Current music:	絶望番長 - キボウ屋本舗
Entry tags:	acen, concert, convention, evilators, report

ACen 08 Report - GOD SAVE THE QUEEN
Sorry, this is like . . . the only time I post images outside cuts. :P It's little.

THURSDAY: Stress Bunnies
Thursday night blood_sorbet, komori_tifa, and andrewsp37 came by for a little while and we assessed my Alto wig (doomed) and the Bonten wing frame (also doomed). lol. So I had to abandon my new costume plans for ACen, which was a bummer, but I knew when I took them on so close to the con that it was pretty risky. I came *really* close to finishing both but had problems I couldn't solve with the time and materials I had (mostly materials, interestingly).

After they left I poked around and decided what else I could take, got it fixed up and ready to go, and got my dollies prepped, and generally had things take longer than they usually do (as always, I NEVER LEARN).

FRIDAY: Phonehenge Rises
Got to the Embassy Suites a little after 11? Met up with blood_sorbet, komori_tifa, and andrewsp37 in the lobby. We'd been told we couldn't check in until three, but my father used his leet hotel-ness to get us checked in anyway by switching the res to his card. I have to say, Embassy Suites = very nice rooms. We had a one-bedroom double, so front room with TV, desk, sink and mini-fridge, couch with a fold-out, then second room with two beds, huge bathroom. Lovely view of the parking garage. XD Which turned out to be amusing anyway since we could watch people, like the apparently levitating "OBJECTION!" sign.

We had our badges already but I had to pick up concert tickets so we went over to the con center to poke the dealer room and do that . . . and I hadn't been in there FIVE MINUTES before I nearly ran into Person No One Here Knows (to their great fortune) who has been haunting my footsteps for YEARS. I don't understand, universe, seriously WTF, how is that even possible? >_<

Got to the concert line fairly early. In fact we got pretty bored.

It was better with my phone in it but obviously then I couldn't take the photo. (No cameras allowed.)

We could have been quite close for Peelander-Z, but decided to sit down so we were in the second row instead (the center front was cleared, the rest was seating). The concerts started like an hour and a half late. >_o I didn't figure they'd start on time but that still kind of sucked, especially with the setup downtime between them, since none of us had planned ahead and eaten something beforehand. I'd never seen Peelander-Z before, they were pretty weird! Definitely the impression that I'd had, more performance art than anything else, though what little I heard of them musically reminded me a little of Mad Capsule Markets. The fans who were there were very into it; the rest of us were mostly confused, but it was entertaining. They're certainly high-energy. The crowd-surfing fake swimming bit was cool; I couldn't see most of what was going on real well since there was a wall of people, so I didn't see much of the "human bowling".

Mari Iijima was second. She has a good voice but I have to admit her music didn't click with me (didn't dislike it, but I wasn't really into it either). At the beginning she had apparently lost the cable for her keyboard pedal, and was using a loaner. For some reason, it was causing the pedal to function backwards - releasing caused it to sustain, which I imagine was incredibly challenging. But the part of the concert that amused me most was her conversation with "God" (tech guy over the audio system), who was determined they could fix the problem.

HALCALI was last. They were definitely my favorite part since I had at least a little familiarity with their music, though I just watched some PVs (which they were smart enough to be running before the concert as well). I think it must be very intimidating in some ways, to perform with just two people and a DJ like that - instead of as a band. It's more like doing karaoke; you have no instruments to hide behind (okay it's not really hiding, you have to PLAY them, but still). I swear Yukari (crap or is it Haruka?) looks like the Japanese twin of this girl I went to high school with. Anyway I hope they weren't too disappointed that it was a very small audience; they were running footage of their recent appearance at Japan Fest I think it's called in France, and the turnout there was much more impressive. I also hope they were not too disappointed by my dancing. D: It's pretty appalling. I need parapara or arrows, if it's not rock. But if I'm going to be right up front, which I was, I'm bloody well going to show some enthusiasm. I thought they were really good and a lot of fun. I liked them better live than how I felt about them in their PVs.

After the concerts we went in search of food. I could have still gotten into Haru for the jrock shoot but um . . . food > photoshoot. :< After discovering that ordering in was going to take two hours, we managed to organize a Steak n Shake run thanks to andrewsp37, which admittedly wound up taking rather a long time. We did dinner and a movie in the hotel room, or at least those of us who were awake did. XD; I hope those who were not didn't have really weird dreams because we watched Cloverfield . . . I THINK it was after that we went out and wandered around, I know we ran into danimation who doesn't remember it, and a strange but friendly guy (on drugs?) who asked me if I appreciate my doll, wandered some more, caught part of the Spoony Bards performing, and then eventually wandered to bed.


SATURDAY: Attack of the EVILators
Saturday morning there was another jrock shoot but . . . food kind of trumped it again, I guess. Breakfast took longer than expected. After that I was intending to go out in Prism Yura for a little while and then I guess come back to get my dolls, I don't really remember. Anyway it wasn't one specific thing but I wound up missing the BJD panel/any associated meet as well . . . ^^; I do see the local people at local meets and my dolls did get out, at least . . . but on the way out, blood_sorbet had forgotten her Mitsuru gun and no one was on the elevator so I figured I'd just hold it for her since our room was right across from the elevator bank. You know how elevators have a safety mechanism so that when the doors start to close and there's an obstruction, they open again? Sometimes they're a bit obstinate and you have to whack them a bit, but they open again. Apparently, not if there's something wrong with the mechanism. Then, they just keep closing. Steel elevator doors close with a lot of force. By the time I realized the doors were not opening again, my arm and leg were partly trapped because of my purse. I managed to get my arm out of my purse strap (difficult with the thick kimono sleeves) and drop the purse into the elevator, but by the time my arm was out the doors had closed far enough to trap my leg in spite of fighting to hold them apart. This would be about when blood_sorbet got back and I'm not actually sure how we managed to get my knee out but we did (I had pulled my foot back but the doors were too far closed to pull my knee back).

Um . . . so . . . yeah. Scary. Let's not think about where this scenario was headed. I did get my purse back also (the opening was not wide enough to pull it out - so you can see how I couldn't get my leg out either). An incident report wasn't filed - when I talked to the front desk they didn't handle it that well, even though I was stressing that they really needed to examine the elevators for safety reasons - what if the person there when the doors were closing was a child, or elderly? I had at least a modicum of brute force to hold the doors apart, and was able to slow them down as they were continuing to close (but not stop them). Okay, maybe holding doors isn't so bright, but safety mechanisms ARE there for a reason. So maybe I can be pardoned if I was not totally 100% for Saturday at the con; I just have some nasty bruises, but it did swell up and was moderately painful to walk on for a while. It was not an experience that did me any favors.

But I did go over to the con center in Prism Yura, and we found out that they were telling people they weren't allowed to stand in the open area - it was either go outside (where you were only allowed on the narrow sidewalk), or go into the dealer room. I did not take this well. *was not in a good mood* I have kind of a gap of memory after this and before meeting up with my mother, who was nice enough to bring Orlouge over since I didn't intend on wearing it . . . I know komori_tifa changed costumes and blood_sorbet changed too, into my "Crazy Cheerios" (aka "Crack") lolita outfit, which we decided Thursday night she should wear. XD

It took me a really long time to get into Orlouge. Mainly I'm slow with makeup, but then I kind of had trouble with the armor which isn't labeled (the beads). It's sort of a party game since all the strings are magnetic but not all the same polarization and none are the same length - which beads go where? ^^; Apparently the video game shoot got moved and even the person who organized it didn't know where so I figured I'd just go stand somewhere outside by the Hyatt - but when I got over there, not wearing the boots because I can't walk at all well in them, it was *really* crowded. I kind of was like D: and didn't know what to do, because I was in this really crowded area and drawing way more attention that I really expected to (I don't know what I expected, it's not exactly a subtle costume), and I didn't know where to go to get the boots on. It also looked like it was building up to storm, though it was just windy in the end - the storm didn't show up until about 6:30, which lead to fun times crab-walking back through the Skywalk (past Stevenson High's prom attendees). Anyway I decided to risk heading into the Hyatt.

So it wasn't worth being scared of the IRT people in that costume - they first asked if I was okay (I swear, it's just better if I don't turn my head much in it, it's not that I can't! I'm trying not to hurt anyone!), then asked if I was in the masquerade, and then held the door open for me. XD;;; lol. @_@ Perhaps they had left their rulers in con ops. But I got the boots on and parked myself near the masquerade line in the hallway. It got a fair amount of attention, some girl with a camcorder interviewed me for her documentary lol (I think she was in high school). I hit my helmet limit, even with some breaks, after about an hour and a half I think?

Saturday night was photoshoot time! No one felt like taking the time to do the masquerade line really - and I figured I'd get a better view from the ACP footage anyway, so I decided to sit it out too and take photos instead. blood_sorbet was really popular in the Crack Loli all day - including getting hit on by this really good-looking Grimmjow. :X (Where's my Arrancar *sob*) She got described as "an explosion of pink" and also "Puffy Ami Yumi" (enough fluff for both of them?). Hung out in the Hyatt and stared at people. We had a bit of an adventure trying to find the yaoi panel that sweetestillness and islington were doing (hey why not). Then we were pretty much in crashland and went back to do some packing and bed.

SUNDAY: The World's Best Alarm Clock

Ah, Sunday, the non-day. Except this Sunday decided to start with a bang - or, at any rate, a fire alarm at 9AM. TAKE THAT, HYATT, says the Embassy Suites. I didn't actually evacuate, I was at the doors to the hotel when I heard the manager telling the staff to sound the all-clear. The folks on our elevator back up claimed it was "forums" who had something against anime cons who had hacked the system as a prank. Unless we live in the internet circa 1995 Hollywood, I don't think that's true.

Anyway, got everyone up and out two hours before check out! o.o Part of our tip for room service was foreign coins. Watched some poetry in motion in the form of bed-moving in one of the Hyatt hotel rooms. After that, dealer room wandering, purchasing for those who were inclined. Do I get self-restraint points for walking around with a huge wad of cash from the room payments and not going nuts? lol. Ran into one of the Chitowndollz folks, whose LJ ID I don't know, but I failed to make the doll meet she suggested; I had a complete crash and couldn't bring myself to walk to the Hyatt (or anywhere else). Still managed to run into genjitsu without going anywhere. XD

Said goodbyes, met up with my mother, dropped off the unitard I sold to Oshi (haven't seen him in ages! - but it was good luck running into him on Saturday!), and then headed to Taco HellBell for food. Left early I guess since I think that was around 3? Not sure.

WRAP-UP
Swag - Didn't get much; alas, wasted my monies on last minute cosplay supplies that proved moot (the rush, not the supplies). DNAngel tankoubon 11, Bonten fastener which I was thrilled to find (actually blood_sorbet spotted it), and an Amatsuki clearfile which I guess is lost now. :( I'm really bummed about that. I had it up on our glass door at the con, like a lot of people were doing (there were Gurren Lagann flags flying off some balconies) and I must have left it. I called the hotel, but they haven't called me back - they must have thrown it out. T_T I really liked it and was jazzed to put it up. :(

General: Well I always want a do-over for cons. A lot of people who were supposed to come this year or had come before couldn't, which was too bad. And apparently the cosmic alignment that causes you to run into people was not functioning - because the list of people I didn't even SEE at this con is way longer than the list I did. >_< But, you know, you take the positive stuff and figure *eventually* you get good at the whole con thing. (RIGHT? RIGHT? ARGH.) Our room was awesome and so were the people in it so that was maximum high marks! I think overall things went smoothly and painlessly and in my experience that is nothing to take for granted.

I'm going to forget someone . . . and I'm not going to put all the people I never got to see because the list would be long and depressing D: Ah, alas, I guess it happens and will just have to be corrected in future.
Lots of people whose LJ names I don't have . . . eh you guys know you're cool.
Eiji cosplayer I chased across the con and was shouting at in the elevator until it closed - T_T
blood_sorbet - I want to make you floofy dresses. It may not be optional. That is all.
komori_tifa - Promise not to take over the world with your new figure army lol. Even if Minmay's benevolent rule will make it a better place.
andrewsp37 - uhh . . . sorry for spoiling part of Cloverfield by several minutes XD;
danimation - you didn't slam a door, you walked into a wall. XD; But it was not a big deal either way. I hope the con was worth it, even if it wasn't full of Japanese rock. :(
rocklee2344 - G GUNDAM GROUP. YES? Though I have to see the series again/in order/all of it/I don't really know how to build robots, sorry.
. . . NERDS!thecandy
sigure - I have nothing clever to say really XD It was cool meeting you though! I will see you at some other con yes?
sweetestillness and islington - didn't really talk to you guys but your panel was highly amusing XD; I have an MP3 from Zetsuai for some reason (very melodramatic) and now I've finally seen something from it. O_o

Con - Registration went fine for me, since I got my badge in the mail. But the more people I talked to, the worse the stories I heard were; the record I got was "in line for 12 hours". I heard tell that for some time they weren't even allowing people to leave the line - at all, for any reason (including the bathroom). Even if you give ACen the benefit of the doubt and leave room for exaggeration or things that were corrected as time passed, the reg line was MESSED UP this year. Why did it take them so long after the printers went down for it to occur to anyone to . . . use a Sharpie to write names on badges? Why would you even *allow* non-paid pre-reg (which complicated the line by dividing staff), when cons' operating costs are generated by pre-reg? Why give a discount to people who aren't helping? Something doesn't make sense here, and given that this is a problem that's been worsening from year to year, they better get their act together fast and start paying attention to people's complaints - because they're customers. Lose your customers, and you lose your business. Note that I just typoed that as "costumers" - lose those too, and it's bad news. I didn't get harassed in Orlouge, which surprised me; to my knowledge, neither did the Malice Mizer cosplayers with the big wings. But instead they were, apparently, taking their frustration out on random congoers, since komori_tifa got yelled at for having a sign in her hand and told it would be confiscated - a giveaway from Funimation! And more than one group of people, for certain, were randomly instructed they could not be allowed to "loiter" - ie, pause, in the convention center lobby - but only on Saturday, and for completely unclear reasons. I do not know what happened to the cosplay shoots that were *supposed* to occur there (since the Hyatt was off-limits), but can only assume they didn't, though I saw a lolita tea party there on Sunday.

We shall assume that the guy we saw run through the second floor Hyatt lobby only to be cornered and tackled to the ground by four IRT members (who confiscated his water bottle?) was doing something very very bad. But I will say the same thing that I said before when the cosplay rules were introduced - if you're going to have rules, you have to make it VERY clear what the reasons for those rules are, and you have to enforce them consistently. Otherwise, basically all you do is piss people off.


If you missed the previous link, the other pics are here. I still have three others of the Crack Loli, but they were REALLY dark so I'm having to get very creative with what to do with them. The one thing I don't know what to do with regarding Flickr is embedding photos elsewhere - I'm currently direct-linking my own pics, which seems to work. o_O;


Moyashimon beaker o' microbes! I have to make sure Luna and Chibi see this and accompanying cosplay after Fanime.


If you asked this G Gundam group for a pic, they immediately went into a pose like they were a sentai team. They had MORE THAN ONE.


I almost didn't post this since he looks sleepy, but then I realized it looks like he's wearing a cartoon burglar mask and that's pretty awesome. He is the LOVE THIEF in ur convention macking on ur womenz


This may or may not be the only time I've attempted to spell things with pretzels. But I once made a monkey with noodles.


I no longer have to make this costume! (And look like a MORON in it because I can't do the loli thing.) I'm kidding, that's no reason to do it or not but she did a great job and I really would look dumb. Ah, Twilight Princess, I love you and will never cosplay from you. lol.


This was my second choice for the con report header. One wonders . . . how, why, whom, and wheretofore doth a revolving door get shattered?


Not from my camera: I think it's pretty damn awesome these are the only ones I got. XD (I have not gone web-scouring for others.) Didn't get any of Yura but I was only in it for like an hour.