In brief, the iPad is Apple’s answer to the tablet and netbook. Based on the iPhone OS, it’s a tablet computer that Apple is positioning to fill a perceived gap in functionality between a smartphone and a laptop computer. Since it’s based on the iPhone OS, and uses similar (though scaled-up) hardware, it has many features similar to the iPhone and iPod touch; however many user interface elements have been designed to take advantage of the much larger screen (a 9.7-inch (25 cm) LED backlit multi-touch display at 1024×768). And at $499 for the base model, the price is really quite reasonable considering the power and capabilities of what you get (IMHO of course).

Of course, reaction on the Internet to the device is bitterly divided. (Kind of like American politics. Sigh.) The true fanboys are lauding it as the best thing since sliced bread, while the haters are calling it “just a giant iPod touch.” But I think that the detractors are missing the point here. Yes, it IS a giant iPod touch. And that giantness is what makes the device work. There are things that you just can’t do (or you can do, but very poorly) on the iPhone or iPod touch because of its limited screen size. The larger screen of the iPad makes these applications possible. (Yes, she was right when she said “size matters.”) Here is why you, the otaku, should get really fired up about this device.

The first, and most obvious, is video playback. Sure, you can play video on your iPhone and iPod touch (or even video iPod). But you’ll probably lose your eyesight trying to watch it on that tiny screen. There are, of course, dedicated video players with bigger screens such as the Archos. But even those pale in comparison to the iPad’s generous 9.7 incher.

Where do you get video content then? Well, the iTunes Store has a fairly decent selection of anime titles, and at $1.99 per episode or roughly $35 for a full season, the prices are pretty reasonable. (Insert standard disclaimer about how different regions have different content in their respective iTunes stores.) Of course, you could always convert your own DVD’s into H.264 video files and load them on yourself, using tools such as HandBrake, RipIt, and AnyDVD. (Insert standard disclaimer about how, technically speaking, this is against the law thanks to the DMCA, but unless you’re planning on selling them, you probably won’t get caught, but it’s still technically illegal, and how you should only do this with DVD’s that you honest-to-God own.)

Then there’s always streaming video. Two major streaming video providers have already tossed their hat in the ring. Netflix, the uber-popular DVD-rental-by-mail outfit, has been offering streaming video to go along with its rental service for several years now; and yes, they do have some decent anime content. Not a whole lot, but it’s growing day by day. They now have an iPad app (free even!) that will let you stream any of Netflix’s streaming titles to your device. The best part is, if you start watching something on your computer, and then have to leave the house or something, you can pick up on your iPad right from where you left off, and vice versa.

And everybody’s anime streaming site Crunchyroll has also committed to creating an iPad app. Currently they have an app for the iPhone and iPod touch (also free!) that will let you watch any of their streaming titles; this app should work on the iPad’s compatibility mode, so you can get your Crunchyroll on until they finish their iPad-native app.

Also, it is rumored that Hulu will be making an iPad app too.

Of course, there are plenty of other sites out there that stream anime, legally or otherwise, including the websites of most (all?) of the big anime licensors (FUNimation, Bandai, etc.). The problem with these, of course, is that they use Adobe’s Flash, which the iPad will not support. But this won’t always be the case. The web is moving in its own slow, ponderous way to adopt the HTML 5 standard, which includes built-in support for streaming video, obviating the need for Flash. And the iPad supports HTML 5 perfectly. I suspect that once the iPad hits the masses, there will be a flurry of websites converting over to HTML 5. In fact, some of the big players have already done just that.

Are you into manga? Well then you’ve got reason to sit up and take notice too. Manga is definitely something that does NOT work well on an iPhone or similarly sized device. The screen is just too darn small. Either you have to squint and try to read micro-print on a full-page display, or you can zoom in and be faced with the prospect of having to scroll around to read everything. This is probably why those very few manga/comics forays on the iPhone failed so miserably. Of course there are e-readers such as the Amazon Kindle and Barnes and Noble Nook. Sure, they have bigger screens; but they are (so far anyway) only black and white, and the weird “flashing” effect when the e-ink screens refresh is off-putting to some.

Well, there are some exciting things afoot. Marvel Comics has released an iPad app (free!) based on the Comixology technology. And it looks really awesome. In portrait mode, you get the full page, though at about 80% of the size of a traditional comics page. Even so, text and graphics are crisp and easily readable thanks to the iPad’s excellent screen technology. But turn the unit on its side (in landscape mode), and a new viewing mode becomes available. You zoom into each panel of a strip, and tapping on the screen brings you to the next panel in logical order, all the while highlighting moments of dialogue or action. This is a fantastic way of viewing comics, and Andy Ihnatko, beloved tech pundit and well-known comics fan, really likes it. I’m sure that manga publishers will soon sit up and take notice.

If you’re an artist, you have cause to celebrate as well. Using the giant iPad screen and touch surface as an artist’s canvas is only natural, and with programs such as SketchBook Pro and Brushes, it’s really quite simple yet powerful. Several months back, an artist made a big splash in both the tech and art community, by creating a New Yorker cover using an iPhone. Imagine what you can do with an iPad! I wonder when we’ll start seeing people sitting at Artists’ Alley not with paintbrush or pen, but with an iPad instead.

And finally, with its large screen and native PDF support, the iPad makes an excellent PDF reader. When you consider that many anime conventions make their schedules, program guidebooks, etc. available in PDF format, this can be quite a handy thing to have. It’s admittedly a small thing, and wouldn’t make sense as the sole reason to buy an iPad; but if you bought one for any of the reasons above (or other reasons of your own, perhaps) it’s a nice extra.

Tablet computers are certainly nothing new – Microsoft has been trying to market them for years. But they have always failed miserably in the common consumer market. One possible reason why is because they were trying to extend the desktop computer metaphor onto the tablet, by using standard desktop operating systems (i.e. Windows). In taking their already-successful mobile iPhone OS and scaling it up to tablet size, Apple has done what Microsoft and countless other companies have failed to do — deliver a compelling tablet experience that just *works*.

Exciting times are upon us!

Related posts:

1. Crunchyroll for iPad: It’s Here!
2. Crunchyroll App for iPhone and iPod touch (and soon, iPad!)
3. Watch your downloaded anime on your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad with Air Video (Updated)

Some of the things you’ll be doing include:

• Working under the supervision and guidelines of a real-world production company to plan, shoot, edit, and upload video for a web-based “reality show”-styled grassroots marketing endeavor
• Using social media tools to promote and market your videos, TOKYOPOP products, and the TOKYOPOP Tour
• Hosting contests and events at conventions, bookstores, etc., nationwide
• Assisting the Tour Managers to set-up, tear down, and troubleshoot all events
• And more!

What qualifications do you need to have? You…

• Must be a manga/anime/Japan enthusiast
• Must be comfortable on camera and able to energize a crowd
• Must be a skillful user of Facebook, Twitter, blogs, and YouTube
• Must be able to plan, shoot, edit, and upload video
• Must be available for most if not all of the Tour: May 22-September 7
• Must like to travel
• Must have lots and lots of energy!
• Film or film marketing studies a plus
• Japanese speakers a plus
• Must receive course credit; this is an unpaid internship (travel expenses will be covered)
• Must receive verifiable college credit for an internship; this internship is unpaid (travel expenses are covered)
• Must enter into a TOKYOPOP Tour Internship agreement with TOKYOPOP

To apply:

1. Become a member of the TOKYOPOP Tour Ning group and join the Intern Applicants Group
2. Upload your resume and a writing sample as a blog post to your TOKYOPOP Tour profile
3. Upload a video telling us why you’re the right person for the internship to your TOKYOPOP Tour profile. Show us your most positive attributes, the ones that you think will make you a great spokesperson for TOKYOPOP on the road. (Note: Both TOKYOPOP and Ning prohibit the use of profanity in your video. All other Ning terms of service apply.)
4. Send and email to Tour@TOKYOPOP.com with the subject line “TOKYOPOP Tour Internship Application” confirming that you have submitted an application

Better hurry tho – deadline for application is this coming Wednesday, March 31! (Sorry for this last minute post. Somehow I missed this story until now.)

For full details, check out the announcement.

Related posts:

1. The State of the Podcast: Summer 2010 Edition
2. Project 760 Productions and Pop Japan Travel Present The Tokyo International Anime Fair Tour!
3. New Feature: Photo Gallery

What? Not familiar to you? Then you must not be a K-ON! fan. For this humble school building, and its surrounding areas, were used in large part in that work.

According to the translation provided by the kind commenters over at this YouTube video, the school building, which might be some sort of historical building/landmark, was apparently scheduled for demolition 8 years ago to make way for a new school facility; however, instead they decided not to demolish it and instead built a new school facility opposite the old one. In appreciation for saving the building, the author of the K-ON! manga used the building along with parts of the surrounding area as scenes for his work.

This part at least is true. The resemblance is uncanny, particularly the auditorium where the K-ON! girls held their concerts, the look of the hallways, the music room itself, and even the brass animal figures on the stair bannisters. (Not sure if there is a real life analogue to that statue that the students in K-ON! are always putting funny hats/outfits on tho… I didn’t see one in the video)

Anyway, the building is still being used for some functions (at least I believe the library is being used still – hmm, I wonder if they have the K-ON! manga on their shelves? That would be pretty meta!) And the school is cashing in on the building’s otaku street cred, as they are apparently holding concerts in the style of K-ON! in the auditorium, and the music room is decorated with K-ON! pictures as well as sweets and tea on the tables! (I really hope those are plastic models! Or that they change them daily, but that would be kind of cost-prohibitive…) And the otaku are indeed flocking to the location, as is evidenced by the huge collection of itasha (otaku cars decorated with anime decals, figures, etc. – literally means “painmobile” as in “too painful [for non-otaku] to look at”) parked in the parking lot – not to mention the cosplayers taking photos in front of the building and various landmarks. Sure hope that all of this attention isn’t disturbing the students too much!

Video below. (EDIT 2010-03-24: the original video has been taken down from YouTube for terms-of-use violations. Grrr… However I found not one, not two, but THREE!! fan-made videos of trips to the K-ON school that shows some additional footage of interest (e.g. the guitar shop that the K-ON girls bought their instruments at, the fast food restaurant where the girls often meet and where Mugi-chan got a job (apparently based on a McDonald’s), other views of the surrounding town, etc. And apparently the statue with the funny hats/clothes is actually based on a real-life statue of the man who built the school. Be sure and check out some of the “related videos” too!) (EDIT 2010-03-25: found another video!)

Related posts:

1. Ladies and gentlemen, we’ve found ourselves the real-life Ritsuko Tainaka
2. OMG! Real Life Ritsuko Tainaka!
3. Mobile Suit Gundam now streaming for free on Crunchyroll!

Even if you don’t have a Media Center PC, Boxee might still be a good program to have, since it can automatically retrieve metadata on your video files (album/cover art, titles, actors/directors/etc.) and will organize your movies and TV shows (TV shows organized by season and episode number, etc.). It can also decode practically every video, audio, and image format under the sun.

Well, this must have happened sometime a while ago, as I haven’t been paying much attention to Boxee. Recently they released a new beta (now freely available to anyone who signs up at the Boxee website – their beta used to be invite-only but is now open to the public). And when I went into the Boxee App Catalog, I discovered to my delight that everyone’s favorite streaming anime site Crunchyroll is now easily watchable through Boxee – a Crunchyroll app is now available in the Boxee app catalog!! You can watch any of the publicly-available streams, or, if you have one, you can log in to your Crunchyroll account to watch any of the non-free videos you have access to – including HD streams!

Want to get in on the action? Head on over to the Boxee website to sign up for a free account and download the free Boxee software. Then, from within Boxee, go to the App catalog (the “Apps” icon, duh) and download the (also free) Crunchyroll app!

BTW, if you are a Boxee user, please feel free to follow me – I’m “dburr” on Boxee.

Related posts:

1. Crunchyroll App for iPhone and iPod touch (and soon, iPad!)
2. Crunchyroll for iPad: It’s Here!
3. Mobile Suit Gundam now streaming for free on Crunchyroll!

Project 760 Productions, the group behind many otaku-centric events in the San Francisco Bay area including JTAF, is teaming up with Pop Japan Travel to offer you a chance to travel to Japan to attend the 2010 Tokyo International Anime Fair, one of the largest anime trade fairs in the world! You’ll get to take a sneak peek at the latest anime projects and series scheduled for the Spring and Summer TV seasons in Japan.

In addition, the tour will include visits to famous otaku landmarks, including Akihabara, the so-called “Electric Town,” a major shopping area for electronics and consumer goods, and now a hotbed of otaku activity, with many anime and manga shops, maid and cosplay cafés, and the like; Nakano Broadway, a ginormous building chock full of otaku-worthy shops — arcades, manga, anime, idol, music, toy, etc.; the Ghibli Museum, shrine of all things Studio Ghibli; a dinner at a cosplay café, a picnic by the sakura (cherry blossoms), a visit to an animation studio, and more!

This 9 day tour will take place between March 24 – April 1, and will run you $1,985, which includes all costs including round-trip airfare from Los Angeles, transportation, interpreters/tour guides, entrance fees, etc. You’ll also get a customized guidebook created exclusively for the tour. If you like, you can arrange your own travel plans to Japan, which drops the price to $1,360.

If there’s enough interest, they will also make several tour extensions available, including a tour of the port city of Yokohama and the history-filled city of Kamakura; and a tour of Studio Pierrot. (Tour extension is contingent on whether or not there is enough interest in it, and will incur an extra charge.)

Also, to commemorate the Studio Pierrot Tour, Pop Japan Travel is hosting a special contest through their YouTube channel.
The fan that submits the best video with a question for Studio Pierrot will receive their choice of three books courtesy of Digital Manga, Inc. and will get to visit Studio Pierrot free if they take the tour. Winners will receive a PJT credit towards a future tour if they cannot attend the TAF tour. The contest concludes on February 14, 2010.

For more information, visit the Pop Japan Travel website or email popjapantravel@gmail.com for more information. Mention Project 760 and get a $50 discount.

Better hurry – all applications are due by February 23, 2010

Related posts:

1. DJ City and DJ Gladiator talk travel in and around Nara Prefecture
2. ChibiCast #0006 – Psst…wanna travel to Japan? Then listen up!
3. Want to find good places to eat in Tokyo? There’s an app for that!

Not familiar with the Gundamverse? (Where have you been??!) Here’s a brief synopsis describing the series. You can also check out the Wikipedia entry on Gundam (but beware – there be spoilers here!)

“U.C. 0079. The rebel space colonies of the Principality of Zeon launch a war of independence against the Earth Federation, using humanoid fighting vehicles called mobile suits to overwhelm the Federation Forces and conquer half of Earth’s surface.

Months later, the Federation has finally developed its own prototype mobile suits at a remote space colony. But when the colony suffers a Zeon surprise attack, these new weapons fall into the hands of a motley crew of civilians and cadets, and fate places a youth named Amuro Ray at the controls of the white mobile suit Gundam…”

And here’s the synopsis for Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn:

“The year is U.C. 0096. Three years have passed since the end of the Second Neo Zeon War.

It is said that the Vist Foundation manipulates the Earth Federation and Anaheim Electronics from behind the scenes. Hoping to create a new world, the Foundation attempts to hand over a certain secret to the Neo Zeon remnants known as the Sleeves. This will mean the opening of Laplace’s Box, which holds a great secret tied to the origins of the Universal Century.

The exchange between the Vist Foundation and the Sleeves is to take place at the manufacturing colony Industrial 7. This is the home of the student Banagher Links, who rescues a girl he sees falling through the colony’s zero gravity area. The girl gives her name as Audrey Burne and says she wants to prevent a war, spurring Banagher to step into the conflict surrounding Laplace’s Box—almost as if he is drawn in by his own bloodline.

Based on a story by author Harutoshi Fukui, the newest Gundam work dynamically unfolds against the backdrop of the Universal Century. It all begins with this first shocking episode.”

Related posts:

1. Crunchyroll app now available in Boxee
2. Attention New York City: New York Anime Festival is THIS Weekend!
3. Crunchyroll for iPad: It’s Here!

I couldn’t help but think of this tragic event as I watched the opening moments of Twin Spica, an anime based on the seinen manga written and illustrated by Kou Yaginuma. It tells the story of a near-future Japan entering the space race with its first manned mission, Shishigou (Lion), which ends in disaster when the rocket’s booster catches fire shortly after launch.

In addition to the loss of the astronauts, the accident caused a great many civilian casualties, as the debris from the destroyed rocket crashed into the town of Yuigahama, causing much devastation and loss of life among the townsfolk. The effects of this are still being felt even five years after the disaster, where our story begins, as the city is still undergoing reconstruction, the townsfolk are still dealing with the loss of friends and loved ones, and the space program has undergone many public inquiries and setbacks.

The story focuses on young Asumi Kamogawa, whose mother received grave injuries during the Shishigou accident, causing her to fall into a coma and eventually die. One day she meets a strange man wearing a lion mask, who soon reveals himself to be a ghost and calls himself Lion-san. They strike up a friendship, and he comforts Asumi during these troubled times. We learn soon that he is the spirit of one of the Shishigou astronauts, and as their friendship deepens, he begins to tell her stories of space. It is these stories combined with a desire to revisit her mother’s spirit, which Asumi believes has turned into a star in space, that make Asumi decide she wants to become an astronaut. Flash forward several years. Asumi has graduated middle school and is preparing to take high school entrance exams. Meanwhile, the Japanese government, continuing their recovery from the disaster, forms the Tokyo Space Academy, a vocational school dedicated to training a new generation of students in the space sciences. The anime follows Asumi and the new friends she makes at the academy as they struggle towards their goal of graduating from the space academy. The series takes its name from the binary star Spica, Asumi’s favorite star.

The story is well written and very approachable. Even though it’s billed as a seinen (mainly targeted at a middle-aged male audience) I think it’s approachable from almost any age or gender. It’s deep and complex but not overly so. The characters are believable (with the possible exception of Lion-san, that is). Asumi, as the main heroine as it were, is neither one of those passive damsel-in-distress types, nor is she one of those superwomen who can take anything without so much as breaking a nail. She, like the rest of us, has her dreams, her worries, and her flaws. The same goes for the rest of the characters. There are no age-inappropriate moments either (no ecchi, etc.). It’s a very emotional, heartfelt story that will have you feeling every nuance of the characters’ lives, from the exhilaration of success to the terrible sadness and loss from the devastation caused by the Shishigou disaster. I really felt that I got to know the characters this way, even the ancillary ones. The story also gets high marks for technical accuracy. It contains quite a few references to actual events in space exploration history. For example, the harmonica that Lion-san is seen playing is a Hohner Little Lady, one of the first instruments to fly in space. Also, the nickname Asumi is given by one of her classmates, Seagull, is the callsign used by the first female astronaut, Valentina Tereshkova.

The artwork and animation is about average – nothing to write home about, but not too bad either. The characters and environments are drawn in rather muted colors and there is a general lack of detail in the scenes, their clothing, etc., which some might find appealing and others not. It’s rather reminiscent of a early to mid 90s Studio Ghibli release. One thing that did irritate me somewhat is the way Asumi was drawn, with rosy red cheeks. I’m not sure why it bugged me so; I just kept having this sensation of “that looks… wrong.” She is the only character drawn in this manner, and honestly she would’ve looked just fine without those rosy cheeks.

Music and sound is also “meh.” It mostly consists of slow lyrical guitar, piano, and/or harmonica pieces, and the occasional orchestral interlude when something particularly dramatic happens. In other words, it’s okay, but again nothing to write home about. I found the opening theme, “Venus Say” by the J-pop group Buzy, to be an odd choice however; this fast-paced poppy tune seemed rather out of place with the other slower paced music, and the general slow pace of the series as a whole. Voice acting is on the whole well done.

The show is, as I mentioned before, slowly paced. You won’t like this show if you’re an action junkie. There aren’t any explosions or giant space battles or giant robots either. (Well, aside from the explosion of the Shishigou rocket that is) Again, not for the action junkie. And if you’re expecting lots of cool space action — space stations, EVA walks, that sort of thing — you’ll be sorely disappointed. This ain’t no Planetes or Moonlight Mile. Although it’s much less gritty, and a great deal more optimistic than either of those series, which is a plus.

I also got rather irritated by the story recaps placed at the beginning of every episode. (“Hi! I’m Asumi Kamogawa, and I want to be a rocket driver when I grow up!”) These shorts were very cute but repetitive and annoying. I felt like I was being beaten over the head repeatedly with a steel bar wrapped in a layer of feather pillows.

Most of all, though, the series’ ending left me rather disappointed and wanting for more. When the series ended in 2004, only 30 chapters of the manga were written. As a result the ending was, in my opinion, rather weak and ambiguous, and left me generally unsatisfied. In particular, we learn very little of some of the characters’ back stories, especially the enigmatic and interesting Marika Ukita. (The manga ended just this year.)

Even with all of these deficiencies, Twin Spica is still a very well done series, with its main strength being the characters and how they interact with each other and work together. If this intrigues you, you can check it out yourself by downloading the fansubs. Vertical announced at their New York Anime Festival 2009 panel that it has licensed the Twin Spica manga for a “summer 2010″ release date (you can pre-order it now from Amazon.com; they are showing a release date of May 4, 2010). There is also a Japanese live action adaptation that was broadcast Summer 2009.

Story: ★★★★☆ 

Characters: ★★★★★ 

Animation/Artwork: ★★★½☆ 

Music ★★★½☆ 

Overall: ★★★★☆ 

Related posts:

1. Otaku no Podcast will be participating in the Anime Secret Santa project
2. Here’s an opportunity to review anime – Secret Santa style!

Related posts:

1. Here’s an opportunity to review anime – Secret Santa style!
2. Secret Santa Project Review: Twin Spica
3. New Year – New Website

Basically the idea is this: get together a whole bunch of anime fans with blogs/websites, have them throw the names of a bunch of anime series into a hat (in this case, the hat is the anime community website MyAnimeList), and have everybody review a random anime series from that hat – Secret Santa style.

Not familiar with this whole Secret Santa thing?  C’mon, I’m sure you’ve heard of it, it’s probably been used as a plot device in at least one or two Christmas-themed anime episodes that you’ve probably seen.  Okay fine, I’ll explain it anyway.  Basically it’s a fairly common custom in Western countries, where a group of friends, family members, coworkers, etc. randomly choose a person from among the group to buy a gift for, and they give that gift to them in secret.  (Starting to sound familiar to you?  Thought so…)

Anyway, here’s the skinny: sign up for a MyAnimeList account (they’re free), and fill it with the anime that you have seen, then email your name, blog/website url, and link to your MyAnimeList page to the folks at Reverse Thieves.  Once all entries are in, they will then randomly pair people together, at which point you get to review one of the animes on their list, and they get to review one of the ones on your list.

Their reasoning behind why they are doing this is threefold: mixing up what you watch and review on your blog, getting other people to watch things you feel deserve more attention, and facilitating a way to interact with other bloggers thus creating possibilities for cross blog readership, also it fosters an environment to try other cross blog experiments.  Also, they hope to encourage reviewers to be more willing to step outside of their “comfort zones” and try out series that they may not normally be into – which is always a good thing if you ask me.

Again, more details can be found on the Reverse Thieves blog post about this project.

Better hurry tho – you only have until November 8th to get your entries in!

Of course, I will be participating, so keep an eye on the Otaku no Podcast site to see which series I end up reviewing.  This should be… interesting!  (And fun!)

Related posts:

1. Otaku no Podcast will be participating in the Anime Secret Santa project
2. Secret Santa Project Review: Twin Spica
3. New Year – New Website