This week the Tokyo International Film Festival teamed up with the World Cosplay Summit for a live show featuring some of the world’s best cosplayers. The World Cosplay Summit, a yearly cosplay contest held in Nagoya, attracts contestants from 22 participating countries. 44 of the …Read more »
You knew it had to happen: MOVIC, the anime goods company, has created a 1:1 scale replica of the 3D maneuver gear from Attack on Titan . The replica, which is officially licensed, can be had for a mere 99,800 yen, or about $1,000. C’mon, …Read more »
Japanese fashion fans who bought last week’s ViVi magazine received a special extra: an Attack on Titan tote bag. What a nice bonus. The bag, which was designed by Japanese fashion brand Beams, is emblazoned with everyone’s favorite bad boy, Levi. The magazine also contained …Read more »
July saw the changing of the guard at Namco’s Characro – a anime cafe and bar with rotating themes – from Tiger and Bunny to Macross Frontier . Named Nyan Nyan after the Chinese restaurant featured in the show, the Macross Frontier cafe and bar …Read more »
Anime and manga weren't the main thing at San Diego Comic-Con, but you didn't have to look too far to find fellow otaku. In the midst of more than 130,000 fans, otaku were definitely showing their fandom in the form of cosplay. (Okay, you caught …Read more »
Sure, Russia’s not getting along so well with the west in the political arena these days. Thankfully, cosplayers are a peaceful folk who understand the world ain’t about borders and ethnic conflict – it’s about dressing up as your favorite Japanese cartoon characters. So cheers …Read more »
Remember a few weeks ago when CNN sent Otaku USA readers into a froth by completely misrepresenting manga and its readership as child pornographers? Well, they’re not done with “weird Japan” stories, apparently. This time they’ve done a profile of one Hideaki Kobayashi, a 51-year …Read more »
Excellent news out this week for fans of Kuroko’s Basketball (or as it’s officially awkwardly translated, The Basketball Which Kuroko Plays ). Comic Market, the twice-yearly Tokyo doujinshi (fan comics) event will be holding a special extra event next year focused solely on Kuroko's . …Read more »
The former Tokyo International Anime convention teamed up with Anime Contents Expo this year to put on what is arguably the world’s biggest anime exhibition, Anime Japan 2014. On Sunday, March 23rd, Tokyo Big Site in Odaiba hosted thousands of visitors, all eager to see …Read more »
Spare us, if you will, a few moments for another anime-related explanation of the geography of Tokyo. On the city’s more historical, older east side, not far from the Emperor’s palace, we have Akihabara, the electronics town-turned-anime consumer paradise, full of maid cafes, memorabilia and …Read more »
Everyone's doing it, but let's face it, cosplaying Kill La Kill can be a pretty scary proposition. The heroines' transformed forms are like reverse swimsuits, the kind of “body armor” that can get you arrested for indecent exposure . As such, I saw a whole …Read more »
Anime fans are a dedicated bunch, and rain and cold weather didn't stop them from dressing in their best cosplay for Youmacon in Detroit. Since the Michigan con took place so close to Halloween, it felt as if the let's-get-dressed-up spirit was especially strong. Check …Read more »
“Costume Play” = COSPLAY! Hey, this is Patrick, and hey… what’s with all the spandex and wigs? This must be… COSPLAY USA ! Normally, it’s my pleasure to act as editor in chief of Otaku USA magazine, a pulse-pounding Japanese pop culture publication you may …Read more »
1) The very first Otakon in 1994 attracted around 300 anime fans. Otakon 2012's attendance number of 30,785 is nearly 88 times that. 2) Otakon's 2012 attendance makes it the 2nd largest American anime convention in the United States. 3) If you learned something at …Read more »
I’m standing in the sweltering heat at Otakon 20, but my mind keeps wandering back to Otakon 13. I was 19 years old, bewildered, and attending the first convention of my life. Do you remember your earliest anime convention? If you’re in your ‘20s, it …Read more »
Matt Schley
Danica Davidson
Amanda Taylor
David Cabrera
Patrick Macias
Lauren Orsini