NYCC 2020: Pop Culture Goes into the Metaverse
There’s no denying it: COVID-19 has all but eradicated fandom as we once knew it. What would have been an event, a celebration of pop culture and the people who make it happen has been decidedly muted this year thanks to the ongoing pandemic. This has been made crystal clear with New York Comic Con’s digital event, Into the Metaverse, a series of prerecorded panels released from October 8th to October 11th, 2020. Not to say that attending this event was bad, but it certainly doesn’t seem to hold the same importance it did even one short year ago. Still, I attended and found some things I did enjoy.
First up, was a panel from our friends at VIZ Media, who shared a personal video message from Paru Itagaki, author of Beastars, who said how sorry she was that she was unable to come stateside as was planned for this year’s NYCC. This is especially sad since the final chapter of Beastars just released in Japan, and as such will soon be available for Western fans to read via Viz.com. While the second season of the series’ anime is set to air January 2021 on Netflix. I worry that the hype will have died down some now that the manga has finished, and any future stateside visits by the author won’t have as much impact as they would have if this pandemic hadn’t stopped NYCC.
The digital trend hasn’t slowed VIZ Media at all, with their digital Shonen Jump manga platform being one I believe all comic companies both foreign and domestic should emulate. The first and last 3 chapters of any series they own is available to read for free, with access to the rest of the chapters only $1.99 a month. This is a god-send for people who love the medium and want to support it legally, but may not have the money to buy whole volumes. It’s the solution I wish I had when I was a broke college student.
The VIZ Media panel also highlighted the fact that 2020 marks the 20th Anniversary of Naruto, one of the most iconic manga of all time. Even though I didn’t experience the series until the anime aired in 2007, the knowledge that the series I grew up with is almost as old as I am really made me stop and think. There’s practically a whole new generation of people that grew up with the series as little kids – the whole thing makes me feel old. Plus, the panel highlighted just how mainstream the medium has become as a whole, showing off a Naruto clothing line from Hollywood actor Michael B. Jordan and fashion imprint COACH. It’s wild to think just how far anime has come. I still remember when I first watched Pokémon on early Saturday mornings back in 1998.
Another panel of note was the one focusing on Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba. This new Shonen series is about a young man who has to find a way to cure his sister’s demon curse while battling evil monsters of the night was one of the most-talked about anime of last year and if you watch even one episode it’s easy to see why, with its breathtaking animation, stellar characters and rich atmosphere.
However, the greatest takeaway from the panel was the partnership between two anime companies: Aniplex of America and FUNimation. Aniplex owns the rights to Kimetsu no Yaiba as well as a host of other anime like Cells at Work!, Puella Magi Madoka Magica and Kaguya-sama: Love is War. Aniplex of America is notorious in the anime fan community for their high prices; a Blu-ray set from them typically runs for one to two hundred dollars for as little as six episodes in each set. Though it is worth noting that these sets typically come in fancier boxes, with art books or soundtracks for the series. Still, the price is a high premium that many anime fans can’t afford. That, thankfully is where FUNimation is stepping in. For people who can’t afford or simply don’t want all the bells and whistles of the Aniplex release, FUNimation is offering a standard Blu-ray set which gives you all the episodes you would have gotten in the other one without breaking the bank. This branching set idea is a great way to ensure people aren’t left to the mercy of high prices and ensures that Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba can be enjoyed by as many people as possible. It’s a practice I certainly hope catches on!
The other big thing the panel touched on was the upcoming release of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba the Movie – Mugen Train, the sequel film to the 2019 anime. Due to Coronavirus, the film has been delayed to early 2021, with FUNimation Films and Aniplex of America ensuring the viewers that it would be coming to theaters. Now, as much as I want to see the film, I personally have serious doubts about the safety of movie theaters until a vaccine for the virus is produced and fully distributed across the country. Lupin III: The First, another hotly anticipated anime film is set to hit theaters later this month, but I, and many others are electing to wait until the film hits digital platforms in December to view it. In my opinion, the optimal way to release films now is to release them in select theaters and offer them up to rent on digital platforms the same day, much like Made in Abyss: Dawn of the Deep Soul and Bill & Ted Face the Music have. However, with movie companies being stubborn and distributing rights being limited, it remains to be seen if my personally preferred method will be adopted by more films.
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment's unveils its first-ever interactive film presentation with Batman: Death in the Family in a fascinating New York Comic Con
Another panel I watched was Batman: Death in the Family – An Interactive Tale, an in-depth look at the upcoming “Choose Your Own Adventure” style film based on the Death in the Family comic book event. The main takeaways I found interesting from this panel are that this film shares the same voice cast as the excellent Batman: Under the Red Hood, another adaptation of the Death in the Family storyline. This makes me worried that DC is starting to run out of steam when it comes to their animated features.
After the conclusion of the DC Animated Universe with the destructive Justice League Dark: Apokolips War, I was looking forward to seeing new ideas and more original adaptations. For instance, the Death of Superman storyline was adapted to animated film twice, once with Superman: Doomsday and again with The Death and Return of Superman. While both told the same story, one was far more faithful to the original source material. To me, Death in the Family doesn’t seem to do enough difference to warrant existing, but this is just what I think having only viewed the panel on the new film. I’m also disappointed to see that Batman: Death in the Family is only coming out on Blu-ray and digital streaming services. I suppose it was inevitable that DVD as a format would begin to be phased out, but it’s still an adjustment as Blu-ray players have yet to become as affordable as their previous generation’s counterparts. But again, that may just be my age showing.
Finally, the last panel I took a look at was The Making of Genndy Tartakovsky’s ‘Primal’. Without a doubt, this was the most genuine and professional panel I experienced throughout the entire NYCC Metaverse event. Creator Genndy Tartakovsky spoke about his currently airing Adult Swim series Primal, the tale of a caveman and a T. Rex trying to survive in the brutal prehistoric world. Along with his background artists, head story writer and composers, you really got a true sense of how the series evolved over time and how each individual piece fit together to form such a landmark in visual storytelling. I highly recommend anyone interested in animation production to check it out for themselves to see what it’s all about.
And so, that was my experience with New York Comic Con this year. Undeniably more subdued than even the worst year I spent there in person, but still not without its own bright spots. It’s certainly disappointing to not be able to enjoy the Exhibitor’s Hall, meet new people and discover exciting independent creators, but we play with the cards we’re dealt. As we continue to adapt to this changing pop culture landscape, only time will tell how conventions proceed and evolve. One thing is for certain – I know every single fan out there is praying for this plague to be over, and soon. Stay safe, everyone!
