completely forgotten after. It was featured in our Vintage Anime - Name That Year panel in 2019 and has been rescued and re-released by Discotek as SD on Blu-ray.
I consider it Devil Hunter Yohko with a bigger cast or Evangelion with less hardware. Now I get some flack for comparing it to Evangelion but hear me out on that... Ancient mythology mixed with modern government intrigue, spiritually superpowered children drafted by a gray organization to save humanity, and a young main character cast into the middle of it all - as it is their fate whether they agree or not. It also has my vote for being the "most 90's anime." Give it a look, it deserves way more attention these days and has both great visual style and an interesting story.
Celebrating An Era - 1990's! Blue Seed (1994)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MihlQ4aLh8
Good late evening old schoolers!
I has been a long, long, long time since I've updated. I apologize for that! Everything is still moving along as usual (well, as usual as usual is these days), things have just been busy outside of FanimeCon stuff. With that said, the intent is to move back to weekly posts, with an occasional mid-week like this one. The only change of years previous is we will be shifting the gathering location outside, as part of a safety requirement request, with more information to follow once we are confirmed for a specific location. We will still be ON SITE at the convention center, just not at our usual indoor perch where we had been since 2018. Again, more details to follow once we're confirmed.
Let's get things moving here again...
Celebrating An Era - 1990's! Neon Genesis Evangelion (1995)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nU21rCWkuJw
Good late evening old schoolers!
Just a quick post tonight, as the gathering has been approved and made official. As per tradition, it will occur on Fanime Friday at 6pm. However due to an outdoor requirement for gatherings this year, we will be moving to a new location. We will be at Gatherings G7, The Slab - the raised area outside between the video rooms and Hilton. All gatherings areas were considered and G7 is the most similar to where we are usually located inside, and will give us a similar degree of space and protection for the dedicated group that our gathering is known for.
In the next couple weeks I'll provide a map for those who are unfamiliar with the location of G7 or how to get there easily from what was our previous location.
Good late evening old schoolers!
Here is a map that will show you how to get to the Gatherings G7, The Slab location, starting at either the main entrance to the convention center or the area where we were in 2018 and 2019 (Gatherings G3). Note that the maps of the street level don't show the large second floor ballroom expansion where Artist's Alley is generally located, as it's facilities operations space beneath, but I've filled it in so the map is more accurate to the actual layout.
Do not stop at Gatherings G8 (The Hilton Tree Walkway), keep going all the way to the end and up the little set of stairs to reach G7 - The Slab.
(https://forums.fanime.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.classicplastic.net%2Fzzforums%2Ffanime%2F2022-OldSchoolCosplayGathering-002s.jpg&hash=c2e53b1e0939fb77c1d370888c67c1f475427095)
REMEMBER - There is NO ACCESS to G7 - The Slab from inside the convention center concourse! If you attempt to go through the fire doors you will set the alarm off. You have to approach G7 from the sidewalk along side San Carlos Street, either from the front of the convention center or by walking around the Hilton.
I have also added this information to the second post in this thread!
Good late evening old schoolers!
Apologies for stepping away for a bit, a lot going on outside of Fanime stuff. Do know you can always reach me on the forums, or by posting in the Facebook Event Page (for when Facebook actually sends me the notification - which it doesn't always do). We're getting pretty close to the convention weekend and things are still all systems go for the gathering. Remember we are at a different location than in years previous due to safety requirements - look at the beginning of the forum thread or the pinned Facebook Event Page post for details!
I'm ALWAYS active on the Fanime forums, probably one of the most active people on the forums these days, so remember you can always contact me there. I'm going to get back into the frequent updates and start to push promotion for the gathering. That begins again tonight with one of my favorite series from the end of the old school era. Dai-Guard is both an homage and parody - to both the super robot and real robot genres - that pits a group of office workers in a cheaply constructed giant robot against mysterious giant creatures, in the physics and red tape of the real world. It's a lot of fun and is currently in print as a single box set after being rescued a few years ago.
Celebrating An Era - 1990's! Earth Defense Corporation Dai-Guard (1999)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ch8Zq10_luA
Good afternoon old schoolers!
Well here we are, the month of May and FanimeCon just over the horizon. All systems are still go for the gathering but do remember that although we will be outside this year, we will still be on convention property and need to abide by FanimeCon and Convention Center regulations and requirements. We're going to have a lot of space where we're located this year but as always, a core of this gathering is that you - the cosplayers - feel comfortable. This is going to be the same during gathering pictures - if you're not comfortable with getting close, then don't - that's fine! - and we will accommodate that. If you have any questions or concerns about the gathering, just let me know!!
Of course this final run-up is when I like to start posting anime OPs of the series' that were biggest during the 90's anime boom in the west - that amazing time when anime fandom really began to explode and become more mainstream. Here's one that was huge over here but not so much in Japan - strange how that goes sometimes!
Celebrating An Era - 1990's! Trigun (1998)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4OxFSy8G5wk
Good late evening old schoolers!
I always like to remind con-goers that the Old School gathering is also open to those who cosplay from Pre-2001 video games. In fact the first year I attended the gathering we were cosplaying as Taizo Hori and Masuyo Tobi from the classic arcade games Dig Dug and Baraduke. As long as it's a game character from before 2001, it's good to go!
With that in mind, how about an OP from a video game that looks as if it were based on a vintage anime series.... but isn't? 70's Robot Anime Geppy-X was a 1999 Japan-only PlayStation side scrolling shooter framed around being an homage to 1970's super robot anime. Spanning four discs, it didn't just go for a visual aesthetic in its gameplay. Each stage features an opening and ending sequence, animated insert scenes, tons of voice work, eyecatches that lead into commercials for merchandise related to the "show," parody advertisements for other anime series that don't exist, and a bunch of songs throughout. Speaking of songs, they are performed by Isao Sasaki, who sung so many old school themes including Space Battleship Yamato, Neo Human Casshern, and Getter Robo.
It's all pretty crazy! The developers basically made a 70's mecha anime series, complete with all the trimmings, in video game form.
Celebrating An Era - 1990's! 70's Robot Anime Geppy-X (1999)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8_IPJ60B3Y
Good afternoon old schoolers!
Fanime weekend is closing in fast! Remember we are going to be located at a different spot this year - OUTSIDE and around the corner at THE SLAB - Gatherings G7. Consult the map in the second forum post / pinned Facebook post for directions!
Going to move to posing an OP here and there until the convention weekend. How about the anime adaptation of the best-selling shojo manga series of all time?
Celebrating An Era - 1990's! Hana Yori Dango / Boys Over Flowers (1996)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ul9WDDBBrzM
Good very late evening old schoolers!
How about one for the late night crowd tonight? Kinda crazy to think a staple of anime such as this first aired 41 years ago!
Celebrating An Era - 1980's! Urusei Yatsura (1981)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2Jiic05C0M
Good afternoon old schoolers!
ONE WEEK from RIGHT NOW the Old School (Pre-2001) Cosplay Gathering will be getting ready to get underway after three years! We are so looking forward to bringing this gathering back to FanimeCon. Remember, we're at LOCATION G7 this year - CONSULT THE MAP!! Hopefully, in the years that follow, we can move back inside but for 2022 we're tucked over onto The Slab at G7. We know things will be different this year, we know we'll have to be a bit more spread out, but we will be there.
A couple changes this year -
1. Mask + megaphone just doesn't work out, so I've went ahead and made large flipcards that state each photography setup. Hopefully this will keep me from losing my voice just before our big two hour Vintage Anime panel the next morning. (which you should also check out, Saturday - Panels 3 - 10am)
2. Pose counts will be shorter. How close you get is about how comfortable you are (PLEASE respect your fellow cosplayers - especially at this gathering) but the idea is to keep us close together for pictures in shorter bursts. This means we want to get people set for the picture quickly, strike the pose, get to the countdown faster, and then spread back out. So if you're a photog following the gathering, we're going to go a little quicker, probably 3-5 second counts rather than 5-10 as in years previous.
3. More time for solo / small groups at the end. Location G7 really does allow us to be a bit more isolated and protected, allowing space for cosplayers to step to the side and then get into position easier. This should help us roll through the photography order faster, which means more time after for solo / small group photos utilizing our location.
4. Ribbon for every cosplayer! Okay, this is no different than in 2019 but we do have a new ribbon. At the end of the gathering we will be giving out badge ribbons and business cards. The business card will have the location where an UNOFFICIAL gallery of all gathering pictures will be hosted a week after Fanime (taken by my co-host and myself). We want to make sure EVERY COSPLAYER in the gathering is able to get that and a ribbon. If you need to bounce before the end, just come up to me and I'll give you a card and ribbon.
5. REMEMBER WE ARE IN A NEW LOCATION! You have to go outside and around and then between the Hilton and artist alley ballroom expansion, then all the way to the end. Please give yourself time to make the journey. We have to start at 6pm so we don't loose too much sunlight as it sets behind the Hilton. It only takes a minute to get there if you know where it is - CONSULT THE MAP!
So there it is, we look forward to seeing you all in a week. Please take care of yourselves and your fellow cosplayers, we're almost there. Let's start the final week run-up with a series that should have found a bigger audience.
Celebrating An Era - 1990's! Outlaw Star (1998)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zoDUxs3rlRU
Good morning old schoolers!
Keeping it going with another hugely popular title from the 90's boom.
Celebrating An Era - 1990's! Rurouni Kenshin (1996)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oun6BUHI9eE
Good very late evening old schoolers!
How about something really old school for the late shift? Anime's first cyborg superhero! Probably better known to people in the west for the OVA sequel 8 Man After, which was part of the regular rotation of Saturday Anime broadcast on Sci-Fi Channel.
Celebrating An Era - 1960's! Eight Man (1963)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CE6V_PLn2IU
Good afternoon old schoolers!
Just two days away! Here's a great looking series that some may know tangentially through the Sega Master System game Cyborg Hunter, which was a re-work of the Japanese Borgman Sega Mark III tie-in. The series is out there with HK subs but it's better than nothing!
Celebrating An Era - 1980's! Sonic Soldier Borgman (1988)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5WvRo8dloo
Good evening old schoolers!
Keeping it going with an OVA series that I've always really liked - in fact it's my favorite Gainax work. Great to see there's a chance of it being properly re-released soon.
Celebrating An Era - 1980's! Aim for the Top! / GunBuster (1988)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLr3b2bDBZg
Good afternoon old schoolers!
So here we are, many of you already on site, the convention in the process of being set up. I hope everyone is well and that everyone will be respectful to your fellow cosplayers, attendees, and staff. I'm going to head out myself in a couple hours and dive into the changes of 2022. I'll have one more post in a bit and then it'll all switch to at-con for tomorrow. Here's a great ending theme of a pretty amazing family manga and anime that continues to be extremely popular to this day.
Celebrating An Era - 1990's! Chibi Maruko-chan (1990)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmTJQVnNq5Y (ENDING)
Good afternoon old schoolers!
I'm about to head out to Fanime myself so I'm going to make this the last pre-gathering post for this year.
A huge THANK YOU to everyone who has followed this gathering, either on the forums or the Facebook event page, especially those who have been here for the two and a half years or so - since the beginning of what was supposed to be for 2020. We are right on the edge of the gathering finally and that is wonderful.
There are a lot of people who can't attend - due to life changes, level of comfort, and in some cases no longer being with us. I am thankful for them as well. For supporting the tradition of this gathering and keeping the vintage fire not only burning - but roaring.
I hope to see you all tomorrow. Remember we are at G7 and will be beginning at 6pm promptly. Remember we will have gathering ribbons for every cosplayer in attendance, if you have to leave before the end of the gathering PLEASE let me know tomorrow so I can give you a ribbon and a card!
Please be respectful of other cosplayers and other attendees. Give staff and event hosts room to breathe and a "thank you" if so inclined.
Capping this year's old school OPs / EDs off perfectly - especially since it's just that windy in downtown San Jose today. Here's the second ending from my all-time favorite shojo series.
Celebrating An Era - 1990's! Marmalade Boy (1994)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmYhuTaoKhU (ENDING 2)
Thank you so much to everyone who attended this year! We will have the unofficial gathering photo gallery up within one week! The link will be posted here, on the Facebook Event Page for the gathering, and on the Mokkori Cosplay Facebook page.
We will be back in 2023!
It was a good gathering indeed. I'll be back next year!
Thank you so much for hosting!! I hope to see more Star Trek cosplayers next year haha
Quote from: Barnes on May 28, 2022, 08:32:24 AM
It was a good gathering indeed. I'll be back next year!
Thank you for attending!!
Quote from: therealdjpocky on May 31, 2022, 10:00:16 AM
Thank you so much for hosting!! I hope to see more Star Trek cosplayers next year haha
You're very welcome! I think we've had at least one or two 'Trek cosplayers every year!
Hello old schoolers!!!
Here is the link to the unofficial gathering photoset, featuring all photos taken by the gathering co-host! These are unedited and non-watermarked.
Feel free to tag anyone you may know and share!
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1947430818779384
Facebook has gotten really weird with hosting images as of recent and doesn't seem to have a full resolution option anymore. If you need a higher resolution version of a picture - please message me (either here or on Facebook) and I'll send it to you directly.
If there are any images that you would like removed, please message me as well and I'll accommodate you as best I can.
Thank you to all who attended or showed interest in this gathering. It was awesome to be back again and see so many amazing cosplayers once more! I am so happy that the gathering has continued to remain popular, as I was worried that the momentum we had been gaining into 2019 would be lost by the time away - but that was totally not the case!
We hope to see you all again for FanimeCon next year and the 2023 Old School Cosplay Gathering!! It will always be held the evening of Fanime Friday!
I had a lot of fun at the gathering!! <3 This gathering has always been one of my favorites to attend.
Can't wait for next year's! And glad we don't have to wait three years til the next one! xD
Quote from: Angelx624 on June 08, 2022, 09:28:53 PM
I had a lot of fun at the gathering!! <3 This gathering has always been one of my favorites to attend.
Can't wait for next year's! And glad we don't have to wait three years til the next one! xD
Thank you so much for attending!! I hope your Inuyasha gathering went well! ^_^
Quote from: InsaneDavid on June 10, 2022, 09:03:12 PM
Quote from: Angelx624 on June 08, 2022, 09:28:53 PM
I had a lot of fun at the gathering!! <3 This gathering has always been one of my favorites to attend.
Can't wait for next year's! And glad we don't have to wait three years til the next one! xD
Thank you so much for attending!! I hope your Inuyasha gathering went well! ^_^
You're welcome! And it did, though it was kinda small.