Residual Envy Over Montreal...

While this post is one week late in reference to the event dates, the sentiment still rages on:

I AM OVERFLOWING WITH ANIME-INDUCED ENVY DIRECTED AT MONTREAL.

... And it's still running high since I first discovered what all I missed out on with Otakuthon 2010...

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Regular readers will find this frenzied, age-inappropriate expression of love for anime/manga to be no surprise at all. New readers will more than likely cancel their subscription upon reading the depths of my otaku-ness for the medium.

In either case, brace yourselves for a decent amount of fan-girling.

In December 2009, I christened the 7th-11th as the First Official Ani-Manga Extravaganza!! here at Cute, Queer, Canada. With the help of the ever-reliable Wikipedia, I outlined the history of Yuri manga (aka. a genre catering to queer women and other "girls' love" fans) and even introduced readers to popular series including the melodramatic Aoi Hana and the parodic Strawberry Panic. In the past few months, I have scoured the vastness of the Internet to find more relevant series to share with readers and I have been rewarded nicely for my efforts (more to come on that front).

Anyhow, that week for Tunes for Tuesdays, I stumbled across the magical, almost manga-scripted tale of Catherine St-Onge (aka. HIMEKA), a French-Canadian girl who won the Second Annual Animax Anison Grand Prix in 2008 and launched her career as an anime singer with Sony Music Japan. Serious, it is one impressive story and I suggest you click over to the link before continuing with this post.

*Crosses arms, leans against the wall*

....

*Checks her watch, wonders when the 'rents will return with that promised Dairy Queen*

Welcome back.

.... Now, imagine the shock I felt when I read that one of the Guests of Honour for Otakuthon 2010 was none other than our girl, HIMEKA, herself.

.... Now imagine the welling frustration I felt as I glanced at the calendar and realized, "Oh. It's August 11th. And Otakuthon starts on Aug. 13th. Well, kuso..."

I turned to YouTube and drowned the initial sorrow with a newish HIMEKA PV for the single, "Hatenaki Michi" (2009):

Oh, but the personal tragedy does not end there.

No, no.

As I explored the official Otakuthon website further, I landed upon a new section to this year's convention. It is the maiden voyage of an event dedicated to a certain sub-genre within the manga circles of the West, a singular set of titles that are often overlooked or otherwise ignored even at large-scale anime conventions across North America.

What on Earth could it be? What is it that could put Miz Moffatt's envious self over the edge?

.... 2010 is the FIRST TIME that Otakuthon has hosted an individual, stand-alone YURITHON for visitors.

YURI.

AN ENTIRE SERIES OF EVENTS FOCUSED ON YURI CONTENT.

*Choking on her own misfortune*

As far as I am aware, this is the first full-scale anime/manga convention in Canada to directly cater to Yuri fans with distinct programming separate from the massive popularity that is the Yaoi genre (aka. "boys' love," or gay boy content).

God love the French for being ahead of the times.

I have nothing against the gay boys -- in fact, I am a fan of a couple of series (including the Canadian-based, manga-styled series, Honeydew Syndrome, by autobrig, also known at Nuu and Schumie). It's here, it's queer -- I love it. But, as with anything related to queer women, there is not ever enough. At these conventions, Yuri is often paired with Yaoi, with a definite favoritism toward Yaoi in all cases (as in, there might be one airing of a Yuri anime to every ten airings of Yaoi anime). Finding vendors is even more difficult.

Ah, the plight of a nerdtastic, gay gal in the North. The things I suffer for my fandom, I tell you.

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And now, readers are permitted to uncover their eyes and quickly click over to the next blog on their circuit. And I permit myself to start planning a trek to Montreal this time next year.