AniLog

1.  Chihiro is based on the daughter of Hayao Miyazaki’s friend, Seiji Okudo. She was 10 years old at the time they met and she convinced him to keep making animated films even though he had been considering retiring after Princess Mononoke. 

2. At the beginning of the film, Chihiro’s family is moving to Tochinoki, a fictional city located north of Nagoya. It shares its name with a real world amusement park north of Tokyo and a spa resort in southern Japan. 

3. The star shaped candies that the Soot Sprites adore is a traditional Japanese treat called konpeito ( コンペイトー ). They are often colored but do not have any added flavors. 

4. The bathhouse and it’s surrounding area are based on downtown Juifuen in Taiwan, specifically the area around the A-Mei Tea house. The Dogo Onsen in Shikoku, Japan also helped inspire the bathhouse’s design. 

5. Zeniba’s hopping lantern that leads Chihiro to the witch’s cottage is an homage to Pixar’s hopping desk lamp, Luxo Jr. 

6. The kanji used for each characters name gives you a hint to their identity.  Yubaba uses the kanji for “bathhouse witch”,  Zeniba is “money witch”, No Face is kaonashi literally meaning “without a face”, and Chihiro is “a thousand searches”. Unfortunately Kohaku’s full name didn’t make it into the English dub. The translation of his name is suppose to be “God of the Swift Amber River” but in English he became “The Amber River”. 

7. In order to get the scene where Chihiro is feeding Haku medicine correct, the animation team went to a veterinarian's office and recorded a veterinarian feeding a dog treats while holding it’s lower jaw.  Miyazaki also instructed the animators to have him “cling to the wall like a gecko and then fall to the ground like a snake” in the scene before. 

8. No Face’s design is based off of a silk worm.  Both have markings that resemble faces with mouths but their real mouths are below them, both eat non stop and grow huge, and No Face stays with Zeniba after Chihiro’s visit spinning silk. 

9. The English voice actress for Chihiro, Daveigh Chase, also voices Lilo from Lilo and Stitch and played Samara Morgan - the girl in the Ring.

Trying to pick panels at conventions is nearly impossible.  The first problem is that no matter what you want to go see, everything will be scheduled at the same time.  I had 4 panels on Saturday alone that were at 2 or 2:30 which was in the middle of both the Sailor Moon and Attack on Titan photo shoots.  The other difficult part of picking panels is that you have no idea how the panel will go.  It could be really well run or totally fall apart, the sound quality could be amazing or terrible, and the talk by the panelist could be either exactly what it sounds like or something else entirely.  However you never know what you’re going to get until you get there, so panels are always worth checking out! Here is my review of the panels I was able to attend this year at Ohayocon. 

The Basic Science Of Mass Effect: 10/10 would definitely go again

The panelists (Commander Shepard, Commander Shepard, and Commander Shepard) did an excellent job hosting this panel.  There was obviously a ton of research into not only the video game lore but also into real world physics and how it is used in game. They went over faster than light travel, the kinetic barriers for biotics and tech, how the mass effect fields were used in developing the weapons in game, and were even able to include a fantastic NPC quote from Mass Effect 1.  They discussed how the Reapers were simultaneously ahead of and behind the current species in game and had more to go over but ended up cutting their panel short due to time constraints.  If you’re a fan of physics, space, or Mass Effect I would highly recommend this panel. 

How To Youtube: 4/10 Not recommended for the YouTube fan

If you have never spent a large amount of time on YouTube or spend your time only watching music videos on YouTube than this panel is for you.  If you get the references in the YouTube Rewind, then this is not for you.  The panel went over the different genres of video (lets plays, vlogs, sketches, how to’s, etc.) and listed some pros and cons of doing each type along with general tips.  Overall I was not impressed with the delivery of the material or the “tips” presented.  Many well established YouTubers (1 million+ subscribers) have made similar videos specifying how to successfully create each genre of video.  If you already follow YouTube regularly I would watch those instead.  If you’re very new to YouTube and don’t know what there is down this rabbit hole then check this panel out. 

Whose Line Is It Anime?!: 6/10

This panel was run basically like ‘Whose line is it anyway’ and was organized very well by panalists. There were about 6 people running it in total with one being the leader and that allowed the panel to make some very smooth tranaitions between sets. Some of the actors had more clever than others, but everyone had a good time. Some had very intelligent humor and some had classic humor so there waa something for everyone to giggle at. Overall they did a good job of balancing types of humor and spreading out enjoyment, but I think I would have enjoyed the 18+panel since they had to hold a lot back to keep it kid friendly.

Terribly Awful Fanfiction! 18+ with Sami Inoue-Harte: 10/10 would definitely go again

This was such a great panel. The voice actress, Samantha Inoue-Harte, made the panel really fun. Her voiceis high pitched, which removed a lot of the creepiness that I would have otherwise felt and replaced it with 100% fun. The basic structure of the panel was that Samantha would read a smutty fanfiction out loud as only a voice actor can. Then she had 2 volunteers help her read a second fanfiction. The first one was a DracoxApple fanfic (the green apple from the movie he’s always seen with) and the second was a Transformers fanfic. The second fanfic was tainted slightly as one of the volunteers shouted some inappropriate things into the mic when they were picking a second assistant, but that wasn’t anything Samantha could have controlled and I think she handed the whole event very well. If this panel comes backI definitely want to go again.

Now for the ones I wanted to see but was not able to:

Perfect Your Moves!  

The panelists did not show up for this panel.  It was suppose to be an interactive dance panel that would teach us how to do different anime dances (specifically the Hare Hare Yukai from The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya was mentioned in the description).  I’m really bummed they didn’t show up!  I love dancing and I have a hard time picking stuff up from un-mirrored videos.  I guess I’m back to practicing in my bedroom.  

Not Just A Tragic Backstory: Mental Illness In Anime 

So many people wanted to see this panel!  We arrived 10 minutes early only to be told the entire room had been filled up and that the line of people outside the room were people waiting to see if people left the panel early so they could sneak in.  I hope this panel comes back, because I really want to see this panel!

Hey guys! Today was the first day since my illness that I felt like I could exercise. I have a lot of catching up to do! Today I went through episode 6 and it was tough.

While I’m definitely able to do the push ups better (even the hindu push ups) episode 5 introduced yoga with Shinon Tachibana. She is definitely a chunibyo (Chunibyo is slang for “middle school 2nd year syndrome”. People with chunibyou either act like a know-it-all adult and look down on real ones, or believe they have special powers unlike others, and Shinon is in the latter category) which makes doing yoga with her super fun. In her mind it’s a “dance ceremony” to summon something so she can take over the world...or something similar.

She had us start with bow pose, which is really ambitious! I’m not very flexible naturally, so I struggled, but hopefully will get better with time. Then we did camel pose which was much easier on me but still stretched out my back a lot. I feel like without the squats and crunches first I would have struggled with this too, so I’m glad I’ve been practicing.

In episode 6 Asami, Eri, and Shizuno taught us the vital exercise dance they do at the end of each episode.  They show you each section at full speed and then break it down for you, but only once.  If you can master the dance in 4 minutes then you’re amazing! I’m going to have to watch it a few times before I’ll be able to actually perform it with the ending credits, but I’m going to do my best!

SUMMARY

When 30-year-old Daikichi returns home for his grandfather's funeral he learns about the existence of Rin, his grandfather's illegitimate six-year-old daughter by an unknown mother. The girl is an embarrassment to all his relatives and is treated as an outcast. Annoyed by their attitude, Daikichi decides to take care of Rin himself.  Throughout the story Daikichi discovers all kinds of difficulties of single parent life.  He has to balance his salary man job with Rin's school life, learning how to dress and style a little girl, teach her how to be a good person, take care of her before himself, and much more.  Daikichi befriends several other parents at Rin's school, including the single mother of one of her friends, Yukari Nitani, who gives parenting advice to Daikichi. Season: 11 Episodes Genres: Slice of Life, Josei

Plot: Watching Daikichi and Rin grow together as a family is absolutely adorable.  The show is almost exclusively from Daikichi's point of view but the focus is almost always on Rin.  It does a great job of portraying Daikichi as an actual adult, trying to adjust his life around a child. He's constantly making decisions that will benefit from bigger ones like 'what do we do today' to little ones parents make every day 'can I afford this for dinner with all the other stuff we have to buy'.  Rin is 100% a child as well.  She's fussy at points, full of energy, and asks tons of questions.  Watching Daikichi go though the struggles of raising a little girl while knowing nothing about little girls is super cute.  There's one scene that sticks out in my mind where he tries to give Rin twin tails for school and... of course it ends adorably.  The moments presented in the show are average, everyday events that we don't even notice.  Often these moments are the ones we remember fondly with family and each scene is carefully crafted to feel natural and warm.  

Rating: 8/10

Music: The music in this show is light hearted throughout the series.  It’s completely unobtrusive and adds to the sweet, childlike quality to the show.  The opening and ending themes are bright and bubbly, with child like illustrations to accompany them. While they aren’t pieces that I will be adding to my ipod for daily listening, they are absolutely adorable.  Rating: 6/10

Art/Animation: The art throughout the series is extremely faithful to the manga’s style.  It keeps it’s almost watercolor feel, with the muted colors and overall style gives the anime a very natural feel.  It’s much more subtle overall and really stands out among the saturated moe market. Rating: 7/10

Overall: This anime is 11 episodes of adorable story telling.  Watching Rin and Daikichi bond, watching the family bond closer together around a child, is heartwarming.  The stories are small, family events that seem like nothing but end up in warm memories.  I highly recommend this anime for anyone who has children, wants children, or wants to see the daily events of those with children. Overall Rating: 7/10

Hey everyone!  Thank you so much for all the love on my Ouran High School Host Club fact post! I would have never thought anything I wrote here could blow up like that.  

I also want to apologize for the lack of update this week.  I’ve actually got bronchitis right now, so with all the medicine the doctors gave me I haven’t been able to concentrate that well on writing.  

1. Though TV is suppose to make you appear taller, it does the opposite for the Hitachiin twins.  They are 5′11″ in the manga, but only 5′9″ in the anime.

2. Troy Baker auditioned for the role of Kyoya in the English version, but was unable to accept the role due to his busy schedule.  Eventually it went to one of the shows writers, J. Michael Tatum.  Baker has since commented that Tatum did a better job then he would have done. 

3. Tamaki’s voice actor, Mamoru Miyano, also is the voice of Light Yagami from Death Note, Fuwa Sho from Skip Beat! and many more.

4.  Both Haruhi and Hikaru's ringtone for Tamaki is Shissou, the ending for the anime.

5.  The "zuka-bu" (or "Zuka Club") in episode nine is a riff on the Takarazuka Revue, an all-female Japanese theater troupe famous for its cross-dressing actresses and flamboyant costumes. Takarazuka's performances were among the primary inspirations for the style of early shoujo manga in the '60s and '70s.

6. Kenichi Suzumara, the Japanese voice actor for Hikaru is married to Maaya Sakimoto, Haruhi’s Japanese voice actor. 

7. Bisco Hatori, the writer for the manga, has stated that if the first chapter had been cut by 10 pages Kyoya would probably not exist. 

8. Honey’s voice actors in both the Japanese and English versions of the show are female.  His name is based off ‘hanimitsu’ - the Japanese word for honey. 

9. Renge loves to cosplay, although she is not very good at it.  In episode 7 of the anime she can be seen cosplaying Kisaragi Quon from the anime RahXephon. 

They’re here! After a little over a year of waiting, my Axent Wear Headphones have arrived!  I know what you’re thinking, “this is not anime related in the slightest!” but oh I assure you it is.  First let’s check out the box:

That’s right, cat ear headphones. These were designed Yuumei, a popular online artist and creator of Fisheye Placebo.  She’s an art student at the University of Berkeley and overall amazing. I highly recommend you check out her work.  

Inside we got an awesome carrying case, which houses the headphones, a lovely art card by Yuumei, and the instruction booklet.  

Now for the specs.  The headphones themselves have 20Hz-20KHz frequency response, have 32 Ohm impedance and 40mm drivers.  That’s right!  I also have no idea what that means, but the picture on the back has a laymans guide.  The headset cushions are over the ear and have noise reduction technology in them.  Now for the best part: The cat ears on top are also speakers!  That means you can choose to share your music or keep it to yourself.  The Cat Ear Speakers have 200Hz-18KHz frequency response and 32mm drivers.  They also come with a detachable gaming boom microphone, an inline volume control (with forward and backward buttons), and a long micro usb charging cable.  

I have been looking forward to these for a long time. They are available in blue, green, red and purple.  I must admit I was worried initially when I saw how dark the purple is on these, because I saved the best for last. 

Tachibana Mei has no friends at school, but this is by her own choice.  Having decided at a young age that friends betray each other sooner or later she goes without them up until her high school years. In a fit of rage against some bullying at her school she roundhouse kicks Kurosawa Yamato, the most popular boy at school, causing him to become interested in her.  Though the hesitant friendship and romance that begins between them, Mei slowly learns to accept the kindness of others and value friendship. Episodes: 13 Genre: Romance, Shojo

Plot: The plot is very slow paced, but I feel like that is done intentionally, since it does take time for trust to build between people. That being said the characters all develop together very naturally.  Mei starts out as the observer in the group, offering advice where she can and slowly guiding the others closer together.  It's only after her (self imposed) rival, Megumi joins the group that Mei really begins to develop from a seemingly unfeeling blob to an adorable girl. Rating: 6/10

Music: The music is delicate and tender, almost all done with piano and strings.  It's quite lovely, seeming shy around all the couples and adding to the overall romantic feel of the show.  It doesn't intrude on the tender moments but creates this fragile feeling, like any sort of sudden movements will shatter the scene around them. It’s very relaxing and definitely something I would love to have in the background of my life.  Rating: 7/10

Art/Animation: At the start of the show I thought Mei was extremely plain and overall bland in design.  Throughout the show though the artists make subtle changes to each character which not only assists in showing the time passes, but also shows how they develop as a person.  Mei begins to look up more, her eyes open wider, she smiles and as her friendship grows it becomes kinder. Her friends even change hairstyles frequently and they all have unique sense of fashion, despite mostly being shown in school uniforms, that blend with the seasons.  Rating: 6/10

Overall: I think the directors made an excellent choice pacing the beginning of the show the way they did in comparison to the rest of the show.  The closer Mei becomes with her new friends the more quickly things progress like how time flies when you're having fun.  Watching each couple go through their own struggles and ultimately coming out stronger is really heartening amidst the potentially more dramatic outcomes.   Overall Rating: 6/10