Otakus Invade LA, Day 1: Epic concert, getting lost in LA, Gurren Lagann and booze FTW

When you think of the 4th of July, most people would automatically think of block parties, BBQs and fireworks right? While that may be true for some, it hasn't been true for me the last couple of years. You see for me, being a huge anime fan, that weekend means party time indeed, but a different kind of party. That party is a party with thousands of otaku congregating in one place to celebrate their passion towards the fine art of anime and manga (I was going to say love, but that sounds a bit creepy). That weekend long party is a little thing called Anime Expo (AX from this point forward), the nation's largest anime and manga convention (and 44,000 unique attendees bear truth to these numbers as well) and once again this year, AX took over the Los Angeles Convention Center (LACC for short). Now you're probably thinking to yourself that this recap is a bit overdue, since it's been a week past now...and you're probably correct; but it's taken me this long to recover and get back into the normal swing of things (read: Real Life); so better late than never right?

My AX begins at my friend Daniel's place, where I met up with him and Hugo very early on the morning of Day 1 (Thursday, July 2nd). After loading up our luggage in the trunk and back seat of Daniel's car and parking my car in his garage so it wouldn't get towed, we were on the road, to be met with typical morning rush hour traffic (though not as bad as it could've been) while rocking out to music from Cowboy Bebop on the way up. Remarkably, we made it to the swank Westin Bonaventure in about an hour to check in and meet up with Mark, another friend who was also rooming with us and to get situated in our room. Having settled in for the long haul, it was off to catch a shuttle bus to the LACC where Hugo and I would pick up our badges, while Daniel would go off to do what he does best, taking pro style pictures of the many cos-players. A short ride over and a ten minute or so wait in line, our badges were secured and it was off to the Main Events hall to hopefully catch a bit of Opening Ceremonies, which according to the schedule, and my watch had already started. Funny thing about AX though...main events have a history of NOT starting on time in the past, and this was no exception. We met up with Emily, decked out in her amazing Allelujah cos-play from Gundam 00 and proceed to wait and wait until, 45 minutes late, the show got on the road.

For those who are curious about opening ceremonies (if you're not...too bad, lol), people spoke and CHOC, which is the recipient of all funds raised by the AX Charity Auction presented a moving video about their hospital. Much applause and then it was time to introduce the many Guests of Honor, many (if not all) getting very enthusiastic responses from the crowd, but perhaps none moreso than the musical guests who were set to do their very first live shows here in the states...Morning Musume, an all girl pop group which had many people coming from all over JUST for their concert and Moi dix Mois a visual kei oriented rock group, which appeared to scare a couple members of MoMusu.

Already tired from lack of sleep at this point and hungry, having not eaten anything...it was off to the first panel discussion of AX with the character designer of Gundam 00, Yun Kouga where we met up with more friends. After many questions by devoted fans, many about her yaoi manga, Loveless...it was time to find some food, as my stomach protested loudly at the thought of going without food any longer than necessary. Andrew and I set off in search of a place that wasn't too expensive and closeby; we settled on the Yard House which is one of the many new eateries in the new LA Live complex...OK, so not exactly cheap, but whatever. A semi rushed lunch later; full of food and caffeine (and feeling MUCH better), I bid farewell to my friends and made haste back to the LACC to redeem my voucher and get my ticket for the Moi dix Mois concert. Finally an event that started on time...if not a few minutes early. And wow, was I floored...for a group that has a heavy metal feel to their music with their pounding drums and ferocious guitars, MdM's music has a rather beautiful and elegant feel to it. Needless to say, I became a fan instantly, throwing the horns in unison with the very enthusiastic crowd and never once sitting in my seat. After a blistering encore, I decided that I really needed to head back to the hotel to take a breather (and some Advil, as I had a headache from the concert, which was SO worth it). On the way to the shuttle, I met up with a friend from the forums (another Andrew) and decided to instead catch up with him and chat Lakers basketball as we made the walk back to the hotel (10 blocks away). I decided that the walk really wasn't too bad after all, though, having someone to chat with helps.

A quick recharge later, and I was back off to the LACC to get some more pictures in before meeting friends prior to the premiere of the Gurren Lagann movie. Well, on my way, with a side trek to Radio Shack to get some new batteries for my camera and a much longer walk then I needed to take. Allow me to explain....upon exiting from Macy's Plaza, I proceeded to turn myself around and proceed the exact OPPOSITE direction of where I needed to go. Moments later, I'm a bit nervous as I find myself in the Fashion District, not exactly sure of which way to go to get back in the right direction...thankful that I didn't end up in the Toy District (aka Skid Row). In the end, I took the fail safe route and headed back towards the skyline of LA and eventually finding myself back in the safety of downtown and the LACC, my feet now complaining despite the new shoes. I was just in time to meet up with a friend who had saved me a seat near the front of the room (yay)! So, for those curious, the Gurren Lagann movie is basically the retelling of the series up to the point in time before the final battle with Lord Genome; basically a retelling, with a couple of key points changed up for the movie, which I thoroughly enjoyed, along with again, a very enthusiastic crowd that reacted at every key point.

At the conclusion of the movie, it was time to meet up with more friends and head back towards the hotel, for an AX Forums meet and greet at Weiland's Brewery for much drinks and food. The restaurant itself was rather bare, with only a few patrons inside....that is, until a bunch of thirsty and hungry otaku invaded, literally taking over the restaurant and both delighting and dismaying the waitresses with the upsurge of business. Among the highlights were a group of brave souls, including one senior AX staffer downed shots called Megatrons (Makers Mark and Patron), the bar being out of Bacardi 151, otherwise, said shots would have been updgraded to Galvatron status. Slowly, many people began to file out as it got later, causing a bit of concern that there might have been some who skipped out on their end.

Thankfully, with the expertise of running several other meetup groups and having much experience with large tabs, Yvonne tallied the bill and we ended up $10 over the total bill, which was left as an extra tip to the waitress who worked so hard to make sure we had what we needed. Once that was settled, and after much more socializing and drinking with the forums crew as well as a few members of my anime group, I managed to stumble back to the hotel. It was there, that a few of us leftovers hung out at the No Pants Party (an unofficial nightly tradition at AX, in its 5th year) before I decided to listen to my body's pleas for rest and made my way back up to my room (thankfully, the bar was right across from where I was staying) to crawl into bed and get a few short hours of sleep and do it again. All in all, an excellent first day at AX!