Erin F. and I attended the inaugural New York Anime Festival this weekend, and while I can’t speak for her, I’m still dazed from the experience. (For some reason, I can’t shake the smell of waffles. It was ubiquitous at the convention, and seems to have permeated my jacket and book bag. I know, I know… it could be a lot worse. My last trip to Yankee Stadium left me reeking of beer or sauerkraut.) Over the next few days, we’ll be posting reports on the weekend’s biggest news stories as well as the ICv2 conference on anime and manga, held last Thursday (12/6/07).

I’d hoped to finish my Weekly Recon column at NYAF, but instead spent my down time reading newly purchased books. (A little off-topic: the third volume of Black Sun, Silver Moon proved surprisingly good–it’s a radical departure from the Odd Couple antics of volumes one and two. I highly recommend it to anyone who wasn’t sure whether to continue with the series.) Look for the Weekly Recon to return on Sunday, when I review six new releases: Gakuen Alice, Vol. 1 (Tokyopop), The Guin Saga: The Seven Magi, Vol. 1 (Vertical, Inc.), Japan-Ai: A Tall Girl’s Adventures in Japan (Go! Comi), O-Parts Hunter, Vol. 7 (Viz), Wild Ones, Vol. 1 (Viz), and Yurara, Vol. 3 (Viz).

We also have a tsunami of new reviews coming in the next few weeks, as Erin and Ken tackle Aventura, Dramacon, Mamotte Lollipop, My Heavenly Hockey Club, and Vagabond (among others), and I post my two cents on Tokyopop’s muppet manga projects, better known as Jim Henson’s Legends of the Dark Crystal and Jim Henson’s Return to Labyrinth. Stay tuned!