AX 2009 Countdown: 13 days and counting...

(Just wanted to post this image of my newest favorite anime character: Mio!!!!)

Yep, I guess I can consider myself a somewhat veteran of the Anime Expo conventions. This upcoming one being my 6th one to go to and I've moved up to going all 4 days ever since the awesome, yet horrible, one in 2007 with the whole Haruhi hype. I'd like to dive further into that but I know I'd just go on and on about it. I'll save it for another post.

Anyways, I've come up with an idea last year during my attendance at AX 08. Prior to going, I made up a list listing all the possible uncommon cosplaying outfits I may run into, and made it a kind of scavenger hunt. Here's an example: Finding an Ikkaku cosplayer from Bleach is easy, finding an Ikkaku cosplayer in Bankai form is a challenge (there was one last year btw). or finding a Bridget cosplayer from Guilty gear that is actually a guy but looks like a girl (which is the case in the game.) Get the idea? Pre-AX I was thinking that I wouldn't find a lot on the list but afterwards I was suprised to mark off more than half that I had on the list!

This is getting lengthy again so I'll get to the point. I'm doing the list again this year and I'm gonna share what I got so far. Of those who do view my blog right now I invite you to include any you think would be good. Here's my list so far along as what series it's from:

- Gundam (Any)
-Unicorn Gundam (Unicorn Gundam)
- Akatsuki (Gundam Seed Destiny)/Hyaku Shiki (Gundam Zeta)
-Rei or Asuka in a plug suit (Evangelion)
-Someone in a cardboard box passing as a robot (Any)
-Yotsuba (Yotsuba to)
-Lucky Star character group (Lucky Star) -but minus Miyuki
-Gurren Lagann (TT Gurren Lagann) -and it was an amazing suit at that!!
- Any other Ganmen (TT Gurren Lagann)
-Samus, Suited or Zero-suit (Metroid) -ran into both versions
-Any Star Wars Character (Star Wars)
- Samurai Stormtrooper
-Multi-man cosplaying outfit (takes more than one person to "operate" the outfit) (Any)
-Man-Faye (an old AX classic) (Cowboy Bebop)
-A video game character playing the video game (Bonus: if he/she is using the same character in the game) (Any)
-A Hentai Series/game character (Any)
-Astroboy (Astroboy)
-A Chocolate Coronet (Lucky Star(sort of))
-Exelica (Triggerheart Excelica)
-Bridget that's a guy but looks like a girl (Guilty Gear)
-Kamina, Yoko, Simon group (TT Gurren Lagann)
-Odinsphere character (Odinsphere)
-Haruhi Suzumiya in Playstation 2 game outfit (Haruhi)
-Saber Lily (Fate/Unlimited Codes)
- Bonus: if the Haruhi and Saber cosplayers are together
-Ultraman (Any ultraman) (Ultraman)
-Master Chief, and a good quality outfit at that (Halo series)
-ODST (Halo 3:ODST)
-Ikkaku in Bankai Form (Bleach)
-Soi Fon in Bankai Form (Bleach)
-Ichigo in "Super-Hollow" form (Bleach)
-Ulquiorra in "Full released" form (Bleach)
-All 6 Pains along with Nagato and Konan (Naruto)
-Any Eva Unit (Evangelion)
-World of Warcraft character (World of Warcraft)
- Illidan (World of Warcraft)
- Lich King (World of Warcraft)
-Hagumi with Leaf (Honey and Clover)
-Ryu Hayabusa (Ninja Gaiden)
-Strider Hiryu (Strider)
-"Single sheet" cosplayer (someone dressed normally with a sheet of paper or something saying he/she's something) (any)
-Bunny outfit Haruhi Group (Haruhi)
-K-on! Group (K-on!) -minus Ritsu
- Mio with a real looking guitar (Bonus: if the guitar is a left handed bass) (K-on!) -well close to a real looking guitar. the pegs were on for a left handed bass
- Tsumugi with a keyboard guitar (K-on!)
-Drossel (Fireball)
-Persona, any (Persona 3 or 4)
- Izanagi (Persona 4)
-Kimidori Emiri (Haruhi)
-Adult Mikuru (Haruhi)
-A big E-Honda (Street Fighter)
-Zangeif (Street Fighter)
-Transformer, any (Transf0rmer)
-Yoko with downed hair and modified rifle (TT Gurren Lagann Movie)
-Saber Alter (Fate/Stay Night)
-Mari (Bonus: if in plugsuit) (Evangelion: You Can Not Advance Movie)
-Mariya Shidou (Bonus: if actually a guy but looks like a girl) (Maria+Holic)
-Saber with metal armor (no cheap foil looking crap) (Fate/Stay Night)

Whew, that's what I got so far. I will be adding more as AX comes closer.

EDIT: 6/28 Added some more/ 7/2-7/4 changed found costumes in Bold and added more ideas

The 1/1 Odaiba Gundam

I'm a bit late on this great masterpiece of a 1/1 RX-78 Gundam. If you already been visiting Danny Choo's site the articles are spread all over the place about its construction and operation. I honestly have just been glimpsing through the articles to see the images, and they are awesome!

I took this image from one of the DC articles (so I don't claim any ownership over it) since I haven't been to Japan at all yet. and sad to hear that it may go down in August (T_T). At this point they got the head moving left and right, lights on during the night and sound effects remembered from the series. cool stuff!

Up and Running once again!

I have finally gotten my computer back up for the time being! Yay! and it only took me 3 months to do so... being busy with other stuff and often motivation most of that time played a role in that.

So anyways, there's quite a bit to catch up on here. i'll eventually get to that. I just gotta sort things out once again then i'll try and get back on track here. bare with me!

Down but not out!!

Ok, my computer crapped out on me pretty recently, and I am doing this off my cousin's computer while they are away on vacation and I'm left to tend to their house and dogs. So, there may not be a lot of posts for a bit until I'm able to fix up the problems on my own computer. Hopefully it shouldn't be too long until I do. I still gotta keep up with what's going on everywhere...

Figma Cycles

Lo and behold! My friend has been able to get a hold of the latest available figma accessories the Figma Cycles! I couldn't resist doing a shoot having the figmas themselves building them up so here it goes:
Konata: Hey! Kagami! Look what just came in! Let's build em!
Kagami: ...Alright, I guess this could be kind of fun to do.

Konata steadily places the bike on the floor while Kagami gets the necessary tool (><)

Holding the knife steadily, Kagami cuts at the connection points while Konata directs her where to cut (at the same time keeping her distance from Kagami just in case she starts getting frusturated)

With the parts all cut, they are ready to assemble the bike
Kagami: Don't we need the instruction manual to build it right?
Konata: Nah! I can do this with my eyes closed. :P

Assembly still continues. Looks like Kagami is finally having fun with assembling the bike.

Finished! The bike is done, leaving the two drained of energy. It actually did take longer than expected because Konata really did need the instruction manual.
Konata: Whew, finally. That's done...
Kagami: Yeah.....

Konata: Ah! We still have the second bike to build!
Kagami: Hey Yuki. You've been just sitting there the whole time we were building this. Why don't you help out?
Yuki looks up at the two....

...then looks back down at her book while holding up her wand. Konata and Kagami look puzzled at what she's doing...

Whaa??? The two turn around just to find that the second bike was instantaneously built with no effort!!!

While Yuki gets into her book again, Konata and Kagami feel utterly defeated seeing that they did all that work on the first bike. They should've asked Yuki in the first place. T_T

Well there you go! I hope you enjoyed that (at least for even a lil bit...). This was the first run of something like this, yet it took a while to do all the setup. My next idea would be similar when building the Macross Frontier model, using twice as many figmas ><. That's gonna take a while.....

Anime DVD Organizing and Best Buy

My DVD collection has grew immensely since I've started getting into anime. It was about time that I got around to doing a bit of organizing of my collection, so for my trip to Best Buy today, I got one of those cd folders to place my DVD's in. So in they go into the folder, and out go the dvd cases:

Items from front to back: DVD Folder, Empty DVD cases stacked up, Specific series collection boxes. On top of the box on the upper left is a cap/beanie based of Sachiel of Eva that I got during AX 08 (Unrelated but it found it's way there when I was moving things around to get to my DVD's). Not to mention, I haven't placed all DVD's in the folder. I'm leaving out from the folder series that are in special boxes or packaged differently as well as dvd collections I've gotten that are in slimpack. @ least these are less space consuming than the standard cases.

I've only started with my collection into the folder. A bit of math here: the packaging said 336 CD/DVD slots; I think I counted more. However I barely "made a dent", so to speak, in my collection and I have already filled more than half of the spaces in the folder.......I think I'll need to get one more folder...

The last two pictures are the numerous cases lined up before possibly being tossed out. I saved some that hold double discs; I feel that I can use these ones later.

And if you haven't heard, Best Buy's began reducing their anime stock in most stores. Sales aren't doing well in some stores so they're going to cut anime completely in some stores and only have the top 20 selling (I think) in other stores. The third grouping is apparently safe from being cut, however their sales will not be discounted on their remaining anime (up to 50% I hear). My main 3 Best Buy's are safe (whew), but I feel for those whose Best Buy's are affected. A link to a list of Best Buy stores being affected by the cuts here. Best of luck to everyone!

SF4

Such an amazing game! We haven't even scratched the surface of it's possible potential!

I haven't been posting lately just because of this (hey i warned you in an earlier post). I thought I would be mastering Sakura a lot more, but it appears I'm pretty good with Fei Long. Played my friend online who uses chun-li and lost couple of times while using Sakura but when Fei came up the matches were pretty even. I didn't even expect that...

ACHAAAAA!!!!!