UlasanAnime.com – The first day of Otakon 2011 kicked off with a DJ set from Saolilith, reminiscent of Nico Nico Douga’s 2008 Kumikyoku segments, featuring tracks like “Listen and Love.exe.”
DJ guests at conventions often don’t receive the recognition they deserve, sometimes being overlooked entirely. While 2010 saw a positive trend with denpa DJs touring cons like Acen and Anime Expo, this year’s lineup seemed to feature more local DJs catering to younger crowds. The authentic Akiba-otaku sound provided by Saolilith, despite her Kansai origins, was a bold attempt at cultural exchange through energetic beats. It raises the question of how she manages to DJ with such long hair.
Beyond Saolilith’s performance, there wasn’t much else for wota enthusiasts at Otakon this year. While Yura reportedly brought a vocalist, it was of the classic variety, and unfortunately, the author couldn’t attend their panel.
Director Makoto Shinkai proved to be as approachable and friendly as he appears in his live footage, though he presented as somewhat shy and geeky on stage. His English proficiency was commendable, placing him in the top 5% of Japanese guests at Otakon, and the author looked forward to discussing his work further.
The rest of the day followed the usual routine for the author’s 13th Otakon experience. Day 0 was particularly relaxed due to swift registration and badge pickup. Pre-registration this year was reportedly a record-breaker on Thursday, with a 10-minute line for over 20,000 attendees, an impressive feat for a convention of this size.
The press accreditation process this year seemed to be in disarray, which was disappointing for the author, attending as press for only their second year.
Industry news was a highlight, even without attending panels, thanks to real-time updates on Twitter. A Q&A session following a screening of “Madoka Magica” revealed that the striking visual elements were largely due to Inu Curry’s work, alongside director Shinbo’s professionalism in refining the animation for the DVD/Blu-ray release. The Tohoku disaster had no discernible impact on the content of the final two episodes, beyond causing a delay and subsequent disruption.
A particularly informative panel was the “Behind the Scenes of Mikunopolis,” which offered a comprehensive summary of the Vocaloid events at Anime Expo. It covered everything from the panels themselves to the aftermath of the Fox News coverage and highlighted the author’s favorite promotional video from “Mirai no Niero” that year.
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