Anime Banzai 2011 Saturday Coverage!

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So due to a lot of things going on in both Ktdata and my life, we couldn’t cover all 3 days of the Utah Convention, Anime Banzai 2011. But we did manage to talk with the staff and got there okay to do the coverage of the convention.

So a little back history on Anime Banzai. Banzai started back in i believe 2004/2005 at the Salt Lake Community Collage. Then they moved from the collage to the Hilton Hotel near Down Town SLC. And from the last 2 years they moved again to the Davids Conference Center in Layton. Each year they tried to add new things, try new guests and tried to make the convention more fun for the fans. But from what i saw in some of the years past Banzai did start to lose there edge on there conventions a few years back. I’m only saying this since i went one year and i didn’t really think it was that great and so i never really thought to want to go again. It’s more to do with there guests or panels. But within the last 2 years Banzai did bring there convention out and gave it some new life by moving it to Layton. And this year we had lots of fun walking around talk with everyone and getting a chance to get to know some of the vendors in the Artist Alley.

I think some of my only concerns i have with this year was some of the dealers. I’m the kinda guy who likes to look for collectibles. I know Banzai has no control over what they sell, well for the most part, but when i’m walking through the dealers room i’m seeing mostly the same things from everyone with a few different things… But the one thing that really concerned me was one dealer a few bootlegs he was selling off. I’m not trying to get anyone in trouble for this, but this does bring up a concern for the fans i think. If they are selling bootlegs i would like to at least tell the people that they are not the real items so at the very least they don’t go to friends and show them sometime awesome they got and they have to tell there good friends that they bought a fake item. That would just be horrible to have to tell your or being told by a friend. But other than that they had a lot of great things and sadly i didn’t have enough money to get much of anything.

We did end up getting what we now call the, “Grab Bag of Crap!” So let me break this down so i don’t get the few people out there going to start flaming me. So we got 3 of the grab bags from 2 dealers and i knew i may not get anything that great and sometimes just crap since one dealer told me that, “we just put in things that don’t sell” But we did get some really cool things from these grab bags! Check out the videos when we get them up as well.

Okay now for the Cosplay. I think one of the things i like from any convention is the cosplay that everyone comes as. And this year i saw some really good ones and like at all conventions, bad ones. So i just think that if it makes you happy do it, we’re all nerds, geeks, or what not, let us have fun with what we like in our hobbies. But that’s still not going to stop me from raising an eye brow. (no offence mind anyone)

This time around we couldn’t get in as many interview as we did at GEEX here. That’s really due to all the panels or other things going on and also trying to track down some of the cosplayers that i see from time to time. So sadly we had a hard time getting our interviews and panels timed out right, and also we didn’t get press passes so we couldn’t just walk into them film for a while then move on. But for everyone we interviewed and would like us to post something about you just leave us a comment or a email and/or if you just want us to take something down, just let us know. There are some interviews we did that i didn’t get a picture of you, i am sorry that i spaced it but if you like to leave a comment and let us know if there is anything you want us to add.

Now for the break down of Anime Banzai 2011. I found this year to be fun! (at least for the only day we could go for) And i think they are going the right direction for a Utah Convention since we’re in a state that doesn’t like different things so much. Anime Banzai is a good thing for the local fans and i just hope in the next few years they get better guests, better panels, and of course, a bigger area! Next year i’ll be sure to ask about the press passes much, much, MUCH sooner so that in the last week before the convention i’m not sending out an email asking if we can get press passes. lol But once again to the staff at Anime Banzai, thank you for letting us cover your convention and i hope we can next year as well.

We will try to get the interviews up as fast as we can but till then you can see what little pictures i could take of some of the cosplayers we saw around.

 

 

 

fripSide Music.

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Music has been one of my favorite things and i am almost listing to it. Some of the music that’s always playing from my speakers is Japanese music. Yes i know what you might think when you hear Japanese music is strange words that you can’t understand (for most people that is).

But there is a group/band that i just came to like just about everything they have put out, and that’s fripSide. There jpop style is just good and easy to listen for anyone who wishes to hear it. Then they do there own remixes of some of the more popular songs.

This group started back in 2002 and did alot of doujin and indie music for small game producers and such. In 2006 they became a part of Visual Art’s and there music then was used in Visual Art’s games and other erotic game companies. Around 2009 Mao the lead singer graduated from the group and left. Shorty after fripSide found a new singer named Yoshino Nanjo. Now they are under the label, Geneon Universal Entertainment where there 1st single was to the opening to Toaru Kagaku no Railgun anime series. From there they have now released 4 singles.

Here are just some of what they have done and are some of my favorite songs. Also check them out on there own website.

http://www.geneonuniversal.jp/rondorobe/music/fripside/

[youtube]BdVOV1RP9iA[/youtube]

[youtube]xIYW7XV_994[/youtube]

[youtube]I6Nn-lQPJgc[/youtube]

[youtube]HMzqtOwENZo[/youtube]

GEEX 2011: Frogpants Panel

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Here is the first of many GEEX 2011 videos I’ll be posting up soon. The audio is a bit over modulated at the beginning of the video but it gets fixed about 2 minutes in. I hope you enjoy it and stay tuned for more video from GEEX, Deedo and I had a blast walking around the show floor and want to share it all with you! ‘

Thanks to Scott Johnson(@Extralife) and Brian Ibbott(@Coverville) for letting me post this video of their amazing talk. Make sure you check them out at www.frogpants.com to see all the awesome shows they do. Also thanks to the guys at GEEX for giving me a direct audio feed and for hosting an awesome event.

[youtube width=560 height=315]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkY-pB4WwP4[/youtube]

Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai Review

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It’s time for the fall season releases of anime, and i feel that i should mention, Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai or known as I Don’t Have Many Friends. I picked this one up on a whim since it sounded funny, and that’s what i got and a bit more. At 1st starts with a highschool boy named Hasegawa Kodaka who unfortunately for him looks like a delinquent. Mainly due to his hair and just the way he looks, but really is a nice guy just looking to meet friends. So as you would think one thing leads to another and misunderstandings keep getting worse till one day he meets a girl by the name of Yozora Mikazuki. This event leads them into forming a new club called, The Neighbor’s Club. This was formed for the soul purpose of making friends and gaining social skills.

Yea i know it sounds kinda “meh” but i’ve come to laugh at this one. I find it to be a nice comedy, romance anime genre. So this show i would at least give it a shot.  Also if you want more info about it check out ANN.

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=12983

Rain Coat Monkey Suruga Kanbaru Figma!

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Here we have the 4th Figma in the Bakemonogatari line. And of all 4 of them i think this one shows the best show case. One of the better features i found on Suruga is that she comes with her basketball so this can go well with very sporty shots, and  a cloth rain coat and this does have some good and bad features as well.

The Good!

It can go on just about any Figmas with very little to no problems. And it looks good too, so i’m hoping Max Factory will make more Figmas with cloth as part of the figure.

The Bad!

It’s all one piece. I thought that the rain coat might open up with velcro, but i was wrong. So as i’m getting ready to put it on i almost ripped the seams thinking it was velcro. Boy would i have been mad lol.

As for Suruga as a figure, i like it and her monkey arm or bandage arm was a nice touch and i just think that she has alot compared to other Figmas since if you think about it you almost get 2 figures for the price of one since you get a “shadow” face and a whole new arm with that rain coat. So it’s almost like a new figure with her. There will be one more and maybe the last Figma to come out from the Bakemonogatai line that’s due this December. I hope to pick it up as well since i’ve come this far from this line. But also it seems that from my past posts, i get talk about the panda car and i think i’ll be keeping that with this Figma line. Enjoy!

 

Blowing crap outta the skys!! Ace Combat Assault Horizon!

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I’ve been playing Ace Combat Assault Horizon for about a week now and for all you hardcore Ace Combat players will think that, “This isn’t a flight sim anymore?!” That is right, Ace Combat AH has moved to a Arcade style flight game. So the mine difference is that if you so happen to crash into the ground (like i do) you will not just die unless you have taken alot of damage. But the new features is the new “Assault System”. When you are tailing your enemy air craft a green circle will pop on them, as you hit both your bumpers to go into the AS. This lets you get close to them and do massive damage to your enemy. But like the saying goes, “An eye for an eye.” The enemies can also get you in AS as well, but don’t think it’s the end of the world since you can do… Yes you called it, “A Barrel Roll!!” This maneuver is kinda hard to pick up at 1st but as you (forced into) learn the game as you play it will become easier. Just watch out when you get 2-3 enemies on your butt.

 

Now comes the likes, and dislikes about Ace Combat Assault Horizon.

Likes!

– Since they broke off the flight sim i was thinking this was going to play like After Burner or some other arcade style flyer. But it doesn’t, Ace Combat AH did keep all the elements of all the past Ace Combats in this with a very good story. Plus the intro was just freak’n awesome.

– Game play is just fun, with some of the new features like air break while turning makes it so you can do evasive turns was a nice plus, something i hoped to see from Ace Combat at some point.

– Combat system can still be played like the older versions of Ace Combat but if you want to hit them better then you’ll wanna get into the AS.

– And i think my favorite thing about this game is the different modes you can play. Some missions you play as your air craft but others you’ll play as a Apacheor a gunner on a bomber and also play in the seat of a mini gunner on the side of a Helicopter.

 

Dislikes!

– Like the other Ace Combat games it can turn into a circle dog fight and all your trying to do is get behind the plane as they are doing the same. So this can lead into trying to catch your own tail.

– When you get put into the AS and the enemy does get close enough to you and you can’t do a barrel roll it’s over, not to mention it’s very hard to get outta it when your in it. And when you have 2 on your butt your good as dead sometimes.

– I know i put this in my likes but i also dislike the AS. In some missions you’ll do a bomb mission like in past Ace Combats but they let you get into a run in the AS and sometimes that can get just horribly bad. I just found it much easier to take them out the old fashion way. Though the AS bombing runs mission was fun.

Over all the game is a great flyer game and if your a fan of Ace Combat i’m sure you’ll find a place for this in your heart and for everyone else who wants a action game outside the FPS RTS or just want to try something new, get this! It’s worth to check out if your a flyer game fan at the very least.

We’re going to GEEX!

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You read it right! Deedo and I are headed to the Gaming and Electronics Expo better known as GEEX! This is the premier (ok! well only) gaming and electronics expo in Utah. Also going us will be Mr. Marky Mort from Marky Mort’s Reviews  on Youtube. We will be there Friday evening and all day Saturday walking around the show. We are going to try to some live streaming which you will be able to watch on the live page, and I will try to post some video up after the event too! If you are going to be going to the GEEX show let me know and we can meet up. You can reach me by leaving a comment below, send me an email or get me on Twitter: @Ktdata. I hope to see you there, we are going to have a blast!

 

Interview with the Dead.

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Here we have another Black Rock Shooter (BRS) Figma, Dead Master. With a large bone looking scythe and 2 floating skulls, this Figma does prove to be very nice and very unique. From the BRS Figma line, Dead Master is one of the harder ones to find and thus has become rare among collectors.

Like most of the Figma lines, Dead Master does show to be very possible for various battle scenes or action posses. But alike some Figmas, there is some things about this one that are annoying. The 2 skulls that she comes with have a hard time fitting into the stand that come with. I don’t want to force them in to hard since i’ve had issues of almost/have broke parts of the figures by doing that. Since her hands are very long and boney like, getting her to hold the scythe can be hard and if your also trying to be careful, you’ll have a small fight waiting for you trying to get her to hold that. This isn’t a real issue but more of me just being careful, but the wings on her back i just feel could break off easy. So if you just got Dead Master i would be very careful around her back area.

If your a BRS fan and want to get Dead Master for your collection i would advise to check out http://ekizo.mandarake.co.jp/shop/en/ since i’ve seen her pop up there from time to time for about 4000 yen.

Digital Diva Hatsune Miku Desends!

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This Figma marks the 100th Figma to be released, and for the 100th they had Miku Hatsune be the lucky number. Also with this release, there was an added bonus for a few websites. There was an added Head Phones that came in, Black, Grey, or Brown.

Now, so far every Figma to be released so far has one or two things about it that, well are quaky. And this Figma i really can’t find anything really wrong with her.

Her transparent hair is well done, the joins are very solid, and the head with the hair even straight to the sides can hold there own.

I think one of the best things about her has to be her poseability.

From a few other reviews i’ve read since it’s taken me a while to get her. Most of them said on how beautiful she is or how much they liked it without really saying why. But now that i’ve got her, i can see why who have got her can’t really express how cool this figure is in words alone.

SO, check out some of these shots i took. I do apologize for some pictures that might be bad or shooty frames. I was trying some new ways to use the LEDs on my desk and also, forgive my poor tripod skills. lol

Drunken Oni, Suika Ibuki Stumbles In!!

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For those who know about the Touhou series would know about Suika Ibuki as the little drunken Oni always wanting to party. Now this time she’s out from Figma. As you might expect from her she’s very small and for a figure it shows. She comes with a mini Suika jumping in joy. Along with her sake gourd and sake bowl, she can be posed in a drunken kung fu ways if you like. But she’s still something if your a Touhou fan would like to have in your collection.

When i got her there are a few thing i’ve noticed on her. The ball join from her waist to body popped out on mine and had to use nail polish to keep it in there. It’s fine now but still kinda annoying. Her ribbon, and horns seems to also be lose as well but easy fix with super glue since there isn’t any parts to swap with. Since she’s so small the base she comes with is to tall for her to stand on the base it’s self.

Most of these problems i’m sure isn’t like that with the whole line, but i just happen to get one. If you happen to have similar problems with Suika, let me know. Anywho it’s picture time!