Show #72 – NYAF 2009 Part 1: The Rough Guide to Anime

Show #072 – Direct Download:

OP: Only Yesterday clip
ED: Multilanguage version of Ponyo end theme, including the abysmal English language remix.

An interview with Simon Richmond, author of the Rough Guide to Anime (and the very useful Rough Guide to Japan) conducted at NYAF 2009. Here’s my Otaku USA NYAF coverage.  Here’s my PW interview with Simon.

Daryl’s comment is worth noting in the show notes:

In my review of the book in Otaku USA, I said that if I had to pick *one* book that every anime fan should read, The Rough Guide to Anime was it. It’s not just because I briefly met Simon at Anime Boston thanks to your interviewing him, either. If everyone knew (or at least read through and partially retained) the information contained within it and watched the 50 recommended anime titles (well, you can skip Steamboy. And if you absolutely MUST watch Evangelion, save it for last so you can properly contextualize it), then anime fandom would be substantially better off for it. It’s not a big book, it’s not expensive, and despite being really information-dense it’s got a lot of pictures and sidebars so as not to overwhelm people.

At every con I go to where I do some sort of anime recommendations panel (such as this weekend’s upcoming EXPCon in St. Augustine, FL!), I tell people to go out and get this book. My actual success rate is unknown, as I’m still the only person I know to have read it, but it’s simultaneously “newbie-friendly” while containing more worthwhile, lasting information worth retaining than pretty much any other anime book on the shelves.

If there ever came a day when 1. I figured out what the heck I’d write a book about, and 2. I managed to actually write said book and get it published, key in my mind would be “does this book I’m writing handle [whatever its subject material would be] as good as if not better than The Rough Guide to Anime?” Were that day to ever come, I’m not fully sure the answer would be “yes.”

Tagged , , . Bookmark the permalink.

4 Responses to Show #72 – NYAF 2009 Part 1: The Rough Guide to Anime

  1. Anonymous says:

    (Daryl Surat)

    In my review of the book in Otaku USA, I said that if I had to pick *one* book that every anime fan should read, The Rough Guide to Anime was it. It’s not just because I briefly met Simon at Anime Boston thanks to your interviewing him, either. If everyone knew (or at least read through and partially retained) the information contained within it and watched the 50 recommended anime titles (well, you can skip Steamboy. And if you absolutely MUST watch Evangelion, save it for last so you can properly contextualize it), then anime fandom would be substantially better off for it. It’s not a big book, it’s not expensive, and despite being really information-dense it’s got a lot of pictures and sidebars so as not to overwhelm people.

    At every con I go to where I do some sort of anime recommendations panel (such as this weekend’s upcoming EXPCon in St. Augustine, FL!), I tell people to go out and get this book. My actual success rate is unknown, as I’m still the only person I know to have read it, but it’s simultaneously “newbie-friendly” while containing more worthwhile, lasting information worth retaining than pretty much any other anime book on the shelves.

    If there ever came a day when 1. I figured out what the heck I’d write a book about, and 2. I managed to actually write said book and get it published, key in my mind would be “does this book I’m writing handle [whatever its subject material would be] as good as if not better than The Rough Guide to Anime?” Were that day to ever come, I’m not fully sure the answer would be “yes.”

  2. taiyakifan says:

    In case you missed Anime Weekend Atlanta, it wasn’t bad. But the weather was terrible, and just days later, storm damage in the area was considerable.

    Unfortunately, I have nothing positive to say about AWO. So I choose not to purchase anything which that podcast group writes or endorses.

  3. Anonymous says:

    (Sugar-Chan)
    Blessed be the day that I should be home sick and working, so that I might remember to listen to the Ninja Consultant podcast (which is blocked at my job as a personal blog sight, go fig).

    I am an extreme newbie with the desire to go deeper into the seemy underbelly of anime, and have been looking for some sort of source that could help steer me in the right direction. My problem has always been the fact that a lot of sources aren’t exactly ‘newbie friendly’, as Mr. Surat so succinctly put it. First chance I get I’m snatchin’ this bad boy right up.

    Also, I just want to make a statement about Eva. I do consider it an anime essential, mainly because coming in as a babe in arms, you have to question why everyone hates it so much.

    I have nothing but good things to say about AWO, and will constantly watch or purchase anything that they endorse. So there. 😛

  4. Anonymous says:

    Great topic 🙂

    It was rather interesting for me to read this blog. Thanx for it. I like such themes and everything that is connected to this matter. I would like to read a bit more on that blog soon.

    Avril Simpson
    east london escorts

Leave a Reply to Anonymous Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *