My First Otafest Aurora - Part 2

As mentioned in Part 1 of My First Otafest Aurora, it has been a few years since I attended an anime convention in Calgary. There was a lot to see and do. Unfortunately, it was impossible to see everything, so choices had to be made.

Messy Ramune at the Otafest Aurora Maid Cafe

I hooked up with my friends Poohkiez and Krimson Gray to check out the Maid Cafe at around 1:30 p.m.  Along the way, we ran into Index, so of course I (as in Misaka) had to have my picture taken with her:

Index looks so happy that Misaka is about to fire off a railgun. Photo by C. Kohl.

We sat with four people from Medicine Hat. Half of us ordered the Ramune Combo, while the other half ordered the Deluxe:

It was their first time to try Ramune. When I demonstrated how to push the marble in, I made a big mess. Perhaps I shouldn't have demonstrated with so much gusto? I still have to give my camera a deep cleaning! >_<

The desserts were delicious, however. Afterwards, we made crafts. Good times.

Later, Krimson said, "I miss the dance routine from Main but the space wasn't there." He echoed my sentiment when he said: "There should be a rule that they have at least one trap. The cross dressing maid guy just makes any Meido Café feel complete."

THWOMP Hosts 'How Do You Cover Video Game Music?'

THWOMP delved into music nerd land by discussing the evolution of video game music, as well as the process of transforming 8- and 16- bit music into a rock band arrangement. It was fascinating to hear about how the retro game composers had to get creative scoring with only four channels.

In early games, the same track that was used for percussion was also used for sound effects. That explains why the drums cut out once in a while.

Originally, video game music had to be transcribed by ear, pencil and paper. It was a time consuming process. Now, music can be transcribed with the aid of a music emulator.

On the Photo Booth and Wandering Aimlessly

I had to run to the Cosplay Pageant Awards. They were just giving out the Best Group Award when I arrived. The judges commented on how impressed they were that all entrants worked on their costumes. Not a single entry was a ready-made costume. Congrats to all the winners!

Afterwards, I wound up at the Christmas Cosplay Photo Booth. I had a delightful chat with a crossplaying loli. He had a tough time finding his swanky white boots.

There, I also met Lag from Letter Bee:

I was told that "Lag's" sister made the costume in under a month. Putting the bee insignia on the cap was the most time consuming part. Lag gave me a cute letter.

Aka Maple took the photos at the Cosplay Booth. I can't wait to see mine. The photographer informed me that everyone's photos will be posted on Otafest's Facebook Page.

The Otafest Mixer and Mingler (A.K.A. "speed dating") got off to a slow start. The room was packed with much younger folk than I, with no drinks in sight.  Hopefully, the drinks weren't too far behind. I, however, decided to keep moving.

Next stop: An Introduction to Ballroom Dancing. That was pretty popular too.

Back to THWOMP for the THWIMP Jam Session. The band took some requests and gave a sampler of group's upcoming CD. The new album will be released in the spring.

I left early to catch "How to Survive Cons", which unfortunately, was cancelled. I asked Gareth Lypka, Otafest Public Relations, about it. Either the notice was posted after I left or the information didn't get to organizers in time. Gareth explained further: "The majority of our panels are run by our fans and this sometimes they bail on us. We are usually pretty on top of making sure the schedule is updated but sometimes there are misses. It's just a part of running a event." He added, "The majority of our panelists are pretty dedicated to their craft and are very reliable."

The Otafest Aurora Gala and Eating in the Dark

Krimson and I stuck around for the Gala and bit Poohkiez good night. We made some new friends over a great discussion about various facets of otaku culture. In the dark. The lighting was extremely dim. Most of my tablemates and I took a photo of our plate to help identify where everything was on the plate.

Perhaps, had the lighting been better, we would have noticed that someone stole our Kiku's entire place setting. It was all sorted out in the end.

Dessert, tea and coffee was served in the lobby while organizers transformed the hall into a dance floor. We wound up chatting more than dancing.

Here is the video from the Otafest Aurora Cosplay Showcase by OTL Productions:

Otafest Aurora - The Verdict

Organization, for the most part, was really good. Two of my companions reported that the on-site registration was "easy". Both Krimson and I pre-registered, so it was really easy for us. My guess is that Del arrived later than the rest of us and got caught in a wave.

I liked how the events were spread out over five floors. That was done to minimize crowding issues. However, my companions and I all noted that the Vendor Room and Artists' Alley were congested throughout the day. We agreed that it would be nice to have larger area for these places in future conventions.

Poohkiez summed it up nicely: "I liked the fact that there were a variety of presentations and things to do, from anime to 'So you want to go to Japan' to the Maid Cafe to the Gala."

Perhaps Del has voiced the sentiments of several otaku: "It would be great if the convention was just a bit longer," she said. "One day conventions are a bit too short and sweet for my taste. If it were longer, it would provide more for the attendees to do and frankly, I believe it would generate more interest in the con overall."

All in all, Otafest Aurora was a great anime convention in Calgary. Short and sweet.

Part 1 of My First Otafest Aurora | My Otafest Aurora Review on Examiner.com | My Otafest Aurora Photo Album

My First Otafest Aurora - Part 1

I must confess, it's been a three years since my last anime con. When I became a Calgary Events Examiner, I decided that now, I have an excuse to attend every music geek, pet geek and geeky geek event that I can squeeze into my schedule. So now, it IS my job and my duty to other geeks to go and report it! First up: Otafest Aurora. A huge thank you is in order (as well as full disclosure is required in these matters). I did purchase a general admission ticket and asked Gareth Lypka of Otafest Public Relations to let me know if anyone had a gala pass they had to get rid of. Well, one did become available and I was given a Gala Pass. どうも ありがとう ございました ("doumo arigatou gozaimashita") to the Otafest Staff for my reviewer's pass.

For those of you just tuning in, Otafest Aurora is a one-day Calgary anime convention. This year, 1,176 otaku attended the event on Saturday, November 30, 2013 at the U of C's downtown campus. That's twice as many as last year's anime con.

Otafest Aurora, formerly called "Otafest Lite" is a chibi version of the main Otafest Convention, held on the May long weekend. This is the second year that Otafest Aurora has taken place.

First Stop: The Otafest Aurora Vendor Room

When I arrived at 11 a.m., the Vendor Room was a happening place. There were 40 vendors at this year's anime con. It was a little cramped at times, so it was good to go a couple of different times.

My first stop was to say hi to Cindy, my classmate from the Calgary Japanese Language School. Her booth was extremely busy. Cindy-san said that didn't have a chance to get all her merchandise on the tables when the first wave of customers came.

I was good. Really good. I didn't buy much and I didn't break the bank. However, I did buy items that I know I'll get a lot of mileage out of.

At the Nerd Loft, I purchased a Shingeki no Kyojin Survey Corps patch. I was debating over whether to get the full set in anticipation of a SnK cosplay, but after speaking with several of the SnK cosplayers, decided that an Attack on Titan cosplay is beyond my time and abilities to put together.

I picked up a pixelated Charizard and Bulbasaur for a Christmas gift. Note to self, I must contact Chelsea Kerr of Pixel Clips to commission Volpix and Squirtle.

My biggest purchases were my Fullmetal Alchemist Watch set and my Otafest Aurora hoodie. I've wanted an FMA pocket watch for ages! It really didn't take much to convince me and the otaku after me to buy a set each. Arigatou, Random Array!

My Otafest Aurora Hoodie is so warm. It's perfect for a week like this one. Gareth said that the hoodies are American Apparel, so they are very good.

My final purchase was a fuzzy Domo-kun tote bag. A steal of a deal at $10.

Cosplay and More Cosplay

I saw some incredible cosplay throughout the day.  The fact that so many were hand made was simply incredible. These are some of the cool cosplay outfits I saw:

Travelling to Japan with Jessica Roh

Jessica Roh from Anything Goes, gave an informative presentation on 10 things we need to know before we travel Japan. In actuality, her tips are good for travelling anywhere:

1. Plan and prepare: Do your research. Ask yourself the W5 (who, what, where, when, why, how)

2. Get immunized

3. Be early for everything

4. Pack less

5. Protect your important documents

6. Learn key phrases in Japanese (or the native tongue of your destination)

7. Arrange for someone trustworthy to take care of things at home

8. Pre-book your accommodation

9. Book tours in advance

10. Document everything

This is just Part 1. Click on the following links to check out the rest of my first Otafest Aurora experience: Part 2 of My First Otafest Aurora | My Otafest Aurora Review on Examiner.com | My Otafest Aurora Photo Album