Tasty!!
Anime eXpo 2003!
w00t~! Let's hear it for AX! ^___^ Though, admittedly, I didn't have as much fun this year as I did last year, I still managed to have a good time with great anime. ^_^ That's what it's all about!
Fun with your food!
The AX group this year actually brought out three out-of-staters. From Michigan came my cousin, Aaron (hereby known as "Aa-kun" ^,^ ), and from Nebraska came Jason and Alec. I hope they enjoyed our pretty state of California. ^_^ So Tara and I picked up Aa-kun and Jason from the airport on Tuesday, July 2nd, and the four of us traveled together to the con, where we met up with Alec, who'd come in with Epic, and then we were later joined with Hilde-chan. So all together we had seven people in one room. ^^
Farmland...or not.
This year's eXpo was held at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California. Admittedly...I didn't like it nearly as much as the Long Beach Convention Center of the last two years. And I think that's a big part of the reason I didn't have quite as much fun this year. Everything was too spread out, I didn't know where anything was, there wasn't any one good hang-out spot for people to just sit and watch other people, etc. The center was just too big, making it seem like there were far less people there than there probably really was. I didn't see any of my friends more than once unless we specifically met someplace, because it was just too spread out to run into people.... I wonder if I'm the only one complaining about this. ^^*
Tastes better than it looks.
Cosplay is overrunning my life.. o.o This year I actually squeezed in...we'll say five and a half costumes. ^^* The day before the con, registration day (or I've heard it called "Zero Day") I did casual-style Zephel, from 'Angelique'. Tara and Aa-kun did casual-style Marcel and Oscar from the same series. ^_^ It was sort of a preview of the next day.
That's right. The first day, Thursday the 3rd, we did Zephel, Marcel, and Oscar in their 'Trois' outfits. Each one was rather difficult to pull off, but I think we all did a pretty good job. Though, admittedly, I made Tara bend down for any pictures we got taken.. ^^* ..because I refuse to let Marcel be taller than Zephel! ^^** Too damn short....
Then that evening I dyed my hair red and threw on my new 'Prince of Tennis' shirt, and joked that I was "miscellanious Seigaku tennis player no. 6," so that was my half cosplay. =P
The second day, Friday the 4th, I did Inori from 'Harukanaru Toki no Naka de'. .... I'm in love with this cosplay. ^,^ It's certainly not the most comfortable, those shoes will be the death of me some day and the sleeves get into everything, but the whole thing is beautiful and exotic looking and hides my fat! ^__^ I love it! And especially the jewel on the forehead. ^^ On this day Aa-kun did Tasuki from 'Fushigi Yuugi', so it was fun and cute to have two fiery Suzaku warriors wandering around together. ^^
Saturday the 5th was the day of the huge 'One Piece' cosplay group, in which I'd been recruited to do Ruffy. Ah, but not the regular Ruffy, of which there must have been, like, 50... I was (the one and only) baby Ruffy! ^^* With the anchor tee-shirt and all. Everyone said it was very cute. ^_^ Was also rather comfortable, if not for the fact that I had to bind my chest as best I could because it wasn't as dark or as flowing as my other cosplays.. -_- That got a bit painful at times.... But when the gathering was done with I let it all go free! ^^* and the comfort was rivaled only by the casual Zephel outfit. ^^
And finally...Sunday the 6th revealed...the cosplay two years in the making.... I finally got to introduce Mickey the Archer! ^____^ Yes, I really have been working on that costume for two years... (though not straight, mind you... is more like - do a little something, six months later do another thing, three months later do something else on it, etc. etc. etc. ...) And it's strange because it's only from one tiny little thing, the 'Sotsugyo M Touki Tobidachi' drama CD. Is not even an anime or a game or a manga or anything important! ^^* There's a whole two pictures of this character in existence! But it was so cute, I just had to do it. And finally I did. And actually got a few pictures taken in it; go me. ^^ Though some people had the nerve to mistake me for Link (from 'The Legend of Zelda' series).. -_- Idiots. Bad thing though, the shoes were impossible to walk in, and one of them actually fell apart on me. ;_; Must repair before next wearing...and there will be another wearing!
Cream of the crop.
AX had the usual array of guests...no one I knew of or especially cared about. -_- Maybe one of these days they'll have someone I actually know...probably not... Though I did end up very much enjoying Yuki Kajiura's music. ::nods::
Ingredients.
I actually managed to not spend tons of money in the dealer's room! w00t! ... Actually, it's just because they didn't have much I was looking for... ¬_¬
What I got:
Berserk - OST CD
Harukanaru Toki no Naka de - manga volumes 4 & 5
Harukanaru Toki no Naka de - Tomomasa+Yasuaki doujinshi
Johnny's Jr. - concert VCD
Prince of Tennis - Tezuka+Fuji doujinshi
Prince of Tennis - tennis shirt/jersey
Project ARMS - animation cel of Ryo
Wow... I almost feel...dirty...for getting so very little.... o.o It's difficult when the series you're into isn't what's popular... ~_~
Highlights of AX 2003!
Yes, yes, I usually do a whole con report, telling every little detail of what I did...but it's so difficult with AX! ^^ Because so much is going on constantly. I've discovered I rather like just giving the highlights of this big convention, good and bad.
Tasty!
me and Tara coming up with strange TreizexTezuka crossover ideas to the song 'GOD SAVE THE QUEEN' (is an Okiayu thing ^^ )
being in the mini-masquerade with Aa-kun and coming up with a skit as we sat there waiting to go on (phear our blatant 'Utena' rip-off!)
and the unofficial birth of Ride on Time Cosplay! <----dream come true ^^
Pixie Party!
a hug from Gattsu ^^
UNO Piece
watching 'Berserk' and everyone cheering when Gattsu cut some guy in half =d
seeing 'The Animatrix'
in-car karaoke!
getting a really nice 'Project ARMS' cel of Ryo...for only $35!
Aa-kun getting me an entire box of 'Angelique' cards ^__________^
Hilde-chan selling me her 'Sotsugyo M' radio talk CD ^__________^
seeing Kham-chan (though only once the whole weekend.. ;_; )
seeing the Bishonen Brigade ... I mean the BACA Boys! ^^*
pictures with hot Shanks =3
pictures of uber smexy Hatsuharu
farewell dinner at Denny's...in costume ^^
Yuki Kajiura concert
Epic's impromptu female Vincent Valentine-esque costume
and her kick-ass makeup and hair styling work for everyone ^__^ (thank you so much!)
the all-too-cute look Aaron gave when he realized how many color changes my hair had gone through ^^
head getting stuck in Kyo-san's Zeff hat ^^*
swimming
so many cool cosplays!
me and Tara chocobo racing...with Alec and Aa-kun as the chocobos ^^
the penis game
molesting Keneda =3
man-Faye XD
Not so tasty...
Alec, Epic, and Hilde-chan all leaving without saying goodbye to me >=(
Pixie Party being crashed by hotel security ^^*
somebody making a simple trip to Wal-mart to buy string take 3 fucking hours!!
so I ended up missing the first 10 minutes of the 'One Piece' cosplay gathering...which was when all the group pictures were taken.. -_-
Tara losing her badge...which had a bunch of her new pins on it ;_;
Mickey shoes falling apart ;_;
nobody ever waking up before 11:00am..while I was up and ready by 8:00am.. -_- (3 hours of sitting around, waiting for others to get their asses in gear)
waaaaaaaay too long registration line
too much boob + binding for li'l Ruffy = can't breathe = pain >_<
not being able to give Karla the 'Sukisho!' discs... ;_;
not being able to get my camera to get any pictures of the 'One Piece' cosplay group
getting lost in the Marriot
Hilde-chan's constant sexual noises get really annoying after a while... -_-
uber slutty 'Final Fantasy X 2' pair ::gags::
man-Faye o_o (I just don't know what to think.. ^^* )
Pictures!
I'm slowly realizing I don't take very many pictures at conventions... o.o I think it's because I don't like carrying cameras around. ^^* Then when I finally get pics developed...I discover most of them didn't come out.. ~_~ Never use Polaroid disposable cameras and never go to Wal-mart for film processing! But here's what I was able to salvage, though the quality tends to be...crap. ~_~
The Anaheim Convention Center, from the car.
Casual style Oscar, Marcel, and Zephel
'Angelique' group, Oscar, Zephel, and Marcel (picture graciously donated from The BACA Boys ^^ thank you!!)
Who is that mysterious person...?
It's Zephel! ^^* (phear my dorkage)
White Haru. Calm, cool, and collected...and hot.
Black Haru. Dark, evil, smexy.. (I love a cow in leather!)
Kyo-san as...someone from 'Naruto'.. ..I think. ^^* But he had a dead person on his back!! XD
We had yaoi in our room. It was good.
Kyo vs. Hatsuharu; fight for the coffee!!
Neko Kyo, Usagi Momiji, Nezumi Yuki. Kawaii!
Sanzo is stalking Tohru!! o.o (actually, she's the best Tohru I've ever seen! =D so cute! ...and has really nice legs.. ^^ )
Jack Skellington.. AWESOME!!!! XD (just wish the pic quality was better.... ~_~ )
Ken-Ken! =D
Epic in her semi-Vincent Valentine-esque outfit. ^^
I am the crimson ninja!!! (actually, it's just my Inori cosplay without the over shirt on... but it's funny how I didn't get any pics of the complete costume... >_< )
And now, the Sleepy-Time series:
Because that's what they get for leaving me bored for three hours every day. >_<
Our pets, Inu Jason and Neko Tara. ^,^
The cosplay two-years in the making... Mickey the Archer! =D
Mickey scouts the savage forest.
The requisite man-Faye picture. ^^ (I LOVE the look on his face XD )
That's all! Yay! So much fun!
See ya next year!
