In Victoria, BC Hyoga Onda Says His New Store, Otaki Aims To Fill A Missing Niche

Hyoga Onda grew up watching the anime his father loved, and he promises to stay on top of current trends too in terms of what stock to bring in next.

Hyoga OndaThe Onda clan wants to reinvigorate Downtown Victoria and that’s because it’s become a shadow of its former self these days–especially for the area their two stores operate in. This family opened up a new shop called Otaki designed to cater specifically to the aficionados of Japanese culture and what’s available are lots of instant ramen (at least 30 flavours) from their sister operation, along with lots of models–mostly stuff one can’t find elsewhere. The selection is based on what they think a fan of classic and current anime can be proud of showing off.

There’s a large variety of plastic models one can buy, and it’s not just about Gundam Seed; there’s also other anime goods and fashion accessories, which range from stuffed dolls to clothing! The selection will change as they experiment with testing the waters regarding what sells and what doesn’t. But for someone wanting products that other nearby operations don’t carry enough of, this place is it!

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The Deets on Island Fancon According to Lonnie Eckardt, An Interview

… and we have reactions from the fandom community far and wide about Island FanCom, taking place mid-april!

Lonnie Eckardt, Spokesman for Island FanConLonnie Eckardt has been passionate about all things pop culture for as long as he can remember. And after spending time at Northern FanCon not only as an attendee back when they first started in 2015 but also as a president in the latter years since 2021, he’s decided to bring some of that vibe to Langford, BC! This sibling event known as Island FanCon is being run by a dedicated group of individuals from this community.

As he’s no stranger to event organisation and after a decade living in the Dogpatch (a term used back in the 90s than today), it will be difficult to sway some people who have opinions about this part of Greater Victoria. But since Lonnie is up-to-date in seeing how this sleepy township has grown, he felt it was time to set up a celebration locals can like. The response has largely been positive.

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The Best Five Genre Films to See at the Victoria Film Festival’s 30th Anniversary

Not every milestone year can be perfect, but I try to be fair about what the Victoria Film Festival offers, especially when the 25th didn’t live up to my expectations.

Victoria Film Festival Current LogoWhile there aren’t enough movies to make a top ten picks of nerdy films playing at the Victoria Film Festival‘s 30th year, that’s only because I’m selecting works that I haven’t seen before and am truly interested in. My expectations after experiencing their 20th are hard to top and what I’ve witnessed over the decade is like a sine wave. Their 25th showed them trying to include new venues and making sure there’s works that’ll appeal to non film buffs.

I’m surprised that even now, they and Tsukino Con (the Uvic Anime Club) haven’t decided to partner up. This anime event takes place after the festival, and to work together to offer up the latest Japanese animated film feels like a missed opportunity to help each other out.

It’s tough to offer an movie event celebration that has a bit of everything to cater to all levels of tastes and genres. There was even a year where the organisers experimented with the next wave–with the use of virtual reality–but now there’s little interest in choosing your own adventure storytelling; at least this show is adaptive. As for being a place to find niche genre works, it’s tough to call dibs not to get those films that matter–which I’ve seen elsewhere.

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TheNFB at Victoria Film Festival 2024 News

In what’s special about this year’s spotlight on TheNFB’s programming is that they are staying current on what’s important that locals should really know about this province and Canada’s future.

National Film Board of Canada TheNFB LogoFebruary 2 to 11, 2024
Victoria, British Columbia
Various Venues

The 30th edition of the Victoria Film Festival (VFF) will soon be here, and this year, the National Film Board of Canada (TheNFB) have four works being presented. Two are documentaries, and the other are shorts to be offered in their respective programs.

The Girl with the Red Beret PosterI’m particularly interested in The Girl with the Red Beret by Janet Perlman. It was named Best International Short at the Los Angeles Animation Festival and may well check this out along with the mini documentary, Modern Goose. Both are part of the “Returning” program (ticket link), playing Feb 9, 2024. This showcase’s theme is simply about coming home, going back and unfinished business.

Details on the feature length works are as follows:

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Guest Line Up for Fan Expo Vancouver 2024 Announced!

Let the first round of announcement begins. This week are media guests slated to appear at Fan Expo Vancouver 2024 and next will be voice over talent !

Fan Expo VancouverIn the first week of November, the organisers of Fan Expo Vancouver 2024 announced their first line up of guests, and it’s a doozy! Not only will attendees get to meet up with two members from Charmed, but also they can get Mythbusted! That is, attendees can get to meet Holly Marie Combs and Rose McGowan, and also Adam Savage! But they’re not the only big names who will be coming to town! I suspect there’ll be at least a dozen names who will grace Terminal City late winter, and so far, the lineup looks great!

Fan Expo Vancouver Adam Savage

But the big kahuna that we all love (no, it’s not The Rock), Danny Trejo, is coming to town! This beloved character actor is a favourite of mine not only because of Spy Kids but also his dedication to the independent film world. I’m thinking about his appearance in Bullets of Justice. (movie review link) I love the fact he’s the people’s champion since he comes from a rough and tumble background, and found success to keep him away from trouble!

Also, for fans of Daredevil, Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio will be together again to talk about their work on the Netflix series. While he’s better known to sling a staff, will there be webs afoot too? I mostly know about this superhero’s antics through the Spider-Man crossover comics, and as for whether it’s possible to get someone from Sony to talk about crossover potentials between Netflix to Hollywood-made, I’m holding out hope!

To keep up with the latest announcements and last minute cancellations (it’s inevitable), please visit Fan Expo Vancouver 2024’s Facebook page or Twitter. Or stay tuned as we offer updates too, and offer some personal thoughts as to whom we’re excited to see come February BC Family Day Long Weekend (Feb 19)!

Anime, TheNFB and the 2023 Vancouver Asian Film Festival – Top Animated Picks

We offer our top animated picks that’ll be playing this weekend at the Vancouver Asian Film Festival!

National Film Board of Canada LOGOThe 2023 Vancouver Asian Film Festival is taking place this weekend, and out of everything being offered this year, it’s their Animated Shorts Program that has my interest. That’s because the National Film Board of Canada is presenting two special shorts. Also, the anime Gonta: The Story of The Two-Named Dog in The Fukushima Disaster is playing at this event!

I’m tempted to head over to see the film and make a weekend out of being in the big city. While I’m still deciding, I should also mention two other works in the shorts’ presentation, including Bride’s Dream and Galactic Canine Space Force!

Thankfully, ahead of their BC premiere screening, I got to preview TheNFB’s works, and have a quick review. Disclaimer: beware of spoilers.

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