Gaming at A-Kon

[selenite0]

I'm going to be GMing three sessions of GURPS Firefly at A-Kon. The schedule isn't out but I've been told 1-5 and 6-10 Saturday and 12-4 Sunday. Drop me a line if you have any questions about the game.

I've never been to an anime con, so this is going to be enlightening. I've started watching Cowboy Bebop to get a taste for it. Episode 6 and I'm hooked.

Oh, yeah--anybody need a roomie at A-Kon?

Comments

[telophase.livejournal.com]

I bring the average age at A-Kon *up* to sixteen. :)

And anime recs, since you may want to watch more ocne you're through with Cowboy Bebop. :)

Planetes - you'll ahve to find fansubs, since it's not out yet, but the manga has been released and is available. It's the gateway manga for hard-SF readers, and is reminiscent of early Heinlein. Hachi, a young man with stars in his eyes and ambitions to fly to Jupiter, gets a job on a LEO garbage scow.

If you like the attitude of Cowboy Bebop, part of the creative team worked on Samurai Champloo, which is a feudal-era pseudohistorical story. Except when it's beign deliberately anachronistic. One of the main characters wears Armani glasses, and episodes tend to have things like human beatboxes and graffiti tagging. It's significantly better than that makes it sound. :)

I'm recommending Fullmetal Alchemist far and wide at the moment - it starts off episodic, but as you watch long enough the story deepends and widens and you realize it's not episodic at all. Edward and Alphonse Elric are teens who practice magic the science of alchemy. Due to a magical alchemic accident, Ed lost a leg and an arm, replaced with automail, and Al lost his entire body. Ed managed to anchor his soul to a suit of armor. Their itnentions are to learn about the Philosopher's Stone so they can return to the way they once were, but they manage to stumble into things and events much bigger then they ever expected. Very well constructed, and stands up to lots of long LJ posts analyzing it. :)

[estokien.livejournal.com]

I have to second Planetes for a lover of hard SF. We've been watching it at Cinema Anime at LASFS and it is great.

You might like Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex (you might like the Ghost in Shell movies as well, but they don't have to be as rushed in the TV series). Not space SF, but it deals with a world in which pretty much everyone has supplemental computer brains, and some have replaced 98% of their bodies with synthetics. The main characters are a team of agents who investigate crimes, stop terrorists, etc in this age when people's brains can be hacked.

Also recommend Witch Hunter Robin, and, of course, anything by Hideo Miyazaki (just caught Howl's Moving Castle at Cinema Anime last night, he's still putting out great stuff) most of which is distributed by Disney in this country. Miyazaki is Disney quality animation with anime quality stories.

But definitely check out the Anime showing rooms while you are at the convention, you never know what you might like (good job picking Cowboy Bebop to start with though!).

[selenite.livejournal.com]

Cowboy Bebop has been recommended as Firefly methadone, so I figured it was a good place to start. :)

[celticdragonfly.livejournal.com]

Oh dear, it was the stuff being shown at LASFS pre-meeting that put me off anime for life.

[selenite.livejournal.com]

Planetes sounds right up my alley. And I can read a manga while the kids are awake. I'll keep an eye out for that.

Thanks for the recs!

[tmc4242.livejournal.com]

I haven't watched a great deal of anime yet, but Cowboy Beebop is one of my favorites so far. Well written, good art, and the soundtrack is fantastic. And it's aimed at grownups...

One of these days I will likely be spending $40 on the import edition of the soundtrack. "Tank!" by Yoko Kanno is just outstanding. ( That's the opening credits tune. )

[aota.livejournal.com]

I've been any anime fan for years among other things. Cowboy Bebop is a great choice for anime. If you like it will will also like Outlaw Star. Very fun universe. Wow A-kon 17 I remember a member of our Carswell gaming group being on the planing committee for one of the early ones I think maybe the second or the third one. I feel old now.

[electorprince.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately, I won't make it this year (or next year, for that matter). I hope it rawks, though. I've been on A-Kon's staff for nine years, and I hate missing it, but I've got NTC sitting on this year's and Iraq sitting on next year's, so it'll be a bit before I can put the badge back on again.

[selenite.livejournal.com]

I'll try to make up for you not being there. Going to be back for Fencon (http://www.fencon.org/)?

[faxpaladin.livejournal.com]

I can use a roomie. I'll be hosting filk at A-Kon.

[selenite.livejournal.com]

Good news: Room reserved for Friday and Saturday.
Bad news: Single king bed. It works for me, if it's an issue for you I'll bring a sleeping bag.