Saturday, August 25, 2007

   Anime Evolution: Day 3
I was sleeping really comfortably this morning when the alarm clock went off! This morning was probably the hardest from which to get up of all. Nevertheless, it was game time . . . got out of bed, went into the bigger room, started tapping on nearby metallic things to make noise and get people's attention . . . it mostly worked, but they all went back to sleep for a bit more. Whatever . . .

Well, I had more immediate need to wake up than the others since I definitely had to be at the con' by about 9:30am or so; I was signed up for Capture The Flag! So I got up, spray-painted my head, got changed . . . at some point everyone started waking up slowly. "Pein" was surfing the net in her pyjamas, "Nine" and her boy were showered and working on the flag some more, and I was just kinda going back and forth to see what needed to be done. Mostly, I just had to grab all the stuff I needed to bring: Mecha-Saizou, three copies of the "Shinsengumi!" drama, and my iPod with portable speakers . . . more on that later . . .

Eventually it got to the point that I definitely had to leave before everyone else. It was kinda weird to leave the house while all my house guests were still there . . . but like I said, I had a schedule to meet. So yeah, while those three got ready, I was off . . .

. . . oh yeah, it was raining lightly. The worst possible thing we could have hoped for considering I had both a Capture the Flag game to play and a photoshoot. Grr . . .

I got to campus, arrived at about the same time as "Souji" and her people, and we chatted while I helped her bring her stuff to Artists' Alley. Eventually I headed to the field to see who was there . . . . . yeah, no one was there. I walked around a bit more, found some other friends of mine including a couple Shinsengumi cosplayers (in particular, the soon-to-be recipient of "Mecha-Saizou"!). We chatted, finished off our costumes (I still hadn't bandaged my nose by this point) . . . then I had to go find out about Capture the Flag . . .

I eventually got stopped by a couple girls with a clipboard who asked me if I wanted to play Capture the Flag (I'm guessing this means the turnout wasn't so hot). Hehe . . . anyway, they directed me to a gymnasium where they game would be held . . .

. . . yeah, I found the CTF people outside the gym. Inside were people dancing; SFU had double-booked us again. Grr . . . after more delays, a staff member told us we were gonna play in the Convocation Mall.

So all of us cleared out a whole bunch of chairs (really quickly and smoothly, might I add) and the staff roped off a playing area for us. Now, considering these were 10-person teams, we did not have an especially large playing field . . .

Gaze at the glory of our playing field!

We played three games with three teams. Any time I wasn't playing, I was kneeling at the center line, iPod and speakers in hand . . . . . bwahaha . . . "Chudyk's" sister got video of the game with the music playing (and myself shouting random stuff . . . my voice is quite recognisable, I find):



Considering that the small space meant it was basically "Sudden-Death CTF", it was tons of fun! Of the games we played, my team won all of ours so we were happy (I even got a flag capture!). One more video . . . the organiser cut this video together:


(Bwahaha . . . I do well in this video . . . . . oh, "Chudyk" is the No-Face cosplayer; his sisters are the twins (one is San from Princess Mononoke) who kicked SERIOUS ass during the game)

When the game finally finished, it was right in time for the Shinsengumi photoshoot! So "Souji" (who had come to play as well), "Icecore" (who found us playing) and I headed up to the stairs . . . . . where we found half our troupe was missing! "Nine" and her boy were still in the parking lot, and a few others had locked themselves out of their townhouse and needed to wait for help (we later learned). So our photoshoot didn't really start until about half an hour later. But damn, once it did . . . we had some good times! Now obviously I was actually IN the shoot so I don't have many pictures of us . . . so let's see what I've found all around from other peoples' posts:

We fought Kenshin, naturally . . .
"Icecore" and I pose for Lazlo (who was also Shinsengumi that day)
Our "300" pose on the bridge vs Akatsuki gets interrupted by interlopers . . .
Here's a link to one of our group's albums . . .
One of my favourite pictures she took . . .
"Pein" duels "Icecore" on the bridge . . .
A BRILLIANT shot of our charge!

There's obviously way more that I've found here and there (especially from the three big photographers Lazlo, Photog, and Marmbo). But yeah, you get the idea. And yeah, it goes without saying now that the Shinsengumi fought the Akatsuki a lot in the photos that day . . . "Pein" was awesome in organising her people, I was all tough an authoritative for mine. We did well . . . everyone won from this . . .

After we took our photos . . . we headed off to a secluded area so we could film our charge sequences . . . we have a LOT of great video that I still need to compile together at some point . . . but yeah, it was awesome! Everyone was cooperative, the security guys didn't bust us as long as we kept to the no-contact rule, and we just had a ton of fun! Hell, I even got interviewed about it afterwards by a camera crew filming the AE 2007 documentary! So yes . . . in the next while expect to see a lot of cool stuff . . .


People started scattering at about this point; some wanted food, others wanted to watch the walk-off which was slightly less good today along with all the other stuff . . . also, a guy fell running up the concrete steps to the stage and really gashed his head good . . . put a damper on things a lot. All in all, though, a great effort from the contestants and much fun was had by all . . . even if the judges did come under a huge amount of criticism afterwards . . . . . whatever . . . oh yeah, and behind the stage I waved one of our flags back and forth during the walk-off; then the flag broke and everyone saw it (including the guys who made it!). D'oh . . .

The Shinsengumi gathered back up after the walk-off; we needed to patrol the campus! With a couple commanders in the front, we started a march in double-columns up and down the campus, flags in the rear and ALL of us just looking badass. The icing on the cake? Remember that iPod with speakers I mentioned earlier? I had that in a sachel bag I had across my torso . . . and I had it playing music. The main theme from the "Shinsengumi!" drama; "You Gonna Feel" from "Peacemaker"; hell, I even put Dynasty Warriors music into the mix! So as we marched around, we had this mysterious music playing as well . . . when we were indoors, it worked perfectly . . . and we just marched all the more proud . . .

I won't lie, when you're dressed up like a samurai, walking with other samurai, watching people in the hallways move aside as you walk through . . . you tend to strut and swagger a fair bit . . . . . hehe, power-trip . . . but yeah, we just never stopped marching. If people wanted a picture, they had to rush ahead of us and catch us as we went by (otherwise the second we stopped the photo-op would go on forever). So we went up and down, all around . . . made a big scene . . . eventually we all marched right up onto the stage while the stage crew were setting it up for the next show! As we went up, the MC kinda went, "oh, they're gonna do somethin'..." before we all went "AKU! ZOKU! ZAN!" in unison . . . then we stood there like idiots. Then we finally walked off as the MC told everyone to get off the stage so they could set up . . . bwahaha . . .

I later learned that during this time, "Pein" and the Akatsuki were sorta doing their own march around campus, shouting "Join the Akatsuki!" or raiding the Host Club or stuff like that. Hehe . . . as the day went on, apparently their numbers just grew to over a hundred people, Akatsuki cosplayers or not! "Pein" was in control of all of them . . . heh, and as she later told me, she wanted to get away from the insanity!

The rest of the Shinsengumi had ducked into a secluded outdoor area originally to take more pictures but eventually to just chill and relax. A lot of us took off half our outfits and stuff, just chatted, got each others' contacts, played with swords . . . yeah, we were done. It was time to end the convention for us.

"Pein" called me and basically requested that I rescue her from her army . . . which I did. And believe me, it was hilarious. She kinda goes, "alright, I'd better say goodbye..." and stands up on a bench and goes, "Attention, Akatsuki!"

They all go dead silent and listen. One even gives her an iced tea. She says goodbye, tells them how awesome the weekend was . . . and that they'd do it all over again at Sakura-Con, at Anime Evolution 2008, at every con' from here on out! And damn, they went apeshit . . . big time. Hell, they even kneeled down before her and everything! It was so surreal . . . but yeah, it was cool.

We finished up by heading to the parking lot with "Icecore". On the way, we saw "Zack" and said goodbye, that we'd see him in Seattle next year . . . it was a really good way to end the con', I'd say.

We got out to the parking lot, "Icecore" went to his car and took off his armour, we got "Pein's" stuff out of "Nine's boy's" car, put it into mine . . . and said goodbye to "Nine" and her boy. They weren't coming to dinner with us. Y'see, "Pein" and I had to fulfill another wonderful convention tradition:

Dinner at Denny's!!! In the case of Pein and myself, Dinner at Denny's in cosplay!!!

About ten of us all went to Denny's; myself, "Pein", "Icecore", four other Shinsengumi members, and a few other people we knew. It was heaven . . . seriously, after a weekend of eating not much of anything and then just gorging on comfort food . . . you feel really good after that. And sure, "Pein" and I looked weird in most of our outfits still . . . but hey, this Denny's is close to the convention so they're not unfamiliar with dressed-up weirdos coming in (there were a few other tables with cosplayers . . . the staff just thought it was interesting). So yeah, we were fed, we were happy . . . we were sore as all hell . . . . . but yeah, good con'.

Oh, one fun little anecdote during the dinner . . . we were talking about how fun it was to storm the stage that day. We discussed how else to get us all on the stage; a cosplay skit is a definite possibility, as was being part of a walk-off routine much as the Akatsuki had been on Day 1. At that point, I said about four fatal words: "Hey, one of us should--" and then I stopped talking immediately.
But it was too late; suddenly everyone had the idea of me being in next year's walkoff . . . in fact, they were very supportive of the idea . . . I swore a bunch of times. Buuuuut . . . y'know . . . heh, never say never . . . we'll see what happens . . . . .

Outside after dinner we all said goodbye, everyone got some good hugs . . . and then I was off to drive "Pein" back home.

Well, she told me that I was right, that she did feel at least a little better in the morning after a good night's sleep. She also said that the convention really did take her mind off of things, so I was really happy to hear that. So yeah, half an hour's drive later, she was back home.

Another half hour later, so was I.


And so ends my report of Vancouver's Anime Evolution 2007. I didn't go to any panels, didn't see many guests . . . but I sure as hell had a lot of fun.

Here, have my Day 3 photos . . .



So what happens now?

A LOT of us are already planning for AE 2008. In the past few years the number of Shinsengumi have doubled each successive year. Thus, next year we are aiming to have at least thirty Shinsengumi cosplayers with us. We'll put on a skit for the contest, we'll have an even more epic charge than this year . . . we'll own the con' . . . . .

Outside of the Shinsengumi world, I've also sorta agreed to doing a "300" cosplay as a Spartan. I'm gonna need to do a lot of sit-ups for the next year or so . . .

I'm also imploring ALL of you to go to AE 2008! I mean, it's not a big convention (4200 attendees vs Sakura-Con's 11,000) but it's very friendly and tons of fun. It's a wonderful convention and next year I promise I'll organise a series theOtaku.com meet-up. So yeah, guys . . . next August, you know you can make it!


Eheh . . . okay, I'm done now. I'm goin' on vacation to Alberta for a week now; see ya when I get back unless I post while I'm over there!
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