I produce this show out of my own pocket, primarily because of my love of all things anime and Japan. Unfortunately in this down economy, I need as much help as I can get. If you feel so inclined, a small donation to help offset my costs (server, bandwidth, equipment, etc.) would be much appreciated. Either make a purchase through one of our affiliates, bid on our eBay auctions, buy me something on my wish list, or use the handy donation button below.
Bitcoin Address: 14hYjheG9W7aWip7K wLPcfXxoXdALwDcma Total Donations:
0.01000000 BTC
Listen up, folks – I need your help here. We need information on YOU, the people who listen to our podcast and view our website. I’m gonna level with you: the purpose of this survey is to help position this podcast in various ad networks. As I’ve mentioned before, I run this whole dog and pony show out of my own pocket, and, with the economy being the way it is, any source of income to help me in this is greatly appreciated.
The survey is pretty much standard demographics collection fare: highest level of education completed, average household income, types of podcasts you are interested in. Pretty standard stuff. However, we WILL NOT ask you for any personally identifiable information (name, social security number, etc.) So in other words we’re only collecting statistics in aggregate (i.e. our listening audience in general), NOT on a specific person by person basis. And the information you provide will NOT be sold. (Check out the privacy statement for more information)
If, having read all of the above, you’re still willing to help out, then I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Seriously. You rock. Just click on the survey link in this post, or on the Otaku no Podcast website, and fill it out. It’ll only take a few minutes of your time (it took me only about 2 minutes).
But first, the bad news. These are only going to be released in Japan. Why they chose to do this, I have no idea. If rumors are to be believed, Sega is doing this deliberately to punish those who illegally uploaded video from the concert. (Please note that we attended Anime Expo as official members of the press and that our videos were shot from the press area with permission.) Actually, the first rumors indicated that they would not be releasing the concert footage at all. Whether these rumors are true or not, we don’t know; but the reality of the situation is that if you want ’em, you’re gonna have to import ’em.
And now, the good news. This is going to be a multi-media release – it’s coming out in CD, DVD and Blu-ray! Each will include all of the songs performed at the concert. In addition, the DVD and Blu-ray releases will feature some extras, including a special booklet, photo of Hatsune Miku, and a “making-of” video.
The CD will be released on November 30, at a price of ¥3,150 (about US$40) and the Blu-ray and DVD will follow on December 21, at ¥6,300 (about US$80) for the DVD and ¥7,350 (about US$95) for the Blu-ray. (Welcome to the world of Japanese media pricing.)
(Important note: the Blu-rays are region free (meaning that they will play in any Blu-ray player anywhere in the world); however the DVD release is Region 2, meaning that, unless you live in Japan, you will need a “region-free” DVD player (or a “region free” hack for your computer-based DVD player) in order to play it. Fortunately region-free DVD players can be easily obtained.)
Yes, it’s true! @cowboybibimbop strikes again! (You may remember him from the Autumn 2011 anime guide we wrote about a while ago.) Well he’s back with a new guide, this time showcasing the Winter 2011/2012 anime lineup.
(Note that he’s actually created a separate Twitter account, @animucharts, specifically for news and discussion relating to the charts. So if you’re on Twitter, you might want to follow it for the latest and greatest.)
I wasn’t gonna do this, but then I figured: Why not?
Every year the People’s Choice Podcast Awards asks you, the podcast listening audience, to vote on your favorite podcasts in various categories. And, just for the halibut, I thought, why not have everybody vote for Otaku no Podcast? 😉 I do need your help for this though.
OK, so here’s what you do. Head on over to http://podcastawards.com/. Scroll down to the “Cultural/Arts” section, and fill in our name (Otaku no Podcast) and URL (http://otakunopodcast.com/). Scroll down to the bottom of the form, and enter your name and e-mail address (I really doubt they’ll spam you, but if you’re paranoid, you can always create a free Gmail account). And hit the “submit” button. That’s it.
You only have 5 days to do this (until September 30) so hurry up!!
We probably have more of a chance of winning the lottery or being visited by intelligent aliens from another planet than winning this, but we might as well try, right? 😉
Now, go forth, my armies of evil minions, and vote! Your Supreme Leader commands you! 😉
Happy Monday, everyone! (Sighs and groans of protest emanate from the audience) Yeah, I know what you’re thinking: it’s a Monday, what can be good about that? Well, I’ve found something that will put a smile on your face, especially if you’re a Vocaloid fan. Hell, I think you’ll get a kick out of it even if you aren’t into Vocaloids. So grab yourself a bottle of MORNING RESCUE!!!! and read on!
I know, I know, a lot of you are probably yelling at your screens “Vocaloids AGAIN??!” Vocaloid fever has certainly swept the world, and there are quite a few people who just Don’t Get It™. I know a few of my friends fall into this camp, same with certain podcasters out there. I think what a lot of these naysayers are getting hung up on is that they are thinking of Hatsune Miku & friends as replacements for human singers. After all, when you look at events such as Mikunopolis (which was AWESOME!!! by the way), us anime fans can’t help but draw parallels to those famous virtual idols of anime such as Eve from Megazone 23 and Sharon Apple from Macross Plus.
Well, I think people who are thinking like this are missing the point. The way I see it, the Vocaloid characters are, to put it bluntly, window dressing. The real win here is the Vocaloid software itself, which, when you think about it, is an amazing technological achievement. And it’s the final component in the amateur song creator’s toolbox. Think about it. We now have computers on our desks (and in our backpacks and book bags) that are powerful enough to allow us to create music. High quality microphones are inexpensive and easy to set up, and with technologies such as MIDI, it’s easier than ever to bring music into the digital realm. But even if you’ve never touched an instrument in your life, you can still create great-sounding music thanks to “loop” and musical instrument synthesis software such as GarageBand, Reason, Acid, etc.
But the one thing that’s been missing is the human voice. Because, let’s face it, not all of us have the best voice out there. (And only Bob Dylan has the chops to pull off the whole “singing with a less than perfect voice” schtick.) So yeah, you might be able to create an awesome song, but you weren’t able to give it a voice. (It’s not like you could call up Hikaru Utada or something and ask her to record your song for you.) But now that Vocaloid is out there, your musical toolbox is complete. And there’s quite a selection of voices to choose from, one to suit every mood — Hatsune Miku, Kagamine Len and Rin, MEIKO, KAITO, etc., not to mention their APPEND versions, etc., and more planned for the future.
In fact, Vocaloid has spearheaded a huge upsurge in doujin music. If you look on places like YouTube and NicoNicoDouga, you’ll find all sorts of people using it in new and interesting ways. (And, yes, old and derivative ways as well.)
OSTER Project is one such person. She has a wide ranging body of work, both original and cover songs/arrangements, and has worked on non-Vocaloid projects as well, including themes for net games and other material meant for actual human singers. And she has recently released a truly amazing work. Taking songs from her fourth album Cinnamon Philosophy, and borrowing heavily from classic Disneyesque musicals, she released a truly amazing video, “Alice in Musicland,” that takes our favorite Vocaloids and mashes them up with Lewis Carroll’s classic “Alice in Wonderland.” The result: A truly amazing work that (IMHO) will appeal to even non-Vocaloid fans, because it appeals to one of our core ideals, the happiness and unity that music can bring to the world.
We Heart Japan, a charity organized by several individuals including anime voice actress Stephanie Sheh, will be holding another charity event next month in Southern California.
Well, they’re back for another go. We Heart Performing for Japan is coming to the Theatre of Arts Arena Stage, 1625 N. Las Palmas, Hollywood, CA 90028, for one night only, Saturday, October 1, from 6:00 to 8:00 pm. Headliners include
Mari Iijima, known as both the acting and singing voice of Lynn Minmay from the classic Super Dimension Fortress Macross (and its American adaptation Robotech); also, the English cast of an “unannounced classic anime series” will be reuniting to perform a live reading of an episode (a little birdie landed on my shoulder and whispered in my ear that it might be Cowboy Bebop). Other guests include Beau Billingslea (BLEACH, FRANKLIN & BASH, NARUTO); Steve Blum (COWBOY BEBOP, FINAL FANTASY VII, GURREN LAGANN); Melissa Fahn (DIGIMON, FLCL, BLUE DRAGON); and Wendee Lee (BLEACH, THE MELANCHOLY OF HARUHI SUZUMIYA, MAGIC KNIGHT RAYEARTH). Prizes will be raffled off throughout the evening as well.
Tickets are $40 for general admission and $60 for premium/reserved seating (which includes an exclusive gift bag) and must be purchased online. All proceeds will go towards the Japan NGO Earthquake Relief and Recovery Fund, a joint venture between the Japan Center for International Exchange (JCIE/USA) and JCIE/Japan dedicated to supporting relief efforts in Japan.
Edit 2011-09-08: Thanks to everyone who participated! Everyone had a good time, and we’ll definitely be doing something like this again. Keep an eye on the website for an announcement of when the next one will be. I’m editing the recording I made of this event and I’ll be putting it out as a series of podcast episodes over the next few weeks.
Well, September 1 has finally come, meaning that this upcoming weekend is Labor Day. Time to kick back and relax, fire up the grill, enjoy the last dog days of summer… and, oh yeah, take part in the Otaku no Podcast Live Call-in Show of Doom!
As I mentioned before, this is something I’ve been wanting to do for quite some time. Basically, I am envisioning a sort of live group call-in show where hosts, co-hosts and guests can drop in and out at will. What will we talk about? Whatever you want, and whatever strikes our fancy. The summer 2011 anime season, anime conventions you’ve been to, your favorite (and not so favorite) anime/character, whatever…
We will be “on the air” through the afternoon and evening, starting at, let’s say, around 4 PM Pacific time, and going on until either we have nothing left to talk about, everybody else has left the call, or we’ve all passed out. (These times may change – I’m still waiting to hear back from some potential participants to see what times work for them. If I have to change the times, I’ll update this post.)
Now, it should go without saying that for something like this to really work, we need your help! Call in and join the discussion, won’t you? Now’s your chance to tell the world about why (insert name of anime) is the greatest in the world (or sucks worse than a sack of wet gym socks), or what your latest doll or figma acquisition is… anything goes, providing that it’s even vaguely related to anime (or manga – this is something I don’t know that much about, but would like to learn more)
Here’s how you can participate.
Via Skype:
If you have Skype installed on your computer, in most cases, clicking this handy link will launch Skype and automatically dial in for you.
If that doesn’t work, just open Skype’s “dial pad” and dial in this number: +9900827047586112 This is a free Skype call and you don’t need to be subscribed to SkypeOut for it to work.
Via phone:
(201) 793-9022 (long distance)
(888) 350-0075 (toll free)
Please use the long distance number if possible. This shouldn’t be a problem for most people — most cell phone plans these days have free weekend calling as well as free long distance, and for those using landline phones, reasonably priced “phone cards” (MCI, Sprint, etc.) can be purchased at many grocery/drug stores as well as Costco. If this is not doable for you, then you can use the toll-free number, but since this service costs us extra, we’d prefer it if you didn’t.
Once you’ve joined the conference:
IMPORTANT NOTE: If you are asked for the Conference Room Number, it is 7586112.
You will be asked to speak your name. It doesn’t have to be your real name – feel free to use whatever you go by when on the Internets.
If, once you join, all you hear is cheesy elevator muzak, that means you are the only person in the call. Congratulations. You can either wait around for someone to join you, or better yet, keep an eye on our Twitter; we will tweet when we start and stop the live call.
If all you hear is silence, then either we are all off doing something else, or we’ve all passed out, or there is something wrong with the conference call. Be patient, and again, keep an eye on our twitter to find out what’s going on.
If you just want to listen in…
If all you want to do is listen in, we’ve got you covered there as well. Our streaming Internet radio station Otaku no Radio will be interrupting its usual broadcasting to bring a live simulcast of this event.
If you already have a program capable of playing Shoutcast radio streams (iTunes and Winamp are two popular free ones), this link should launch your player and tune in to the stream. (If you’re a Google Chrome user, you might need to use this link instead.) Otherwise you can listen in directly on your web browser (assuming your computer, tablet, or other listening device of choice supports Flash) by loading up the Flash based stream player.
When I started putting out video podcasts a few years ago, I was worried that this decision might meet with some controversy. After all, video files are large and consume lots of bandwidth, which some people just can’t or won’t want to download. (Especially these days, when many internet service providers are imposing data caps.) However, I was pleasantly surprised when I failed to receive one single complaint. Still, in the back of my mind I fear that someone is secretly plotting my assassination in retaliation for the heinous crime of forcing them to download my (admittedly cheesy) video podcasts. Well, in an effort to head that admittedly far-fetched problem off at the pass, and to provide an extra bit of convenience and choice for you, our audience, I have implemented separate audio-only and video-only podcast feeds! Now YOU get to choose what content you get!
If you want to continue receiving both audio and video podcasts, you don’t need to do anything. (Truly the lazy man’s solution, which is why it’s my favorite. 😉 ) The “default” podcast feed that you’re currently subscribed to will continue to carry both audio and video episodes.
If you want to receive only the audio podcasts, then you can subscribe to the audio-only feed (iTunes link). (Useful if you use a podcast client on your smartphone, since most people don’t watch video on those tiny screens. Also useful for those standalone Internet radio gizmos that are popular with some people out there)
If you want to receive only the video podcasts, then you can subscribe to the video-only feed (iTunes link). (Handy if, for example, you want to watch them on your iPad or big-screen TV, say using an Apple TV or Roku box for example, since playing audio-only stuff on large screens like that doesn’t really make much sense.)
The combined (main) feed will remain available on iTunes as well as the various other podcast directories where we’re listed. I’ll be submitting the separate audio- and video-only feeds as well, so they should start appearing in search results soon.
![[Play Now!]](http://media.otakunopodcast.com/images/PlayNow.jpg)
![[View our eBay Auctions]](http://bayfeeds.com/images/Right_Now_108x45.gif)
Listen up, folks – I need your help here. We need information on YOU, the people who listen to our podcast and view our website. I’m gonna level with you: the purpose of this survey is to help position this podcast in various ad networks. As I’ve mentioned before, I run this whole dog and pony show out of my own pocket, and, with the economy being the way it is, any source of income to help me in this is greatly appreciated.
Those of you that missed 
Yes, it’s true! 
I wasn’t gonna do this, but then I figured: Why not?
Happy Monday, everyone! (Sighs and groans of protest emanate from the audience) Yeah, I know what you’re thinking: it’s a Monday, what can be good about that? Well, I’ve found something that will put a smile on your face, especially if you’re a Vocaloid fan. Hell, I think you’ll get a kick out of it even if you aren’t into Vocaloids. So grab yourself a bottle of 
Edit 2011-09-08: Thanks to everyone who participated! Everyone had a good time, and we’ll definitely be doing something like this again. Keep an eye on the website for an announcement of when the next one will be. I’m editing the recording I made of this event and I’ll be putting it out as a series of podcast episodes over the next few weeks.
When I started putting out 
