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I don't know how many of you remember that during Lucky Star's original TV run in Japan, the director of the series was swapped out after episode four, from Yutaka Yamamoto to Yasuhiro Takemoto, reportedly because Yamamoto wasn't ready for directorship yet. (By contrast Takemoto had already successfully directed Full Metal Panic! The Second Raid and Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu, though he too had been pulled earlier in his career-- after directing Nurse Witch Komugi's OVA for two of its five episoes.)

Yamamoto has just been announced as Otakon's latest Guest of Honor, and before I hear any jokes or complaints about why we're getting the “rejected” director, consider this: Yamamoto also episode-directed episodes 1 and 12 of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya; episode 12 being the Live Alive episode that was kind of a major hit. He also directed the ending sequence, which you may have heard of here and there: Hare Hare Yukai?

In the meantime, since Haruhi, he's also directed another little show a few of you may have heard of from A-1 Pictures called Kannagi. Ahem.

So welcome the man! I plan to ask him a few questions about how they came up with Hare Hare Yukai (did anyone in the office dance it? Did they ever expect it to be the massive meme it became?). What would you like to know?