Convention Highlights from Anime Expo and SDCC 2023.

With in-person events gradually returning alongside an endemic state; I thought I would talk about some anime highlights from some conventions this month. Might not have been my exact plan, but let's give it a go anyway.

Let's start with this year's Anime Expo. I am quite pleased to see more details on the upcoming stop-motion series Pokémon Concierge; which follows a young woman named Haru and her Psyduck as they work at the Pokémon Resort. As someone who has had very mixed feelings towards the 2023 anime (more on that in a bit), I am liking the more relaxed tone and style of animation; and I look forward to seeing more when the series streams on Netflix later this year.

Now, let's talk about San Diego Comic-Con; which has grown from merely focusing on comic books to being something of a mecca for all forms of pop culture fandom. Though the first dual strike for the WGA and SAG-AFTRA since the 1960s has altered if not outright canceled several planned events, the first-ever presentation for The Pokémon Company International was spared. I may remain a skeptic on the long-term prospects of Pokémon Horizons (especially as the EN release date has changed from "2023 and beyond" to a much more vague "coming soon"); but the dub footage doesn't look like the worst thing ever. All the same, I have no plans to formally review it before it gets an official release in the states. I do plan to formally review the EN dub of the Distant Blue Sky special; and I'm exploring options for a full review of the "To Be a Master" miniseries as well.

I may not have planned to post about this, but these announcements won't affect my plans for this blog going forward. That will be all for now, take care.