I'm going to start a new segment titled Ronin Yoshino: Omake. Omake means bounus or extra in Japanese, & that's exactly what it's about. It's a short bounus manga page or two with the characters from the manga. It doesn't really relate directly to the story but just a random little skit, it varies on what it's going to be about. I don't want to spoil it, you'll have to wait untill chapter 4 is over to read it!

Note* It's not going to substitute the actual manga, that will continue on the usual schedule on Tuesdays. The extra will only be now & then. And on that note, I'm going back to my drawing! 

Thank you everyone who visits myotaku site! I really appreshiate your comments!   *^_^*

I updated my manga page with a new page and a NEW manga: Hidesato! You can view them here:

http://shichimeito-zoku.com/manga

Starting January 14th Ronin Yoshino manga will be updated every Tuesday.

Instead of posting a full 18page chapter every season, I will instead post one new page every week. It's better than my infrequent schedule of posting full chapters (like 2 chpts a year -_- )  When the chapter is over, all pages will be moved to the list  (see manga section on my site).

In this way, I have something new on my RY site every week!

I hope that you enjoy reading the manga in this new way.  =^_^=

Click the image below to visit the RY site!

Yesterday we went to the NY Anime Convention (Dec.9th), the first ever to be held in New York City! FINALY! What was taking them so long? Since it was close of course we went  It was very fun! There was sooo much to see, infact too much that we couldn't see everything (we saw all the exhibits though). It was one giant room with hundreds of vendors. There was:

Artist Gallery- many extremely talented artists who write their own manga or do fantastic fan art & many other artistic things. This was my favourite part, very awsome!

LOTS of companies were there as well, such as:

ADV Films, AniGames, Animation Collective, Anime Bento, Anime Castle, Anime Gamer, Anime Innovation Tokyo, Anime Insider, Anime News Network, Anime Palace, Bandai, Cartoon Passion, Central Park Media, CHUU, ComicArtistSupplies.com, Del Rey Manga, FUNimation, Gaia Online, Global Anime, Greentea Design, Inc., Image Anime, Japan External Trade Organization, J-List, Kawaii, Kinokuniya Bookstore, Kujaku Trading, Kyoto Kimono, Manga Entertainment, Media Blasters, Otakon, OTAKU USA, Tokyo Pop, Udon Comics, VIZ & many other companies.

There was also a voice actor stage were the participents (who signed up) showed off their voice acting skills. Tokyopop showed voice acting dubb over the anime Ah! My Goddess on a giant movie screen & showed how they creating anime.

There were many cosplayers (myself included  ). Some dressed as Roy Mustang, Riza Hawkeye, Edward Elric, Kakashi, Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke, Gaara, InuYasha, Vash the Stampede, Storm Trooper (from Star Wars), Batman & Robin, Itachi, Renji Arabai, Gin Ichimaru, Ichigo Kurosaki & many other characters.

We were very surprised to see Japanese Kimono vendors! What a sweet bounus! ^.^ I love traditional Japan clothing, beautifiul patterns & the styles is so different yet elegent. I coudn't belive Kyoto Kimono was there (great prices on haori) & CHUU (I buy all my Japanese clothing from them). That was totally awsome  Great author of Kimono: A Vanishing Tradition, Schiffer Book.

There was a HUGE POSTER of One Piece: The Desert Princess and the Pirates, Adventures in Alabasta. That poster must have been 20ft long! It was at the FUNimation booth. BLEACH was all over the Isle rows above & life sized posters. Naruto games in huge aracde-like stands.

There was promo items all over the place. EVERYTHING ANIME ITEMS UNDER THE SUN! You can find anything you wanted here, seriously! There was: manga, dvd, art books, figurines, imported items, super rare collectibles, pins, keychains, doujinshi of every type & series, posters, scrolls, cosplay costumes, swords (real ones too!), cards, tcg, promo books & posters, games, TONS of shitajiki (pencil boards), apparel, bags, art supplies...ect.

I got some cool items-anime playing cards, promo posters, promo books, won a small contest, InuYasha keychain, 2 Japanese haori (short kimono jacket) that are very well made, shitajiki pencil boards, art supplies, Bleach pins, Ichigo figurine, kasa (Japanese straw hat), original fan art print of Itachi from Naruto by the super talented (& quite famous) Annie Hill.

I didn't get to see the voice actors, producers, manga-ka, cosplay contest or any of the screening rooms...there was just not enough time to see it all! LOL

There was just so much stuff that intead of me trying to describe everything, I'll post up all the photography & videos I took of the Convention. Most of the pics are of the stands & it's merchandise, just to see all the goodies. I have a few good photos of cosplayers & about three vids- the kimono's, a voice actor & Ah! My Goddess anime dubbing job. It'll be up this Friday or sooner, I'll write a new post on my blog to which site it will be on.

So my first anime convention experience was ALOTA fun! I can't wait to go on the next NY anime Convention in April 2008!

Updated Ronin Yoshino site!

New sample pages of chapter 4 are up!

Coming Dec. 18th will be the complete chapter 4

Some new things will be up on Ronin Yoshino & some changes...both the site & the story! I plan on putting up a few sample pages of chapter 4 as well as new artwork, character profiles, new story version page & new home page version. As for the story, it's going to start hinting at past relationships & how those events from the past will effect the characters...revolving around the main character, Yoshino. I don't want to say to much that'd spoil it!

The manga is based on a mix of elements: asian mythology, Chinese & Japanese history. There is no set time, era nor historicaly acurate depiction. It's loosely based on a Chinese/Japanese setting & totally loaded with mythology! I love myths so much I had to incorprate them into the story ^_^

I do, however, try to represent a few elements correctly. Such as: honarifics, clothing, rank (lords, vassels, samurai ect.), structures & weapons. Martial arts that appears in the manga are a mix of real styles but none are 100% acurate because I don't want my story being revolved around "Who has the better moves". I also want to show the beauty of nature & it's vastness, I want it to feel real. How it would feel to be there, at the moment of the period of time, as if being transported to another reality to the world of Ronin Yoshino. Where people live in harmony with nature like the Native Americans as well as the ethnic sence of the Asian culture & mythology. ^.^

The characters are all based either on real people or of folk legends. Yoshino is my favourite character I love to draw, I wanted her to appear realistic & practical. It's silly to have her dressed half-naked with a big sword (I see that all too often in anime). I wanted her personality fit her design ^_^ 

 I'm trying to do the best I can creating this manga & giving it my all ^_^ I hope that all my hard effort & creativity makes this story interesting & fun to read

Wow it's been hecktic alot latly, more so than I'd like. Besides going to the many faires that were going on (now the faire season is pretty much over -_-) & frequent visits to the vet. The last big faires that we recently been to were:

 the Scottish faire- not much happening but a few things, losts of great celtic & dragon jewelry & some bag pipers. The raptors were my fav ^_^

the Polish faire- that one is always a "crowd" pleaser. Litterly, it was so friggen crowded this year I thought there was a population explosion! @_@ Lots & lots of stuff of all sorts.

the Pauminak (spelling?) Pow Wow- ahh I always love a good Native American festival! Awsome music, beautiul jewelry & blankets, cool unique items & great clothing! I filmed alot of it & got some pics of a famous dancer (forgot his contest#).

the Shinnecock Pow Wow: Native American Reservation- WOW! The absolute best! I'm always looking forward to this one! The clothing is incredibly gorgeous- adorned with neon feathers, high bird crests, lovely beadwork, leather of deers & buffalo, silver crowns of eagles or jaguars, womens dresses of buck skins with silver coned bells which ring like a song, shalls of elaborate patterns & brilliant colours and the beautiful turquois & coral sterling silver jewelry which all of the dancers wear. There are the Mens Fancy Feather, The Hunters, Womens shall dancers, Bell Dancers, the childs dancers, the verteran dancers, Seminole Tribe, Iroquios Tribe, Taino Tribe, Black Foot Tribe, Turtle Tribe & the South American Brazilian/ Aztecs Tribe. There's also Ande's & Machupichu people. Very colourful, very beautiful, very cultural. I took hundreds of pictures & filmed the opening ceromony!

the Medival Faire at Sands Point Castle- yup, at a real castle & it's awsome. Jousting, castle seige, womens singing celtic, swords for sale & great vendors. The food usually sucks at faires though  My friend Peter was there, he's a metalsmith: makes sculptures of mythical creatures out of pewter-great stuff! I filmed the jousting & took many pics.

the Rennassance Faire at Sterling Forest- YES! The big bang of the summer, this is the last & biggest faire of the year. The faire itself is about 50+ acres so be prepared to do a ton of walking!!! Theres so many things that go on at this faire I couldn't possibly explain everything! There's over 300+ vendors of all sorts, jousting, fighting, fire-beathers, comedy plays, type-rope walkers, magicians, tricksters, belly dancers, some weirdo group of very freaky guys that parade down the dirt roads making nausiating music crashing other peoples plays O_o & countless other interesting things!

Alrighty, that about sums up 5 weeks of whats been so hecktic. There's also the commissions I've been getting alot of my fan cel drawings. I created a new manga titled "Hidesato", a super short one shot story. I'll be posting another entry soon

Here I'll be posting updates about my site/s mostly & my artwork.

Coming soon this month- Ronin Yoshino chpt.4  -Yoshino is traped in a corner by Takemaru, while Kagekiri reveals some interesting secrets...

More new items in the Anime-Otaku store: new fan cels, cards & manga.

New manga short story: Hidesato  -A samurai-for-hire meets the Dragon King who's in desperate need of help. The warrior Hidesato is the chosen one, but can he live up to the challenge?