Moé: Media Meets Reality (Ignite Boston 7 Recording)

Posted on 18 April 2010 by Alex Leavitt

So, the video from my presentation at Ignite Boston 7 is finally up on YouTube! I had to wait for @igniteboston to upload the original video, but I stripped the audio and pasted in full-view pictures of my slides, so it’s much easier to see. You can watch the 5-minute video below:

The key point I want to emphasize from the video: If we look at the economic implications of moé, to increase [I hurriedly said "understand"] sales, most producers nowadays have borrowed from the moé aesthetic and specifically catered to this otaku subculture.

Department of Alchemy’s Official Anime Boston Panel Schedule

Posted on 18 March 2010 by Alex Leavitt

Otakon 2009 panel audience.

Anime Boston is almost upon us! If you’re coming up to the city for a weekend at the Hynes, be sure to drop by one or more of my panels to say Hello!

Update (Thursday 18 March 11:30 pm): Time for “Hentai Manga” panel has been moved later into the night.

Update 2 (Monday 22 March 9:30 am): Location for “Anime Themes” panel changed. Also, time for “Cowboy Bebop” panel moved earlier in the afternoon.

Update 3 (Monday 29 March 11:10 pm): Time for “Intro and Ending Themes” panel has been moved earlier in the day.

Friday 12:00 pm noon (Panel 302) – Introduction to Anime Intro and Ending Themes

Friday: 5:30 pm (Panel 306) – After Cowboy Bebop: The Works of Shinichiro Watanabe

Friday/Saturday 1:30 am (Panel 202) – Chains, Trains, and Happy Endings: Japan’s Underground Sex Culture (18+)

Saturday 6:00 pm (107 Panel 6) – On the Road for Anime Pilgrimages

Saturday 10:00 pm (Panel 202) – Impact of Evangelion

Saturday/Sunday 1:30 am (Panel 202) – Hentai Manga: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (18+)

Sunday 1:00 pm (Panel 202) – From Antisocial Loser to Economic Hero: The History of Otakudom

Sunday 2:00 pm (Panel 202) – Anime in Academia

Department of Alchemy Audio Archive – Episode 3: Ian Condry @ Harvard

Posted on 17 February 2010 by Alex Leavitt

After half a year, another episode is finally uploaded!

This third episode of the Department of Alchemy Audio Archive features a lecture by Ian Condry given at Harvard University on 13 November 2009. His talk is entitled “The Soul of Anime: Collaborative Creativity & Japan’s Media Success Story.”

Listen below, or use the direct download here (1 hour 19 minutes 15 seconds).

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.