Otakon '08 - despite a bumpy ride, still good times!
I won't reiterate on the bad things that happened during Otakon weekend on my last rant....umm, post. So I'm going to mention all the good things that happened at Otakon for me.
Lucky me and my DAS roomies (Peter, Cassie, Joe, Andrew, and Peter's friend Jon) that we were able to check in to the Holiday Inn at around 8AM Friday morning and got our stuff in the room. After grabbing 2 donuts and an iced coffee from Dunkin' Donuts, I walked over to the BCC in time for Ms. Tadano and Mr. Matsushita's panel at 11. Before the panel was to start, I gave Ms. Tadano her "welcome to Otakon gifts" of 3 Beanie Babies (a cow, a bison, and a bull) and in return she gave me a small card that featured one of her illustrations. I got in line to ask both Ms. Tadano and Mr. Matsushita questions, for those who asked questions got a ticket which gives them first dibs for their autograph session the next day. The question I asked them was a 2-parter; (1) Who's your favorite senshi? , and (2) Who's your favorite non-Senshi character?.
Ms. Tadano likes Sailor Mars (Rei Hino), and Mr. Matsushita likes Sailor Mercury (Ami Mizuno). But they agreed on their favorite non-senshi character; Usagi's friend Naru Osaka. After getting lunch at the pizza place across the BCC, I attended the Yuri panel, which was very well attended. Erica, Serge, and the other panelists did a wonderful job. Afterwards, I checked out the Dealer's Room and bought a couple of figures (one from Fate:StayNight and a Huruhi Suzumiya one in her gym suit) and went over to the Autograph session for Willow Johnson, Tara Platt, and Mela Lee. I just wanted to give them a small token of appreciation (a psuedo-beanie bear with an NFL team logo sewn on) as well as a sketch I had made of Kasumi Tendo by the character designer of the Ranma 1/2 OVAS/You're Under Arrest TV/Haunted Junction series to give to Willow. She thought I drew it, but I couldn't even draw matchstick men. Willow enjoyed the gift as well as Tara and Mela. Afterwards, it was off to the Anime In Black & White panel. The panelist showed intros of classic anime shows in B&W from 1964-1968 (no anime in B&W was made in 1967), which included Prince Planet, Wonder 3, and Tobor the 8th Man. It was done by the same guy that did a panel back in Katsucon about old school anime. At 5PM, I went to the Naoko Takeuchi fan panel.
Friday night was the JAM Project concert at the 1st Mariner Arena. Because of my handicap and special needs, I was seated in the 3rd Row, just two rows behind my fellow DAS'ers. The concert was totally top-notch, energy-filled, and exciting. The JAM Project performed many anime songs and even did a short acoustic set. That was the only time those in attendance sat down. This was one of the most excitable 2 1/2 hours ever!
Saturday rolled around and I headed down to the BCC for the Tadano/Matsushita autograph session. I brought my Sailor Moon R pencil board and Sailor Stars wall scroll (a pretty long wall scroll at that!!) for them to autograph, and that they did. I went back to the hotel to put my wall scroll and pencil board back to the room and get my guitar signed by the musical guests of honor. After a quickie lunch at Subway, I spent a few minutes at the Dealers Room and headed down to the JAM Project autograph session (I bought their CD at the concert the night before). When I got to the group, I was so excited about giving Masami Okui her Beanie gifts, I gave her the CD to sign rather than the guitar, and found out we are only allowed one item per person. But that's all good. One of the male members gave me a hug! Well, I walked around a little during the con and went back to the Dealers Room before the DaizyStripper/MarBell/Underneath autograph session, and all 3 bands signed my guitar! While I was waiting for the 3 bands I was sitting down relaxing, a guy comes to me and says I dropped something, I thought it was my left shoe because I took it off to keep the swelling down. He picked up a $20 bill. I'm like, "WHOA!!!!". I took the $20 bill and thanked him. There are still honest people in this universe, and it even wasn't my $20 bill, but I'm not complaining. I became $20 richer!! Luck-ee again!! The Otakon gods must be watching over me. Believe it or not, I met all 3 bands in the elevator at the BCC. And the members of DaizyStripper were staying at the same hotel me and my roomies were staying. Saturday night is Cosplay night. I have never attended the Otakon cosplay at the 1st Mariner Arena, so this was my 1st time, and it was almost PACKED!! They were some very good acts, almost 40 in all! I left before the Hall Cosplay participants started. Thankfully, California Tortilla was opened till Midnight so I grabbed a late dinner there.
Sunday, the final day of Otakon, after I packed up my stuff in my car (I even gave Andrew 4 G-Taste figures for helping me with my things). After a quickie breakfast at Dunkin' Donuts, I walked around the Dealers Room for an hour and bought a couple more figures. My feet were really aching so I walked back to my car, took my shoes off, and drove back home shoeless so to keep the swelling down. I could have stayed for the JRock concert, but was just too exhausted!
I have already gotten a room for Otakon 2009 and want to have the same roomies again this year (except for Chris). More good times to come!
Lucky me and my DAS roomies (Peter, Cassie, Joe, Andrew, and Peter's friend Jon) that we were able to check in to the Holiday Inn at around 8AM Friday morning and got our stuff in the room. After grabbing 2 donuts and an iced coffee from Dunkin' Donuts, I walked over to the BCC in time for Ms. Tadano and Mr. Matsushita's panel at 11. Before the panel was to start, I gave Ms. Tadano her "welcome to Otakon gifts" of 3 Beanie Babies (a cow, a bison, and a bull) and in return she gave me a small card that featured one of her illustrations. I got in line to ask both Ms. Tadano and Mr. Matsushita questions, for those who asked questions got a ticket which gives them first dibs for their autograph session the next day. The question I asked them was a 2-parter; (1) Who's your favorite senshi? , and (2) Who's your favorite non-Senshi character?.
Ms. Tadano likes Sailor Mars (Rei Hino), and Mr. Matsushita likes Sailor Mercury (Ami Mizuno). But they agreed on their favorite non-senshi character; Usagi's friend Naru Osaka. After getting lunch at the pizza place across the BCC, I attended the Yuri panel, which was very well attended. Erica, Serge, and the other panelists did a wonderful job. Afterwards, I checked out the Dealer's Room and bought a couple of figures (one from Fate:StayNight and a Huruhi Suzumiya one in her gym suit) and went over to the Autograph session for Willow Johnson, Tara Platt, and Mela Lee. I just wanted to give them a small token of appreciation (a psuedo-beanie bear with an NFL team logo sewn on) as well as a sketch I had made of Kasumi Tendo by the character designer of the Ranma 1/2 OVAS/You're Under Arrest TV/Haunted Junction series to give to Willow. She thought I drew it, but I couldn't even draw matchstick men. Willow enjoyed the gift as well as Tara and Mela. Afterwards, it was off to the Anime In Black & White panel. The panelist showed intros of classic anime shows in B&W from 1964-1968 (no anime in B&W was made in 1967), which included Prince Planet, Wonder 3, and Tobor the 8th Man. It was done by the same guy that did a panel back in Katsucon about old school anime. At 5PM, I went to the Naoko Takeuchi fan panel.
Friday night was the JAM Project concert at the 1st Mariner Arena. Because of my handicap and special needs, I was seated in the 3rd Row, just two rows behind my fellow DAS'ers. The concert was totally top-notch, energy-filled, and exciting. The JAM Project performed many anime songs and even did a short acoustic set. That was the only time those in attendance sat down. This was one of the most excitable 2 1/2 hours ever!
Saturday rolled around and I headed down to the BCC for the Tadano/Matsushita autograph session. I brought my Sailor Moon R pencil board and Sailor Stars wall scroll (a pretty long wall scroll at that!!) for them to autograph, and that they did. I went back to the hotel to put my wall scroll and pencil board back to the room and get my guitar signed by the musical guests of honor. After a quickie lunch at Subway, I spent a few minutes at the Dealers Room and headed down to the JAM Project autograph session (I bought their CD at the concert the night before). When I got to the group, I was so excited about giving Masami Okui her Beanie gifts, I gave her the CD to sign rather than the guitar, and found out we are only allowed one item per person. But that's all good. One of the male members gave me a hug! Well, I walked around a little during the con and went back to the Dealers Room before the DaizyStripper/MarBell/Underneath autograph session, and all 3 bands signed my guitar! While I was waiting for the 3 bands I was sitting down relaxing, a guy comes to me and says I dropped something, I thought it was my left shoe because I took it off to keep the swelling down. He picked up a $20 bill. I'm like, "WHOA!!!!". I took the $20 bill and thanked him. There are still honest people in this universe, and it even wasn't my $20 bill, but I'm not complaining. I became $20 richer!! Luck-ee again!! The Otakon gods must be watching over me. Believe it or not, I met all 3 bands in the elevator at the BCC. And the members of DaizyStripper were staying at the same hotel me and my roomies were staying. Saturday night is Cosplay night. I have never attended the Otakon cosplay at the 1st Mariner Arena, so this was my 1st time, and it was almost PACKED!! They were some very good acts, almost 40 in all! I left before the Hall Cosplay participants started. Thankfully, California Tortilla was opened till Midnight so I grabbed a late dinner there.
Sunday, the final day of Otakon, after I packed up my stuff in my car (I even gave Andrew 4 G-Taste figures for helping me with my things). After a quickie breakfast at Dunkin' Donuts, I walked around the Dealers Room for an hour and bought a couple more figures. My feet were really aching so I walked back to my car, took my shoes off, and drove back home shoeless so to keep the swelling down. I could have stayed for the JRock concert, but was just too exhausted!
I have already gotten a room for Otakon 2009 and want to have the same roomies again this year (except for Chris). More good times to come!