I said it even before I left Anime Los Angeles 6 back in January 2010 (as documented in the end of the this video) that I was coming back to ALA in 2011. I now consider this one of these conventions as part of my convention diet which already included FanimeCon and (now) Anime Expo. It's been a year since I met everyone and going into 2011 this was the first convention under the current staff of myself, Ryan, Zanney, Avi, and Lucas all present - Zanney and Avi joined after Anime Vegas and I did not attend PMX.
ALA 2011 was going to be a lot busier than ALA 2010 as I had a number of panels and events lined up that encompassed the whole weekend, not to mention continuing my coverage of Anime Los Angeles for the California Conventions Blog. This was also a time to bond with my comrades as well as new people that I wanted to get to know.
I have been waiting for this moment to attend ALA 2011, and the time came soon enough.
-Prologue End-
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Friday, January 14, 2011
Early Thoughts on FanimeCon 2011
Even though this blog is still working on coverage of Anime Los Angeles 2011, there's another major convention on the horizon: FanimeCon 2011.
If you haven't heard, hotel reservations went up today and like all the times that I've booked my room for FanimeCon I'm always one of the first. This will be my fourth year staying at a hotel room as the first year I stayed with someone else. For reference, I save my confirmation e-mails. It's interesting to see how much more I've spent on the room over the years.
I would say that reserving the hotel room is the hardest part of preparing for FanimeCon, as rooms quickly run out especially when people decide to camp online like they did today. But for this year this isn't the hardest part.
As for the convention itself, I have many plans that didn't come about until after Anime Los Angeles 2011. I knew that I was going to do something big for the California Conventions Blog at FanimeCon 2011, but in a way that I never thought of before. I'm still waiting to see what guest of honors and musical acts come to Fanime this year, and I expect nothing short of spectacular.
As for ALA 2011 reviews, mine will be up before the end of the weekend and the others will be up soon. Ryan's review is already up if you haven't seen it already, so go check it out.
If you haven't heard, hotel reservations went up today and like all the times that I've booked my room for FanimeCon I'm always one of the first. This will be my fourth year staying at a hotel room as the first year I stayed with someone else. For reference, I save my confirmation e-mails. It's interesting to see how much more I've spent on the room over the years.
- In 2007 I paid $140 for the room, which was at the Crowne Plaza.
- 2008 is when I started to book my own room at the Marriott and I have been staying there ever since.
- Nights: 3
- Rate: $85
- Hotel Tax: 10.07%
- Estimated Room + Tax Total: $280.68
- 2009
- Nights: 3
- Rate: $88
- Hotel Tax: 10.07%
- Estimated Room + Tax Total: $290.58
- 2010 is when I started to stay for Day Zero.
- Nights: 4
- Rate: $88
- Hotel Tax: 14.0%
- Estimated Room + Tax Total: $401.28
- 2011
- Nights: 4
- Rate: $88
- Hotel Tax: 14.25%
- Estimated Room + Tax Total: $402.16
I would say that reserving the hotel room is the hardest part of preparing for FanimeCon, as rooms quickly run out especially when people decide to camp online like they did today. But for this year this isn't the hardest part.
As for the convention itself, I have many plans that didn't come about until after Anime Los Angeles 2011. I knew that I was going to do something big for the California Conventions Blog at FanimeCon 2011, but in a way that I never thought of before. I'm still waiting to see what guest of honors and musical acts come to Fanime this year, and I expect nothing short of spectacular.
As for ALA 2011 reviews, mine will be up before the end of the weekend and the others will be up soon. Ryan's review is already up if you haven't seen it already, so go check it out.
Ryu's Review of ALA 2011
This is Ryan/Ryu's review of Anime Los Angeles 2011, filmed the Tuesday after the convention and the day before I left Los Angeles to head back home to Sacramento.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
California Convention Blog's ALA 2011 Masquerade Videos
This is the entire ALA 2011 Masquerade from Tadao's entrance to the end of the Animaid performance, uncut and unedited. What you see is what I saw when I sat front row to film the Masquerade. The only skit that I'm missing is #22, the Hello Kitty with the machine gun. Credit to Tadao and the staff for keeping the Masquerade rolling so fast that by the time #22 left I had just loaded my second tape.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Introduction to ALA 2011 Coverage
This is an introduction to the California Convention Blog's coverage of Anime Los Angeles 2011, split into two parts: one during the drive to the convention on Day Zero, and one from the balcony of the hotel room.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Thoughts on ALA Day Zero
I love Day Zeros, and this ALA is no exception.
We got in around 5:30 to check-in and pick up our badges, then we had a food run at the grocery store before we started to party at the Ice Cream Social and back at the room. Props to G for bringing Aye Dark Overlord over and giving us a great start to ALA 7. Don't forget Zanney and Ryan Rickrolling the Pool Deck, which is made easier by the fact that we got a poolside balcony room.
Sleep time, then the real action starts...
We got in around 5:30 to check-in and pick up our badges, then we had a food run at the grocery store before we started to party at the Ice Cream Social and back at the room. Props to G for bringing Aye Dark Overlord over and giving us a great start to ALA 7. Don't forget Zanney and Ryan Rickrolling the Pool Deck, which is made easier by the fact that we got a poolside balcony room.
Sleep time, then the real action starts...
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Happy 2011 People, Alas My year end Review from the one and only Ryu plus a sneak preview of what to expect on 2011
Hey everyone Ryu/Ryan here!
Glad to see the new year coming in nicely, I'm glad that 2010 is over with not too much happening that year. No, my review isn't late I wanted to intentional post after the new year to preview what's in store for our blog.
But that's not why I'm here...
I came because I think it's not the hours we put on the blog put in last year, it's how much we put in for the hours last year.
May I start off with that last year was beyond CRAZY! I did things and went places I would have never dreamed of going to, but if it weren't for the certain people that I made social links with and the journey we all shared it would seem that the wheels of fate were turning.
Anime Los Angeles 2010 - This would be the starting point of further and far better cons and experiences for not just me but my fellow co-workers here on the blog. Originally I thought to myself it would be just another boring con-season by myself as a lot of my friends had other agendas and had either stopped cosplaying or had temporarily retired. My aunt had pre-reged me but since I had work back when I worked at Disney, I had to pick my badge up on Friday morning. To my very surprise this would be the moment I would prove myself totally wrong and then began a very enjoyable con. An hour into con I was far too bored to care of anything until myself and my Zero mask ran into a very familiar face. That friends would be one the greatest people and someone who I look as a brother at heart who would ironically soon be my boss and Mori of my Host Club. That man is Matthew Miranda who at first was just a random person I knew from FanimeCon for two years. That moment was a huge sigh of relief as I yelled running in the hallway "MATT!!!" We attended gatherings and shot many things together and had found my manager for Host Club since mine had the flu during con. Signings became easier and gatherings more enjoyable as i got to know my kuya (brother) better. It's funny I kind of knew Zanney before I really got to know her at Fanime; to her I was just the kid in an Akatsuki Snuggie in a corner of former friends room for the night but that's to explain later. My debut for my biggest dream was born in this con - yes that was the SoCal Host Club. I had imagined after being at many Maid Cafes around cons that it would be cool to bring every con-goer a chance to experience if the Ouran High School Host Club were real. I brought image and dream to life and to my shocking surprise we had a line like no other and was a huge hit. With the event so successful I had asked my new manager Matt and my other co-founder Racheal Morgan to expand to other cons and and so far we have hit even bigger with the success of AX and soon to be other cons around the country. Last day of con blues were hitting me as always but then i met another individual who soon become a close friend and somewhat - Lucas Chang, who at time I knew as Rukazu. Thanks to his same interest in Code Geass and irony of location we lived closer than expected we had the best time during end of con. My day would not end the way I had expected as again to my surprise, as I was invited by Matt and his family to what would be my first and would never be forgotten experience at Roscoe's Chicken' N Waffles. That night Lelouch would never be known as the same again; this night would be the time where brothers were united and will never forget each other. It saddened that Matt had to leave I went back to my quiet life back in Westminster.
The months flew really quick, and during the passing months I had became a staff member for something I generally ignored (sorry Matt, it's true) I had became a member of the California Conventions Blog, or CaliConBlog for short. I had begun to strengthen my social links with Matt and Lucas to what would become not only the start of the Three Lelouches and Philippines but would become...
FanimeCon2010 - Originally I had not planned to go to Fanime because I had been laid off from Disney and i had insufficient funds at the time; that was until I had received notice of interest from new-found friends Matt and Lucas who wanted to go and would help me get there. I had told Lucas of the many wonders of Fanime but he too was weary at first; after some convincing he came along for the ride. That would be the day that a normal con would no longer be a normal con but be an adventure into many places I had always wanted to go to. For the first time in my life I had drove a long distance as my first road trip with friends from SoCal to NorCal, Westminster to Sacramento, Sacramento to San Fransisco/Japantown and then onto Fanime in beautiful San Jose. My third year at Fanime would be not just another memory but instead remarkable. After a long drive from home I get treated to breakfast at Matt and my usual spot and sight-seeing in San Fransisco which I don't think I'd ever make it alive if I lived there, but its a nice tourist spot. Japantown is a lot of fun but in my opinion but doesn't stand ground to Little Tokyo back in Los Angles. Still, the Golden Gate Bridge was worth the drive on as it was a beautiful sight. This is where Fanime begins two hours later on Day Zero. I saw familiar faces again while waiting in line for badges; this is where my social link with Zanney, who I knew as CosplayCyborg and would then lead to be known as Canada. Day One unfolds and leads to a whole day of profound EPICNESS!!! Starting with Matt and I at our Ouran Gathering, we went all out this year and really showed how SoCal Host Club how we do it! But that wasn't the main event on day one...may I say FLOW!!! Yes, that's right the big J-Rock band from Japan performing in the States??? The moment I heard they came I literally fainted. I have to say that the concert had made Fanime BEST CON EVER!!! Best concert I've ever been to since both Incubus and OreSkaBand combined, no joke! That lead to to a better con as Philippines was revealed and the Hetalia gathering lit up for us and welcomed us with wide open arms as me and Matt rally-ran to everyone's cheering. I had met a producer and artist I thought I never meet again after missing them at AX a year prior. I met and got signatures from none other than Daisuke Ishiwatari and Toshimichi Mori, the creators and artist for games series such as BlazBlue and Guilty Gear, just to name a few.
Well con had to end right? I had another sad goodbye as I take another five hour drive back home.
Things take turn for the worse after FanimeCon. My godmother who had raised me my entire life has ended up in the hospital a month before Anime Expo and would turn out to be stuck there for the remainder of her life due the suffering of Pancreatic Cancer. But she didn't stop me from going she insisted I made her proud and went to AX. And so I did after picking up Matt from Union Station we ended up at...
Anime Expo 2010 - As much as I and Matt worried sick about Lee we had made to the bustling city of downtown Los Angeles for Matt's second AX and my tenth. This is where everyone got to truly know everyone. I no longer addressed anyone by con names but by actual Real name. Canada was now Zanney, Prussia was now Avi and I was known as Ryan. also Scarlet Rhapsody was now Erica and Jared. Philippines gets the biggest reception here as a lot of not only Hetalia fans adored it but many of Filipino families and con-goers asked for photos and or gave props. I didn't care much as I did for AX in its prime years but of course we had a new CEO in charge. Things were stricter and limited but still lived to its expectations from me. AX brought heavy hitters for guests this year and I was very appreciative of the direction the con was taking and this would lead to lots of signings and some minor drama that was worked out. As I mentioned in my ALA section of my year end review, this is where SoCal Host Club Evolves in to an MEGA HIT!!! We counted 500 people from not all around the globe, may I mention we had people from Australia come to our event and panel? Con ends but time but I spent a few extra days with Matt going places with him like Roscoe's and Little Tokyo. After filming our post review i thought i wouldn't see Matt till ALA...
I WAS WRONG! Which leads us to...
Anime Vegas 2010 - Going to the Sin City during Labor Day weekend never seemed like such bad idea even for an underage adult like myself. It would be officially decided in August that both CaliConBlog and Scarlet Rhapsody would be on a joint project heading straight into Las Vegas. Since my parents were more on the Laughlin side of things I never visited Vegas yet I had always wanted to. This was my chance to kill three birds with one stone. Here I am at LAX at eight in the morning picking up Matt again for what be a trip to remember. After I got him we pick up Rhapsody and an hour later and head straight for Vegas. Now if your underage this con is still for you but you will not have much to do around the strip. But this is a con after all and it was a lot of fun. It was great to see a lot of the Full Metal Alchemist cast as well as Original Power Ranger cast and JYB aka Johnny Yong Bosch. Lastly, gatherings are full of life and was worth it. Sadly I still need to conquer a six pound burrito next time I'm in town. Matt flies home as I play chauffeur for Rhapsody and new friend Kimberly Prue Paul.
Sadly after my return, October was horrible time for me as I lost someone very close to me...my godmother to cancer. Family drama ensures afterwords, which is a long story which you'd have to ask me in person about. After a hard loss and thinking my con-season and everything I had thought and lived for was over it lead to new hopes and and a chance to brighten my sorrows.
My last con of 2010...
Pacific Media Expo 2010 (PMX) - To be honest I didn't expect much of this con but it was still worth the time I put into it and worth being around people who cared about to raise me and my spirits up. I met a voice actor who I didn't think I'd meet which none other than Stephenie Sheh (Eureka from Eureka Seven, Hinata from Naruto, Orihime from Bleach). The food trucks food was amazing; even the the runner-up of The Great Food Truck Race, the Nom Nom Truck, was present for this con. I saw faces I normally see at other cons like JRyoga. I don't think I will attend again unless I see minor changes, plus there were a lot of things that could have been avoided.
Lastly I would like to point my favorite con of the year. It was a tie between Fanime And Vegas because both had amazing experiences and fun road trips.
I'm looking forward to seeing all your friendly faces at ALA!
For me this year is the year of only positive thoughts and actions - no deaths, no drama, just living life to its maximum extent! Cons I plan for this year is ALA, Fanime, SakuraCon, Otacon and Anime Vegas. Knowing me, the flock (the blog members) will follow to these cons as well.
Well here's to a better Con-season! Happy 2011 people!
Glad to see the new year coming in nicely, I'm glad that 2010 is over with not too much happening that year. No, my review isn't late I wanted to intentional post after the new year to preview what's in store for our blog.
But that's not why I'm here...
I came because I think it's not the hours we put on the blog put in last year, it's how much we put in for the hours last year.
May I start off with that last year was beyond CRAZY! I did things and went places I would have never dreamed of going to, but if it weren't for the certain people that I made social links with and the journey we all shared it would seem that the wheels of fate were turning.
Anime Los Angeles 2010 - This would be the starting point of further and far better cons and experiences for not just me but my fellow co-workers here on the blog. Originally I thought to myself it would be just another boring con-season by myself as a lot of my friends had other agendas and had either stopped cosplaying or had temporarily retired. My aunt had pre-reged me but since I had work back when I worked at Disney, I had to pick my badge up on Friday morning. To my very surprise this would be the moment I would prove myself totally wrong and then began a very enjoyable con. An hour into con I was far too bored to care of anything until myself and my Zero mask ran into a very familiar face. That friends would be one the greatest people and someone who I look as a brother at heart who would ironically soon be my boss and Mori of my Host Club. That man is Matthew Miranda who at first was just a random person I knew from FanimeCon for two years. That moment was a huge sigh of relief as I yelled running in the hallway "MATT!!!" We attended gatherings and shot many things together and had found my manager for Host Club since mine had the flu during con. Signings became easier and gatherings more enjoyable as i got to know my kuya (brother) better. It's funny I kind of knew Zanney before I really got to know her at Fanime; to her I was just the kid in an Akatsuki Snuggie in a corner of former friends room for the night but that's to explain later. My debut for my biggest dream was born in this con - yes that was the SoCal Host Club. I had imagined after being at many Maid Cafes around cons that it would be cool to bring every con-goer a chance to experience if the Ouran High School Host Club were real. I brought image and dream to life and to my shocking surprise we had a line like no other and was a huge hit. With the event so successful I had asked my new manager Matt and my other co-founder Racheal Morgan to expand to other cons and and so far we have hit even bigger with the success of AX and soon to be other cons around the country. Last day of con blues were hitting me as always but then i met another individual who soon become a close friend and somewhat - Lucas Chang, who at time I knew as Rukazu. Thanks to his same interest in Code Geass and irony of location we lived closer than expected we had the best time during end of con. My day would not end the way I had expected as again to my surprise, as I was invited by Matt and his family to what would be my first and would never be forgotten experience at Roscoe's Chicken' N Waffles. That night Lelouch would never be known as the same again; this night would be the time where brothers were united and will never forget each other. It saddened that Matt had to leave I went back to my quiet life back in Westminster.
The months flew really quick, and during the passing months I had became a staff member for something I generally ignored (sorry Matt, it's true) I had became a member of the California Conventions Blog, or CaliConBlog for short. I had begun to strengthen my social links with Matt and Lucas to what would become not only the start of the Three Lelouches and Philippines but would become...
FanimeCon2010 - Originally I had not planned to go to Fanime because I had been laid off from Disney and i had insufficient funds at the time; that was until I had received notice of interest from new-found friends Matt and Lucas who wanted to go and would help me get there. I had told Lucas of the many wonders of Fanime but he too was weary at first; after some convincing he came along for the ride. That would be the day that a normal con would no longer be a normal con but be an adventure into many places I had always wanted to go to. For the first time in my life I had drove a long distance as my first road trip with friends from SoCal to NorCal, Westminster to Sacramento, Sacramento to San Fransisco/Japantown and then onto Fanime in beautiful San Jose. My third year at Fanime would be not just another memory but instead remarkable. After a long drive from home I get treated to breakfast at Matt and my usual spot and sight-seeing in San Fransisco which I don't think I'd ever make it alive if I lived there, but its a nice tourist spot. Japantown is a lot of fun but in my opinion but doesn't stand ground to Little Tokyo back in Los Angles. Still, the Golden Gate Bridge was worth the drive on as it was a beautiful sight. This is where Fanime begins two hours later on Day Zero. I saw familiar faces again while waiting in line for badges; this is where my social link with Zanney, who I knew as CosplayCyborg and would then lead to be known as Canada. Day One unfolds and leads to a whole day of profound EPICNESS!!! Starting with Matt and I at our Ouran Gathering, we went all out this year and really showed how SoCal Host Club how we do it! But that wasn't the main event on day one...may I say FLOW!!! Yes, that's right the big J-Rock band from Japan performing in the States??? The moment I heard they came I literally fainted. I have to say that the concert had made Fanime BEST CON EVER!!! Best concert I've ever been to since both Incubus and OreSkaBand combined, no joke! That lead to to a better con as Philippines was revealed and the Hetalia gathering lit up for us and welcomed us with wide open arms as me and Matt rally-ran to everyone's cheering. I had met a producer and artist I thought I never meet again after missing them at AX a year prior. I met and got signatures from none other than Daisuke Ishiwatari and Toshimichi Mori, the creators and artist for games series such as BlazBlue and Guilty Gear, just to name a few.
Well con had to end right? I had another sad goodbye as I take another five hour drive back home.
Things take turn for the worse after FanimeCon. My godmother who had raised me my entire life has ended up in the hospital a month before Anime Expo and would turn out to be stuck there for the remainder of her life due the suffering of Pancreatic Cancer. But she didn't stop me from going she insisted I made her proud and went to AX. And so I did after picking up Matt from Union Station we ended up at...
Anime Expo 2010 - As much as I and Matt worried sick about Lee we had made to the bustling city of downtown Los Angeles for Matt's second AX and my tenth. This is where everyone got to truly know everyone. I no longer addressed anyone by con names but by actual Real name. Canada was now Zanney, Prussia was now Avi and I was known as Ryan. also Scarlet Rhapsody was now Erica and Jared. Philippines gets the biggest reception here as a lot of not only Hetalia fans adored it but many of Filipino families and con-goers asked for photos and or gave props. I didn't care much as I did for AX in its prime years but of course we had a new CEO in charge. Things were stricter and limited but still lived to its expectations from me. AX brought heavy hitters for guests this year and I was very appreciative of the direction the con was taking and this would lead to lots of signings and some minor drama that was worked out. As I mentioned in my ALA section of my year end review, this is where SoCal Host Club Evolves in to an MEGA HIT!!! We counted 500 people from not all around the globe, may I mention we had people from Australia come to our event and panel? Con ends but time but I spent a few extra days with Matt going places with him like Roscoe's and Little Tokyo. After filming our post review i thought i wouldn't see Matt till ALA...
I WAS WRONG! Which leads us to...
Anime Vegas 2010 - Going to the Sin City during Labor Day weekend never seemed like such bad idea even for an underage adult like myself. It would be officially decided in August that both CaliConBlog and Scarlet Rhapsody would be on a joint project heading straight into Las Vegas. Since my parents were more on the Laughlin side of things I never visited Vegas yet I had always wanted to. This was my chance to kill three birds with one stone. Here I am at LAX at eight in the morning picking up Matt again for what be a trip to remember. After I got him we pick up Rhapsody and an hour later and head straight for Vegas. Now if your underage this con is still for you but you will not have much to do around the strip. But this is a con after all and it was a lot of fun. It was great to see a lot of the Full Metal Alchemist cast as well as Original Power Ranger cast and JYB aka Johnny Yong Bosch. Lastly, gatherings are full of life and was worth it. Sadly I still need to conquer a six pound burrito next time I'm in town. Matt flies home as I play chauffeur for Rhapsody and new friend Kimberly Prue Paul.
Sadly after my return, October was horrible time for me as I lost someone very close to me...my godmother to cancer. Family drama ensures afterwords, which is a long story which you'd have to ask me in person about. After a hard loss and thinking my con-season and everything I had thought and lived for was over it lead to new hopes and and a chance to brighten my sorrows.
My last con of 2010...
Pacific Media Expo 2010 (PMX) - To be honest I didn't expect much of this con but it was still worth the time I put into it and worth being around people who cared about to raise me and my spirits up. I met a voice actor who I didn't think I'd meet which none other than Stephenie Sheh (Eureka from Eureka Seven, Hinata from Naruto, Orihime from Bleach). The food trucks food was amazing; even the the runner-up of The Great Food Truck Race, the Nom Nom Truck, was present for this con. I saw faces I normally see at other cons like JRyoga. I don't think I will attend again unless I see minor changes, plus there were a lot of things that could have been avoided.
Lastly I would like to point my favorite con of the year. It was a tie between Fanime And Vegas because both had amazing experiences and fun road trips.
I'm looking forward to seeing all your friendly faces at ALA!
For me this year is the year of only positive thoughts and actions - no deaths, no drama, just living life to its maximum extent! Cons I plan for this year is ALA, Fanime, SakuraCon, Otacon and Anime Vegas. Knowing me, the flock (the blog members) will follow to these cons as well.
Well here's to a better Con-season! Happy 2011 people!
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Year End Review
Now that it's the end of the year, I thought of doing a year-end report to discuss all the conventions I have gone to this year and what I felt from each one. I first want to thank my associates Matt, Ryan, Zanney, Avi, Erica and Jared for allowing me to work with them on these blogs. Had I not met Matt or Ryan, I would not have been able to do these blogs.
Anyways, I shall start with a general overview of the conventions and gatherings for this year, starting with ALA. This was my third con I did, but I was starting to get into the swing of things.
What I look for at a con are several factors. I look at the cosplay, and how well done they are, the general feeling of the convention, if I was bored and didn't do much, what kind of venues they had, and what guests they have. At the end of each con, I ask myself the question, is this con worth going to next year, and what would I change about it? Depending on what the answer is, that's how I rate the cons.
Now for my individual analysis of each convention.
Anime LA is one of my favorites in the sense it's a great con to relax and meet with friends and do shenanigans. Although I wasn't officially part of the blog yet and not quite understanding of the convention culture and norms, it was a fun con where I got to meet several of the other cosplayers that I hang out with occasionally at later cons. Anime LA doesn't have the big venues like Fanime and Anime Expo, and its more about everyone just hanging out and having a good time. Overall, this would be tied in third place with Anime Expo, which I will explain later.
Fanime had met my expectations and then some. From what I heard from my contacts in Nor Cal, it was one of the best, if not the best in the northern half. I had the chance to finally go this year and it was really fun. Partially because this was the only con that explicitly stated that they had events and arcade that went 24 hours non-stop. There was so much going on at any time but I was not necessarily in a hurry like I was at AX. All the venues they had, from the Artist Alley to Game room and Dealer's Hall, had excellent merchandise. Fanime definitely ranks as one of my favorite cons of this year.
Anime Expo, the big venue. Unfortunately, after Fanime, it didn't seem as fun and was more tedious because Matt and Ryan dragged me around to do signings and such. I found out that next time, we wouldn't we able to do those signings again because it was simply too much work. I didn't even know some of these guests and while I said I would help them out, I found out that sitting in the panel for an hour and then having to run over to get two signatures and waiting in line for so long didn't seem worth it. While being the largest con, it is by no means my favorite nor one that I truly enjoyed. The main thing with Expo was of course the new leadership, but also the feeling that this was more tedious than Fanime, even though Expo is only two minutes from where I live. Plus the staff was much more strict as the feeling stems from the fact that Expo is more industry based while Fanime is more about hanging out with friends. Overall, while the first time it was good, second time around wasn't as fun and next year is still a toss up.
Anime Vegas was really fun for me considering it was one of the conventions on my list that I had to do. I noticed that a lot of the FUNimation voice actors was going to be there and Johnny Yong Bosch was going to be there as well. This was the first con where I really wanted to do signatures and meet Voice actors because I haven't done it yet at any other con. While the location was a drawback as well as the heat, being able to get the signatures from all the people that I wanted to made the con for me. There was some drama towards the end from what I've heard, but it wasn't anything big. All else being equal, Vegas has got to come in as second place.
PMX was also a small little con that was more of a 'cool down' than anything else. Since I wasn't planning to do much other than take pictures and hang out with friends, I don't really expect much and wasn't expecting much to begin with. I was asked to take pictures and help organize an impromptu Touhou gathering and take pictures which was sorta cool. The only thing that stood out was of course Hetalia, in which Tally and some of her friends practically begged me to run the gathering to which I reluctantly agreed. Afterwards we got together a small group of friends and started just chatting about Hetalia, which was pretty nice as a cool down. PMX is there as just something to take my mind off things, but that's about it.
And now, I will announce my favorite convention overall this year. Taking all the factors into account, cost, the general feeling of the culture and the other attendees, the cosplay, and panels and the concerts, my favorite con for this year has got to be......Fanime. Fanime just had everything I wanted. It was the convention that we spent the most time preparing for and the most time we spent at any convention. I bought my tickets a bit late, but that doesn't matter. On day zero alone, we were already getting pictures and hanging out with the other cosplayers. On the first day, we did everything from taking photos to doing a chess tournament and of course, the FLOW concert. That alone made the convention for me. If only Anime Expo got Orange Range then it may have been on par, but since they didn't, Fanime ranks as my favorite con because everything was as perfect as it could be.
The general feeling of the staff was that they were not as stuck up and strict as they were at AX, the panels were fairly decent, the cosplay was well done and I felt that I could really enjoy the con.
This was my first year where I've gone to almost all the major cons around the So Cal area, and its definitely something that I want to keep doing if I can for as long as can.
Peace out!
Rukazu
Anyways, I shall start with a general overview of the conventions and gatherings for this year, starting with ALA. This was my third con I did, but I was starting to get into the swing of things.
What I look for at a con are several factors. I look at the cosplay, and how well done they are, the general feeling of the convention, if I was bored and didn't do much, what kind of venues they had, and what guests they have. At the end of each con, I ask myself the question, is this con worth going to next year, and what would I change about it? Depending on what the answer is, that's how I rate the cons.
Now for my individual analysis of each convention.
Anime LA is one of my favorites in the sense it's a great con to relax and meet with friends and do shenanigans. Although I wasn't officially part of the blog yet and not quite understanding of the convention culture and norms, it was a fun con where I got to meet several of the other cosplayers that I hang out with occasionally at later cons. Anime LA doesn't have the big venues like Fanime and Anime Expo, and its more about everyone just hanging out and having a good time. Overall, this would be tied in third place with Anime Expo, which I will explain later.
Fanime had met my expectations and then some. From what I heard from my contacts in Nor Cal, it was one of the best, if not the best in the northern half. I had the chance to finally go this year and it was really fun. Partially because this was the only con that explicitly stated that they had events and arcade that went 24 hours non-stop. There was so much going on at any time but I was not necessarily in a hurry like I was at AX. All the venues they had, from the Artist Alley to Game room and Dealer's Hall, had excellent merchandise. Fanime definitely ranks as one of my favorite cons of this year.
Anime Expo, the big venue. Unfortunately, after Fanime, it didn't seem as fun and was more tedious because Matt and Ryan dragged me around to do signings and such. I found out that next time, we wouldn't we able to do those signings again because it was simply too much work. I didn't even know some of these guests and while I said I would help them out, I found out that sitting in the panel for an hour and then having to run over to get two signatures and waiting in line for so long didn't seem worth it. While being the largest con, it is by no means my favorite nor one that I truly enjoyed. The main thing with Expo was of course the new leadership, but also the feeling that this was more tedious than Fanime, even though Expo is only two minutes from where I live. Plus the staff was much more strict as the feeling stems from the fact that Expo is more industry based while Fanime is more about hanging out with friends. Overall, while the first time it was good, second time around wasn't as fun and next year is still a toss up.
Anime Vegas was really fun for me considering it was one of the conventions on my list that I had to do. I noticed that a lot of the FUNimation voice actors was going to be there and Johnny Yong Bosch was going to be there as well. This was the first con where I really wanted to do signatures and meet Voice actors because I haven't done it yet at any other con. While the location was a drawback as well as the heat, being able to get the signatures from all the people that I wanted to made the con for me. There was some drama towards the end from what I've heard, but it wasn't anything big. All else being equal, Vegas has got to come in as second place.
PMX was also a small little con that was more of a 'cool down' than anything else. Since I wasn't planning to do much other than take pictures and hang out with friends, I don't really expect much and wasn't expecting much to begin with. I was asked to take pictures and help organize an impromptu Touhou gathering and take pictures which was sorta cool. The only thing that stood out was of course Hetalia, in which Tally and some of her friends practically begged me to run the gathering to which I reluctantly agreed. Afterwards we got together a small group of friends and started just chatting about Hetalia, which was pretty nice as a cool down. PMX is there as just something to take my mind off things, but that's about it.
And now, I will announce my favorite convention overall this year. Taking all the factors into account, cost, the general feeling of the culture and the other attendees, the cosplay, and panels and the concerts, my favorite con for this year has got to be......Fanime. Fanime just had everything I wanted. It was the convention that we spent the most time preparing for and the most time we spent at any convention. I bought my tickets a bit late, but that doesn't matter. On day zero alone, we were already getting pictures and hanging out with the other cosplayers. On the first day, we did everything from taking photos to doing a chess tournament and of course, the FLOW concert. That alone made the convention for me. If only Anime Expo got Orange Range then it may have been on par, but since they didn't, Fanime ranks as my favorite con because everything was as perfect as it could be.
The general feeling of the staff was that they were not as stuck up and strict as they were at AX, the panels were fairly decent, the cosplay was well done and I felt that I could really enjoy the con.
This was my first year where I've gone to almost all the major cons around the So Cal area, and its definitely something that I want to keep doing if I can for as long as can.
Peace out!
Rukazu
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Zanney's 2010 - The End of a Decade & The Start of Something New
It's December, 2010. The tail-end of a decade that a lot of people never dreamed they'd live to see. My grandmother is one of them, although I think she'll live to be 200, what with how hardcore she is. Someone pushing 97 who teaches Yoga, shoots straight vodka, smokes a pack a day and walks everywhere she goes has got to be something close to immortal, in my opinion.
Longevity runs in my family, it seems. Maybe that's why through the entirety of the crazy roller-coaster that was this past year in my life I still haven't offed myself. Brushed with death a couple times, but nowhere closer than that. Plus, that bus came out of nowhere so fast not even Spiderman couldn't have seen it!
Joking aside, I started dabbling in Numerology a little while ago, simply because there are some weird coincidences in life and sometimes I pick out numbers or other things that can be applied to them. For example, this is my twenty-second year. The number 22, when applied to tarot cards and the major arcana, represents The Fool. From this, I've tied in a fandom I got into just before the end of 2009--Shin Megami Tensei and more specifically, Persona 3.
I find it both ironic and meaningful that I'll begin the new year by unveiling my first female character cosplay in a long time, and that she happens to be the female protagonist of Persona 3 Portable who is represented by The Fool arcana and has the Roman numeral for 22 pinned up in her hair.
Wikipedia's article tells us that the symbolism of The Fool is the search for new experiences and "the childlike ability to tune into the inner workings of the world" and many pictures drawn of The Fool show him preparing for a journey.
This past summer I woke up one morning and decided to buy a passport and by mid-August I was on my way to British Columbia, Canada in search of the answers to countless questions within myself. It was my very first time outside of the United States and I can tell you that I'm definitely gonna go back for Anime Evolution again and again. In Canada, I saw more trees in one square mile than I had ever seen in my entire life! I got to nurture my inner cowboy-nerd at the BC Cowboy Hall of Fame, took a day trip in Barkerville, a historical town on the Yukon Gold Rush Trail, discovered what it truly meant to do something I wanted to do for myself because I felt like it.
And before the summer, I did a lot of other things for the first time. Going backwards from August, I worked at the SoCal Host Club for the first time at Anime Expo. In May, I attended FanimeCon and had my own hotel (to share) for the first time, took Amtrak to con for the first time, cosplayed as a Steampunk variation of a character I liked, made new friends, collapsed from fatigue and had an air tube shoved up my nose by a paramedic on-site, took initiative, told someone off, made someone cry, started a fight, got really really close to punching somebody...
While some of these weren't very positive experiences, that was what the spring and summer of 2010 were like for me. The beginning of the year was equally full of new experiences, what with the Olympics taking place in Vancouver, world records being broken all over the place, making a few new friends here and there, voice acting and writing crack fan fiction simply because I could. Anime Los Angeles was my first time staffing the graveyard shift, my first time being a karaoke jockey, my first time having a panic attack in front of people, my first time being interviewed for television in costume (not that they ever actually posted that video clip...) and my first time realizing that most of my friends still think like middle school students despite being 20-somethings.
So at the tail end of 2010, in which I turned 22 years old and experienced all sorts of new and exciting things, I can honestly say I learned a lot. These are lessons I'll keep with me for a long time, even if I don't cosplay when I'm middle-aged. I think I'll still be very interested in the Blogosphere, since the media continues to lean more and more toward digital. Someday maybe I'll be a professional journalist, but right now I'm perfectly content writing a blog together with my friends here at CaliConBlog.
I'm so grateful to Matt, the website founder, who invited me to join the staff after I did a satisfactory job at the SoCal Host Club panel at Anime Expo 2010. I owe him a lot for rescuing my Fanime group in May, offering us rides and some extra food and being a really nice guy. But before that, I'd been talking to him and Ryan online, long before I was able to remember which cosplayer was HeeroYuy135 or RyuSon777. I was just Cosplay Cyborg to them at the time. Some really enthusiastic girl that Matt just so happened to take a picture of at Anime Los Angeles 2010, I guess.
It was entirely by chance that I stumbled upon the photo from the blog by doing a google search of the character I was cosplaying as. I don't even know how I wound up in a search engine what with how popular Canada-san from Hetalia is nowadays, but that photo led me to this blog and from there I was able to get Matt's contact info.
At times like this, I don't proudly claim that I'm lucky and that my impulsive decisions are what make me who I am and all that other glorified nonsense I tend to spout when I'm excited about something. Instead, I turn to a wise woman from the CLAMP universe:
"There are no coincidences in this world. Only hitsuzen."
Yuuko Ichihara is one of my all-time favorite characters, and I bet you readers can already see why. The concept of hitsuzen is simple--everything is predetermined, and it is so for a meaningful reason. You might not realize it right away, but that reason will someday become more than just a reason. Coming full-circle from Yuuko's favorite saying to Persona 3's favorite theme, the butterfly effect, the choices I made in the last year were all fairly risky, even sometime rash and not very wise at all. But they are what brought me to this moment today--December 28th, 2010--when Matt asked me to write about this past year in conventions.
The Fool is also represented by the number zero. Rather than looking back at what I did last year or the year before or any year previous, I like to start each new year with fresh white sheet of paper, so I will start 2011 not by looking back at what I've done anymore, but by looking toward what I want to do, what I can do and what I will do someday very soon.
Let's begin again~
Longevity runs in my family, it seems. Maybe that's why through the entirety of the crazy roller-coaster that was this past year in my life I still haven't offed myself. Brushed with death a couple times, but nowhere closer than that. Plus, that bus came out of nowhere so fast not even Spiderman couldn't have seen it!
Joking aside, I started dabbling in Numerology a little while ago, simply because there are some weird coincidences in life and sometimes I pick out numbers or other things that can be applied to them. For example, this is my twenty-second year. The number 22, when applied to tarot cards and the major arcana, represents The Fool. From this, I've tied in a fandom I got into just before the end of 2009--Shin Megami Tensei and more specifically, Persona 3.
I find it both ironic and meaningful that I'll begin the new year by unveiling my first female character cosplay in a long time, and that she happens to be the female protagonist of Persona 3 Portable who is represented by The Fool arcana and has the Roman numeral for 22 pinned up in her hair.
Wikipedia's article tells us that the symbolism of The Fool is the search for new experiences and "the childlike ability to tune into the inner workings of the world" and many pictures drawn of The Fool show him preparing for a journey.
This past summer I woke up one morning and decided to buy a passport and by mid-August I was on my way to British Columbia, Canada in search of the answers to countless questions within myself. It was my very first time outside of the United States and I can tell you that I'm definitely gonna go back for Anime Evolution again and again. In Canada, I saw more trees in one square mile than I had ever seen in my entire life! I got to nurture my inner cowboy-nerd at the BC Cowboy Hall of Fame, took a day trip in Barkerville, a historical town on the Yukon Gold Rush Trail, discovered what it truly meant to do something I wanted to do for myself because I felt like it.
And before the summer, I did a lot of other things for the first time. Going backwards from August, I worked at the SoCal Host Club for the first time at Anime Expo. In May, I attended FanimeCon and had my own hotel (to share) for the first time, took Amtrak to con for the first time, cosplayed as a Steampunk variation of a character I liked, made new friends, collapsed from fatigue and had an air tube shoved up my nose by a paramedic on-site, took initiative, told someone off, made someone cry, started a fight, got really really close to punching somebody...
While some of these weren't very positive experiences, that was what the spring and summer of 2010 were like for me. The beginning of the year was equally full of new experiences, what with the Olympics taking place in Vancouver, world records being broken all over the place, making a few new friends here and there, voice acting and writing crack fan fiction simply because I could. Anime Los Angeles was my first time staffing the graveyard shift, my first time being a karaoke jockey, my first time having a panic attack in front of people, my first time being interviewed for television in costume (not that they ever actually posted that video clip...) and my first time realizing that most of my friends still think like middle school students despite being 20-somethings.
So at the tail end of 2010, in which I turned 22 years old and experienced all sorts of new and exciting things, I can honestly say I learned a lot. These are lessons I'll keep with me for a long time, even if I don't cosplay when I'm middle-aged. I think I'll still be very interested in the Blogosphere, since the media continues to lean more and more toward digital. Someday maybe I'll be a professional journalist, but right now I'm perfectly content writing a blog together with my friends here at CaliConBlog.
I'm so grateful to Matt, the website founder, who invited me to join the staff after I did a satisfactory job at the SoCal Host Club panel at Anime Expo 2010. I owe him a lot for rescuing my Fanime group in May, offering us rides and some extra food and being a really nice guy. But before that, I'd been talking to him and Ryan online, long before I was able to remember which cosplayer was HeeroYuy135 or RyuSon777. I was just Cosplay Cyborg to them at the time. Some really enthusiastic girl that Matt just so happened to take a picture of at Anime Los Angeles 2010, I guess.
It was entirely by chance that I stumbled upon the photo from the blog by doing a google search of the character I was cosplaying as. I don't even know how I wound up in a search engine what with how popular Canada-san from Hetalia is nowadays, but that photo led me to this blog and from there I was able to get Matt's contact info.
At times like this, I don't proudly claim that I'm lucky and that my impulsive decisions are what make me who I am and all that other glorified nonsense I tend to spout when I'm excited about something. Instead, I turn to a wise woman from the CLAMP universe:
"There are no coincidences in this world. Only hitsuzen."
Yuuko Ichihara is one of my all-time favorite characters, and I bet you readers can already see why. The concept of hitsuzen is simple--everything is predetermined, and it is so for a meaningful reason. You might not realize it right away, but that reason will someday become more than just a reason. Coming full-circle from Yuuko's favorite saying to Persona 3's favorite theme, the butterfly effect, the choices I made in the last year were all fairly risky, even sometime rash and not very wise at all. But they are what brought me to this moment today--December 28th, 2010--when Matt asked me to write about this past year in conventions.
The Fool is also represented by the number zero. Rather than looking back at what I did last year or the year before or any year previous, I like to start each new year with fresh white sheet of paper, so I will start 2011 not by looking back at what I've done anymore, but by looking toward what I want to do, what I can do and what I will do someday very soon.
Let's begin again~
Matthew's Convention Year In Review 2010
As we approach the end of 2010, I look back to what an amazing year it's been. This was really the year when the California Conventions Blog expanded to places that I never thought I would show up to - Anime Los Angeles, Anime Expo, and Anime Vegas. FanimeCon will always be a staple of my convention year, and for the first time I did not attend a single Sac-Anime and only one Sac-Con - and that was the last convention that I went to in 2010. This is weird considering that I live in Sacramento, but for the most part work prevented me from going to the majority of the Sac-Cons.
I never thought that I would have staff members in 2010, but I added five new members and I'm always finding people who are interested in joining the California Conventions Blog staff. I was hoping to find more artists that can "brighten up" the blog and unfortunately the Banner Contest did not go as planned since no one submitted for the contest. So for now positions for artists and designers (especially web designers) are open, and if anyone is interested my e-mail is on the sidebar.
I said in my Con Year In Review 2009 that "this was a 'year of firsts,'" and I was right - I would say that again next year. From staffers to new conventions to full-blown video coverage, there is always room for new experiences that me and the staff can take away as the blog moves along.
I'll be honest: there weren't as many "at the con problems" as much as there were "real-life problems and issues that became at the con problems." As much as we want to ignore the outside world and all our problems at con, we have to deal with mistakes that we make and issues that we have with one another. I wouldn't say that this alone put a damper on the 2010 con season, but again it's those new experiences on how to handle things so that when it happens in 2011 it can be quickly diffused and the convention can go on without a hitch.
What will the 2011 con season bring? Well, I hope more conventions for one. There are prospects of Sakura-Con in Washington and Otakon in Maryland in addition to the many cons in California and Nevada - maybe even Arizona and Oregon? Adding more staff will be a priority as the blog continues to expand, and I can foresee a huge overhaul of the blog in 2011 especially if I add staffers who are experienced in web design and coding. The big thing in 2011 though will be the California Conventions Blog entering its 5th year, and FanimeCon 2011 will be the 5th anniversary. I don't know how I want to celebrate at FanimeCon 2011 but I know for sure I want to make it big.
That does it for my Con Year In Review 2010. From all of us here at the California Convention Blog, have a wonderful new year and a successful 2011!
I never thought that I would have staff members in 2010, but I added five new members and I'm always finding people who are interested in joining the California Conventions Blog staff. I was hoping to find more artists that can "brighten up" the blog and unfortunately the Banner Contest did not go as planned since no one submitted for the contest. So for now positions for artists and designers (especially web designers) are open, and if anyone is interested my e-mail is on the sidebar.
I said in my Con Year In Review 2009 that "this was a 'year of firsts,'" and I was right - I would say that again next year. From staffers to new conventions to full-blown video coverage, there is always room for new experiences that me and the staff can take away as the blog moves along.
I'll be honest: there weren't as many "at the con problems" as much as there were "real-life problems and issues that became at the con problems." As much as we want to ignore the outside world and all our problems at con, we have to deal with mistakes that we make and issues that we have with one another. I wouldn't say that this alone put a damper on the 2010 con season, but again it's those new experiences on how to handle things so that when it happens in 2011 it can be quickly diffused and the convention can go on without a hitch.
What will the 2011 con season bring? Well, I hope more conventions for one. There are prospects of Sakura-Con in Washington and Otakon in Maryland in addition to the many cons in California and Nevada - maybe even Arizona and Oregon? Adding more staff will be a priority as the blog continues to expand, and I can foresee a huge overhaul of the blog in 2011 especially if I add staffers who are experienced in web design and coding. The big thing in 2011 though will be the California Conventions Blog entering its 5th year, and FanimeCon 2011 will be the 5th anniversary. I don't know how I want to celebrate at FanimeCon 2011 but I know for sure I want to make it big.
That does it for my Con Year In Review 2010. From all of us here at the California Convention Blog, have a wonderful new year and a successful 2011!
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