All articles posted in August 2012.
Kazue Kato’s popular manga series Blue Exorcist is finally making its way onto the silver screen. According to the movie’s Japanese web site, advance tickets went on sale August 25th ahead of the film’s December 28th, 2012 premiere.
The web site also boasts beautiful artwork from the upcoming flick along with trailers and character background information.
Guelaguetza from last year
Want to experience Mexico but don’t want to leave the country? Then head on down to Jack Poole Plaza just west of the Vancouver Convention Centre on Saturday, September 8th, 2012 for the Fiesta Mexico Independence, a part of this year’s MexicoFest.
There will be plenty of traditional food, drinks and treats along with music, dancing and cultural exhibits; all the colour, flavours and sounds of an authentic fiesta. At a quarter to six, the national anthems of Canada and Mexico will be played and then followed by a reading of the Grito de La Independencia – the Cry of Independence.
An alternative rock group from Monterrey, Los Claxons, will be performing towards the end of the event. Los Claxons has released 4 studio albums and have even opened for the band Maroon 5.
Fiesta Mexico Independence is free, starting at 12:00 pm PDT and finishing at 9:00 pm PDT following the Los Claxons concert.
Of course, there’s more to MexicoFest than just the Fiesta Mexico Independence – there’s the Portraits of Mexico art exhibition, golf tournaments, a culinary week, travel and trade expos plus more. Visit the MexicoFest web site for further details.
Mexico celebrates its independence on September 16th, 2012.
After years of waiting, VIZ Media has announced the English vocal cast for InuYasha: The Final Act through their Neon Alley subscription channel. Ever since the original InuYasha series concluded abruptly, the story was left wide open with many left perplexed over the fate of the remaining Shikon Jewel shards and the threat of Naraku. All that was wrapped up with the release of InuYasha: The Final Act which was broadcast in Japan back in 2009 and streamed online for US audiences only. The DVD and Blu-ray release of InuYasha: The Final Act is set for sometime in late 2012, but an exact date has yet to be specified.
Some familiar names make a return with the dubbed version of InuYasha: The Final Act, notably Richard Ian Cox and Paul Dobson. Newcomers include Kira Tozer as Kagome and Michael Daingerfield as Sesshomaru.
Source: Crunchyroll
Naruto volume 58
A frightening legion of disgused Zetsu clones greet Naruto and Killer Bee as Gaara and his troops come face to face with the four reanimated Kage. The clones hide a secret behind their creation, but will it be enough for the two jinchūriki stop them? Can Gaara and the Tsuchikage stop the revived village leaders?
Two former foes return to add to Naruto’s and Killer Bee’s plate, however one proves to be a useful ally instead.
Volume 58 of Naruto will be available on store shelves September 11th, 2012.
Northern Mexico has been a spot of notoreity due to the feuding between rival drug cartels and government forces. Caught in between is Matamoros, a sprawling city on the edge – the Mexican border, with the Rio Grande and the Gulf of Mexico.
Despite all the negativity, I had an opportunity to visit Matamoros – my first ever visit to Mexico. I won’t deny that I wasn’t nervous about crossing over, but I certainly wasn’t frightened. Invited and escorted by my friend, his wife, and my friend’s grandfather, I ventured across to experience Matamoros. Read the rest of this article…
The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia
Last year, Nintendo published a really neat book on the Legend of Zelda series. Cover-to-cover, The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia is chock full of colour illustrations, never before seen sketches, history and an official timeline of all the Zelda games. There was just one small problem – Hyrule Historia was a Japan-only release.
Elusive and expensive, the book became coveted by fans around the world. Even then, if you can’t read Japanese, the most you can do is gaze over the artwork. A friend of mine, who is twice the Zelda fan I am, managed to snatch up a copy at Sakura-Con this year for only $60 USD – a steal.
All that will change on January 29th, 2013, when Nintendo and Dark Horse bring The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia to their English-reading devotees. The book is available for pre-order on Amazon at a cool $20.99 USD (originally $34.99 USD).
There are some differences on the outside; the Japanese print comes with a faux-leather cover emblazoned with the Legend of Zelda 25th Anniversary emblem. The North American cover lacks the same elegance; a similar background but with a melange of the green-clad Link in his various forms and outfits over the years with a rather simplistic logo at the top.
After looking through the Japanese copy back in April, it’s easy to see why so many people want it.
Video game web site Kotaku even managed to get a sneak peek at one of the English pages. Just one page is enough to let the drooling start.
Source: Kotaku
Since Anime Evolution ceased operations after 2010, Anime Revolution (note the extra “r” in evolution) was created to fill the void in Vancouver’s Japanese comic and cartoon scene. The event was held August 17th through 19th, 2012 under the white sails at Canada Place on Vancouver’s waterfront. Read the rest of this article…
Texas is all about big things. And there’s nothing like a burgeoning convention to live up to its home state’s image. San Japan: Mach 5 moved into its largest location this year: the Henry B. Gonzales Convention Center in downtown San Antonio during the weekend (Friday included) of August 10th – 12th, 2012. In 5 short years, the convention has exceeded expectations and established itself as the place to cosplay and catch up on all things Japanese and will continue to do so well into the future. Because of the speed in which San Japan has grown, the theme for 2012 was a tribute to Speed Racer’s car, the Mach 5. Read the rest of this article…
Vancouver has a new convention in town – Anime Revolution! For three days, all things anime, manga and Japanese culture converged under the iconic sails of Canada Place in downtown Vancouver. Due to my tight schedule in returning from my trip to Texas, I was only able to snap some pictures from Saturday afternoon. Check out the rest of the cool costumes on Gallery!
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