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Otakon 2004

Aug 12th 2004

Otakon 2004

July 30 - August 1, 2004
Baltimore Convention Center
Baltimore, MD

Images courtesy of and © Kevin Lillard

Current Reports:
Opening Ceremonies

AN Entertainment
Bandai
Dreamworks/Ghost in the Shell: Innocence
FUNimation
Geneon
King Records & Production I.G.

Part II:

ADV Films
Angela
The Anime Industry Panel
L'Arc~en~Ciel Concert
Arc~en~Ciel Press Panel
Central Park Media
The Right Stuf International
Tokyopop

Con Writeup

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Convention homepage / archives

game review

PARANORMASIGHT: The Mermaid's Curse Game Review

Feb 17, 18:07 games

While its story elements come together in a snug, fantastical narrative, the first entry's gameplay shortcomings remain, and this new game's shift away from spookier, creepier plot beats left me wanting. ― Anime News Network was provided an advanced review copy of this game. Nearly three years since the release of PARANORMASIGHT: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo, Square Enix and developer Xeen are back w...

review

Holy Boy Novel Review

Feb 17, 12:00 novels korean

I can already tell Holy Boy is one of those titles that is going to stay with me for a long time. When I first began reading it, I realized I’d need to close the covers or else I’d be up all night following its characters into the most unsettling recesses of their distorted minds. ― You don't need to look very far into real life events to see how idol singers bring out the worst in a select few of th...

column

9 comments

This Week in Anime - Gatchaman Standing Out in CROWDS Waving their Insights

Feb 17, 10:00

9 comments

anime

This week, Coop and Sylvia take a look at 2013 anime Gatchaman Crowds, and its sequel—which predicted the future we're now living in. ― This week, Coop and Sylvia take a look at 2013 anime Gatchaman CROWDS, and its sequel—which predicted the future we're now living in. Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the participants in this chatlog are not the views of Anime News Network.Spoiler War...

feature

5 comments

I Played the Never-to-be-Released Danganronpa 2x2 Special Trial Version

Feb 16, 20:00

5 comments

games

Made specifically for the Danganronpa 15th Anniversary Event, this short, 15-minute vertical slice was designed to give the most hardcore Danagaronpa fans an original mystery never to be seen again. ― Earlier this month, I was able to visit Spike Chunsoft headquarters in Tokyo to try out the Danganronpa 2x2 Special Trial Version on the Nintendo Switch 2. Made specifically for the November 2025 Dangan...

review

4 comments

There's No Freaking Way I'll Be Your Lover! Unless… ~Next Shine~ Episodes 13-17 Anime Review

Feb 16, 12:00

4 comments

anime

Originally, the series was a bit unclear about why Renako was in denial or always quick to run away from the romantic advances of others. This arc makes it explicitly clear that she does not think she is a good person who is deserving of any of that love. ― There's No Freaking Way I'll Be Your Lover! Unless… was an interesting series that mixed funny comedic hijinx with solid character writing. While...

your score

4 comments

Your Anime Rankings - Best of Winter 2026, Feb 5-11

Feb 16, 11:55

4 comments

anime

Despite starting second from the bottom with middling reviews, The Villainess Is Adored by the Prince of the Neighbor Kingdom has surged to #5 this week. Consider my curiosity well and truly piqued by this week’s rankings. ― Let's have a look at what ANN readers consider the best (and worst) of the season, based on the polls you can find in our Daily Streaming Reviews and on the Your Score page with...

feature

29 comments

Lovely Angels Done Dirty? The Dirty Pair Kickstarter Saga

Feb 16, 09:00

29 comments

anime

Dirty Pair fans came out of the woodwork to back this project—to the tune of US$731,406 what they got were years of delays, authoring problems, and a disc wrapped in a napkin. What happened? ― Full Disclosure: Coop regularly works with Justin Sevakis and MediaOCD, including the modern incarnation of AnimEigo. His opinions given here are purely his own and do not reflect those of his employers. On Oc...

news

24 comments

CyberConnect2 Announces New .hack//Z.E.R.O. Action RPG

Feb 16, 07:47

24 comments

games

CyberConnect2 plans, develops, publishes game with music by Taro Hakase ― The game company CyberConnect2 announced the new game .hack//Z.E.R.O. on Monday, the 30th anniversary of its founding. The announcement indicates that the action role-playing game is for consoles, as opposed to arcades or personal computers, and that it is part of a bigger project across multiple forms of media. CyberConnect2 h...

review

1 comment

Drops of God: Mariage Volume 8-10 Manga Review

Feb 15, 12:00

1 comment

manga

To find the perfect match of food and wine, we must travel the world and try new things, then come home and appreciate the familiar. ― Twice in Volume 9, someone rolled their eyes at someone else's melodrama during the big showdown, and I was 100% there for it. It actually made me like the whole story better. The first half of this arc is spent redeeming Chef Mikasa, the accomplished French chef whos...

news

21 comments

Chie Shinohara's Red River Shōjo Manga Gets TV Anime This Summer

Feb 14, 22:48

21 comments

manga anime

Waccha PriMagi!'s Kōsuke Kobayashi directs anime at Tatsunoko Production ― Tatsunoko Production announced on Sunday that it will produce a television anime adaptation of Chie Shinohara's Red River (Sora wa Akai Kawa no Hotori) shōjo manga. The anime will debut this summer. Shinohara drew an illustration to commemorate the announcement. Kōsuke Kobayashi (Waccha PriMagi!, Alice or Alice) is directing t...

review

1 comment

Firefly Wedding Volumes 2-4 Manga Review

Feb 14, 12:00

1 comment

manga

With richly detailed art and well-considered characters, Firefly Wedding is a traffic accident that you can’t look away from. ― If the first volume of Firefly Wedding set off warning bells in your head with its harsh story and themes of unwilling marriage and sexual predation, you may want to skip the rest of this series. It is hard to think of another ostensible romance that has as many flashing red...

feature

2 comments

The Winter 2026 Manga Guide After Dark (18+)

Feb 14, 10:00

2 comments

manga

Happy Valentine's Day, and welcome to the steamy side of ANN's Winter Manga Guide! ― Welcome to the steamy side of ANN's Winter Manga Guide. All of these titles are intended for readers 18 and older, ranging from spicy to something a bit more, and featuring a variety of tropes, groupings, and fetishes. Come find your next adult read - there's plenty to choose from. DECEMBER The Cuckolding Wizard's A...

feature

The Camphorwood Custodian Event Report

Feb 14, 09:00 anime

The cast shared their memories working on the whimsical series and what they would take care of if they were "custodians." ― 2026 is off to a strong start with anime films, with the release of The Camphorwood Custodian on January 30. Adapted from Keigo Higashino's 2020 novel of the same name, the story follows Reito Naoi as he takes on the duties of the titular Camphorwood Custodian. The film has a w...