Comic con has come and gone and it will be another year before the frenzy hits again… and of all the wonderful geeky toys and merch that were up for grabs, ANIME got the least amount of attention! Yes, I realize that comic con is reserved for everything in geekdom, but c’mon people! If we don’t start snatching up these gems, they’re gonna become *gasp* obsolete!!
We all know of the obscure anime’s that continue to elude the public no matter how much we’d salivate over a copy! Without everyone’s support, you can say “buh-bye” to the likes of ‘em… and seriously, I’m hoping it’s not “goodbye,” but “goodbye for now!” Here’s the thing… of all the gadgets, gizmo’s, games, toys, and other things that occupy our minds, anime is the least represented in the geek culture! Most of us wait anxiously for the next comic movie or release of a game, and rightly so… but do you care about the release of an anime? Hmmmm? Really… do you really care?
While at comic con, I took some time off to shop for myself. In general, I try to avoid the temptation of a badass figurine and head straight for the anime’s! I realize that I can buy them at any time, but when I buy things at conventions, I wanna make sure I can get mileage out of ‘em! No matter what, movies are what I always come back to!
… And of course, in that wonderful sprawling wonderland, I saw 1 teeny tiny booth of anime’s… 1! Pathetic, I know! Plus, I really hate to say this because the people who work at that booth are knowledgeable and sweet… but they had ZILCH selection! Now, I’m not saying that they didn’t have good stuff, because I was able to find a handful of movies that were on my list of “must haves”… but upon asking about Sailor Moon (of all anime’s), the gentlemen working there told me that it had been discontinued!!!! WHAT!?!?! SAILOR MOON DISCONTINUED!?!?!
I don’t care what any of you say, Sailor Moon is a great anime with an incredibly deep story… deeper than most people want to admit. It is full of twists, turns, and anime mythology! Most anime’s (including anime based video games) are based on Greek/Roman mythology anyway. Most of them intertwine with each other like a Kevin Smith movie (i.e. the use of GAIA). I’m sure one could find box sets on ebay or individual copies of this popular T.V. series, but don’t expect to find a shiny new collection set anytime soon *UGH*!
Other anime’s that are off the radar (obscure or discontinued) include:
- Battle Angel: James Cameron has put the movie making on hold for this one!
- Crying Freeman (DANG IT!!!)
- Beyond the Beyond Volume 5
- Blazin’ Barrels Volume 11
- Karma Club Volume 2
- Kat & Mouse Volume 4
- Kindaichi Case Files, The Burial Francs
- Lagoon Engine Volume 6
- Lagoon Engine Volume 7
- Nosatsu Junkie Volume 7
- Queen’s Knight, The Volume 13
- Queen’s Knight, The Volume 14
- Saver, Volume 7
- Best Student Council
- 5 Centimeters Per Second
- Innocent Venus
- Robotech
Distributors need money to get these anime’s made and sent out. If we don’t take the time to discover a new anime, then they will go away… *tear*! If you’re not sure what you’re into, check out Kannaya’s “Watch Anime” or “Know Your Anime Genres” articles. They’ll help point you in the right direction!
HAPPY ANIME HUNTING!!!
August 5th, 2008 at 12:52 am
I try to show some of my old anime videos to my brother in law and his friends to show them the history that is anime. Not just the new and flashy. But the old that had a story to tell and that braved the way for the new series to come along. Kimba, Speed, 8th Man… the classics.
August 5th, 2008 at 7:33 am
SM discontinued???? Holy crap. That’s nuts. The fact that this is hard to swallow shows you how much staying power SM had. I’m glad all my videos and DVDs and fansubs are safe in my parents basement in dust-proof bins!!!!!!!!!
I thought Project A-ko would be on that list…thankfully, it’s not D: phew
August 5th, 2008 at 9:18 am
I know, it’s crazy! A lot of classics are here to stay, but I’m not sure for how long.
As far as Project A-ko goes, I haven’t heard anything of it being discontinued, so it still may be safe. This is a small part of the big list though.
I don’t want the good one’s to go away!
Plus, it’s not that I’m against CG anime, but I adore the hand drawn one’s most… especially the one’s that look like moving pieces of art!
August 5th, 2008 at 9:59 am
NUUUUUU!
:O I LOVED Sailor Moon.
I remember taping the friggin’ cartoon show as a kid because I was at school when it was on. Yeah, I TAPED it. When I was a kid. That’s dedication. ;D
;;is sad now;;
Batman: Gotham Knight was aweeesommme! Yeah, yeah, that’s not pure anime, but it was a pretty cool mix of comics and anime.
August 7th, 2008 at 7:01 pm
Between videogames, dvds and movies (and the odd CD) my budget is stretched so tight I’ve had to give up CCGs and most of my figure collecting
As is, a lot of my fave animes are now defunct, a few have had rereleases but it’s tough to find some of my favorites now (Geneon/Pioneer exploded which means dozens of titles are now deceased)
I always try to pick up a new anime now and then but without unlimited resources animes are an expense that’s difficult to keep up with, both the way they package and release them (they’re also nearly impossible to find in stores, Amazon seems like the only place I can get them usually). I’m still trying to get at least half a dozen must haves but with the press of things demanding my money NOW, really have a hard time affording them :\
September 16th, 2009 at 1:27 pm
what astubide pepole