Fanime
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2009 Fanimaid Experience Article
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2009 Fanimaid Experience Video
2009 marks
my tenth year of Fanime and every year has always been
a delight. I remember in 2000 when I was a little sprog
of an anime fan who recently heard of these anime conventions
from friends. I only stayed there for four hours that
year, but those four hours are burned into my memories.
I got to
see things change during those 10 years. First the convention
outgrew Santa Clara and moved to San Jose, which made
my commute a lot easier. Tiny child cosplayers I used
to punt around have now blossomed into barely legal
ladies who are usually taller than me. Cosplay technology
improved and with it comes better looking costumes.
The anime niche of the early 2000s is now a torrent
of titles I can never keep up with in watching. I changed
from regular fan to independent press to member of actual
press as I just began my writing position of anime critic
on The Escapist magazine. Ideally I wanted
to start writing for an anime magazine, but the Internet
managed to kill most of those forms of print media.
Fanime 2009
marks my acknowledgement of having many friends and
allies in the convention scene. I am an abrasive personality
who usually considers a person a friend when I do not
kill him at first sight. People who roll with it are
good acquaintances and people who accept it are great
friends. Friends come and go and losing the occasional
few is a downer, but there are plenty of new ones to
make. Just make sure that they are over 18 when flirting
with them.
To be on
the safe side, make sure the people you flirt with are
of drinking age, because it makes for a heck of a lot
of fun at the bars of the San Jose Convention Center
or downtown. My biggest question that remains on my
mind is, "What caliber gun do I bring to do body
shots?"
The highlight
for my Fanime 2009 was the Black and White Ball. I enlisted
to proctor dances to keep my 10 years of dancing afloat,
and got to see how much the activity is appreciated.
And there is just something memorable about dancing
with two EGL ladies to Tommy February6's
cover of Frankie Valli's "Can't Take My Eyes Off
You." Whether with my date or plucking wallflowers
onto the dance floor, the organization and execution
made the evening magical. I just wish they turned up
the lights during intermission so I could film the dances.
Despite
it being public record that I am an ashamed fan of schoolgirl
costumes, I decided to give the Fanimaids a chance at
their titular cafe. Being able to get away from the
hustle of the convention to enjoy a snack with an attractive
lady or three is definitely worth the wait--or just
get a reservation and skip the line of fan boys. The
thought of a maid at my beck and call greatly contrasts
with my self-reliant personality so actually enjoying
them do their jobs was a culture clash for me. Hopefully
by 2010 I will be more relaxed and willing to be serviced.
My biggest
complaint of Fanime is watching it end and having to
go back to the dull reality of soul-sucking work combined
with the additional work on the photos and reports.
But rest assured that I will remain a loyal patron of
Fanime as I look forward to Fanime 2010.
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