Con Chowder - the Anime Boston blog

By “The Mick” Pratt
Mudkip Count: 378

Its the most extreme thing you’ve ever seen. Its almost beyond words. Its a game show. Its a stand up comedy act. Its a parade of weirdness, and a tribute to the oddest aspects of our geek culture. For the first time ever at Anime Boston, its Extreme Geek.

Invented by the deranged minds behind Portcon Maine Extreme Geek is a game show panel where geeks compete for prizes in a variety of events. There’s extreme trivia. Extreme picture and song ID. Extreme physical challenges. Its basically just extreme. It is difficult for me to report adequately on this panel because I was one of the extreme minds behind its execution. I hope that Rick will write a piece on his experience as a first time contestant in our contest, as I am able to do is tell the story behind the event.

Panel room 309 was absolutely packed with people at 10pm. Six teams of contestants had been selected from the event’s line. This go around there were: The cool kids; the clueless kids, the weird kids, the cosplay kids, the random kids, and the cute girl kids. As the audience files in I treat the room to musical stylings off my laptop. The now infamous words of Risk Astley’s “Never Gonna Give You Up” waft across the crowd, and everyone gets out of their seats and starts to sing. People are clapping and shouting. “Never gonna give you up. Never gonna let you down. Never gonna run around and desert you!”

Throughout the game I spin a variety of both classic and geeky hits to entertain the audience. One player, dressed in a dark suit with an afro, really got into it and started to conduct the crowd. Our MC for the evening, Julie York, calls out the questions, and for about a half an hour the game seems normal enough. But its not long before things get out of hand.

The images of the event are difficult to describe. They all flew by me in a haze of loud music and uproarious laughter. We had people licking whip cream off a scandalous action figure. A line of people chug down Moxie (a drink famous in Maine for its distinctive black liquorice taste). There is an art contest conducted over pictochat to see who could create the most lewd representation of the male genitalia. Clearly, this is a mature bunch we’re dealing with.

Points are tracked, but largely irrelevant in this game; winners are chosen arbitrarily, and nonsensical prizes are handed out purely for their comedic value. After our show is done people file out to the tune of the final countdown, and the message is clear: Anime Boston approves of Extreme Geek. As we’re cleaning up the room we are approached by several members of our audience who thank us for putting on our show. It “made their con” and “gave them something to do while they were bored.” We thank them deeply for their support, and join them in hoping for a triumphant return of Extreme Geek at Anime Boston 2009.

By Michelle McGuinness

This year’s masquerade was all about traditions. “And one of them involves large grown men in funny foam suits,” host Lauren Goodnight announced.

Anime Boston 2008’s lobster mascot made several appearances throughout the show, starting with warming up the crowd so the true stars - the skit performers - could shine. A crowd that overflowed out into the hall, eclipsing even the audience The Pillows drew earlier today, roared when the performances finally began.

The biggest hit with the crowd may have been the very last skit, one not even eligible for any awards because it fell in the exhibit division. A blast from the gaming past, The Duck Hunt Ninjas took me back to my youthful duck hunting days in hilarious fashion. Equipped with lights and an over-sized NES gun, the ninjas hunted much more than ducks. Naruto, Kagome and Goku shouted catch phrases while being expertly shot down.

Though they couldn’t earn any awards, the ninjas won a standing ovation from the entire audience when the hunt was over.

The night also featured other gaming-related skits, including a chocobo that did the chicken dance and novice runner up winner “The Weakest Link,” a skit that had several incarnations of Link fighting each other to see who was the best.

“There’s this voice in my dreams: ‘Hey, look, listen!’” one Link said when asked what was troubling him.

A skit literally three years in the making debuted tonight and definitely seemed worth the wait. Mamimi and Canti of FLCL waged a Guitar Hero battle against each other, with real Guitar Hero controllers, that ended with them smashing their instruments on the stage in true rock star fashion.

“This is what the inside of your Guitar Hero controller looks like,” the host said while wearing a scrap of demolished guitar as an eye patch.

Other presenters rolled up Boston as the Prince from Katamari, performed a musical Phoenix Wright trial and explained why “elves suck” while decked out as Record of Lodoss War’s Deedlit and Ghim.

Beyond skits, masquerade guests caught a glimpse of the winning AMV contest entries and an array of stunning hall cosplay. Those who stuck around between the end of the skits and the announcement of the awards got a glimpse at some of the best cosplay wandering the halls of AB this weekend.

by Rick Healey

In the twentieth century, fandom produced filk, the music of science fiction conventions and turning Tolkein’s lyrical poetry into song. But in the 21st, Anime Boston got a visit from nerdcore rapper MC Frontalot.

For those unfamiliar with it, nerdcore is what happens when you combine a hardcore rap style with topics dear to fandoms heart. Whereas Eminem might rap about fame and everyone he wants to dis, Frontalot launched into a tirade about how much he hates someone’s blog (hopefully not this one), dropped references to Enigma machines and seeing Goth girls after a Rocky Horror showing.

Frontsalot’s backup band - Gminor7, Adjunct Associate Assistant Professor X, and Lance Lossless - were quite capable, backing up Frontalot with everything from a calpyso beat to disco funk and even “Katamari On The Rocks.”

Much of the crowd was new going into this concert, but quickly got into things - it didn’t take long for the back to clear out and join the crowd in the front, and even though the dance wasn’t starting until Frontalot got done, there was already quite a bit of grooving on the floor, including the most frantic conga line I had ever seen. As he worked his encore with a song heavily referencing Akira, I could only hope his convention visit inspired him for a song about cosplay and catgirls.

By “The Mick” Pratt

Mudkip Count: 313

It was literally the moment everyone had been waiting for. The Veteran’s Auditorium was packed to absolute capacity. The lights go down low. The tech staff disappears from on stage. The crowd draws a collective breath, and then it happens. Four figures emerge from out of the shadows of backstage, and suddenly everyone is on their feet. Lights circle the stage as the musicians ready their instruments. The crowd’s cheer builds to a deafening crescendo, and then a gruff voice pierces the din: “Hello Boston! We. Are. The Pillows!”

For a solid hour long set The Pillows were up on stage rocking the face off of Anime Boston 2008. They danced around the stage, threw their instruments around, jumped around like crazy men and keep the energy up to 11 for the length of their performance. The singer, in particular, was a spectacle to behold. His eyes would bulge wide during the most intense parts of songs, and when he screamed for applause the entire audience was right there with him. Not a soul in the room wasn’t hanging on to every note issuing from the noise machine of these Japanese gods of rock.

The crowd claps rhythmically. They wave their hands in the air, saluting the performance not with lighters, but with a sea of nintendo DS’s, and cell phones. People are up on their feet, they are dancing in the aisles. The Pillows play hit after hit, all building towards an incredible climax. The singer takes a death breathe in, and bellows at the audience “Do you know.” he pauses. “Furi Kuri?” The crowd goes absolutely wild. The guitarist plays the opening bars to ‘Ride on Shooting Star’, and everyone loses themselves in the intense euphoria of musical ecstasy. The crowd sings along to every line. The echo of thousands of voices chanting as one is deafening. But when the song ends, the show is not over. The Pillows blast right into ‘Little Busters’.

Like all good things, their set soon ends with a “Thank you Boston!” and they exit the stage. The crowd moves towards the door, but why aren’t the house lights coming up yet? The lighting techs dramatically flash all the stage lights, while the crowd chants “Pillows! Pillows! Pillows!” Their chants are answered by none other than the lead singer of this Hokkadio area rock band as he coyly pokes his head back on stage. Cameras zoom in and focus on his smirk. Suddenly, the band is back on stage and at it again. What an encore. What an encore!

Of course all of this praise for The Pillows shouldn’t overshadow the solid show put on by the J-fashion group Luv & Response. The quintet dazzled the audience with an impressive array of choreographed dance routines, and a myriad of costume changes. They definitely exemplified the glitz and the glam of the J-pop/rock scene – a style of flamboyance I thought had gone out with Ziggy Stardust. But my preconceived notions about the state of the J-pop scene notwithstanding, Luv & Response were certainly an eyeful.

Immediately following the concert there was a massive rush towards the merch tables of performing artists, and a near stampede of people heading upstairs to try to score an autograph. The massive flood of people poured out of the doors, and every individual was still in an extreme state of shock with stars in their eyes. Looking over the sea of faces I couldn’t spot even a single frown.

I still haven’t come down completely from the high of the concert, and I’ve already heard many people say its the highlight of their convention, and the high point of their entire weekend. And while I can’t contest these claims I have to remind people that there is still plenty of Anime Boston left to enjoy this weekend. So get out there and make the best of it!

By Michelle McGuinness

Which academy did the characters from Revolutionary Girl Utena attend? What did the first robotic cat do when its name was called? Which anime title rhymes with “Sushi free sue me?”

Stumped? So were many of the contestants at Anime Team Trivia this afternoon. Four teams duked it out to see who was the brightest and best of the geeks. In the end, team Jigglypuff caught the win.

The questions had younger contestants in particular perplexed, as many rounds harkened back to the good, arguably old days of shows like Sailor Moon, Bublegum Crisis and Rose of Versailles.

That didn’t stop the audience from enjoying themselves as they called out answers teams couldn’t get and laughed when a member of team Dragonball failed to perform a charade for “Cloud’s sword.”

The biggest shock of the evening came when the host asked teams to guess whether or not certain Japanese merchandise based on the Gundam character Char is real or not.

While Char tampons aren’t yet a reality, the audience, including me, exploded with laughter when we learned that Char chicken, credit cards, forklifts and wheelchairs - yes, wheelchairs - can all be purchased at a Japan near you.

The audience ended up having so much fun that we were all a little surprised and disappointed when the host curtly ended the program: “Thank you for playing and get out.”

By Michelle McGuinness 

What started as a history lesson quickly became a casual gathering of like-minded Jrock fans watching PVs and hanging out. By the end, the history of Jrock event was more like watching music videos with a bunch of friends and less like a panel.

The PVs were the star of the show and featured bands like Miyavi, 12012, Distraught Overlord and LMC – with all their big hair, ridiculous make-up and fantastic clothing. We shared rumors, related concert stories and just generally relaxed, all to the frantic and sometimes insane beat of J-rock.

Not a bad way to start day two.

by Rick Healey
So you want to make your own game? If so, Mecha Publishing, LLC had the panel for you – How to Develop Your Own Anime Video Game. Of course, their advice was for more than just those who want to produce games based on anime-style art and stories – they had something for every budding game designer. Heck, some of their advice was great for those making other games besides video games.

They went through the various steps that are required for every game – this included everything from the basic abstract about the game to what objects are to be defined in the game. And this means everything – from walls to weapons to NPCs. After all, if you don’t define those, you end up with something like Big Rigs: Over The Road Racing.

Definition was the key word of the panel – one more definition required is that everyone working on the game needs to have all their roles defined. After all, it’d be terrible to lack sound effects because nobody told the programmer in charge of music that he needed to make sound effects as well. One more definition asked for includes descriptions of everything related to the characters. A great story was told about that – all that was defined for a game was that a woman would walk into a building. This woman, named Bobette, ended up being about five feet tall, roughly as wide, in eight inch stilettos and with a bizarre waddling motion for a walk.

If there was anything I think should be taken from the panel, it would be that when you’re working on a huge project like a game, you are working on the design every minute until it’s finally published. Though Mecha Publishing didn’t say it, that really applies to anything that could be worked on, not just video games.

Finally, it was noted during the Q-and-A session after the panel that when they’re at cons, they like to scout the Art Show and Artists’ Alley to find new artists for their games – and they’re far from the only design company doing this. Because heaven only knows Artists’ Alley for Anime Boston wasn’t selling out fast enough. They’re also regularly searching sites like DeviantArt and Comic Genesis for new talent. So for those looking to be getting into video gaming, make sure to get your work out there – with enough work and exposure, you too can get into the industry.

By “The Mick” Pratt

Mudkip Count: 211

The Pillows concert isn’t for another few hours still, but the faithful fans have already lined up in the hallways. I’m told people came as early as 8 a.m. to get seats for the 3 p.m. concert, but were turned away to keep order in the halls. By noon, however, the line of excited hopefuls extended all the way down the main events hallway.

But don’t let the line fool you, it was like a party out there! Some people were holding impromptu dance parties, while others doodled away in pictochat. Everyone was chatting, laughing and generally enjoying themselves.

Well, just a quick update for now. Look for full coverage of this afternoon’s concert later this evening, as well as a report on Anime Boston’s first ever “Extreme Geek:” a geeky panel/game show imported from PortconMaine! It’s geek. It’s extreme. And you’d better be there!

by Michelle McGuinness

After almost two hours spent bopping to the beat at the front of the crowd, I can say with conviction that Tokyo Pinsalocks is like nothing I’ve ever heard.

The trio’s funky 60s-inspired style - including technicolor boots, matching retro dresses and bright leggings - belied the terrific sound the band produced. Equipped with a synthesizer backed up by one badass bassist but no lead guitarist, the group hit the crowd with an endearingly bizarre mix of rock, techno and keyboard that had everyone in the ballroom dancing.

Even I, while being pummeled mercilessly by bass because I was so close to the stage, couldn’t help but dance. Maybe it was the aura of “cool” exuded from Hisayo as she rocked the bass or the intensity of Reiko’s drumming. My inability to stop dancing may have also been charismatic lead singer Naoko’s doing.

During songs, Naoko commanded the audience’s attention, sometimes simply by swaying to the music herself, sometimes by swinging around a bundle of colored paper flowers like a significantly more adorable version of Roger Daltrey. Between songs, she spoke a mix of Japanese and English to the crowd.

“Do you like anime?” she asked after one song. “Do you like Japan? Do you like Tokyo Pinsalocks?” When the crowd responded with a roar, she replied, “Doumo arigatou.”

The group’s fifth number might have been the biggest crowd-pleaser. About half way through, Naoko’s reverberating voice and a steady keyboard beat were interrupted with a head bang-inducing explosion of bass and drum that had the entire crowd jumping.

“That was my favorite so far,” the guy next to me in the crowd said when the song, sadly enough, ended.

Unfortunately, the quirkiness eventually wore off on the crowd. Many of the songs in the middle of the set sounded similar to a crowd largely unfamiliar with Tokyo Pinsalocks, and the energy in the room dropped slightly.

The rockers from Japan didn’t let anyone leave less than pumped, however, as they ended their show with back-to-back crowd pleasers that produced so much dancing I could feel the floor shaking under me.

The charge at the end of the show was fueled, at least from my perspective, by Hisayo’s bass. At the end was when she really seemed to shine, jumping around the stage while she played. It was amazing to see a female guitarist rocking so hard, especially because most of what I listen to involves screaming, bleached hair and all-male bands. Hisayo strummed the bass with the poise and “cool” of the most bleached and badass of J-rockers.

At the end of the show, those in the audience who didn’t stay in the ballroom for the dance crowded around Tokyo Pinsalocks outside, scooping up CDs to have signed. The trio was mobbed with eager new fans picking up the group’s newest CD, which just dropped today.

Naoko’s pictures of the crowd, taken by her from the stage during the concert, will commemorate the band’s first trip to and concert in America - one that those lucky enough to see won’t forget soon either.