It's about to begin....
What am I talking about?
Well...Anime Expo of course!
This weekend, masses of anime/manga fans and nutty otaku will swarm to the Aniheim Convention Center in attempt to sedate their fandom needs. They will come to see faces behind the scenes of their favorite shows and stories. People like Koichi Chigira, Yoko Ishida (vocalist), Tomokazu Seki, Myung-Jin Lee (Ragnarok), etc. Fans will flood the exhibitor's booths, hoping to catch wind of the latest license aquisitions, praying "their" series is finally getting it's much deserved US release. Cosplayers, both the elite of the elite and the rediculous of the rediculous will finally get to wear the costumes they've been slaving over for an entire year. Awards will be handed out, hopes will be realized, and some people will go home disappointed.
I wish I could go.
Alas, I cannot, so I will sit back and watch from the glaring screen of my computer, checking the updates daily to see what is new. I'll make my predictions from home and hold my breath for the announcement that Prince of Tennis or Naruto will finally be bound for the US (though I'm much more excited about the announcement made at E3 for Full Metal Alchemist TV series and PS2 game...not much else can beat that one in my book.)
I will also brace myself for the angry flurish of elitist otaku who will cry in outrage when the company not of their choosing gets their hands on a certain series. Which series? Well...otaku will cry when anyone from the US gets ahold of "their" show, that's just a fact of animefandom...but I foresee a huge uprising if/when Naruto is announced. I see another DBZOA movement in the making as Narutards everywhere throw a temper tantrum...especially if Funi or Viz gets a hold of the rights...which I believe is a HUGE possibility. As for 4Kids getting the aquistion, I have my doubts on that one, but it's not impossible...and I will be sad if that happens, just as I was when I heard about One Piece. However, there is not much I can do about it, save pray someone continues to fansub so I won't have to give any money to that abomination of a company. Of course, that is, unless 4Kids decides to allow Funi to distribute an uncut/subbed version like they've done for Shaman King and Yugioh. Hope is still there, my friends.
I'm not certain Naruto will be announced at this convention. It could be another year until someone finally aquires it. However, it is safe to say that Naruto is thee anime series people are waiting for. The popularity of this show is astounding, and for good reason. It's a great show. It's worth watching every weekend. It's worth paying good money to buy the dvd's when they're released. People want Naruto in the US. Check the downloads of animesuki if you don't believe me. I think the anime industry is well aware of the cash cow in the making we have here.
I love Naruto. I'm a huge fan of the show and manga. I watch it each weekend and I'm reading the manga as it comes out in Shonen Jump (Japan). I also collect the English version by Viz. I am saddened, how Naruto has attracted a fanbase of fools though. And even more disheartening is the fact that other people judge the show itself on its fanbase, assuming the series must be as stupid and immature as its watchers. How closed minded...but it's not my problem and quite frankly, it's those people's loss, not mine. If they want to miss out on something good because of something so trival, then they're really no better than the Narutards themselves...
But for the record, not all of us who watch Naruto are brats who clog forums with repetitive posts or bog down fansubbers with questions of "when's the next episode out?" (>_<) If your someone who does this sort of thing, KNOCK IT OFF! It's annoying...
At anyrate, I'm bracing myself of the backlash of whining and complaining that will start this weekend and probably last until the next big convention, Otakon. Then the cycle starts all over again. So, my fellow level-headed and realistic friends, you best be prepared too!
*****
My wish list for license aquisitions for 2004:
Naruto
Prince of Tennis
Peace Maker Kurogane (Licensed)
Full Metal Alchemist (Licensed)
Spiral (Licensed)
(I'm having a good year! (^-^))