This year’s Anime North is coming up soon and Sailor Moon fans can look forward to quite a few highlights in the schedule including meeting Sandy Fox, the new voice of Chibiusa/Sailor Chibimoon in the Viz Media dubs of Sailor Moon and Sailor Moon Crystal. This is her first appearance in Toronto, so be sure to give her a warm welcome.

Anime North is one of my favourite conventions and I highly recommend it to anime fans in the Toronto area. It has a positive atmosphere, lots of cosplayers, and tons of programming so there is always something interesting to check out! It has grown to be a quite large event, so do keep that in mind if you are wary of crowds. There are places you can go that are less crowded such as panel rooms, but the dealers’ room is often packed as are the outdoor areas surrounding the Toronto Congress Centre (a.k.a. the TCC).

For drivers, it is good to note that there is plenty of free parking available during the day at the TCC, but overnight parking needs to be paid for at the hotels. It is also advisable to enter the TCC parking lot by car through the Martin Grove entrance as traffic is less congested on that road (use the address of 1020 Martin Grove rd in your GPS for this).

If you are taking public transit, keep in mind that TTC service will become extremely crowded during peak times, especially on the 52 Lawrence bus. There will also be a subway closure between St. George and Broadview stations on May 27th-28th. There are some possible route options listed here, however I strongly recommend carpooling if you can or planning extra travel time. There are NO express buses between the convention and the subway, expect to be delayed.

And now for the part you’re really here for! The following is a breakdown of Sailor Moon related programming and a couple other items that might interest our readers.

Friday, May 26th

• 5pm-7pm — Sandy Fox autographs (TCC Autograph Area Hall A)
• 6pm-7pm — Sailor Moon cosplay photoshoot (DT2)
• 7pm-10pm — Trigun Doughnut Eating Contest (International Plaza Terrace Café): a returning contest, it would definitely be a winner for our favourite Sailor Guardian who can’t resist a good snack!
• 7:30pm-8:30pm — Q&A with Lex Lang and Sandy Fox (TCC Pinsent room, panel 1): Question and answer panel with Sandy Fox and her husband Lex Lang. Sailor Chibimoon and Goku!

Saturday, May 27th

• 11am-1:30pm — Sandy Fox autographs (TCC Autograph Area Hall A)
• 11:30am-12:30pm — Anime and Fandom with YTV’s Anime Master (TCC Waxman Room Panel 2): meet the Anime Master from YTV and take a look at how YTV influenced anime fandom in Canada.
• 1pm-3pm — The Sailor Moon 25th Anniversary Game Show (TCC Cohen Ballroom): brought to you by Fan World and the Toronto Sailor Moon Celebration, expect a fun Sailor Moon themed game show to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the franchise!
• 2pm-5pm — Sandy Fox autographs (TCC Autograph Area Hall A)
• 3pm-4pm — Sailor Moon cosplay photoshoot (TCC4)
• 6:30pm-7:30pm — Sailor Moon Merchandise (TCC Berton 3-4 Panel 6): Presentation on the latest and greatest official merchandise and where you can get it. Brought to you by the Toronto Sailor Moon Celebration (and presented by yours truly).
• 7pm-10pm — Trigun Doughnut Eating Contest (International Plaza Terrace Café) — another chance to eat donuts and do your best impression of Usagi at the same time. She can certainly beat that Vash the Stampede guy in an eating contest.
• 8:30pm-9:30pm — Fan Fiction The Show comedy performance (TCC Cohen Ballroom)

Sunday, May 28th

• 11am-1:30pm — Sandy Fox autographs (TCC Autograph Area Hall A)
• 12:30pm-1:30pm — Sailor Moon Discussion Panel (TCC Berton 3-4 Panel 6): Come chat about everything Sailor Moon: the manga, the anime, the musicals, and more!
• 2pm-5pm — Sandy Fox autographs (TCC Autograph Area Hall A)
• 3pm-4pm — Sailor Moon cosplay photoshoot (TCC4)

There are lots of other interesting items on the schedule this year, so be sure to check out the full program here and make your plan for the weekend!

You can also meet some of the team for the Toronto Sailor Moon Celebration at booth #IA08 in the industry area in Hall F of the Toronto Congress Centre, near the entrance to the dealers’ room. We will be giving away some fun freebies as well as selling tickets to this year’s Toronto Sailor Moon Celebration, selling buttons, and selling tote bags.

Aside from programming that I’m participating in, you will be able to find me at the booth quite easily. I will be running the Sailor Moon merchandise presentation, moderating/leading the Sailor Moon discussion panel, helping out with the Sailor Moon game show, and I will also be running a Social Media for Cosplayers panel on Saturday from 3pm-4pm in the Montreal room at the International Plaza.

Passes for Anime North range from $35-$45 for a single day or $60 for the weekend. Weekend passes typically sell out in advance, so it is best to purchase those online if possible. Complete information on registration options is available here.

I hope to see you there and that you will have a great Anime North this year! Remember to take breaks and stay hydrated while also having fun.

Anime North will be starting in a couple of days!

For Toronto area fans who may have missed updates on our Facebook page, here are some of the Sailor Moon highlights:

• Sailor Moon discussion panel: Saturday, 4pm, Plaza ballroom A (International Plaza) — I’m on this as an expert for media and merchandise questions, especially for those who can’t make it to my presentation.
• Sailor Moon Merchandise and Media: Sunday, 10am, Halton room (International Plaza) — this is my usual presentation on the latest media and merchandise news, followed by a Q&A. I will have a small giveaway for anyone who attends!
• Sailor Moon photoshoots (these locations are on the lawn outside the Congress Centre):
  • Saturday, 2pm at location TCC3
  • Sunday, 2pm at location TCC2
• Video showings:
  • Sailor Moon Classic (dubbed, most likely the Viz Media version), Saturday, 2pm, Aurora Room (International Plaza)
  • Sailor Moon Crystal (subbed), Saturday, 6pm, International A (International Plaza)
  • Sailor Moon Crystal (subbed), Sunday, 10am, International C (International Plaza)
  • Sailor Moon Classic (not sure if this is subbed or dubbed), Sunday, 2pm, London Room (International Plaza)

Other places you can find me (or get a message to me):

• How to Survive an Anime Convention: Friday, 5pm, Ottawa Room (International Plaza)
• Fans in the Professional Workplace: Saturday, 8pm, Ottawa Room (International Plaza)
• The Unplugged Expo table — table DT04 in the Dealers’ Room (Congress Centre) *you can leave a message for me if I’m not there*

I will be reporting on Anime North with a dedicated photographer/videographer. If you get your picture taken, be sure to check out our Google+ page after the convention!

Hope to see you there if you can make it! Have a happy and safe convention 🙂

Sorry for the delay with the editing, here is the video footage of our exclusive interview with the Sailor Moon cast members who were at Anime North last year.

There are quite a few interesting questions and answers in this video featuring Toby Proctor (Tuxedo Mask #2), Katie Griffin (Sailor Mars #1), John Stocker (Grandpa Hino, Voice Director #3), and Linda Ballantyne (Sailor Moon #3). This includes John Stocker’s confirmation that he was Grandpa Hino!

Hope you enjoyed the video!

Stay tuned for more video convention coverage featuring Sailor Moon talent at other events.

Here’s the third of the three public Sailor Moon panels that I recorded at Anime North this year.

Next up will be the media interview, but it will take a bit more editing than these panels. It will include more information about John Stocker’s role as Grandpa Hino, so keep a lookout for that if you’re interested in hearing about that!

Here’s the second of the three public Sailor Moon panels that I recorded at Anime North this year.

I missed a small bit at the beginning, but just think of lingering smells and you’ll figure it out.

This is also where you can hear John Stocker confirming that he played Grandpa Hino in the series (this will be re-confirmed in our video interview coming later as well)

I am still editing the other videos from Anime North and will post as soon as they are processed. The third panel and our press interview will be coming up, so keep a lookout for them!