12:00 - Someday's Dreamers 1 DANCE PARTY
12:25 – Black Jack 4
1:15 – Planetes 1
1:40 – BREAK
1:50 – Sword of the Stranger
3:30 – GAMESHOW
4:10 4:35 – Casshern Sins 1 and 2
5:00 – Blame!
5:35 – DINNER
6:25 – The Sky Crawlers
8:30 – BREAK
8:40 – Infinite RYVIUS 1
9:05 – Mobile Fighter G Gundam 02
9:30 – Outlaw Star 26
9:55 – Break
10:00 – Mazinkaiser 7
10:50 – Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha A's 13
11:15 – Paranoia Agent 13
11:40 – The Big O 13

this bad ass?

Well, stop by our fascinating “Gunpla Tutorial/Building Session” on April 16, from 7:00 – 11:00 pm in Willard Straight Hall’s International Lounge. We will have several models ready for you to make if you don’t have one, or if you have one, bring it over, and model with others.

For more details about the event, and the models on site, please see our Plamo page.

CornellCon Schedule:

• 8:00p.m.- Doors open, game play begins in all rooms
  • Manga booth (loans out manga for the event)
  • Game show qualifier tests are available in the info booths
  • Magic the Gathering is open for registration and pretournament games
  • Super Smash Bros./Tatsunoko vs. Capcom tournament registration begins
• 8:45p.m.- Magic the Gathering Draft tournament begins
• 9:00p.m.- Super Smash Bros. Tournament begins
• 10:00p.m.- Karaoke begins (goes till 1:00AM)
• 10:20p.m.- Last call for Game show Qualifier Tests
• 10:30p.m.- Begin grading Qualifier tests
• 10:45p.m.-Prepare for Tatsunoko vs. Capcom tournament
• 11:00p.m.- Anime starts showing in the auditorium
  • Ring of Steel sets up in the Multi-purpose room followed by a performance
  • Tatsunoko vs. Capcom tournament begins
• 11:50p.m.- Cosplay Contest in the Multi-purpose room, following Ring of Steel’s performance
• 12:20a.m.- Game Show begins in the auditorium. After Game Show ends anime continues showing in the auditorium
• 2:00a.m.- Doors close; Clean-up begins

I don’t know about the rest of you, but on occasion, I screw up my cosplays. Sew a sleeve on backwards, pin the wrong sides together instead of the right, and so on. Usually, I’m paying enough attention to catch and fix these problems before they get too far. And most of the time, the problem is small enough that people don’t notice. Sometimes, however…sometimes it’s only after I’ve finished the garment or the entire outfit or gone to a con before I realize that the shoulders of my coat are too small to be comfortable, or that the sleeves are too narrow or that the robe isn’t wide enough.

For all of you who have run into similar problems, here is my guide for how to adjust the size on a finished piece of cosplay without having to remake the entire piece of clothing. Now, keep in mind, this is a quick patch. For the best quality cosplay, you’ll probably have to remake the garment, or at least the part that’s giving you problems. If you don’t want to deal with that, keep reading.

Sanzo's robe

The first time I realized that I had made an outfit too small was with my Sanzo costume (by the way, I only seem to make clothing too small. I imagine making a large piece smaller is much easier). The robe he wears is supposed to wrap around him entirely, but whether because spaciness on my part or the pattern I was using, the robe didn’t wrap enough; it showed the jeans I was wearing underneath. I managed to ignore it for a while, but eventually I decided it needed to be fixed. The high quality and labor intensive solution (not to mention cloth intensive) would be to remove the collar and sleeves, and sew a new body for the robe that matched the correct dimensions. I used the quick and patch solution. I undid the stitching on the edging/collar to about the waist, unstitched each end of the hem on the bottom of the robe for a few inches, and added in extra material. The additional width of the robe was entirely at the bottom, so I added very narrow triangles to both sides of the robe, making it wider. Then, I reattached the edging/collar to the new material, and finished up the new hem. It’s not the greatest looking fix in the world, but it beats making a whole new robe.

Touka's tunic

The second major fix I had to do was to the back of a tunic for my Touka cosplay. This one I actually caught before I finished the outfit or even the tunic. Unfortunately, I didn’t have enough fabric to remake the needed piece, and so I had to make do with a make-shift repair. The problem was with the width of the shoulders; I had originally made them too small, and since the material has almost no give, these is a real problem. My solution was to cut the back of the tunic – where my spine would be – from the bottom to the top. I then added a very narrow trapezoid piece of fabric in the middle, just a few inches, to make the top wide enough for my shoulders, and kept the bottom almost the same width. I then sewed up the back again, with the added piece simply as an additional panel. Fortunately, for this cosplay, there’s a coat on top of the tunic, and I likely wouldn’t have fixed it except for the difficultly it gave me moving.

The final sizing problem I’ve had is with the sleeves of my Edward Elric coat. Unfortunately, it was one of my earlier cosplay, and I misjudged the width I’d need for the sleeves, especially with a long sleeve shirt underneath. While the sleeves don’t immediately look wrong, they make it slightly hard to move and cause the coat to be even warmer than it is. The problem was, to fix this I’d have to make two completely new sleeves, and I don’t think I even still had the fabric. My solution? Deal with it; it’s a problem that I’m the only one likely to really notice, and it doesn’t cause me too much trouble. Sometimes discretion? Is the better part.

Edward Elric's coat

Background Music:

First and foremost comes the music that must be played for all things you do where music is appreciated. Now, when you associate music, anime and hotblood, you had better be thinking about JAM Project, and how any song by this colossal supergroup can instantly make your day just a bit more awesome. Listen to them more and more, and you can literally feel the courage seep into your bloodstream. You will feel like you can take down kikaiju with just your dirty socks.

You can feel the epic from the image...

Suggested Songs: STORMBRINGER, Crest of Z\’s, Rocks, Majin Kenzan, Garo ~SAVIOR IN THE DARK~, JAM ga Motteta! Sailor Fuku

If perhaps you are in need of more than this, one should look up the individual members of JAM Project and listen to some of their more famous works. (Endoh Masaaki – Yuusha-Oh Tanjou – Mythology Version-, Hironobu Kageyama – HEATS) Your blood is now boiling.

Watching:

First and foremost, if you want to “man-up” you must do follow one simple rule: “NO SLICE OF LIFE MOEBLOBS!”

Just say no to moeblobs who do nothing.

Got that? None of the above image, and nothing else remotely close to it. Okay, now to the “suggested watching list.”

1. New Getter Robo – New Getter is action, more action, people killing demons with their bare hands, demons becoming massive, and then those people who just killed a number of demons pilot individual parts of a giant robot, combine and blow the hell out of the super-sized demons. This show is about action, and how manly spirit will make anyone stronger and evolve into something more powerful. The original manga (available to read on online manga websites) was the inspiration for the recent series Gurren Lagann, and should be read by anyone who wants a bit of comedy with a large amount of ASS-KICKING and ROBOTS!!! Also:
   

   Yeah. This is Getter Robo.

2. Hellsing - Basic summary: Super Powerful Vampire, fighting on the side of the Protestants after being set free by Integra Hellsing, vs. Catholics, especially one near immortal one vs. NAZI VAMPIRE ZOMBIES! Lots of gore and people being torn limb-from-limb. Also:
3. Shin Mazinger Shougeki! Z-Hen – Remake of the original Robot show, directed by Yasuhiro Imagawa, this show is a stream of constant one-upping with giant robots. Lots of ridiculous over-the-top story and action, and the most ridiculously over-the-top narrator EVER!

and for those of you who have already finished the most courageous show

4. GaoGaiGar FINAL – Finally, we reach true courage. There is nothing more that needs to be said. You’ve seen 49 episodes of raw courage. You’ve gone through the ups and downs of this non-stop adventure. Now to end it. The opening (linked above next to Endoh Masaaki) is epic. It only gets more epic after the opening.

That is how you make Valentine’s Day not suck.

Series Reviews:

Genshiken –

Our starter for this semester was one I had not seen since I was in high school.  At the time, I was rather amused with it, but after re-watching the first season, I found that the series hasn’t held up as well as I had thought.  Let me be clear:  It’s not a bad series; I don’t think so, anyway.  But whenever Genshiken’s not poking a good-natured elbow in the ribs of hardcore anime fans, the overall result is disappointing.  The humor tends to be awkwardly spaced; whole episodes can go by with scarcely a slice of wit to hold interest, relying instead on the (mostly bland) antics of local basket-case Madarame to keep the whole thing from grinding to a halt.  Add to that rather generic BGM and character design, and what’s left is a series So Okay, It’s Average.  You could do worse than this dull little piece of work, but you could do much better as well.

Wolf’s Rain –

Ain't he pretty?

I must admit, I was pretty skeptical about this series.  Just looking at the character designs made me shudder; I like bishounen as much as the next fan, but I didn’t walk in expecting much in the way of, well, anything else.  Thankfully, Wolf’s Rain does not disappoint.  It has its issues, mind you; the plot moves at the pace of cheap pancake syrup and the dialogue can sometimes suffer as a result.  But thus far, it’s been nothing short of a treat to watch.  The backgrounds and character animation are, as expected, fantastic, with real eye for detail and cohesion.  And the music! Man, Kanno-sensei should really go make an album or something.  If she does stuff like this for a show… Ah, I digress.  Anyway, if this series can overcome its pacing problems and deliver its already unique story already, then it’s well on its way to becoming a favorite of mine.

Outlaw Star –

Ah yes, the nostalgia factor for this semester.  I never caught the original run on Toonami, but I regret it now.  Though all too often obscured by what appears to be a rave party’s missing strobe light, what we have here is an excellent example of good, clean fun.  This is what happens when you mix a catchy opening, pretty characters and related art, kick-ass action, the burning of the laws of physics, and a psychic cactus (!) into the same anime.  Though it sounds difficult to believe that such a series could even get off the ground, I believe that Outlaw Star has been nothing but entertaining.  I’m not without some reservations, though; apart from the frequent screen flashes, I can only hope that all this fantastic build-up goes somewhere in next semester’s episodes.  But even if it doesn’t, that’s okay, too.  I’m having too much fun to care, anyway.

Higurashi no Naku Koro ni –

(Sonozaki Shion did it with the hatchet in the hospital room!)

To me, the plot reads a tad bit like Lost or some such show, as it raises far more questions than it answers along the way.  Stick with it though, and your patience is well-rewarded.  Higurashi is all about the atmosphere.  From the epic, haunting opening theme to just before the laughable ending theme kicks in, you are yanked by the collar into a fantastic blend of murder, violence, horror, and moe.  No, seriously: Trying to explain the sheer emotional whiplash in the first arc is futile.  For something as unique as this, you must experience its horror in order to truly appreciate the effort that went into its crafting.  Do not be fooled by its appearance: Beyond a few moments of animation-failure and some loli-fanservice, it’s nothing short of horrifyingly excellent.

Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha –

Ah, yes.  Nanoha.  Hm.

…

To be frank, I find that despite all evidence to the contrary, this isn’t a bad show.  It’s not a good show, not by a long shot, but it at least retains enough of a sense of purpose to function, hampered as it is by the occasional loli S&M-scene.  Though it has more than its fair share of shortcomings, Nanoha retains at least enough integrity to seek out and entertain an audience.  In that regard, it’s clear to see where the various efforts from preproduction went:  Every last thread of Nanoha went into increasing its ability to hold the attention of an audience desiring cute little girls who fire giant lasers at each other (and occasionally a bad guy or two).  In that regard, it succeeds.  Season 1 serves nearly every trope in the magical girl textbook on the rocks with a twist of lime.  It takes itself so seriously, in fact, that it’s irresistibly fun to mock when the occasion presents itself!  (Need a quick way to get hammered? Why not watch the last few episodes and play the “Nanoha/Feito-chan” drinking game? XD)

He has very little screen-time, but still enough to temper the raw loli in this show.

While not always not a ponderous case of mediocre art and music acting as a backdrop for hyper-sexualized grade-school girls who talk like teenagers (have no fear, though; plenty of that to be had), Nanoha does do a few things differently.  Fate’s very presence, for example, adds a much needed dose of originality to a series largely entrenched in cramming as much mundane moe per episode as possible.  Plus, perhaps in an effort to dilute the loli somewhat, the artists were kind enough to throw in Yuuno and Chrono to break up the monotony.  (Props, guys!) Still, Nanoha (and its superior sequels) has more than found its niche, and that’s well and good if you ask me.  If lolis and lasers are your thing, look no further.  If you’re looking for the next Card Captor Sakura, though, please seek such admirable quality elsewhere.

ClaΨmore –

Just when you think that the shounen-action genre has done it all, ClaΨmore tosses out some of the most time-honored traditions of an action series in favor of atmosphere, style, and an undeniable penchant for some remarkably human drama.  Although it does occasionally suffer from some of the usual pitfalls (so-so pacing, fight scenes that waver between wickedly celeritous and horribly drawn-out), the over effort is quite solid.  The art is crisp and well polished, and the characters make for quite an entertaining cast to watch.  Though the theme songs stick to the ears quite nicely, I wish the same could be said for the actual soundtrack.  It’s good, just not something I’ll be humming anytime soon.  So far, so good; let’s hope it stays that way.

Baccano! –

Oh.  Oh my.  Without a doubt, this became the showstopper for this semester.  Man, I could gush for a page or so about just how damn good this series is, but I’ll keep this simple in the interest of keeping things moving:  Baccano! is one of the best examples I’ve seen in the last decade of how to weave art and entertainment into a seamless, unified whole.  The atmosphere is superior; creative character design, fantastic backgrounds, and a perfectly crafted soundtrack all help to shape the stylish, classy, and refined demeanor of this series.  Acting in tandem is the equally well-penned story, filled with excellent humor, drama, romance, action, and insanity, and always in the best of taste.  And if that weren’t enough, the whole thing’s topped off with an opening theme that rivals “Tank!” Yeah, I said it.  The only bad part? The long wait to see if Aniplex adapts more of the series.

The masters at work.

And last but not least:

Ouran High School Host Club –

Why is this picture here? No reason, really. Just 'cause.

It’s been a quite while since I’ve seen Ouran, so the initial excitement I had during its original run has long since died down.  Upon watching the series again, I find that (to my relief) it has aged quite well indeed.  While not the best anime I’ve ever seen, Ouran remains an impressive effort in every aspect.  The animation is fluid and well-directed, aided by polished backgrounds, and a real knack for chiaroscuro and cute character design.  Though the writing quality can waver from time to time, the humor is witty and the drama is genuine.  An episode’s laughs are usually a careful mix of good-natured pokes at otakudom, ridiculous visual gags, a few puns, and, of course, a clever insult or two.  While it may appear forced at first, Ouran’s solid script manages to keep the drama out of the sickeningly-sweet and win a genuine emotional response each time thanks to an all-star cast and their delivery of the good dialogue they were written.  The music, a series of orchestral pieces, only serves to enhance the nature of the scenes, be it a case of shoujo-melodrama, a bit of curious backstory, or just Tamaki being silly again.  And throughout it all, Ouran keeps things tasteful, delighting with a rare brand of charm and class usually absent from modern shoujo.  It’s more than willing to treat its audience with intelligence and respect, and it shows, even halfway through the series.  Even if you aren’t part of the targeted psychographic, be sure to give Ouran a chance.  In all likelihood, you will not be disappointed.

Movie:

Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro –

I’ve never actually seen the Lupin series, but I found that that didn’t seem to prevent me from enjoying this film.  I had only passing knowledge of who the main characters were, yet I couldn’t help but be entertained by the just how well such a simple piece works.  The concept itself is elementary: Take an international caper, throw in some classy thieves, some fantastic Ghibli art, a harrowing car chase, and more than a few jokes to make for nothing less than a first-rate, good-old-fashioned Cops and Robbers film.  Complex?  Nah.  Fun?  Every minute.  Just watching the titular thief himself outsmart the best Interpol and the bad guys have to offer alone is worth it.

OVA:

Shinesman –

Ladies and gentlemen, I have but one line for you:  “Sheena, get in the glowing, green square.”

Oh, sure:  I could on for a paragraph or two about the Super Sentai history and this and that, but that’s futile.  No, all that must (or can) be said about this OVA is summed up in that one, hilarious quote.  This is how you write parody, simple as that.  It’s fun to laugh at, it’s fun to laugh with, and if you ever saw Power Rangers or Super Sentai, the jokes are just that much better.  Ignore the subbed verision; only the gag-dub is worth it, lest you watch in horror as the best jokes fall flat.

Well, there you have it, ladies and gentlemen.  I hope the past semester was as good for you as it was for me.  Thoughts?

However, one thing that doesn’t get much discussion is how long it takes to make one of these outfits, and like a lot of things, it’s hard to predict unless you’ve already made a few costumes. So: I have decided to share my sage wisdom (read: five and half costumes) and give all three of my readers some pointers on how it takes to make a cosplay outfit.

Not surprisingly, it actually depends on a lot of different factors. There are five big ones. First; how experienced you are with sewing. If you’ve never sewn on a button, it doesn’t matter how simple your outfit is, it’s going to take you a while. If you are truly and utterly inexperienced, you’re going to want to pad your timeline a lot, and hopefully find someone who knows what they’re doing to help you thread the sewing machine. I’m working with the assumption that you have some experience with sewing – you’ve repaired some clothing, maybe made a shirt or something. If you’re really new, you’re going to want to at least double whatever time I say, and have a sewing resource very handy.

Second factor is how complicated your costume is. If the character you’re imitating only has one or two major pieces of clothing that aren’t too complex, you can probably finish it off in a week or two, assuming you put in an hour or two work each day (or do marathon sessions on the weekends, like I do). If you’re making a costume with lots of pieces of clothing, or with lots of lace and fancy details, or something with a lot of accessories, it’ll take you a lot longer at an hour a day. A month isn’t out of the question, with more time being a good idea if you’re doing something that you’ve never had to do before. Of course, if you’re spending several hours a day sewing that time line will get a lot shorter. In addition, things like screening a pattern onto the fabric can take hours or more. I’ve never done it personally, but even painting small designs on the cuffs of a sleeve took an hour or two. Painting, especially on fabric, is extremely time intensive.

Third factor is the resources you have access to. One of the most useful resouces is a sewing machine. Although a good portion of sewing might be tiny obnoxious seams that you’ll do by hand, things like shoulder seams and hems are almost omnipresent. And while it’s certainly possible to do them by hand (I have) they can take hours that way, and only ten minutes or so with a sewing machine. The second most useful resource is someone who knows how to make costumes or clothing. They can explain the notation on patterns, how to rethread the bobbin on the sewing machine, how to fit a dress by hand in a half hour. People with experience are unbelievably helpful, and they’re not necessarily cosplayers. My mother’s made clothing, and helped me figure out how turn a Halloween elf-cloak pattern into Ed Elric’s coat. The final useful thing is premade clothing patterns. Really good cosplayers and costumers can wing it, draping outfits with no patterns whatsoever, but I’ve always liked working from a pattern, even if I end up heavily editing it. It’s nice to have a base to work off of, if only to make sure you haven’t forgotten to make sleeves or some such things.

All the time estimates I’ve said assume you have a sewing machine; if you don’t, how long your costume’ll take will depend on how fast you sew, but plan to put in almost an entire order of magnitude more time into your costume. It can be done, certainly; I’ve made a number of costumes that way, but don’t expect it to be done quickly unless you sink days of sewing into it. Someone who knows how to costume can’t make you sew faster, obviously, but they’ll help you with problems you run into, and can help you get started. My rough estimate is that knowing someone like this who is willing to help you could reduce the time needed by a third or a fourth. A pattern’s usefulness varies a lot, depending on the complexity of the design and how much you’re editing the pattern, so it’s hard to give even a rough time estimate. It does help, though.

Fourth factor is accessories. Oh, accessories. These are another item that’ll make the time required vary widely. They may take longer than the entire rest of the cosplay. As with the costume itself, the time they add largely depends on how complex they are. If you can scavenge them from somewhere, or edit something you already have, the time required goes down by a lot, but a decently complex item probably takes a few hours to construct, and if it requires any sort of craft – paint, clay, carving – pad your estimates with a couple days and make sure you have everything you need before you start working. And never assume it’ll take just a few minutes. A friend of mine has made Miroku’s costume, and apparently his beads, which I would have predicted to be a fairly quick portion, took 45 minutes. And she’s the most experienced cosplayer I know. My advice is to, until you get an idea of how long it takes you to make things, limit each costume to one or two items, unless you have time to burn. Or, do the most vital items first, and finish the others as you have time.

The final factor is free time. I’ve always found myself to be most effective when I do my sewing in huge chunks. It may be because I have to take down and set up all my sewing stuff, and sort of settle into it, but I am much more effective when sewing for several hours at a time rather than a half hour here and there. You may be different, but doing the work in chunks can be a time saver, especially when you have to clean up whenever you stop. As a special note: it is possible to complete an entire cosplay in a week or less, but that generally requires a lot of free time and a fair knowledge of what you’re doing. I always try and make sure to add time to my internal schedule.

Well now, my intrepid cosplayer, now you have a rough guide to how long your cosplay’ll take, and you know if you can make that Chi outfit in time for the next con. Just remember; there’s no real harm in trying and overshooting your time line (usually). You don’t need to be in cosplay for a con, and it’s perfectly acceptable to wear a single piece of your costume. And remember – there’s always next year.

12:00 - Elemental Gerade 1
12:25 - Fate/stay night 2 Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood 1
12:50 - Nabari no Ou 1
1:15 - Cowboy Bebop 1
1:40 - BREAK
1:50 - Hayate the Combat Butler 1 & 2
2:40 - Planetes 1
3:05 - GAMESHOW!!!
3:50 - [movie] Origin: Spirits of the Past
5:30 - DINNER
6:30 - Romeo x Juliet 1
6:55 - Genshiken 13 - 15
8:10 - BREAK
8:30 - Wolf's Rain 13 & 14
9:20 - Outlaw Star 13
9:45 - Higurashi no Naku Koro ni 13
10:10 - BREAK
10:25 - Cowboy Bebop 6
10:50 - Baccano! 14 -16

Now, probably not every group of fans does this; some are probably content to watch an enjoy a show or an anime without picking it apart. Or at least, they’ll pull apart the larger plot holes first, before getting to the tiny ones. (Like, anything involving Spock Prime. Instead of just sitting in a cave staring at the sky, why doesn’t he go find Scotty and tell him to warn Vulcan?) Still, most of the people I hang about with nitpick the small things. Why?

Because it’s fun, is my answer. Trying to find a logical reason for the tiny things is more fun than trying to find ones for the big holes, since the latter ones usually strain credulity and boil down to “the plot needed it”.

It’s a sign of affection, I swear; we care enough about the franchise to try and make the bloody thing make sense.

So, who wants to talk about Gurren Lagann?

How many have seen Gundam Wing, Gundam SEED, G Gundam, and Gundam 00?

How many are girls?

Now, I’ve noticed something that’s a bit odd with the Gundam franchise. While for the most part, it seems to be a bastion of geeky boys (while I’m sure they exist, I’ve met few girls who make model Gundams), there are a few recent series that seem to have an audience and fanbase that is a rather hefty percent female. These series are Gundam Wing, Gundam SEED, Gundam SEED Destiny, Gundam 00, and G Gundam. The other, older Gundam series – Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket, Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam - don’t have this demographic.

Did you ever wonder why?

Mobile Suit Gundam: this artwork makes me cry a little, inside

I did, actually, and I have decided to share my insights with you. Now, granted, I have only seen SEED, Wing, Destiny, and G, so I could be mistaken in my assumptions. However, I think that there are number of distinct differences between the older and newer Gundam series that explain this split in the audience.

Now, all of the Gundam series have a lot in common; Gundams, for one, as well as war, the idea of pacifism, human evolution, and a mysterious blond guy with a mask. They have dynamic characters that grow and change over the course of the series, and the main characters are often teenagers. Aside from the ethics of having teenagers in war zones, this makes it easier for the audience to relate to the protagonist(s).

All of these are a cut above the standard shonen series: disconnected episodes of the protagonist defeating the villain of the week, and chattering on about the power of friendship and teamwork. So what’s so different about the later series that makes them more popular with girls?

Gundam SEED: Kira and Athrun, star crossed (lovers) friends

From what I’ve heard, Gundam SEED, Gundam SEED Destiny, Gundam Wing, and Gundam 00 (I’ll get to G Gundam later) have a few things that are missing from the older series. While the politics, war, and ethical issues are still important, the characters and their development are much more the focus of the series. The thoughts and feelings are more expressed, more interesting, and just better realized. In the older series, the focus was on the battles the pilots were in, and the sides they were on. These are important in the later ones too, but we get to feel the dilemma Kira faces when he has to choose between protecting his friends and rejoining his ‘own kind’. We see how it feels for him to have to fight his best friend, even when they believe the same things. In Wing, in addition to the secret missions, the politics, and the backstabbing, we get to feel the psychological effects of having teenagers sent to fight on their own and then abandoned by their handlers.

Additionally, the character designs and the art in general has improved. Gundam 00 in paticular is known for its pretty boys, and Gundam Wing is known as a gateway anime for many fangirls who are into slash.

Gundam 00: very, very pretty boys

This could be completely inaccurate; for all I know, Zeta has ridiculously pretty boys who spend all their time sobbing. But the things is, that’s not what us girls hear, or see. The art we see from the older series are invariably grainy shots of giant robots, which, while cool, can get really old, really quickly. And when boys fansqueal over the older series, they always seem to be talking about how either the new series have ripped off a particular idea, or about how the older fight scenes were way better than the new ones.

In addition, Wing and SEED were shown on Cartoon Network during the Toonami programming block in the years when the anime market was exploding, and gaining more and more female fans in general. For many of us, one of our first animes was one of these two series.

All these factors mean that girls are far more likely to have seen and enjoyed the newer Gundam series than the older ones. And, if the creators keep this up, girls will keep watching them. And making fanart. And writing fanfics. And having meta-discussions. And cosplaying…

There probably won’t be much model making though.

A note for anyone who was paying attention: I never explained why girls like G Gundam. It’s actually less that girls in particular like it than hard-core Gundam fans (who are overwhelmingly male) hate it. The whole idea and general execution is utterly absurd, from the catch phrase “Shining Finger” to the finale, which involves the main fighter yelling “Love-love!” and a horse inside a Gundam cockpit. The whole anime is silly and over the top and (if you have a good sense of humor) utterly brilliant. Of course, if you spend your free time seriously discussing the politics of the original Gundam series, and how the technology of so-and-so world feeds into its political structure, you might not take kindly to a series that is so clearly making fun of the entire francise. G Gundam also aired with Gundam SEED and Gundam Wing in the Toonami time slot; I didn’t even know it was so hated until I ran into ‘true’ Gundam fans.

G Gundam: Oh, the absurdity