FanimeCon 2008 recap
Since this is gonna be one long-ass post, here goes:
GENERAL
Fanime this year, despite some con issues, was very fun like every year has always been.
Of course, it's never a Fanime without hanging out or meeting up with your friends. Some members of the Alphateam, Step Squad, RTF, some of the P.I. crew, Team Gozen, the other music-game community, Fatima + Iris, Laura + Saiho, Mary-Angela + Joel, Jody, Eurobeat King, Teri, Ray Nagar, the majority of staff members of Sac-Anime, other cosplayers, etc. You all know who you are, so don't feel like I've forgotten you at all.
For those who I didn't get a chance to spend much time with, I apologize. We shall hang out sometime again soon.
Registration went very smoothly, getting my pass within 3 minutes. I know people complained about registration last year (but that was because of people not taking responsibility to pre-register ahead of time). Kudos there.
Playing Wii Boxing at Stage Zero (inside the Wii Remote) against a Mudkip cosplayer was funny as hell. At first, it was hard to play as I got knocked out first, but after getting used to it, I decided to just play overaggressive and winning the match. Fun times though. Hehe.
Diana winning a Nintendo DS was interesting. At least she got her money's worth of the 2nd con she's ever been to. Congrats.
I decided to go to the Karaoke section because I promised a couple of people that I would record it. And yes, I lived up to my word on that...yes every contestant and performance. I should be able to upload the Karaoke Vids soon. I haven't gotten the time to do so due to lack of time uploading, as well as missing my USB cables after coming back home. Bleh. I might as well just upload the entire roll as 1 or if someone can upload them for me and separate all the singers, that would work too.
Artist Alley was good as always. Each time I look at the Alley, I kinda missed drawing stuff from the childhood times. Oh well. BTW, major thanks to Karen for getting me the Wiimote Plushie.
The CGR section of the eGaming hallway was pretty nice. Retro games is always a plus as it gives childhood memories of various games I was able to beat within 2-5 days or less. Pop N Music Fever for the PS2 = Ultimate win because I didn't enjoy the arcade version and saves me money too.
Karen supposedly winning the Special Edition Wii...ended up being auctioned off by another person who bidded $825 tops for it. The odd part about it is that he decided to "give it away" as charity so that they can increase the value of it by getting more autographs and such to it. Perhaps signatures from GAINAX, Gackt, and others aren't enough?
Cosplay Chess was pretty good. I didn't get a chance to join the last Chess because I already put away my Wii Remote costume and removed the paint in my body from the Blanka costume. At least a friend of mine Diana (as the Wii-Tan) entered as a Knight. No offense, but either the players were playing chess for entertainment purposes or they made HELLA SHITTY moves. If I were to join, I would be the rook piece like last time, eating people. hehe.
Dealer's Room didn't have that many rare items this year (or maybe they were sold out immediately?). At least I got some swords, Tachikoma, Wii light (awesome shit), and a checkered hat (needed more hats anyways), so no complaints there.
For food, we decided to eat at some Vietnamese place for some good Phở (soup). Even though the food was quite cheap ($5.75 for a large bowl of Phở), but it tastes good and gives a good proportion to fill me up for the entire day. A nice way to save money if you are on the go.
Overall, I didn't even spend that much money at the con compared to previous years, which is good. At least I was able to control my spending wisely, unlike a lot of people I know.
COSPLAY
Since I either made it or assisted for design, here's a section for such:
The Wii Remote is back as usual. Why wouldn't I bring it (only exception being "critically damaged")? Anyways, it is the same Wii Remote design as it was at Cherry Blossom Festival 2008, with a better fan and a cup / wallet / item holder for better convenience. After all, I wanted to create the costume by not only its external looks, but a durable and utility costume to ensure that anyone wearing it can feel comfortable and make it easier to carry items. The major flaw with this version is that the costume itself is very heavy, especially with the 8 lbs added by the fan, in addition of having no shoulder rests (yes some pressure remains in the head). Thankfully, I don't have any neck or back problems, but it did restrict some mobility. At least it's a huge workout in a fun way that some people thought I lost HELLA weight after coming back. Major thanks to Mattison, Diana, Laura, and Saiho for helping out with the costume and suggestions. Now to make the costume much lighter (but still "glomp-proof"), add in speakers, and add a funnel and a piss-hole on one of the buttons and we are all set....and a Wii-Chuck to synchronize with it too. ^_^
The Blanka Costume, though far from perfect, went pretty well. This is the first time I used body paint (or Liquid Latex) ever. I'll admit that I didn't fully detail the costume due to painful restraints (armpit hairs + liquid latex = no fun taking it out). It isn't just for the looks; I wanted to make sure I get enough mobility to act my character, especially rolling around the con like an animal. Besides, I wanted to do a cosplay that "rarely anyone has done" because I do not have any interest in cosplaying commonly done ones. If only it wasn't so damn cold outside...
Assisting Craig's DDR Pad...Well, what can I say? I haven't gotten a chance to wear it as much since this was designed mainly for Craig, but from what I hear, it went pretty well and Craig enjoyed it a lot! I think the only complaint that someone said is that going outside hurts the hell out of people's eyes due to heavy glare. Oops, we didn't intend to make it THAT SHINY! The similar concept of how the Wii Remote was designed applies here, minus a lot of things.
Though I only delivered a major influence to my friend Diana, her Wii-Tan outfit turned out pretty well. I am not sure if she is one of the first (if not the first) Wii-Tan to actually have lights, but it never hurts to go the extra mile.
Now, to assist completing the other costumes that others weren't able to finish on time...
OTHER PICTURES AND STUFF
Now, for other pictures:
Motoko and Chi.
Note: Do not attempt...unless you are emo.
Hallelujia!
Maybe this is a better place to hide yourself?
SMASH TIME!
Lucario. I swear, people mistake this as a Legendary Pokemon.
Gurren Lagann.
Lock and Load, Samus.
...ouch...
Final Fantasy 3, I suppose?
Gangsta Mario Bros...fo shizzle!
Do you like Mudkips?
mmmmm....Beefy.
No fucking comment (censored upon request).
Okay, this is the first Yotsuba cosplay I've seen.
= = =
To check out the rest, here's a couple of linkage of pictures:
http://s3.photobucket.com/albums/y76/xxxplizit/FanimeCon%202008/
And taken from a bunch of other people's photos (thanks guys):
http://parasight.multiply.com/photos/album/14/Fanime_2008
http://www.cosplay.com/gallery/113890/
http://s53.photobucket.com/albums/g61/mr_wendell/Fanime%20Con%202008/
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v338/TifaFan666/FanimeCon%202008/
http://s31.photobucket.com/albums/c388/kay0ss/Fanime%202k8/
http://flickr.com/photos/azhp/sets/72157605279154639/
http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d194/swtdrmer05/FanimeCon2008/
If all else fails:
http://www.cosplay.com/showthread.php?t=148340
If STILL all else fails...I dunno what to say.
Anyways, enjoy. ^_^
CRITICISM, LOWLIGHTS, AND REGRETS
We all know that not everything in this world is "perfect". Here goes:
That's about it for FanimeCon 2008 so far. Feel free to reply, IM me, or whatever if you got anything else to say.
For those asking if I was going to AX this year, I can't because I am going to be in Mexico for a business trip. Maybe next year.
GENERAL
Fanime this year, despite some con issues, was very fun like every year has always been.
Of course, it's never a Fanime without hanging out or meeting up with your friends. Some members of the Alphateam, Step Squad, RTF, some of the P.I. crew, Team Gozen, the other music-game community, Fatima + Iris, Laura + Saiho, Mary-Angela + Joel, Jody, Eurobeat King, Teri, Ray Nagar, the majority of staff members of Sac-Anime, other cosplayers, etc. You all know who you are, so don't feel like I've forgotten you at all.
For those who I didn't get a chance to spend much time with, I apologize. We shall hang out sometime again soon.
Registration went very smoothly, getting my pass within 3 minutes. I know people complained about registration last year (but that was because of people not taking responsibility to pre-register ahead of time). Kudos there.
Playing Wii Boxing at Stage Zero (inside the Wii Remote) against a Mudkip cosplayer was funny as hell. At first, it was hard to play as I got knocked out first, but after getting used to it, I decided to just play overaggressive and winning the match. Fun times though. Hehe.
Diana winning a Nintendo DS was interesting. At least she got her money's worth of the 2nd con she's ever been to. Congrats.
I decided to go to the Karaoke section because I promised a couple of people that I would record it. And yes, I lived up to my word on that...yes every contestant and performance. I should be able to upload the Karaoke Vids soon. I haven't gotten the time to do so due to lack of time uploading, as well as missing my USB cables after coming back home. Bleh. I might as well just upload the entire roll as 1 or if someone can upload them for me and separate all the singers, that would work too.
Artist Alley was good as always. Each time I look at the Alley, I kinda missed drawing stuff from the childhood times. Oh well. BTW, major thanks to Karen for getting me the Wiimote Plushie.
The CGR section of the eGaming hallway was pretty nice. Retro games is always a plus as it gives childhood memories of various games I was able to beat within 2-5 days or less. Pop N Music Fever for the PS2 = Ultimate win because I didn't enjoy the arcade version and saves me money too.
Karen supposedly winning the Special Edition Wii...ended up being auctioned off by another person who bidded $825 tops for it. The odd part about it is that he decided to "give it away" as charity so that they can increase the value of it by getting more autographs and such to it. Perhaps signatures from GAINAX, Gackt, and others aren't enough?
Cosplay Chess was pretty good. I didn't get a chance to join the last Chess because I already put away my Wii Remote costume and removed the paint in my body from the Blanka costume. At least a friend of mine Diana (as the Wii-Tan) entered as a Knight. No offense, but either the players were playing chess for entertainment purposes or they made HELLA SHITTY moves. If I were to join, I would be the rook piece like last time, eating people. hehe.
Dealer's Room didn't have that many rare items this year (or maybe they were sold out immediately?). At least I got some swords, Tachikoma, Wii light (awesome shit), and a checkered hat (needed more hats anyways), so no complaints there.
For food, we decided to eat at some Vietnamese place for some good Phở (soup). Even though the food was quite cheap ($5.75 for a large bowl of Phở), but it tastes good and gives a good proportion to fill me up for the entire day. A nice way to save money if you are on the go.
Overall, I didn't even spend that much money at the con compared to previous years, which is good. At least I was able to control my spending wisely, unlike a lot of people I know.
COSPLAY
Since I either made it or assisted for design, here's a section for such:
The Wii Remote is back as usual. Why wouldn't I bring it (only exception being "critically damaged")? Anyways, it is the same Wii Remote design as it was at Cherry Blossom Festival 2008, with a better fan and a cup / wallet / item holder for better convenience. After all, I wanted to create the costume by not only its external looks, but a durable and utility costume to ensure that anyone wearing it can feel comfortable and make it easier to carry items. The major flaw with this version is that the costume itself is very heavy, especially with the 8 lbs added by the fan, in addition of having no shoulder rests (yes some pressure remains in the head). Thankfully, I don't have any neck or back problems, but it did restrict some mobility. At least it's a huge workout in a fun way that some people thought I lost HELLA weight after coming back. Major thanks to Mattison, Diana, Laura, and Saiho for helping out with the costume and suggestions. Now to make the costume much lighter (but still "glomp-proof"), add in speakers, and add a funnel and a piss-hole on one of the buttons and we are all set....and a Wii-Chuck to synchronize with it too. ^_^
The Blanka Costume, though far from perfect, went pretty well. This is the first time I used body paint (or Liquid Latex) ever. I'll admit that I didn't fully detail the costume due to painful restraints (armpit hairs + liquid latex = no fun taking it out). It isn't just for the looks; I wanted to make sure I get enough mobility to act my character, especially rolling around the con like an animal. Besides, I wanted to do a cosplay that "rarely anyone has done" because I do not have any interest in cosplaying commonly done ones. If only it wasn't so damn cold outside...
Assisting Craig's DDR Pad...Well, what can I say? I haven't gotten a chance to wear it as much since this was designed mainly for Craig, but from what I hear, it went pretty well and Craig enjoyed it a lot! I think the only complaint that someone said is that going outside hurts the hell out of people's eyes due to heavy glare. Oops, we didn't intend to make it THAT SHINY! The similar concept of how the Wii Remote was designed applies here, minus a lot of things.
Though I only delivered a major influence to my friend Diana, her Wii-Tan outfit turned out pretty well. I am not sure if she is one of the first (if not the first) Wii-Tan to actually have lights, but it never hurts to go the extra mile.
Now, to assist completing the other costumes that others weren't able to finish on time...
OTHER PICTURES AND STUFF
Now, for other pictures:
Motoko and Chi.
Note: Do not attempt...unless you are emo.
Hallelujia!
Maybe this is a better place to hide yourself?
SMASH TIME!
Lucario. I swear, people mistake this as a Legendary Pokemon.
Gurren Lagann.
Lock and Load, Samus.
...ouch...
Final Fantasy 3, I suppose?
Gangsta Mario Bros...fo shizzle!
Do you like Mudkips?
mmmmm....Beefy.
No fucking comment (censored upon request).
Okay, this is the first Yotsuba cosplay I've seen.
= = =
To check out the rest, here's a couple of linkage of pictures:
http://s3.photobucket.com/albums/y76/xxxplizit/FanimeCon%202008/
And taken from a bunch of other people's photos (thanks guys):
http://parasight.multiply.com/photos/album/14/Fanime_2008
http://www.cosplay.com/gallery/113890/
http://s53.photobucket.com/albums/g61/mr_wendell/Fanime%20Con%202008/
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v338/TifaFan666/FanimeCon%202008/
http://s31.photobucket.com/albums/c388/kay0ss/Fanime%202k8/
http://flickr.com/photos/azhp/sets/72157605279154639/
http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d194/swtdrmer05/FanimeCon2008/
If all else fails:
http://www.cosplay.com/showthread.php?t=148340
If STILL all else fails...I dunno what to say.
Anyways, enjoy. ^_^
CRITICISM, LOWLIGHTS, AND REGRETS
We all know that not everything in this world is "perfect". Here goes:
- Masquerade: I wasn't feeling the move of the Masquerade to be on a Saturday, given that for the past couple of years, this has been traditionally on Sundays. Was it because of An Cafe only being able to perform on Sunday? Was it because a bunch of cosplayers for skit usage whining about Sunday Masq that they actually got their wish? Oh well. If it's the An Cafe, I can totally understand. I missed out on all the Fanime Masq's, which isn't too much of a good sign (or is it?). Besides, seeing some of the videos, I am actually glad that I didn't waste my time watching and recording it (if I was allowed) because it was overflooded with the typical stuff like Hare Hare Yukai, CaramellDansens, Mainsteam Yaoi (alright, this seriously needs to die from Masq's period i.e. PERMA-BAN or AUTO-EJECT) and so forth. I heard there was some good skits though that made up for some of the crappiness (The Marvel Vs. Capcom just to name a few). After hearing all this, maybe me and a couple of others should do a kick-ass skit that blows the competition away, especially with the amount of originality it will contain; something that most skits fail upon.
- Information Desk: I question on how the structure of staff members know their material for the con itself. When asking for directions to places like the B&W Ball and Karaoke or info about rescheduled events, the response I get are often "I'm sorry I am new here". At least they were being honest and not giving me wrong answers left and right.
- Arcade Gaming: I can understand that the Golflands are no longer contracted with Fanime (I think it's SF State and SJ state), but some of the games there are overpriced compared to last year and the year before. Then again, free Pop N Music in the Console Gaming Area was nice to have compared to the more expensive and crappier Arcade one they have there. I would of liked having a DDR Freestyle section since it happens every year, but oh well.
- Overwhored 4chan/internet memes: I do not mind if it was mentioned once in a while. However, milking the hell out of it every minute that the majority of people don't have anything else to say nor do at the con is overkill. Let's see:
- Rickroll:It's been done at a tolerable amount last year. Classic song, but seeing 10 boomboxes, a pianist + singers around the hallway playing that damn song...NO.
- "Lose the game": This meme...needs to die...NUFF...FUCKING...SAID!!
- Missin out on the dance hall when Mel B and others were spinnin the tables. I feel bad now. *sigh* Forgive me, y'all.
- Hentai Night. At first I was NOT interested into going due to the fact that last year, the person right next to me got jizzed on from behind (I kid you not). However, a couple of people told me that it wasn't as bad on hand checks.
- Rock Band panel. I wanted to enter that just for the hell of it. If it was freestyle, I'd tear it up.
- A massive amounts of gatherings missed. Shame on myself badly for that. Maybe next time.
- A shitload of missed picture opportunities. Dugtrio, the Deathscythe Gundam....GARRR!!!! At least other people took the pictures.
- Unable to join the night time parties. Wish I could, but I seriously needed the sleep. I don't think coming to the con cranky or sleeping at the con at daytime is an option for me.
- Not being able to go to the An Cafe concert.
That's about it for FanimeCon 2008 so far. Feel free to reply, IM me, or whatever if you got anything else to say.
For those asking if I was going to AX this year, I can't because I am going to be in Mexico for a business trip. Maybe next year.