A-Kon26 Aftermath and Pictures!

So A-kon26 has come and gone, and I am exhausted.  This year was fairly good in terms of crowd control and lines.

Me (Bulma) and Girl Trunks

The first thing I noticed was that for registration, there is now only one line whether you are pre-reg or on-site, this year they only had one line for everyone.
QR codes where on everyone's receipts so they could check in faster, in theory.   The regular member badges were made of a paper material and were placed inside plastic badge holders, lanyards were provided by Crunchyroll. The badges that were made of a more durable plastic were the volunteer badges, so it was very obvious to tell the difference between a volunteer and a regular attendee.
However, there was no distinction on badges if yours was a pre-reg or an on-site.
The group I was with was able to get badges on Thursday morning in less than an hour, Saturday seemed to have been the most crowded of the days with a line that expanded well past the area they had designated as the line area.

Thursday was fairly busier than in the past, it seems now that A-Kon Thursday has become Day 0 and more activities, including the introduction ceremony are now taking place on Thursday.   The Masquerade put together by Mu Epsilon Kappa is also on Thursday night at 8pm. with dance lessons at 4pm before the dance.

Live Instagram at Dance

Friday was probably the best day in terms of breathing room and activities.  There were a lot of people yes, but the crowds were not awful.  Panel lines were fine as long as you got there at least 30-40 minutes before your panel was scheduled then getting in line was fine and most made it inside.  The dealers room lines are awful right before they open but give it a couple hours and there is no line to the dealers room anymore its just a constant flow of people in and out.
Food was available throughout the convention with food trucks and meal spots that the hotel had made possible, including burgers in the courtyard.
I went to the dance on Friday night where I discovered they were live Instagraming with #Akon26.  So I started uploading to Instagram pictures from the dance and some that were already on my phone. It only took about 2-3 minutes to see your picture on the screen.

Saturday was the most crowded day in the entire convention. I even overheard some people later on saying that they got anxiety and panic attacks due to the high number of people and the hall being so crowded.   However on Saturday I started seeing a better way of getting people to wait in line for their panel.  The crowd control people were handing out tickets to people guaranteeing them a spot inside instead of having them take up space in a line. I think that is a genius idea. Come early, get your ticket and wait out of the way.
On Saturday I tried looking for the infamous KonSuite, the suite that has free food for con-goers.  The very well hiddlen Kon-Suite may I add. Since the convention moved to the Hilton Anatole, the Suite had always been in the Atrium on a high floor, this year it wasn't there are I couldn't find it anywhere. Saturday I turned to Facebook and found out that it was in the Tower on the 15th floor of the Anatole.
I didn't get to go to the dance on Saturday because I fell in a hole and sprained my ankle. But at least I found out that the first-aid staff is absolutely superb!

Eks-D Para Para group performing

Sunday, the last day of the con.  Everyone rushing to the dealers room for any last minute deals, people packing, and every elevator is full of people trying to check out.  I went to a couple of things. Made it to the KonSuite, a DBZ Game panel, and did some Para Para with the Eks-D Para Para group.

A-Kon26 was pretty good. I look forward to another great convention next year!

Below is a gallery of pics from this year! 

A-Kon packing list!

The time has come, here in the Dallas area, the largest anticipated anime convention is A-Kon. 
Known as the longest continually running anime convention in America, A-kon has also become one of the most attended Anime conventions in the state and in the country. 
So here is a bit of a packing list to get you started when you're packing your bags to attend the convention.
This year A-Kon 26 goes from June5-7, 2015, with a pre-day on Thursday June 4th, where they will be hosting a Masquerade Ball with the help of Mu Epsilon Kappa. 

Here is your list of essentials.

CLOTHES:

*Your COSPLAY(of course) and all pieces (You may want to make a list for your cosplay pieces if there are several)
*Your outfit for any fancy balls you will be attending (separate list of individual pieces if needed
 *SHOES! don't forget your cosplay or fancy shoes.  Plus make sure you bring a pair of comfortable shoes to wear on your down time and SOCKS/STOCKINGS if you need them too.
*UNDERWEAR, yes please don't forget to pack the essentials.
*Something to wear to sleep or on your downtime. Some people get so concertrated on what they are going to wear during the con that they forget to pack PAJAMAS!
*Pack at least two extra outfits of normal clothes
*WIGS - bring your wig cap, pins, everything you need to do your hair.
* A Laundry bag for your dirty clothes. 
*Swimsuit if you plan to swim


HYGIENE:

*SOAP AND SHAMPOO
*TOOTHBRUSH  - toothpaste and floss included
*Extra Toilet paper
*DEODORANT and body spray
*Hand sanitizer
* RAZORS - aftershave, shaving cream, and lotion
*Facial scrub and makeup remover
*CONTACTS and GLASSES - make sure you bring contact solution, and an extra case. 
*(feminine hygiene products for the ladies)
*Febreeze

FIRST AID and EMERGENCIES

*First aid kit with bandages, antibiotic ointment, and essentials
*Emergency cosplay sewing kit
*Emergency eye glass repair kit
*Pain reliever
*Any medications you may be prescribed
*Allergy medicine

PERSONAL BELONGINGS:

*CELL PHONE CHARGER. 
*Hair straightnener or curler, blow dryer if you also prefer not to use the hotels
*Batteries if you have anything battery powered
*Camera
*Any items you wanted autographed  with a marker
*something to write with
*Glowsticks for the dance
*Controllers for any gaming tourneys
*Extra pillows or blankets


OTHERS:

*Bring your MONEY and wallet with ID!  - make sure you have cash
*Print out your registration e-mails, for hotel, badge, and anything else. 
*Emergency contact info for your roomies
*Locks for your bags if you are paranoid


FOOD:

(I am not usually a big food packer, I mostly eat what the hotel offers but there are many who pack food and stuff to make food with like rice cookers, toasters, and some even bring their own microwaves and mini fridges or coolers) 
If you don't have these just bring some of the below. 
*Anything non perishable unless you bring a fridge (bread, crackers, chips)
*Something to snack on during the day (granola bars, snickers, pretzels)
*Water bottles so that you don't dehydrate
*cup of noodles (you can add hot water from the in-room coffee maker)









 


 

Guest Review: Etotama

Another guest review by our friend Waldo, this time here is a look at...

Etotama

First, the plot hook: The animals of the Chinese Zodiac have entered the 12^th festival, where any of the animal clans that didn’t make it to the Zodiac can choose to fight all 12 members to earn a spot on the Zodiac, kicking a member off. To fight, they need to gather Sol/Lull, which is generated by human appreciation/worship. Nyaa-tan, the cat, comes through a “fuzzy space” in the house that Takeru Amato is renting. Upon discovery that his Sol/Lull is unusually pure, takes up residence at this house and attempts to finagle enough Sol/Lull to fight the members of the Zodiac.

I had no idea what to expect from this when I watched it and I’m still not sure why I continue to watch it. That being said, it is by no means a bad anime, simply way out of my preferred genre of anime. The characters are quirky enough to continue coming back to watch and the motivations of each character go beyond background character tropes. Yes, there is a cow on the zodiac and yes, she fits the stereotype. The cow (Moo-tan) also has a crush on Nyaa-tan. Despite this, there isn’t that much in the way of fanservice and the show does have a more serious side later in. Because this is out of my typical show, I don’t have a comparison.

TBT Review: Tokyo Magnitude 8.0

As a throwback Thursday,  I'll be reviewing an older series.
Today I'm heading back to 2009 to Tokyo Magnitude 8.0.

This story is more about maturing than anything else in my opinion.  Young Mirai and her little brother Yuuki  go to Tokyo’s artificial Odaiba Island during the start of summer vacation all  by themselves.  Next thing you know, as Yuuki goes inside a building to use the restroom, Mirai is outside and a huge earthquake is felt that shakes the whole city.
Mirai searches for her brother in the unstable building, and she ends up teaming up with a lady that they had seen earlier, her name is Mari.
After they find Yuuki, Mirai, and Mari basically end up going on a journey together to get back to t heir families after the quake.  Transportation is limited and there are dozens of aftershock tremors being felt throughout the city. Mairai and Yuuki must get back to their parents, and Mari needs to get home to her daughter and mother.
This is a very exciting story about the maturing of a young pair of siblings, and be ready for some major tear jerking moments towards the end of the series.

The series consists of about 11 episodes.  I recommend If you enjoy watching tales of overcoming struggle and young people maturing.  Other similar anime would  be Grave of the Fireflies or Barefoot Gen.

Mirai, Mari, and Yuuki get on a boat  leave Odaiba and head towards their home

Mirai, Yuuki, and Mari arrive at Mari's hometown, where a huge fire broke out. Now Mari must search for her daughter.

Guest Review: DanMachi (Is it Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?)

Today we have a Guest Contributor review of DanMach also known as Is it Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?
Thanks to our friend Waldo for contributing!
 ***

DanMachi – 

(Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?)

( Danjon ni Deai o Motomeru no wa Machigatteiru Darō ka)

  

First, the plot hook: The main character, Bell Cranel, is an adventurer in a world that runs on magic stones. The stones are found by killing the monsters that inhabit the many levels of the dungeon found in the city of Orario. Adventurers serve a patron god that tracks their skills, abilities, and, most importantly, levels up the adventurer. Bell has been dungeoneering for a little while when he gets attacked by a minotaur that is far beyond his capacity to kill. Before he is struck down, Aiz Wallenstein slays the minotaur, saving his life and falling for her. Due to her skill and renown, Bell can’t bring himself to confess, leading him on his journey to stand as her equal.

When I first heard the name, I hoped that this would work out and not bomb spectacularly as most other similarly titled anime. Lucky for me, the story, world, and characters are very deep. There are many recurring characters that all have their own motivations and personalities as well as a world that both supports such a diverse environment and allows for many different situations without feeling overly cliché. I’d peg this world’s world building somewhere between Accel World and Log Horizon.

Gaby's Review: Ore Monogatari/My Story

A tale of unlikely love, Ore Monogatari translated as My Story just started airing in Japan about a month ago. So far its super sweet about a guy named Takeo, he is very large and very strong towers above everyone else in his class. Always has crushes on the cutest girls but the girls always fall for his good looking friend yet unsensitive friend Sunakawa.
One day he saves a girl named Yamato on the train for a pervert, and she is so grateful she beings to make him cakes, and asks for his email, and makes friends with him right away.  Takeo thinking that she likes Sunakawa decides to cheer her on because she is so sweet.   Little does he know that Yamato might not have a crush on Sunakawa afterall...

This is a cute story of unlikely love so far its been very sweet, I just watched the latest episode on simulcast and it looks like there may be a little more to the story.  I will surely be keeping an eye on this story.I recommend it if you like adorable shoujo romcom.

Sunakawa and Takeo are childhood friends, they walk home together every day.

Yamato says thank you to Takeo after thwarting the pervert on the train.

Sunakawa and Takeo enjoy Yamato's sweets that she baked as a thank you.

2015 Japanese Spring Festival and Tea Ceremony

So on Sunday April 26, 2015, I had the pleasure of attending the Japanese Spring Festival at the Fort Worth Japanese Gardens.  It was a great experience for those who want to experience a slice of Japanese culture, right here in Texas.  They had booths of all kinds, origami, hair clips, traditional festival games, kanji writing, fish painting, bonsai tree sales, and great demonstrations!

Also myself and some of my groupmates even got to be part of the traditional Tea Ceremony. It was a really good experience.


Here are pictures and captions of our fun adventure at the Japanese Gardens.

The first thing we do at the ceremony is have a sweet before we have the tea to offset the bitterness of the tea. Above: the sweet is being offered to the person next to you before you have the sweet yourself.

We all have a piece of sweet ready to eat while the hostess makes the tea.

Making the tea for the guests

Above: Holding the tea with our right hand, pick it up, rotate the cup and drink, if you enjoy the tea, a compliment is paid to the tea maker.  After the tea has been consumed, we examined our tea cup and thanked the host for the delicious tea.

The Iaido, Jodo, Karate The Dojo, Denton, TX show us their swordsmanship

The Iaido, Jodo, Karate The Dojo, Denton, TX, shows us the art of Jodo

The Iaido, Jodo, Karate The Dojo, Denton, TX, demonstrate Karate

The Sakura Dance Group performs a traditional dance with fans

The Sakura Dance Group and friends dance a festival dance in a circle

The Zen Garden

the lovely scenery at the gardens

Beautiful scenery of the tea house

Gaby's Review: Inari KonKon

Inari KonKon, or Inari Konkon, Koi Iroha, aired in Japan from January 2014 to March 2014 in Japan, and I recently watched it. It's only ten episodes so its worth a look.
Its really cute, I am really into the cute high school romcom type of genre so this is definitively one that I am enjoying.
The story centers around a girl Inari, she has a crush on Tanbabashi Kouji. One day as she was late to class for helping a young fox pup, then she ends up embarrassing Tanbabashi in gym class, she doesn't think her day will get any better.  However, the deity Ukanomitama-no-kami, gives her an amazing ability as a thank you for saving the pup.  Inari now has the power to transform into any person she wants to.
Will this power help her be able to confess to Tanbabashi?  Will she be able to handle such great power? Because with great power comes great responsibility.

Here are a few screenshots from the show.

Inari with the deity Ukanomitama-no-kami

Inari's pose to transform, she connects her fingers and makes a heart.

Inari's older brother Touka with the deity Ukanomitama-no-kami

Inari walking next to her crush Tanbabashi-Kun during the opening credits