Now I know this may be a bit of a late post, but bear with me because I have a lot to tell you guys about my adventures back home and the places that I have discovered and been newly introduced to such as this one...
From July 3rd to July 6th, the largest anime and manga convention in North America happens to be held at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Formally known as the Anime Expo or AX, this 4-day event happens to bring the biggest and baddest of Cosplay characters, comics, exhibits, panels, fashion shows, and much much more. Pretty awesome right!?
As a first timer I didn't know what to expect, luckily I had my friend; which was also his first time, to share the experience with me. Before I start describing all of the awesome people and things that I saw, here are a few items that you should consider bringing with you if this is your first time going to an expo:
1.) Backpack/Bag- If you don't want to be holding onto flyers, posters or even a water bottle, this will help you throughout the day.
2.) Wallet- There are soooo many booths to see and sooo many things to buy, NO pressure!
3.) Your 1 or 4 day pass(es)- You might not want to forget these as they will be your key to enter the exhibit hall.
4.) Get out of your comfort zone- This event brings out a lot of the art and creativity behind cosplay (costume play), digital design, and cartoon culture. Dressing up is highly encouraged!
5.) Have Fun- ^-^
Now let's get down to the nitty gritty!
As my friend and I walked from the parking lot to the entrance of the Convention Center, we saw crowds and crowds of people wearing different types of costumes from various anime or manga shows, videos, comics, you name it. Here are a few that I captured on the way.
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| Yay! Sailor Moon |
As we entered, it felt like we were entering another world. Everyone was in character mode and photographers acted like paparazzis, running everywhere trying to capture every celebrity and their signature pose. As we made our way through the crowd and up the escalator, we reached the Exhibit Hall. It was a bit confusing at first not knowing where to begin, so we just decided to start from the middle row and see what we could find. There were over 240 vendors and exhibitors featured within this exhibit hall, showcasing merchandise straight from Japan. There was also an artist alley way, where artists showcased their talents through web design, crochet, drawings, paintings, and even customized plush dolls.
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| Sneak peak of her drawing |
From the amount of walking we had done, it was time for a lunch break. As we walked outside to the main entrance there were still tons of people gathered and taking photos. For a Sunday afternoon, it was pretty busy. Once we were outside, I saw that there were a variety of food trucks lined up with different types of asian cuisines. My friend and I decided to go with a sushi burrito from Jogasaki. I gotta say, it was pretty delicious!
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| Photo courtesy of Urbanspoon |
As I ate, I flipped through my camera to see all of the cool photos that I took. Out of the many cosplay costumes that I saw these two were my favorite.
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| I wonder how long it took him to make this! |
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| Look at that hair!! |
It was an experience, which I call it the 'cosplay experience' in being able to capture these folks in character and admire their work and dedication in creating and wearing these costumes. A thing that really captured my attention was that I didn't only see anime and manga characters but also characters from Disney such as Elsa from Frozen, The Joker, Zelda & Link, Wario from Super Mario, and many others. It was just awesome to see everyone come together, which makes it an even more epic experience as it already is!
I have to say, my time at the Anime Expo was a success! I had a fantastic time getting to know more about about the Japanese culture in manga & anime and understand what cosplay is all about. If you haven't yet, be sure to check out Anime Expo's website for more info. on how you can get tickets for next years convention. On that note I should probably start figuring out what I am planning on wearing! Until next time!
Website: http://www.anime-expo.org/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/animeexpo
From LA, With Luv
Fati <3
