This post will be a bit longer, because there are a few panels I’ll be mentioning. I thought there was a good variety this year, with different kinds of panels running to interest all kinds of convention attendees.

Feel free to skip ahead to the parts that interest you the most:

• Mock Combat for Cosplay Workshops
• Numerology and Anime
• Dubs That Time Forgot
• Japanese Fashion History

Mock Combat for Cosplay Workshops

There was a beginner version on Saturday afternoon, lead by Chris Ayres and Carli Mosier Faigen. This workshop includes instruction and demonstration of different combat type interactions that look dangerous, but are actually safe to perform. Partner based. An advanced workshop was also offered on Sunday, but you must take the beginner’s version first.

These workshops are a great way for cosplayers who want to do skits and short choreographed fights in cosplay, as there are lots of tips on how to make things look realistic but also be completely safe. Definitely a good way to add interest to a cosplay presentation!

You can read more about Mock combat for Cosplay workshops on Chris Ayres’s website.

Chris Ayres also has some pictures of his time at Anime North on his website.

You don't want to end up like this after a cosplay battle!

Numerology and Anime

This was one of the more unique panels at Anime North this year, but it seemed like the presenter had to change from what she had originally planned as her original presentation included the numerology analysis for characters that none of the audience were familiar with.

The presenter indicated that numerology is traditionally based on birth name and birth date. In the case of fictional characters, the date of appearance is used instead of birth date. The factors of a numerological analysis she was using included: life lesson, soul urge (inner personality/desires), outside personality, expression/path of destiny, and she also looked at the first challenge factor which covers up to age 28.

The presenter ended up doing a live numerology interpretation for Sailor Moon, using her original name and original manga appearance year. My comments in brackets.

Musical style cosplayers - Sailors Moon and Mercury at Anime North 2012

Life Lesson: 3
This indicates that Usagi is best in intellectual (I can hear you fans snickering), creative, or artistic pursuits.

• She likes beauty, fruitfulness, and luxury.
• She is conscious of the law and a position of authority.
• She should specialize in her career path, not generalize.
• She will be successful in invented pursuits.
• She also has a freedom-loving nature.

Soul Urge: 4 (this number is based on the vowels in her name)
Her inner personality/desires are to be loyal, balanced, and dependable (okay, we all know this wasn’t true at first!). She is also able to make her dreams come true.

Outer Personality: 9 (based on consonants in her name)
Usagi has a great breadth of understanding, is selfless, compassionate, forgives easily, is emotional, and is romantic.

Path of Destiny: 4 (this is based on the full name and indicates her aim in life)
Usagi is a builder of the world. She is organized, handles money well, is honest, is confident, and will engage in self-denial to fulfill her duties.

I don’t know about the rest of you, but I noticed quite a few characteristics that ring true for Sailor Moon in there, although it doesn’t seem to be completely accurate in her case.

I think if this panel returns in future, it would be a good idea to prepare numerological analysis for popular anime characters in advance. Old or obscure characters won’t connect with the audience, and this type of panel appears to work much better when the audience is familiar with the characters being analyzed. Kudos to the presenter for doing some live analyses of characters suggested by the audience.

Dubs That Time Forgot

This was a surprisingly popular event, with every seat full in two adjoining rooms and plenty of congoers standing as well to watch the video clips and hear commentary.

The part I managed to catch was mostly focused on a show called Manx Mouse, which is about a character called Harrison Manx Mouse who, although he is a mouse, looks an awful lot like a rabbit. This series appeared to be intended for children yet included a disturbing subplot about Manx Mouse having to get eaten by a Manx cat! Somehow this didn’t seem to bother any of the characters in the show, including Manx Mouse.

Here’s a clip from Manx Mouse:

And for those interested, there are more “Dubs That Time Forgot” videos available on Anime News Network and Youtube.

Japanese Fashion History

This was a presentation and discussion led by Helen McCarthy on Japanese clothing throughout history, geared towards cosplayers who would like to use historically accurate kimono for costumes. The presentation included information about the differences in clothing for commoners as well as wealthy people for traditional clothing.

Helen also said that kimono are only fully cleaned about once every five years. The process is complex, involving a full deconstruction of the kimono (undoing the seams and all), washing, drying on a board, then reassembly in order to keep the fabric and embroidery intact.

Kimono were dominant among commoners until the end of World War II, but more well-off people, particularly businessmen, started wearing more western influenced clothing at this time.

In the 1950’s, there was a transition to kimonos as primarily formal wear, and they were no longer a part of modern life in Japan. This means that now, we could be seeing the end of kimonos.

I found this an interesting presentation, although the audience was small. Helen showed lots of pictures of different styles of kimono and provided an overview of hundreds of years in less than an hour. Wearing a kimono herself, she was engaging, good-spirited, and made lots of topical jokes to keep the audience interested. Definitely recommended for anyone who wants to learn more about accurately cosplaying characters who wear kimono.

Manga style Sailor Moon cosplayers at Anime North 2012

Next up: The Sailor Moon discussion panel. Stay tuned for more Anime North 2012 convention coverage!