Chuck's Anime Shrine Upgrades and More

I've been busy at work, coding like I've never coded before ^^;;  Lots of cool updates, features and future projects to talk about today.

Blog Adjustments

First off, you will see some changes to the blog.  I finally updated the rotating photos from what I had months ago.  I also added some colored text to the main links, a popular posts widget, a faster loading anime store products feed (sadly having to drop the image thumbnails for now ^^;) and an "(M)" link up top to represent the Member's Blog so hopefully there's even more exposure for anyone willing to participate in the anime blogging.

Introducing the Kawaii Section (ran by my fiancee, Danielle ^_^)


Though this site is called Chuck's Anime Shrine, it's for years had a second person behind the scenes, my fiancee Danielle.  That pink link you see up top directs you to the new section on the site; kawaii.chucksanimeshrine.com.  Her Sweet Kawaii blog is meant to be the more cute, feminine version of this blog.  I tend to show anime girls and stuff us guys (or girls) might like but Danielle will for example have Fan Service Friday posts that show off the anime guys that make the fan girls nose bleed ^^;;  She also talks about cute and funny anime series that we've been watching on sites like crunchyroll or in general.  As that section grows, you will see more kawaii-based selections and even a store of Danielle's custom kawaii-styled items.




Anime Store Upgrades and Business Cards

Ah, back are the nights of coding and the inevitable debugging that happens since I've learned that there truly is no cut and paste, turn-key feature in computing.  It usually involves you drinking some coffee (or energy drinks) and kissing your nights of sleep away.


First off, some of you have noticed that I've set up a true 128 bit security to the site.  Since I originally used the external Paypal module for paypal and direct credit card payments, all was safe anyways for everyone shopping in the anime store since Paypal ran the security of data.  Sometimes an extra level of security is needed so I simply had to add the security.  One kickback though is that you guys do have to make sure your browser's cookies are running;  I know us anime fans are keen on being as anonymous as possible but don't worry, the cookies won't be omnomnom-ed by me.  Speaking about being anonymous,   I've removed the need to include your phone number when you sign up for an account in the store.  We know more than others how email and social networks are a more convenient, less intrusive way of communication and if I don't show my phone number (unless asked for in correspondence with orders), why should you.  


I've also added Amazon Checkout to the store, so now if you don't like Paypal or just shop on Amazon more...you are covered ^_^  If you want to pay via a direct credit card...you still need to use Paypal's module though ^^;;  chances are in time I might add an Authorize.net setup for those not wanting to even deal with Paypal in any way.


I'm currently in the process of getting Google Checkout working for the site too ^^.  Some of you might have seen it live the past few days but there's some sort of error with shipping charges I'm feverishly trying to debug ^^;;


One little bonus about Amazon Checkout (and Google Checkout once I fix it) is that you don't even have to make an account on my site to pay for the order ^_^ 


From the top image you will see one other bit of anime store news; I have business cards now! (address edited out in the photo)  Yeah, I should have had them a while ago but hey, better late than never ^^;;


Updates in the works...


Of course there's more on the way.  First off, that Banner Artist section I promised back in July is my next task up on the chopping block.  Again, my apologies for the delays guys ^^;;


There's also the Anime Sanctuaries that I started months ago, more AMVs and flash animations (yes after all these years), a section for the mascots Fumi, Yumi and Lily (and a mobile game?) and with me possibly becoming an anime and videogame voice actor... a section showcasing my voice demos and hopefully a list of the characters I'll be the voice of.


For those wondering about the kanji in the business card.. the left one says "Anime Shrine" the kanji on the right says, "Fumi Yumi Lily" (well "Riri"...there's no "Li" symbol ^^)

Legend of Zelda Turns 25

Today marks the 25th Anniversary of The Legend of Zelda.  At 27 I'm old enough to remember this debut.  Though I was only 2 at the time of it's release, I enjoyed this very tough and in-depth video game for the time.  The legend of a franchise it has become since then continues to rope in gamers young and old.  Like others, at first I thought Zelda was the name of Link but obviously that was corrected quickly.  Great memories in my life can be pinged to playing the SNES's A Link To The Past and the N64's Ocarina of Time.  I've not forgotten the games that have come out since but admittingly, I've only played them a few hours apiece  (for now).

Congrats again Miyomoto-san for another milestone in yet another genre creating game.  As an aspiring game programmer, anime fan and life-long gamer, I salute you and another 25 years of epic gaming.

FanServiceFriday: 2/18/11 Senjougahara Hitagi

Couldn't leave the weekend without a Fan Service Friday post.  This absolutely stunning picture of Bakemonogatari's Senjougahara Hitagi was done by G Scream.  The picture up top is cropped and optimized for the internets but here's the full image.

Live Action Akira Movie: Harry Potter's Steve Kloves Joins the Crew

 
A few years ago Leonardo DiCaprio, who's apparently an avid anime fan, pitched the idea to make a live action Akira movie with his studio, Appian Way.  Heck since the 90's a live action Akira has been passed around to us all with all the typical Hollywood toss-around.  Unlike the Cowboy Bebop Movie which is still in the dark (unless somebody can tell me more info other than "Keanu is Spike"), this movie is gaining some ground in production. 

As announced on Variety,  Harry Potter's (well 7 of the 8 movies) script writer, Steve Kloves has joined the Akira Movie team.  Hopefully, like Harry Potter, he takes the spirit of the original media and makes it something of awe on the big screen.  Capturing the spirit of anime in both art and movies, has been a struggle for the West; this has much hope though.

Word has it that Morgan Freeman will be Colonel Shikishima and James Franco will be Shotaro Kaneda.  Also supposedly today Brad Pitt rejected a role for the movie.  So, in other words, this is being taken seriously by all involved and not simply thrown under a rug.  If done right, this might actually seem like a decent, big budget anime-to-hollywood production. 

After the terrible let down the Dragon Ball movie was...we'll have to wait and see. (speaking of which, there is maybe hope and retribution with that.)

Valentine's Day 2011

Just wanting to wish everyone a Happy Valentine's Day ^_^  I know some of you might not have a Valentine but cheer up.  Maybe there's an anime girl or guy you have a crush on; don't lose that feeling and keep the anime hobby going because one day, you may not be "forever alone" (unless you want to be).

Danielle and I were going to continue our Valentine's Day tradition of having all you can eat sushi at Sushi Park here on Long Island....but to our horrible surprise....the place is gone :-(  Yet another terrible realization of how pathetic Long Island has become. Don't let popular babel fool you; this area is like Detroit but in 100% complete denial that there is a problem with high cost of living, falling businesses and public workers stealing the life out of the youth who are just trying to get by.  High property taxes and fat cow typical bratty American customers are probably what brought the place down (Yelp commentors for the place are going to feel my wrath!! -_-)

Anyways, don't need to make this a negative post, but Sushi Park was where I proposed to Danielle so it's a heartbreak on this a day to give thanks to having a relationship.  Still, there are more important things in life but a better place to life for Danielle and my future family is a reality that will have to be dealt with..and what looks to be a fantasy for this Wrong Island we live on. 

If you are alone on this day; don't sweat it, at least feel comfort that there are others out there just like you and thus you are not alone.  For those of us in a relationship, don't let the little things get in the way of what is most important and remember a good relationship is meant to out live many aspects of our lives we might have thought were going to stay (like our favorite sushi restaurant -_-).  So always be humble and thankful and never think you've already lived your best days.

A Return to the Adventures in Voice Acting Workshops

 

Remember last year when I attended the two Adventures in Voice Acting workshops by Bang! Zoom! Studios?  Well, though I've yet to make a demo and then do auditions (^^;;) Bang! Zoom! thankfully is doing a third Advanced Class in New York on March 13 for those of us who did the other classes.  I'll be going there so if anyone from the prior classes is reading this...sign up.  Immediately saw the email and signed up ...probably shocked Bang! Zoom! when they saw my payment as soon as their email went out ^^;;

This one I'll be doing mainly game demos and maybe some anime ADR again too.  From this I'll probably have a demo to use for auditions...so who knows, in a year or sooner, I'll be doing the voices for anime that's currently being run in Japan.

(It'll be over at Edge Studios again, can't wait)

It's Official, Pirated Anime MAKES the Industry Money!

Anime pirating and fan dubbing isn't as evil as the execs/producers of studios say it is.

What us fans have known for years has finally been studied and proven true by Japan’s Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI).  They stated from their studies that not only does pirating and torrents prove harmless to the anime businesses...they actually HELP the industry.

Here's the info from the myce.com post ,  the paper on the study found here.

"The study examined 105 anime episodes that were posted on YouTube and Winny, a Japanese peer-to-peer file-sharing program. In the case of those posted on YouTube, researchers found that the illegal copy had no negative impact on either the subsequent DVD rentals or sales of the program. Winny, however, did negatively impact the program’s DVD rentals, but did not, in fact, cause a decline in sales of the DVD.

“Youtube’s effect of boosting DVD sales can be seen after the TV’s broadcasting of the series has concluded, which suggests that not just a few people learned about the program via a Youtube viewing. In other words YouTube can be interpreted as a promotion tool for DVD sales,” the researchers state in the abstract of their paper."

I'll also put my 2 cents in here as both an anime store owner...viral marketing boosts ANY sales.  If you do not understand the power of free viral marketing..your company will die in this day and age.  Holding on to localization, embargos, licensing clusterf%^s or any other old hat business models; expect sales to fall and don't blame piracy for your shortcomings.

To this day I get people telling me that the AMVs I made way back in 2003 are what got them into anime.  I was going to set an entire blog post for this bit of news but I'll let this out here;  my total sales for 2010 in my legit anime business was about $150,000;  the highest sales year I've ever had!  I still feel you should pirate as little as possible if not at all, but if a series or figures are stupidly "kept in Japan only until the licensees determine when gaijin can see it", obviously there's really no other way for you to buy what you are looking for.

Listen, anime studios and figure makers, I'm talking to you as the front line to your profits and sales;  yes the economy has been rough, yes there has been some changes to media that has made whole studios go out of business but instead of pointing fingers at the hands that feed you (Like with the completely heinous act of forcing Funimation to sue torrentors for One Piece and Fractal); look in the mirror and realize why YOU are why your sales might be down.  As the UK’s Strategic Advisory Board for Intellectual Property Policy stated in their own similar study with music and video content, your numbers are “insufficient in order to make a case for copyright.”

Anime studios and figure makers, again I'm talking to you.  You do realize that the US dollar has lost to the yen right?  2+ years ago it was 120 yen to $1...now it's 80 yen to the dollar.  As somebody who has to wire over 500,000 yen at a time..I feel it and the fact that Japan's government won't weaken the yen is why you probably don't see that extra yen to you.  Also, you need to realize that anime fans exist world wide.  The more you do shit like this (GSC not letting non-japanese anime stores and customers nab the amazing new Wonfest 2011 figures) or the more you prevent any anime series to be dubbed/sold world wide, the more you will see fan dubbing and pirating.  Is our money not good enough for you?  I have a number of customers who are begging me for those items but I have no way to get them...you won't let us buy them.  How else are my customers able to get the anime they want to see?  They are willing to pay for it but you won't open the doors to them.

Here's some other cost cutting measures:
How about your execs?  I'm certain some of them make more money than they should.  How about the whole licensing situation?  The thousands upon thousands of dollars (100,000s of yen) that's basically used to "insure" copyrights and gets shared by a number of companies in what by diagram can be viewed as a genuine clusterf^*#?

You all relize that in this day and age the content creators can run everything from start to finish and own all their rights and command their own items now, right?  (Look at Cenceroll, iPhone apps like Angry Birds as an example)  Again, don't go crying about sales drops (and exaggerating the numbers) and blaming pirates.  I do implore anime fans to make sure they buy their anime one way or another...but they are buying it and that's not being stated.  Instead, the "woe is me" card is being passe around.  If a series is good enough, people will buy it. They might pirate it and then buy it...but the end result is what you all are looking for and what I look for as well as a retailer, blogger, webmaster and fan.

 If a person claims they are hungry when everything around them is a buffet, they deserve to starve.  Some anime and all movie, music studios claim they are "hungry" but around them is a buffet so get eating on your own..or starve..and you'd have nobody to blame for your fall but yourself.

 Here's the video from yesterday's G4 Attack of the Show video on this news.

Sorry Sara Underwood, though the general US public is cheap, and derpy and yes would probably just pirate;  American anime fans are not your typical American and they will buy their anime.  Keep pretending to be a gamer, geek and anime fan like the rest of the G4 crew...one day people might believe you.

MoeMonday 2/4/11 Winter Angel

More winter, more snow and ice.  At least I brought back MoeMonday...here's a snow anime angel to remind you that it's still winter here on this part of the planet.

Final Fantasy XIII-2

How in the hell this fell through my radar is beyond me.  Anyways, for those who didn't see this, Square-Enix previewed a sequel to Final Fantasy XIII and Lightning looks badass.  (Can't wait until the figures come out for this one ^_^)

Check out the video below:

 

(yes, I'm a typical otaku...Super Bowl is on and I'm doing anything but watching the game...but then again, I'm a Jets fan so you know why else I'm not watching it. -_-)

FanService Friday 2/4/11

With most of the nation covered in ice and snow...thought this would be a site for sore eyes..that I finally got back to blogging, of course.