2chan.us

Since you replied to this, I feel compelled to respond. I used to be the Executive Editor of Newtype USA and feel strongly about this.

No, Otaku USA is not a “good pub.” It’s a magazine that stole its ideas, format, look, “USA” suffix, DVD and layout from Newtype USA and banked largely on consumer confusion at the newsstand to sell issues (which got even easier when NTUSA went away, lucky for you guys). You proceeded to trumpet how unbiased a magazine it was while often having large news items/features promoting books the magazine’s editors and contributors had written. And you printed columns on vinyl toys written by a guy who makes a living selling those same toys and often spent lots of real estate promoting his own merchandise. Unbiased? Hardly. Finally, for a magazine that claims to be for only the “hardcore” fans Otaku USA has spent its last 3 recent months peddling only mainstream titles like Naruto, Bleach and Dragon Ball Z on its cover–apparently in a vaguely Beckett Anime-style attempt to sell issues. What’s on your next cover, InuYasha? One Piece? Oh, maybe Bleach again?

Let’s call a spade a spade. Otaku USA was conceived from the beginning as a Newtype USA copycat and will always be a poorly executed, amateurish dupe in my eyes. (Despite having the opportunity to do something original or fill the void left by Animerica’s departure.) My only regret is that ADV’s ill-advised business “tactics” in late 2007 caused Kadokawa to pull the Newtype license before Otaku USA fell back into the porta-potty from whence it came. Hopefully though, as your pool of anime advertisers shrinks and costs of paper/postage and that free DVD go up, you’re circling the bowl. Since you feel the need to advertise the mere existence of your magazine in a PiQ topic, maybe that time is near. I can only hope.

Sure I’m bitter. But when someone attempts to copy your act so completely like the way OUSA did (badly, thankfully–but it may have fooled some) I think I’m entitled.

Now, I don’t know much about this whole magazine thing, but isn’t the writing quality more important than having “USA” in the name? I guess not when all your articles were translated from Japanese anyway.

So it turns out that the doujin of cute girls wearing headphones that I bought last winter at the dirt cheap price of 8000 yen is getting a reprint and then some. And KEI is doing an artbook too? What’s the world coming to? Before you know it, all this increased supply will drive those poor, poor scalpers out of business!

(so fucking bitter right now)

update 6/25: new improved moonruneless hyper link

Maybe now I won’t have to hear quite as many Kooky Japan stories at school?

And here I was, thinking that I was being a fool for hoping that 2ch would manage to have some pull on a big corporation after seeing signs of the stink on itai.

(real posts about more important things (MY ANIMES) to resume next week maybe)

A 25-year-old yakuza named Tomohiro Kato completely ruined everyone’s day just now, driving into a crowd in Akihabara and then stabbing 15 people, with 5 of them in cardiac arrest. The pointless TV media attention has just been dying down, but now I guess it’ll be back for a while, and even worse. Patrick thinks it’s going to mess up everything, but hopefully it’s going to reflect badly on the Yakuza and not on the Tsukihime remake!?

alex: I’m going to be hearing about this for fucking weeks
alex: holy shit it was right out side the fucking sofmap

Live report from a maid and japanese akibablog