Anime Expo Review-Disorganization Breeds Irritation

So yes, I braved what was the Anime Expo in Long Beach today for three reasons: 1, I've never been, and I wanted to see. 2. To buy something interesting. 3. To see a: Transformer and b: guys dressed as girls. Well, I got two out of three. HOWEVER, unless whomever plans these things makes the thing more organized, I am NEVER EVER going again. Now, it wasn't difficult getting there. It wasn't difficult parking. It was RIDICULOUSLY STUPID how there wasn't a single freaking sign on what to do or how to get to the center from said parking area. Hence, after asking about 3 different people with staff badges, we make it to the center. Lo and behold, we have to get plastic badge holding thingies, first. Okay, how to get there? No freaking clue. SO. After walking down a huge flight of stairs, against a tidal wave of cosplaying anime people who are also completely confused, we make it there. About 2 blocks away. SERIOUSLY. I've been to the Long Beach Convention Center before, and I've never seen them put a badge area so far away from the actual walk in area. Usually they're one and the same. Anyways, along the way there's weird orange type blocking off sections so you can't cut through anything, you have to walk. A LOT. So, we get the badges. You get herded through another couple doors and then back out. THEN, we walk back to the doors to go in. Nope, can't go in that way, because the only way in is to come in through a special orange taped off section that has a line to get in stretching from where we got our badges. Yeah, good thing there were signs denoting that. (sarcasm here, folks) So not only did we walk a long way for nothing, but now we have to walk BACK to where we started. This is hitting around 30 minutes here, and I'm seriously getting pissed because it's 95 degrees. I'm also irritated by the staff which are a bunch of 16 year old kids who don't have a clue. So we basically cut the line as it moves (because I'm sorry, I'm not waiting in line to get into a convention center.) At this point, it's almost 11am, and I don't know why I'm here. Get in, okay, fine. We stat browsing the tables, talk to a few people, when I look at the merchandise. I'm sorry, if you guys are buying this stuff at conventions, WHY?!!! Why the HECK would you buy an anime movie that you could find at Best Buy twice as low?!!! Just because it's at the convention?!!! It's not like they're even special editions of anime or manga! And at one table it's $25. At another it's $30. For a US version of four episodes. Here, buy your anime online: www.ebay.com;www.animearigato.com, www.discountanimedvd.com, www.amazon.com, ETC. Buy it on sale. For goodness sakes, do not pay double because it's at an Expo. It's not like it's gold laden or mysteriously special. It isn't. And the toys were so overpriced. I didn't buy a thing on principle. NOW, imagine. you have a thousand people, some in extremely heavy and elaborate costumes who have just spent 30 minutes in 95 degree heat. Yeah, not smelling so good. So we do a quick walk around, I have no idea where the panels are, or where artist's alley is, because again, NO SIGNS, so we look at some stuff, and we decide to bail for lunch, because we're both irritated. Oh, and some guy tried to impress how well he learned Japanese in Japan because his friends taught him how to write "hentai" in kanji. Seriously, not impressive.

Now...the good things. Um, people were generally nice, and didn't mind posing for pictures or helping out with taking pictures. Some of the costumes were incredibly impressive. There were two girls from Revolutionary Girl Utena who had beautiful ballgowns, and the D. Gray Man and Trinity Blood cosplayers were really impressive. I did see some weird ones that made me go, huh? Like, a boy dressed as Nights from the Dreamcast game, a Ghostbuster, and Dick Tracy. The most popular costumes: Naruto characters (about a good 45% of the population), Bleach characters (esp. the shinigami leaders), D. Gray Man, and Trigun characters. But there was everything, I saw Pokemon, I saw Kingdom Hearts, I saw lots of Final Fantasy, Cutie Honey, Rei from Evangelion, Death Note kids, there were some old school anime costumes that were really cute, like Robotech and the Sailor Scouts, lots of Gothic Lolitas, lots of One Piece, and so on. Oh, and if you are really into Yaoi, this was the place to be, I've never seen so many Yaoi books. I just loved when my sister and I went to a yaoi publisher, and the girl was telling us about the character development and great storyline of the book and as soon as we open it, hello! two boys all over each other hot and heavy. I pretty much collapsed in giggles, because there wasn't a lot of character development, it was more pornographic than anything else. Though the characters were pretty developed...if you know what I mean... Plus the girl was so librarianish, we just found ourselves thinking that she was a lot more uninhibited than she was acting. Wooo!

ANYWAYS. That's my report. I didn't care for it. Sue me. Oh, here's a transformer for you.

Taking City Page 2, Finished VM Postcard

Two things. The latest page of the filler short story is up today on Girlamatic.com. Go read nothing, as the page has no dialogue! But you can gaze at it, I guess, if you're into that sort of thing.

Second, the VM postcards for Anime Expo Long Beach this weekend came, and since I have a small number of them, hopefully I can get rid of them. As long as my sister doesn't flake, I have a chance. If she does, I'm not going, and then these will sit on my desk languishing.

So, I've started my new job. I've learned: my Japanese is RIDICULOUSLY rusty. I'm actually brushing up on my vocabulary and grammar as we speak, because I'm having a hard time with it. Second, it's very interesting working for a Japanese company. Everyone shows up on time. Everyone eats lunch at the same time in an extremely large room. There are like half a dozen rice cookers making rice all day. There are the largest tea kettles I have ever SEEN on the stove constantly making tea. The newest Japanese version of a kit kat has raspberry inbetween the wafers. Yummy! Every morning a snack delivery service comes by with onigiri, spam musibi, and other fun asian foods. The interesting dichotomy is the different people. Korean, Chinese, mostly Japanese, and Spanish. Everyone speaks two or three languages. English is relatively universal for those who don't speak Japanese. Everyone goofs off for EXACTLY the duration of their break. As soon as it is over, the turn into working people. They keep having to remind me when lunch is because I am so used to going whenever I want, or not gettting a lunch at all. The most interesting thing is how relaxed it is. I'm SOOO not used to that. Having worked in entertainment, I'm used to the NOW NOW NOW kind of pressure. With them, its "Take your time. Don't rush. Relax."

Hopefully I can wrap my thick skull around the Japanese, because I know I'm getting a deer in the headlights thing going on sometimes. I hate beginning new jobs-you never know what they think of you or your work, and it's incredibly awkward the whole time.

Oi. Gotta go to bed.

The Taking City Page 1

And the short story begins. Hmmm... I'm a little troubled by the text. I may have to change it. Ah, well. If anyone complains, I'll change it.

I would say more, but I'm tired. I can tell when I'm tired when I have absolutely ZIP on my mind. Sleepy time!

*EDIT* Okay, fixed the text. It was problematic.

Kids With Robots-The Defects!

Yeah, I couldn't resist continuing with this. So this is Robot 6: A.M.I, which stands for Armor and Metal Insect, and hence it is a robotic insect. Six thru Ten are essentially the counterparts to One thru Five. So this is the first of the defective robots. why is it defective? These robots actually merge with a human and begin to control them, which is never good for a pet. Ha, if I keep this up I'll have a whole little plot line for my all ages comic that I have in mind for this. Plus, I get to dress everyone up really cute.

AND. I will be moving on from my place of work now to a new place of work. Time to step away from television production and move into graphic design and web design. I'm actually going to be working for a major Japanese food company that has been around for a VERY long time, so it'll be a big change. Plus, everyone speaks Japanese, so it's time for me to brush up on my nihongo skills and get myself in gear. After working in the entertainment industry and wearing jeans and t-shirts everyday for the past 4 years, I guess I need to prepare myself to be more business like. I'm excited, it'll be challenging. I am touched though that both my bosses at the production company I work at are going to miss me. In television where everyone is in and out with each production, having made my home there for a year is a big thing. My fiancee will still be there editing though, so I'm sure I'll be seeing them all soon.

I do not like starting over, though. That's the hardest part. A new job, new people, new rules, new etiquette. I doubt at my new job I can have a beer on a Friday while I'm working while hanging with my boss and coworkers, but you can't have everything, right?

AHHHH. Time to work on tomorrow's page.

The Taking City & VM Spoiler

ARRRRG! It's only Wednesday. Why am I so tired? Well, today began the filler short story "The Taking City". Yeah, it's pretty self explanatory. I also did some art for VM which has a little spoiler for when the story comes back (after The Taking City is finished.)

So, yeahhhh. I really don't have much else to say. But soon I'll be making a big change!!! WHOOO!!!! (Professionally....)

Yayaya.