Anime Expo 2011, Part 2!
On Day 2, I actually woke up a bit early and couldn't get back to sleep. I got dressed and headed down to the lobby to get a pastry (lobby pastries would serve as breakfast for the next several days running) and on the way back up met one of our next-door neighbors.
She was painting her belt for a Soul Caliber skit she and her roomies would be performing in the masquerade, and she was doing it freehand without missing a stroke. She'd also been in the... Sengoku Basara skit? Yoshiko probably remembers... last year, and she was very surprised to have won. Impressive and nice.
Having nothing better to do, I sat down to talk, and Lily eventually joined us as well. Neighbor-girl (I think her name was... Leslie? Something that started with L, because we were joking about it) commented that NicoNico was sponsoring her room's sleeptime, because they'd all ended up wearing the free shirts in the bags as night shirts.
Yoshiko eventually got out of the shower and joined us in the hall, but by then the cleaning crews and such were starting to come through and Lily and I decided to head for the dealer's hall, and by dealer's hall I mean KEYCHAINS. We'd hit the Ralph's the night before for the ATM and snacks, so I was once again flush with cash - and the debit card people decided that someone must have stolen my card, since I don't usually pull hundreds of dollars out of ATMs in California. But I didn't discover that until later.
We got to South Hall a bit before the Dealer's Hall opened and learned that I could go right in if I wanted, but they'd implemented a "star sticker" program if I wanted to take Lily inside with me. As I did not have a star sticker for Lily, we waited around and I asked Hughes to talk on the phone for me while Jean smoked in the background. Roy is probably on the other end of the line, pretending to mack on some girl while Hughes details enemy movements and the latest news about his daughter.
It was a bit crowded, waiting to go in. The flow of humanity going up the stairs needed only some hungry grizzlies (or pedobears?) to make our salmon-spawning picture complete.
Keychains! This is but one of three different racks they had on display. I bought One Piece, Reborn, Layton, yet more Naruto... You know, just tune in come Christmas and I'll have the full details then.
After some debate, I also purchased a replica of the Going Merry and some very nice figures of Luffy and Ace doing that brothers-fighting-together scene that has already been immortalized in at least four other figure sets/gashapons, but these were really quite nice so... I am weak.
The dealer's hall. Lily was a delight to shop with, though I'm not sure she'd say the same thing about me. ^-^() She was very nice about waiting while I talked to whomever at the booths. Which reminds me, need to contact JapanAnime...
Lust for keychains and art satisfied, I was mostly just looking for blind boxes while Lily was trying to find a plush Charmander she could afford. As her budget was about five dollars and Charmander is not current-gen, I warned her that that probably was not happening.
We did find lots of neat things to look at, and this booth occupied us for some time. So adorable! If only Alan and Roger were into material things, I would have bought at least that Piplup, but noooo, I had to get the "I don't need anything unless it's a video game or a book" brothers.
Lily was asking about cels, so I pointed out this booth to her. I was looking at one of the ones on display, going "What's the from? It's totally familiar. It looks like Wish, but there's no way it's Wish, so what is it?" I asked, and lo and behold, it was Wish, and it cost $400.
Thank goodness I do not collect cels.
I ran into this Luke and was like, "Luke! Are you going to be Luke tomorrow?!" And they were like "Probably not, why?" "I'm going to be Layton tomorrow!" "Oh! We haven't seen any Laytons at all! ...But probably not."
So, here's the Professor's apprentice, out solving puzzles while the Professor himself, I don't know, takes a nap to avoid Luke for a little while. Sure, let's go with that story. Alternately, they have been terribly separated and the next game will be called Professor Layton and the Missing Apprentice and Also Thousands of Cosplayers.
At some point I met up with Tiffany to arrange the Baccano shoot later, and here she is admiring the workmanship on Lily's Fairy Tail costume. (It was really sweet. Lily mentioned she'd never made a cosplay before, and Tiffany instantly knelt down and went on about how nicely she'd done the hems and that she never would have guessed she'd never sewn before.)
This is either right before or right after I met up with Vicki and Robyn, who informed me that there was in fact a bomb threat going on and we were all trapped in the dealer's hall. I was like "...What? Seriously? ...What?"
You can read about the "exciting" story here, courtesy of the LA Times. It wasn't much of a problem for us, as we were already in the hall so we could still shop as we pleased, but if you wanted to leave you couldn't for a while. Later they had one door on the far end open, but if you left then you couldn't get back in. Robyn and Vicki were getting hungry for lunch but no one knew how long this would be going on for.
It was much more irritating and the details less complete outside the hall, I later heard. They cleared the entire South Hall, which is the biggest general gathering area of the con, particularly for big cosplays (that means literally big, Mom and Dad, like 10 feet tall), and so everyone was crowded off in the hallway or outside or whatever.
They also originally tried to say it was just something wrong with the smoke alarms or something like that, but the "suspicious package" story got out relatively quickly, resulting in the instant joke, "What exactly is a suspicious package at Anime Expo?" A box not containing pocky and toys and cosplay props?
Lily and I eventually decided to go get food, with Vicki and Robyn following. On the way out to the food trucks I saw Link buying a popsicle.
The trucks were more expensive this year than last year, I felt, but still good and lots of variety. I got a wrap from the tempura truck, because hello tempura.
Interesting side drama: there were two sets of food trucks at the con: this set of trucks, which was across the street, and another set right in the con parking lot by the shuttles. I was surprised to see the second set, but figured they must just be trucks that had done really well and somehow convinced the convention center to let them operate. Not so!
Apparently the convention center had caught on to the whole "not pay center prices for lunch" thing and had invited these trucks so as to shut down the other trucks, and there was some bad blood on Friday. By Saturday, however, word of the other trucks had spread and they also were smart enough to put up a sign pointing to themselves, so they did alright for the rest of the week, but they were still unhappy.
Eating in the shade by the grass.
I need to get a better "eating food" smile if I going to take so many of these. Look at Robyn. She's adorable, isn't she? (We kept telling her so all convention. Japan was good to Robyn.) Me, I look terribly dorky. Must fix.
Work that popsicle, Vicki!
On our way to catch the tail-end of the One Piece gathering (which I had planned to be right on time for, but eating lunch was so very pleasant...) we caught the parade of nations, aka the Hetalia gathering. It was pretty fun to see all those flags and uniforms working their way down the escalator and out the door.
The gathering had pretty much broken up by the time we got there, but this Nami was still hanging around with her waverider. Here she is making a heart with her first love good friend, Vivi.
I really have no interest in Buggy, no matter how much the show might try and make me care, but this guy's outfit was so very perfectly done and the cosplayer so very nice. The hat was stitched leather/pleather/whatever and everything.
These guys are Johnny and Yosaku, and they were absolutely great. Happy to dance around, happy to pose and be badass, and generally so very bang-on.
::dusts off gif-making skills:: See? ^-^
I was hunting up an example of their dance so you could admire their dedication to accuracy and turned up - this. Enjoy?
...Damn, shouldn't have gone looking up One Piece vids. Now I'm being distracted by a truly terrible AMV set to "Stand Out" from A Goofy Movie... and an awful one with "Grow Up"... and for god's sake, the Jonas Brothers' version of "A Pirate's Life For Me"? Must... close... Youtube... window...
::shakes head:: Where was I? Oh, right.
Baby Chopper!
I missed it, but when Baby Chopper was first brought over Buggy came over to look at him/pose, and got a baby punch in the nose for his trouble. That's hilarious anyway, but for Buggy... I really wish I'd gotten it on camera.
Speaking of on camera, check out the line of photographers in the window reflection.
Look at his cute widdle hooves.
There were quite a number of adorable baby and toddler cosplays this year. I guess a fandom gets to be a certain age and people start growing up and becoming adults and having babies and dressing up those babies in funny costumes.
It seemed fated that the two would meet. Their battle was inevitable.
"Odama Rasengan! dattabayobelieveit"
"Pikachu! Use Thundershock!"
And then they both comically failed and went to get ramen together, vowing eternal friendship - until the next episode, when they would forget having ever met.
"Shiva! Use Diamond Dust!"
9999 OVERKILL!
"Seriously? Did she just make a pokemon joke out of our pretty picture up there?"
"Well, it was a little funny..."
"No. No, it was not."
After the One Piece gathering was the Baccano photoshoot. Lily hung around with me while Robyn and Vicki went off to do whatever it is Vickies and Robyns do when I'm not there. Shop? I bet it's shop.
We had a nice little group, which I later found out was partially the result of Tiffany and Braden (seen in the following photos as Nice and Jacuzzi) randomly meeting people and telling them to come. However they did it, everyone was amazingly nice and it was a pleasure to hang out with them all - which was good, because it meant I had a great time, but bad, because out of those 804 photos 228 of them ended up being Baccano and I started running out of camera space. 0_0
This here is Jacuzzi Splot (god, I love Japanese notions of American names) being intimidated by Graham. There was a groundskeeper's cart just sitting around, so we totally made use of it.
As I was frantically getting ready for Expo, I was wondering if I needed to bother watching the last three, "extra" episodes, since they weren't part of the series proper. Obviously the answer was yes, or I'd have been very confused as to why someone in a blue suit was hauling around a giant wrench at our shoot.
Nice steps in as things get heated.
I'm not sure who the Graham was. I didn't see them again after this shoot. Hopefully someone got her a copy of the pictures.
Alex recruited this Firo, I believe, as she was coming over, but he couldn't/didn't want to stay. I got in this adorable picture and then he was off.
Issac and Miria appear!
Getting ready for the cameras.
These two were recruited by Braden, and were just as wonderfully in character as you could want from Issac and Miria. I talked to Miria some via email after I got back, and her name is Lauryn and she does art. Really hoping to see her again next year. She's planning to do FLCL, if anyone wants to think groups.
Recreating their first meeting - sort of.
Issac and Miria decide to steal the car. Watch out, Toyota!
Unfortunately, we were half in the shade and half in the sun, and I am not a good enough photographer yet to properly manage lighting. We saw some other guys with a big reflecty thing they were using for shoots. I wonder if that would be easy and cheap enough for me to do next year? Of course, I'd need someone not in cosplay to hold it...
Issac and Miria decide to spin.
Either reassuring Jacuzzi that he will eventually be happy or else promising to take out Rail Tracer. Or possibly just pointing for the hell of it, seeing as who we're talking about.
Awww. I wish the show had covered more of their backstory; what little we did get was adorable. And by adorable, I mean mutilating, whether by accidental bombing or in sympathy, but still.
"If we steal this fence, no one will be blocked by it!" Or something like that.
Posing on the stairs in traditional Durarara fashion.
Meanwhile, a couple other friends of the cosplayers were chilling while we did our shoot. ::cribs mercilessly from Alex's posts:: This is Beth as Squid Girl and... Megan? as... something purple?
I was delighted by Squid Girl, so we did a few photos with her. These two kids were wandering by on their way to somewhere or other, so I drafted them to serve as land dwellers being right squiddly "terrorized" by the squid menace. They were happy to oblige, and very adorably unimpressed when asked to "not actually be scared."
Jacuzzi meets the other popular Narita Ryohgo protagonist.
Lily quickly became good friends with Maia who I-don't-even-know-how ended up at the shoot, seen here almost dressed as Kagome from Inu Yasha. (Almost because she didn't have a couple pieces but felt like wearing it anyway.)
Braden seemed pretty tired every time I saw him at the con, and by the time we were done taking pictures he was napping. Poor guy. I hope he got some sleep on Monday.
Lily and Maia and I ended up going back to the room for a break (I took the opportunity to show off my art and keychains), and then decided we might as well go shopping some more. Why not?
Heading back to the Dealer's Hall, I saw this excellent Markl with Turnip Head. Actually, what I first saw was just Turnip Head, bouncing down the corridor, presumably on his way to find Sophie.
Godot sips some coffee by the AAA booth.
Just a bit after we walked in, I ended up talking for ages to Peter at Jlist. Lily and Maia wisely chose to abandon me after about two minutes of this, and headed off to Artist's Alley. So, since no one else was around to wait on me, I ended up talking to Vince at AAA for ages, then bothering Funi, Bandai... I felt very industry-ish. (Industrious?)
We went to get something resembling dinner ("we" at this point may have been me, Yoshiko, Robyn and Vicki, but don't quote me on that) and I marveled at the tide of humanity sweeping across the street.
Heading back to the room once more I encountered not only a wonderful Yuna but a wonderful Tidus! I think that's the first time I've ever seen both at the same time.
Here they are re-enacting the ending scene of FFX that always makes me cry.
And here they are graciously doing that laugh scene that always cracks me up. I ran back for this video; they were heading for the shuttle lines and I was all "Wait, one more! Can you do that terrible laugh?" And Vicki got impatient with me, but I was still very excited about seeing them.
Wolfram! When I first saw her, I was all "Wolfram!" but then I immediately second-guessed myself and was like "...or Hetalia?" And she was all "OMG you recognized Wolfram! Everyone's been guessing that I'm from Hetalia!"
Robyn and Yoshiko were off for the Miku concert at this point, and Vicki and I headed to the West Hall where I had a panel and she planned to hang out in the manga room.
Afterward, Tiffany had asked if I wanted to do some more Baccano, because a friend of hers thought her costume would look really nice at night, what with all the blood (said friend was Claire). I said sure, then begged Vicki to at least come over with me and meet some very nice people. Vicki, not liking a plan in which I obviously wasn't going to devote all my time to her (which to be fair she had some reason to be wary of), grudgingly agreed.
When we got there, Beth and - oh, I don't even know, two other very nice girls - were engaged in detangling a monstrously tangled wig. Vicki somehow got drafted into helping them and I believe (hope?) ended up having a good time with her new friends.
Meanwhile, our new Baccano group, now comprised of Nice (Tiffany), Ladd (Alex), Claire (Tiffany's friend, Jade?), and Firo (Alex's friend, ???), headed for the garage, because that seemed "Baccano-ish."
Ladd and Claire fight over the customer services cart. I actually asked if we could use this one, since there were three maintenance guys sitting right there, and they said "sure," though they did start to look a little worried.
Danger, danger! High voltage! Firo in the Disco! Firo in the Taco Bell!
Funny story. So, in part 1 of this lengthy write up I mentioned meeting a nice girl at Kinokuniya and commenting on her hat. Said girl turned out to be Alex's friend Firo, whose name I'm afraid I can't remember. Once I realized that, I realized purple-girl was girl who was with girl-with-hat from the bookstore, and all in all it was very much like an episode of Baccano, except with much less blood.
"Hey Nice, can you make it look like you're trying to blow that up?"
Watch out, Ladd! You've met your match! And by match, I mean you are so doomed.
I really like this shot. I had trouble getting action shots that were also in focus, but this one really works.
I have been informed that somewhere in the novels is Ladd and Firo sharing a jail cell. This is supposed to be that. Don't they look gritty?
More Drrrrr posing.
Told you to watch out, Ladd. Nice isn't standing around to save you, you know.
By now Vicki and her new friends had abandoned us, so we decided to go to (where else?) IHOP and get some dinner.
Walking along the top of the train. The red looks pretty good here.
LA Live at night. If we'd gone that way, we probably would have run into befuddled reporters trying to cover the Miku concert with no idea of what the Miku concert actually was.
Yet another stop at the room to drop off the box again. Firo experiments with a new hat, while Ladd tries on Firo's.
See? Told you Balloon Guy was making ponies. Here's Twilight Sparkle.
Oh no! On our way to IHOP, Firo found himself surrounded by mobsters!
The mobsters easily dispatched, Firo calmly strolls on his way.
...I set this one up by asking some guys in the hotel lobby next door if they would mind being mobsters for us. They quite nicely obliged, and we staged this little fight in the doorway.
This was after we got to IHOP and found out it was going to be some time before our table was ready, so Alex suggested going to the hotel across the street, where she was staying, to take photos on the neat staircase. Firo got "mugged" on the way to that.
Said stairs. The lighting really didn't work too well, but it was a fun concept.
How does Claire always end up in the background of these?
At IHOP, Claude happened to be sitting at the table across from us and graciously poured some coffee - only to get a bit on her gloves. ::wince:: It was a good photo-op, though.
It was shocking, the amount of undressing going on at our table, not to mention the sudden appearance of normal hair.
We had an enjoyable meal (Firo actually had Subway, having been hauling around a sandwich through the entire photoshoot and now of, in my opinion, quite dubious merit) and then headed back in our various directions.
I was figuring on catching the industry party, but Tiffany suddenly realized it was after midnight and the parking garage at the center closes at midnight, so I went back with her to the garage in case there were any problems. Turns out, "closes at midnight" means you can't park there after midnight, but they don't close the exit gate until like two or three. Good to know for next year.
I gave up on the party and headed back to the room for the final time that day, and much gabbing was had, not that I remember the specifics of any of it.
Coming up next: me in costume!