UP AME 8th Avenue: Taking the Streets of Harajuku
Last Saturday, I woke up as early as 7 am and prepared my uniform and school shoes. Taking my time to prepare, I was ready to leave with Leslie about an hour later. We left for UP (University of the Philippines, the country's #1 university)... not for academic purposes, but to attend UP AME's (Anime Manga Enthusiasts, their official anime organization) fair, which, this year, had a Harajuku theme (Taking the Streets of Harajuku).
Ever since I attended last year's HeroCon, I've been attending cons here and there, but this was my first time to attend a UP AME event. Moreover, it was also my second time to cosplay. But most importantly... November 8 marked my first time to join a cosplay group!
It all started when I received a private message from a certain Zienta on Cosplay.ph, inviting me to be part of a Battle Royale cosplay group. Oh wow! I was so honored because I had never been part of a cosplay group before (although I wanted to try it out) but I never dared ask people to take me in because I felt that I would not fit in. At first I wasn't sure whether to accept the offer or not because I didn't know Zienta yet, but I e-mailed Zienta and we got to talk about her upcoming cosplay plans, and so I accepted the offer and said that I would be cosplaying Yuka Nakagawa, the girl who dies of poisoning. I was unsure whether I made the right decision (I was concerned that I might drag the group down, that I might chicken out on stage if we were to perform, things like that).
Back to November 8. Anyway, when we reached UP at 9 am, the AME fair hadn't begun yet because the gates were to open at 1 pm. Leslie and I hung out at Palma Hall, the meet-up place for the BR group. At first I didn't know what to say to them, all I could say was a shy "Hi" (and only when someone would say "Hi" to me). As my real-life friends know, despite being talkative online (and maybe to a few I know in person), I'm very, very shy in person. I spent most of the time at the Palma Hall steps in silence (watching the other BR cosplayers and wanting to talk to them but feeling rather awkward), talking to Leslie or strolling around Palma Hall (it brought back memories of the time Sir Exie made us watch the wonderful Orosman at Zafira). Every now and then I wanted to take pictures of the other BR cosplayers but I was hesitant to do so because I didn't know them yet. Too bad; I observed a lot of interesting things such as Kiriyama's hair turning from black to red-orange with the help of hair mascara (a product I only discovered on that day!), assembling and painting a pair of nunchaku, and creating fake blood. To my fellow BR cosplayers, if you're reading this, I'm sorry that I didn't talk to you much. It's not that I'm suplada (standoffish) but I'm really shy and awkward when meeting people for the first time. And at first I was hesitant because it seemed like everyone knew each other beforehand (which turned out not to be the case after all).
We stayed at Palma Hall for quite a while, mostly waiting for people to arrive, everyone introducing himself/herself, and Zienta handing out uniforms (to those who ordered them) and other materials and announcing our plans for the day (we were to perform a skit onstage, but it would just be a special number and not part of the group cosplay competition because the maximum was fifteen people in the group). It was also there that we met Sir Allan, who was to be our photographer for the day. Shortly past lunch time, it began to rain, and it was then that we realized that the gates of the Bahay ng Alumni would open soon, so we boarded a jeep to the place.
It was crowded when we arrived, and even though it was raining, I was sweaty because of my outfit. Now I understand that cosplaying is serious business; even the simplest uniform can be quite hot and uncomfortable sometimes! It didn't help that there was a long, broken line; we didn't know where exactly the line started and who was (or wasn't) in line. Thankfully, some of my fellow cosplayers were already in front of the line so we were able to enter the venue pretty quickly.
The inside of the Bahay ng Alumni was crowded, too. There were booths selling merchandise, food stalls, a J-rock cover band playing loud music and, of course, the ubiquitous cosplayers. It was a little hard to breathe and to move around inside, actually. I was also a bit hungry by then because I hadn't eaten lunch, but at the same time, Leslie and I wanted to look around and, most of all, to dine at the AME 8th Avenue Cafe, which, we heard, had its staff dress up as Code Geass characters and boasted of a Geass-inspired menu. Oh, yay!
Leslie and I separated from the BR group for a while so that we could take pictures and reserve a table at the cafe. The cafe was on the second floor, which was less crowded but filled with interesting booths such as a photo booth and a speed dating booth. Luckily for us, we were able to reserve a table in the nick of time. There were only three people dressed as Geass characters - Milly, Anya and, at the front desk, Lelouch. I was actually expecting more characters, haha. ^__^ I was hoping to have Villetta or Orange-kun or (if anyone would want to cosplay him) Ougi serving me. But the butler who served us was very cute, charming and warm, so Leslie and I had no complaints. We ordered everything on their menu - cute pastries/treats named after Geass characters such as Shirley's Surprise, Kallen Crumble and Rivalz' Delight. Yes, we ate dessert food for lunch. :D
While passing the time, Leslie and I thought of imaginary Code Geass-inspired dishes we could come up with if we only knew how to cook and if we had unlimited cash flow. We came up with Nunnally's Mix (chop suey - randomly mixed veggies, since Nunnally can't see), Britannian Feast (a lavish buffet fit for a Britannian noble), Area 11 Japan's Revenge (not to be outdone, Japan comes up with a smorgasboard of dishes that Kaguya and the other influential families of Japan would approve of), Orange Love (obviously, a dish made of oranges), Euphie's Mania (strawberry ice cream with generous amounts of red, red strawberry syrup), Cecile's Treat (not for the faint of heart), Villetta's Craving (well, whatever it is she's craving now that she's pregnant), Ougi's Oreo Cheesecake (made with love for Villetta), Lulu and Kallen's Sundae Special (chocolate and strawberry ice cream with lots of sweet syrup and candy hearts), and, of course, CC's Super Sampler (pizza, of course). Haha!
Anyway, our butler played a round of mini-games with us, and, twenty minutes later, we were done with our meal. You see, to accommodate everyone, people at a table can only spend a maximum of twenty minutes. Walking around, Leslie and I spotted Tessa (or I think she spotted us), but at that time, I received a text from Zienta saying that they were practicing for the skit, so I left Leslie and Tessa for a while.
We did a run-through of the skit, which was amazingly planned out only on the day itself! I guess performing onstage wasn't part of the initial plan. :D I enjoyed the skit and I thought that it was both funny and cool because our narrator was really witty.
After practicing, we returned to the Bahay ng Alumni and I took more pictures, but later on, we left the venue again for our photoshoot (a series of class pictures; there were supposed to be individual photoshoots but we ran out of time because it was getting late). The shoot went well. We weren't able to use the fake blood, though. (I would've liked to try wearing a blood-splattered uniform but at the same time I was afraid that the stains would never wash off, so I was a bit relieved). Everyone looked good except for me. Looking at the pictures, I noticed that I looked rather robotic because I had the same expression in nearly every picture. >___< Ack! Big, big, big mistake! And I couldn't think of a pose creative enough; my mind went blank when the cameras started flashing away. Lesson learned: the next time I join a photoshoot, I should have presence of mind and creativity.
Again, we went back to the event venue but, due to the program not starting on time, we found out that it wasn't time for us to be on stage - at least not yet. So we kind of dispersed around the area. Yay, I was able to take awesome pictures of a giant Poring, people in very well-made and elaborate Harajuku get-ups, Pedobear, and more! Some people even took pictures of and with us, and even though I was very tired, I felt happy that people were snapping away at us. :) Actually, this might sound cheesy, but I felt so happy and honored that people were taking our pictures and finding us awesome. I just hope that I didn't look too unflattering or haggard in their pictures!
While it wasn't our turn to perform, Leslie and I joined the Speed Dating event in the hopes that we could meet new friends. How's this for a coincidence? Most of the people in the room were my schoolmates (but they were from different batches, though)! Small world, huh? I think I talked to three or four people from my university. Overall, everyone we talked to was nice, and I was able to strike up interesting conversations with each (about Geass and Gundam, the cosplay community, being an anime fan in our university, Battle Royale, Japanese films, etc.). I regret not getting everyone's contact number, though.
It was already 5 pm or so when we were done with speed dating. At this point, I was already getting worried about not being able to perform with everyone onstage because I was to be picked up at 5:30. 5:45. Still not our turn. Thank heavens the driver hadn't arrived yet. 6 pm. Oh no; at that time my mother sent me a message: "The driver should be there in a while; he'll text you." 6:05 or 6:10. The driver sent me a text message. I had to go, and besides, I had to drop Leslie off at her place. But I wanted to stay for a while because at that time, it was almost our turn.
To my utter relief, Leslie wasn't in a hurry to leave, and the driver (and my mom) said that I could stay a little longer! Yes! Just when I was saying my goodbyes and taking "souvenir" pictures and getting ready to leave, I could stay after all! And finally... it was our turn to perform. Miraculously enough, I didn't get stage fright, though I think my acting was horrendous. :( I still can't act. But I think the audience liked our skit (it was a comedic reenactment of Battle Royale) because they were applauding wildly. I was so happy; no, I was more than happy - I thought that I was going to cry because the day was entirely worth the trouble of getting up early, barely eating lunch and enduring the heat!
I left after the skit; it was too bad that I couldn't stay longer. Later on, based on the pictures that the other BR cosplayers uploaded, it seems that the group took more pictures and that other cosplayers actually posed with them! Ah, too bad I wasn't able to stay for long. :( Also, it was too bad that we didn't have a Kitano (the teacher); one of my groupmates volunteered her dad to be Kitano but he wasn't able to make it. It would've been awesome if we had a Kitano, though.
I also heard that we might have another photoshoot in the near future but I think we don't have a venue or a date yet. I would like to suggest my university, but I don't know if we need to obtain permission to take pictures (bloody ones, too) on school grounds. We might scandalize people with the blood and weapons, haha!
To Zienta, thank you so much for inviting me to be part of the group! I didn't regret joining the group and I had so much fun. Thank you for your efforts in organizing the group and making your plans a reality. Sorry if I might have dragged the group down. :( But I think that the group was awesome; it would be nice if we could do it again someday! I might cosplay other characters in the future but I'd love to be part of the group whenever possible. Congratulations for a job well done!
To Sir Allan, I already thanked you on your Multiply site but again, I'd like to extend my warmest thanks to you for taking those pictures of us! The photoshoot wouldn't have been possible without you. The pics turned out really nice; your camera and your photography skills are good.
To all my fellow BR cosplayers, it was so nice to meet all of you! Like I said, I'm sorry I didn't mingle much at the beginning. All of you were so nice to me because you made efforts to talk to me and sometimes you would even ask if I was okay whenever I was sweaty (I sweat easily, you see). Thank you for the wonderful experience! Thank you for making our dream possible. :) Because everyone was so enthuasiastic, our shared dream of creating a BR cosplay group became a reality. I regret not getting all of your names, though. So if you're reading this, could you please introduce yourself to me again? Please tell me your name and who you cosplayed. Sometimes I think I have facial recognition disorder because I'm bad at remembering faces (and sometimes, associating them with names, too). >_<
To the nice people who took pictures of us, thank you! :) I don't get photographed often because I don't stand out, so having people in conventions take pictures of me, whether when I'm alone or with a group, means a lot to me. (Just as long as you don't post my pics somewhere to make fun of me, haha!)
Thank you so much, everyone! I learned a lot and made some new friends because of this experience. I hope to see you again at future events and to work with you again! And if you see me, please do call my attention (say "Hi" or something) because, like I said, I'm terrible with faces.
Ever since I attended last year's HeroCon, I've been attending cons here and there, but this was my first time to attend a UP AME event. Moreover, it was also my second time to cosplay. But most importantly... November 8 marked my first time to join a cosplay group!
It all started when I received a private message from a certain Zienta on Cosplay.ph, inviting me to be part of a Battle Royale cosplay group. Oh wow! I was so honored because I had never been part of a cosplay group before (although I wanted to try it out) but I never dared ask people to take me in because I felt that I would not fit in. At first I wasn't sure whether to accept the offer or not because I didn't know Zienta yet, but I e-mailed Zienta and we got to talk about her upcoming cosplay plans, and so I accepted the offer and said that I would be cosplaying Yuka Nakagawa, the girl who dies of poisoning. I was unsure whether I made the right decision (I was concerned that I might drag the group down, that I might chicken out on stage if we were to perform, things like that).
Back to November 8. Anyway, when we reached UP at 9 am, the AME fair hadn't begun yet because the gates were to open at 1 pm. Leslie and I hung out at Palma Hall, the meet-up place for the BR group. At first I didn't know what to say to them, all I could say was a shy "Hi" (and only when someone would say "Hi" to me). As my real-life friends know, despite being talkative online (and maybe to a few I know in person), I'm very, very shy in person. I spent most of the time at the Palma Hall steps in silence (watching the other BR cosplayers and wanting to talk to them but feeling rather awkward), talking to Leslie or strolling around Palma Hall (it brought back memories of the time Sir Exie made us watch the wonderful Orosman at Zafira). Every now and then I wanted to take pictures of the other BR cosplayers but I was hesitant to do so because I didn't know them yet. Too bad; I observed a lot of interesting things such as Kiriyama's hair turning from black to red-orange with the help of hair mascara (a product I only discovered on that day!), assembling and painting a pair of nunchaku, and creating fake blood. To my fellow BR cosplayers, if you're reading this, I'm sorry that I didn't talk to you much. It's not that I'm suplada (standoffish) but I'm really shy and awkward when meeting people for the first time. And at first I was hesitant because it seemed like everyone knew each other beforehand (which turned out not to be the case after all).
We stayed at Palma Hall for quite a while, mostly waiting for people to arrive, everyone introducing himself/herself, and Zienta handing out uniforms (to those who ordered them) and other materials and announcing our plans for the day (we were to perform a skit onstage, but it would just be a special number and not part of the group cosplay competition because the maximum was fifteen people in the group). It was also there that we met Sir Allan, who was to be our photographer for the day. Shortly past lunch time, it began to rain, and it was then that we realized that the gates of the Bahay ng Alumni would open soon, so we boarded a jeep to the place.
It was crowded when we arrived, and even though it was raining, I was sweaty because of my outfit. Now I understand that cosplaying is serious business; even the simplest uniform can be quite hot and uncomfortable sometimes! It didn't help that there was a long, broken line; we didn't know where exactly the line started and who was (or wasn't) in line. Thankfully, some of my fellow cosplayers were already in front of the line so we were able to enter the venue pretty quickly.
The inside of the Bahay ng Alumni was crowded, too. There were booths selling merchandise, food stalls, a J-rock cover band playing loud music and, of course, the ubiquitous cosplayers. It was a little hard to breathe and to move around inside, actually. I was also a bit hungry by then because I hadn't eaten lunch, but at the same time, Leslie and I wanted to look around and, most of all, to dine at the AME 8th Avenue Cafe, which, we heard, had its staff dress up as Code Geass characters and boasted of a Geass-inspired menu. Oh, yay!
Leslie and I separated from the BR group for a while so that we could take pictures and reserve a table at the cafe. The cafe was on the second floor, which was less crowded but filled with interesting booths such as a photo booth and a speed dating booth. Luckily for us, we were able to reserve a table in the nick of time. There were only three people dressed as Geass characters - Milly, Anya and, at the front desk, Lelouch. I was actually expecting more characters, haha. ^__^ I was hoping to have Villetta or Orange-kun or (if anyone would want to cosplay him) Ougi serving me. But the butler who served us was very cute, charming and warm, so Leslie and I had no complaints. We ordered everything on their menu - cute pastries/treats named after Geass characters such as Shirley's Surprise, Kallen Crumble and Rivalz' Delight. Yes, we ate dessert food for lunch. :D
While passing the time, Leslie and I thought of imaginary Code Geass-inspired dishes we could come up with if we only knew how to cook and if we had unlimited cash flow. We came up with Nunnally's Mix (chop suey - randomly mixed veggies, since Nunnally can't see), Britannian Feast (a lavish buffet fit for a Britannian noble), Area 11 Japan's Revenge (not to be outdone, Japan comes up with a smorgasboard of dishes that Kaguya and the other influential families of Japan would approve of), Orange Love (obviously, a dish made of oranges), Euphie's Mania (strawberry ice cream with generous amounts of red, red strawberry syrup), Cecile's Treat (not for the faint of heart), Villetta's Craving (well, whatever it is she's craving now that she's pregnant), Ougi's Oreo Cheesecake (made with love for Villetta), Lulu and Kallen's Sundae Special (chocolate and strawberry ice cream with lots of sweet syrup and candy hearts), and, of course, CC's Super Sampler (pizza, of course). Haha!
Anyway, our butler played a round of mini-games with us, and, twenty minutes later, we were done with our meal. You see, to accommodate everyone, people at a table can only spend a maximum of twenty minutes. Walking around, Leslie and I spotted Tessa (or I think she spotted us), but at that time, I received a text from Zienta saying that they were practicing for the skit, so I left Leslie and Tessa for a while.
We did a run-through of the skit, which was amazingly planned out only on the day itself! I guess performing onstage wasn't part of the initial plan. :D I enjoyed the skit and I thought that it was both funny and cool because our narrator was really witty.
After practicing, we returned to the Bahay ng Alumni and I took more pictures, but later on, we left the venue again for our photoshoot (a series of class pictures; there were supposed to be individual photoshoots but we ran out of time because it was getting late). The shoot went well. We weren't able to use the fake blood, though. (I would've liked to try wearing a blood-splattered uniform but at the same time I was afraid that the stains would never wash off, so I was a bit relieved). Everyone looked good except for me. Looking at the pictures, I noticed that I looked rather robotic because I had the same expression in nearly every picture. >___< Ack! Big, big, big mistake! And I couldn't think of a pose creative enough; my mind went blank when the cameras started flashing away. Lesson learned: the next time I join a photoshoot, I should have presence of mind and creativity.
Again, we went back to the event venue but, due to the program not starting on time, we found out that it wasn't time for us to be on stage - at least not yet. So we kind of dispersed around the area. Yay, I was able to take awesome pictures of a giant Poring, people in very well-made and elaborate Harajuku get-ups, Pedobear, and more! Some people even took pictures of and with us, and even though I was very tired, I felt happy that people were snapping away at us. :) Actually, this might sound cheesy, but I felt so happy and honored that people were taking our pictures and finding us awesome. I just hope that I didn't look too unflattering or haggard in their pictures!
While it wasn't our turn to perform, Leslie and I joined the Speed Dating event in the hopes that we could meet new friends. How's this for a coincidence? Most of the people in the room were my schoolmates (but they were from different batches, though)! Small world, huh? I think I talked to three or four people from my university. Overall, everyone we talked to was nice, and I was able to strike up interesting conversations with each (about Geass and Gundam, the cosplay community, being an anime fan in our university, Battle Royale, Japanese films, etc.). I regret not getting everyone's contact number, though.
It was already 5 pm or so when we were done with speed dating. At this point, I was already getting worried about not being able to perform with everyone onstage because I was to be picked up at 5:30. 5:45. Still not our turn. Thank heavens the driver hadn't arrived yet. 6 pm. Oh no; at that time my mother sent me a message: "The driver should be there in a while; he'll text you." 6:05 or 6:10. The driver sent me a text message. I had to go, and besides, I had to drop Leslie off at her place. But I wanted to stay for a while because at that time, it was almost our turn.
To my utter relief, Leslie wasn't in a hurry to leave, and the driver (and my mom) said that I could stay a little longer! Yes! Just when I was saying my goodbyes and taking "souvenir" pictures and getting ready to leave, I could stay after all! And finally... it was our turn to perform. Miraculously enough, I didn't get stage fright, though I think my acting was horrendous. :( I still can't act. But I think the audience liked our skit (it was a comedic reenactment of Battle Royale) because they were applauding wildly. I was so happy; no, I was more than happy - I thought that I was going to cry because the day was entirely worth the trouble of getting up early, barely eating lunch and enduring the heat!
I left after the skit; it was too bad that I couldn't stay longer. Later on, based on the pictures that the other BR cosplayers uploaded, it seems that the group took more pictures and that other cosplayers actually posed with them! Ah, too bad I wasn't able to stay for long. :( Also, it was too bad that we didn't have a Kitano (the teacher); one of my groupmates volunteered her dad to be Kitano but he wasn't able to make it. It would've been awesome if we had a Kitano, though.
I also heard that we might have another photoshoot in the near future but I think we don't have a venue or a date yet. I would like to suggest my university, but I don't know if we need to obtain permission to take pictures (bloody ones, too) on school grounds. We might scandalize people with the blood and weapons, haha!
To Zienta, thank you so much for inviting me to be part of the group! I didn't regret joining the group and I had so much fun. Thank you for your efforts in organizing the group and making your plans a reality. Sorry if I might have dragged the group down. :( But I think that the group was awesome; it would be nice if we could do it again someday! I might cosplay other characters in the future but I'd love to be part of the group whenever possible. Congratulations for a job well done!
To Sir Allan, I already thanked you on your Multiply site but again, I'd like to extend my warmest thanks to you for taking those pictures of us! The photoshoot wouldn't have been possible without you. The pics turned out really nice; your camera and your photography skills are good.
To all my fellow BR cosplayers, it was so nice to meet all of you! Like I said, I'm sorry I didn't mingle much at the beginning. All of you were so nice to me because you made efforts to talk to me and sometimes you would even ask if I was okay whenever I was sweaty (I sweat easily, you see). Thank you for the wonderful experience! Thank you for making our dream possible. :) Because everyone was so enthuasiastic, our shared dream of creating a BR cosplay group became a reality. I regret not getting all of your names, though. So if you're reading this, could you please introduce yourself to me again? Please tell me your name and who you cosplayed. Sometimes I think I have facial recognition disorder because I'm bad at remembering faces (and sometimes, associating them with names, too). >_<
To the nice people who took pictures of us, thank you! :) I don't get photographed often because I don't stand out, so having people in conventions take pictures of me, whether when I'm alone or with a group, means a lot to me. (Just as long as you don't post my pics somewhere to make fun of me, haha!)
Thank you so much, everyone! I learned a lot and made some new friends because of this experience. I hope to see you again at future events and to work with you again! And if you see me, please do call my attention (say "Hi" or something) because, like I said, I'm terrible with faces.