Anime Detour 2008
Yeah, I've misplaced my program, so this will be non-linear and may be revised as my memory kicks in.
This was AD's last year at the Thunderbird, as they've well outgrown the venue, and the fire marshal made them cap the membership so that there was no at-the-door registration. Wow. Unfortunately, this meant that the pre-registered line was the nightmare that at-the-door had been in previous years--snaking in and out of the hotel and it took me an hour and a half to get my badge and program. (The badge holder was better than most cons', for what it's worth.)
Sadly, this meant that I missed the one panel I was really looking forward to, "Shiny New Anime." Evidently, the moderator for that one had to leave early, so they scheduled it first thing in the morning.
Most of the "panels" I did attend were the AMV showings, which were primarily new this year. The one panel I did make sure to show up for was the "Good Old Days" discussion on Sunday morning. Mainly because I was a panelist. As it happened, I was for most of the panel the oldest fan in the room (I came into anime fandom mid-Eighties), though a late-comer had seen Princess Knight as her first (retrospective) anime. Perhaps next year we will have a first-wave fan.
Saw a bunch of anime, including the end of Elfen Lied (very bloody, darn sick) and the first volume of Welcome to the NHK (painfully familiar in places, though I had to go out and get a job, myself.)
Masquerade was overstuffed as usual, fortunately the hotel let the convention broadcast it on the events TVs scattered around the public spaces so I got to see it in relative comfort--though my legs' circulation isn't good for sitting on the ground these days. Death Note was the official overdone hall costume selection, while Hare Hare Yukai was the official overdone masquerade skit.
Got some stuff at the hucksters' room, a couple of CDs, the last of the Iron Wok Jan manga (twist ending!) and an L plushie at slashed prices because it was scuffed.
In the Artist's Alley/Art Show area, I got a nice sketch of Iron Wok Jan (I don't think he'd use Captain Crunch as an ingredient myself, but maybe he's just ruthless enough to try.) and a present for a niece.
The weather turned icky on Sunday, so I took a shuttle bus the two blocks to the Megamall, to catch the homebound train.
Overall, a pretty good experience. I met a couple of mother-son fan duos, one costumed as Cyborg 009 characters. And there was lots of conversation with other fans--still would like to have more one-on-ones with attractive female cosplayers, of course. I took a few pictures, no idea if they'll turn out.
That weekend, one of my nieces had First Communion and her birthday is in the same timeframe (maybe related?) so I had sent her a package with a couple of cards and a knitted "alien sock monkey" I'd gotten at Minicon. She's named the monkey "Paul Nitto."
This was AD's last year at the Thunderbird, as they've well outgrown the venue, and the fire marshal made them cap the membership so that there was no at-the-door registration. Wow. Unfortunately, this meant that the pre-registered line was the nightmare that at-the-door had been in previous years--snaking in and out of the hotel and it took me an hour and a half to get my badge and program. (The badge holder was better than most cons', for what it's worth.)
Sadly, this meant that I missed the one panel I was really looking forward to, "Shiny New Anime." Evidently, the moderator for that one had to leave early, so they scheduled it first thing in the morning.
Most of the "panels" I did attend were the AMV showings, which were primarily new this year. The one panel I did make sure to show up for was the "Good Old Days" discussion on Sunday morning. Mainly because I was a panelist. As it happened, I was for most of the panel the oldest fan in the room (I came into anime fandom mid-Eighties), though a late-comer had seen Princess Knight as her first (retrospective) anime. Perhaps next year we will have a first-wave fan.
Saw a bunch of anime, including the end of Elfen Lied (very bloody, darn sick) and the first volume of Welcome to the NHK (painfully familiar in places, though I had to go out and get a job, myself.)
Masquerade was overstuffed as usual, fortunately the hotel let the convention broadcast it on the events TVs scattered around the public spaces so I got to see it in relative comfort--though my legs' circulation isn't good for sitting on the ground these days. Death Note was the official overdone hall costume selection, while Hare Hare Yukai was the official overdone masquerade skit.
Got some stuff at the hucksters' room, a couple of CDs, the last of the Iron Wok Jan manga (twist ending!) and an L plushie at slashed prices because it was scuffed.
In the Artist's Alley/Art Show area, I got a nice sketch of Iron Wok Jan (I don't think he'd use Captain Crunch as an ingredient myself, but maybe he's just ruthless enough to try.) and a present for a niece.
The weather turned icky on Sunday, so I took a shuttle bus the two blocks to the Megamall, to catch the homebound train.
Overall, a pretty good experience. I met a couple of mother-son fan duos, one costumed as Cyborg 009 characters. And there was lots of conversation with other fans--still would like to have more one-on-ones with attractive female cosplayers, of course. I took a few pictures, no idea if they'll turn out.
That weekend, one of my nieces had First Communion and her birthday is in the same timeframe (maybe related?) so I had sent her a package with a couple of cards and a knitted "alien sock monkey" I'd gotten at Minicon. She's named the monkey "Paul Nitto."