Tomorrow night is our April “Anime at the Palace” and Strike Witches is one of the two titles we’ll be screening.  If you’ve been following the English release of this show, you’re aware that FUNimation came up with a particularly unique marketing campaign. We’ll be filming a spot for their blog, so there will be extra excitement in store for the evening.  For all the details see our At The Palace page.

Our Winter 2010 “Anime on the Big Screen” mini-con takes place on Saturday, February 20th.  A full day of anime entertainment is in store from 12:00 noon to 10:00 pm; doors open at 11:30 am.  Advance sale tickets on sale soon!

Keep checking back here for the schedule and other details as they are announced.

This event will feature our first silent auction.  Items are still coming in, but so far we have several manga lots (with many out-of-print and hard-to-find titles), DVDs, and other anime merchandise.  Most are CLAMP related, but some we have some other popular titles as well.  At last count we had over 30 lots – surely something to temp everyone!

If you want to bid, register to receive a Bidder ID# which you will use when placing each bid.  Bidding will begin at 5:30 when doors open and continue until 10:30pm.  You need not be present at the close of the auction to win, but be very sure to clearly list your contact information when you register so we know how to reach you.  All items will also have the option of a “Buy Now” price if you see something you must have, but to do so will require immediate payment.

We will accept payment for auction items by cash or check.  We also plan to have PayPal as a payment option, but you might want to bring a back up lest the technology imps interfere with our access.

Happy bidding and best of luck!

For details on where the Palace is located and what to do once you get there see our Venues page.  Listed are all those little things like directions, where to put the car, and a few eateries within walking distance if you want to fill up beforehand.

Also, it looks like we’re in for a bit of rain (again).  As any resident of Upstate New York knows, anything could happen weather-wise between now and tomorrow night, but you might want to plan ahead lest you be stuck in drippy cosplay for the entire night.

To get your advance sale pass to our Summer “Anime on the Big Screen” CLAMP anniversary celebration, go to the shop at RandomFandom.com (PayPal accepted!).  Remember to print your receipt to present at the door as proof of purchase! Pre-sale tickets are only $8.00, save $2.00 off the at the door price! You only have until Thursday 11:00 pm (EST) to get the discount!

We are constantly flooded with questions as to whether or not certain anime is age appropriate for children of a particular age.  Given that every individual is different and each household maintains their own set of values, we can’t make that judgment for you.  As a guideline, we list next to each anime title is the US Television Rating code provided by the Licensing company, which are -

* TV-G  (Appropriate for all ages)
* TV-PG  (Parental guidance suggested)
* TV-14  (Recommended for people 14 or older)
* TV-MA  (Recommended for people 17 or older; May contain some strong language and violence)

There is also a weblink for each title to direct you to more information on a particular series or movie.  Click to learn more about the subject matter of the series.

We make a careful attempt to select titles that are suitable for the average anime audience.  The 14 & up titles may contain some four-letter words, [comparatively] brief amounts of bloodshed and fantasy violence (read: monster slashing).  None of the titles contain any gratuitous nudity or sexual content.

Anime is a product of Japan and created according to their cultural standards.  Animation there is a medium for programming for small children to teenagers to mature adult content.  Shows targeted at a particular group there may contain material that would be restricted here – speaking plainly, it’s simply a cultural difference.

Also, age cut-offs are suggestions and may vary between references.  Many North American distributors make recommendations using 13 years as a cut-off, while other retailers use 15 years.  Just as with the Parental Guidelines, this is a general suggestion.  There are very mature 12 year olds and very sensitive 16 year olds.  Where one kid might find a villain to be funny, another might be frightened – everyone is different.

You know your kids best, so it is up to you to make the final decision.  If you or your tween are sensitve to even a small amount of blood, it might be a good excuse to grab a snack, check out the games, or visit our vendors.  If, however, you took your kindergardener to The Dark Knight or 300, well they probably aren’t going to see too much new here…

… if you came here in a panic because you didn’t see your favourite CLAMP show listed among our featured titles, fear not.   We at Anime Syracuse each have different titles that we love and obsess over, so we are working hard to see that they are all represented at the event.  And we mean ALL of them – a full retrospective.  The tricky bit is that all the various anime are licensed by just about every North American distributor, and some of them are out of print.  We will update our list of titles as they are confirmed.

Please also note that the titles are listed alphabetically – this is not the schedule for the event.  That will be announced closer to the actual date.  We can tell you now that the more youth oriented titles will play early on, while the more adult themed will show well after dark.  Keep checking back for the latest info!

Anime Syracuse kicks off our “Anime on the Big Screen” series on Friday, August 21st at the Palace Theater. Our theme will be a CLAMP 20th Anniversary Celebration. Please continue to check our site as more information, including show schedule, is confirmed. There will be space available for a limited number of vendors and artists, so to reserve a table, please contact us.

Those of us familiar to CNY weather know that it is always one thing – subject to change!

Our forecast for tomorrow looks promising, with a summery day in the 70′s in store.  However, there is a chance of thunderstorms, especially toward the afternoon, so plan accordingly.

Also, this is the point where we should probably remind you about your own temperature.  No matter how cool it is indoors, once you add a bunch of people, the temperature begins to rise.  Add in lots of layers of cosplay, and you and your fellow con-goers could get stuffy.  So try to think ahead!  If you can, opt for breathable fabrics and/or maybe something loser fitting, and bring an umbrella or raincoat if it’s cloudy.  And be sure to drink water and eat some food during the day!

Wet or dry, we’ll see you there!

Here is the current schedule for the Theater on Festival Day:

10:00 AM  AMVs
10:30 AM  Mushi-shi, ep 1  (TV-14)
11:00 AM  Hikaru no Go, ep 1  (TV-G)
11:30 AM  Gankutsuou, The Count of Monte Cristo, ep 1  ( TV-MA)
12:00 PM  Baccano, ep 1  (TV-MA)
12:30 PM  Baccano, ep 2  (TV-MA)
1:00 PM  Tokyo Maijin, ep 1  (TV-MA)
1:30 PM  School Rumble, ep 1  (TV-PG)
2:00 PM  Darker Than Black, ep 1  (TV-MA)
2:30 PM  Darker Than Black, ep 2  (TV-MA)
3:00 PM  Claymore, ep 1  (TV-MA)
3:30 PM  Ouran High School Host Club, ep 15  (TV-14)
4:00 PM  Cosplay Finals
4:30 PM  Raffle Drawing, Closing Remarks

Please note this can be subject to change!

Parents:  Included next to each anime title is the US Television Rating code provided by the Licensing company, which are -

* TV-G  (Appropriate for all ages)
* TV-PG  (Parental guidance suggested)
* TV-14  (Recommended for people 14 or older)
* TV-MA  (Recommended for people 16 or older; May contain some strong language and violence)

Click on the link for each title to learn more about the subject matter of the series.  We made a careful attempt to select titles that are suitable for the average anime audience.  The 16 & up titles may contain some four-letter words, [comparatively] brief amounts of bloodshed and fantasy violence (read: zombie and monster slashing).  None of the titles contain any sexual content or gratuitous nudity; at most there may be casual flirting and eyebrow raised innuendo.

The anime titles selected are, as originally intended, for teenage and adult audiances.  Though animated, none of these shows are considered to be entertainment specifically for young children.  You know your kids best, so it is up to you to make the final decision.  If you or your tween are sensitve to even a small amount of blood, it might be a good excuse to grab a snack, check out the Go Club, or visit our vendors.  If, however, you took your kindergardener to The Dark Knight or 300, well they probably aren’t going to see too much new here…