Anime Fans Online

Look at him. Mocking me. Enjoying that cigarette. Bastard! I won’t forgive you.

I hope your boat sinks.

I Quit Smoking

I’m trying to quit anyway. It’s been a couple of days now. I’m having some trouble with it though. The biggest problem I’m having is the reason I’m posting about it here at all. I’m having a lot of trouble focusing on anything. Part of my mind is always preoccupied by the thought “Where the hell are my cigarettes?”

This is about the 5th time I’ve tried to write this post. This time I’ve managed to get as far as writing a few paragraphs that are somewhat coherent. Don’t count on that continuing much longer.

I figure I’m in for at least a few more days like this before things start to get better. So the next week or two probably won’t be my best writing. I’m not even gonna try. A couple of larger posts I’ve been thinking about will have to wait. I’ll probably be posting a bit less as well. If I can’t manage to write something that meets even my low standards, I’m not going to bother posting it.

I will try to get posts up, I’m just doing my best not to let the quality suffer.

I missed a couple of posts this week. I’m going to try to get back on schedule as soon as I can. I hope it will be soon. I hate being sick.

I have a few manga to write up and some anime rentals waiting for me. As soon as I’m able to concentrate on what I’m doing for more than a couple of minutes at a time I’ll get to work on those.

I’ve been having trouble from my Internet connection. It’s been randomly going out for the last few days. Most of the time it’s only unavailable for a few minutes, but Wednesday it was off for half the day.

I’m writing about this just to let you know that it could affect my posting. I was trying to work on a post earlier and it dropped me.

I’ve reported it to my ISP. Hopefully it will soon be back to the reliable service I’ve grown to expect.

Just wanted to let you know a couple things. I finally got the first 2 DVDs of Case Closed in the mail. So I can write up the review that Rechelle from Celebrity Fashion Watch requested. I’m going to try to write a thorough review. I’m thinking of using this to test out a different way to write up my reviews. We’ll see.

I also wanted to let you know that I’m trying to get the posts up despite the schedule problems I’m having. I know the posts aren’t going up at the normal time, I apologize for that. I’ll try to get things back to normal as soon as possible.

I’d also like to apologize if you’ve encountered pop ups on AnimeFansOnline recently. It seems that the folks in the office at 451Press were doing some server load tests. The method they chose to do this was to put a pop up on all the sites. That sort of thing is beyond my control, but I’m still sorry about it.

Anime Fans Online, General, Announcements, Case Closed, Schedule, Pop Ups, Apology

Sorry, but the post is going to be late today. Posts will probably be screwed up until next week. Thanksgiving is screwing up my schedule. I don’t normally write posts in advance. So when my schedule is messed up, the posting schedule gets messed up.

I’ll try to get some posts written in advance for Christmas. Otherwise I’ll probably be even worse then.

After writing yesterday’s post I got a few comments. One response in particular caught my attention. I’d like to point it out and ask for your opinion.

rech Says:
October 24th, 2007 at 7:25 pm
I was wondering if you’ve already made a review for Detective Conan aka Case Closed… I so love that anime….:)

I told ‘em I’d try to find a couple of the DVDs and give it an in depth review.

I thought about it some more. This comment, just a simple question, made me ask myself a few things. I’d like to share some of those questions with you. Your opinions matters a lot to me.

Why haven’t I already reviewed Detective Conan/Case Closed?

There are a couple of answers to this, but the more I think about it the less they hold up. I could say it’s because it’s an older show. I’ve written about show that have been around longer, at least in the U. S., so that doesn’t work. I could say it’s because there are already lots of reviews for it online. Once again, that answer doesn’t stick. I’ve written about some pretty popular shows that have been discussed pretty much everywhere.

Should I write about older shows?

I have written about shows that aren’t really new. Most of those were new to me though. On the few occasions I wrote about an older show that I watched when it was new, there was something that prodded me into discussing it. I’m starting to think that I need to cover the older shows more often. Just because I watched Tenchi Muyo! when it was on Toonami doesn’t mean the newer fans have seen it. I’ve gotten caught. The trap was looking for things to share with my readers by discussing it with people who already know what I’m talking about.

How much of the older stuff should I start writing about?

This is the tricky bit. Should I write about older titles a certain amount each month? Should I just ignore how old something is when I’m deciding what to talk about? This is the toughest question I need to answer, and this is where I need your help. There’s a chance that I’ll be writing about things you’re already familiar with. Is that a bad thing? There’s also a chance that I’ll write about something that you missed the first time around. How often do you want to see posts and reviews of older anime and manga?

If there’s something you want to see, just ask.

I value your opinions. If you ask about something I do my best to answer. When Amber asked for some recommendations for family friendly anime I wrote a post about that. I’m sure she’s not the only parent looking for something she can enjoy with her daughter.

So, what would you like to see on Anime Fans Online?

Opinion, Manga, Anime, Older Titles, Older Anime, Older Manga, Detective Conan, Case Closed, Comments, Response, Readers

The lucky winners have been chosen. I’ve e-mailed all three, but I’ve only received a response from 2 of them.

The Winners

Fullmetal Alchemist Movie Conqueror of Shambala Special Edition DVD Winner



• Kimber Leigh. Kimber’s favorite character is Maes Hughes. I think she put quite bit of thought into her entry. It gave me a perspective on Maes that I didn’t have before. Her thoughts on her favorite episode, Words of Farewell, seemed to be very heartfelt as well.

Fullmetal Alchemist Movie Conqueror of Shambala Regular Edition DVD Winner

• Jenna. Looks like Maes Hughes is pretty popular with the ladies, Jenna is also a fan of his. She also chose Words of Farewell as her favorite episode. Good goin’ Maes! Sorry about the whole, you know, dying thing. Let me tell you why Jenna was picked. Not only is she a fan of Fullmetal Alchemist, she also recruited her sister. Go Jenna!

Vic Mignogna’s CD Metafiction Winner

• Clarissa. The CD winner was picked at random. I think it worked out pretty well. Clarissa likes Vic’s singing, but was having trouble finding his songs. Now she’ll be able to listen to Vic any time she wants. Clarissa’s favorite character is Edward and her favorite episode is House of the Waiting Family. Sorry Maes, but 2 out of 3 ain’t bad.

  Clarissa, please check your e-mail. You need to respond to the e-mail I sent you to claim your prize.

UPDATE:

Clarissa never responded to claim her prize. It might show up as a prize in another giveaway later.

I think this contest has been fun. I’ve enjoyed reading the comments. It looks like Fullmetal Alchemist fans really know their stuff. There have been some pretty insightful responses. I’d highly recommend checking out the contest comments for yourself.

Fullmetal Alchemist, Conqueror of Shambala, Contest, Winners, Maes Hughes, Edward Elric, Words of Farewell, House of the Waiting Family, Vic Mignogna, Metafiction

Just a little reminder that the Fullmetal Alchemist contest ends on September 28th, that’s this Friday. So if you haven’t entered you need to check out the contest page and leave a comment about your favorite character or episode from Fullmetal Alchemist.

Here’s what you could win.

• 1 Music CD signed by the artist, Vic Mignogna. Vic played Edward Elric, the title character, in the English version of Fullmetal Alchemist.
• 1 DVD of the Fullmetal Alchemist movie Conqueror of Shambala, also signed by Vic.
• 1 DVD of the Fullmetal Alchemist movie Conqueror of Shambala Special Edition, once again signed by Vic.

You still have a chance to win, but you need to enter the contest this week.

Anime, Contests, Fullmetal Alchemist, Fullmetal Alchemist Movie, Conqueror of Shambala, Conqueror of Shambala Special Edition, Vic Mignogna, Edward Elric

451 Press recently gave us the ability to put links in the sidebar. So far the only thing I’ve added is a link to the FMA contest page to make it easier to find. I’ve thought about adding some other links, but I’m not sure what I should be linking to. That’s where this post comes in.

If you know about a great anime, manga, cosplay or any kind of good otaku site please let me know. I’d like to find out what kind of sites you like, so that I can link to sites you’d enjoy. I thought this would be better than just going through the first couple of pages of a google search. This site is for us, so it should have our favorites. Right?

So dust off those otaku bookmarks and send ‘em in. You can leave a comment, use the contact page or e-mail me at jason DOT wigley AT 451press DOT net.

Feel free to suggest anything that you think would fit in with Anime Fans Online. If you have an anime or manga site, send that in too.

Anime, Manga, Cosplay, Otaku, Links, Blogroll, Link Love, Submit Your Site, Submit a Link

Just wanted to let you know that if you leave a comment and it’s not showing up right away, don’t worry. The spam filter, Askimet, probably flagged it. I’m checking every so often to make sure real comments aren’t lost.

However, I’m not checking every few minutes 24/7. So it might be a day or so before your comment shows up on the site if Askimet thinks it’s spam.

Just wanted to let you know what’s going on. I thought it was best since the Fullmetal Alchemist Contest is still going on. If you haven’t entered already go check it out.

All three are autographed by Vic Mignogna.

Prizes:

• 1 Special Edition DVD of the Fullmetal Alchemist movie Conqueror of Shambala.
• 1 regular DVD of the Fullmetal Alchemist movie Conqueror of Shambala.
• 1 Music CD by Vic Mignogna, the voice actor who plays Edward Elric in the English version.

All three are autographed by Vic Mignogna.

To enter, just leave a comment on this post and write about your favorite episode or character from Fullmetal Alchemist. I’ll select 2 entries that will each win 1 of the DVDs. The CD winner will be picked at random from all eligible entries.

Rules:

• You can’t win if you don’t enter. So leave a comment on this post about your favorite episode or your favorite character from Fullmetal Alchemist explaining why it’s your favorite.
• Comments left on other posts are not eligible. Comments on other posts can not win.
• Comments must be left between the dates of September 10th 2007 and September 28th 2007.
• Since the DVDs are region 1, this contest is open to residents of the United States of America and Canada.
• All decisions are final, all decisions are mine.

That cool with everyone?

Anime. Contests, Fun Stuff, Fullmetal Alchemist, Conqueror of Shambala, Win Fullmetal Alchemist DVD, Win Conqueror of Shambala, Autographed by Vic Mignogna

I had an idea last week, then I saw pretty much the same idea on ProBlogger. Weird. Anyway, here tis.

Since the site is called Anime Fans Online, I thought “Hey, maybe I should get to know the fans“. So I’m thinking about interviewing a few of the readers. Find out what makes you otaku. What kind of stuff you like. Maybe ask you for a few of your favorite otaku links to share with the rest of us. This can give you a chance to voice your opinion on some otaku issues.

If you’re interested, let me know. Leave a comment on this post or use the contact form.

By e-mail.

I’ll e-mail you some questions, just reply and fill in your answers.

Or by instant messenger.

I can do the interview with an IM program. AIM, Windows Messenger, ICQ or pretty much anything else. If you have a favorite, I can install it too. Just let me know which one you’d prefer.

Who’s eligible?

Anyone. You don’t need to be a long time reader. We don’t really have long time readers yet because we haven’t been around a long time. If you’re new to the blog, welcome aboard. This could be a great way to get to know your fellow readers.

That’s what it’s all about after all. I don’t think of AFO as a news blog, or even an infoblog. I think of it as a community. I try to write about things I think you’d like. I try to help new otaku with the Otaku Lessons. I’ve learned a lot about anime and manga by writing here, and I’d like to pass on what I’ve learned.

I hope you feel the same.

Readers, Reader Interview, Anime Fans Online, Otaku, Community

You may have had some trouble accessing AnimeFansOnline the last few days. I certainly have. That’s why I missed making a post Thursday. I’m very sorry about that.

I’m not alone though, a lot of 451 press blogs have had trouble the last few days. According to official 451 resources the reason for all the trouble is the following.

We have had it confirmed that a major ATT Fiber Line was cut yesterday, causing routing issues for all of the Southeast. Since our servers are in Atlanta - we are part of the group experiencing problems. We have been assured that it is currently being resolved but even once it is officially resolved, we will still see some issues as the backlog of traffic starts coming through.

On to the good news. Things seem to be working now, or at least working better. So I’ll get to back to work.

AnimeFansOnline, Anime Fans Online, 451 press, 451press, Technical Difficulties, missed post

I’ve been doing this blog for a couple of months now. In an anime that would mean it’s time for a clip show. So that’s what I’m going to do. Stick around, you might find a cool post you missed.

• Otaku Lessons.

When I started writing this blog I wasn’t sure what I’d do. I figured I’d write reviews, give my opinions and that’d be it. Then I had the idea for the Otaku Lessons category. I’m glad I did. Those have been fun to write. I get to help new anime fans and I get to take a look at what it means to be Otaku. Here are a couple of my favorites from that category.

1. What is Cosplay?

I really liked writing this one. Not only did I get a chance to introduce cosplay to people who might not have heard of it, I found some good photos thanks to Flickr’s Creative Commons search.

2. What is kaiju?

This one was fun. I got a chance to talk about one of fandoms that overlaps with anime and manga. Who doesn’t love giant monster movies?

• Reviews.

Can’t have an anime blog without reviews right? Nope, didn’t think so. This is a great category for me, because it makes me look for more anime. Here are a couple I might have missed without this category.

1. Anime Review: Claymore.

A good old fashioned demon slaying show. Plenty of blood and action.

2. You must be my Lucky Star

I’m not the only one that fell in love with this one. It’s hugely popular in Japan. It’s even broken records.

• YouTube videos.

This one is fun for obvious reasons. We all get to see some cool videos. It’s usually combined with another category, like Reviews or News. Not many people can pull off a pure YouTube blog post.

1. Made to hit in America.

I had to include this video in the review. I love this song. I’m gonna have to look for the soundtrack to Beck.

2. Hikaru Utada to sing theme for new Rebuild of Evangelion.

This news item let me post 3 different versions of the best song ever in a game. Simple and Clean.

• Opinion.

Opinions are what blogs are all about. So I had to include something from this catagory.

1. Anime Poll: What is your favorite type of anime?

It’s not just my opinions in this catagory, yours are included to. Pick your favorite type of anime and I might write up more posts about it. Don’t see your favorite? Post a comment. Think of it as a write in vote.

Thank you for reading Anime Fans Online.

Check out some of the older posts, there are some good ones there. Leave a comment if there was a post you liked that wasn’t included here. I’d also be very happy to hear any thoughts on how I’ve done so far.

anime, manga, fandom, Anime Fans Online, Otaku Lessons, Reviews, YouTube videos, Opinion, older posts, clip show

The first contest prize has been sent. Since the first winner didn’t respond to validate their e-mail address I had to select someone else. The second drawing worked much better. I received a response and have just now, as I’m writing this, sent off the $50 prize from J-Box.

That lucky person is Keith. The winning comment is here.

I have to say, I’ve learned quite a bit about contests. In the future I will set a definite deadline for responding. It will be posted with the rules when the contest is announced. Other than that, I think the contest went pretty well.

Make sure to keep reading Anime Fans Online for a chance to win in our next contest.