2021: A year of anime anniversaries

 

Puella Magi Madoka Magica

(10th anniversary)

Has it really been ten years since Gen Urobuchi unleashed his tale of magical girl entropy on the world? This first anniversary hardly seems real, since Puella Magi Madoka Magica hasn’t gone far in the intervening years. But it’s true.  Movies and Magia Record aside, this series is a full decade old as of January 7.

Anniversary festivities are underway for the show, so look forward to new surprises throughout the year.

 

Spirited Away 

(20th anniversary)

Of all the anime anniversaries on this list, Spirited Away is probably the only one that coincided with the anime in question getting surpassed in its own Guinness record. Nonetheless, this Studio Ghibli classic is still the first anime ever to win an Academy Award, and continues to reign as one of the greats.

Celebrate this year on the day of its premiere, July 20.

 

Otaku no Video 

(30th anniversary)

Gainax’s two-part mockumentary about life, love, and otakudom came out back in 1991. The OVA has gone on to become a much-loved anime, offering a tongue-in-cheek perspective on both otaku life and the beginnings of an anime studio.

Relive the magic by celebrating two anime anniversaries in one — on September 27 for Otaku no Video 1982, and December 20 for More Otaku no Video 1985.

 

Adieu Galaxy Express 999 

(40th anniversary)

Leiji Matsumoto’s Galaxy Express 999 was a thoughtful and action-packed tale of humanity and coming of age. But when the series ended, the story wasn’t over. 1981’s Adieu Galaxy Express 999 continues the story after the fallout of the TV series. Tetsuro Hoshino is a teenage freedom fighter, and must board the space train to begin a new adventure.

The film officially hits the big 4-0 on August 1. If you’ve never seen the original series or the 1979 film that came before Adieu, you’ll have plenty to keep you busy.

 

Lupin the 3rd Part I 

(50th anniversary)

Wrapping up our list of anime anniversaries is the master thief himself. Four years after Monkey Punch’s manga debuted, the grandson of Arsène Lupin made the jump to anime. “Part I,” a.k.a. the Green Jacket series, premiered on October 24. It ran for 23 episodes, and it would be four more years until he would get the red-jacketed Part II.

Fortunately, there’s so much Lupin out there, you’ll have no trouble finding as much as you want to watch.

And don't forget to subscribe to this my other blog!

Panzer IV 12

Fans of the ever popular Girls und Panzer saga will be happy to know that the 12th edition of the Panzer IV dojinshi fair will be held at Tokyo Big Sight on September 23 (Sat) 11:00-15:00.
As G und P's fans and military buffs known the Panzer IV was a German medium tank that became the backbone of the German Army during WWII and was the only German tank to stay in production for the entire duration of the conflict. It first appeared in the anime in Episode 1.
http://sdf-event2.sakura.ne.jp/pv/

Shooting gamers of the world unite!

Shooting games (or STGs, as they are known in Japan), have always taken pride of place in game centers and the hearts of dedicated gamers. Who doesn't remember Space Invaders, the game that in 1978 started it all.

Unfortunately in the last 20 years STGs have become increasingly difficult as developers, in order to please hardcore players, have forsaken the casual players.

Recent STGs can be so complicated that they only attract those dedicated players (someone would call them maniacs) who are ready to invest a lot of time and money to memorize their amazingly intricate patterns (the hardest levels in some games can feature thousands of bullets on the screen at one time).
One such case is the extremely popular Touhou Seirensen ~ Undefined Fantastic Object (see screen shot below). 

If you are not familiar with this game, you only need to check out its LUNATIC level on You Tube to see what I'm talking about. I would never even clear the first stage but the overall effect is quite mesmerizing.


These games, of course, have their own loyal dojinshi fans as well. One such event is Hakakura Yahhou! that this year will be held on September 10 (11:30-15:30) at the Ota-ku Industrial Plaza, on the second floor (Small Hall). You can easily reach this place by train (check here) 
http://www.pio-ota.jp/english/pio.html