Team SITCAS was on stage. Tons of dancing filled the Auditorium. It was time for some Cosplay Chess!

This year's theme was Magic VS Science, with Link representing magic and Professor Oak playing for science. I'll be honest that this year could've used a bit more rehearsal time, as there were many technical errors throughout the show. Nevertheless the crowd was really into seeing the battles between their favorite anime and video games. (Having Queens of the Stone Age play during Bioshock's Little Sister character battles was a nice touch, in my opinion.) In short: this year's Cosplay Chess was entertaining but flawed. Here's hoping that the Cosplay Dodgeball game they announced for next year will be a lot more fun to watch.

Alas this was to be the final main event today, as the only thing left was the Closing Ceremonies. The guests this year gave their final bow for 2011, and it was time to close the book in Anime Boston 2011. Anime Boston 2012 was announced for April 6-8 of next year. The main issue with these dates is that it falls on the same period as PAX East. The staff at Anime Boston has reassured everyone that there will be a way for people to go to both. How they will do that is still up in the air, though.

I will say that Anime Boston 2011 was an improvement from this year. They went all-out on the guests and panels, and made sure that everyone had something to do during the entire duration. However I do believe that they should work on trying to avoid various technical difficulties that would've been simple to steer clear of (i.e.: music cues, video errors). Also I believe that seating really needs to be fixed in regards to the Main Auditorium, at least from the Press perspective. Where they have us sit is too far to the right, and because of that we missed a lot of the video-based stuff that was part of Masquerade. (One skit involving Deathsmiles was done in a silent film style, and the words could only be seen on the center screen. Because of that the majority of the people on the right-hand side missed on half of the bit.)

One other thing that should be fixed this year is the overlapping. Too many of the more popular events wound up running at the same time, so it made it difficult to cover everything. This was heavily evident in the timings of the Hentai Dubbings and the stereopony concert, and while I really enjoyed laughing my head off during the Dubbings I still wish I could've seen stereopony, as well. I don't regret my decision, but I'm disappointed that I never got the chance to see the band perform live.

As Anime Boston 2012 will be its tenth anniversary I suspect that they'll want to plan something big. Perhaps we'll see some old guests return, and maybe some newer anime series make an appearance. Nevertheless it's going to be tough, as it will be overshadowed by PAX East. It's a dilemma I'm still trying to figure out, and will still think about until the time comes once again to register.

This concludes the main coverage for Anime Boston 2011. Stay tuned during the next week or two for the interviews with Brina Palencia and girugamesh.

I arrived at the Hynes at about 8:30 a.m. for the start of Day Two of Anime Boston 2011. Unfortunately due to an error I only blame myself for I came in thinking that the next event on my planner, the Anime Music Video contest, was at nine, only to find that it was actually at ten. I killed some time wandering around and checking out the cosplayers. I've started to notice that I've seen a lot of these costumes from last year. Maybe the economy's to blame, or perhaps they worked so hard on the costumes that wearing it only once wasn't enough to merit their craftsmanship. After a few minutes of walking around aimlessly I sat myself down in line to check out the AMV show.

This was the first time I've been to an AMV contest where all the entrants were really good. The edits, synching techniques and just overall themes of the videos fit well with the anime series that were being portrayed. Favorites this year included "Dogs of War" by 3 put to Soranowoto, Drowning Pool's "Bodies" to High School of the Dead, the under-appreciated 1001 Nights put to the Beatles track "Love To You" and, yes, the popular YouTube track "What What In The Butt" synched perfectly to Ouran High School Host Club. However my pick for AMV of the Year at Anime Boston 2011 went to one from the Romance Category: Ke$ha's "Grow A Pear" to Toradora, and for me to pick this even when I despise Ke$ha shows how good of a video it was. I'm kind of surprised to have seen it in the Romance category, as it should've been placed in the Comedy section.

Following the AMV contest was another press interview, this time being with girugamesh. Along with myself and the folks from JRock Revolution we sat down with the visual kei quartet and discussed about their lives and careers. They shared us stories about life on the road, the origin of the band, which artists they grew up listening to and even shared with us some of their favorite popular and under-the-radar anime series. It was also very nice to hear them give their true thoughts on the wrongfully negative perception of the visual kei, as it's something that they -- along with many other bands -- are trying to fix. The firecracker story was also interesting, as the victim of the tale was in the room with us. (The Podcast recording of this will be coming up sometime this week or next, just as soon as I get some notes regarding translation errors from Mari Morimoto, who should be commended for her fantastic work during the interview.)

Next on the agenda was the concert put on by Odaiko New England, a taiko drum group stationed out around here. The group showcased the vast kinds of drums used in the group, each with their own unique sounds (the smallest being the shime-daiko). For the most part they featured the Nagado-daiko, which features a sound best described as a roaring thunder. Its quite a marvel at how a singular sound from these drums can be both powerful and melodious. The Led Zeppelin-inspired "Kashmir" was a nice touch.

After Odaiko New England finished up their set it was time to get ready for the Masquerade. I got my ticket early for the balcony, as you can see everything far better from above than on the floor. Unfortunately I had lost my ticket, but fortunately there was seating for press. Although it was on the floor it was in a good area where you can still see everything. The intro videos continued to entertain, thanks in part to its many mini-games and letters to the con. Finally the show was set to begin.

Hosting the show this year was the Roadie character for the Anime Boston mascots, who milked the "lift-things-up-and-put-them-down" line for what it was worth without it getting boring. This year's skit highlights included a PoKéMoN/Inception spoof, Romeo X Juliet in two minutes, a Vocaloid opera and a Powerpuff Girls parody put to an anime whose name I can't remember. The winners of the AMV contest were announced, with the Ke$ha/Toradora video winning for best Romantic video, and the Best In Show going to "King & Queens" by 30 Seconds To Mars put to Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. This was followed by a hilarious video with the AB mascots parodying the Lonely Island's "I'm On A Boat."

After dinner I ran into Mannie of the_Stampede, and it was here where I was stuck in a conundrum: do I check out Stereopony on my own, or do I hang out with some friends for the Hentai Dubbings? Considering this was the first time all day I saw one of my closest friends I decided on the latter. My ears were kind of hurting from the screaming girls at the Masquerade, and were still recovering from the girugamesh show. Though I do enjoy stereopony, I needed a chance to hang with some buddies and enjoy the dubbings. After all I had to miss out on it last year, after promising Dick Tripwire that I would be in attendance.

This year the Dubbings had a special guest in the form of Sean "Goku" Schemmel, who despite everyone's pleas didn't do the voice in fear of losing his job (an understandable excuse). Although this site is geared towards the 18-34 crowd I cannot discuss anything regarding what happened this year. There is one thing I can say: Boom goes the dynamite.

All in all Day Two was filled with much to love. Here's hoping the final day is filled with tons of fun and pocky!

With a mere five-minute wait in the pre-registration line I was given access to Anime Boston 2011. As soon as I walked in the insanity didn't just walk into me, it punched me square in the jaw. Cosplayers, steampunk, random dancing and the nonstop Marco Polo filled the air, hallways and panel rooms as the annual crazy otaku weekend began at the Hynes Convention Center. And the day hadn't even started.

At around 10:30 the convention officially opened with the Opening Ceremonies. The Ayers Brothers (Chris & Greg) were there, as they have become the unofficial godfathers of Anime Boston guests, as were J. Michael Tatum, Spike Spencer and Trina Nishimura. Brina Palencia had not yet arrived, as her flight was delayed. Tom Wayland, the Yankees lover, once again made a great intro video, which poked fun of 4Kids TV's bankruptcy, how he gets a lot of parts since he's the voice director and the little mention of his now-infamous Hentai Dubbings showcase (as he is the magical man known as Dick Tripwire). The Japanese guests stereopony and girugamesh appeared, along with Mari Ijima, who said that she almost had to cancel on account of her sick bunny. (I originally thought that was a pet name for her boyfriend/husband, but she actually has a pet bunny back home in LA that's been sick, so hopefully he feels better soon.)

As soon as the Opening Ceremonies were finished I took off to roam around to see who else people were dressing up. Some costumes caught my attention, including a poorly-made Gundam costume made out of beer boxes, a human-sized Pac-Man, a very well-done Jack Sparrow and a couple of Master Chiefs. I do have one beef, though: what's with all the Lady Gagas? For one she's not even related to anything anime or game-related, and the only comic they have of her was that horrible one Linkara recently reviewed. The J-ROCK costumes I get, but this I don't. Still I guess there's not much you can do about it, and if I can allow someone to cosplay as the Dresden Dolls, then this should be okay.

I next walked into the Artist Alley, where all the fanbased and original creations are showcased to hopeful buyers. Sitting at The Devil's Panties table was our old friend Tater Tot, who was working for Nigel Sade (a pirate-based artist) right next to her. Much of the fan-made creations were very well-crafted, though there were a few people selling stuff that were both expensive and poorly-made.

Soon afterwards it was time to take part in a press panel interview with Brina Palencia, best known for her roles in such anime as Sgt. Frog, Black Butler and School Rumble. Here everyone (including myself) asked about her background, favorite series and if she prefers directing over voice acting. I was very surprised at her honesty, especially when I asked her the same question regarding fan-service and storylines that I did with Mamoru Hosoda, the director of Summer Wars and The Girl Who Leapt Through Time. (A full article will be coming soon.)

After the press interview I went to check out Anime Unscripted, Anime Boston's version of the TV series Whose Line Is It Anyway?, which features some of the top American voice actors like Palencia, Chris Ayers, Tatum and Sean Schemmel partaking in improv games. All four voice actors did an amazing job playing such skits as Let's Make A Date, Party Quirks and Weird Newscasters. The biggest highlight of the show was the Slideshow game, where Schemmel did a hilarious Hindu accent and talked about an archaeological dig involving huge people, explosive puppies and the Pop Tart Kitty. The three-headed professor bit felt flat, unfortunately, but much of this can be blamed on audio difficulties.

The final event I checked out before hanging it up for the day was the girugamesh concert. Opening band Acey Slade & the Dark Party was quite the crowd pleaser, as many ran up to the stage to rock out like crazy. They premiered two new songs: "Shinigami Eyes" and "Cyclone," both of which got the crowd really going. In short: they sounded like Stone Temple Pilots in their prime, so a good future can be seen for this band if the cards are played right.

Finally the time had come for girugamesh to hit the stage. This being their second time in America the pressure for them to gain a following wasn't there, as everyone in the Auditorium was in hot anticipation for them to appear beforehand. For an hour the floors had become a massive screamfest, as girugamesh had run through a vast amounts of their hits, as well as a couple of tracks from their new album GO. Satoshi had the crowd at his fingertips, and his fellow band members Nii, Shou and Яyo smashed and bashed their way through the loud and crazy set. Had it not been for fire hazard rules the floor could've easily become a massive mosh pit; alas, it was not to be. Still girugamesh gave an amazing show for a captivated audience.

All in all, a good first day of events and interviews. Let's see what's in store for Day Two with the Masquerade and stereopony.

The gaming world of Spider-Man has had its ups and downs, and to be blunt it's always been more on the downslope side of things. In fact the last great Spider-Man video game I can remember was the (albeit) short one that came out for PlayStation, N64 and PC back in 2000, though this can be up for debate. Last year, however, the folks at Marvel and Activision decided to take the game to a far greater level, giving players not just the chance to play as America's favorite web-slinger but also three other versions of him. Unfortunately while spending so much time prepping the worlds of Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions they forgot to fix some issues that keep the game from being as great as it should've been.

The premise of Shattered Dimensions begins with Spider-Man battling it out with Mysterio, who is trying to steal an artifact known as the "Tablet of Order and Chaos." After accidentally breaking the tablet, the pieces of the artifact are cast out into four different worlds of Spider-Man: Amazing, Ultimate, Spider-Man 2099 and Noir. Throughout these worlds the four different Spider-Men have to battle it out with familiar foes to collect the tablet pieces, though with the powers each piece gives the villain the task is easier said than done. Can Spider-Man and his alternate universe pals collect the pieces before Mysterio discovers its true power, or will the world finally fall under the dark cloud of evil? (Knowing your Spider-Man trivia the answer's kinda obvious.)

In each world you play in Spider-Man is given similar web-slinging maneuvers, ranging from the usual punch 'n' kicks to swinging your opponents around using your web. However within the worlds come special attacks that none of the other Spideys have. Case in point Ultimate Spider-Man has the ability to use Rage, which will make defeating opponents easier and will take less life points away if attacked in this mode. Also unique is how you have to defeat your opponents, which showcases these special tactics well in the Noir levels. In there you have to be sure not to be in the sight of the villains, as well as stay out of the spotlight if you want to take them down; otherwise you'll be shot up and probably killed, starting the level again at the checkpoint.

Also unique to each world is its art style. While the FMV contains the same realistic look (and they do look phenomenal), the universes themselves have a different look to them. The Amazing world has a Saturday morning cartoon sort of flavor to it, whereas the Noir levels were more Sin City-based with the occasional color here and there when Spider-Man is being tracked by the villains. The best-looking of the worlds, however, has to go to Spider-Man 2099, with its bright futuristic look and overall appearance. Every building and vehicle seems to want to jump out at you while you're in a tussle with villains and henchmen alike.

Props also must be given to the voice actors, and having Neil Patrick Harris return to voice the Amazing Spider-Man was the perfect choice, as his Spider-Man in the MTV series was sincerely the best. I do have an irk about using the original Spider-Man voice Dan Gilvezan to don the vocals for Spider-Man 2099. While I do understand the nostalgic aspect of having the guy who voiced the web-slinger in the cartoon from the 1980s do his voice it makes the 2099 Spidey sound a lot older than he should be. Maybe I'm just being picky, but to me this Spider-Man doesn't sound quite right. Having Christopher Barnes (who played the Spider-Man in the FOX Kids cartoon when I was growing up) come back to portray the Noir version is also a plus, as he brings a bit of much-needed humor into the Noir's dark world. Josh Keaton's Ultimate Spider-Man has its moments, though for the most part he sounds a bit too much like a Harris clone; in fact I didn't even know someone else was voicing Ultimate until I did my research.

In regards to the villains in Shattered Dimensions they're a mixed bag. I got bored quickly with fighting Kraven the Hunter in the Amazing universe, along with his henchmen, and I grew weary of having to chase Vulture in the 2099 universe. On the other hand I couldn't get enough of the Deadpool level in the Ultimate universe, as the concept of giving the mad hero/villain his own reality show was beyond hilarious. Granted finding the cameras to destroy was easier said than done, but having the commentary by Marvel's favorite loony in tights eased the difficulty a whole lot better. In fact I can't help but say that the Ultimate villains were the most fun dealing with, whereas the 2099 world ones were the most difficult; but on the whole the choice villains were hit-and-miss.

The weakest aspect of Shattered Dimensions is its control scheme, and while there are plenty of maneuvers to do there isn't enough time given to you to complete them before you get smacked around. Swinging from your web also has its share of issues, none bigger than the camera angles. Like motion pictures it takes the right angle to make a remarkable scene, and unfortunately it looks like someone left the cameras on auto-pilot. While you can adjust the camera it seems like you have to do that every 20 seconds, making battling the henchmen a major pain in some areas, along with traveling via web. There were some instances where the camera was so bad while traveling I just gave up and had Spider-Man fall to his death so I could start all over again. Sometimes you'll find yourself going into first-person mode, and depending who you're facing this gaming aspect can be either fun (Kraven) or just plain annoying (Vulture).

Fortunately the folks at Activision and Beenox managed to put together a game that's both lengthy and interesting (for the most part). Each level takes roughly 30-60 minutes to complete, depending on how well you adjust to each level, and given that there are thirteen levels and one tutorial you have at least a fair 10 hours of gameplay given to you. There will be some frustrating levels, mind you, but for the most part the game is pretty well worth going through the entire thing.

PROS:

• Graphics look great
• Storyline's good for what it's worth
• Gameplay is pretty fun
• Deadpool level

CONS:

• Villains are hit-and-miss
• Adjusting the camera every so often is annoying
• Controls -- especially combos -- are tough to handle while having your ass handed to you

FINAL THOUGHTS:

While Shattered Dimensions has its flaws there's enough good to be found in this new gaming chapter of the world's favorite neighborhood Spider-Man. The camera angles might ruin some of the great aspects of the game, but in the long run there's plenty to like in this story mode. Yes, the whole broken artifact thing has been done in so many other comics and video games, but the way it's accomplished makes it a fun title as a whole. Just be warned that there will be some frustrating parts in Shattered Dimensions, so be prepared to curse loudly at your console and TV.

FINAL GRADE: 7.2 (out of ten)

Yet again I stumbled upon another great Bostonian with a lot of talent. Meet Mat the Wad by Matthew Ducharme, a little cartoon series of different scenarios that is deals with the daily life of us all.

The funny thing is I can relate with the video above, especially with the fact that the weather in New England does change so rapidly that you can't keep up with it. It's an instant classic in my book because of the fact that it didn't need words to explain, rather it used 8-bit video game sound effects.

I know the feeling of having to shovel snow all my life that, and I have also dealt with tossing snow and getting it right back in my face; or stepping out onto the snow and thinking, "Okay, I should be fine," only to slip, fall and break my ass on a patch of ice. I've even gone so far as stepping on the snow, thinking it's going to be perfect, when it suddenly crushes and traps your foot.

This one kills me because the way the character looks in the morning is how I feel every day, waking up moping around wondering why I am awake. Although I am not a coffee drinker I have done the energy drinks, and boy do they feel good, until you crash. The design of the characters are just classic, especially in the video below, where he takes one of Nine Inch Nails' songs. It shows that he can put a dark and serious side to his cartoons.

Of course this was just a side project, and isn't part of the happy-go-lucky cartoons that make up the Mat the Wad series. Yet it's very creative towards the music, and I hope Matthew will do more videos like this in the near-future!

Mat the Wad comes from the company Designed With Charm, a little family-owned company that specializes in 2D animation in any style such as flash, comic strips and much more. So if your looking for someone to animate that idea in your head, then this is the place to go to. To find out more information about Design with Charm, click here.

This Bastard gives Mat the Wad and the folks at Design five out of five stars, and two thumbs way up for their amazing art and cartoons designs.

Links to Design with Charm/Mat the Wad:

Official Design With Charm Website

Official Facebook Page

YouTube Channel

Official Merchandise Page

Don't worry: you're safe from any evil ex-boyfriends when the Bastards are around.

This week the B3 crew discuss the film The Expendables (followed by a comparison between The Losers and The A-Team) and the week in sports. Also on the table is a three-course Scott Pilgrim meal as King Baby Duck, Blueonic and Anvil talk about the movie Scott Pilgrim VS The World, the movie's soundtrack and the new PSN (and soon-to-be XBOX Live Arcade) video game based on the film and graphic novel series.

It's sad to see a finely-written series meet their final destination, especially when it's Scott Pilgrim, whose adventures had been filled with video games, rock 'n' roll, ninjas, sexy girls with multi-colored hair and evil ex-boyfriends (and one evil ex-girlfriend). But Brian Lee O'Malley knew that all good things must come to an end, and with the final book Scott Pilgrim's Finest Hour he makes sure to pull out all the stops and push its gigantic fanbase towards the conclusion that everyone was asking for.

It's been four months since Ramona disappeared, and Scott Pilgrim has wasted those four months moping around playing video games. His love is gone, and it seems that any reason to embrace life is all but faded from our hero's mentality. (He's even playing a PSP Go and calling it "the hottest, newest, hottest thing," a sign that he desperately needs therapy.) Everyone else has moved on -- from Stephen Stills forming a new band to Knives Chau getting ready to move away -- but Mr. Pilgrim cannot seem to get out of his phase...until he heads home to clear his head and fight his inner "Negascott." Once he's back to his old self he finds Gideon and battles him for the ultimate final finale. Will Scott triumph, and where is his beloved Ramona? The answers to these questions will be revealed...now. Yes, and out finding herself via the subspace highway.

While my last statement could be considered a spoiler, it's not. We all knew Scott Pilgrim was destined to be with Ramona, but the fun of it all was getting to that point. And, boy, was Finest Hour a fun read. O'Malley is fantastic with bringing together fine comic artwork and witty dialogue, and does it in such a way that you can't help but smile at every panel in this book. (Scott's delusional flashbacks will fill you with hearty chuckles, that's for sure.) What's also amazing is how the series just seems to wrap itself up without feeling rushed or having to skim through unanswered questions. I don't want to spoil anything else about the book -- even though I just told you its ending -- but I advise those that haven't read this series and want to (especially the people who want to see Scott Pilgrim VS The World on August 13) to pick up all six volumes, get a group of friends and read along. The ending does not disappoint at all, and will leave you hoping for one more adventure with Mr. Pilgrim and Ms. Flowers somewhere in this video game called Life.

Now let's cross our fingers and hope the movie kicks lots of ass...

***** (out of five)

Attention Bastards, Bastettes and Wenches! ElectricSistaHood Magazine is ready to be viewed with your very own eyes!

Starting right now you can buy the very first issue of the hopefully-soon-to-be-popular-in-the-indie-sense gaming, anime, music, sports and pop culture magazine in America! Check out original never-before-seen articles from the B3 crew, as well as from their sistahs in ESH and brothers in Geek Aggro. Plus get exclusive previews and interviews from top gaming companies and people in the entertainment world. If you want to check out a taste of what to expect, click here! If you want to see more, click on the icon to your left to buy a copy of the first issue (or just click here). Once you get the premiere issue in your hands, sit down, crank some Deadmau5 and prepare yourself for what we hope to be an exciting magazine written by down-to-earth people that speak your vernacular!

Two of Stan Lee's most beloved characters are ready to take on the Japanese public!

It has been confirmed that the Japanese anime adaptations of the Iron Man and Wolverine stories are set to air mid-next year.  Animated by Madhouse (Death Note, Nana, Kamen No Maid Guy, Needless) the two series will run from April-September, which will be followed by a US release in 2011.

Both clocking in at twelve episodes each, Marvel Anime: Iron Man will run on the Animax station from April-June; whereas Marvel Anime: Wolverine will air on the same station from July-September.   There will also be two anime series based on the X-Men and Blade, though there has been no word on when and where they will be shown.

Japan's most famous five year-old may never ass dance again.

Today Japanese authorities have confirmed that a body found in the Gunma Prefecture's mountains is, in fact, Yoshito Usui, the creator of the popular manga series "Crayon Shin-chan"; which also spawned an anime series that has a huge following all over the world.  The body was discovered 120 meters below the mountain's Tomoiwa cliff by a climber at around 10:30 a.m. Japan time.  Usui's family had said he went hiking in the mountains on September 11, but had lost all contact with him on the following Monday, where his cell phone was last detected.

"Crayon Shin-chan" first appeared in Futabasha's Weekly Manga Action in 1990, with its cartoon spin-off following two years later.  The series was broadcast all over the world (from India to Spain), but it wasn't until 2005 when the popular cartoon finally hit the US on [adult swim] to great fanfare in both the anime and college world.

According to the editorial staff of Manga Town (which currently runs the comic series), the future of "Crayon Shin-chan" is uncertain.  Right now they said they're "going through great shock, now that the worst outcome has come to past. There are no words to express the anguish of the surviving family, but we just pray for his happiness in the next world."

Here's an example of the genius known as "Crayon Shin-chan."  Rest in peace, Usui-sama.  We've lost a great comedic master.

UPDATE: According to Anime News Network, "Crayon Shin-chan" will continue serialization in Manga Town until its December issue.  Usui had written enough material to cover the next few issues.  TV Asahi (which airs "Crayon Shin-chan" in Japan) has also expressed condolences to the family of Usui.  The new season of "Shin-chan" was to premiere on October 16, but may be pushed back until further notice.

Who's the leader of the club that's made for you and me? S-P-I-D-E-R-M-A-N?!

That's right!  As of today, Disney owns Marvel and its over 5,000 character roster.  Many of them, including the X-Men and the Incredible Hulk, were co-created by Stan Lee.  With this acquisition, it is guaranteed that Disney will hold both the male and female demographics for a good long period.

Though if there's a "Fantastic Four Meets the Jonas Brothers" comic anytime soon, heads will roll!!!