For the presentation on anime for JASGA and for my anime lunch with the Japan Club at LASA High School, I prepared a handout to give to attendees called “Austin Otaku’s Guide for the Otaku in Exile.” It’s kind of a tongue in cheek name, of course, since none of us are exiled from Akihabara or Japan, but I know that sometimes I’d rather be there and can’t go right away.
The brochure is a list of sites and other online resources for keeping up to date on the latest goings-on in Anime, J-Pop/J-Rock, and J-Dorama as well as a few local groups, clubs and resources. (I’m always keen on supporting local businesses that offer products or services related to otaku specifically or Japanese culture in general.)
Anyway, here’s the brochure. Feel free to print it out and use it in your own otaku journey.
Believe it or not, being an otaku can be quite a time drain. In addition to keeping up the Austin Otaku blog, my spare time is filled with a variety of activities, from anime to social engagements. I present Exhibit A – a summary of the things that will be occupying my mind and my time as an otaku for the next week.
The Blog
Okay. Let’s face it. I spend a lot of time each week on this blog. I’ll be heading back to Austin Books to take some pictures with my new camera and to talk with the staff. I covered Dragon’s Lair, with its manga and anime selection, this past week. Now it’s time to cover the store with the largest selection of manga I’ve seen in Austin.
Additionally, I’m editing an interview I did with Austin bento blogger, Ironjack. I should have a great post covering him and his blog in a few days.
Kawaii Things
I’m always interested in all of the ways the Japanese incorporate cuteness into their daily lives. From governmental mascots to Hello Kitty on EVERYTHING, they really know how to get their kawaii on. Even the wrapper on my favorite Cucu Pudding hard candy, when you lift up the bottom of the wrapper, has a cute mascot.
Anyway, my point is that I’ve been asked to give a lecture on Japanese popular culture in the late Fall, and part of that is Japan’s obsession with all things kawaii. I’ll let everyone know when I’m scheduled to do my presentation. Maybe you can come.
Anime
As a part of my very full otaku schedule, I’m watching several anime series concurrently right now, including:
“Bakemonogatari” is proving to be quite the appealing series, though I can’t pinpoint why. The story-lines are surreal, and the animation is tough to follow sometimes. It is directed by Akiyuki Shinbo, who is also directing Zan Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei, so that may account for the … erm… oddness (and appeal) of the series.
Somehow I still have time to watch a few episodes of two J-drama series that I’m following as well:
Zeni Geba (which stars Matsuyama Kenichi, who played L in the live-action “Death Note” movies)
Love Shuffle (where unhappy couples agree to switch partners to see if they can find happiness)
Groups and Activities
My meeting schedule is filling up in my spare time as well. This past weekend I attended the JASGA’s Sushi Workshop, and this weekend I’ll be attending my first member mixer with them. And this coming up Tuesday evening, I’ll be attending my first meetup with the Austin Anime Meetup Group. Tuesday night is the Manga Meetup, and I’m definitely looking forward to hanging out with some fellow otaku.
The Austin Otaku Fanpage
In addition to keeping up the Austin Otaku blog, I manage the Austin Otaku Twitter account and the fan page on Facebook. If you haven’t become a fan yet, by all means, feel free to join
Here’s one thing that has me excited. They’re opening up a new Japanese restaurant (Nagoya) just three doors down from where I work the second week of August. If the food is good, I have a feeling I’ll be walking there quite often. (If you’re unfamiliar with the sprawl of North Austin, you may not recognize how awesome it is to have a restaurant within walking distance of work, …much more so a sushi restaurant.)
Here’s a pic of the new place:
So, that’s my week in a nutshell. It seems this whole otaku hobby is turning into a big investment of time. At least it’s a fun investment of time and energy.
I know what I prefer when I watch an anime, J-drama, or Japanese movie, but I’d like to hear what you prefer. So, how about it? Do you prefer animes, J-dramas, and movies in their original language with subtitles? Or do you prefer English (or whatever your language is) dubbed voice-overs? … Or does it even matter to you?
Last week, FUNimation Entertainment attempted something I think it should’ve been doing all along — a simulcast of an anime with English subtitles in the US as it was being broadcast in Japan. Unfortunately, some opportunistic fansubbers found a copy of the anime on a public server and released it ahead of the broadcast in [...]
Let’s face it. It really sucks when you want to be entertained, and all American television can offer is some lame repackaging of “90210″ or yet another reality TV show starring a new generation of narcissists. Don’t get me wrong, there have been some good shows (Battlestar Galactica, Lost, etc.), but they’re few and far [...]
