This is an archive of the 2011 Animania Festival website.
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Guests

 

 

Special Guests

Ikue Otani

Ikue Ōtani (大谷 育江 Ōtani Ikue, born August 18, 1965) is a Japanese actress and voice actress from Tokyo, most famous as the voice of Pikachu in the Pokémon anime series and products and the voice of Tony Tony Chopper in the manga and anime series One Piece. She is currently attached to Mausu Promotion. Her pet name is "Iku-chan".

She is known for playing both male and female roles, and sometimes plays multiple roles in one production.

Ikue Otani Signing sessions at the Animania Merchandise stall.

Saturday 12.00pm- 1.00pm, 2.00 - 3.00pm, 4.45pm - 5.45pm
Sunday 11.30am - 12.30pm, 2.00pm - 3.00pm, 3.30pm - 4.30pm

Cost
$15 per item signed (Items can be purchase at Animania Stall)
$15 for a photo with the guest (BYO camera)
$25 for one signed item + photo (combo)

Ikue Otani Live! - Saturday 3.30pm-4.15pm on the Main Stage
Ikue Otani Seminar - Sunday 12pm-1pm on the Chibi Stage

 

 

 

Cosplay Guests

Ed Hoff - World Cosplay Summit

This is our WCS guest judge. He is Canadian, living in Japan, and has been translating for World Cosplay Summit since the beginning. He has many experiences to share with us down under, so make sure to come see his panel about cosplay around the world.

WCS Finals - Saturday 2.30pm-3.30pm on the Main Stage
WCS Guest Panel - Sunday 11.00am-11.30am on the Chibi Stage

 

 

Widya Santoso

Veteran of all judges, Widya has seen cosplay around the world, and want to see more and more.

 

 

 

  

 Team Australia 2011 - Jess and Tess

Jess and Tess won us 4th place at World Cosplay Summit this year and the Brother Award (Best costume), they are currently the best cosplayers in the country, and will share their amazing experience in Japan with the rest of us. They are looking forward to find their replacements for next year!!

Catch Team Australia 2011 at the following events:
WCS Finals - Saturday 2.30pm - 3.30pm on the Main Stage
WCS 2011 Australia Team Report and Performances - Sunday 1.45pm-2:45pm on the Main Stage

 

 

 

 

Team Australia 2010 - Mel and Ashaml

Mel and Asham are definitely some of the best costumers in Australia. They have won almost all the competition they have entered in, and when they haven’t, it’s because they were ‘too awesome’ to win. Last year, they made us proud in Japan with their beautiful costumes. They are back at Animania to help choose the next Team Australia.

 

 

 

 

 

Zerebin

Our Brisbane cosplay judge and famous armour master is back! He will be mean with all the naughty cosplayers that don’t make good costumes. Work harder or he will punish you!!

 

 

  

 

 

 Wakaleo

Animania Cosplay co-ordinator and judging cosplay in Australia since 2003, cosplayer for 10 years, coach of Team Australia, his experience in the field is unmatched.  Beware, he bites.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

COSPLAY GUEST PANELISTS

 

K and Aly

 

K and Aly are originally from Perth, but now reside in Melbourne. They have been cosplaying for many years, won a bucket load of awards, entered WCS in Australia several times, and their cosplay experience is beyond the human realm.  They will present a panel about man make-up, to help men and pretty girls look like beautiful manly men. 

 

 

 

Arleh, Alita and Anna

 These three Sydney cosplayers have made some of the most hilarious cosplay skits Australia has ever seen. They performing skits are simply the best! They shall teach you all about making the most awesome skits, they are that awesome!!! Team Triple ‘A’ shall come to help you!!!

 

 

  


Icie and Straw

Icie is probably one of the most talented cosplay photographers in Australia at the moment. Straw, photographer, cosplayer, artist, is simply mutli-talented. Together, they make the ultimate photography team!! If you have a camera, come learn with them, they shall teach you all!!

 

 

 

 

 

Panelists

Dr Mio Bryce
Head of Japanese Studies, Macquarie University

Mio has a wide range of interests in Japanese language (classical and modern), literature, history and manga/anime and has developed and taught four manga related units: “JPN123: Japan‘s Contemporary Culture through Manga”, “JPN223: Manga and Representation of Identity”, “JPN323: Manga: Global Imagery” and “JPN815: Manga and Anime”.

Her particular interest is in historical, socio-cultural and psychological issues depicted in fiction. She is involved in interdisciplinary research into youth cultures and has established a manga/anime research group, in conjunction with the English Department at Macquarie University. As a part of the group, she and her colleagues and students have formed a small research manga/anime group and currently, supported by MJS Centre, working on Manga/Anime Research Resource Website (to be established later this year). If you are interested in the group and/or the website, please feel free to email her.

 

Dr. Paul Cheung
Honorary Associate, Macquarie University

Dr. Paul Cheung is a writer with an interest in the relationship between philosophy and art. He has previously written on biotechnology and ethics in manga and anime. Recent publications include a chapter on this subject in Bioethics and Biolaw through Literature (edited by Daniela Carpi, Walter de Gruyter GmbH). He is currently an Honorary Associate in the Department of Linguistics, Macquarie University, having been an academic visitor to tertiary institutions in the People’s Republic of China and the United Kingdom.

 

Amy Plumb
PhD candidate, Macquarie University

Spawned in the eighties, Amy grew up watching shows 'Astroboy,' unaware of the Japanese origin. It was not until the tween years that a recognition of anime happened after an older cousin sat her down and made her watch 'Akira,' which made absolutely no sense at the time and continues to not make sense. Anime seemed to fade out of existence except for the occasional movie like 'Ghost in the Shell' and 'Ninja Scroll,' as well as random re-viewings of 'Akira.' It was not until 2004, when her best friend made her read her first manga, 'Naruto,' that a new otaku was born. Amy's BA majoring in Ancient History swiftly became Japanese, enrolling in all units she possibly could relating to Japanese language and culture. Having completed all three anime related units, a research unit with a focus on Japanese mythology in anime, and Honours in the field of Boy-Love manga, Amy has continued this love of anime academia as a PhD candidate at Macquarie University, and a participant in Dr Mio Bryce's Manga Research Group. Amy's PhD research is about Japanese religion, mythology, and the supernatural in anime and manga. Outside of uni, Amy's life consists of squealing at cute things, sleeping excessively, wishing she was a ninja, searching for cats and other fluffy creatures, collecting purple things and spending an unhealthy amount of time in front of a computer screen.

 

Rebecka O'Malley
Undergraduate student, Macquarie University

Rebecka is studying a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Japanese Studies, and intends to do a PhD on manga. She has been reading manga for a few years, thanks to her sister introducing her to it. Rebecka still thinks that her sister should have to pay for her very expensive manga habit! Rebecka's favourite genre is shojo. She tries hard to expand her horizons a little more, but is stuck in a bit of a manga comfort zone... She feels very lucky that her career will incorporate her hobby so much! And because of her interest in manga, she has also developed a strong interest in Japanese culture in general. One day she will travel to Japan and go broke in Akihabara.

 

Tel Porter
Undergraduate student, Macquarie University

Tel is a first-time visitor to any Animania but has a long time interest in anime, manga and various obscure aspects of Japanese society. Most of these obscure interests developed during his stay in one of the least populated and least visited parts of Japan. Bringing these interests back to Australia, he has been applying his obscure knowledge in many Japanese language and culture units at Macquarie University. A keen fan of Ge ge ge no Kitaro and the world of 'yokai,' Tel aspires to continue to fill his mind with all things to do with the yokai world and become known as Macquarie University's Yokaiologist. Tel also loves listening to the Japanese rock and punk classics of the 80s.

 

James Kelly
Primary School Teacher, Graduate of Macquarie University

James Kelly, 23, was an enthusiastic presenter in last year's Insight series. During his studies at Macquarie University studying Primary Education, he was a member of the Manga Research Group, a website aimed at bringing together students, fans, and teachers around the academics of anime and manga. Since childhood, manga and anime have always inspired him, with his earliest memory being Astro Boy. However, his passion for anime and manga grew surprisingly from within the video game culture. The anime stylised games such as "Lunar: Silver Star Story" and "Evil Zone" have inspired him to look further into this ever-growing Japanese contemporary culture.

His study has opened his eyes to the reality of manga and anime in Japan - not only is anime and manga a growing culture (with its own sub-cultures such as "cute" or kawaii culture) but also as a way for many artists to express themselves within the contemporary Japanese society on issues including identity, the status of women or even the transitory. At the moment, he is developing programs and lesson plans that implement the anime culture into classroom teaching, expanding his research on "teaching with unrecognised tools - utilising Japanese popular culture into cross curricular classroom teaching".

 

Ben Patterson
Former President of Japanese Animation, University of Western Sydney (JAUWS)
 
Ben Patterson is a digital artist, Visual Arts teacher and a former President of the UWS anime club, JAUWS, one of the oldest student-based anime society in Sydney.

 

 

DJ shino (Wasabi)

"Wasabi" is a unique Japanese group based in Sydney that helps promote cultural exchange between Australia and Japan through the media.
 
The radio show “Wasabi”  broadcasts on BondiFM (88.0MHz) every Friday from 12:00pm till 2:00pm. You can tune in to hear DJ Shino play Japanese music, including underground music by artists such as DJ Krush and Nujabes.
 
"Wasabi" also have a blog which they update on a Japanese information website. Yumi Nakamura is the current blogger and she gets more than 1,000 access hits with each update. Wasabi Blog
 
Since 2009 "Wasabi" have been filming Animania and reporting on this exciting Japanese event to the Japanese community in Sydney through their filming with Japanese subtitles.
 
DJ shino from "Wasabi" will be showing their latest film and teaching you some Japanese at this year's Animania Festival Sydney Weekend!

 

 

Biography for the other panelists will be put here as they become available.

 

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