AMV Contest Results

The ballots have been cast! The votes have been counted! And, now, the winners will be revealed! Thanks to everyone who voted in this year's AMV contest and a big thanks to everyone who entered. Behold this year's winners…

DRAMA
Winner:
"Tears Are From the Heart" by Kireblue
featuring "Her Diamonds" by Rob Thomas set to Clannad

Runner-up:
"Love DisConnected" by Nightmistress85
featuring "Miles Away" by Madonna set to NANA

UPBEAT
Winner:
"Magical Girls Take A Stand" by Hika Yagami/Yagami Central
featuring "Dare" by Stan Bush set to various anime

Runner-up:
"It's So Magical" by AmiChan
featuring "It's So Magical" by ATC set to Ouran High School Host Club

ACTION
Winner:
"D.Gray Man... Wasteland" by M&M
featuring "Wasteland" by 10 Years set to D.Gray Man

Runner-up:
"Bye Bye Bloodlust" by Teneshi Studio/Tonberry Army Productions
featuring "Bye Bye Beautiful" by Nightwish set to Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust

SPECIAL EFFECTS/EYE CANDY
Winner:
"The Anime Duet" by HalOfBorg
featuring "The Lovers Duet" by Sean Morey set to various anime

Runner-up:
"Paradox" by _Xcite_, Soul-Team - AMVfrance
featuring "Closer than a Heartbeat" by Andrew Bennett vs Tatana feat. Tiff Lacey set to various anime


BEST-IN-SHOW:
"The Anime Duet" by HalOfBorg
featuring "The Lovers Duet" by Sean Morey set to various anime

JUDGE'S PRIZE:
"Paradox" by _Xcite_, Soul-Team - AMVfrance
featuring "Closer than a Heartbeat" by Andrew Bennett vs Tatana feat. Tiff Lacey set to various anime

Congratulations to all of the winners, and thanks to everyone who entered. The winners will be contacted by e-mail and asked for an address so we can send them their prize packs.

Lord of The Rings at The Paley Center - October 1

NYAF is over, and NYCC is still faraway. What's a geek to do? Head to NYC's Paley Center for a special Lord of The Rings event on October 1!

Denethor: Can you sing, master hobbit?
Pippin: Well... yes. At least well enough for my own people. But we have no songs for great halls and ...evil times.

The Lord of the Rings Academy Award-winning composer Howard Shore had no trouble conjuring up music for great halls, evil times, or any of the scenes depicted in Peter Jackson’s epic adaptations of J.R.R. Tolkien’s three novels about the great war for the “one ring to rule them all.” In anticipation of his much ballyhooed October 9 and 10 live performances of the full score of The Fellowship of the Ring as the film is screened at Radio City Music Hall, Shore visits the Paley Center to share his insights into his craft, and the many creative challenges posed by scoring The Lord of the Rings films.

In Person
Doug Adams - Author, The Music of The Lord of the Rings Films
Billy Boyd - "Peregrin 'Pippin' Took"
Howard Shore - Composer/Conductor, The Lord of the Rings films
Moderator: MTV's Kurt Loder

Thursday, October 1, 2009 - 6:30 PM
The Paley Center - 25 West 52nd Street - New York City

This event is in conjunction with The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring: Howard Shore's Score Performed by 300 Musicians Live to Film, Friday & Saturday, October 9 & 10, 7:30 pm, Radio City Music Hall.

Tickets are $15 for Paley Center Members and $20 for the Public. For more details and tickets, visit paleycenter.org.

Too Tired To Type Funny Flickr Post Title

This year's NYAF is over, but the memories don't have to disappear. Click on over to NYAF's Flickr group to see photos taken by the show's fans. And -- if you've got pics from this year's con -- be sure to add them to our growing pool of 2009 snapshots!

http://www.flickr.com/groups/nyanimefestival/

21,388 – NYAF By The Numbers

Saturday was by far the most insanely busy day in the history of the New York Anime Fest. Unbelievable numbers of people. But even with the crowds, we managed to count them all and this year’s attendance including fans, professionals, press, guests/speakers but NOT exhibiting staffers was 21,388! Woot! That’s a 16% increase over last year’s 18,399.That's an awesome number of otaku roaming the aisles, sitting in panels and dancing all over the Javits Center this weekend.

We know there are lots of ideas and opinions out there about NYAF moving to New York Comic Con and we really know that we can’t screw this up! A 16% increase in attendance tells us that you think we are doing something right with NYAF so we better not drop the ball with this move. We heard a lot of good feedback from vendors, industry insiders and especially fans this weekend about how to make NYAF's new home at New York Comic Con the best possible. So keep giving us your ideas and opinions and we promise to do this the right way and give the Otaku what they want…..and then some!

Now think about NYCC and what a massive party that is going to go down in exactly12 months and a week…….

Thanks for a great party this weekend!

-L

NYAF on NPR’s Weekend Edition! Plus a Scott Simon Bonus Story

Only a geek of my stature would be able to recite the weekend NPR lineup from memory and have favorite hosts. So it was like a getting a meeting with the pope when NPR invited me to swing over to there midtown offices and do an interview with Weekend Edition’s Scott Simon (he was in DC) on Thursday afternoon. Nerd dream come true!

We talked anime for about 15 minutes, and my ratio of intelligent commentary to total fluff is obvious as the piece came out at 3 minutes.

Listen to NYAF on NPR by clicking here.

Side story – after the interview I chatted with Scott for a while as he had done a reading at the bookstore I ran in St. Paul about 5 years ago, Bound to be Read, for his first book, Pretty Birds. It was about 3 weeks before the store was set to close, but he was good enough to come anyway. Scott remembered the story in great detail and when I shared with him that I now run BookExpo in addition to NYAF he shared with me a great story about proposing to his wife at BEA back in 2000!

I know take retroactive credit for Scott Simon’s marriage.

-L

Soul Eater Chalk Art Update

The Soul Eater chalk art has risen! Head over to the FUNimation booth!

The Far East To East Showcase is Tonight!

NYAF ends with a bang tonight at the Far East To East Showcase! Going on at The Studio at Webster Hall starting at 6:30, it features Kokusyoku Sumire, Swinging Popsicle, Gelatine, and Echostream!

Get tickets and details at nyanimefestival.com and superglorious.com.

NYAF Sunday Screening Update!

NYAF Update! The Gurren Lagann Movie and L: Change The World have switched rooms. Gurren will be in 1A08. L in 1A18.

All Atwitter!

Got a Blackbery? Got an iPhone? Got a G1? Get with NYAF on Twitter at @ny_anime_fest. We're updating live all show long! And be sure to tweet early and often from the con! Let's get NYAF into the trending topics!

NYAF Ends!

Today's the last day of the 2009 New York Anime Festival! What can't you miss?

Yui Makino Q&A
11:15 AM to 12:15 PM - 1A21

Gurren Lagann: The Movie
11:15 AM to 1 PM - 1A18

Neo-Victorian Fashion Show
12:30 to 1:30 PM - Apple Kissa Stage

Japanese Seiyuu and US Voice Actors
1:45 to 2:45 PM - 1A21

See our full programming list at www.nyanimefestival.com!

NYAF 2009 - Sunday Autograph Ticket Update

On Sunday, the only Guest of Honor signing autographs is Ms. Yui Makino. Her signing is at 12:30 PM in Room 1B05.

Tickets will be distributed to this autographing at 8:30 AM in the Autograph Desk in the Registration Lobby.

A total of 75 autograph tickets will be distributed. They are first come, first served.

The update to the autograph distribution is that fans wishing to receive an autograph will be required to purchase an item of official Yui Makino merchandise at the Autograph Desk to receive a ticket. Items range from $3 to $16.

Fans can bring any official Yui Makino CDs, items, or licensed DVDs featuring Makino's voice to be signed - but Makino-san is not signing fan art, doujinshi, or bootleg DVDs.

We apologize for the lateness of this change. If you have any questions about Yui Makino's autographing change, please contact Programming Director Peter Tatara (ptatara@reedexpo.com).

NYAF Charity Auction Menu

Check out our menu of items at this year's charity auction, today at 4:15 in Room 1A21. From host Jamie McGonnigal...

Soul Eater Posters signed by the original Japanese actors for Maka and Soul, director and character designer

Chiaki Omigawa: Japanese voice of Maka

Kouki Uchiyama : Japanese voice of Soul

Takuya Igarashi : Director for Soul Eater anime

Yoshiyuki Ito: Character Designer

Shin Chan Convention Fan (Starting Bid $10, Reserve $30)

Beck Record Flat (Starting Bid $50, Reserve $150 – will be more if this gets framed) + First three DVD volumes

Aquarion Part 1 DVD (Starting Bid $30, Reserve $100 – SRP is $59.98 and the signatures add value.)

Fullmetal Alchemist Season 1 Box (Starting bid $10, Reserve $50) + FMA Messenger bag

Witchblade v2 DVD (Starting Bid $40, Reserve $75)

Ouran High School Host Club Lot – Includes both DVDs, three wristbands, five patches and one keychain (Starting Bid $50, Reserve – Ideally, we want the amount to exceed SRP which is $157.95)

Original Weiss Kreuz cel of Omi Tsukiyono with original background Value: $300

Avenue Q Original Cast Broadway Poster. Signed by the creators and entire original cast.

DVD Box sets:

Baki the Grappler

Van Dread

Last Exile

Love Hina

Dragon Ball Z Season 2

I Wanna Be a Voice Actor:

-A Chance to audition for Tom Wayland, director of Pokemon. Also includes feedback session with Tom as well as dinner for four with 2 voice actors.

A pair of shoes from Onmyodo

Re-Tweet

Don't forget to follow us on Twitter at @ny_anime_fest. We're updating live throughout the day! And be sure to tweet early and often from the show! Let's get NYAF into the trending topics!

NYAF Continues!

One day down, two to go! Here are some of today's can't-miss events at the New York Anime Festival!

Far East To East Showcase Panel
11:15 AM to 12:15 PM - 1A21

Yui Makino Concert
11:30 AM to 12:30 PM - 1A08

Soul Eater
1 to 3 PM - 1A08

Yoshiyuki Tomino Q&A
1:45 to 2:45 PM - 1A21

Charity Auction
4:15 to 5:15 PM - 1A21

Yume Cosplay Prize Masqurade
6:30 to 10 PM - 1A08

Evangelion 1.0
6:45 to 9 PM - 1A18

See our full programming list at www.nyanimefestival.com!

Tweet! Tweet!

Are you following us on Twitter? No? Do so at @ny_anime_fest. We'll be updating with breaking updates throughout the day! And be sure to tweet early and often from the show! Let's get NYAF into the trending topics!

NYAF Begins!

Today's the day! NYAF starts in just a wee bit. To help you plan for Friday at NYAF, here are a few highlights...

Voice Acting 101
4 to 5 PM - 1A21

Yoshiyuki Tomino Keynote
5:15 to 6:15 PM - 1A21

Robotech Goes To The Movies
6:15 to 7:15 - 1A24

Cencoroll
9 to 9:30 PM - 1A08

Cosplay Variety Show
9:30 to 10:30 PM - 1A08

See our full programming list at www.nyanimefestival.com!

NYAF Pre Party

The place is jamming! Check out the Del Ray Manga birthday cake from Charm City Cakes!

Seriously, Dave and Busters is jammed with Otaku.

Crazy.

-L

Lance Fensterman
Reed Vice President
BookExpo America
New York ComicCon
C2E2
New York Anime Fest
Blog: www.mediumatlarge.net
203.840.5507 (o) 203.417.3607 (m)
--------------------------
Sent from my BlackBerry Wireless Handheld - Please excuse any typos!

Tweet Out Loud!

Be sure to follow us on Twitter at @ny_anime_fest for breaking updates throughout the day! And be sure to tweet early and often from the show! Let's get NYAF into the trending topics!

NYAF's Got Game(s)!

NYAF's got anime. That's a safe bet. But did you know NYAF is also a gaming hot spot this year with the World Cyber Games National Final going on at the show? There'll be tournaments and free play with games including Counter-Strike 1.6, StarCraft: Brood War, Warcraft III, FIFA Soccer 09, Carom3D, Gears of War 2, Guitar Hero World Tour, Virtua Fighter 5, Asphalt 4: Elite Racing, and Wise Star 2 -- and the best gamers at the con will win a spot on WCG Team USA and a trip to China for the International Final!

NYAF Pre-Party Tonight!

NYAF starts tomorrow. So, what are you up to tonight? The smart answer is coming to the New York Anime Festival and Del Rey Manga Pre-Party from 5:30 to 7:30 PM at Dave and Buster's (234 West 42nd Street) in NYC's Times Square. This special event is both a celebration of this year's Anime Festival as well as a celebration of Del Rey Manga's Fifth Anniversary -- and to mark this special occasion, NYAF and Del Rey Manga are inviting fans and professionals to partake in food, drink, giveaways, and a cake crafted by Baltimore's famed Charm City Cakes specifically for Del Rey Manga and NYAF.

Manga and Anime Raffle (5:30-6:30 PM) - Come during the party's first hour to be entered to win a selection of manga spanning Del Rey Manga's five years. Further, the Charm City Cakes Del Rey Manga birthday cake will be on public display during this time, so fans, press, and pros interested in taking pictures of the party centerpiece should do so before the raffle ends.

Charm City Cakes Cutting (6:30-7:30 PM) - Once the raffle ends, the real party begins as representatives from Del Rey Manga and the New York Anime Festival will cut into the Charm City Cakes Del Rey Manga birthday cake. Created by the talents of Food Network's Ace of Cakes TV show, the Del Rey Manga birthday cake will take the form of a towering stack of manga, showcasing some of Del Rey Manga's landmark books from 2004 to today.

At 7:30, following the formal end of the NYAF and Del Rey Manga party, attendees are free to stay and enjoy Dave & Buster's or attend a special one-night-only screening of Bandai Entertainment's Eureka Seven - good night, sleep tight, young lovers - animated motion picture, presented at the AMC Empire 24 theater neighboring Dave & Buster's.

The party is free and open to the public.

NYAF is Tomorrow!

This year's New York Anime Festival is one day away, and the whole NYAF team is now on their way to the Javits Center to make sure everything's set up by the time the doors are beaten down and the masses of Haruhis, Ichigos, and Sephiroths arrive.

Fingers crossed that we get it all done before the NYAF and Del Rey Pre-Party (Tonight from 5:30-7:30 PM at Dave and Buster's in Times Square).

Until our next update, I leave you with NYAF's 2009 TV Commerical...



Do you get it? No? Yeah, well, you're probably not in the right frame of mind. She's airing on Adult Swim, G4, Syfy, and MTV in the late night hours in NYC, NJ, and CT -- and methinks you need a sleep-starved brain only active because of a slurry of soda and your-favorite-brand-of tortilla chips to appreciate a panda and pink alligator duking it out atop NYC.

From FUNimation With Love

Our friends at FUNimation are getting ready for NYAF...



Check out the first three episodes of Soul Eater with the whole US main cast on Saturday at the New York Anime Festival!

The Baby, The Stars Shine Bright Boutique

NYAF's got a lot of highlights for a lot of different fans. One of the biggest draws for girls in 08 was our Baby, The Stars Shine Bright boutique, and I'm proud to say it's back again in 2009. Together with Kinokuniya, we're offering a -- greater -- selection of BTSSB apparel and accessories directly from Japan!

Here's an update directly from Kinokuniya, previewing what's in the boutique this year...

Lots of JSK's and a few one pieces. Most numerous one piece is the Snow Dot [133•308], which there a few each in white, pink, cherry, lemon, mint, sky blue, and black! There also a few of the Ribbon Scallop JSK's, 2 black mediums [133•232], and in large [133•233], pink, lavender, brown, black & white, and black. There *are* a few ALICE JSK's and OP's... such as the Stained Glass Angel OP [105P315] and the Opera Mille Feuille [sp?] Op [105P314].

No shoes this time, but lots of socks (both BABY and ALICE), such as the Princess Drop Embroidered School-high socks, the Sparkling BABY logo over-knee socks, the Ribbon and Lace high socks, Sweet Flower high socks, and the ALICE Starry over-knee socks. A *few* hair accessories. A few cardigans and pull-over sweaters, including the bunny-earred ones.

And last but not least... the items I am having the hardest time not drooling over... lots of Usakumya!! Full-size backpacks in black and white, smaller ones in white and pink that you can fit a water bottle in, and white and pink pen/pencil cases!!!

Finally, there will be postcards for all customers, as well as their Fall/Winter catalogs to those whose purchases total $100 or more.

The Baby Boutique is part of the Kinokuniya Booth and will be open throughout all NYAF's Exhibiton Hall hours, although most of the items will probably be gone by Friday afternoon.

The Bones of a Chalk Mural

NYAF Friend of Show Eric Maruscak is an artist and a pretty awesome dude. We've had him at every NYAF and NYCC since 2007, and he's also been at PAX and various other cons, too. What does he do? Lots of stuff, but he gets the most acclaim for his massive chalk murals.

Eric just sent over this sketch he's working on for this year's NYAF. See Eric all weekend long at the New York Anime Festival and watch as this sketch becomes a finished work before your very eyes.

For more of Eric's work, check out pepperink.com.

Cosplay + The NYAF Pre-Party = A Great Idea

I've gotten some questions about if cosplay is allowed at the NYAF Pre-Party. Cosplay is allowed – and encouraged – at the NYAF Pre-Party at Dave and Buster’s in Times Square! So, suit up, as we want to see ninjas, magical girls, and shinigami at Dave and Buster’s on September 24!

Kokusyoku Sumire Says Hi!

I posted this from my BlackBerry a while ago, but I wanted to post it properly now. Behold Kokusyoku Sumire - part of the Far East to East Showcase. They'll be playing on Sunday at Webster Hall in an all-ages show with Swinging Popsicle, Gelatine, and Echostream. Get tickets and details at nyanimefestival.com and superglorious.com.

Kawaii!

FlashFoward Sneak Peek!

Our friends at the New York Television Festival are hosting a Sneak Peek of ABC's FlashForward. From Executive Producer, David Goyer (Batman Begins and The Dark Knight), FlashForward begins with a mysterious global event causes everyone to black out simultaneously for two minutes and seventeen seconds, and each person sees a glimpse of their lives six months from now. When they wake up, everyone is left wondering if what they saw will actually happen.

The event will feature an exclusive sneak peek of the show for NYTVF audiences before it is premiered on ABC later in the week. Attendees will also have the opportunity to win an Xbox 360 and DVD box sets from some of ABC's biggest hits, including LOST and Grey's Anatomy.

Tickets are free and can be reserved at http://bit.ly/C2dWE.

Eureka Seven Day is Today!

Good morning, NYC anime fans! What are you up to today? Hmmm? Going to Kinokuniya? You better be. Start the NYAF celebration at Kinokuniya today with an exclusive preview of Bandai's Eureka Seven - good night, sleep tight, young lovers -, Japanese language lessons, maids, 25% off all Lolita dresses, and Eureka Seven T-Shirts for the first 500 fans through the doors.

Convinced? We've also got some Eureka Seven goodies from Japan, NYAF Weekend Passes, and even Yoshiyuki Tomino and Yui Makino autographing tickets as part of a Eureka Seven Raffle.

I'll see you at Kinokuniya. (Doors open at 11 AM.)

Lord of The Rings at The Paley Center

Denethor: Can you sing, master hobbit?
Pippin: Well... yes. At least well enough for my own people. But we have no songs for great halls and ...evil times.

The Lord of the Rings Academy Award-winning composer Howard Shore had no trouble conjuring up music for great halls, evil times, or any of the scenes depicted in Peter Jackson’s epic adaptations of J.R.R. Tolkien’s three novels about the great war for the “one ring to rule them all.” In anticipation of his much ballyhooed October 9 and 10 live performances of the full score of The Fellowship of the Ring as the film is screened at Radio City Music Hall, Shore visits the Paley Center to share his insights into his craft, and the many creative challenges posed by scoring The Lord of the Rings films.

In Person
Doug Adams - Author, The Music of The Lord of the Rings Films
Billy Boyd - "Peregrin 'Pippin' Took"
Howard Shore - Composer/Conductor, The Lord of the Rings films
Moderator: MTV's Kurt Loder

Thursday, October 1, 2009 - 6:30 PM
The Paley Center - 25 West 52nd Street - New York City

This event is in conjunction with The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring: Howard Shore's Score Performed by 300 Musicians Live to Film, Friday & Saturday, October 9 & 10, 7:30 pm, Radio City Music Hall.

Tickets are $15 for Paley Center Members and $20 for the Public. For more details and tickets, visit paleycenter.org.

Ron Moore Comes to NYC!

Next weekend is the New York Anime Festival. But what if you're not an anime fan? Our friends at the New York Television Festival have you covered. The NYTVF is pleased to welcome Ronald D. Moore on September 26 at 6 PM at New World Stages (340 West 50th Street). Moore will share his experiences as a writer and showrunner on television hits, including "Star Trek, ""Battlestar Galactica," and "Caprica."

Tickets are free and can be reserved at http://www.nytvf.com/tixSYS/2009/progguide/films/1412.

Eureka Seven Day is Sunday!

So, Fringe and The Office have started up again, right? And the rest of the new Fall season isn't far behind? Pretty soon, your weekends will be spent playing catch up on Hulu. But not this weekend. Nope! You're going out today to spend some time in one of the last warm weekends of the year. Maybe. I don't actually care. You could spend Saturday watching all of Defying Gravity on Hulu for all I care.

But Sunday. Sunday's different. Sunday is Eureka Seven Day at Kinokuniya (1073 Avenue of the Americas), and you're going, right? We've got a day of special events and speakers, including an exclusive preview of Bandai's Eureka Seven - good night, sleep tight, young lovers - and for fans of the female persuasion, we've got 25% off all Lolita dresses.

There'll also be maids, some Japanese language lessons, and Eureka Seven T-Shirts for the first 500 fans through the doors.

And, last but not least, we'll have a pretty kicking raffle, including some Eureka Seven goodies from Japan, NYAF Weekend Passes, and maybe even Yoshiyuki Tomino and Yui Makino autographing tickets.

I'll see you Sunday at Kinokuniya Bookstore.

Saturday is Caturday!

This one comes from my pal Megan is Chicago, thanks Megs!

Japan Society Language Lessons at NYAF

NYC's Japan Society - an internationally acclaimed institution - will be at NYAF on Sunday teaching a day of free Japanese language lessons.

Check the NYAF site for full room and time details, but in general, Japan Society will host five classes...

1) 1:15 - 1:40
2) 1:50 - 2:15
3) 2:25 - 2:50
4) 3:05 - 3:30
5) 3:35 - 4:00

Each will be limited to 35 attendees. Want to take in a free Japanese class at NYAF? Stop by the Japan Society booth for all the specifics.

Got A Question For AKB48?

Japanese super group AKB48 will be holding a Q&A session on Saturday, September 26 at NYAF. They'll be taking questions from the audience -- and also the internet. Got a question for the girls of AKB48? Post it below, and it may get answered at NYAF! We'll be submitting all the questions to AKB48 on Monday, so you have until 11:59 PM EST on September 20th to add a question to the list.

NYCC One-Year-Out Party!

The next NYCC isn't until October 8-10, 2010, but we don't want you to have to wait a whole year to be part of the New York Comic Con community again. Nope, we'll be hosting events throughout 2009 and 2010 in lead up to our next show, and we're kicking it all off with a bash on October 8, 2009 -- 365 days before the next NYCC.

The NYCC One-Year-Out Shindig will be taking place at Bowlmor Lanes at 110 University Place, just South of Union Square in NYC. We're taking Bowlmor over at 6 PM with a free hour of bowling for all our fans as well as giveaways throughout the night -- and at least two major announcements you won't want to miss!

Wanna come to the NYCC Party at Bowlmor? All you need to do is RSVP...

http://www.newyorkcomiccon.com/en/Home/One-Year-Out-Party/

We'll be getting our RSVP list all the details they need to attend, so if you wanna kick off the celebration for the next NYCC with us, RSVP, put on your bowling shoes, and we'll see you at Bowlmor!

Greeting from Kokusyoku Sumire

Lolita band Kokusyoku Sumire is playing as part of NYAF's Far East to East Showcase on Sunday, Sept. 27 at Webster Hall! You can find details and tickets to the concert at superglorious.com and nyanimefestival.com.

And as we're making final preparations in NYC for Kokusyoku Sumire, they just sent over a video for all their fans in New York City!

Check out the Kokusyoku Sumire greeting here...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9feaDOXwciM

NYAF Panel and Screening Updates!

As we get into the final days before the show, there will be a handful of panel and screening updates, additions, and cancellations. Changes will be posted below, the newest changes at the top...

ESSENTIAL MECHA ANIME REPLACES TRUE TALES OF MASQUERADE SURVIVAL
The panel "Essential Mecha Anime" will replace "True Tales of Masquerade Survial" at 4:15 PM on Sunday in Room 1A21. What's the new panel about? "Explore the history of the diverse and fascinating mecha that make their home in Japanese animation. From Mazinger Z to Evangelion and everything in between! There will be an informative discussion, video clips, Q&A, trivia and -- of course -- prizes! Stop in to hear and talk about your favorite giant robot and maybe even discover a new one!"

TOKYOPOP AT NYAF
Our friends at TOKYOPOP will be joining us at the NY Anime Festival on Friday, September 25 from 3:45 to 4:45 PM. They'll be posting an Industry Panel in Room 1A22.

FINAL FANTASY PANEL
Our Final Fantasy fan panel now has a later start time. It'll now take place from 8:45 to 9:45 PM on Friday, September 25 in Room 1A24.

20TH CENTURY BOYS PART 3
We're very sorry to say that 20th Century Boys Part 3 will not premiere at NYAF as originally intended. Do to a production issue in Japan, VIZ Pictures will be unable to get us a screener in time. As such, we're unable to present the film.

L: CHANGE THE WORLD
While we won't be doing 20th Century Boys Part 3, VIZ Pictures will instead present L: Change The World to fans. L: Change The World will screen on Sunday, September 27 from 11:30 AM to 2:00 PM in Room 1A08.

AKB48 Members at NYAF

So, who from Japanese pop group AKB48 is exactly coming to NYAF? I'm happy to send you the following list fresh from Japan...

Atsuko Maeda
Yuko Oshima
Minami Takahashi
Haruna Kojima
Tomomi Itano
Amina Sato
Erena Ono
Sayaka Akimoto
Rie Kitahara
Sae Miyazawa
Minami Minegishi
Miho Miyazaki

The NYAF Radio Tour!

Insomniacs, NYAF's Peter Tatara will be on WBAI tonight! Listen in on a real live radio as he talks about his upcoming mayoral run.

For those who prefer their radio on the internet, Peter along with Programming Coordinator Kim Mueller were just on Right Stuf's Anime Today podcast. Listen to Peter hog the mic and not let Kim answer any questions at http://www.rightstuf.com/rssite/animeToday/.

Expect to hear Tatara on at least one more podcast before the week is through, too!

New York Times Presents The Great Read!

NYCC just finished the Brooklyn Book Festival, and it was a blast! Big thanks to all the comics fans and all the Brooklyn-ites who came out and made the day a success! What's next on our agenda? A little shindig with the New York Times!

On Sunday, October 4 -- from 10 AM to 5 PM -- the 3nd Annual New York Times Great Children’s Read will immerse NYC kids and their families in the magic of literacy. This free event will be held at Columbia University’s main quad at 116th and Broadway and is the perfect setting for an educational and reading-focused adventure.

The Great Read's New York Times Storytelling Area will feature live readings by notable New Yorkers and of children’s books selected by librarians from the New York Public Library system, and its Target main stage will host top talent in the children’s entertainment arena, including Justin Roberts and the Not Ready for Naptime Players, Yo Gabba Gabba, Peter Yarrow, and many others.

Other features include food, giveaways, and an on-site Target bookstore, and throughout the quad, cultural and community partners will host a variety of fun activities for kids and parents alike. NYCC is one of the Great Read's community partners, and we'll be there all day with special NYCC activities for kids!

Sunday, October 4
10 AM - 5 PM
Columbia University
116th Street & Broadway
www.nytimes.com/greatread

Become Friends with Yui Makino!

NYAF Guest of Honor Yui Makino wants to become your friend! Of course, ain't that obvious since she's coming to NYAF? Thing is, she can't wait the few more days until the con and has just created an official MySpace page. So, won't you join me and show Makino-san your support by becoming friends with her at http://www.myspace.com/makinoyui?

This Just In From Japan

We're bringing the whole English cast of Soul Eater to NYAF, but it doesn't stop there. Check out these posters -- signed by the Japanese cast of Soul Eater! Our friends at FUNimation recently got these back from Japan, and we'll be giving them away at NYAF!

We've got a few copies and they'll be first prizes for a number of our contests at the con -- and you'll also find the signed posters in Saturday's Charity Auction!

The Brooklyn Book Festival is Now!

What are you doing today? Like right now? Hmmm? Are you in Brooklyn? No? Well, get your butt out there as this year's Brooklyn Book Festival (brooklynbookfestival.org) is going on right now outside Brooklyn Borough Hall. From 10 to 6 today, it's a celebration of literacy in all its forms. Oh, and it's free. That's right. Free. Check out the BBF's website for their full program and author list.

Why are we talking the BBF up? One, it's awesome. Two, we're kinda part of it. NYCC is hosting a stage and whole section of exhibitors. Check out nycomiccon.com for all our guests and panels. We're proud to be part of the Brooklyn Book Festival, and we hope we'll see you there today!

Far East To East Showcase!

Just got the NYAF and Superglorious Far East To East Showcase poster. Check it out!


FETES is Sunday night at Webster Hall. Details are at nyanimefestival.com.

Caturday!

From Christine!

AKB48 Concert Tickets!

This is AKB48. They're Japan's biggest idol group in every sense of the word, and the biggest members of AKB48 will be coming to NYAF this year, performing a small concert, panel, and autographing on Saturday, September 26 at the Javits. Then, on Sunday, September 27 is the main event -- AKB48 taking over the Grand Ballroom at Webster Hall New York City!

Doors open at 4 PM, and the concert kicks off at 5. It’ll be a historic event, and it’ll be a free event – as AKB48 is giving away all the tickets to the concert to fans via an online giveaway! All you need to do is enter to win at the AKB48 Concert Page at nyanimefestival.com...

http://www.newyorkanimefestival.com/en/Events/AKB48-Tickets/

From now until 11:59 PM EST on September 21, just sign up to be in the running to win free tickets to AKB48's NYC debut! Each winner will win a pair of tickets to the show! AKB48 will be picking winners randomly, we’ll be reaching out to them from September 22 to September 25, and winners will be able to pick up their AKB48 concert tickets at the AKB48 Booth (Booth 115) at the New York Anime Festival. (You'll need a NYAF Badge to get in.)

Tickets will not be sold to the AKB48 concert, and all public tickets will be distributed through this online giveaway.

Ganbatte!

(VIPs and Press, how do you get tickets? Check the Ticket page for all you need to know.)

Iron Man Wears A Purity Ring

OK, this is the funniest thing I've seen in a very long time. It's Just Some Random Guy's vid on the Marvel Disney situation. Watch it, it will crack you up. And by the way, look for some new Random Guy vids around C2E2 very, very soon......

Purity ring, that is priceless.

-L

Brooklyn Book Festival! This Sunday! Win A Prize!

Update: Come by the NYCC Pavilion at the Brooklyn Book Fest and sign up for a free VIP Pass to NYCC 2010, a cool VIP upgrade to our one year out party on 10/8/09 or a pair of weekend passes to NYAF. All you have to do is visit us at the NYCC Pavilion at the Brooklyn Book Fest and enter to win!!!!!

-L

Just a reminder that this year's Brooklyn Book Festival (brooklynbookfestival.org) is going on this Sunday at Brooklyn Borough Hall. From 10 to 6, it's a celebration of literacy in all its forms. And, for the first time, New York Comic Con is taking part with a stage and whole section of exhibitors dedicated to comics and graphic novels. Check out nycomiccon.com for all our guests and panels.

Oh, and it's free. That's right. Free. You heard me. Free.

NYAF and NYCC to Combine Forces - Why and What It Means for the Otaku

Like Voltron, we are taking a few awesome shows and combining them into one massive behemoth of a show – yes, that’s my way of confirming that in 2010 the New York Anime Fest and New York Comic Con will join forces under one roof, but fret not Otaku, Anime will have it’s own distinct place in this new mega con.

Last February we announced that had finally gotten consistent dates for New York Comic Con and the room we needed to further grow the event and that space and those dates were available in October. From that point forward we started to think hard about what was the right thing to do with NYAF knowing that running the two events 2 weeks apart was probably not the best idea for our fans and customers (there is about 35-40% cross over in attendance between NYAF and NYCC) . The most important thing to us, and what I've always maintained, is that the Otaku at NYAF needed their own place, their own community so we started brainstorming on what was the best way to do that. We talked about moving the show away form the Javits, trying different dates or even just running it two weeks before NYCC, but in the end what clearly made the most sense was to run both events at the same time but give NYAF and its fans it’s distinct space and flavor. So that’s just what we plan to do.

In 2010 New York Comic Con will have nearly every square foot of the Javits Center all to it’s self, which means we have to space to create an Anime world inside of NYCC. We will have a massive hall for NYAF including panel rooms, cosplay space, lounge space, autographing stations, it’s own entrance and signage, everything our Otaku could want. Upstairs will be the massive show floor of New York Comic Con with every NYAF vendor and exhibitor that wants to be a part of this new format. We think it’ll provide the best of both worlds to our fans, guests and exhibitors. In addition, NYAF will still have it’s own web site and tickets, though the NYCC and NYAF tickets will be “interchangeable” we felt it was important to show our commitment to NYAF keeping its own identity and the Otaku having there own community.

I'm sure everyone has there own opinion on this (and of course comment below and tell me what you think) but thus far the coverage on the blogs has been positive (see The Beat here and Deb Aoki’s Manga blog here) and I definitely feel that if we do this right, and we plan to, it will only make NYAF and NYCC bigger, stronger and more vibrant events for all of the fans, guests and exhibitors alike……



-L

Leviathan Author Steams Up NYAF!

NYAF is all about anime and manga, but it's not exclusively about anime and manga. Nope, we're all about everything in the geeky anime culture scene, including -- for the first time -- Steampunk.

We've been bitten by the Steampunk bug and have three exciting Steampunk events for the first time at NYAF.

Easing you in, there's our Steampunk in Anime panel at 11:15 AM on Saturday in Panel Room 2. Taking it a step further, we're hosting a Neo-Victorian Fashion Show at 12:30 PM on Sunday on the Apple Kissa Stage. And, then topping it off, we're honored to welcome Steampunk author Scott Westerfeld to the show. Scott Westerfeld will be at NYAF on Sunday at 1:30 PM in Panel Room 3, hosting a panel on his upcoming book, Leviathan. Set in alternate World War I filled with giant robots and living battleships, Leviathan's been getting a lot of attention, and NYAF can't wait to get all the details about Leviathan straight from the author's mouth. Or goggles.

Kyle Cassidy Snaps Photos at NYAF!

Wanna hear something cool? Photographer Kyle Cassidy will be shooting portraits of fans for an upcoming gallery show at the New York Anime Festival. Kyle's most recent book is "Who Killed Amanda Palmer", created with author Neil Gaiman. You can find out more about Kyle on his blog at www.kylecassidy.com and see his fan photos from Worldcon 2009 at http://tinyurl.com/lfse9x

Kyle will be taking photos from 2 to 5 PM on Friday, September 25 in NYAF Room 1A01. All fans are welcome, and all images will be available for download later.

Billy Boyd Comes to NYC!

You know NYCC is part of the Lord of The Rings Radio City concerts, right? We've got a bunch of awesome stuff going on at nycomiccon.com, and we've got a lot more to talk about in the near future. And today. What are we talking about today?

Today, we're proud to reveal that actor and musician Billy Boyd, who starred in The Lord of the Rings as Peregrin “Pippin” Took, will embark on a tour of the East Coast with his band -- Beecake -- in October in support of their new album, Soul Swimming. Beecake will be appearing at Iota Café in Arlington, VA on October 6, Tin Angel in Philadelphia, PA on October 7, Joe’s Pub in New York, NY on October 8 and 10, and Passim Center in Cambridge, MA on October 11. Boyd will also make appearances at the Lord of The Rings Radio City concerts! For tickets to Billy's NYC shows, visit www.joespub.com!

Roland Kelts Comes To NYAF!

I have the great honor of announcing that Roland Nozomu Kelts will be attending this year's NYAF! Roland is a half-Japanese American writer who divides his time between New York and Tokyo and publishes in both English and Japanese. He is the author of Japanamerica: How Japanese Pop Culture has Invaded the US. He is also a lecturer at the University of Tokyo, a contributing editor and writer for "Adbusters" magazine and "A Public Space" literary journal, and a columnist for "The Daily Yomiuri" in Japan. His essays and stories can be found in the books "A Wild Haruki Chase," "Gamers," "Kuhaku," "Playboy's College Fiction," "Tokyo Art Space," "Zoetrope" and others.

He is the Editor in Chief of the "Anime Masterpieces" screening and discussion series.

His forthcoming novel is called "Access," and when he is not writing, reading, lecturing or traveling, he can be found playing the drums in his band.

Mr. Kelts will appear at NYAF to introduce Yoshiyuki Tomino on his Friday panel as well as moderate AKB48's Saturday panel and Sunday's Yui Makino Q&A.

Baby, The Stars Shine Bright Boutique at NYAF!

What's the simple way to say this? How about this? Baby, The Stars Shine Bright -- Japan's premier Lolita fashion brand -- will participate in the 2009 New York Anime Festival through an official boutique with show partner Kinokuniya Bookstore. Yeah, that does the trick. Last year, NYAF and Kinokuniya partnered to bring Baby, The Stars Shine Bright to NYC. While we can't repeat guests two years in a row, the fan response was so positive to the Baby boutique that we're working with Baby, The Stars Shine Bright again to bring their boutique back to NYC!

Located as part of the Kinokuniya Booth at NYAF (Booth Number 203), the Baby, The Stars Shine Bright boutique will offer a variety of the designer's distinctive Lolita-styled skirts, dresses, blouses, and accessories. For newcomers to the Lolita fashion scene, Japanese Lolita fashion embraces child-like charms and details from periods such as Rococo France and Victorian England. The Lolita look is full of knee-skimming skirts, pintucks, petticoats, and blouses edged in lace. Developing since the 1970s in Japan, Lolita fashion is now rapidly gaining a wide following worldwide.

Baby, The Stars Shine Bright won't be at NYAF this year, but their clothes will be, and NYAF and Kinokuniya are both honored to again be able to present a boutique in cooperation with Baby, The Stars Shine Bright. We know the boutique will be a highlight for many, many attendees, and -- like last year -- we know it'll be bare bones (or is that "bare threads") after only a few hours.

The Destruct-o-Zone!

Most of NYAF's schedule is online now at nyanimefestival.com, but there are still a few pieces of programming you can't see. The biggest is the Destruct-o-Zone, an arena that'll be showcasing various martial arts (and Jedi) throughout the weekend.

Our headlining act, a demonstration by schools including the Shizen-Ryu and Koga-Ryu, takes place at 1 PM on Saturday, September 26.

The Destruct-o-Zone is smack dab in the middle of all the panel rooms, and it's the perfect place to unwind. Actually, no, it's not. It's the perfect place to get hyped up, convince yourself you've got a fox demon spirit inside your belly, and then totally terrorize your friends.

Have fun!

EUREKA SEVEN Day! Coming Soon!

Sunday, September 20th is EUREKA SEVEN Day at Kinokuniya Bookstore (1073 Ave of the Americas)! Celebrate the theatrical release of Bandai's EUREKA SEVEN - good night, sleep tight, young lovers - as well as the New York Anime Festival at this special day with giveaways, guests, and -- wait for it -- maids!

12 PM - EUREKA SEVEN Screening
1 PM - Learn Japanese with EUREKA SEVEN
2 PM - Meet the Maids
3 PM - Samurai Beat Radio
4:30 PM - EUREKA SEVEN Movie Preview and Raffle

And, for the ladies, Kinokuniya will be holding a Special Fall Preview Gothic Lolita Clothing Sale with discounts on selected items.

Mark September 20th on your calendar now, as EUREKA SEVEN Day is the start of a week of otaku milestones in NYC!

Ego Link

Here's an interview I did with Heidi MacDonlad for PW Comics Week, the best part of the interview is the picture, you have to follow the link just to see that. It's a shot of me from BEA 2 years ago. Someone asked me why the wi-fi didn’t work in the Javits Center and I told them to look at the roof – Javits can’t even keep the rain out, let alone perfect wi-fi!

That story will make sense when you click here and see my goofy mug. Oh yeah, there are lots of good updates on the shows in the interview too!

Thanks for the fun interview Heidi and Calvin!

-L

PaleyFest! Fall TV Preview Parties!

Our friends at the Paley Center have a week of amazing screenings starting tonight, and you're invited to attend! The Paley Center is at 25 West 52 Street in NYC, and they've got early glimpses of some of this fall's hottest new shows! Behold...

September 8, 2009
Free screenings at 6:30 pm: Glee, The Cleveland Show, and Brothers

September 10, 2009
Free screenings at 6:30 pm: Community, Trauma, and Mercy

September 11, 2009
Free screenings at 6:30 pm: Medium, Three Rivers, The Good Wife, and Accidentally on Purpose

September 14, 2009
Free screenings at 6:30 pm: Melrose Place and The Vampire Diaries

September 16, 2009
Free screenings at 6:30 pm: Hank, The Middle, Flash Forward, Modern Family, and Cougar Town

Interested? Want to go? Want to learn more? Get all the details at http://www.paleycenter.org/paleyfest-fall-2009-tv-preview-parties-ny!

I'm Just Sayin....

Has anyone ever seen MC Frontalot and Steven Soderbergh in the same room at the same time?

I'm just sayin.

Caught Frontalot, Freezepop, Anamanaguchi, and Metroid Metal at PAX but alas, did not see Jonathon Coulton.

We gotta do concerts at NYCC.

I'm just Sayin.

-L

Caturday - From Kim!

Here's a little Caturday gift from Programming Coordinator Kim Mueller. She's been watching this clip for the past four days. Seriously, she hasn't gotten any work done.

NYAF VIP Passes – Grab Yours By September 10!

Want swag? What access? Want to skip the lines? Then you want to be a NYAF VIP. NYAF VIPs are guaranteed Yui Makino autographs, get the first seats in all our main events, and can run wild in the Exhibition Hall before anyone else. There’s a catch – you gotta sign up by September 10. Time’s running out!

http://www.newyorkanimefestival.com/en/Tickets/VIP-Package-Details/

PAX Is Almost Underway

652am here in Seattle and the line has already formed at registration! Toured the hall last night until about midnight and it looks awesome, really awesome......

L

Lance Fensterman
Reed Vice President
BookExpo America
New York ComicCon
C2E2
New York Anime Fest
Blog: www.mediumatlarge.net
203.840.5507 (o) 203.417.3607 (m)
--------------------------
Sent from my BlackBerry Wireless Handheld - Please excuse any typos!

The Main Cast of Soul Eater at NYAF! Squeee!

We've been sprinkling Soul Eater names out for the past few weeks, but as September's here, let's stop with the sprinkles and get to the downpour. The main cast of FUNimation Entertainment's upcoming Soul Eater -- Laura Bailey, Micah Solusod, Brittney Karbowski, Monica Rial, Todd Haberkorn, Jamie Marchi, and Cherami Leigh -- will appear together for the first time at NYAF, and this cast appearance will serve as the pinnacle of a weekend of Soul Eater activities, including the English language premiere of the series. The cast along with Soul Eater Director Zach Bolton and Producer Masazumi Kato will join Yoshiyuki Tomino -- the Director of Mobile Suit Gundam -- and Yui Makino -- the voice of Sakura in Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle -- as guests at NYAF.

Producer Masazumi Kato will be coming all the way from Japan, where he's been in charge of the overall promotion for Soul Eater, including advertisements, publicity, and DVDs.

NYAF's Soul Eater activity schedule follows…

Yen Plus Giveaway
Be one of the first 200 fans to come by the FUNimation booth any day of the show to take home a free copy of the latest issue of Yen Press's Yen Plus magazine. Yen Press is the US publisher of the Soul Eater manga, and Soul Eater is serialized each month inside Yen Plus.
Friday - 1:00 PM - FUNimation Booth (303)
Saturday and Sunday - 10:00 AM - FUNimation Booth (303)

Cast Signing
Meet Laura Bailey (Maka), Micah Solusod (Soul), Brittney Karbowski (Black Star), Monica Rial (Tsubaki), Todd Haberkorn (Death The Kid), Jamie Marchi (Liz), Cherami Leigh (Patty), and Director Zach Bolton at a special signing at the FUNimation Booth!
Friday - 4:00 to 5:30 PM - FUNimation Booth (303)
Saturday - 3:30 to 5:00 PM - FUNimation Booth (303)

Chalk Mural
Eric Maruscak is an artist who specializes in massive murals drawn in chalk. He's appeared at New York Comic Con and other conventions around the country, and he's at NYAF this year creating a giant illustration of Maka, Black Star, and Death The Kid. Check out Eric's work throughout the show to see Soul Eater larger than life!
Friday, Saturday, and Sunday - All Day - Front of Exhibit Hall

Soul Eater Panel and Screening
Laura Bailey (Maka), Micah Solusod (Soul), Brittney Karbowski (Black Star), Monica Rial (Tsubaki), Todd Haberkorn (Death The Kid), Jamie Marchi (Liz), Cherami Leigh (Patty), and Director Zach Bolton along with Producer Masazumi Kato and representatives from both FUNimation and Yen Press present the first three episodes of FUNimation's Soul Eater! Be one of the first fans to see what'll be one of 2010's biggest shows, and get the inside scoop about what's ahead from the women and men at Soul Eater's center!
Saturday - 1:00 to 3:00 PM - ANA Theater (1A08 )

Soul Eater Cosplay Meet Up
Come by chalk artist Eric Maruscak's Soul Eater mural on Sunday at 1 PM for a Soul Eater group photo! FUNimation's asking all Soul Eater cosplayers to show up to get their pictures taken with Eric's completed work of art and the American cast of Soul Eater, and, then, stay tuned to funimation.com and newyorkanimefestival.com for the photo once the show's over!
Sunday - 1:00 PM - Front of Exhibit Hall

You're welcome.

Eureka Seven Day! Sept. 20!

On September 24th, Bandai's EUREKA SEVEN - good night, sleep tight, young lovers - will screen in movie theaters across the country! On September 25-27, the New York Anime Festival takes over Manhattan! Celebrate these two landmark otaku events one week early as Kinokuniya Bookstore hosts EUREKA SEVEN DAY -- Presented by Bandai Entertainment and NYAF!

More details as we near the event, but the initial schedule is below...

12 PM - EUREKA SEVEN ScreeningCatch up on where it all began with this special screening of the first episodes of the original EUREKA SEVEN TV Series.

1 PM - Learn Japanese with EUREKA SEVENHills Learning presents a special introduction to the Japanese language… with a little help from EUREKA SEVEN!

2 PM - Meet the MaidsThe Apple Kissa Maids from the New York Anime Festival takes over Kinokuniya to present some authentic Japanese Maid Café games!

3 PM - Samurai Beat RadioSamurai Beat Radio broadcasts from NYC to Japan. Got something to say about EUREKA SEVEN or NYAF? Tokyo will hear it!

4 PM - EUREKA SEVEN Movie Preview and RaffleSee some exciting clips from the EUREKA SEVEN film and maybe even walk away with tickets to the movie – or the Anime Festival!

Packing for PAX – With a Little Side Trip to Vegas……

Hell is 12 hours of travel. But it’ll be worth it. Tomorrow I’m heading out to PAX, via Las Vegas (in fact it’s NYC to Seattle, layover, and double back to Vegas for about 18 hours of work) where I’ve got some super secret meetings on a massive new project that I cannot say any more about. But trust me, it could be really cool…..And you’ll never guess what it is, it has nothing to do with Vegas.

So after a lovely 18 hours in Sin City it’s off to a totally sold out Penny Arcade Expo (no walk up tickets either – be warned!). It’s shaping up to be an amazing show and the biggest yet. There is not a hotel room in downtown Seattle, not a ticket to the show to be had and I noticed flights from Vegas to Seattle on Thursday are jammed – why? The big Game Stop show is in Vegas this week and apparently everyone is hopping a flight to PAX afterwards!

I got a copy of the PAX event program last week and it is an awesome lineup of publishers, panels, and of course the Omegathon. I was extremely disappointed to find that now that I work on the show I can’t enter. Seems discriminatory in some way. Or maybe the fear my skills.

I’ll mog and snap some pics as well throughout the week…..

Let me know if you are going to be in Seattle this week or at PAX, I already know a few people will be, maybe we can connect…..

-L

NYAF & Del Rey Manga Pre-Party! With Cake!

NYAF starts September 25. What are you doing the night before? Getting in the mood for NYAF at our official Pre-Party! The New York Anime Festival and Del Rey Manga are proud to reveal we’re partnering for a party from 5:30 to 7:30 PM on September 24 at Dave and Buster's (234 West 42nd Street) in NYC's Times Square. Jointly produced by NYAF and Del Rey Manga, this special event is both a celebration of this year's Anime Festival as well as a celebration of Del Rey Manga's Fifth Anniversary -- and to mark this special occasion, NYAF and Del Rey Manga are inviting fans and professionals to partake in food, drink, giveaways, and a cake crafted by Baltimore's famed Charm City Cakes specifically for Del Rey Manga and NYAF.

You heard me right.

Free and open to the public, the NYAF and Del Rey Manga party welcomes NYAF attendees, anime fans, manga readers, industry professionals, and casual New Yorkers interested in the world of Japanese pop culture. The party will take place in two parts…

Manga and Anime Raffle (5:30-6:30 PM) - Typically you give the birthday boy or girl gifts; however, to mark the occasion of Del Rey Manga's fifth birthday, we’re giving gifts to the party's attendees. Come during the party's first hour to be entered to win a selection of manga spanning Del Rey Manga's five years as well as DVDs from NYAF partners including Bandai Entertainment and FUNimation. Further, the Charm City Cakes Del Rey Manga birthday cake will be on public display during this time, so fans, press, and pros interested in taking pictures of the party centerpiece should do so before the raffle ends.

Charm City Cakes Cutting (6:30-7:30 PM) - Once the raffle ends, the real party begins as representatives from Del Rey Manga and the New York Anime Festival will cut into the Charm City Cakes Del Rey Manga birthday cake. Created by the talents of Food Network's Ace of Cakes TV show, the Del Rey Manga birthday cake will take the form of a towering stack of manga, showcasing some of Del Rey Manga's landmark books from 2004 to today.

At 7:30, following the formal end of the NYAF and Del Rey Manga party, attendees are free to stay and enjoy Dave & Buster's or attend a special one-night-only screening of Bandai Entertainment's Eureka Seven - good night, sleep tight, young lovers - animated motion picture, presented at the AMC Empire 24 theater neighboring Dave & Buster's.

We've been planning this party with Del Rey for a long time. We're thrilled to see it now all come together, and we invite fans to come and celebrate five years of Del Rey Manga, three years of the New York Anime Festival, and one delicious cake!

UPDATE! For anyone underage wondering about getting into Dave & Buster's, the restaurant's official age policy requires any minor (under 21) to be escorted by an adult over 25 years of age. Each adult over 25 years of age may escort up to six minors. So, if you're under 21, you're free to attend, but you need a mom, dad, big brother or sister, or friend. UPDATE!