It's that time of year again. No, it's not DeathWatch^TM 2010. It's anime convention season. This weekend, Sakura-Con and Anime Boston will both be opening their doors to thousands of fans. While we won't have a presence at Sakura-Con, I will personally be covering Anime Boston from the show floor.

To kick off our fifth year of covering Anime Boston (and the convention's seventh year), we'll be providing photos, writeups, and as an Anime Dream first, a video journal of the convention. I hope you enjoy it!

The day is finally here! Anime Boston is upon us, and the convention is kicking into high gear. The halls are already cluttered with eager fans, and stressed-out staffers. The second of several video logs is below. Enjoy!

Exhibition Hall D was packed to the gills for this event. Everything started off normally, with the painfully acted intro by con mascots A-chan and B-kun, and staff introductions. However, the event took a turn for the more serious tone afterwards, as the chairs spoke of Todd MacDonald - a security staffer that passed away last June. To commemorate his efforts, Mr. MacDonald was granted posthumous "red shirt" (administrative security) status, and the manga library was dedicated in his name.

After the short commemoration, the guests were introduced, which included perennial button-pusher Tom Wayland who donned full Yankees attire as he was speaking and MyM, who was so speechless that all she could do was wave at the fans. At the end of the event, Reni made an appearance to sing a song for the crowd, which had fans up out of their seats and dancing along. (This clip dedicated to Scott VonSchilling of the Anime Almanac - colleague and Reni fanboy!)

The event was more subdued than last year's, which featured a fairly cheesy skit with the mascots. However, it's definitely a welcome change. Things were more cohesive, and the event just seemed to flow better without the extra fluff. Hopefully, they'll keep the format the same in next year's event.

My ongoing show-floor coverage of Anime Boston continues with the second video log. This time, crowds, dealers, and an orchestra await those interested in soaking in a bit of the convention atmosphere.

The video coverage of Anime Boston continues with the third and final video log. FUNimation, cooking chatter, and more round out the Saturday to Sunday period.

Anime Hell is one of the few "18-plus" panels I attend annually. The no-nonsense style of Mike Toole and Mike Horne, and the simple insanity of the material presented are always too appealing to pass up. Right at the start, attendees are given the warning: "If you're here for AMV Hell, get the fuck out. If you're a weeaboo, get the fuck out!"

Every convention's Anime Hell has its own traditions, and Anime Boston is no different. The Boston flavor of Hell features prominent footage from old 3-D movies, an anime produced by cult leader Aoshin Rikio, and the 1986 box office bomb The Ninja Squad. Ninja Squad is somewhat of a love-hate affair, as it is painfully bad, but hilarious at the same time. The snappy commentary from the panelists (which included zingers like "Oh no, He's not a ninja anymore! He's just some white dude in the park!") make the conquest of Ivan the Red funny every time.

Last year's 3-D offerings were primarily some strange Indian religious feature that I really couldn't get into. This year's offerings were a bit less obtuse, and consisted of a variety of features, from an old Three Stooges episode ("Spooks!"), to footage from 1961 surrealist flick, The Mask. As a fan of surrealist film, the Mask footage was a real treat.

The last major regulars to Boston's Anime Hell are footage from Enchanted Journey, starring Orson Welles (which is accompanied by his drunken wine commercial), Story From North America, and 3D Gundam. Story From North America is a 4-minute animated musical about a father lecturing his child on the value of life. The surreal, nightmare-fueling visuals and jangly music create a hilarious juxtaposition that just works. 3D Gundam is a rather, er... "unique" take on a climactic scene in Mobile Suit Gundam. This year, the clip was followed up directly by footage from the heavily-panned G-Saviour, which Horne claimed "really wasn't that bad!"

New to this year's event were ads for Mr. Microphone, Kung-Fu Jesus, and an unusual, yet somehow hilarious bible cartoon about David and Goliath. The two hours the panel occupied seemed to fly by far too quickly, and I was still laughing my ass off as I walked back to my room, and I completely forgot that I was supposed to be disappointed for seeing Ivan the Red and 3D Gundam for the third time.

The Anime Hell folks have a solid presentation that never lets up on the hilarity. If the clips don't score huge laughs, the running commentary absolutely will.

The Video Games Orchestra returned to Boston bigger, and better than ever. Instead of the partial orchestra that attended last year, the group came with their full orchestra. The expanded instrument set also allowed for an expanded set list, which spanned a number of genres from rock to heavy metal to big band. The night started with a rendition of Super Mario Galaxy's Good Egg Galaxy, before moving on to familiar territory with Silent Hill's Theme of Laura and a Chrono Trigger medley, which were played at last year's show. A number of new pieces, such as a heavy metal composition of Castlevania's Vampire Killer and an operatic Myst piece (donated by Video Games Live) added fresh content to the show. A few pleasant surprises dotted the night, such as the orchestra's rendition of Kingdom Hearts 2's My Santuary, in which the vocalist opted to perform the Japanese vocals for the song. The performance could have given Hikaru Utada herself a run for her money.

Since Nobuo Uematsu is attending Anime Boston as a guest, the orchestra opted to play a number of his favorite pieces, several of which were from the XBox 360 RPG Blue Dragon. They performed Waterside, the game's opening, and Eternity, the boss battle theme. While Waterside was absolutely stunning in its rendition, Eternity seemed to be lacking something. The music itself was fantastic, with shredding guitar licks and a fantastic percussion set. The vocals, however, didn't seem to have the same impact, especially when compared to Ian Gilliam's original work. Also in the tributary set was a Chrono Trigger medley, which blended together Premonition, Guardia Millenial Fair, Yearnings of the Wind, Frog's Theme, and Chrono Trigger. This was quickly followed up by beautiful takes on Time's Scar, the opening to Chrono Cross, and Radical Dreamers, from the same title.

The fans provided an extra layer of fun to the show, as they really got into the material. Some cheered on the percussionist as he cured their fever with more cowbell, er... wood block. Others rose and saluted at the end of the Metal Gear Solid piece. And still others let out a resounding "Hah!" at key moments in the Chrono Trigger piece.

The true highlight of the event, though, came about in the final track - the Final Fantasy medley. Despite previous reports otherwise, rumors persisted that Uematsu himself would perform at the show. While many expected that he'd be a no show, it was still a disappointment to many that he didn't show up on stage. The mood quickly changed, however, halfway through the medley, when the band stopped momentarily, to monstrous applause. One of the musicians excitedly exclaimed "Nobuo Uematsu!" as the legend took the stage. The crowd roared in excitement, and literally everybody in the crowd was scrambling to get a glimpse as he took his position at a piano. The cheers and excitement didn't stop as he played with the orchestra on two songs: One Winged Angel and a short closing piece.

The entire experience is beyond what words can describe — to see one of the masters of video game music doing what he does best. It's akin to a baseball fan seeing Ted Williams play, a comic book fan meeting Jack Kirby, or a music buff watching The Smiths. To put the situation frankly: It was mind-blowing. A perfect end to a night of wonderful music.

A lot of video of the Video Games Orchestra concert was recorded. However, not all of it fit into the main piece, so please enjoy these extra selections.

Super Mario Galaxy: Good Egg Galaxy

Yoshi's Island Medley

Music List (in Order of Appearance):

• Yoshi's Story: Love Is In The Air
• Yoshi's Island: Powerful Infant
• Yoshi's Island: Flower Garden
• Yoshi's Island: Big Boss
• Yoshi's Island: Flower Garden
• Yoshi's Island: Castle & Fortress
• Yoshi's Island: Bowser Fight
• Yoshi's story: Overworld
• Yoshi's Story: Love Is In The Air
• Yoshi's Story: Yoshi's Theme

Silent Hill 2: Theme of Laura

Let's face it: Even with all of the avenues to catch a quick anime episode, be it on disc, on-demand, or streaming on sites like Crunchyroll, there are still times when it seems impossible to cram more animated bliss into the day. After all, it's tough to watch a 25-minute episode at the tail end of a lunch break.

The Bite-Sized Anime panel, headed by Rym and Scott from GeekNights, focused on short shows. By short, I mean "under five minutes long." The duo highlighted a number of features, from popular, to incredibly obscure. The full list of titles shown is as follows:

• Damekko Doubutsu
• Moegaku 5
• Miss Critical Moment
• Higepiyo
• DiGi Charat
• Charity's Daily Joke
• Furu Kappa
• Kogepan

I have to applaud the panelists' choices, as the selection of shows could have made a fun panel into something absolutely intolerable (Some shows could clear a room in their five-minute run times!). DiGi Charat seemed like a shoe-in, as did Higepiyo. Both are fairly popular titles that are tons of fun to watch.

However, the biggest surprise was probably the double-team of Miss Critical Moment and Moegaku 5. Miss Critical Moment is a 16-episode series that focuses on Kunyan, a woman who always finds herself at death's door. As the episode moves forward, Kunyan's condition gets progressively worse, all while a narrator gives a thorough scientific explanation of what's going on. The combination of the deadpan narrator and the over-the-top on screen action is hilarious. Unfortunately, as Ryn noted, the series is notoriously hard to acquire legally. "The only way we found this was as a DVD rip of a VHS copy that was fansubbed," he noted.

The second title, Moegaku 5, is just as deranged, and just as entertaining. Moegaku 5 is based on the Moetan line of English Workbooks. The series, which includes a short introduction by "Aya-oneesan" (Aya Hirano), focuses on Moe Tsukishima, a magical girl who helps foreign Otaku by teaching them various languages as she travels around Akihabara. The panelists described the show as a title made for "otaku who somehow managed to have a kid," so that they could get their mo— fix while the children learned something. They then proceeded to show the first episode, in which she teaches a panicked American (easily identified by his ten-gallon hat) Japanese, and receives a hilariously bad English lesson in return. The episode is peppered with random "English" exclamations, such as "Oh no!" and "Help me!" as well as butchered pronunciations of other basic English phrases.

The panel was both enlightening and tons of fun to attend. I hope that the duo holds it again next year, possibly with new and different examples of snack-sized shows.

I won't hide the fact that I'm a person that likes to cook. However, I've never had the guts to actually try preparing the recipes listed in various cooking manga, like Yakitate!! Japan or Iron Wok Jan, but there has always been a curiosity as to whether these recipes actually work out, not to mention how these dishes would taste.

The Cooking With Manga panel, presented by Erin Finnegan, her husband Noah,and MangaBlog's Sam Kusek, sought to find an answer to these concerns. Finnegan and Kusek both ran through their experiences in attempting a number of dishes from Iron Wok Jan, Oishinbo, Kitchen Princess, and Yakitate!! Japan. Some of the recipes worked well, like Kitchen Princess's pasta. However, for every success, there were twice as many failures, which were especially fun to watch. From Yakitate!! Japan's infamous "Rice Cooker Bread" going awry, to a not-so-wise trial of Oishinbo's "cabbage biting" scene, the crew was happy to throw in a few self-deprecating barbs as they showed photos of the aftermath.

For each recipe, the trio outlined just what worked, and what didn't. They talked about their troubles with finding ingredients, or issues with the recipes in general that may interfere with the actual cooking process. They also outlined what certain ingredients were, and alternate regional names, which is helpful for novice chefs, or those unfamiliar with non-local ingredients.

There were a few dry stretches, but the panel was a strong first effort. If the panelists tighten their focus, and tone down the chatter on things like caloric content or Oishinbo's overwhelming nationalism, they will have a must-see panel next year.

The Chibi project is one of those simple pleasures in life. It's a panel where a person can just sit back and listen to some banter, then watch an anime toy get ruthlessly mangled in some horrific fashion. This year the panel's hosts, Patrick Delahanty and Jekka Cormier decided to cut the introduction and video footage of previous feats. Instead, they moved straight to the main event. The toy on the block this year was a set of Love Hina action figures. The weapon of choice was a rotary sander. The mayhem lasted only a minute, but then again, so did the toys. The event was followed by a question-and-answer session.

If there is one complaint that I have with the panel, it's that there is no ideal vantage point for viewing the destruction. The scene quickly gets very crowded by people huddling for a better look, which makes it nearly impossible to see for those behind the first row. Still, the sheer excitement of the night, accompanied by Jekka's sailor-mouthed responses, provided an entertaining end to the first night.

While some reporters try to cram every bit of content, every panel possible into the packed weekend, I try to take a different approach. I like to fit in dead spots - points where I have absolutely nothing to do, outside of wandering and soaking in the atmosphere of the convention. I still haven't figured out if this is a good thing, or a bad thing.

This year, I spent a good amount of time exploring the Hynes, pausing for the occasional photo op, or to get some random footage for the daily logs. Despite taking over two hours of footage this year, there was a ton of stuff that just missed the camera's lens. This includes:

• A Haruhi cosplayer performing the Hare Hare Yukai outside of Panel 203
• A Vocaloid cosplay group doing the Caramelldansen near Panel 206
• A "Witch Attack" straight out of Left 4 Dead
• Greg Ayres chatting it up with a few attendees in the main hall
• A sea of saluting fans during the VGO's Metal Gear Solid piece
• The pedobear offering creepy hugs as a photo op

During the weekend, I simply had to admire how well some things ran. Lines moved quickly, events started (mostly) on time, and it really felt like everybody working the event was on the same page.

In those moments when I had that urge to throw untold amounts of money to the wind, I took refuge in the Artist's Alley and the Dealer's Room. Word from the wise: Leave the credit card in the hotel room. It can get a fan into deep (deep!) trouble. The sights are always the same: Rows of quickly thrown-together booths bursting with merchandise. The Hynes room, however, seemed somewhat ill-fitted for its purpose. The room was separated into two "halves" by corridors on either side of the room. During busy times, this made exploring the entirety a bit harder than it needed to be. However, I digress. Even for the fan on a budget, it's worth the trip, as Dealer's Rooms tend to attract interesting, sometimes notable people.

This year, Reni Mimura, better known by her stage name Reni Reni had a booth, where she was signing copies of her album, as well as other Reni-branded merchandise. She was every bit as bouncy and cheerful as her on-stage persona suggested, and seemed to genuinely enjoy the hustle and bustle of the convention.

FUNimation's booth was unfortunately plagued with one misfortune after another, this year. The booth stood unoccupied for a while on Friday, with a sign that said "Merchandise coming soon!" taped to it. Eventually, the booth opened, but the pickings were indeed slim: a few single volumes, and an Afro Samurai set were the highlights. The company met a major setback in shipping, according to representative Adam Sheehan. The merchandise was set to arrive Friday morning, but guests looking to nab that coveted Claymore Blu-Ray, or Sgt. Frog box would have to wait until Saturday evening to get their fix.

As the weekend wore on, a sense of comfort began to wash over you. Suddenly, that giant crowd of people, or the strangely pungent funk that floats through the air stopped feeling like an issue. Instead, everything just felt right. Sometimes, the fun isn't to be had in the video rooms, or the panels, or the other distractions. Sometimes, it's just wandering and partaking of the thousands of people that can turn a good convention experience into a great one.

Of course, a convention isn't a convention unless I wind up spending far too much money in the dealer's room. I mean, who needs petty things like rent or groceries, anyway? This year proved to be no exception, as I filled a suitcase with swag, swag, and more swag. This year, I'm ashamed to admit that I somehow made $560 disappear over two days. Still, I ended up with an assortment of goodies, which consists of the following:

DVD:

• Afro Samurai
• You're Under Arrest! Fast & Furious Part 1
• Sakura Wars: The Complete TV series
• Hidamari Sketch, Season 1
• Patlabor, Parts 1 & 2
• School Rumble, Season 1
• Eden's Bowy, Volume 2
• Papuwa!, Volume 2
• Lucky Star - Complete Series Bundle
• Now and Then, Here and There, Complete Series
• Darkside Blues
• Devil Hunter Yohko, Complete Series

Swag:

• Tokyo Babylon: Volume 1
• Neon Genesis Evangelion: Angelic Days
• Ah! My Goddess: 20th Anniversary Art Book
• Ah! My Goddess: OVA Sketchbook
• Reni Reni - Sakura CD (autographed by Reni)
• Brain Powerd Hime Model
• Fullmetal Alchemist: Clear Folder
• R.O.D The TV: Clear Poster
• Noir: Clear Poster
• Galaxy Fraulein Yuna PSP Collection
• RaXephon T-Shirt
• The Best of Lost Universe CD Album
• Death Note Trading Figure (Light)
• Pocky: Strawberry and Marron Flavors
• Fullmetal Alchemist Keychains: Roy Mustang and Gluttony
• Magic Knight Rayearth: Mokona CD Special

Anime Boston is what I'd consider my home turf. It's close, it's inviting, and every year seems to get better and better. The event hosted over 17,000 attendees this year, but there still seemed to be a distinct "small con" feel to everything, while the event was run with an almost military precision. There were growing pains in the past, but the event's managed to take these awkward moments in stride.

I would like to take the opportunity to thank Jamison Chew, for helping out every step of the way. I'd like to thank the rest of the Anime Boston staff, for their unyielding dedication to making the event run smoothly and efficiently.

I'd like to thank Tom Wayland and Greg Ayres for the opportunity to pick their brains. Both of you were amazing people, and I'd love the opportunity to speak with you again in the future. I don't say this often enough, but I appreciate the time you give us and the insight you offer. These moments really do change one's perspective on the industry, and on anime as a whole. I greatly appreciate the experience, and I wish both of you well.

In addition, I'd love to thank the great people I met over the weekend - Ain't It Cool's Scott Green, Japanator's Jeff Chuang, Anime Almanac's Scott VonSchilling, Original Sound Version and RPGFan's Patrick Gann, and the many that I just don't have room to name. You all helped to make this experience special, and really inspired me push this year's coverage into overdrive.

And most important: I want to thank you, dear reader, for reading this year's feature. Until next time: This is Mike Ferreira, signing off.