The Fourth and Final Day
I woke up kinda early after crashing out late last night. I assumed the guys came in—no pun intended—after they were done with the hentai and yaoi video rooms. I got up thinking that I was going to eat an early breakfast but I decided to go online to check email, surf the web and IM. Adrian was online...as always. We started an audio chat and filled him up with the scoop on FanimeCon. Alex caught up with me also with the chat. Everyone eventually woke up becasue of all the audio chatting going on. Soon after everyone woke up, we went to eat at the La Victoria restaurant between Jacks and McDonalds. The carne asada burrito was filling.

We really didn’t have anything planned for the rest of Fanime except for a 2:00 panel. We just hand around a bit at the front of the convention center to take more pictures before the dealer’s hall opens. When we went up to the dealer’s hall, it was open yet, and there was a long line to go in. Instead, we roamed the gaming hall...like we were going to play. Actually Richard did. But when we left the gaming hall, the line was just barely going in. We got at the tail end and went in the dealer’s hall. Nothing special at the dealer’s room again. I picked up a bag to put the stuff I bought this weekend. After that, off the back again to wait for everyone before I spend more money.

After the dealers the dealers hall, Lawrence, Joe and I went back to the room and packed up the rest of our stuff before we had to check out. We played elevator tag again with the Marriott elevators. It took us 20 minutes to get to the lobby. Once there, we check in our baggage with the concierge until the end of the convention. Again, we just hanged outside to take pictures. For a last day of a convention, there was still sure a lot of people. Unlike the previous conventions we attended, the most of the conventioneers are gone leaving the odd person in the halls or in the hotels. But Fanime is different. The last day is very busy. Sure it wasn’t like the previous days, but there was still enough of a crowd to where you had to dodge people while walking.



We waited for Richard out front because he was still shopping at the dealers hall. We were wondering why he took a long time shopping. When he finally showed up, he came out with a bunch of bags of models. WTF! Where’s he going to put all that stuff in! And to our surprise, Speed Racer showed up in the Mach 5. Or at least a cosplayer as Speed showed up in a modified Nissan 240SX. It drew in a huge crowed because it was just too cool. We kicked it for a little bit more and finally took off for the last panel of the day, the “Anime Fans Over 30” panel. It was interesting but it felt like the panel was centered around the host and a couple of the attendees at the front. The attendees further back could hardly get a word in. So in a way I was glad it was finally over.

Peter was coming to pick up Joe at the front of the convention center so we waited with him. They eventually arrived to pick him up and we sent him off. Hunger kicked in and the first choice was McDonald, but along the way, I remembered that we had to eat sushi. So we looked for Tengu Sushi, but when we got there, it was closed! I forgot that Japanese restaurants closed on Sundays. We took off to eat a late lunch at Johnny Rockets instead. The food was good and the atmosphere was reminiscent to a 50s malt shop..



After eating, we went back to the convention concourse to catch the closing ceremonies. But instead, we again went back to the gaming hall to waste time. By the time we got back to Stage Zero, they were holding the charity auctions. On auction was a “Wii Sports” game system with signatures of all past and current guests. It was a killer bidding war. It started at 300, then 350, 450, 500—all the way to $950 dollars. In a turn of events, the winning bidder did not want the Wii, but instead donated the money to the charity! Damn, everyone was amazed! From what anyone can remember from any con we went to, this was the first time this ever happened. He was given a standing ovation from the huge crowd that gathered around the stage.



We were supposed to go to the closing ceremony, but I was worried about the crowed at the airport and the fact it was Memorial Day. Upon my indecision, we took a taxi to the airport and to my surprise, there wasn’t a crowd at all. We got through the check-in. Security was a breeze. So now, we’re waiting for our 7:50 flight which was delayed to 8:10 PM. As I write this blog, it’s 6:05. We got there at 4:30.

In that time I met a couple girls from Seattle. I asked them about SakuraCon and told me it was smaller that FanimeCon. We even talked about weather conditions. Just the past March, they said that it snowed during the con. Wow! I told them that our local convention is Anime Expo. They went last year because they conplained that the lines way long. They called it “LayingCon!” Now that’s funny, but true. I concurred because you do spend more time in lines than enjoying the con. They a were in line Friday morning while we were in line Thrusday evening to get our badges. The girls were in line for six hours. I believe it! I saw those lines! So I asked them about SakuraCon and how easy was it to get to where the convention was held from the airport. They said it was a thirty minute drive from the airport. It’s now a possibility. So right now, we’re at the airport. That’s it! I’m tired of writing 10 and half pages.

Maybe not. When the Seattle flight arrived, there was a medial emergency at the gate. From what I heard, there was someone who accidently dropped peanuts on a kid who was allergic to them. It may not seem a big deal to most people, but allergic reactions, depending on the person, is a life and death situation. This kid, from what I heard, had an allergic reaction from the mere touch of the peanut. There were paramedics, firemen and policemen at Gate A2. The kid was put on a stretcher and sent of the local hospital for observation. It’s better safe than sorry. This incident caused the flight to be delayed for over 30 minutes. We met this woman who had her son travelling alone on that flight. She was kinda worried because of the delay, but at end, all is well and the flight finally continued to Seattle.

At the airport, we also met this guy, Mike, from the SoCal area too. He pointed out that we were from Fanime because of the Gundam models he saw that we had. We started talking about all sorts of things and anime in general. The conversation was really good. When our flight arrived, I thought we were going to be separated. But when we boarded, all four of us sat in the rear 2 rows. It was cool because it made the flight back more enjoyable. A during pre-flight and take-off, the flight attendant was cracking jokes that we’re pretty good. Everyone on the plane was laughing. And also during the flight, the Captain and the Co-Pilot were also cracking jokes. There was this gentleman across the row who knew the Co-Pilot from back in the Navy and reassured us that the flight was going to be smooth. I still hate take-offs though. Anyway all four of us were looking at photos from Fanime during the flight and exchanging con stories. That was just cool. I think we were the liveliest bunch on the plane. So in no time we were already descending. Time just flew by because we had a good time on the flight. One thing for sure, the take-off was a lot smoother as compared to Friday morning’s take-off. So at Ontario, we four were one of the last ones out of the plane...no rush. We parted with Mike and came home.

So finally, in a few words, I totally enjoyed FanimeCon. Even though it grew bigger since the last time we went, it was professionally done. The volunteers were well informed of what was going on, there were multiple information booths throughout the convention concourse and the staff were very professional, efficient and friendly. The only problem I had was that the panels were held in small rooms, Panel Rooms 2 & 3. And the hallway to those panels were narrow and cramped. I personally didn’t go to the video rooms so I can’t make a comment on them...except the JPOP/JROCK video room Saturday night. It was roomy. The Artist, Gaming and Dealers Halls were huge—more room than what was needed. But that’s a good thing because you don’t feel cramped in. There’s also the so-called “Slow Lane” and “Express Lane.” The slow lane is the main concourse where everyone is. Getting from one end of the convention center to the other is an adventure, but there’s a lot to see. The express lane is the ground level. There’s hardly anyone there throughout the day, except for near the registration lines, so getting from one end to the other is quick. All-in-all, FanimeCon 2008 was great. For anyone who’s a newbe to conventions, this is a must. The staff will help you any way they could to make your con experience enjoyable. And for anyone out of area, it’s worth the trip to FanimeCon. We’ll try to make next year!

I'll post the convention pictures in the "Other Conventions" section in a couple days. I'm trying to catch up with real life right now.

1 12:30 PM
We finally got up this morning. Joe stayed with us last night and was the first to wake up early...about 6 AM. His brother, Peter, decided to attend Fanime for just one day. Peter got here about 7 AM to get in line for his badge. It wasn’t a long wait. When the registration line started to move, it only took him around five minutes to get it done. Joe went down to keep him company for a little bit and came back up to the room. His rattling around woke up everyone else. After Peter got his badge, he got in line to get his An Cafe concert ticket. It was a good thing that Joe came back up because we all slept in late and now that it’s morning. We needed to eat breakfast. Everyone got up and got ready. So we went downstairs and off to Jack’s for breakfast. That was first Jack’s that was a little jacked up.

Anyway, when we finished eating, we sent back to the convention center to meet up with Peter who was still waiting in line for the ticket. Lawrence, Richard and I decided to wait outside and enjoy watching cosplayers while Joe met up Peter to give him his breakfast. Instead of waiting in line, Peter came to meet up with us while Joe stayed in line for him. Peter ate his breakfast with us. After that, we met with Joe in line. Joe was a couple people away from getting the ticket for Peter.

After Joe got the ticket, the plan was to got to the cosplay gathering for DOAX (Dead or Alive Extreme Volleyball) at the Hilton’s pool area. On the way up there, we met this dude looking for the pool also. So we kinda followed him, but to dead end. The pool was through the gym, but we didn’t know that because we didn’t read the sign. When we got there, we met up with another group of dudes and told us that nobody was there still. It was very awkward waiting in the gym for the DOAX girls to show up, especially when there were people exercising in the gym and with everyone there joking around about the situation. All of a sudden, one the other guys there received a cell call from a buddy of his—I assumed. The cosplay gathering was changed to the Marriott’s pool instead. And like a bunch of “sex-starved” otaku, we we all raced haphazardly out of the gym to the elevators. And somewhat like the Marriott’s elevators, the Hilton’s was packed too. Lawrence was split from the group in the elevator. Before the split-up Joe quickly handed the digital camera off to Lawrence. We were hoping that Lawrence would make it there before us. Richard, Joe, Peter and I caught another elevator down to the second floor. We took the “express lane,” the area underneath the main convention concourse, to the Marriott. I call it the express lane because it’s practically empty with people as compared main concourse. The main concourse is like the 405 Freeway in Los Angeles during rush hour.

We finally made it to the Marriott, and as always, the elevators were full. We took the “bat cave” way up the stairwell. Off we went. And we met up with Lawrence. WTF! We though he was already there taking pictures, but NO! We heard from some other guys that there were only three girls there. So we went to the pool anyway to take some pictures. We finished rather quickly because there were only three girls there.

After the cosplay gathering, we went back to the front of the convention center to take some more pictures. We also took care of some business and to kill time until it was time for the Maid Café to open.



11:15 PM
We walked up to the Maid Café and ordered. It wasn’t quite open yet, but we waited until we were seated. This cute maid showed us to our seats. She then delivered our orders to our table. They were just plain adorable...all the maids I mean. While we were eating our meal, this one maid came down to sit with us. She wanted to draw a picture for us so Lawrence had her draw a rabbit. When she was done, she drew a turtle with Lawrence’s head at his request. Later on another maid came with a lollipop and played “Jankenpo” with Joe. Joe won the lollipop. Alex and Tami joined us at our table. The maid service was just excellent and is something we weren’t used to, or at least for the normal American otaku. Damn! They were just plain cute.

When we finished the Maid Café, we went to the dealers hall and roamed around. I bought some more stuff. I met up with the guys and told them I was going to kick it at the tables. While I was waiting, I was writing this blog. When Alex and Tami finished their meal, they too went to the dealers hall. That’s when Alex found and joined me at the table out back. We just lounged around talking about this and that and so on.



After several minutes we left ahead of Alex and Tami so we could grab Peter and Richard to go the “Older Titles for Newer Fans” panel. I found it very interesting. They showed clips of Bubblegum Crisis, The Dirt Pair Movie, The City Hunter Movie, Maison Ikkouku, They Were 11, Gundam 0080 and Macross Plus. There was just too much to show in one hour. The panel started 15 minutes late because of the previous panel. So at the end, everyone moved across the hall to another room to finish up the questions and answers session. The host had an “Anaheim Electronics” shirt. I want one. Only Gundam fans would know about Anaheim Electronics. At the end of this panel is when we parted ways with Alex and Tami.

We took an hour breather to refresh and take more pictures before going to the next panel, “(Im)Possible Cosplay Structure.” When we got in line, Peter and Richard went to the gaming hall. Lawrence went to the dealers hall. There was a lot of people at the panel. So we went to the end of the line. The panel was basically talking about how to structure your costume so that it it’ll stay put. Joe and I left half way through it because it didn’t pertain to us.

We had another hour to kill for the panel I wanted to go to, so I thought. After taking a small break, we met up with Lawrence up in the room and went back down to go to the “Share Anime Collections Online” panel and took some pictures along the way. When we found Panel Room 1, the other panel was going on. I realized I made a mistake. The panel I wanted to go to was a 6:00 and not 5:00. So we made the decision to eat dinner at the Hilton. Nobody wanted to walk to a cheaper place and I concur. So we had dinner.



After dinner, it was time to get in line for the Antic Café concert at the civic auditorium. So went to find the end of the line. That damn line stretched up Market Street, around Park Avenue and down Alamden Blvd. The end of the line was 100 feet or so from Hilton, which we came from. We could’ve just walked up Alamden instead of walking all the way around. Not long after, the line started moving. And it went rather quickly. At no time we were at the Tech building again. I called up Richard to meet with us. So when he did, he warned us that security was checking all bags for camcorders and cameras. Anyone found with a camera wasn’t let in.

We got balcony seats again at the An Café concert. What can I say. Up to the start of Fanime, I thought An Café was a JPOP band. Boy was I wrong! Event though there was a Youtube link on the Fanime site, I never bothered to check it out. But last night, Lawrence and I went to watch JPOP/JROCK music videos for a bit. One video was from An Café. They rocked out! As well as the concert. It wasn’t as intense as SKIN at their concert at Anime Expo last year. It was more like Back-On’s concert in Houston. But they rocked the house down! Too bad nothing was broken. Lawrence said that during the concert, there was some girl in the audience who was trying to be held up, but she was dropped. After the concert we went back to the room. End of day three. I’m beat and sleepy now. It’s one in the morning. The guys went to the hentai room.