Other worlds before reincarnation: Isekai anime from the 20th century
While Isekai series have become more and more popular in recent times they had a strong showing in the 80s and 90s. Beginning with Aura Battler Dunbine, a series that mixed giant robots with alternate worlds. From there the growth of the genre got taken into different directions. From teenage girls becoming magical heroines to average guys being sent into magical worlds. It was interesting learning how the genre evolved over the course of twenty or so years. For those who enjoy the current Isekai adventures this was a fun way to learn more about the series that made this genre so popular. Anyone attending this panel would likely have some new series on their watch list.
It’s Opera Doc! The Bravado and Bravura of Giant Robo
This panel went too long. It is interesting to look at the use of music as a character in an anime. The breakdown of the music in Giant Robo was very interesting, but a little dry. As the panel continued it was obvious that the presenter didn’t have enough content for the whole panel. It would be nice to see more anime music themed panels, but using only one series as an example isn’t quite enough for a panel that can keep the attention of the audience. Hopefully next year we will get better music panels.
GunPla Room
One of the things that makes Anime Boston unique is a room dedicated to building GunPla and learning advanced techniques for model building. They ran panels each day for beginner, intermediate, and advanced classes for those wanting to up their GunPla skill. Beyond that, the staff was always ready to answer questions and there was plenty of room for those who would like to spend some of their con building alongside other GunPla builders. This is one of the best aspects of Anime Boston and hopefully will return next year.
Godzilla: 65+ Years Strong
This panel was surprisingly in depth. While the history of Godzilla is a long and sometimes complicated one, this panel not only told the history, but added interesting facts as well. Going from the early inception of the concept to the popular culture influences that changed different eras of the franchise. This was a well done panel by a host that really knew the subject matter. The panel even explored both American Godzilla cartoons as well something that is often over looked in most Kaiju themed panels. The panel concluded with the possible future of the giant monster both in Japan and the US. Most importantly, I learned that several Godzilla movies are streaming online giving fans the opportunity to relive memories of these fun Kaiju films.
Written by Jared the Greek
Email: jaredjgriego@gmail.com
Twitter: @JaredTheGreek
Insta: @JaredTheGreek