Geek of Oz

With under a month to go we thought that it was a good time to revisit all of the announcements from this years Sydney Manga and Anime Show (SMASH!). There really is something for everyone at this years show including some absolutely fantastic international stars! Taking place at Rosehill Gardens on August 9 and 10, this years SMASH! is promising to be bigger than ever. Not only is this years show taking place over 2 days, but it will also deliver their largest vendor hall ever with over 170 stalls showcasing merchandise, art and food.  SMASH! President Ray Elinon has promised double the panels, workshops and events than previous years. There's something for all areas of anime fandom with fans able to flaunt their cosplay skills on the main stage, grab a meal at the Maid Cafe, buy art and merch, take part in comps, build their own Gundam, and learn about voice acting and anime direction from superstar international guests. -GUESTS- Toshihiro Kawa...

At last weeks Sydney Manga and Anime Show (SMASH) , I had the chance to speak with Tom from HobbyCo who filled us in on what's what in the world of GunPla. GunPla is a contraction or portmanteau of Gun dam Pla stic Model and is quite often given to any anime related plastic model kit. Following the release of the original Mobile Suit Gundam series in 1979 came a line of plastic model kits in 1980. Since its inception there have been hundreds of kits released of nearly every mecha design in varying sizes and levels of detail. Diving into the world of GunPla can be daunting so I had a chat with Tom to tell us where to start.

If there's one thing that Australia is missing out on, it's J-Pop. Beyond SBS Pop-Asia, we just don't get anything arriving on our shores. Well, that's all about to change. The fine folks from SMASH have gone one step beyond and are bringing a one night only event to Sydney. Other states have had pop-up cafes but they ain't got nothing on this. What better way to cap off an awesome day of conventioning than partying into the night with your fellow geeks. Follow on after the jump for all of the details on VOCALOID NIGHT 2013!

Sydney's premiere anime convention, SMASH, has made yet ANOTHER massive announcement for this years con. Following the success of Japan Foundation's Evangelion expo and announcement of Evangelion 3.0 at Madman's REEL ANIME festival, SMASH announce the inclusion of Matsubara Hidenori! UPDATE: SMASH have confirmed that Hidenori-san will be holding art workshops at SMASH! Masakazu Morita , Haruko Momoi and now Matsubara Hidenori? Why isn't August here yet? Full details after the jump.

In only 5 days time, Japan Foundation Sydney are bringing the highly acclaimed Evangelion Art Exhibition to Sydney. In what is yet another boon for the Sydney anime scene, Japan Foundation and SMASH! have announced a very special guest at this years show. The voice of Ichigo from the smash hit Bleach and Barnaby Brooks Jr from Tiger & Bunny, Masakazu Morita is a certified superstar. Having previously visited Australia for the Gold Coast Film Festival, Morita returns to our fair shores but this time exclusively thanks to Japan Foundation and the Sydney Manga and Anime Show!

The Sydney Manga and Anime Show (SMASH!) is back for 2013 and their first announcement is a doozie!  Last year we had Miki Shin-Ichiro, Sakura Tange and Yuko Miyamura and this year is looking to be just as big. Having only reviewed the INCREDIBLE Steins;Gate earlier today, it makes us incredibly excited to share the following press release which announces the voice of Faris Nyannyan as their very first guest!

Although best known in anime circles for supplying the voice of Sakura Kinomoto in Cardcaptor Sakura and Kozue Izumi in Infinite Ryvius , Sakura Tange (丹下 桜) is also a prolific musician with a whole swag of albums under her belt, many of which are now available to Australian fans on iTunes!  At the recent Sydney Manga and Anime Show (SMASH!), I had the chance to speak to Tange-san about her career as a voice actress, a musician and her reaction to Australian anime fans.  Check out the full, translated and transcribed interview after the jump! 

SMASH! 2012 was huge. Upon entering the main exhibitor floor it was immediately apparent that, compared to last year, numbers were well and truly up. Perhaps because of the fantastic line up of stars or perhaps because the state of anime fandom in Australia is on the rise. Either way, we had a ball at SMASH! and look forward to 2013. Follow on after the jump to check out a few photos from throughout the day (click to enlarge) and don't forget to check out our coverage of the Madman panel , the Hanabee panel and our interview with the lovely Sakura Tange!

As always, Sly from Madman kept the crowd well and truly entertained at SMASH! On top of a number of acquisition announcements, Sly gave away a Fullmetal Alchemist: Sacred Star of Milos signed by Miki Shin-Ichiro and a Cardcaptor Sakura poster signed by Sakura Tange. Of course, these goods weren't just given away. They were won, or lost, through a mass game of Jan Ken Pon! Sadly, I didn't even attempt to win. Although I would have loved a poster (the Cardcaptor Sakura one looked awesome), my Jedi training would have given me an unfair advantage. Follow on after the jump for a swag of new releases from Australia's number 1 anime company, Madman!

At todays Sydney Manga and Anime Show (SMASH!), Hanabee gave the crowd a quick run down of what's to come from Australia's newest anime company. Company President Eric Cherry and Brand Manager Zi Yi Xie took turns in giving a glimpse into where they want the company to go while supporting and encouraging participation from the fans.

The Sydney Manga and Anime Show (SMASH!) is Sydney's ultimate day of Japanese pop culture and otaku lunacy. The most obvious and endearing factors into the success of SMASH is that it is a con for fans, by fans - which is probably why it is so much fun!  Today I had the pleasure of speaking to Thomas Munro, the President of SMASH about his geeky habits as well as the past, present and future of SMASH!