Anime Boston

So for the 5th straight year, I'm back at Anime Boston! I almost didn't make it this year, but things worked themselves out, sort of.

This year I have 4 panels confirmed:

Kill la Kill and the Transformation of a Japanese Legend: covering a bit of Yamato-clan mythology, pre and post-Meiji history and politics, the carnivalesque, and how Kill la Kill takes a thousand year old story and flips it on its head. This one's more theoretical than my usual fare, but I really wanted to host it, seeing as how KLK is one of those shows that has so much going on that deserves to be explored.

Hunger Games and Battle Royale: A Comparison- co-hosted by Kit Flowerstorm. We plan to go over the differences and similarities between the two franchises, look at their inspirations, and how the two series approach a similar topic in very different ways.

Beyond Miyazaki: Politics and Philosophy in the Films of Studio Ghibli- my 2011 panel returns with new ideas, new films, and new a broader scope to exploring the collective work of Studio Ghibli. (i.e., Takahata gets his time in the sun, and I can add Arrietty and The Wind Rises into the continuity.)

We Con, Therefore We Are: Fandom and Convergence Theory- as seen as Otakon (and Otakon Vegas), the panel built around my graduate fieldwork is going to be at Anime Boston. It looks at the ideas of media convergence as they apply to fandom in the 21st century, explores the cultural evolution of the fan and fan practice, and looks towards a future of converging ideologies and a redefinition of what fandom entails. Ideas and opinions welcome!

I might also find my way onto another panel or two with my friends as well, I'll know closer to con.

Will definitely try and attend the KLK and Ghibli panels! They sound great!

Battle Royale I have read and seen. Sadly not Hunger Games yet but I would love to attend this panel. Great idea for a panel indeed. <3

I need to make it for fandom convergence panel. Heck, I might hijack it..just kidding...you're the better speaker

Battle Royale is one of my favorite manga series. Granted, there were some moments that made me cringe quite heavily, but the story itself was unbelievably good.

JeffersonLeeEng wrote:I need to make it for fandom convergence panel. Heck, I might hijack it..just kidding...you're the better speaker

You are always welcome to sit in on it. You know I enjoy a good round table discussion on that one.

yunaofparadise wrote:Battle Royale I have read and seen. Sadly not Hunger Games yet but I would love to attend this panel. Great idea for a panel indeed. <3

It was the end result of live tweeting a watch of BR about a month ago. The comparison chatter eventually won out, and I threw this one in. I think it's important to explore the media we consume, and try to really understand similarities and differences. I was one of those guys who pre-judged HG as being a BR ripoff, until I actually sat down and watched the movies. Even without the book, there are significant differences in how the worlds are created, how the characters interact with the event, how the event unfolds, and how the themes are colored by local tropes. I'm hoping it gets a good discussion going in its own right.

coolforever wrote:Battle Royale is one of my favorite manga series. Granted, there were some moments that made me cringe quite heavily, but the story itself was unbelievably good.

You can't really go wrong when it comes to BR. The films are a bit abbreviated, but still worth watching. The manga is a fantastic visual smorgasbord for the mature reader, and the novel presents the character's thoughts and motives in perfect detail. I read the book first, back in 2003, and it really evoked a lot of emotion.

I'm DEFINITELY going to come to your Ghibli panel!! I always look forward to your panels every year. ^_^ ^_^

AnimeAnthropologist wrote: Kill la Kill and the Transformation of a Japanese Legend: covering a bit of Yamato-clan mythology, pre and post-Meiji history and politics, the carnivalesque, and how Kill la Kill takes a thousand year old story and flips it on its head. This one's more theoretical than my usual fare, but I really wanted to host it, seeing as how KLK is one of those shows that has so much going on that deserves to be explored.

I MUST NOT MISS THIS PANEL. Hopefully, it gets an optimal timeslot, but I will make all of the effort that I can afford to make it to this one--no matter what happens to be the case~! I'm pretty surprised, Charles, it never would have crossed my mind that I'd ever see you talking about Kill la Kill; but, because it's you, I am so hyped for this one~!

I am all for the Kill la Kill panel. Will definitely drag my friends over if we're able to stay at AB long enough.

The Ghibli & Kill la Kill panels played a heavy role in making it worth coming up last minute.