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

Getting Excited for Otafest Aurora 2013

It's been a couple of years since I've attended an anime convention in Alberta (life gets in the way of serious geeking out, sometimes). So I was quite excited to hear about some of the events planned for Otafest Aurora 2013 (formerly "Otafest Lite"), which takes place on Saturday, November 30, 2013 at the University of Calgary's downtown campus.

For instance, I don't recall there ever being a gala at this Calgary anime convention, complete with dinner and entertainment. With it costing $40 for the Otafest Aurora Gala, I have a feeling that there will be a good chance of geeking out with my contemporaries. The Otafest Mixer and Mingler and an Introduction to Ballroom Dancing are other new-to-me events.

Special guests Andrea Libman (My Little Pony, DragonTales, The New Adventures of Madeline) and Tabitha St. Germain (My Little Pony, Death Note, Barbie Thumelina) will be hosting a session on voice acting and will be available for autographs. My pals from the Nintendo cover band THWOMP will be performing and hosting a panel. The timing is wonderful, seeing as they are currently recording their latest album and will have new music and experiences to share.

There are also staple events for Otafest, Otafest Aurora and other anime conventions, such as the cosplay contest, AMV's, the vendor room, improv, video games and Otafest Idol. Then of course, there are anime viewings.

Tickets for this one-day Calgary anime convention are $20 festival admission and $60 for festival admission plus Gala pass.  For Otafest Aurora's complete schedule, map and tickets, head to Otafest's website. I'll be reviewing this Calgary event on Examiner.com. それを楽しみにしてください!

Highlights from Otafest 2010

Running on the May long weekend, Calgary's annual anime convention featured a record number of special events and popular classics for anime and comic fans from Alberta.

Otafest is considered one of the premier anime conventions in Alberta, only rivaled by Animethon in Edmonton. With 103 special events, there were plenty of activities for otaku of anime, comics, manga and video games to enjoy at Otafest 2010.

Artists, Voice Actors, Bands, Improv and Cultural Demonstrations on Otafest's Special Guest List

This year, Otafest featured three headliner guests: voice actors Todd Haberkorn and Michelle Ruff and cartoonist Scott Ramsoomair. Haberkorn is known for portraying Hikaru Hitachiin (Ouran High School), Watanuki (xxxHolic) and Death the Kid (Soul Eater). Ruff was awarded Best Voice Actress (English) at the 2009 SPJA Industry Awards. She has voiced over 100 different characters, including Rukia (Bleach), Yoko (Gurren Lagann), Chi (Chobits) and Princess Euphemia (Code Geass). Canadian cartoonist Ramsoomair is the creator, writer and artist of VGCats, a popular video game humor-based web comic.

Other special guests included Synaptic Chaos Theatre, Midnight Taiko, the Shin Ken Kai Nobara Iaido Club, the 404's improv group, the band THWOMP and the band Pinku Polkadotsu.

Special Events Galore at Otafest 2010

Otafest increased its special event line-up from 90 to 103. This year, a wide variety of interactive game shows were added, such as AMV Mortal Combat - where anime music videos selected by the audience are pitted against each other, Otafest Tactics - a game that tests players' strategic and battle skills and Anime Talkabout - where players have only 20 seconds to show off how much they know about an anime-related topic.

Other new events included the Otafest Much Music Video Dance, Lolita Fashion Show, the Maid Café, the Pokémon League, Speed Dating and live-action Anime Chess.

Popular Classics Return and Old Standbys Continue to Draw Crowds at Otafest

The AMV Game show returned, in which contestants watch selected AMV's and then answer questions. In Anime EDGE, 15 different games and game shows were combined into one big game.

An anime con would be incomplete without anime showings, cosplay contests, karaoke and gaming rooms. Otafest is no exception. The vendor room and Artist Alley were popular with shoppers seeking to buy Bleach manga, Inuyasha DVD's and other popular otaku merchandise.

The History of Otafest

Otafest is the brainchild of the the University of Calgary's Dedicated Otaku Anime Club. The first festival was held in 1999 as a one-day film festival. Throughout the years, Otafest organizers added educational panels, including Japanese 101, computer tips to enhance music videos and CG art, cosplay , writing fan fiction, convention etiquette and flirting. Cultural demonstrations on how to wear a kimono, the Japanese tea ceremony, Taiko drumming and Iaido have been included over the years. Otafest is now a three-day annual festival held during the Victoria Day weekend at the University of Calgary. A one-day "lite" festival was added in November 2009.

Some Glitches But Still a Fun Weekend at Otafest 2010

The most controversial issue at Otafest 2010 was over weapons and props. During an incident at Otafest Lite 2009, a cardboard prop was mistaken for a real weapon by university staff when viewed from a distance. Otafest organizers initially banned all props of weapons, but fan backlash was strong. The revised policy on the website is a workable compromise, banning any weapons, any props resembling weapons and any props made predominantly of metal. Acceptable prop weapons were tagged so that university campus security could easily identify these items as props from a distance.

Two band-related glitches detracted from fans' musical experience. The band Pinku Polkadotsu had to withdraw from the line-up when the drummer was injured in an accident. Partway through the THWOMP concert, a fuse was blown.

Some changes were good, others not as successful. The vendor room saw an increase in vendors from 20 to 30, thanks to a streamlined floor plan. Programming was rather light on Sunday, with the bulk of the activities scheduled on Saturday. Otafest Idol was smaller than previous years, with 25 pre-registrations accepted (down from 30) and eight finalists (down from 10) to give more time for feedback from the judges. Campus construction resulted in various detours and restricted areas.

Bumps aside, attendees still enjoyed a fun-filled weekend. Cosplayers were in abundance; the youngest was a mere toddler, while the oldest cosplayers were well into their 40's. The Maid Café drew such a crowd that advance tickets had to be issued. The Cosplay Contest was as popular as ever, with over 60 entrants and audience line ups spanning one kilometer.

Attendees got into the spirit of giving by donating over $5,300 for breast cancer research. With the fundraising goal well met, three festival organizers had their heads, while one shaved his chest at the Closing Ceremonies.

Final attendance figures for Otafest are not yet available. However, attendance has been steadily increasing over the past two years. If these historical figures are any indication, 2010 numbers should be over 4,000. With 103 special events, healthy attendance and over $5,000 raised for cancer research, the Otafest 2010 anime convention can be dubbed a success.

Originally published May 28, 2010 on Suite101.com. All rights reserved by Rhona-Mae Arca.