Sakura Matsuri 2010: See You in Brooklyn

Those who joined us last year at the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens will remember the J-pop Lounge at the Osbourne Garden, where we hosted a big part of the Sakura Matsuri thanks to a huge collaboration with the New York Anime Festival.

In addition to the classic Japanese Tea Ceremony, the live performances from Japanese pop star Ai Kawashima and Samurai Soul Sword (just to name the first hour of showtime) as well as live interviews by Samurai Beat Radio. We ended up having a fun time.

Well, we’re DOING IT AGAIN!

Saturday and Sunday, May 1st and 2nd: save the date.

I will be working/hosting some events at the Sakura Matsuri and we have got plans. Mario Bueno, whom many of us remember from AniFusion and every major cosplay masquerade for the past four years, has some ideas brewing, and we are going to keep our promise by upping the ante this year. Details to come as they develop, but I’m excited to return to such a major event in one of the most scenic locations in Brooklyn.

Upstate New York

While the rest of the East Coast is attending Katsucon in Washington D.C,

I’m heading upstate to Troy, NY for GENERICON at RPI campus. For those of you needing a break from the snow, come check out their video game room, nearly 100 hours of programmed anime, table-top RPG and boardgame rooms (yes, multiple) and guests such as EchoStream, Robert Axelrod, OverClocked ReMix,Lawrence Eng, and me.

I’m going up from 3-5pm on Saturday to premiere my new routine, the 2010 Tour of the Cupcake. Hope to see you all there!

The Return to Drom

Because I can’t say no to a women wearing bunny ears, I’ve got an announcement for January.

Reni Mimura, whom I discuss in my act and may or may not follow with a camera on occasion. She’s a cosplay singer/songwriter who has been living in New York City since 2008, promoting her unique brand of super-cute J-pop with a collection of Japanese dancing maids. Since working with her at the New York Anime Festival, I’ve been very honored to help her at other cons and see her career blossom. She is so good live and gives the same immense performance for five people as she gives for five thousand.

On Saturday, January 16th, Reni will be filmed by the Japanese television studio NHK as part of a documentary. Oh yeah, and she’ll be at DROM, that little place in Manhattan where everybody partied at my live show? Hmm? Remember that? Wasn’t that fun? Sure it was. (And the DVD is here.)

I’ll see you there, guys.

Lonley Shinigami

Good turnout for AniFusion with Mario, turns out the snow didn’t slow anybody down.

Definite highlights come from the people we had gathered: Emi and Promise were in rare form and sang beautifully amid to frozen and captivated fans. Forbidden Planet ended up handing me a handful of swag, which I ended up keeping rather than giving to the runner ups in the cosplay competition. Carrie looked great as always as Reindeer Mikuru Asahina.

And even though there was a brief cameo by both Santa Claus and Uncle Buen-Yo, I neutralized both threats.

In addition, I found it necessary to gather as many pictures as possible with my new Christmas present to myself from Image Anime: a Shinigami-sama ski mask. All I got to do tonight was my laundry, so I brought out Shinigami-sama for a night on the town. Sadly, no children would approach him, and no Chiquita would befriend him:

Come to me, bloomers

Doom?

So Ronery. So very, very ronery.

theft

Promise

Haruhi Hair?

The man of the hour and his co-host.

Now, thankfully, I can take a little break until the DVD gets released at Genericon in Februrary. I’ll have it available at Katsucon, of course, since they fall on the same weekend. Everybody out there have a very VERY safe and carefree holiday season. Happy New Year, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanza, click-click-grunt gurgle for the citizens of District 9, and Happy Decadent-Self-Worshiping Day to Mr. T: you’ve earned it.

Enjoy the snow,
~Yo

Uncle Yo at Forbidden City on 12/20/09

Mokucon Review

There is a thrill and a charm to a college campus anime convention. It’s the chance for younger fans to meet older without the weight of the dubbing industry or the presence of an over-the-top convention security staff.

Casual gatherings like Mokucon of Rutgers University are like private weekends with your area friends. Everyone, from the cosplayers to the dealer’s room feel almost no pressure to succeed or pitch ideas or compete. I’ve got a bunch of highlights that are somewhere in cyberspace I’ve got to post on the photo page.

I have a few highlights:

- The relaxed conference room with the fireplace, fresh snow falling outside the window, a black butler playing the piano, and the other butlers handing out free cake.
- Hei from Darker Than Black shoving me in the trashcan.
- Buying a new tie from the dealer from Resident Evil 5.
- Code Geass photos by the fireplace.
- Image Anime Panel w/ Mario and the cast of Doujinopolis.
- Running a 2 hour comedy panel successfully.
- Hating on Spice and Wolf in the Rage Panel.
- My character sheet for a new Dungeons and Dragons prestige class: Cock-Blocker!
- Mario playing Stone Cold Steve Austin for the Rage Panel.
- Falling asleep on Chris’ couch and waking up surrounded by action figures.
- Dr. Eggman strangling a Sonic the Hedgehog plushie.
- Meeting Rorschach in the men’s room.
- Escaping Rorschach from the men’s room.
- Harassing Hetalia cosplayers.

It’s good to have a community. It’s good to belong. Never forget that. If you’re even on this website, you are a part of that community.

Vide-Yo (Puns Make Everything Better)

So this past week has been a Video Fest that I should probably share.

1) This is the video played at Zenkaikon’s Opening Ceremonies. I helped write the script and with the help of Fighter’s High from Youtube, the staff was able to pull off a miracle of silliness.

2) Cosplay Performers Mario Bueno and MostFlogged are creating a web series based on the epic store Image Anime and the Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi. Episode 3 I got to play their Koizumi Itsuki. Mario’s direction before we improvised the scene: “Can you do openly flaming Mac-nerd?” This was the fruit of our labors. Look for more fun as the season unfolds (wink).

3) Cosplay Masquerade at Zenkaikon. Once again, shared the stage with the talented Reni Mimura But I always feel out of place when I’m on stage with her. I fixed that.

Yes, Uncle Yo has a Sailor Moon cosplay.

Other news, had a great interview at Cos Watch.com. I had a great time working with them, and listen closely for commentary from George Davidson, my fellow “Surviving a Mecha Attack” panelist.

Two private shows this past week that keep me on trains and turn my weekdays into a series of catnaps and free sushi dinners.
Rutgers University is full of people.
In Washingtonville, NY, there is a girl who had no anime club, so she made her own from scratch. Using the backroom of her local library, she hosts nearly 30 area kids a week, creating a solid diet of classic, current, and yaoi-friendly viewings. Her name is Amanda, and, like many fans, her love of Otaku culture has set an example for many to follow. Truly, if you build it, they will come, they will glomp, and they will quote Death Note.

See you guys at Anime USA, then Rutgers University and keep those DVD cover entries coming!

NYAF: Rebirth

Where to begin? How ’bout the beginning?

NYAF gets bigger every year, bringing in bigger guests, cooler crowds, and almost too many bloggers. I mean the creator of Gundam, the entire cast of Soul Eater, pop stars from the Motherland itself? I don’t know how they do it. Just prior to the con, I was interviewed by NPR’S Weekend Edition staff member Carolyn Beeler, so maybe that will show up.

I even had a guest crashing on my floor with me! Evan Minto, anime/manga blogger and Executive Editor of www.anigamers.com. Speaking of which…I’ll send that article as soon as I’m done this post, Boss, I promise!

Friday Night was the premiere of Mario Bueno’s Cosplay Masquerade, an hour-long show with AMV’s, singing, dancing, and ending on an epic Code Geass skit that proves Mario’s budding role as an innovative and passionate director/performer. It’s going to be tough racing him to the top.

My performance for Saturday was very well received, considering the crowd showed up before I did…gonna have to find a private corner to start warming up now. With a little help from his friends, a buddy of mine proposed to his fiancee on my stage – sorry, no names. Felt a real bonding with the crowd. A Gundam in the dealer’s room was proudly holding up Pikachu like Simba in the Lion King.

After my show, I had three interviews to do back-to-back with the combat maid, A-log on the Air from SI, and Will, creator of www.animeloveu.com – a very dedicated journalist. He’ll be putting up the transcript very soon, so keep an eye out.

The masquerade this year really is its own post, and I apologize for not giving it the covered it deserves. With the grand prize being a trip to Japan and $1,000 to spend over there, the competition got fierce, with cosplay quality and performances blowing last year out of the water. 2 Vampire Hunter D Skits, one Trinity Blood, the most fantastic L Death Note cosplay skit imaginable (truly this man is the Andy Kauffman of cosplay). And can we talk about the epic win of Bumblebee? To everyone who participated: see you next year, you are all already winners.

My highlight was sharing the stage with cosplay maid pop star Reni Mimura. She and Say Moe taught me and the audience how to dance…or at least she tried. What can I say, I’m white, we don’t dance: we convulse rhythmically. With her adorable presence, love of crowds and MAGNIFICENT singing, it was clear this Japanese superstar is going to conquer America one day. This Sunday she’ll be performing at Top Tunes on the Upper East Side, and I can’t recommend it any higher. If so, I’ll see you there.

Just when I got home, I received a voice mail from the con chair at Otaku Mex, a humble convention in Albuquerque where my second album was recorded. The message was a familiar, screaming audience. It was like a rush of love that pierced my eardrums. I gave them a call, and they were still in closing ceremonies. I miss you too, Otaku Mex – set the date for next year!

Now onto business: as most of you know, August I gave a private show at the Drom Lounge in the Lower East Village. We had it videotaped by the crew of Out of Time Productions from Youtube. We want to make this into an official Uncle Yo DVD. Tentatively going for $15, production starting soon. Keep an eye out for the official fanart contest coming up soon. Even DVD’s need cover art, after all.

That’s it for now. Time to rest up for Zenkaikon coming up and get to post-production on the DVD.

Live, Laugh & Glomp.

Anime USA and Cosplay Burlesque

So I’ve finally found a loophole to get into Anime USA, one of Virginia’s premiere fall anime convention (because let’s face it, Katsucon can only come once a year).

ANIME USA is held in Arlington, VA, very close to Washington D.C., and a quick jump from Baltimore. The guest page alone should tell you just how big this con can get.

I’ll be doing a late-night show with the Cosplay Burlesque team, a gang of vaudeville enthusiasts known for taking cosplay one step further. I’d love to show you clips but let’s just say some of their routines would make Shin-Chan blush.

And if you’re around NYC this weekend, then I had better see you at the New York Anime Festival.

Zenkaikon Coming Up!

Listen up, everybody, ’cause I’m only gonna Tweet this once.

ZENKAIKON, one of Pennsylvania’s best anime conventions, as far as I’m concerned, is coming up.

I’ll be on their guest list along with Johnny Wong Bosh, Robert Axelrod (the voice of Lord Zedd from Power Rangers,) Fighter’s High Studios, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Be sure to check out their opening ceremonies this year: I helped write the script.

I’ll be doing my normal hour-long stand-up routine, hosting their cosplayer masquerade, participating in Whose Line is it Anime, as well as our Surviving a Mecha Attack Panel at noon on Sunday. Besides that, I have Sunday reserved to run some independent table-top RPG’s in their gaming room in 2pm until the con closes around 5. Sign up at the con and delve into the quick-to-learn-lifetime-to-master games such as InSpectres, Panty Explosion, Dread and My Life With Master.

This is gonna be a long, but very fulfilling convention. Keep an eye out on the Leet Street Boys coming starting October 7th, where I’ll be making my first fictitious appearance in their webcomic!