Meeting Markiplier

So, yeah. This happened. It’s not that he’s a YouTube star or that it is very entertaining to watch his Let’s Play videos, vlogs, challenges, etc., that I’m getting my San Diego Comic-Con International badge signed by him. It’s that he is Mark Fischbach, who goes by the pseudonym Markiplier, who, despite being extremely exhausted from this year’s convention festivities and duties, powered through all of the autographs, pictures, and video recordings for his fans. Beyond the celebrity, beyond YouTube and subscriber numbers, he has a qualitative following for his genuine dedication to his work and fans. And in the brief two minutes I spent time with him, it reassured me as to why I consider myself one of his fans. Read on after the break for more details.

Hello Kitty Hungry Hunt @ Zip Sushi & Izakaya [10.31.14]

Hello Kitty Hungry Hunt partnered up with several restaurants in and around downtown Los Angeles to bring exclusive, themed meals and limited edition pins from each establishment. Here is Zip Izakaya’s contribution to the Hunt! Photos after the break…

Putting the Media in Pacific Media Expo: An Unofficial Vocaloid Concert

40 days of fundraising and almost $4,000 USD later, we have a Vocaloid concert! And no, this isn’t Crypton Future Media, SEGA, 5bp, MARZA ANIMATION PLANET INC., or any other entity or production studio typically associated with Vocaloid concerts that put this show together. With enough continued momentum, Synthesized Reality Productions could very well be the go-to production studio for local Vocaloid concerts until it gains traction with the likes of larger conventions such as Anime Expo. Anyone who is a Vocaloid fan who knew about and/or was fortunate to attend the 2011 Mikunopolis event in Los Angeles would probably agree that seeing more of Miku, Luka, Rin and Len onstage here in the United States is something we really need to see more often, especially for the efforts put forth at this year’s Pacific Media Expo. Read on for my quick impression of the show and some photos of the concert.

Behind the Scenes: Anime Expo Maid Cafe 2013 Portrait Session [4.6.2013]

When my good friend Wynston of Wynston Fernando Media told me he needed assistance with a photo shoot, he didn’t tell me what I was going in for; only that this was going to be very relevant to me and that I’m likely to enjoy the shoot. It turns out he was right. Who better to ask for assistance than from the person that enjoys anime as much as he does – in some cases so much that he blogs episodes on a weekly basis? Well, used to; that should be changing soon. Jump past the break for details behind why we thought it was a good idea to gather a bunch of photogenic maids and one host at a square-mile-sized park one sunny Saturday Orange County afternoon.

Anime Expo 2012: Day 0 & 1

This isn’t even the full-res panorama of the sea of this year’s Anime Expo, but you can tell that South Hall was packed with eager con-goers ready to check out everything the exhibit hall had to offer. Amazed? I sure was. Especially since I’m usually the one in that sea of people!

Pre-Anime Expo 2012 – Kyuubey, A Whole Lot Of Backend Updating

Overhaul is the only thing I can think of when it comes to what has happened and what is next for this blog. Over as in a major life goal of mine (Japan) is complete, haul as in there is a lot brewing behind the scenes for the photos I still have yet to release, and the events and anime I have yet to talk about. Did I mention we’re doing test runs for an anime podcast?

DesignerCon 2011: At a Glance

Life has a funny way of throwing things at you. In my case, an entire week and a few days worth of familial situations, a major workplace move (and being in charge of possibly the single-most important aspect of a tech company: the tech), and sharing some time with precious friends has taken me away from the steady stream of anime/photo blogging I’d been slowly veering from. Does that mean I’m closing up shop or fading away as a result of the rookie aniblogger’s syndrome of sudden brain fart and disinterest in sharing with the world why I still tsun-tsun and dere-dere over particular shows?

Far from it. As a matter of fact, I’ve been actively watching all the fall anime shows I’ve come to love, attending conventions like DesignerCon most recently, and I’m even preparing for a third convention in the past two weeks. The next few days will be “at-a-glace” posts to consolidate the episodes of each show I’ve been following so as to keep the catch-up duties short and get myself back on track, followed by some photo-blog posts like this one to share with what I’ve really been up to since I last talked about a show like C3 or Working’!!

2011 Cherry Blossom Festival of Southern California: Blossoms in the Fall

The 2011 Cherry Blossom Festival of Southern California went off without a hitch, and I was on-deck to experience both days of the festivities. Come inside as I give you a tour of the food, music, dancing, and cultural demonstrations that made up for one strange weathered weekend and why you should consider going to next year’s event.

2011 Cherry Blossom Festival, Day 2 [Preview]

I’m still picking away at the photos, so here are some teasers until (hopefully) tomorrow of the second day of festivities. Starting with the last display of cultural exhibition I witnessed before the festival ended, here’s a rather exhilarating look at Shinkendo – Japanese swordplay. The weapons used at first were wooden swords called ‘bokken’, and they are primarily used in practice.

I’m sure with enough force, you can whack someone pretty hard with a bokken and do some considerable damage!

2011 Cherry Blossom Festival, Day 1 [Preview]

Strange weather, loads of sweets (and coffee), lack of sleep, and several run-ins with old and new friends; all have left me with little energy to stay up any longer, but the first day of Little Tokyo District’s annual Cherry Blossom Festival is officially over and Day 2 is just a few hours away. Did all of the hype and months of postponement dry out the festivities, or were attendees fulfilled from getting the last bits of Summer leisure they could before the weekend comes to a close?