Listening to: Lost Odyssey OST - Uematsu Nobuo

Last Comic Fiesta was in December, it rolled into January, and we all said "wow we can't wait for the next CF!" and January rolled into February, March, and then I lost my job and got a new one, and June rolled into July, August, September, and before we knew it December had come and none of us had completed our cosplay/doujin projects.

And then we wake up and it's Comic Fiesta all over again.


Day 1

Kemu picked me and Sizer up at about 9. The traffic seemed slow as we headed into the city, but thankfully there were no riots, rallies, police blocks, or rampaging cosplayers that warranted a security lockdown. Parked in the hotel parking lot, left our bags at the hotel storage, then went across to Times Square because Ezel was calling for help.

I found out why.

To say things were hectic was a bit of an understatement. Sure ticketing was OK, but the doujinshi line...not so much. There was confusion over how many people could enter and how many free tickets one got per booth rented. Ezel was covering everything himself, and helpers not associated with doujin booths were dragged in, making everyone confused and handing misinformation like free tissues. I asked him what I could do to help, and he first shoved me a sheaf of papers and go do my job without reminding me what I needed to do (one year is a looong time for me), then when I asked for more instructions he said he'll do it himself. Naoko was no better - apparently she snapped at everyone and once I asked her for tickets and she was busy talking at the counter in plain sight.

At least after that was out of the way, I could finally, FINALLY sit back and enjoy the event go out and get into costume.

Why I torture myself so, I do not know.

Later I met Riko Kojima (who was a Cecille cosplayer, woohoo!), and went for a brief photoshoot with Kemu and Lac. Bunch of guys hung around and heckled us, but that's normal because it's Times Square and it's a cesspool of fashion disasters and retards, sometimes both.

For the first time in CF history, I left halfway to retire to the hotel and take a nap. Figures the more exciting stuff happens when I'm not around - it's the main reason I never leave the hall.




Later at 7 Tuna, Kemu, and I had dinner with Lacry and Kid at a Korean restaurant in Low Yat - small and friendly with good company, that's how life should be. Then met up with Hisa and chatted some more and then went to bed at 1 with the most creative bed arrangement ever (aka how to accomodate 3 people on a single bed without everyone ending up in a tangled mass of limbs).

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Day 2

I woke up at 6 AM due to two reasons:

- I've never slept soundly on a bed that's not mine.
- Heal snores like a mack truck on steroids when he's exhausted. Imagine him doing that for 6 hours straight. How does he not get inflamed tonsils? Why did I not smother him and solve my problems? I don't know.

So I figure better get prepared before the bathroom-hogging starts. It's nice to be the first one up. Always.

Heal DID wake up soon after (more because he was committee), so we took the hotel's free breakfast and had a leisurely chat and all. Food wasn't too bad, plus they had tomato omelettes! Or something. But it was good! Ask Heal!

Since Kemu and Tuna and Kid didn't need to go at ungodly hours, I went ahead at 10 and there was already a line into the hall.


Before I forget, Kid brought in 500 copies of her doujin. It was wheeled in on Saturday on a cart, and you could hear the RUMBLERUMBLERUMBLE of artbooks at least two meters away. Juufan pressed some money into May's hand and said "OK get in line for 3 copies NOWNOWNOW", and I overheard someone carrying a bag of artbooks going "OK I got them AND I got change!" and their friend went W00t, so you can imagine the sort of popularity Kid's art gets.

So I went around in my Pop'n Music costume and a grand total of 6 people recognized me. I think it was less than that, but when you accept the fact that your cosplay is not going to be recognized unless they're Pop'n diehards, you stop caring and try to enjoy the event instead. Look ma, I can SEE the con for once, woohoo!

Chibineko came as Dejiko from Digi Charat, and we instantly became retarded:

Us: SHAKE YOUR TAIL!!!!!!!1111
Neko: *wiggles butt, tail moves*
Us: EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE X3XDX3XD

Angel came as Puchiko, and her tail was shaped like a loaf of bread sticking out from her skirt. We became even MORE retarded:

Us: EEEEEEEEEEEEEE TAIL *petpetpetpetpetpetpetpet*
Angel: Eek! Protect me, my boyfriend! *dives into his arms with her tail sticking out*
Us: EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE *petpetpetpetpetpetpet*
Angel's bf: Shoo. *half-heartedly swats our hands away*

Oh yeah, Firn's friend came as a HAWT Balthier.


The perils of EXTREME designer board games

This year's cosplay chess had a twist - littered throughout the board were little symbols - land on one and the contestant would have to draw a card where they'd have to do something to stay in the game. Theoretically it sounded good - the problem came up when:

1) None of the chess moves were orchestrated, so someone only got the symbol ONCE.
2) None of the chess moves were orchestrated, so HAWT BALTHIER did nothing but sit down a lot. At least he sat down IN CHARACTER, so that just made him HAWT anyway. X3

The game dragged on too long, and it got tedious when nothing really significant was happening. The biggest highlight had to be Hellboy vs [Kon-pachi] (A Kenpachi cosser with a Kon head, 2nd awesomest thing at the event) and the crowd demanding Death to kill off the remaining chess pieces.

Endgame had the weirdest showdown - the two Kings were set to fight each other, but when your Kings were Seth Nightlord and Queen Esther Blanchett from Trinity Blood.....there was talking....and talking....and the possible conversion of a vampire to Christianity....and that was it.

Went to McD's for a snack with Kemu, Michy, Evil, and Zend (as Hellboy), which got some Middle-East kids staring at Zend for the longest time. The look of awe is always a fascinating look on other people.

So Zend got first since his Hellboy costume was SO AWESOME and HAWT Balthier missed out on Judges' Choice because one Judge didn't agree (shoot the Judges Balthier! SHOOT THEM!), and then there was a big dance session and then the event was over. Had a big group memorial for Rylands after the hall was cleared off, then had dinner at Marrybrown before returning and bumming and procrastinating for over a MONTH before putting up the event report.

So...How was it?

I wonder if the magic's gone.

In 2006, the gamut of emotions I felt is still vivid - the anxiety of whether my costume will look OK and I won't look like an idiot, the anticipation of new doujin to throw my money at, the thrill of being silly with friends and overall soaking up the otaku atmosphere.

This year I scanned all the doujin booths and only kept to budget because nothing caught my attention except for some well-done expensive stuff. Everyone performing a [Hare Hare Yukai dance] every other hour got old REALLY fast (save for Kitsu's performance which actually didn't have moe girls thank god) and there was MUCH less to do than in 2004, even. If it wasn't for HAWT Balthier and AWESOME Judge Bergan, I would've said the event wasn't all that and a pack of beans.

The forum's full of genki people who had their jollies and complaints about the REALLY weird stalker dude in a Vincent cape but still loved the event, and I'm wondering if I'm getting old or I'm being cranky just because the bigger CF gets the less personal it's going to be (obviously) and there'll come a time when I won't even go for CF because it'll be the same old doujinka and same old popular cosplay du jour and the same old everything.

I don't want it to happen, I really don't. .__.

However, it seems to be getting there. Slowly, surely; like a cancer, it'll come and take me away and there'll be nothing I can do about it.

I don't know whether to be happy or sad about it, so until then I'll just enjoy what little of it I can.

As usual, picture links on the sidebar, haffun!