Monday, September 4, 2006

   Anime Evolution 2006: Day Two
Been an extra week since the con'. Let's test that ol' memory o' mine!


Once again, woke up extra early, got dressed, got gelled, and got the hell out of the house before anyone else could wake up and see me (again, I'm lame like that). My legs were still kinda sore and my feet were definitely on the road to being torn up to all kinds of hell . . . I was a little more excited today, though, because today was the Shinsengumi/PMK photo shoot! For the most part, my work buddy and another guy from the con' were all still there from the night before since they were volunteers and were running some of the 24/7 video rooms. Oh yeah, my buddy from work was "Icecore" and is the guy standing next to me in the video most of the time; "Weenog" is the other guy (in the video he's the other guy wearing black hakama in the middle of the group).

Once I got to the campus at around 9am or 8:30 or something like that, I found "Weenog" pretty fast sitting outside a video room. We got together and talked about how tired we were - him more so, as he had been at about the 25 hours awake mark at that point. That's when I leaned back against a table and splayed across it - then "Weenog" told me I was lying on a coffee spill. I was a little miffed about that - luckily I was able to wipe most of it out with wet paper towel . . . still though, damn.

"Icecore" found us a little while later. He mentioned how he still had all his extra accessories in his car like his forehead protector, his swords, and stuff like that. So I went with him to his car as he did that - upon coming back, we found another Shinsengumi guy who was just waiting for the photo shoot as well - he was "Kawatori", the one in the video who got stabbed and fell. "Kawatori" actually mentioned that he didn't have time to really make a headband or anything, so "Icecore" offered to grab some of his extra ones (he had like, six of them. A lot were his prototype headbands). So again, he went to his car and back - he grabbed all of 'em, though, "just in case".

At about 9:30 (half an hour 'til the official shoot), we headed up to the stairs/pond area that's in all the pictures of the con if you look up any photos from AE. So there was "Kawatori", "Weenog", "Icecore" and myself all walking up some side stairs and walking slowly towards the small group of cosplayers and stuff who were already just hanging out at the stairs - really, that area became a sort of "lounging" area for the convention-goers at AE. I mean, stairs to sit on with a good view of the main Convocation Mall where all the big events were taking place, a grassy area at the top with a pond . . . it was nice. What's important, though, was that the four of us were all walking side by side, very very slowly. From what people later told us, four uniformed Shinsengumi walking a la "The Right Stuff" was quite badass.

Slowly the rest came as well. Along with the four of us (of which I was the only real "character" from something), there was that "Claire" girl, "Hijikata", "Souji", and "Suzu". As it turned out, our photoshoot was pretty short since really, no that many people are THAT interested in getting pictures of a PMK photo shoot. There's some good ones out there, though . . . . . in any case, other than the PMK group, I ran into some other people whom I was really starting to get close with. Again, there were the Hitsugaya and Soifon with whom I was habitually glomping, the girl dressed up as "Saya" from Blood+, and of course, the Byakuya girl (who was the Itachi who instant-glomped me the day before) whom I became very good friends with. So yeah, we all got some pictures taken of us, chatted a bit . . . got video of us walking badass-like and fighting against Saya and Envy (again, a VERY big no no) . . . . . and then while trying to decide what to do next, I suddenly realised something very amusing for us:

There was a Peacemaker Kurogane screening in Video Room 6 at 11am!!!

Clearly we knew what we had to do: we had to storm the screening . . . . .

At 11, those of us who could afford to go headed back into the Quadrangle and made our way outside the video room, plotting our next plan. The showing didn't really start until about 11:30 (delays, they happen), but we had it figured out . . . "Saya" went into the room first and set her camera for video . . . . . the rest of us waited for "You Gonna Feel" to start playing in the opening credits . . .

. . . . . single-file, we the Shinsengumi all walked into the darkened video room, along the right aisle, and across the front of the room under the screen. As we crossed the front, we started looking up at the projection screen:

"Wow, deja vu..."
"Hey, I know this show! It's a good show!"
"I feel like we've done this before..."

We got some good laughs from what little audience was in there . . . something we'll be sure to remedy next year, believe me . . . . . but yeah, afterwards we watched from the left aisle of the room for a bit until we decided to leave. It was fun.


Afterwards, we sat around for a bit, took some more pictures, and chatted while I did some emergency repairs to my left sandal. "Weenog" eventually left to take a nap (he capped out at 27 hours awake straight), and some others left for here or there. Heh . . . "Icecore" basically gave away the rest of his forehead protectors to whomever wanted them. He's pro, you see.

Eventually I saw there was a panel with Alistair Abell (again), Keith Miller, and Cathy Weseluck. I still needed more answers to my "David Kaye vs Scott McNeil" question, so I suggested we go there, whoever wanted to go. So there was myself, "Icecore", "Saya", "Byakuya", and a couple other people and we all went to talk with the voice actors!

Now, if you hadn't noticed, these aren't exactly the glamour names of voice acting. We had a veteran (Weseluck, who was Shampoo and Cybersix), a younger guy (Miller, who was Kuzzey from SEED and Kimihiro from Hikaru no Go), and . . . a lesser known man. Heh . . . of course, what I didn't realise was that Alistair Abell wasn't in the room: it was Trevor Devall (Mu La Flaga from SEED) who was just kinda there just because. Anyways, Cathy saw the outfits, asked what we were from, I answered "Peacemaker" while we sat down at the front of an otherwise pretty sparse room. A shame . . .

On the other hand, Alistair DID show up late, and at some funny point Vic Mignogna came in and sat behind us, also to chat with the voice actors - he didn't detract too much, luckily, and we all had fun.

Being that it was a pretty quiet question period, I asked a lot of questions - many of which were slightly nonsensical. Here's my findings:
-Upon just hearing the word "hypothetically", Alistair started cracking up (he heard the question yesterday).
--Again, David Kaye wins the hypothetical fight in a landslide - seems as well as being a kickboxer, he's also a bit of a health nut. Y'know "chicken breasts" and stuff.
-Keith Miller would have chosen "Magic" in a new game of "Kingdom Hearts". Incidentally, he was in the exact same seat as Alistair yesterday (who also chose magic).
-Trevor Devall considers himself an "Elvis" man rather than a "Beatles" man - everyone else was Beatles.
-Everyone likes black leather over brown.
-Alistair and Trevor like Thundercats over the old He-Man.

Of extra importance: if you go to Cathy Weseluck's entry at imdb.com, you'll read some bio info saying she initially refused to play Cybersix until she learned it was only 13 episodes. This is bunk. Total bunk. Cathy is not that kind of a person and I believe her. And so should you. Savvy?

After the panel, I turned around to say something quick to Vic Mignogna; that's when he asked me to say hi to Panda for him.


After the Keith/Cathy/Alistair/Trevor panel, it was about 2pm. My "Byakuya" friend along with the others wanted to check out the dealer's room; I had originally planned to go watch the Cosplay Contest, but I ended up going there instead. So yeah, I bought some music: "Chrono Trigger OST" and the Final Fantasy "20020220" album. Then we got some bubble tea. Heh . . . the rest of this part of the day is a bit blurry to me. I think I probably went back to the stairs/pond area to just play around some more. Heh . . . suddenly I saw this group of guys with boffer swords and leather/padded armour walk to an empty spot on the grass - I HAD thought that they were congoers . . . . . but then they started whacking the hell out of each other with their padded swords!

Turns out they were part of some LARP group or something - I talked with them a bit, about what they do, where they do it, whether security had issues with them at all (they hadn't, since they apparently come to SFU to beat on each other often and aren't official congoers). So that was exciting - I got a picture of 'em (THEY were badass!).

Actually, maybe we went to the dealer's room after we hung at the stairs/grass first . . . . . well, in any case, we went back to the stairs after going through Artists' Alley for a bit. We took more pictures, chilled some more, listened to "Anime Idol" from afar . . . . . it's funny, last year I spent a lot of the con going to the "informative" panels and stuff. This year, I was just chilling with cosplayers a whole lot . . . go fig', I guess.

At about 5-6pm, some of the people were either heading home, catching buses, or what have you. By this point I had totally lost "Icecore" and them as they were running around doing their volunteer work. Thus, I chilled with "Byakuya" and company, being that they were so kind to chill with the Shinsengumi prior. So yeah, we walked people to buses, hugged goodbye for the day, y'know . . . . .

I then walked with "Byakuya" and "Axel" back to the townhouse complex where they were staying for the con. Heh . . . by this point my sandals were on the verge of completely disintegrating and my legs were killing me. But yeah, the other two wanted to shower and change and stuff before the dance/rave at nine; I had originally just planned to walk with them there and then go back, but I ended up just chilling on a couch at "Byakuya's" townhouse, lying half-asleep or fixing my sandals.

After she changed and stuff, we headed out to find "Axel" at his royally stuffed townhouse (I think it was like, a dozen people in there). So yeah, we headed back to the main campus - we walked by Vic Mignogna and his entourage, who were heading TOWARDS the townhouses - I hugged some random girl who was tallying hugs for the day, and . . . . . then my sandals completely exploded on me. So yeah, the three of us walked to my car (which was on the way), I took off my Shinsengumi haori, sandals AND my socks, and the other dropped purses or other bits into my trunk.

Since it was basically a whole day without eating or drinking much, we went to a little coffee place nearby to get some nutrition . . . then I stepped in something sticky. Ah well . . . . .

Ran into "Icecore" still in kimono but without the haori as we went by, he told me where I could find him, and we kept going towards the dance (in the big outdoor area). Well, "Axel" was completely ready for the dance and was already hitting some . . . . funny, hand movement thingies. "Byakuya" was . . . less inclined to dance at the moment, and was still pretty self-conscious about the whole thing. Well, as the dance really started getting into the groove of things, "Axel" and I - being the jerks we were - physically picked her up and took her out onto the floor.

"Axel" went off to rave and glowstick it up, and "Byakuya" and I just relaxed, doing our own thing in our own spot on the floor. It was just fine. Sure, my legs were in total pain, but meh . . . it's not often you get to dance in a group to Naruto, Bleach, and Initial D themes . . . heh, not to mention the dance mix of "YATTA!" (yeah, that amused me).


Midnight hit, and all the minors had to get off the campus. Heh . . . yeah, "Byakuya" was a minor, so I drove her back to her townhouse (though I got lost along the way). Ahem . . . . . now at this point we all come to an understanding that yes, I spent an evening walking and dancing with a minor. Yes, I'm a horrible, dirty person . . . but meh, she's neat and was a great new friend to make.

I came back to campus quickly to watch "Seven Swords" at 1am (it's a Chinese movie, very epic, lotsa blood, very cool). Obviously I was drifting now and then as the energy drink I had before the movie started dying out. Buuut I made it through . . . . . heh, and then I limped back to my car.


Yeah, my legs were completely shot. My calf was sore from all the walking and dancing, so resting on the balls of my feet hurt; in contrast, the skin of my heel was all torn up from walking around in poor support and stuff, so resting on my heel also hurt. It was a neat feeling to limp like that, made for a good story. Then I went home, showered the red hair glue out of my head, and went to bed at about 4am for maybe 4-5 hours until the next and last day . . .



. . . . . . y'know what's really good about Day two, though? I took some pictures, finally!!!

http://s6.photobucket.com/albums/y238/emonkataren/AE%202006/Day%202/
(Photobucket got screwy, so they're all out of order now. Sorry. Anyways, here's some good pics:

Hitsugaya and Soifon, the impulsive glompers.
My new friend "Byakuya"
"Byakuya" getting those hair things out of her hair.
I love this pic: "Schoolgirl Rukia" and "Deathrow Rukia" stare at a ghostly image of their sister across the water . . .
Sense of the grassy area above the stairs
It's motherfuckin' Snaaaake!
The end result of my sandals.


Day three . . . . . at some point soon, I hope!


(And yes, the site's been on the fritz lately. Everyone wish theO's team tons of luck and stuff.)
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