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Otaku Culture Taking Over Mother Nature - Sakura Matsuri BBG 2012 Photos
This past weekend, I got a chance to visit the Brooklyn Botanical Garden for its annual Sakura Matsuri.
All I can say is that the Sakura Matsuri was really filled with cosplayers (the number has been growing over the years) and there were some interesting events catered to them and other otaku.
As you can see, there was a Cosplay Fashion Show which had some REALLY good outfits. Definitely check out the Monster Hunter outfit.
Unfortunately, many of the cherry blossoms in New York bloomed early this year because of a huge warm front. I did manage to find a few trees that were still good.
An interesting concern regarding the event is the over-saturation of otaku culture to the point that it overshadows the traditional aspects of Japan. So far, regular folks are ok with the cosplayers and even taking pictures with them.
It does make you think about the view of Japanese culture through the eyes of Western anime/manga fans though.
Enjoy the pictures!
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Photos from New York Comic-Con 2011
Enjoy the shots I took from New York Comic-Con 2011!
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Stu Levy’s Attempt To Make Otaku Cool (aka “America’s Greatest Otaku”)
A hyped show among Japanese pop culture fans recently appeared on Hulu. It was none other than the premiere of “America’s Greatest Otaku”, hosted by Stu Levy, CEO of Tokyopop. The first episode debuted on February 24 (which you can view here). I decided to catch the first episode as I wanted to see how Tokyopop was going to make otaku culture cool in front of the eyes of many viewers.
The premise of the show involves a search for the one otaku that is the “best” otaku in the entire United States. Tokyopop went on a big road trip over the summer across America looking for potential candidates for America’s greatest otaku. Whoever is voted the greatest otaku in America will win an all-expenses-paid trip to Japan. Stu Levy also recruited 6 college students (aka the “Otaku 6”) as interns to help him in his search.
After watching the first episode, I felt that Stu Levy took over the whole show. Though I figured as much since the 6 kids were just college students. I would have loved to see some drama inside the bus, though I think the drama would most likely be caused by some viewers after watching some of the contestants.
The first episode covered Los Angeles & San Francisco, where they interviewed candidates & also explored a variety of places that were otaku-related. It’s nice to know that there’s actually an anime hotel in Japan Town, San Francisco (have to re-visit there). I also need to check out Royal/T NOW.
Regarding the four candidates in the first episode, I honestly didn’t seem to find anything special about them when it comes to otaku traits. A lot of otaku cosplay, design costumes, collect figurines, sing anime songs, draw, etc. The Asian girl, Christine Choi, I like. Mostly because of her USB earrings. Talk about sexy geek indeed. I’m curious to see who they find next, ESPECIALLY in New York (my home state).
One more thing I want to note is the beginning where Stu Levy tells us that we otaku should stand proud. However, in a later segment, where he and two interns were at the Cartoon Art Museum, the museum director said that otaku does have a derogatory meaning behind it. Afterwards, the three said that the manager nailed the definition right away (though she did say that everyone’s an otaku in some way). The meaning of “otaku” in Japan isn’t pleasant, compared to here in the West. They should’ve try and explain why the meaning in Japan is different. If you go to most parts of Japan and say “I’m proud to be an otaku!”, a lot of people will ignore you and that will not be the greatest feeling in the world. I wonder if Stu is correct about whether the definition of “otaku” is debatable.
Nonetheless, I will keep watching to see what comes out of the experience. Will people actually care? Will otaku be mad? Will we see riots in the anime/manga community? I’m probably more interested in the reactions of people who’ve seen the show.
So, are we otaku super-cool now?
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“Cosplay: The Documentary” Trailer
So, what does everyone think about this? I know there are mixed opinions going around the blogosphere. I have seen multiple people running around the NYC area trying to film documentaries on cosplay. This trailer was shown at Anime USA this past weekend.
Cosplay is supposedly becoming a fashion style as well. I don’t know whether this is true or not. I admit it’s getting more & more popular, but there’s a lot more work to be done if cosplay is to be “accepted” into mainstream fashion.
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NY JapanTown Festival “Cool Japan”
Hey guys (and fellow New Yorkers), I just want to give a heads-up that I will be co-hosting a podcast show at the NY JapanTown “Cool Japan” Festival at East Village, NYC this Saturday, July 17. I will be working with Samurai Beat Radio to promote a variety of bands, anime goodies, and much more.
New Yorkers, why else should you go? Well, there’s going to be LOTS of food. Japanese comfort food like yakisoba, curry, mochi ice cream, & okonomiyaki will be on display & for sale. There’s also going to be a Fashion Contest, where the winner will receive a FREE round-trip ticket to Japan. Cosplay singer, Reni Mimura, will also be there too to greet fans. She’s New York City’s own “otaku idol”, so to speak. There’s also a scavenger hunt where the winner gets a $50 gift certificate from Kinokuniya Bookstores.
NY JapanTown is also on Facebook and Twitter as well. If you’re around the area and have time, stop on by and say hi. More importantly, just come and see for yourself what a Japanese summer festival is all about. Yukatas ahoy!
