Otaku 5-0 Season 2: Episode 14

Aloha everybody!

The second leg of our journey together has come to an end. I am proud (and slightly saddened) to present the final episode of Otaku 5-0's 2nd season!

Before we formally enter our two-month hiatus, there are a few people I would like to thank:

- My family (my brother David & his wife Lisa, my sister Marlene and my parents Dennis & Robin) for their continued support. I love you all very much.

- My fellow podcast staffers Mr. A (16 of 19 episodes), Jupiter (9 of 19 episodes), Neko-X (4 of 19 episodes), Star (4 of 19 episodes), Zell (4 of 19 episodes), Kira (3 of 19 episodes) & Sage (1 of 19 episodes) for helping make this podcast one of the most fulfilling experiences of my life thus far.

- Ms. Laura Bailey for not only agreeing to be interviewed, but also for being such a good sport about it. We wish her continued success in her endeavors, and look forward to meeting her again.

- You (our audience) for tuning in every week and making this all worthwhile.

Enjoy the fruit of our labors, but do not despair... We shall return.

Mahalo,
~Totoro (Executive Producer)

WARNING! Portions of this podcast contain mature language and adult content. Listener discretion is advised.



Click here to download episode.

Show Notes
Otaku 5-0: Episode 2.14

Recording Date: May 25, 2009
Running Time: 46 minutes

Moderator
Totoro (Executive Producer)

Panelists
Mr. A (Senior Producer)
Maka (Guest Contributor)
Kekumanshoyu (Guest Contributor)

Special Appearance by: Neko-X (Video Game/Blu-ray Contributor)

Format
1. Bad Joke of the Day (Mr. A)

2. Lead-in (Totoro)

3. Taking Stock

4. Favorite... Otaku 5-0 Season 2 Moment

5. Sequels We'd Like To See

6. Great Debate: Final Fantasy or The Legend of Zelda?

7. Lead-out (Totoro)

Musical Notes
- Post-Disclaimer Theme: "Eyecatch" from Full Metal Panic!
- Opening Theme: "Kefka's Theme" from Final Fantasy VI
- Interstitial Clips: "Scarlet of the Campus" from Revolutionary Girl Utena, "I'll Do It Right!" from Naruto, "Eyecatch" from Revolutionary Girl Utena
- Ending Theme: "Breach of Contract" from Ah! My Goddess

Feedback is always accepted here at Otaku 5-0. It can be either posted on this site as a comment or sent via e-mail to Otaku50podcast@gmail.com

Otaku 5-0 Artist Alley Contest

Aloha everybody!

I know it's been a while, but I would like to give everybody an update regarding our Artist Alley Contest!

But first, a little historical information...

During this year's Kawaii-Kon, Mr. A (our Lead Contributor, now Senior Producer) came up with the idea of sponsoring a small art contest amongst the many talented denizens of Artist Alley. After some discussion, we were able to flesh out the idea further to include the following:

1. The design should be centered around a particular theme (in this case, Mr. A decided that all designs should feature the character Mega Man (aka Rockman.)

2. The design should be in ink/pencil (aka line art), but the artist would have complete freedom in composing the image.

3. The design had to be submitted BEFORE the convention's Closing Ceremonies. However, this rule was later amended to stipulate that entries could be submitted by mail after the kon had ended (postage costs would be re-reimbursed, if requested.)

After a bit of trial & error, I finally managed to scan ALL the submitted designs into JPEG format, and I now present them for your enjoyment.

The artist of the winning design will receive:

- A Data disc (DVD) containing EVERY Otaku 5-0 episode we have recorded thus far;

- The opportunity to design the official T-shirt of the Otaku 5-0 podcast!

Without further adieu... Here are the entries for this contest.

Entry #1 - Submitted by Christopher (Lunacy Studios)

Entry #2 - Submitted by Jason Moses Wong

Entry #3 - Submitted by Dallas Nagata (Studio Myo)

Entry #4 - Submitted by Jason Moses Wong

Entry #5 - Submitted by Brady Evans

We are also going to allow you (our audience) to voice your opinion by voting for the winning design in the poll located in the right-hand side of our website.

I would like to thank all of the artists who participated in this contest, and I look forward to working with the eventual winner on the design for our podcast T-shirt.

Mahalo,
-Totoro (Executive Producer)

Otaku 5-0 Season 2: Episode 13

pe-nul-ti-mate (adj.) - next to the last.

Aloha everybody!

As the definition suggests, we are fast nearing the end of our 2nd season. I find myself growing nostalgic over the past four months spent discussing a wide variety of topics in a passionate, entertaining way. My mind recalls a slew of scattered moments - some humorous, some nerve-wracking, but all of them nonetheless indelible.

But I also realize that this season isn't quite over yet.

Before I present the next episode, let me share a little behind-the-scenes info...

This time, I was joined on the panel by fellow staffers Mr. A (Senior Producer), Neko-X (Video Game/Blu-ray Contributor) & Kira (Anime/Manga Contributor). The discussion was passionate and entertaining as it always was, but when the session ended the "rough cut" was over 100 minutes long. Adhering to our "80-minute episode" policy, I put on my "Editor" hat and we all talked about what segments worked and what didn't. We then settled on cutting out two segments that in its entirety were too overtly negative:

1) A fairly heated discussion between myself, Neko-X and Kira about his (largely) negative opinion of the new Star Trek movie;

2) A discussion (also fairly heated) between myself, Neko-X & Kira regarding our Anime likes/dislikes.

Fortunately, there was enough footage left for me to edit together, so I now present to you the latest episode of our podcast. Let the record reflect that producing this podcast has (and will always be) a team effort, and I am very grateful for the effort and understanding of the people who I share the stage with.

Mahalo,
Totoro (Executive Producer)

WARNING! Portions of this podcast contain mature language and adult content. Listener discretion is advised.



Click here to download episode.

Show Notes
Otaku 5-0: Episode 2.13

Recording Date: May 18, 2009
Running Time: 50 minutes

Moderator
Totoro (Executive Producer)

Panelists
Mr. A (Senior Producer)
Neko-X (Video Game/Blu-ray Contributor)
Kira (Anime/Manga Contributor)

Format
1. Lead-in (Totoro)

2. Interview spot w/ Neko-X about future Hawaii Video Gaming League events

3. Video Game & Blu-Ray Report (Neko-X & Kira)

4. Favorite... Star Trek character

5. A Serious Conversation About... "Gateway Anime"
Producer's Note: "Gateway Anime" is actually a play on the phrase, "Gateway Drug." For this topic, not only do we discuss various titles that first got us interested, we compile a list that would give a non-Anime fan a fairly in-depth portrait of the genre.

6. Lead-out (Totoro)

Musical Notes
-Opening Theme: "Kefka's Theme" from Final Fantasy VI
-Interstitial Clips: "I'll Do It Right!" from Naruto, "Subtitle" from Revolutionary Girl Utena, "Subtitle" from Full Metal Panic!
-Ending Theme: "Breach of Contract" from Ah! My Goddess

Feedback is always accepted here at Otaku 5-0. It can be either posted on this site as a comment or sent via e-mail to Otaku50podcast@gmail.com

Otaku 5-0 Season 2: Episode 12

Aloha everybody!

I must apologize for the delay in getting the latest fruit of our labors to you, but our schedules have been in a temporary state of flux. But we still are on track to end our season by the 1st week of June.

But first, some unfortunate tidings. Due to scheduling (we have been set behind a week due to my work obligations) and staffing concerns (Jupiter will be leaving on a vacation this week and will not return until the end of the month), I have decided to end this season at 14 episodes instead of the planned 15. That means the recording session planned for May 25th (Monday) will be for the season finale.

Since we only have 2 episodes remaining in the season, we (your intrepid podcast staff) are already discussing on what to do for next season. One of those discussions centered around an idea that I had about recording audio commentary tracks for some of our favorite (or not so favorite) movies, TV shows & anime series and then posting them here for you (our audience) to enjoy. Unfortunately, in the chaos of the current season this idea got put on the back burner. But now, I am pleased to announce that we will be recording an audio commentary track for the movie adaptation of Harry Potter & The Sorcerer's Stone. I am confident that the finished product will be an entertaining (and informative) experience...At least for us.

But returning to current events, we are joined on the panel by DJ Buma, Assistant Technical Director & VAST (Video Art Showcase Theater) Coordinator for Kawaii-kon. Actually, this is the first time that he is appearing on the panel NOT acting in an official capacity (even devoted staffers sometimes need a break.)

Mahalo,
Totoro (Executive Producer)



Click here to download episode.

Show Notes
Otaku 5-0: Episode 2.12

Recording Date: May 11, 2009
Running Time: 78 minutes

Moderator
Totoro (Executive Producer)

Panelists
Jupiter (Executive Producer)

Mr. A (Senior Producer)

Special Guest: DJ Buma, Lord of the Butishake

Format
1. A Misconception About Hawaii (Totoro)

2. Lead-in (Totoro)

3. Star Trek Review (Mr. A) & Discussion

4. X-Men Legends: Wolverine Review (Totoro) & Discussion

5. Random Chatter: Summer Movie Discussion/Speculation

6. Great Debate: Geek, Dork, or Nerd?
Producer's Note: After the recording session was complete, I found this blog entry that provides another explanation about the differences between those 3 words.

7. The Top 3... '80s Anime

8. Please Produce This...

9. Lead-out (Totoro)

Musical Notes
-Opening Theme: "Kefka's Theme" from Final Fantasy VI
-Interstitial Clips: "I'll Do It Right!" from Naruto, "Subtitle" from Full Metal Panic!, "Afternoon of Konoha" from Naruto
-Ending Theme: "Breach of Contract" from Ah! My Goddess

Feedback is always accepted here at Otaku 5-0. It can be either posted on this site as a comment or sent via e-mail to Otaku50podcast@gmail.com

It Came From YouTube, Part 2

Aloha everybody!

In this feature article's second installment, I will show you more of my favorite clips from YouTube...

If I were to list my ten favorite comedians, Rowan Atkinson (probably known to most of you as Mr. Bean) would be on it. This clip from his live comedy special explains why...

WARNING! This clip contains mature language. Viewer discretion is advised!



Above all other sports, I enjoy American-style football the most. So, when I first saw this NFL-produced commercial for their new fantasy football programs, I empathized greatly with the intrepid few who spend long nights reading pages of fact sheets and field statistics to come up with the perfect lineup of players.



If I were to name my favorite viral video clips, this piece would definitely make it into my top 5. I find this clip funny not because he gets hurt, but because he has the audacity to confidently grunt/smirk at the camera before he performs the stunt.



If you've listened to enough episodes of this podcast, then you will certainly know that one of my favorite TV series is The West Wing.

This clip is from the second season episode "Noel," where White House Chief of Staff Leo McGarry (played superbly by the-late John Spencer) has an exchange with his Deputy Chief of Staff Joshua Lyman (played by Bradley Whitford), who has just found out that he suffers from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder stemming from a shooting incident. Leo, who is also a recovering alcoholic and drug addict, knows what Josh has been through and tells him a short parable about friendship and loyalty.



I have discovered after many hours of self-observation that I am drawn to pieces of entertainment that either do something in unexpected ways or showcase some form of wit (highbrow preferred) So, when I found that someone had posted this now-classic Monty Python sketch, it's no surprise that it made it onto my favorites list almost instantly.



See you in Cyberspace,

-Totoro
Creator, Executive Producer