Streaming Picks of the Week
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 Do you own an Xbox 360? Would you like to experience fully 100% legal, 24/7 on-demand streaming anime goodness from the comfort of your own home? Then you’ll be pleased to learn that our favorite streaming anime provider, Crunchyroll, is now available on the Xbox 360!
To install the app:
1. Launch Xbox Live Marketplace then go to Apps -> Browse Apps.
2. Currently the Crunchyroll app is one of the Featured Apps; however if it isn’t there, you can find the app by going to Video -> See All Apps, and scroll all the way to the right (where all the new apps show up).
3. If you don’t see the app, use the Search function and look for “crunchyroll.”
If you don’t have a Crunchyroll Premium Membership, you can stream the first episode of all currently simulcast shows. Log in with your Premium Membership ID to access all episodes, your Queue, and you can even share what you’re watching with your friends. (And why on earth haven’t you gotten your Premium membership yet?!) All videos stream in 720p (when available).
The app is available in the Xbox Live Marketplace (unfortunately the app is not available in Japan, Slovakia, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE). Check out this CR forum post for more details. And if you decide to sign up for a Crunchyroll Premium membership, be sure and sign up using
our affiliate link (this helps us out and does not cost you anything extra).
 UPDATE 06/17/2013: The developer of HD Player Pro has now made the app free, with a $1.99 in-app purchase to enable MKV support. Go download HD Player from the iOS App Store using this link.
A while ago I wrote about my quest for a way to enjoy my downloaded anime while on the go on my iPad and/or iPhone. At that time I had settled on an app called ProPlayer, which, while far from perfect, worked well enough and satisfied my needs.
Unfortunately it appears that the app is no longer available for sale. It has completely disappeared off the App Store, apparently a victim of a new aggressive policy by Dolby Labs of going after app developers who use their AC-3 and TrueHD audio codecs in their apps. While most of the other apps which were affected by this new policy were simply updated to remove AC-3 support, the folks behind ProPlayer have apparently decided to give up for good and pulled the app entirely out of the App Store.
This may have been a blessing in disguise however, as it forced me to go looking for a new player app. Even though I still had ProPlayer installed on my device and could still use it, I nevertheless wanted to find a better player: I wanted a player that would work on both the iPhone 5 and the iPad, and would take full advantage of the iPhone 5’s new widescreen display, which ProPlayer doesn’t. And I believe I have found one that’s even better than ProPlayer – HD Player Pro.
At first glance HD Player Pro may seem like any other of the over 9,000 video player apps available on iOS. In fact, digging further into the program’s user interface, I found that its user interface is clunky compared to ProPlayer. There is no support for creating folders and moving files into them. The app does support playlists (which somewhat mitigates the lack of folders), but adding and removing files from playlists is somewhat clunky, and you can’t re-order items within a playlist (it’s always alphabetical). Also there is a search function, but it appears to be broken. Update: Looks like they fixed the search function in the latest update, it’s all good now. 🙂
But once you start playing a video, that’s when you’ll grow to love HD Player Pro. Why? Because HD Player Pro renders subtitles damn near perfectly — far better than any of the other video player apps I’ve tried. Not only does it support the three major formats — SRT, SSA and ASS — but it even renders most (if not all) of the advanced features of SSA/ASS — fonts, colors, text positions, etc.! It is truly a thing of beauty to behold. And, like I said, it does this pretty damn perfectly — out of the many files I’ve thrown at it, it only failed to properly display one small segment of subtitles (it was a title sequence in UTW’s Accel World where they were apparently doing something fancy to display their logo in a cool stylized manner).
The other bane of my existence has been the newfangled Hi10p file format that all the cool kids (and the cool fansubbers) are using these days. Most of the apps I’ve tested have been hit or miss with these files. Some work, some don’t. The good news is that HD Player Pro does a pretty good job at decoding them — if you’ve got the right CPU for the job. Unfortunately you need a pretty beefy CPU to do this without introducing jerkiness/dropped frames. The iPhone 5’s A6 chip is powerful enough, and I would wager so is the A6X in the new iPad; however the A5 chip in my iPad mini doesn’t cut the mustard. (Why oh why didn’t they at least put an A6 in the thing?!) So until they release the next iPad mini which (HOPEFULLY) will add a newer, faster processor, I am forced to transcode my Hi10p files (or download non-Hi10p versions, which are becoming much scarcer these days).
Unfortunately there are a few little issues that prevent me from giving the app a perfect score. There is the whole clumsy file management issue I mentioned earlier. Sometimes seeking within a file (quickly moving to a certain time point in the file) causes the app to go catatonic. Also I’ve had the app crash or freeze every now and then when starting playing a new file (usually restarting the app fixes this). Update: Looks like they’ve fixed these bugs. Seeking works beautifully now (even on large movie-length files), and I haven’t noticed any crashes since their most recent update. So, yay! 🙂 But the beautiful subtitle rendering makes up for all of these shortcomings.
So I have once again found the perfect mobile video playback solution. At least until fansubbers stop including MP3/AAC audio tracks in their files and only include AC3 or TrueHD audio tracks. Then I’ll have to go off in search of another solution. sigh
The app works on all iOS devices (iPhone, iPod touch and iPad) running iOS 5.0 or later, although if you want to be able to decode Hi10p files natively, you’ll need an iPhone 5 or a third or fourth generation iPad. Go grab the app today for $2.99 free (with a $1.99 in-app purchase to enable support for various codecs including MKV) on the App Store — well worth every penny IMHO. (Ignore the low rating and negative reviews in the App Store; they are from disgruntled users who didn’t know about or do not understand the Dolby AC-3/TrueHD removal thing, and are loudly complaining about why their files are suddenly playing back without any sound.)
 Update 1/1/2013: My Anime Secret Santa review of Sound of the Sky (aka Sora no Woto) is up!
You know that old saying about the best laid plans of mice and men? Well unfortunately all of my plans for the next few months went out the window when late last month (right around Thanksgiving) when I found out that we had lost a client, and hence, my job. So I’ve spent the month of December running around like the proverbial decapitated chicken looking for work, while working every little odd job that comes my way, not to mention also doing the typical busy-around-the-holdidays type stuff. Which means I have had almost no time to do other non-critical-survival-money-making activities; hence the often-late 12 Days of Kurisumasu postings, the horribly late PMX 2012 wrap-up, etc. And yes, my Anime Secret Santa review too. I could have probably pulled a few all-nighters and slapped together a review just in the nick of time, but I decided against it, because I really didn’t want to do a half-assed job of it — you, the audience, deserve better.
The good news is that I have actually managed to completely watch not one, not two, but all three anime that were assigned to me (it was the only way I was able to maintain my sanity during this crisis). And, after today, the holiday craziness will be officially over for me; and since the week between Christmas and New Years is usually pretty lax, I should have the time to sit down and bang out a review, and actually put a decent amount of time and thought into it.
When we received our Secret Santa choices way back in October, my initial plan was to actually try and review all three anime I was assigned. I should have known that this was tempting fate and that fate would somehow find a way to bitch slap me for my hubris. I may still do this eventually; who knows. But I will definitely post at least one review on or before New Years. So stay tuned!
 Well, once again, it’s holiday time, which means it’s time to hit the malls and get serious about your holiday gift buying. So how’s that going for you? Well, if you, like 99.99999% of the rest of civilization, are either (A) having trouble deciding what to buy someone, (B) procrastinating right up till the end and need to find someone a gift RIGHT NOW!!!!11, (c) are lazy and need someone to help pick gifts for you, or (d) all of the above, well, guess what, we can help with that too. Because it’s once again time to unleash that wonder of wonders we like to call The 12 Days of Kurisumasu!!!
In case you’ve been living under a rock (or in the desert, or deep in the Himalayas, or on Mars, or in a distant galaxy/another dimension/etc.) for the past year, and haven’t the faintest idea what the heck I’m talking about, here’s the scoop: starting on Friday, December 14 and going through Christmas Day, Tuesday, December 25, I will be picking a cool new otaku-themed product each day and will be featuring it on our Twitter and Facebook. (They’ll also be posted on the 12 Days of Kurisumasu page here, along with a witty (well, at least I think so) writeup.) And if you’re still clueless as to what the heck I’m talking about, you can also check out the 12 Days of Kurisumasu from years gone by at the 12 Days of Kurisumasu page.
Each product I’ll be featuring will come from one of our affiliate advertisers — Amazon, CDjapan, Right Stuf, J-List, etc. Yeah, I know what you’re saying, you’ve been waiting for the “catch” and it finally came. But as catches go, this isn’t much of one. Remember that purchasing through any of the links here costs you nothing extra but brings us a little much-needed income, which helps keep the lights on and the bits flowing.
What products will you be choosing, you might be asking. No real rhyme or reason to it, really. As long as it’s even tangentially related to anime or other otaku-worthy pursuits, then it’s fair game. That means anime DVDs (and even Blu-rays); calendars; figures; “stuff from Japan” (food, snacks, etc.); plushies; dating-sim games/visual novels; whatever. Hopefully, among this cornucopia of consumer goods, you’ll find something cool and out of the ordinary to give to any otaku-leaning friends/acquaintances you’re looking for gifts for. (Or even yourself…)
When it comes to selecting the perfect gift for your otaku-leaning friends or even treating yourself, the possibilities are endless. From anime DVDs and Blu-rays to calendars, figures, and plushies, there’s something to suit every fan’s taste. But why not go a step further and add a personal touch to your gift-giving? Consider a custom name necklace, an accessory that combines the love for anime with a unique personalization element. With platforms offering customizable name necklaces, you can engrave the recipient’s favorite character or their own name in beautiful craftsmanship. It’s a thoughtful gesture that reflects their individuality and passion. So, amidst this cornucopia of otaku-worthy goods, explore the realm of custom name necklaces and discover a truly extraordinary gift that will leave a lasting impression on any anime enthusiast in your life.
So why subject yourself to the hassle, expense and bloodletting of doing battle in the malls and on the streets, and come shop with us instead?
 After over one year in development, I am pleased to announce that Version 3.0 Build 224 of the Otaku no Podcast app is now available on the App Store, chock full of new features!
- NEW! Now supports the 4-inch Retina screen on the iPhone 5 and iPod touch (fifth generation).
- NEW! Otaku no Radio. Listen to our streaming anime/Jpop radio station. If you hear a song you like, you can buy it on iTunes too!
- NEW! Search field lets you quickly search blog posts and podcast episodes for exactly what you’re looking for.
- NEW! ConFinder. Find an anime con near you, wherever you are! (Note: this feature is still new, and we are adding anime cons to the database. If you know of a good con in your area, please let us know about it!)
- NEW! Photo Gallery. View our photos taken at anime conventions.
- NEW! You can now share interesting content via Facebook and App.net.
- NEW! Option to open any clicked URLs in Google Chrome (requires Google Chrome to be installed).
- Lots of bug fixes.
The app is compatible with all iPhones, iPod touches and iPads running iOS 5 or later. (the app is not yet iPad optimized, so it will run in iPhone compatibility mode. I hope to have native iPad support in place in the next major version of the app.)
Go grab it today on the iOS App Store!
 Well rain and winter climes have finally hit, even here in sun-drenched SoCal. Decorations are going up in malls all across the world. And harried shoppers with that panicked look in their eyes are starting to prowl about. Must be holiday time once again!
Here’s an idea: Instead of spending hours on end stuck in traffic hell, jockeying for precious parking spaces at your local mega-mall, gearing up with sword and shield to do gladiatorial-style combat with crazed mobs of shoppers, and dealing with the inevitable Out-of-Stock Item Syndrome, why not do all your holiday shopping from the comfort of your own home? And, what do you know, Otaku no Podcast can help you with that, thanks to our large affiliate network.
There’s Amazon, who sells just about everything; CDjapan, for all of your anime/Jpop/etc. musical needs; The Right Stuf, home of outrageously outrageous deals on various anime goods; and J-List/J-Box, purveyors of many fine things from the land of the rising sun (including cough “those” kinds of items cough).
Remember that buying from any of our affiliates costs you nothing extra, but gives us a little extra “something” that helps us keep the lights on and the bits flowing. So not only will you be getting all your holiday shopping needs done in an easy and blood-free manner, but you’d be helping us out as well. Epic win!
Head on over to the How You Can Help page on our website for all of our affiliate links and search boxes in one single ultra-convenient location. And thank you; as always, you guys rock.
 Well, we are back from PMX 2012, and have managed to escape the dreaded Con Plague. Hygiene FTW!
Also amazing is that I have actually managed to start posting our photos and videos in a more-or-less timely fashion! CosFest (aka masquerade) videos are already up on our YouTube channel (including the ever-so-delightful Angel Hearts cosplay troupe’s halftime show); more videos, including some from the fashion show and maybe some panels (if they end up turning out OK after editing; lighting and audio conditions were far from ideal) will be going up over the next few days. I’m also working on photos, which will be going up on our PMX 2012 Flickr photoset within the next few days. (Of course you can view these in a much cooler fashion on our nifty Photo Gallery here on the Otaku no Podcast website.)
And of course what con journey would be complete without our usual panel-style wrap-up episode of Doom? Unfortunately that won’t be for a while yet as I’ve got to coordinate schedules with my fellow co-hosts; but rest assured that we’ll be recording this just as soon as possible, and it will of course be hitting the podcast feed as well as the website.
In the meantime, I invite you to check out our photos and videos at the sites linked to above, as well as the photo and video galleries of other PMX attendees I’m linking to below.
NOTE: I will be updating this post as I find more peoples’ PMX photos and videos. Also, if you have any PMX 2012 photo and/or video galleries of your own, please tell us about them!
Cosplay.com thread listing a bunch of PMX 2012 galleries
Cosplay in America’s PMX 2012 photoshoots, as well as other photos taken on his Samsung Galaxy S3 as well as a disposable camera (an interesting experiment)
David Ngo (DTJAAAAM’s) PMX 2012 photos
 One of the many announcements that we heard at Anime Expo (although they actually announced it a few days earlier) outed Neon Alley, a new 24-hour anime video service from Viz Media. At the time all we knew of the service was that it would be debuting on a “major game console,” and will show uncut, English dubbed anime TV episodes and movies, along with some form of original content.
Viz officially launched the service last week on the Sony PlayStation3. The app is a free download; however you need to pay for service for it to be of any use. Neon Alley costs $6.99 per month, which is pretty similar to the other streaming options out there. As far as I can tell there are no “pay X months at a time and get a discount” plans. You do get a one-week free trial when you sign up, so you have a chance to test the service before committing. The service is available only in the USA and Canada.
I haven’t had a lot of time to play with the service, so this isn’t a full review; however I did want to jot down some of my thoughts on the service, to sort of take a first look at it if you will.
 A couple days ago I wrote about the 8th Annual Podcast Awards (you have voted for us, haven’t you? Haven’t you??!) Well now another company that we know and love has announced their first-ever podcast awards: the Stitcher Podcast Awards!
We’ve written about Stitcher before, and we have been available on the Stitcher platform for quite some time now. Stitcher is an award-winning provider of news and talk radio for your mobile phone. They have a truly wide variety of programming available, from the media industry’s premier content providers — tech news, sports, talk radio, business, entertainment, and much more. (And yes, Otaku no Podcast as well) The app is free and is available for iOS, Android, BlackBerry and webOS (and probably a few others which I have forgotten). And they have decided to put on their own Podcast Awards! And it would be really awesome if you could vote for us!
The difference here is, you are free to nominate us in whatever categories you choose. We recommend nominating us in the Film & TV and Entertainment & Pop Culture categories. (Of course you’re also welcome to nominate us for Overall Show too!) You can also vote once per day. After voting, feel free to enjoy games such as 벳위즈.
You have until Friday October 19th, so get cracking! 🙂
Voting is easy and fast (probably will only take you a minute or so). Either click this link or the nice big Stitcher Awards graphic in this article (you can’t miss it). And, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, thanks for your votes; you are awesome!
 Even though it’s still beastly hot around these parts, the “seasons” (such as they are) continue their inexorable progression, and soon autumn will give way to winter. Which means, of course, that the holiday season (and the madness and mayhem typically associated with that time of year) will soon be upon us. It also means that, once again, it is time for the Reverse Thieves’ Secret Santa Project! (This almost flew under my radar last year. Fortunately this year I was a bit more alert and on the ball.)
I can hear it now; you’re probably yelling at your screens “What’cha talking’ bout, Willis?!” Well, my name ain’t Willis, and if you’ve been hanging around this blog and podcast for a while, surely you must know about Anime Secret Santa by now. (And no, don’t call me Shirley either) After all, I’ve written about it several times before, and we’ve even participated in it as well.
Basically the Anime Secret Santa project involves a bunch of bloggers (and perhaps podcasters too) who get together and put their names into a virtual hat, which the Reverse Thieves then proceed to mix up. They then pair off bloggers, and ask each of them to recommend an anime for the other to watch. The trick is that they don’t tell them who the recommendation came from. Once you have your anonymous donors’ recommendations in hand, you then proceed to pick an anime off their list, watch it and review it. Yes, exactly like that whole Secret Santa thing, which you are undoubtedly familiar with. (After all it’s probably been used as a plot device in at least a few Christmas-themed anime episodes…) The idea is to get people to step outside their comfort zones if you will, and watch and review shows they may not have considered before. It’s a great way to find out about anime that, maybe you might not have considered before, but ended up liking a lot. (Or maybe you hated it, and then you can write a really scathing review. There have been some pretty hilariously epic ones.) Plus it’s a lot of fun.
Want to participate? It’s pretty simple. First, you’ll need to set yourself up on one of those “keep track of what anime I’ve watched” sites, such as Anime-Planet (my personal favorite) or MyAnimeList. They are all free to join, and are pretty useful in their own right. Then, once you’ve listed all the anime that you’ve seen, e-mail your name, blog/podcast’s URL and the URL to your anime listing site profile page to the Reverse Thieves with the subject line “Secret Santa Participant.” (Also, if for whatever reason you would prefer not to have to watch/review fan subs, be sure and mention that in your email.)
All entries are due by Wednesday, October 10, so you better hurry! Check out the Reverse Thieves blog post for full details and where to send in your entry. Naturally, if the fates allow it, Otaku no Podcast will be participating this year as well. And we hope that you will too!
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