There was once an age where vampires did NOT sparkle and become unconvincingly infatuated with the blandest of girls, but instead were feared menaces that prayed upon the innocents and desired the sweetest maiden blood.
 

 
Over 10,000 years into the future, technology has declined and now vampires, mutants, and demons inhabit the land alongside humans. One vampire lord, Count Magnus Lee, has set his sights on a lovely villager Doris – a commoner and tomboy of noticeable beauty. After she is attacked by Lee’s mutants, he himself appears so that he may taste her blood and mark her on the neck as his next bride.
 
Doris, resisting such a terrible fate, hires a bodyguard to protect her: the silent, yet skillful Vampire Hunter D!
 
The half-human, half-vampire dampiel D is a vampire hunter of considerable strength(the true origin of which is revealed in the film’s conclusion) and also has a wise-cracking left hand with its own personality. The film itself is loosely based on the first Vampire Hunter D novel(written by Hideyuki Kikuchi) and possesses many elements of horror and the dark supernatural.
 
To be honest, this film has not aged well at all. It is 25 years old but anything that was supposed to be scary or grotesque looks fake and laughable. Some of the monsters look more appropriate in a Chuck E. Cheese than they do in a horror anime. The dialogue, which at some point could have been taken seriously, now seems incredibly cheesy regardless of which language you choose to watch it in. The hardest flaw to accept is the obvious reuse of both backgrounds and animation as it happens often. Vampire Hunter D deserved better production values.
 
The film is still fun to watch and has some great action scenes, such as the first time D storms Lee’s castle and fights an army of mutants to rescue Doris. D’s battle with Magnus Lee – that shakes the heavens – is also another spectacle for its time. D’s left hand still does a good job to provide intentional comic relief in a movie that is of dark nature.
 
The original Vampire Hunter D, while it is incredibly corny and poorly drawn, is still worth a watch as a good time can still be had. Many years later Bloodlust was created and while it focuses more on action and drama than it does horror, the production values are far superior and still hold up pretty well. Both movies are out of print though you can still find some copies on the internet.

Singing! Dancing!  Acting!  Live Judging!   Welcome to the Cabaret where our Cosplay Cabaret players are here to entertain you on Saturday evening!   Your favorite anime characters compete in skits while our interactive panel of celebrity judges decides who will take home this year’s title.    So sit back, start the show, and let your spirits rise!

1) There will be a cap of 20 entries. (One registration form equals one entry.)

2) There is a registration form below.  If you do not fill the form out online, you can print out a copy to fill out and turn in at the con. Registration will be from 11am-1pm Saturday only.

3) Only attendees with con badge/wristband may register to compete in CosPlay Cabaret. (Proof of Con badge/wristband must be presented by all contestants at time of registration.)

4) No microphones will be available for the contestants of Cosplay Cabaret. All contestant audio material must be pre-recorded on a CD, no other format will be excepted.

5) Any music or dialog CD that accompanies the performance must be turned in at the time of registration. CDs must be tested on our equipment for compatibility. No untested CDs will be accepted after registration has closed. (Cosplay Cabaret recommends making two copies: an original and back up in case one does not work.)

6) All performances are limited to two minutes. At the two minute mark, the host will end the performance and turn to the judges.

7) No profanity, lewd behavior, allusion to drugs or alcohol, or nudity. This is a family show. At the director’s discretion, any performance breaking this rule will be removed from the stage immediately.

8) All costumes and props must be able to be carried on and off the stage by the performers. You are responsible for your props and costumes while in the waiting area. If your props are too big to be stored in the waiting room, you must make arrangements when you register.

9) Any prop weapons used in the performance must meet with the weapons policies of AFO11. You must prove that you can carry the prop weapon during the performance without injury to yourself or others.

10) All contestants must be available for the pre-show meeting. The meeting time and location will be posted as the schedule is finalized. The order of the contestants will be given at the pre-show meeting. Any performer (individual or group) that misses the pre-show meeting will be disqualified.

11) CosPlay Cabaret is a single elimination winner takes all contest.

 
There’s a demon inside of everyone; a dark side that just wants to come out and party at the most unexpected of times! It is the greatest inner turmoil that brings about nothing but chaos. Detroit Metal City tells a short, but grand, story of such incidents in Japan’s underground heavy metal scene.
 
Soichi Negishi is a sickly-looking, mild-mannered country bumpkin who travels to Tokyo in hopes of becoming a trendy pop star. Through a twist of fate that is never explained, he winds of becoming the frontman of a satanic death metal band known as Detroit Metal City!
(more…)

 
In the year 2015, the world is recovering from the tragic incident known as Second Impact. With half the world’s population gone, and the Earth going through radical changes in climate, only those in the organization known as Nerv know why.
 
Massive creatures known as Angels are attempting to destroy what’s left of the human race. The only weapon against this threat is the giant humanoid robot known as the Evangelion. Piloted by fourteen year olds, they are the last hope for the survival of the human race.
 
Shinji Ikari is recruited as the Third Child by his father Gendou, but their relationship is hampered by a history of turmoil and depression. But Shinji and Eva Unit 01 could be the only thing that stands between the Angels and the end of the world. And though he feels alone, Shinji has support. Rei Ayanami, the First Child, and pilot of Unit 00. The cold, quiet girl that seems to get along with Shinji’s father more than people her own age.
 
Misato Katsuragi, Nerv’s Battle Operation’s Officer, who takes Shinji in to live with her and lays her hopes and dreams upon him. Asuka Langely Souryu, The Second Child, and pilot of Unit 02. The violent, confident girl the pilots the Eva in order to prove her superiority and worth. These people, as well as many others help Shinji as he attempts to overcome the Angels, as well as his own depression, self-doubt, and fear of getting hurt.
 
Evangelion is one of the quintessential animes of the 20th and 21st century. With the series and two movies starting it, several manga adaptations and parody shows, and the newest Rebuild of Evangelion movies coming out, as well as a monstrous amount of toys and games spanning every shape and size, the series is consistently rated as one of the top ten animes of all time.
 
While shrouded in the look of a giant robot show, the anime is actually a psychological drama that deals with death, depression, anger, and various other forms of human characteristics while adding in action, comedy and drama to give an overall unique experience.

It’s a heavy question that’s passed through the minds of philosophers and the everyman alike at one point or another, and despite being as far from a consensus as one civilization can possibly be we still stop every once in a while to ponder the Big Question: is there life after death?
 
Sure, it’s been explored before through countless amounts of anime and manga, going a hundred different directions from gothic and macabre to silly and sweet, but never has a show paired this rock of a philosophical conundrum with comedy, drama, and even a pinch of romance so flawlessly.
 
So, what does happen after death? In the world of Yu Yu Hakusho, death is only the beginning.
 

 
The winding epic of a series begins with nothing more than one boy: a teenage delinquent from a broken home by the name of Yusuke Urameshi, and his unexpected act of martyrdom when he pushes a young boy out of the way of an oncoming car and gets himself killed instead.
 
To his surprise, though, heaven and hell are all full up which leaves him with only one choice: return to earth as a “Spirit Detective” – a paperboy to the Gods with the distinct pleasure of finding and eradicating all demon baddies with high hopes of taking over the world.
 
With three unique and uncharacteristically trusty sidekicks, from the bumbling yet loyal human goof to the pair of damaged demons turned good-guys, Yusuke takes it all on, and even manages to keep up a very long distance relationship (think inter-dimensional) in the process.
 
But despite being a typical slice of shonen, the thrill behind Yu Yu Hakusho doesn’t just lie in its intense action sequences and supernatural thrills – the series has a pulse behind it, a sense of personal attachment that drags fans into the belly of its plot and shamelessly refuses to let go.
 
Whether you like it or not you find yourself rooting for characters, loathing others, and hoorah-ing and boo-ing the twists and turns with reckless abandon. The story becomes your story, and in everything that happens, from the sharp and snarky comedy to the darkest of drama, an attachment is born.
 
As a literal step-for-step rendition of Campbell’s Hero’s Journey the thrill behind each episode becomes not what’s going to happen but how it happens. Over the course of one hundred and twelve episodes and two movies, we watch life and death, crime and atonement, growth and rebirth, and true love bloom – all with a pinch of reckless humor that’s the trademark of the series.
 
Yusuke literally battles heaven and hell all for the sake of heroism and all that’s “good”, but what makes this franchise truly great is that even he gets a chance to question why he’s fighting for such an abstract cause, and the answer turns the entire series on its head, giving it an even more powerful sense of depth entirely.
 
Yu Yu Hakusho is truly unique in that it really does have a little bit of something for everyone – fast-paced action for your little brother, gratuitous cursing for your older one, cute cat-girls and blue-haired grim reapers for your sister, and, of course, an unparalleled story for you.
 
But as a warning, be sure you’re ready to commit when you finally do pick it up, as daunting as its hundred plus episodes may seem, because when it comes down to it, boy, are you in for one hell of an adventure.
 
(Written by M. of PINK ROYALE! Cosplay http://pink-royale.deviantart.com/)
 
If you have a favorite anime, sentai, or live action show you’d like to share, please feel free to email your review to wheldonsmiley at aol.com. If we like it we’ll share it with the rest of the class!

In the modern age of anime, the shows about heroes versus villains have changed considerably.
 
Older shows like Dragonball Z were very straightforward and easy to watch. Nowadays, what is referred to as the “neo-shonen” genre has become quite the beast! The series are longer and have more characters to keep track of.
 
Not only that, the story arcs and feelings of each character are much more complex than during the days of Goku battling Freeza; so much that wiki sites for these series have become absolutely necessary!
 

 
The king of these shows would be Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece, a story about a young boy on his quest to become the pirate king! Long ago, the infamous pirate known as Gold Roger had been publicly executed. Before that happened, Roger revealed that he left all his treasure somewhere in one piece. These words inspired a whole new generation of pirates to journey the seas.
 
Monkey D. Luffy, the hero of our story, of course has aspirations to become a great pirate. The problem is, he ate a devil fruit that gave him the ability to stretch his body like rubber but prevents him being able to swim! Despite this ironic twist, he sets sail to first assemble a fine crew of pirates and then endure the challenges necessary to one day become the pirate king!
 
Overtime, the reputation of Luffy’s gang the Strawhats (and the bounties on their heads) will grow substantially as they become amongst the most feared pirates of the seas. Like most modern shonen series, you will also learn about the world and it’s shocking background which include a missing century of history and coverups of world government atrocities.
 
The heart of this series will be the Strawhat Pirates. They have their own goals and personal differences; however, they come together like a family to get through the ordeals they face on the seas. While most of the eccentric cast of characters in the show will come and go with new storyarcs, the Strawhats are always around causing trouble and making fans laugh, cry, and experience moments of joy.
 
If there is one thing that One Piece has that other modern shonen series are lacking, it is certainly a lot of heart. However, if the plot and themes of One Piece sound interesting to you but you are still not sure about watching it yet, then ask yourself this: “Am I ready to invest a large amount of time into an epic battle series with both a large cast of characters and stories to keep track of with no end in sight?”
 
If you have answered “yes”, then One Piece is definitely for you. While it is long and does have formula that it follows, the series offers it’s fair share of surprises and exciting moments!

 
Light Yagami is an intelligent college student working on a law degree. The son of a Tokyo police detective, he has a strong sense of morality and longs to see evil extinguished.
 
One night on his way home he stumbles upon a “Death Note” a normal looking notebook that gives the user the ability to kill anyone they wish by simply writing that person’s name on its pages.
 
Death Notes have been around as long as there has been life to extinguish, and humans have manged to get and control its power throughout history…
 
But Light Yagami is different.
 
Because of his keen mind, Light turns the notebook into a powerful weapon to punish the wicked and hundreds of criminals fall dead all over the world in a single night.
 
That many accidental deaths can be anything but, and a world wide search for the killer (or kira with a Japanese accent) begins. But finding a killer that can strike at any time without leaving any clues is an impossible task, and only one impossible detective known only as L is good enough crack the case.
 
And so a game of worldwide chess begins as two genius minds battle each other with the stakes being nothing less than the future of mankind.
 
—————————
 
People who have seen the series will notice that large portions of character and plot where skipped in this review. This is because no description that can do this show justice.
 
With such a strong premise it would have been easy to take the story in 1000 directions, but creator Tsugumi Ohba had a solid vision that made the manga and anime a work of excellence that transcends the genre.
 
Death Note will constantly keep you thinking, and is one of the rare stories that will have you arguing with your friends who was “the bad guy” for years to come.
 
There are three live actions movies, and you can see the series subtitled via hulu, but honestly we recommend the dvd version in this case.
 
We promise you no matter how you see it you won’t be disappointed.

It’s no secret that the staff of AFO loves Power Rangers. We’re well versed on every series both Japanese and American and can joyously talk at length given the slightest excuse.

So when pressed to write a series of reviews about something we love so much, where should we start? It became clear once we thought about it that all we had to do was go to where our love was rekindled



Dr Tommy Oliver is enjoying his retirement from being the most awesome ranger ever. Working with his good friend Dr Anton Mercer to better mankind, Tommy discovers the Dino gems and realizes their potential.

After an accident in which Mercer is killed, Tommy gets a job teaching science at a local high school. While serving detention, three of his students discover the Dino gems and transform into rangers to battle the mysterious Mesogog and his army of henchmen.

It doesn’t take long for Tommy to use his experience to train the new rangers in their responsibilities and be chosen by a Dino gem himself to become the Black Power ranger.

Over the years Tommy has wielded a lot of power, but this time he’s not playing around. He fights his past ranger forms, takes on a giant monster with just his fists, and kicks a tyrannosaurs and the face! (that last one is before anyone gets any powers btw)

This show is a perfect gateway into Power Rangers, effectively using Tommy’s legacy to bring in the old school fans into the new direction Disney has taken it. From here things really start cooking with SPD, but that’s a story for another day.

Tommy taught us how to be a ranger, the two things you should know about Dino gems, and most importantly, that even if you’re old, but you can still pull it off!

Something we take to heart.

“ATATATATATATATATATA! You are already dead!”

That is the legendary catchphrase known by all who have grown up on action-packed anime from the eighties! Fist of the North Star is not only the manliest of all anime, but it is also one of the first violent series and set many foundations for the shonen martial arts genre that are still prevalent to this day.

In the post-apocalyptic world of 199X, everything we know about modern civilization has been destroyed in nuclear holocaust. Instead of order by governing bodies with modern weaponry, the ravaged wastelands are now ruled by tyrants with superhuman martial art abilities. The weak constantly survive in fear everyday as conditions around them continue to worsen.

From the ashes, emerges a savior who is the current successor to Hokuto Shinken – an ancient martial art that can explode human bodies by striking specific pressure points! The hero of our story Kenshiro, will bear heavy burdens and tragedies on his violent journey to bring back peace to this chaotic land.

The original anime series, based on the hit Shonen Jump manga by Yoshiyuki “Buronson” Okamura and Tetsuo Hara, has art and animation that look very dated by today’s standards but it still brutal and fun to watch. The anime does start out a little slow as Kenshiro is battling the villains of the week each episode until he fights to the death with Shin, his former best friend that is now mad with ambition. Afterwards, the series begins to shine as Kenshiro has to fight his older brothers who not only dispute his succession, but have even broken the laws of the Hokuto school!

From 2006 to 2008, Japan has celebrated the 25th anniversary of Fist of the North Star by releasing three new films and two OVAs that retell Kenshiro’s greatest battles and even add some new story and characters to the mythology of the series. All of this was done with completely new animation that looks amazing!

You can now watch all of the original anime for free, uncut, and subtitled on the streaming services of Hulu, Crunchyroll, and FUNimation. There is no excuse to miss out on one of the most iconic anime of all time!

This was a gateway drug like no other, the show that made you the fan you are now. You watched, your little sister watched, that friend of yours watched. Look at the person next to you, they watched it too.

The magical girl genre was MADE with Sailor Moon!

Fourteen year old Usagi (Serena in the NA dub) is ordinary even with her bad grades, clumsiness, and high pitched wailing. She meets an ordinary looking house cat who gives her a magical brooch that lets her become the pretty guardian to right wrongs and triumph over evil.

She gathers her soldiers, grows up, sees her past life, rescues the world, meets her future self, and rescues her future daughter. All in two years of her life. Oh yeah, and she’s royalty to boot.

The manga and anime have sparked several musicals, video games, food items, toys, and even a live action TV show. (If you didn’t think of Sailor Moon as sentai before this certainly made sure you noticed.)

Sailor Moon sums up shojo: romance, style, sparkles, power, and princesses fantasy. There’s a reunion of the cast for the 20 yr mark in 2011, and I can’t wait to see what’s next!