I've been getting a bunch of last-minute notes from friends of this column who are gearing up for Kawaii Kon next weekend at the Hawai'i Convention Center, so let's dive right in:

» MidWeek cartoonist and art teacher Roy Chang recently e-mailed to say he'll be back offering art portfolio critiques in a new place: the main concourse, next to the registration booths. Stop by and get advice on the proper way to position Cross Academy guardian Zero Kiryu in your “;Vampire Knight”; fan art, which you'll want to give to Vic Mignogna, the voice actor recently cast as the English voice of that character. (Or any other art you may be working on, of course.)

» The Hawaii State Library System librarians will also be returning for a fourth year, spreading the word about library services and the anime and manga available for borrowing. Attendees who bring their library cards will receive a gift. Look for them in Artist Alley.

» Debuting this year will be “;Hachi Maru Hachi,”; a monthly anthology of manga and short stories from Hanabi Studio. The anthology's name is Japanese for “;808”;—appropriate considering the six artists involved with the project are local high school graduates and work here. Most of the artists and writers will be available to answer questions and sign copies of the magazine. Learn more about Hanabi Studio on Facebook at www.hsblinks.com/29e, and look for them in the dealers room.

» Reminder: Other new books available this weekend (barring any last-minute snags) include the “;Gordon Rider”; fan book spearheaded by Star-Bulletin cartoonist Jon J. Murakami, and the fourth volume of “;nemu*nemu”; from Audra Furuichi and Scott Yoshinaga. The “;nemu*nemu”; book holds a special place in my heart, as it features a foreword written by yours truly. Murakami will be in Artist Alley, while Furuichi and Yoshinaga will be set up in the dealers room.

Want to know more about Kawaii Kon? Check out our HiLife section on Friday for my sixth annual preview, where I'll be profiling some of the fresh talent in the convention spotlight this year.

It'll be a busy weekend, with both Kawaii Kon and the Hawaii International Film Festival Spring Showcase starting up, so pick up a copy to keep up with all the goings-on.

Funimation's new anime

Funimation recently announced it licensed all three “;Eden of the East”; movies and the 26-episode “;Chobits”; TV series for release in the United States.

While one “;Eden”; movie, “;Air Communication,”; is a condensed version of the events that took place in the TV series, the other two, “;The King of Eden”; and “;Paradise Lost,”; are continuations of the story. Saki Morimi, drawn into a dangerous game by the mysterious Akira Takizawa, comes to the United States in search of Akira but soon finds herself caught up once again in the contestants' desire to win and save Japan.

“;Chobits”; might be familiar to longtime anime fans, as it was originally released by Geneon on DVD in 2003. The series went out of print, however, when the company folded in 2007. “;Chobits”; follows Hideki Motosuwa, a student struggling to get into college, who one day finds a discarded android, or “;persocom.”; Expect the series on DVD and Blu-ray sometime next year.

Jason S. Yadao is the author of Rough Guides' “;The Rough Guide to Manga,”; now available. For more anime and manga news and commentary, check out “;Otaku Ohana”; at blogs.starbulletin.com/otakuohana. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/jsyadao or e-mail him at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).