New York Comic-Con 2012

The Anime Network Panel

Presenters were VP of The Anime Network Stacy Dodson and online content manager Samantha Stevens.

Before the panel, raffle tickets and tarot cards from Persona 4 were handed out. The crowd was reminded that various dubbed Sentai Filmworks titles were being screened around the con. The panel led with an Anime Network teaser reel that highlighted Persona 4 (Sentai's “featured title” for this con, complete with Chie and Rise cosplayers), Majikoi, Horizon, and Heaven's Memo Pad. There was a cheer for Kids on the Slope.

The second video celebrated TAN's 10th anniversary with flashes of footage from titles the channel was running in its early days (Godannar, Kenshin), and transition footage the channel used to use, to the soothing tones of Detroit Metal City's Satsugai.

From here the panel took a simple pattern of introducing an English-dubbed title and running a brief clip from it. No new announcements were made. Persona 4, which uses the cast from the videogame, of course led. Other titles included Children Who Chase Lost Voices, Heaven's Memo Pad, Horizon, This Boy Can Fight Aliens!, and Majikoi – Oh! Samurai Girls.

It was mentioned that it was only because of the success of some of these titles in their subtitled streaming runs, like Un-Go, that Sentai saw fit to do English dubs. This was also referenced as being the criteria for Sentai releasing Blu-Rays of a title, as they are expensive to produce.

The panel was closed out with further reminders of what will be on the channel in coming months. TAN will be running From the New World, BTOOOM!, Medaka Box Abnormal, and Girls und Panzer online. Mayo Chiki! and Idolm (at ster) Xenoglossia will also go up.

After we were encouraged to contact our cable companies, the panel ended and the raffle began.