Anime Expo

[Eater of All]

Holy hell, LiSA's concert is the most energetic event I have ever seen. I shook my glow sticks until my arms exploded, and I yelled / sang along so much I was panting like crazy. Not as crazy as LiSA though; that one scene where she ran up to the drummer to keep the beat going was epic. Also, I still remember that dance move she taught us for Wild Candy.

[Hiroi Sekai]

Originally Posted by Eater of All

Holy hell, LiSA's concert is the most energetic event I have ever seen. I shook my glow sticks until my arms exploded, and I yelled / sang along so much I was panting like crazy. Not as crazy as LiSA though; that one scene where she ran up to the drummer to keep the beat going was epic. Also, I still remember that dance move she taught us for Wild Candy.

You said it, this is how concerts should be done. I had so much fun that I wish I could go back and do it again instead of sleep. The WiLD Candy dance move was so entertaining that I went back, played the song and did the move. xD

Day 3 for anyone who's interested. Gotta spend my remaining money tomorrow and get an autograph and photo with Danny Choo.

[Marina]

Originally Posted by bhl88

Kajiura made me die on the inside XD (aka songs are very good XD: first anime/Japanese concert)

AHH! Me too! I was silly enough to not get a glowstick and didn't get as physically into it as some of the people around me. That night I fell asleep listening to all my music of hers/theirs ><

Originally Posted by Eater of All

Holy hell, LiSA's concert is the most energetic event I have ever seen. I shook my glow sticks until my arms exploded, and I yelled / sang along so much I was panting like crazy. Not as crazy as LiSA though; that one scene where she ran up to the drummer to keep the beat going was epic. Also, I still remember that dance move she taught us for Wild Candy.

I love how these two concerts were so wildly different from one another. LiSA's was fun for me in an entirely different way since this time I remembered to grab a glow stick. Thanks to that and to the energetic people sitting around me, I was able to really get into all the liveliness that LiSA did such a wonderful job of raising up and maintaining. She also had all those adorable moments making us be quiet, then getting us to yell and cheer. <3

Originally Posted by papermario13689

You said it, this is how concerts should be done. I had so much fun that I wish I could go back and do it again instead of sleep. The WiLD Candy dance move was so entertaining that I went back, played the song and did the move. xD

Ha! That's so awesome you did that dance on your own again ^^

[Hiroi Sekai]

Originally Posted by Marina

Ha! That's so awesome you did that dance on your own again ^^

It was just such a catchy song and such an elaborate dance, I loved it.

Tomorrow, are you scouring the exhibit hall to spend money one last time? I'm planning on doing that; if you wanted to meet whatever early time tomorrow, that'd be cool. I'd be there at something like 8:30-9 so I can line up. xD

[Marina]

Originally Posted by papermario13689

It was just such a catchy song and such an elaborate dance, I loved it.

Tomorrow, are you scouring the exhibit hall to spend money one last time? I'm planning on doing that; if you wanted to meet whatever early time tomorrow, that'd be cool. I'd be there at something like 8:30-9 so I can line up. xD

Yay, me too! My search wil be quick since I need to get back to my hotel by a decent time for check out and my ride to the airport. I was gonna try and be there at about 8 and kill time in either the Katanagatari viewing or for a bit of the Total Eclipse Q&A Panel. Let me know when you're lining up ^^

[Hiroi Sekai]

Day 4 brings Anime Expo 2012 to an end. I'd personally like to thank everyone I've met for making my time there so much more enjoyable and comfortable.

You're all really cool people, and the next time I go to Anime Expo, I'd be nothing short of excited to meet up once more and explore the fun to be had at the convention. I had a ton of fun and I want to start saving my money immediately to consider coming back when I can. I probably just can't afford to stay in a hotel for 4 days, so I may have to come up with something.

[Marina]

Originally Posted by papermario13689

You're all really cool people, and the next time I go to Anime Expo, I'd be nothing short of excited to meet up once more and explore the fun to be had at the convention. I had a ton of fun and I want to start saving my money immediately to consider coming back when I can. I probably just can't afford to stay in a hotel for 4 days, so I may have to come up with something.

Well, now that we all met each other, maybe we can find people, maybe 4 or so, to share a room. I broke the bank having a hotel room all to myself, so I definitely want to share next time.

[Eater of All]

In retrospect, I think I experienced every kind of feeling imaginable - excitement, joy, anger, regret, exhaustion, despair, relief, etc. - all in 5 short days. I encountered lots of great people and witnessed the personalities behind many of the guests (Koyama, Keiko, and LiSA were freaking awesome). I got most of the autographs (except Tamiyasu Tomoe ;_;...) and merchandises that I want. I even attended some great concerts with two sore arms as proof of it.

This is what keeps me coming back year after year.

[Hiroi Sekai]

Originally Posted by Marina

Well, now that we all met each other, maybe we can find people, maybe 4 or so, to share a room. I broke the bank having a hotel room all to myself, so I definitely want to share next time.

That sounds like a really good idea, I'd be totally down for that. I guess now the question is: "who are the guests next year and how frantically should I save?".

Originally Posted by Eater of All

In retrospect, I think I experienced every kind of feeling imaginable - excitement, joy, anger, regret, exhaustion, despair, relief, etc. - all in 5 short days. I encountered lots of great people and witnessed the personalities behind many of the guests (Koyama, Keiko, and LiSA were freaking awesome). I got most of the autographs (except Tamiyasu Tomoe ;_;...) and merchandises that I want. I even attended some great concerts with two sore arms as proof of it.

This is what keeps me coming back year after year.

Same here, it's been one hell of a ride. I really hope I can experience it once again, and I sure as heck hope it's not in the far future.

P.S. Please bring Hanazawa Kana, I'll die of happiness.

[Eater of All]

Originally Posted by papermario13689

P.S. Please bring Hanazawa Kana, I'll die of happiness.

God, if she comes I will wait 2 hours early for her autograph and panel.

[Marina]

ALRIGHTY. Finally, all my photos and thoughts on the four days have been jotted down:
Day 0 | Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4

For a direct line to just my photos, check my Photobucket album.

[Hiroi Sekai]

Originally Posted by Eater of All

God, if she comes I will wait 2 hours early for her autograph and panel.

Bahahaha, 2 hours ain't anything. If my absolute favourite seiyuu showed up, I would be trampling around the building Day -1, just to see if she was sneaking in.

Originally Posted by Marina

ALRIGHTY. Finally, all my photos and thoughts on the four days have been jotted down:
Day 0 | Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4

For a direct line to just my photos, check my Photobucket album.

Very nice! I actually ended up hitting up Little Tokyo myself, and it was great fun. Also, that picture of you hugging the Prinny is insanely cute. I know I used the word "cute" over a trillion times at the con, but I meant it every time I said it.

Like I said, let's pool and make our next visit much cheaper, whenever that'll be. I might even drive down myself next time. That'd sure make things convenient.

[GDB]

Originally Posted by papermario13689

Bahahaha, 2 hours ain't anything.

Two hours really isn't anything for the likes of Otakon. You gotta line up there four hours early to guarantee you'll get an autograph for anyone of even remote interest.

[broken270]

I have about 5,000 pictures that I want to share with all of you, but downloading all of them into the internet is going to take a while, considering that I can only max 200 photos per download on photobucket and my internet speed is slow. You can still check on my image website here as the number of photos that I download increase.

[AnimeFan188]

A few observations:


When I was waiting in the badge pick-up line on day 0, I saw the Goodyear blimp
wafting by overhead, displaying a message about the upcoming X-games. At the time
I didn't think much of it. But those X-games sure made getting back and forth between
LA Convention Center (LACC) and the Hotels complicated!

You could either go around the X-games area, or go through one of the security
checkpoints, where the scanning gizmos seemed more for spotting electronic devices
than for detecting masses of metal.

I wonder if this will happen again at AX 2013?


At least the badge pick-up line moved relatively quickly this year. I also noticed that
the opening ceremonies were on day 0, instead of day 1. This is the first time in
memory that that's been the case.

Is this the first step toward formally turning AX into a 5-day con?


This was the first AX where I spent more time in the workshops/panels than in
the video rooms, since (except for the "Muv-luv Alternative" premiere) the video
room showings were mostly older shows.

I guess nowadays, if you want to see the latest releases, go to the Internet, not
the video rooms.


$3.00 for a bottle of water. Gotta love that LACC pricing!


The lines for getting into the 18+ events, such as for the Hentai panels and the
like, were all pretty long, and, in some cases, there wasn't enough room for
everyone. "Lounge 21" was in pretty big demand too.

It looks like the generation that first got addicted to anime through shows like
"Robotech", "Speed Racer", etc. has developed more mature tastes.


It looks like AX 2013 is going to be held at LACC again. *Sigh*. Will it ever go
back to Anaheim Convention Center (ACC)? As far as AX locations go, they rank
like this (IMHO anyway):

1. ACC: Right across from Disneyland. You can look across the street at night
and see the Disneyland fireworks displays for free. Or go to Disneyland
after the con if you choose.

2. Long Beach: Not as good as Anaheim, but the seaside ambiance is nice. and
you can see the fireworks display by the Queen Mary on July 4.

3. Los Angeles: All those tall buildings make it hard to see any fireworks. This
year, it ended on July 2, so people had a chance to see fireworks displays
elsewhere. But it wasn't always this way in the past, and it won't always be
that way in the future. Also, the neighborhood leaves something to be desired.

4. Disneyland Hotel: The worst AX location. The place is so "family friendly" that
"18+" activities/events got nixed by the Disney staff. Also the way everything
was laid out made it hard to find anything.


Your mileage may vary, of course.


According to:

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news...came-this-year

Anime Expo attendance is still trending upward from previous years. Excellent!


I wonder what AX 2013 will be like?

[Eater of All]

Oh god that X Games, randomly being done a month early. I had to walk around the entire freaking street to get to LACC. Every con-goer hated it.

For me, I like AX at LACC the best, simply because if it's anywhere else I won't be able to go.

[Marina]

Originally Posted by AnimeFan188

When I was waiting in the badge pick-up line on day 0, I saw the Goodyear blimp
wafting overhead, displaying a message about the upcoming X-games. At the time
I didn't think much of it. But those X-games sure made getting back and forth between
LA Convention Center (LACC) and the Hotels complicated!

You could either go around the X-games area, or go through one of the security
checkpoints, where the scanning gizmos seemed more for spotting electronic devices
than for detecting masses of metal.

I wonder if this will happen again at AX 2013?

I highly doubt X-games will overlap with AX next year since the main reason for them pushing X-games up early was for the athletes participating in the Summer Olympics. Obviously that reason won't be around next summer.

I actually didn't mind the extra traffic since I just made myself go a heck of a lot earlier to be on time for events. I thought it actually beautiful seeing two different cultures mix, with some people even attending both conventions.

ESPN moved the Summer X Games from its normal slot at the end of July to the end of June to accommodate athletes and fans who are Olympics-bound in London.
Source

[Hiroi Sekai]

Originally Posted by GDB

Two hours really isn't anything for the likes of Otakon. You gotta line up there four hours early to guarantee you'll get an autograph for anyone of even remote interest.

No seriously, I would wait for ridiculous amounts of time for anyone on the list of my favourite people in the industry.

Originally Posted by broken270

I have about 5,000 pictures that I want to share with all of you, but downloading all of them into the internet is going to take a while, considering that I can only max 200 photos per download on photobucket and my internet speed is slow. You can still check on my image website here as the number of photos that I download increase.

Oh hey, looks like you got around, didn't you? With the amount of photos you take though, you should totally invest in a DSLR, mate.

Originally Posted by Eater of All

Oh god that X Games, randomly being done a month early. I had to walk around the entire freaking street to get to LACC. Every con-goer hated it.

For me, I like AX at LACC the best, simply because if it's anywhere else I won't be able to go.

There was also that day where they revved up the loudest engines I've ever heard for about half an hour straight. I seriously thought I was going to go deaf from it.

I liked it at LACC as well, it was easy enough to get to, and if the X-Games didn't make it so closed off, it'd be easy to get out of too. I also liked how it was laid out inside.

[TnAdct1]

Originally Posted by AnimeFan188

A few observations:

At least the badge pick-up line moved relatively quickly this year. I also noticed that the opening ceremonies were on day 0, instead of day 1. This is the first time in memory that that's been the case.

Is this the first step toward formally turning AX into a 5-day con?

Personally, I see this as one of two things:

1. AX realizing that with a busy schedule and the fact that most people may skip it due to different reasons (i.e. Dealers' Room, other events) that it's better to do this on Day 0 (when nothing else is scheduled) instead of Day 1.

2. AX following in the footsteps of some other cons and having something alongside badge pick-up on Day 0 as an extra inceptive to pick it up early (I remember Animazement doing special Thursday night activities, and Otakon has introduced a Thursday afternoon Matsuri Festival last year).

This was the first AX where I spent more time in the workshops/panels than in the video rooms, since (except for the "Muv-luv Alternative" premiere) the video room showings were mostly older shows.

I guess nowadays, if you want to see the latest releases, go to the Internet, not
the video rooms.

I think that this depends on the convention, although it does feel that there's less conventions showing newer titles as a result of anime companies having more of an impact at them (as well as wanting the dubs to be shown when it comes to certain shows).

$3.00 for a bottle of water. Gotta love that LACC pricing!

Then there's Otakon, where it's only one dollar.

[broken270]

Gah, finally downloaded mostly everything in the internet. Here they are.

Day 0 = 456 pictures
Day 1 1 & 2 = 2,859 pictures
Day 2 = 1,854 pictures
Day 3 = 1,351 pictures
Day 4 = 785 pictures

Total number of pictures taken (excluding Lisa's Concert and Masquerade pictures) = 6,305 pictures taken after deleting blurry pictures