Facebook Fan Page
Twitter
Google+ Page
Toronto’s fan-run Anime North was crowded this year, with an attendance 20,000 anime fans. There was plenty to enjoy this year at the event, with activities that could appeal to all kind of anime fans.
The unseasonably hot weather prompted many fans to wear sunscreen and parasols became functional, not just a cosplay accessory. Convention organizers also ensured that a number of strategically placed water stations were available for attendees, staff, and guests to stay cool and hydrated all weekend. Many attendees were seen making use of the welcome refreshement, particularly shortly after entering the Toronto Congress Centre.
Upon entering the TCC, congoers could find the information desk, registration, weapons check, club tables, photographers, a couple event areas, and an entry which led to the shopping area containing the Artists’ Alley, Crafter’s Corner, a wrestling demonstration, and the ever-popular Dealers’ Room. Surrounding hotels housed other programming including panels, video screenings, gaming events, and special ticket events.
Getting to the convention on Friday afternoon (and the rest of the weekend) via TTC proved to be over-crowded.
(I highly recommend that congoers in future attempt to find an alternative method of getting to the convention each day aside from the popular #58 bus from Lawrence West station, or even consider staying at a hotel and splitting the cost of a room with friends. As it was, I found that traveling via this route through Lawrence West station was inefficient, with long lines of passengers and buses quickly filling to capacity. I will certainly try to make other arrangements for next year!)
As soon as I arrived on Friday afternoon and picked up my media kit and checked in at the panels office, I made my way to my first event of the weekend — my “Return of Sailor Moon” presentation.
I handed out one-inch Moon Chase buttons to most people in the audience and began my powerpoint presentation, which you can view here.
Please note that this presentation was last modified about a week prior to Anime North and does not include any news that has happened past late May 2012.
Fans seemed to quite enjoy the presentation and the two video clips I shared. Embedding video within the presentation didn’t work (but I have embedded them in this post below), so I shared two clips at the end: the Luna Splende video game trailer (in Italian) and the television commercial for Sailor Moon returning to TVB J2 in Hong Kong. The commercial from Hong Kong had everyone laughing about Sailor Mars’s unique weight loss technique and Tuxedo Mask as a waiter.
Here’s the Luna Splende video game trailer I shared:
And the commercial from Hong Kong:
Of course, at this presentation the question on everyone’s mind was (and still is) when is the Sailor Moon anime returning to the English speaking market? Sorry fans, we still have no news on that front! All I can say is that there is at least one distributor in talks to try to secure the rights for Canada and the US. In light of the recent announcement that there will be a new anime series premiering in Japan next year, we will also be keeping an eye on if this series would be included in a deal with the original anime series.
Other questions at the presentation included:
Why is Sailor Moon in her original costume but the other senshi wear their Eternal costumes on the comers of the new manga graphic novels?
I suspect Sailor Moon’s costume was the original version for recognizability, but I’m not sure why the others are in their Eternal outfits. Any ideas, Sailordees?
Where can Canadian fans find the new merchandise, and how much does it cost in Canada?
Aside from comic shops (if they don’t have something and it’s made by Great Eastern, ask if they can order it for you!) and Amazon.ca, fans can also try Hot Topic stores if there are any in their area. Unfortunately, there are very few Hot Topic locations in Canada (and only in Ontario). The prices get marked up a fair bit in Canada too. The one shirt I bought at a Hot Topic was $32 new (plus taxes), regular price. I think this is too much for a T-shirt, so I personally won’t be buying any more at regular price. Also, it would be nice to see Hot Topic appearing at conventions to sell merchandise to fans that are exclusive to Hot Topic. Fans may travel far for a convention, but rarely for a single shopping trip at a store.
We hope you enjoy the beginning of convention coverage for this year’s Anime North. More coming soon!
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
