LLNN Coverage of Sakura Con 2002


Kendo Demonstration: Martial arts are exactly that: art forms that focus on building precise skills and depth of motion that requires constant practice and dedication to truly master. The Kendo demonstration taught attendees the values of targeting the head, wrist, neck, and other precise vital areas to most quickly bring your opponent down (and thus kill him). This sport, of course, requires proper body protection and disciplined learning that is fundamental to improving basic etiquette and manners: a great benefit for parents and children. Topics also featured building hand/eye coordination, details of the bamboo swords, the symbolic screaming, and the dangers involved with even fake weapons.	ADVision Industry Panel: Representatives were on hand to discuss the latest and greatest projects coming through the anime pipeline. Excel Saga, Burn Up W, Angelic Layer are all works in progress. Sailor Moon subtitled is in stages of finalizing deals. Extra content will be given on Noir, Gamera, and Rurouni Kenshin releases. And of course, fansubs are still OK as long as they respect the wishes of the hard-working companies to lock down all fansubs once the rights to an anime title is claimed and bought. Also noted were releases for Dirty Pair: Project Eden, Dirty Pair: Flight Conspiracy, Dirty Pair TV series and OAVs, and Miyuk-chan in Wonderland.

Japanese Slang: Japanese slang is not just about sounding hip with the young crowd; it's also about sounding natural with an everyday local or just chit-chatting to make it easier to learn the more complicated parts of the language. Panel topics covered proper grammar use, developing pronunciation skills, mixing up the use of verbs, distinct differences on how guys say things and how girls say the same things, needing to know the literal meaning before using the slang, and variations of multiple dialects.	Cosplay 201: Hall cosplay and stage cosplay is on the rise for 2002 through 2003 and every cosplayer needs a helping hand from the expert Melissa Quinn of Faerie-Fingers. Delivery of quality presentation was the focus for Cosplay 201 as topics covered subject areas involving skit performance plans, being able to recover from skits gone bad, using advanced appliqué techniques, locating fabric resources, using butcher paper overlays to make smoother fabric cuts, and experimenting with various patterns, markers, and fabric paints.

Animation Industry: The Anime Industry isn't just a walk in the park like a dream come true. It's a lot of hard work and dedication to be on the forefront of professionalism and building teamwork potential that is very essential in Japan as well as America. Representatives from the industry gave an insightful view and learning process on what it takes to survive in the lucrative and volatile world of anime and manga. Essentials covered teambuilding, looking professional, proper grooming, being timely, thinking about production timelines, always having a free demo to get your foot in the door of opportunity, and most importantly, knowing how to network (and they don't mean computers!).	Anime Trading: Like any open market, it's a Buyer Beware alert for potential harm to your wallet if you don't shop carefully enough. Moderators at this panel raised concerns about authenticity, bootleggers, notice of registration marks, and telling the differences between the real and the fake. Topics also covered prismatic and holographic identification stickers to verify the real products as well as displays of various collected items over the years like Sailor Moon, Utena, Japanese phone cards, trading cards of silver and gold editions, and all sorts of other paraphernalia.
Additional Panels, Discussions, Workshops, and Events held throughout the weekend also included: Pioneer Entertainment Industry Panel, Guest Panel with Jessica Calvello, Samurai Troopers Fan Panel, Johnny Bosch Young, Mechanized Propulsion Systems, Enix, Bandai Entertainment Industry Panel, Anime Music Video Creation, Martial Arts in the 20th Century, Trivia Game Show, Parents Guide to Anime, Model Building, NW Anime Clubs, Japanese Food & Food Culture, Bonsai Fanfic Do's & Don'ts, Antonia Levi, Studio Ironcat, Japanese Culture from a Foreigner's Point of View, Super Techno Arts, Cosplay 101, Cel Panel, Taiko Demonstration, Voice Acting (Calvello, Bosch, Lauer, Smith), ANCEA Ukiyoe (Woodblock Prints), Character Design (Shioyama), Dark Horse, Metal Castings for Metal Props, Runway Fashion Show, Japanese Translation, Art & Charity Auction, and Anime Filk Music.