I thought I would relate some more observations from AX 2003 to prove once and for all that I am a geek of epic proportions.

After waiting forty minutes in the line to get in the registration line, we were allowed to sign in. I typed my information into a terminal and got in yet another line to pay. The cashier printed out my badge which was brightly colored and identified my persona and where I hailed from. I even got a free lanyard! I fingered my badge reverently. “Miriya Parino”, it said. This was my pass to all the exhibitions and inside info on upcoming anime. I felt as if I had been given the highest level of secret clearance to the White House…just like Monica Lewinsky had (though, obviously I would not be indulging in the same activities).

The cosplayers were a pretty interesting bunch. I guess the whole point of dressing up as an anime character was to have your picture taken by everyone. It seemed each had a preset pose they would strike when the flash went off. I wonder how much time they spent thinking about that pose. Some vendors also had their staff dress as characters and adopt the speech patterns of a particular anime character.

Female Character With Cat-Like Features: “Would you…myoo-myoo…like a sample…myoo myoo?”

However, the highlight of the Con for me was meeting everyone from the rt.com website. We all sat together during the panel and then went to dinner afterwards. It is amazing how quickly camaraderie can be established (with the aid of a few beers). Some of us decided to go karaoke afterwards. I may have lost my inhibitions and sang a few Britney Spears songs. Or maybe I didn’t. I haven’t seen any photographic evidence so I am deciding that it must never have happened. All in all, I had a lot of fun!