Advice on my first Anime-Convention?

Started by Lady Ayame, March 23, 2010, 12:12:27 PM

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Lady Ayame

I got invited by some new friends I made to attend my first anime convention! Very exciting, I've always wanted to go to one but could never find people to go with, and now I'm going with a group of about 5 or 6 including myself.


"A-Kon 21: Revenge of the Penguins"
<---- It's in Dallas!!!

I've also decided to do my first cosplay, Though I'm still toying around with ideas of who I could play, I'd really like to bring the character to life, so I'm toying between several female characters from various different anime's one of my top choices being Villetta Nu from code geass (one of my top favorite animes), though her hair is going to be a pain in the ass.



I'm very tall for an asian (5'9) dark skinned, and slender so I think it would be a good fit :)
Still toying around with the ideas though, if you are into cosplay I could use some advice!

anyway I heard Con's can be INSANITY. and I was looking for any heads up people could possibly give me. My friend shane mentioned if I could pull of Viletta Nu really well It's very possible I will be Tackled O_o WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN!? I'm scared D:

Other than that he wants me to see for myself AKA be tackled, but I really HATE being unprepared and un-notified ahead of time (which is why he's holding back on me, just to watch me squirm)

anyway any advice on what to bring, what to expect, and all that would be nice, and if you have any Con stories I'd love to hear them!

Oniya

I'm more familiar with Sci-Fi conventions, but I'm pretty sure that your friend is talking about people getting very excited and probably hugging you if you appear as their favorite character.  If this is not cool with you, be sure that those 5-6 people with you know that.  If there is a reason for your character to have a prop that can be used to fend off someone (staff, foam sword, etc) you can probably use that for blocking.  An outstretched palm hitting someone flat in the chest also tends to stop them, especially if your arms are longer.

Tips:  Stay hydrated.  Make sure your costume does not interfere with free movement and especially using the bathroom.  Get at least a little sleep, unless you want to have trouble telling the cosplayers from the hallucinations.  Make sure you eat.  Never take your last $5 into the dealers' room.  Collect business cards at the dealers' room - you can probably order things for them slightly cheaper the week after the con.  Watch out for the drinks at the room parties (consuite is usually pretty safe, at least during the day.)  Be sure you have a way home (see that advice about the $5).

Finally:  Have fun.
"Language was invented for one reason, boys - to woo women.~*~*~Don't think it's all been done before
And in that endeavor, laziness will not do." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Don't think we're never gonna win this war
Robin Williams-Dead Poets Society ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Don't think your world's gonna fall apart
I do have a cause, though.  It's obscenity.  I'm for it.  - Tom Lehrer~*~All you need is your beautiful heart
O/O's Updated 5/11/21 - A/A's - Current Status! - Writing a novel - all draws for Fool of Fire up!
Requests updated March 17

Citrus

Hello!

Congrats on  your first con being Akon, it was mine too.. but...that was a very very long time ago (Akon 7..holy crap I'm old!)

Considering that it's akon, which is gigaaaantic.. my information for you is based pretty specifically on that convention, but would apply to most.

The area of town the convention is in does not have a whole lot in the way of places to eat in the evening, so bring snacks and things that are easy to make in your hotel room, a cooler with some sodas, water, and snacks is your friend. Make sure you remember to eat and drink plenty of water. There are some places, but they tend to close early or not be open on the weekend as the area is primarily used by weekday businesses. There is a restaurant in the hotel, but it is more then you will likely want to pay.

The con is exciting and it's easy to forget to sleep and drink water, then suddenly you will wonder why you are cranky and have a headache and don't want to go to that 2am video room, so try to bring a water bottle with you when possible and not fill up on too much ramune.

Don't forget your ID card and -cash-. There are panels and video rooms (hentai/yaoi etc) which require you to show proof of age, not to mention that you may need it to show for your badge, paying at vender tables, etc.


Even if you preordered, make sure you show up -early- friday morning to get your badge (like seriously.. 7/8 am) otherwise expect to be in line for several hours.

When you do get your badge, keep it on you at all times, you never know when you might want to pop into the dealer room or some other place which requires badges to access. Though be careful not to misplace it!

Don't take anything you aren't prepared to loose, forget, have stolen. Though it is rare for people to pickpocket, it is very crowded and you just never know what might happen, so don't finish off that costume with your great grandmother's wedding diamonds.

General safety rules apply, don't get too excited about being around all these awesome people that share your favorite shows and forget that they are really all complete strangers. Don't go places by yourself and make sure you have a meetup plan with your friends. Cellphone reception within that particular building is very difficult, not to mention the noise makes it hard to even realize you've had a call.

Wear comfortable shoes, this goes double for if you are staying on a high floor of the hotel. Though in the last few years they have been very good to keep an eye on elevator usage, there is a long history of the elevators breaking at some point and anyone staying in the hotel having to use the stairs to reach their room. There are also times when the direct access between the convention and the hotel is shut off, and you have to walk outside to access one from the other (this is typically late at night).

Though because of the elevator monitoring, please take into account that getting up to your room may take longer then at a normal hotel, as you might have to wait in a long line.

-cosplaying specific tips-

Since you say you are planning on going in costume, bring a little sewing kit, safety pins, duct tape, or whatever else you might need to emergency patch something. Remember that a costume still has to fit in with the other dress code rules at the convention (shoes, shirt, etc).
And when you pose for pictures, do it in an area that does not block the flow of traffic near the escalators or doors, people will do their best to stay out of the way of your cameras, so return the favor and do it out of main walkways.

Though 'glomping' is down in general, you may have someone randomly hug you. This type of behavior is really looked down on, and you have a right to tell people you don't like it and not to do it and to defend yourself with an arm or such if you see them coming. In general people will just snap a picture of you, tell you how cute you are, then move on.

Primarily... bring cash (some comic dealers will give you a discount not to mention it's less hassle), remember to eat, remember to drink plenty of water and take breaks for naps and potty, don't go full tilt 72 hours solid, and wear comfortable shoes.


Have a good time at the con, there are lots of really awesome people there, and if you can live through an Akon, then you can live through -any- con.






Aiden

Take febreeze and spray down smelly people, cons tend to smell like ass and tacos.

Citrus

Aiden: This is also very true.. though the last handful of cons I've been to have been handing out soap with the swagbags that go alongside the badges.

Aiden

It's kinda sad that soap needs to be given out, for fucks take take a damn shower and wash your clothes stupid smelly people!

The worst is on a hot day with some many people in one area...ughhh, but then I am rather picky about smells, I know it seems rude but I push people away from me if they stink.

Chevalier des Poissons

Alright, tips from someone who used to almost live on anime-cons

1 - Don't go to the event dressed. Take regular clothes and, after doing a round inside, go to the ladies room and get dressed. This will make you more comfortable. Also, bring another change of clothes.
2 - Try to take a friend. Preferentially a friend who has experience with anime-cons, or a small group. If not, go with someone that has zero experience. Learning together is excellent, and you will help each other.
3 - Regardless of how you look, just the fact that you are a lady, and will be cosplaying a character with skirts, means that you will attract creeps, UNAVOIDABLY. And, yes, you will have fleets of eyes looking to your rear.
4 - People will hit on you. Creepy people.
5 - People will try to become friends with you. Then they will hit on you.
6 - People weill try to be friends, then try to meet you again on another cons. Then they will hit on you.
7 - Regardless of what you wear, people will consider you the muse of their dreams.
8 - People will be IC there, so don't be scared if someone makes faces to you.
9 - The most normal people will most probably be the weirderst-looking people.
10 - You will find games, events, anime fights, scenes, interview with dubbers, and several other things there. That is fine, but some things tend to be expensive.

Those are my tips.
-I have Maro's heart, and I promise to take good care of it-

A & A

Lady Ayame

#7
Thank you so much for all your advice everybody, I hate going to stuff like this unprepared!

but now that I think about it, for my first Convention I'd hate to have to cosplay such a high maintenance costume like Viletta's :( even though it's awesome as heck but I'm probably going to be already overwhelmed for my first con, and I'd hate to have to worry about my wig and cape and all that for my first con!

hmmmm... back to the drawing board.

EDIT: if anybody is awesome enough to help me out with suggestions

Muse

A-kon was my first as well.  If you're proud of your costume, there should be a contest.  If it's the same hotel as the last time I was there, there's an office building not far away with a food court for lunch and early dinner--subway, phili cheese steaks, etc. 

The should also be a wandering camera man with some sort of little plushy to conduct any interviews s/he feels like, but s/he is mostly just grabbing con footage to stream too the rooms.  There's usualy a dance with a live band.  I met the antartic press comic book guys.  There were all kinds of cute clothes for sale, mostly for girls and those that weren't were nowhere near my size.  (6'6"+)   

Along with anime and general Japanese goodness, I encountered a few D&D games you could get into by schedual, a Vampire LARP, and a Rocky Horror Picture Show.  Oh, and laser tag.  There will of course be a half dozen rooms showing anime 24-7.  I think when I was there, it was showed in Japanese with subtitles, which was how we watched in my club so I ate it up. 

A-kon will have a midnight hentai fest.  I had fun one time I was there, the other the hecklers were out of control and whenever I started too get into one of the erotic stories or anything vaugely romantic happened it was drowned out by, "less plot more tw**." 

If you want a simple but distinctive costume that goes with a darker skinned Asian, Ayame-sama, I'm inclined too suggest Nadia from the Secret of Blue Water.  That's probably too simple, but I think it would be sexy good fun to have an adult nadia appear long enough too be recognized, then at an appropriate moment to dress a bit more scantily change into Disney's tribute too her, Kirakakash from Atlantis. 

A link for all of us who ever had a shouting match with our muse: http://www.ted.com/talks/elizabeth_gilbert_on_genius.html

How to set this Muse ablaze (O/Os)

When the little angel won't appear no matter how many plum blossoms you swirl:  https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=135346.msg16474321#msg16474321 (Major update 5/10/2023)

Lady Ayame

Quote from: Muse on April 23, 2010, 02:20:52 PM
A-kon was my first as well.  If you're proud of your costume, there should be a contest.  If it's the same hotel as the last time I was there, there's an office building not far away with a food court for lunch and early dinner--subway, phili cheese steaks, etc. 

The should also be a wandering camera man with some sort of little plushy to conduct any interviews s/he feels like, but s/he is mostly just grabbing con footage to stream too the rooms.  There's usualy a dance with a live band.  I met the antartic press comic book guys.  There were all kinds of cute clothes for sale, mostly for girls and those that weren't were nowhere near my size.  (6'6"+)   

Along with anime and general Japanese goodness, I encountered a few D&D games you could get into by schedual, a Vampire LARP, and a Rocky Horror Picture Show.  Oh, and laser tag.  There will of course be a half dozen rooms showing anime 24-7.  I think when I was there, it was showed in Japanese with subtitles, which was how we watched in my club so I ate it up. 

A-kon will have a midnight hentai fest.  I had fun one time I was there, the other the hecklers were out of control and whenever I started too get into one of the erotic stories or anything vaugely romantic happened it was drowned out by, "less plot more tw**." 

If you want a simple but distinctive costume that goes with a darker skinned Asian, Ayame-sama, I'm inclined too suggest Nadia from the Secret of Blue Water.  That's probably too simple, but I think it would be sexy good fun to have an adult nadia appear long enough too be recognized, then at an appropriate moment to dress a bit more scantily change into Disney's tribute too her, Kirakakash from Atlantis.

Thank you for the awesome cosplay suggestions :D and all the info of what to expect at the con ^-^ sooo excited.

Shadowsteel

Admittedly, I'm not the most experienced con goer, but I did pick up a few things.

1) having a bag of some sort is always a good idea. You will buy things and need somewhere to put them.
2) If you want to buy the best kinds of toys, namely from the weapons dealers, they will make you take it out of the con as soon as its purchased.
3) Bring your own snacks and drinks, water, soda, gatorade I reccommend especially. Con Food Is more overpriced than movie theater food, and usually just as crappy or worse. (though you probably could get away with setting up a grill and selling burgers as long as you bribe a few staff with burgers)
Sworn to the Oath of Drake

Shadowsteel's theory on the transitive property of handcuffs - through association, especially by physical contact such as hug-piles - legitimate reason is given if you have reasonable reason to apply handcuffs to one particpant, you have reason (excuse) to apply handcuffs to all of them.

OOC's Beware! Because really, when is it not
an acceptable time for handcuffs?

Oniya

Actually, most weapons dealers (and cons that I've been at with weapons dealers or costumes that involve weapons) have a system of 'peace-bonding' in place, where the weapon is securely tied into its sheath with a bright-colored binding.  These were mostly in the Greater D.C. area, with a few further out into VA.
"Language was invented for one reason, boys - to woo women.~*~*~Don't think it's all been done before
And in that endeavor, laziness will not do." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Don't think we're never gonna win this war
Robin Williams-Dead Poets Society ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Don't think your world's gonna fall apart
I do have a cause, though.  It's obscenity.  I'm for it.  - Tom Lehrer~*~All you need is your beautiful heart
O/O's Updated 5/11/21 - A/A's - Current Status! - Writing a novel - all draws for Fool of Fire up!
Requests updated March 17

Lycan Queen

My advice: be prepared mentally for cosplayers. Some will look awesome, the rare few will scar you for life. Know that there will be at least one really fat guy in a sailor scout costume.

I go to Dragoncon every year, but I am not looking forward to the coming influx of people that will be dressed as Na'avi. Some people simply should not wear only blue body paint...

Lady Ayame

Quote from: Lycan Queen on May 09, 2010, 04:53:59 AMI go to Dragoncon every year, but I am not looking forward to the coming influx of people that will be dressed as Na'avi. Some people simply should not wear only blue body paint...

Oh my god I didn't even think of that O_o thats going to be weird.

Oniya

Hopefully, they start with blue spandex and use the body paint more sparingly.
"Language was invented for one reason, boys - to woo women.~*~*~Don't think it's all been done before
And in that endeavor, laziness will not do." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Don't think we're never gonna win this war
Robin Williams-Dead Poets Society ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Don't think your world's gonna fall apart
I do have a cause, though.  It's obscenity.  I'm for it.  - Tom Lehrer~*~All you need is your beautiful heart
O/O's Updated 5/11/21 - A/A's - Current Status! - Writing a novel - all draws for Fool of Fire up!
Requests updated March 17