Bonus – On Anime Bootlegging and Mechademia Volume 1

This is not a standard episode of AWO, but since we’re all incredibly busy with school, convention preparation, and relocating to another city, we’re talking about the subject of bootlegging in anime as well as Volume 1 of the journal Mechademia, entitled “Emerging Worlds of Anime and Manga.”

Oh, since we forgot to actually record something in post with regards to the subject, the keychain contest is over. Don’t worry, we have other contests as well, but they’ll be the more standard DVD giveaway ones.

The bootlegging discussion is from 0:00 – 47:20. Since Christian Daly and Greg “DESTROY SURAT” Spahr could tell we were totally going to steal from their material in doing a discussion on how to spot bootlegs, here is their Powerpoint presentation from their panel at AWA 2004 on the very same subject which contains pictures of several of the bootlegger logos as well as pretty much all of the information we conveyed, only it’s in a couple slides that can be read in minutes as opposed to heard by us. Jerry Chu was there too, but I don’t think he listens to this show. Then again, Greg probably doesn’t either. Too busy raising a family or something, the big wuss…NO WAIT, KEEP AWAY

Promo: Destroy All Podcasts DX (47:21 -48:07)
This podcast just came out today! And…their feed is down at the moment! However, they like the podcasts we like, such as…us! Therefore, we shall draw your attention to it, even though it’s their first episode and they’re undoubtedly still working things out. Edit: Okay so they’ve got three episodes, and not only do they use sound clips from the Hong Kong dub of DYRL, Tranzor Z, and Robotech…TO THE RESCUE! (I lie to myself and say they got them from us, and we in turn swiped it all from Mike Toole and Dave Merrill), but episode one is all about GETTER ROBO~! And really, discussion of that is the best possible application of one’s film degree, because we stole the film noir quotes from Jeremy Kaufmann, who runs this operation.

Review: Mechademia: Volume 1 (48:07 – 1:41:47)
Per its official web page, the focus of this journal is manga and anime, but rather than limit themselves to just that subject–perhaps to make it easier to get papers?–it is the editorial board’s position that the production, distribution, and reception of anime and manga continue to generate connective networks manifest in an expanding spiral of art, aesthetics, history, culture, and society that they call Art Mecho. Much like Superflat, Daryl has no clue what that actually means. We went through each of the major articles at the following times:

51:52 – The Japan Fad in Global Youth Culture and Millennial Capitalism by Anne Allison
54:55 – Globalizing Manga: From Japan to Hong Kong and Beyond by Wendy Siuyi Wong
1:00:34 – The World of Anime Fandom in America by Susan Napier
1:09:59 – Costuming the Imagination: Origins of Anime and Manga Cosplay by Theresa Winge
1:15:10 – Assessing Interactivity in Video Game Design by Mark J.P. Wolf
1:18:21 – Mori Minoru’s Day of Resurrection by Tatsumi Takayuki
1:21:57 – Superflat and the Layers of Image and History in 1990s Japan by Thomas Looser
1:26:25 – Kurenai no metalsuits, “Anime to wa nani ka/What is Animation?” by Ueno Toshiya
1:30:23 – The Multiplanar Image by Thomas Lamarre
1:32:51 – The Werewolf in the Crested Kimono: The Wolf-Human Dynamic in Anime and Manga by Antonia Levi
1:36:19 – Metamorphosis of the Japanese Girl: The Girl, the Hyper-Girl, and the Battling Beauty by Mari Kotani
1:38:25 – At this point we briefly go over the reviews and commentaries at the end

Closing (1:41:47 – 1:44:20)
Next time, Gerald’s reviewing the book The Notenki Memoirs which is all about the history of Gainax, Clarissa’s reviewing the yaoi anthology J-Boy, and Daryl’s going to review the original Record of Lodoss War OAVs. Though recorded weeks ago, we haven’t quite gotten around to finishing the editing of it. Or beginning it, for that matter.

63 Replies to “Bonus – On Anime Bootlegging and Mechademia Volume 1”

  1. My gal also bought herself a bootleg Totoro plush toy in Chinatown some years back. When you squeeze it, it makes Godzilla’s roar, which is awesome.

  2. Hey, Weird foreign accent guy!

    Since you are doing the whole Gainax thing next episode, are you gonna upload that thing where Anno talks to children? If you have it lying around you might as well upload it like right now. And while you are at it, upload the next episode.

  3. Hey, Weird foreign accent guy!

    Hmm, should I bother responding to someone who doesn’t even know my name, even tough I mention it every episode? Ah well, yes, I do plan on uploading the Hideaki Anno that Sevakis did a piece on here. I’m not sure if it’ll be up before, say May 7th, since I’ve got to attend JACON and prepare for very ill-prepared panels, but it’ll be done then. Which, coincidentally, is why we haven’t put out the next episode since Daryl and I are both preparing for panels for this thing.

  4. It’s only too appropriate to leave this in the comment section of the episode talking about bootlegs.



    It’s bootleg Disney World!

  5. Oh yeah, I just found out about this through a forum I was in yesterday (and this is the mainland too), despite the fact there’s a legit Disneyland in Hong Kong these days too.

  6. About those panels Gerald……

    Yeah……..

    At least it’ll be two months before anybody here hears about the terribleness I inflicted on myself.

    Thanks for showing up to my miserable panel though.

  7. Blazing Transfer Student must be accounted for!

    Gainax would be most angry should they find out you left out one of their best gems!

  8. I wanted to show you what’s in this book called Manga: Sixty Years Of Japanese comics by Paul Gravett. The first part of the book they have the hole timeline to manga, anime and events in Japan and how it effected had in Japan and around the world from 1945-2004. Here the timeline.

    1945: Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki lead to Japan’s surrender in World War II and American occupation. Manga, first post-war cartoon magazine, resumes publication.

    1946: New constitution. Sazae-san newspaper strip.

    1947: Shin-Takarijima or ‘New Treasure Island’ by Sakai Shichima and Osamu Tezuka published in Osaka, the first original manga in the akabon or ‘red-book’ format and a bestseller. Manga Shonen, founded by Kenichi Kotah, publishes new ’story manga’ artists.

    1948: New children’s magazines launched. News censorship ends.

    1949: Princess Beanjam.

    1950: Tezuka moves to Tokyo and draws Jungle Tatei or ’Kimba the White Lion’ in Manga Shonen, first ’story manga’ serialized in a manga magazine. Korean War starts.

    1951: Us-Japan Security Treaty signed.

    1952: End of American occupation of Japan. Tezuka’s Astro Boy was serialized in Shonen magazine. Igaguri-kun jodo strip.

    1953: Princess Knight in Shojo Club, start of story manga in girls’ magazines. NHK begins broadcasting-but to only 866 TV sets.

    1954: Akado Suzunosuke, about a great swordsman who wears a red suit of armour, later adapted into films, radio and TV. Nakayoshi for girls.

    1955: Debut of Shotaro Ishinomori in Manga Shonen. Ribon and Nakayoshi monthlies for girls.

    1956: Giant robot Tetsujin 28 go aka ‘Gigantor’ by Mitsuteri Yokoyama. Yoshihiro Tatsumi and others set up Kage (’Shadow’) magazine for the rental-library market.

    1957: Tatsumi coins the term gekiga for dramatic pictures.

    1958: US TV show Superman scores 74.2% ratings in Japan.

    1959: First boys’ weeklies Shonen Sunday and Shonen Magazine. Ninja Bugeicho by Shirato. 9 new TV networks begin. Wedding of Crown Prince.

    1961: Tezuka sets up animation company Mushi Productions.

    1963: Tetsuwan Atom (’Mighty Atom’) by Osamu Tezuka is Japan’s first animated television series with regular characters. Screened as Astro Boy in US. Margaret for girls, Shonen King for boys.

    1964: Garo and Cyborg 009. Tokyo Olympics.

    1965: Jungle Taitei (‘Jungle Emperor’) by Osamu Tezuka becomes Japan’s first colour animated TV series.

    1966: Star of the Giants baseball hit. Omiya Cartoon Art. Museum opens on site of Rakuten Kitazawa’s home. Shonen Magazine reaches 1 million copies.

    1967: Manga Action, Young and COM. The Genius Bakabon. 10 August, Lupin III debuts.

    1968: Weekly Shonen Jump and Big Comic. Nejishiki by Yoshiharu Tsuge in Garo. Tommorrow’s Joe and Shameless school.

    1969: Golgo 13.

    1970: Public funeral held for Tori Rikiishi, a character killed in Tommorrow’s Joe. Doraemon and Lone Wolf and Cub.

    1972: Mazinger Z, Devilman and Buddha. Rose of Versailles and Poe Clan revolutionize girl’s comics. Big Comic Original.

    1973: Black Jack and Barefoot Gen. Manga Erotopia, first erotic gekiga monthly.

    1974: Yamagami Tatsuhiko’s crazy comedy GakI Deka (’Boy Detective’) creates a stir for it’s sexual themes. Space Cruiser Yamato, released as Star Blazers in the US in 1979.

    1975: Princess and Flowers and Dreams for girls. Yumiko Lgarashi and Kyoko Mizuki’s Candy Candy in Nakayoshi becomes a big hit.

    1976: Penguin Food Passion by Terry Johnson and Itoi Shigesato, start of heta-uma or ‘unskilled/skilled’ punk style. Comiket, new fanzine market, begins in Tokyo. Galaxy Express 999 and Mask of Glass. Poem of Wind and Trees establishes ‘boys’ love’ genre.

    1977: Leiji Matsumoto’s Captain Harlock. CoroCoro, for young boys, stars Doraemon. Kindai Mahjong Original, first mahjong manga magazine.

    1978: June, first ‘boys love’ magazine. Urusei Yatsura, aka Lum, by Rumiko Takahashi. Contemporary Manga Library: Naiki Collection opens in Tokyo. First English-language volume of Barefoot Gen by Keiji Nakazawa published in the US.

    1979: Young Jump. Le Cri Qui Tue, first manga translations into French.

    1980: Be in Love, first ‘ladies’ comic‘. Big Comic Spirits. Top 5 boys’ weeklies reach 10 million copies.

    1982: Akira by Katsuhiro Otomo released as a manga. Nausicaa and Captain Tsubasa. Morning Magazine for men.

    1983: Section Chief Kosaku Shima and Fist of the North Star. Black Magic, Masamune Shirow’s dojinshi debut. Manga! Manga! By Frederik L. Schodt, landmark US study.

    1984:Comic Baku and Combat Comic. Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball. Suehiro Maruo’s Mr. Arashi’s Freakshow.

    1985: Banana Fish and City Hunter.

    1986: Japan Inc. bestseller. Explains economics. Dragon Ball animated.

    1987: Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure and Crying Freeman. Big Comic Superior and afternoon for men. May: Lone and Cub starts translation in US.

    1988: Animated Akira by Katsuhiro Otomo released. Akira manga in English and ‘colorized’ from marvel Comics. Shonen Jump’s sales leap over 5 million copies.
    1989: Deaths of Osamu Tezuka, Suiho Tagawa and the Emperor. Akira published across Europe. The Silent Service political thriller.

    1990: R.G. Veda by Clamp and Slam Dunk. Comic Amour, erotic ‘ladies’ comic’ magazine. A-ha, art manga sponsored by Esso Petroleum. Tezuka retrospective exhibition at the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo.

    1991: Gon, Gunsmith Cats and Ghost in the Shell. First pachinko manga magazines. Great Manga Exhibition at National Diet library, Tokyo. Radical Boredom manga exhibit at Pomeroy Purdey, London.

    1992: Big Comic Gold. Visions of the Floating World exhibition at the Cartoon Art Museum, San Francisco. Sailor Moon.

    1993: Yan Mama Comic, manga of young mothers.

    1994: Detective Conan. Osamu Tezuka Manga Museum opens in Takarazuka. Shonen Jump sells 6.53 million copies, record figure.

    1995: Manga book and magazine sales peak at over 2.3 billion copies. Evangelion manga and anime. Ghost in the Shell.

    1996: Yu-Gi-oh! Us publishers TokyoPop founded.

    1997: One Piece and Pokemon.

    1998: AX magazine, Vagabond and Love Hina. Chains of Manga cafes open.

    2000: Kyoto Seika University creates first department of comic art.

    2002: 2.6 million copies of One Piece voloume, record first-edition print run. Shigeru Sugiura dies. December 18: Raijin, first US manga weekly.

    2003: April 7, Astro Boy awakes! Shonen Jump US monthly. Hayao Miyazaki’s Spirited Away wins Oscar for best Animated Film. Jiro Taniguchi wins awards at France’s Angouleme Festival.

    2004: January 13, Misshitsu pornographic manga ruled obscene.

    Who says that the super hero stuff doesn’t do well in Japan. It did on TV in Japan in 1958 at least.

    I hope you guys don’t think that I’m crazy typeing this up. You guys know so much about anime and manga and though you would get kick out of it.

  9. Interesting episodes.

    I have two FX "releases"- Witch Hunter Robin and Last Exile- that I've always suspected were bootlegs, and this confirms it. I'm kind of pissed that these were being sold on the Amazon marketplace.

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