You may have seen people during the 4th of July weekend in downtown dressed up in costumes, and Anime Expo is the reason why. Yes, I have written about Anime Expo before (last year) so what is new?
I decided that the best course of action for this article would be a little show and tell; after all, is better if you see it and I will provide the context. Since last year we didn't spend too much time inside the exhibit hall, this time we are gonna be delving into the experience that is AX!
Cosplayers is one of my favorite things about AX. Seeing what new anime or pop culture characters are gonna pop up, and the exchange between those demonstrating their abilities and skills on recreating that particular character they love, and those that want to capture it for posterity.
Now, not all people dressed up are cosplayers, the various booths also have people cosplaying a particular character, and, more often than not, they are, in their own spare time, fans or even cosplayers!
On our way to check out how the signings work on the West Hall, on the opposite side of the Convention Center (hence the need to always plan out the day), we rain into this art piece:
You were allowed to paint on the boxes as well, who said promotions can't be also fun? Once we arrived at the West Hall, we realized the signings were actually on the other side, but we actually used the opportunity to check out the Fate Grand Order VR game, which we actually discovered it was more of an experience where you just get to look around and see one of the characters dance in an arousing fashion. And, oh, they were actually two possible random experiences you could do:
After the VR experience, we finally made it to our destination, as the music composer from the seminal Super Nintendo game, which was recently redone and released on PS4, Hiroki Kikuta,who signed our Indivisible soundtrack CD!
After meeting Kikuta, it was time for the RWBY signing with voice actor Yssa Badiola and RWBY writer Kerry Shawcross, who were really nice and attentive to all the fans, taking their time to talking to fans, signing and posing for photos!
Another aspect of AX that is expected every year is for cosplayers to exhibit their creations to attendees outside the South Hall. All day, everyday, you can just peruse and be amused by all the creativity displayed:
Remember to always be respectful of all the cosplayers and to always ask for permission to take their photos, courtesy and respect should go without saying, so don't forget!
More photos in the next article as we share some of our experiences on the panels and battling the killer heat to get to Funimation's event at Lucky Strike!
Words by Humberto Sandoval
Photos by Lauren Label
