Anime Expo 2012

Anime Expo (AX) 2012 began at the end of June this year instead of July probably due to the calendar, so the 4th of July wasn’t included in any of the days.  This year, they also held the X-Games in the Los Angeles Convention Center (LACC) area, so it was chaos.
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Day 1 – Friday, June 29

I arrived at LACC a little before 10:00 A.M.  Fortunately, the line wasn’t as long as it was last year though it was still hot outside.  However, I stood in the line for about three hours to get a ticket for the AMV Contest.

I visited the Exhibit Hall and got my picture taken for Rage of Bahamut trading cards.  unfortunately, the photos turned out stupid.

I had to leave the Exhibit Hall for the Pokemon Cosplay Gathering at 4:00 P.M.  Fortunately, trees provided shade and the stairs made it easier to take pictures.  We didn’t have as many Pokemon cosplayers as previous years.  It was the same with the Hetalia Cosplay Gathering, which took place soon after 5:00 P.M.  Still, for both gatherings, we had more cosplayers than at AM2.

I had dinner at the nearby Denny’s.  Because of the X-Games at the Staples Center, we had to take some slight detours.  Some of the X-games attendees were so rude and improper, making me feel unsafe.  I returned to the LACC to line up for the AMV Contest, my first AX Main Event.

I didn’t know any of the songs or most of the anime used for the videos, so it was hard for me to vote.  Besides, they all look great, making it impossible to decide a winner.  The music was too loud as well, and it was late.  That’s why I left early.
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Day 2 – Saturday, June 30

Construction and traffic made me late for the Final Fantasy Cosplay Gathering.  Even worse, information on the time and location were unclear.  By the time I arrived outside of the South Hall at LACC it was almost over.

After taking some pictures, I headed for the Exhibit Hall which was very crowded.  I had my picture taken by CrunchyRoll, then left for the panel, Learn How to Use Vocaloid Software with a Yamaha Vocaloid Developer.  The line was long, and they had to cancel it because the previous panel went over time.  Instead, they just showed some Vocaloid videos.  I found this unfair and a waste of time.

I wandered the Exhibit Hall again as well as half of Artist Alley, and bought some anime-themed soap.  The second Hetalia Cosplay Gathering began at 5:00 P.M.  We had more people and characters today, but my camera’s battery started to die less than halfway through.  The camera failed after I switched to the spare one, so I missed many good pictures.  It decided to work again when it was too late.

I recharged and tested my camera batteries when I returned to my apartment.  The problem appeared to be in the battery compartment.  I think the connection between the battery and camera is weakening.
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Day 3 – Sunday, Canada Day

I arrived at LACC for the 2nd FF Cosplay Gathering.  Not as many people as the previous years showed up, but I didn’t mind.  This was also the first time I went to a cosplay gathering held indoors.

I decided to forget about Origami Workshop after seeing how things have changed: more people and rotation.  The tables were full, and many people were waiting for their turn.  Since last year the time for Origami Workshops have decreased.

I continued where I left off yesterday in Artist Alley, then headed for Final Fantasy 2.0  It was interesting learning more about the behind-the-scenes and production history of that game series, but we didn’t have enough time to cover everything planned.  Some of the information was nostalgic.

I finished exploring the Exhibit Hall and Artist Alley before the Naruto Shippuuden: Dreamers Fight – Live Action Film Premiere panel.  Last year, Thousand Pounds Action Company showed the first half of the Naruto vs. Rock Lee video, and they have now completed the seconds part, so we got to see the whole thing this time.  It was basically fighting, and the ending was inconclusive.

I left for the third Hetalia Cosplay Gathering at 6:00 P.M.  Once again many people showed up, and we had more different characters today.  We also celebrated Canada Day as well as Spain’s victory over Italy in the UEFA (Union of European Football Associations) European Football Championship or Euro 2012.
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The three days flew by fast.  I couldn’t attend Day 4 because of work.  We also were not happy about the X-Games getting in the way and causing inconvenience.  They should have held that another time.