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10 October, 2002
ANIME NATION
I'm standing amongst blue-haired aliens, a full-sized furry white wolf, high-tech robo-warriors, short-skirted schoolgirls with fluorescent pink hair, roly-poly ghosts, garishly-made-up geisha girls in improvised kimonos and masters of various martial arts disciplines, some carrying samurai swords. A crazy pre-Hallowe'en party? Nope. A surreal dream? Uh-uh.
 A 100-pound robot/bug/warrior outfit made of aluminum, plastic and hockey equipment that took 600 hours of work. |
Like the Star Cons where Trekkies dress to impress each other with realistic recreations of various Star Trek characters, Nan Desu Kan is a showcase for fans of "anime," or Japanese animation, to strut their stuff and display the depth of their knowledge - or obsession - with the characters they love.
That obsession is clear just driving up to the hotel, and seeing the plethora of peculiarly-dressed and coiffed attendees streaming from the parking lot to the lobby entrance. Inside, the cornucopia of costumed do-gooders, baddies and just strange creatures is mind-boggling.
 Hillary, a 25-year-old anime fan, wearing her handmade kimono and obi. |
There are dozens of shows represented, including fairly well-known ones such as Sailor Moon and Dragon Ball Z, but also ones that are familiar only to the "otaku," or serious fan: Rurouini Kenshin, Yasha Inu, Project A-Ko, Bubblegum Crisis and literally hundreds of other titles through the years which can be found at video stores and shops that specialize in anime and manga, or Japanese comic books. Many are science fiction, featuring a bewildering array of robots, space ships, robots that turn into space ships and all manner of technology gone amok. Others are fantasy, with fanciful monsters and valiant heroes on journeys as classic as the Odyssey was to the Greeks. Some are historical narratives, full of samurai and ninja; some are romances that appeal more to girls. Many feature strong female characters, including schoolgirls who turn out to be superheroes, or women rock singers who don robotic costumes to fight evil monsters.
The variety applies not only to the anime series and characters, but also to the fans. Although the majority of the "fanimes" appeared to be teenagers, not everyone at Nan Desu Kan is a youngster. Jeff, a 43-year-old machinist, lumbers around the hotel in an incredible 100-pound costume he assembled out of aluminum and plastic (including hockey knee pads). His character was prototyped by the American creator of the "Spawn" comic books, but never made into a series. How's THAT for obscure?
 One kimono, one sort-of kimono and one Chinese dress trying to pass for a kimono. |
"The only problem," he admits woefully, "is that I can't sit down."
It took Jeff 600 hours and hundreds of dollars to create the outfit, which he hopes will lead to a grand prize award in the evening's costume contest, a highlight of every convention.
We walk through the booths in the exhibitors' hall, where collectors and retailers sell everything from videos and DVDs to costumes and lots of Japanese candy, and meet 25-year-old Hillary, who has been a fan of anime for 10 years. She's dressed in a kimono and obi that she made from a pattern she bought at Hancock Fabrics and embroidered herself to match a character from the samurai epic Rurouini Kenshin.
Elsewhere in the exhibitors' hall, a trio of young girls also dressed in kimonos oohs and aahs over one dealer's table, while nearby a woman whose name tag states simply "Mom" watches over them with a dazed look in her eyes. A fan dressed to look like a "kodama," the cute forest wraiths from the film "Princess Mononoke," couldn't see out of her enormous marshmallow-shaped headpiece, and bumps around the hallway while attendees stream past her.
 A giant kodama, a character from "Princess Monokoe," stumbles through the hall. |
In several rooms, anime is being screened nonstop all weekend. We wander into one room showing Japanese films without English subtitles or dubbing; another featuring American cartoons inspired by anime style; and one crowded room showing episodes of a popular anime, Yasha Inu, with the man who produced the English translation on hand to introduce the segments.
Only a few stragglers are left in a large ballroom, speaking after a concert with Mari Iijima, a Jpop singer whose career began as a voiceover actress in the anime series Macross. Iijima, who performed at Nan Desu Kan two years ago, finds it fascinating that so many Caucasian kids in the US are interested in anime.
"Sometimes I wonder if in a past life they used to be Japanese people," she says.
She credits filmmakers such as Hayao Miyazaki, creator of popular children's films available in English such as "My Neighbor Totoro" and "Kiki's Delivery Service" and the more adult, big-budget "Princess Mononoke" and the critically-acclaimed new film "Spirited Away," for helping to popularize anime in America. His films are also incredibly popular in Japan - "Princess Mononoke" set a box-office record in Japan that was only broken by "Titanic," and "Spirited Away" has since broken "Titanic"'s record.
 Yasha Inu makes an appearance -- sort of -- at a screening of a Yasha Inu episode. |
I suspect most of the fans attending Nan Desu Kan are much deeper into anime than Miyazaki's blockbuster movies, though. From the looks of the costumes and makeup adorning their eager faces, these kids (and adults) pride themselves on their knowledge of the most obscure anime titles and characters.
Their excitement and enthusiasm for this most unlikely of Japanese imports is a good sign for future relations between the US and Japan, because when you strip away the flashiness of the high tech plots and cartoon characters, anime is rich with the undiluted culture of Japan. Books such as "The Anime Companion: What's Japanese in Japanese Animation?" (Gilles Poitras, Stone Bridge Press) do a wonderful job of explaining the many Japanese references that sneak into anime, but you don't need to understand every detail to appreciate the cultural exchange that goes on in these videos.
 Mari Iijima, Jpop singer and a regular guest of anime conventions across the U.S., with a portait. |
In fact, the majority of fans probably simply enjoy the form without noticing that a character in "Bubblegum Crisis" is eating in a ramen shop, or worrying about why the boys in so many anime wear dark uniforms with caps, while the girls wear sailor suits with pleated skirts - the standard uniforms of Japanese schoolkids.
They just watch and soak up the images. But in some fans, anime awakens a deeper yearning to connect with Japan.
Sitting against the wall near one of the video screening rooms, it's obvious that Paulette and Betty are chaperones, not attendees. Both are from Colorado Springs - Paulette drove up for the day with her son Doug, while Betty arrived the day before the festival with her granddaughter Amy, and is staying at the hotel.
Doug and Amy are dating; Doug is into Dragon Ball Z and Amy loves Sailor Moon. She's dressed up as her favorite character (it's her second year at Nan Desu Kan but her first in costume), but Doug came as himself.
Doug's mom supports his interest in anime because it's motivating him to enlarge his worldview. "My son would like to learn how to read and speak Japanese, and both of them are taking karate," she says.
"It's cute," chimes in grandma.
That kind of bridge-building between cultures is more than cute. It's beautiful.
Note: For books about Anime, visit Stone Bridge Press, and for links to Web sites covering practically every anime show or film ever made, visit the Anime Turnpike.