Animeland Otaku Mex
Sept 24-26, 2010
Mina
AnimeSeed Synopsis and Review
Sept 24-26, 2010
Mina
AnimeSeed Synopsis and Review
GENERAL–Mina
Small conventions are always a nice release from the stress of major conventions. OtakuMex is no exception. From its intimacy of being able to actually speak to guests and staff members (and not feel unworthy or like they are too busy) to full-con sing-alongs during karaoke, OtakuMex provides a sense of nerd-closeness that many in the area had never had the chance to experience prior to. When I attended the first OtakuMex two years ago, it was dubbed as “ghetto-fabulous”, now I believe it has the great potential to become “fabulous”. As with all cons, it has its speed-bumps, but I have seen the desire in the staff and con-goers to improve and leap over any future problems. I hope to be able to return in future years, and hope to see it grow into something wonderful.
FRIDAY
Cosplay Etiquette–Sydney
Because of local issues during last year’s Albuquerque conventions, it felt necessary to host this panel. It went over the do’s and don’ts of Cosplay Etiquette, from glomping to hygiene, cosplay manners to dealing with ‘normals’. It was well-received by those present, though I felt it was under-promoted due to its scheduling immediately preceding Opening Ceremonies. Those in attendance welcomed the previously unknown information to New Mexico based cosplayers and some had advice they were willing to share with one another.
Opening Ceremonies–Mina
Most unique opening ever and one I will soon not forget. From the start, the con was Rick- Rolled. One of the guests, Warky the Chocobo, performed a cover of the song with lyrics based on the convention and con-activities. The guests were introduced one by one and we were informed Opening Ceremonies was over. I felt the official-ness of the Opening Ceremonies was lacking, but it certainly left an impression of what the con was to be: casual and fun. It was quite unlike most of the major conventions I have attended in the past, and was well-appreciated.
“Anime One Night Stands with Uncle Yo”–Mina
Uncle Yo is a stand-up comedian focused on gamers, nerds, otaku, and the-like. I attended his panels and laughed the entire way through. His “Anime One Night Stand” panel was amusing, yet informative. He went through a list of series—both old and new—that are short enough to watch in a short period of time. He mentioned series such as Baccano!, Beserk, FLCL, and even Rin: Daughters of Mnesmoyne. He endeared the crowd during the last few minutes to suggest their favorite “one-night-stand” series.
“Yaoi: What is it?”–Sydney
Hosted by the locally-proclaimed “Queen of Yaoi,” this 18+ panel held nothing back. It started with basic explanations of what “yaoi” is, though most in the audience already knew. She followed up with example scenes and trailers of upcoming and favored yaoi’s. But, the piece de resistance was the audience interactive game of “Sex or Not?”. During which the Queen showed a manga sound effect and the audience had to guess if it was related to a sex scene, or not… at least, at the moment. It was creative and entertaining for those present.
SATURDAY
Cosplay Masquerade–Mina
A major event at any convention, the hype and excitement for OtakuMex’s Cosplay Masquerade was tangent for both contestants and audience alike. Though it had some difficulties leading up to the convention, the two wonderful judges stepped up to the challenge and delivered an amazing event. The contestants consisted of a wide-variety of talents and skills; all should be proud of their work. As a contestant, it was a little stressful to not know what was going on at times, particularly before pre-judging. The Masquerade itself was a little lacking in prepared skits; however the impromptu ones performed were welcome entertainment.
Hetalia: Historical Hilarity–Mina
One cannot get away from Hetalia at an anime convention. An acquaintance of mine was running the panel and was well-informed in her knowledge of explaining the Hetalia fandom to those less-aware. She covered much of the fandom-based knowledge, as well as the details pertaining to the series itself. Questions were answered by her and her panel of help with accurate knowledge. The only real issue—in part was my fault being dressed as the Awesome One, Prussia & needing to make it more awesome by helping—was that it got out of hand, quickly… as Hetalia panels tend to do. I had noticed a few young, very young, con attendees in the panel room and refrained from being too overtly crude but my counterparts did not. The room was also far too small for the amount of people that wanted to be part of the audience and many had to stand in the walkway, or left because there simply was not space.
Culture Shock! Return from Life in Japan–Mina
I sadly only caught the tail-end of this panel and honestly regret not being able to be there for the entirety, mostly due to the lack of a programming guide to explain what panels were held by guests. Lisle Wilkinson, one of the guests, was host. She was answering audience questions about life in Japan, the differences from American lifestyles, and so on. Having lived a large chunk of her life in Japan, she was amazingly well informed and answered questions completely.
The Video Game Industry–Mina
Again, another panel I caught the end of, this time hosted by both Lisle Wilkinson and W.T. Hatch, another guest. Both were spending the last bit of their time slot answering questions about the voice acting industry, whether it was for anime or radio or video games. They were informative about the industry and gave helpful tips about voice acting to those who may have been interested in the field. They were both very welcoming to their fans’ inquiries and it kept the panel running smoothly.
Comets & Cupcakes with Uncle Yo–Mina
Uncle Yo is a guest always worth seeing again and again. He collaborated with Warky the Chocobo to do a lovely rendition of “America the Beautiful”, based on video games and the like. He talked about series old and new in an entertaining rap that branched out to all fandoms and fans. His take on Hetalia, in particular, had fans and non-fans alike rolling on the floor in hysteric laughter. Unfortunately, I had something come up and was sadly unable to remain for the duration of the panel.
SUNDAY
Cosplay Chess–Sydney
Most of my opinion comes from having attended Cosplay Chess matches at major conventions, but I found OtakuMex’s to be lacking, regardless of its size. OtakuMex may be a small convention, but having 32 people/chess pieces on a 10’ x 10’ mat simply does not work. It is cramped and leaves no room for fights, which is what makes Cosplay Chess so popular. If the pieces not engaged in battle had left the mat for the fights instead of remaining on their spot, it would have been easier for the fighting pieces and more entertaining for the audience. Aside from the issue of space, the match was improvised. I, myself, prefer scripted matches because they are more enjoyable and run smoothly. To me, this match looked like a plain, boring game of chess. However, the large crowd present appeared to be enjoying themselves, thus Cosplay Chess served its purpose.
“‘That guy with a Bison on his head!’: All About Avatar the Last Airbender”—Mina
Easily one of the most whole-heartedly hosted panels I have ever attended. Tyler, a die-hard Avatar: the Last Airbender fan, was host along with a Katara-cosplaying volunteer. He had door-prizes that watered the mouths of every fan in the room; from creator-autographed posters to the entire first season box set. In order to win prizes, audience members had to answer daunting questions pertaining to the series, the voice actors, and even the movie. He had enough energy to rival that of Sokka himself. He gave the Avatar fandom the fabulous respect it deserves and inspired those present to extend the same level of respect to not only the Avatar fandom, but any others they may represent. He was so completely enthusiastic about Avatar and kept the audience so thoroughly involved that he went 40 minutes over his allotted time (into a blank time spot). The OtakuMex staff was thrilled and heartily welcomed him back for next year.
Karaoke with the Anime Trucker—Mina & Sydney
It was a free-for-all—and though the crowd thoroughly enjoyed themselves—the last bout of karaoke prior to the close of con was chaotic. Some performed multiple times, making it difficult for those that wanted to perform one song. At times the performer was joined by a few con-goers who deemed themselves necessary during every song. Although entertaining, it took the spotlight away from those on stage. Many of the tunes were not based in Japanese pop culture, which gave the event the feel of being American bar karaoke. It was wonderfully ended, however, by a cosplayer who performed a Jazz-y tune with an amazing talent for singing. Even when the music system failed halfway through, she shrugged it off and finished the piece, earning herself a well-deserved round of applause.
Closing Ceremonies–Mina
Closing Ceremonies was short, but just as sweet as Opening Ceremonies. The guests and staff thanked each other, as well as the OtakuMex attendees for an amazing convention. Plans were mentioned for improvement upon the convention website, and a potential new location. Well-wishes were made for the next year and everybody was told to go home, which resulted in the only boo’s a convention can truly say it earns.
Gripe Session–Mina
Though I have been to many, many conventions, I have never previously attended a Gripe Session. The ideas presented to the staff by attendees were well thought out and with solid reasoning. There was little in the sense of “complaining,” rather problems were presented with a specific idea of how to improve. The con staff welcomed each idea, often mentioning similar plans that were already in motion.
Posted by Riotblade on September 30th, 2010 | No Comments
