The Con Virgin Guide To: A-Kon

The Con Virgin’s Guide to Cons!</P>

Welcome to the wonderful world of convention funtiemzzzz~! This is a guide for the convention A-KON, on it’s 20^th anniversary meet (not the rapper fufu.) A-KON is a unique and fun convention, which Daioh--Sakura and Daioh--Kitten have been veterans of. Since we know our way around, we know the tricks o-the-trade that we shall share. Graciously.</P>

THINGS TO EXPECT

1. Crowds--A-KON is a huge convention! Full o fun and laffs and… sometimes, scary people. BUT! This is why it is ALWAYS GOOD TO TRAVEL IN GROUPS. <3 Whenever you cross the street, change floors, or even go to a new room; it is best to go with at least one friend that you trust --Sometimes in crowded rooms, we grab hands to keep together (like the dealers room!) --Just make sure it’s the hand of someone you know XD …Sometimes we do conga lines, too. It looks cool.

Sometimes you can even get split up in the aisle, so be sure to keep an eye out for friends. Make sure to always have your cells, and be sure to have them on and each others numbers programmed in, too.

2. ……….When crossing the street, outside is crowded with STRANGERS. (NOTE: THE CONVENTION IS IN TWO BUILDINGS; SO CROSSING THE STREET IS DONE A FEW TIMES A DAY.) The people in the con are (mostly) otaku, that are fairly easy to read. BUT--Outside, there are weirdoes; like in any hotel/city. This is why we always travel together, for common safety purposes.

3. COSPLAY ETTIQUET--Most cosplayers like it when you go up and treat them like the character, but it’s always good to call out their names first just in case to make sure (like, ‘hey Haruhi!’ or ‘You kinda look like Kira.’) It is a fun way to meet friends.

When taking photos, be sure to ask first. It is also OK to ask if you can pose with them, or request poses :3 Always say thank you for photos.

IF YOU SEE A BIG GROUP OF COSPLAYERS--SUCH AS A BIG BLEACH GROUP, OR SOUL EATER GROUP--SNAP PHOTOS QUICKLY! If they are posing in a huge group, it is an OK for camera ninjas~!

If you take a lot of photos, be sure to put them in a big online gallery so that the cosplayers can see their pictures. Cosplayers love to see what other people took of them, because people rarely put them up!

GLOMPING IS NOT OK UNLESS you ask first. Because costumes can be delicate and cost a lot of money, and glomping (or sneak hugs) can be damaging. Plus, it’s just polite, ne? Most people like hugs and glomps, because it makes them feel happy inside! Just be sure to ask first.

FREE GLOMP SIGNS--are illegal because of Dallas soliciting rules. O_o Generally if someone has a sign asking for hugs and such, it is a good idea NOT to. There is no delecate way around it--Some of these people are very sweet. But some of them are creepy. They might have cameras on their shoes--so that is another thing we shall get to, RIGHT NAO

4. COSPLAY 4 U--Wearing a skirted cosplay, no matter how short or long; ALWAYS be sure to wear shorts or bloomers or bathing suit bottoms under your skirt. Because, you don’t want to take any chances (all the cosplayers do it, for serial.) On things like escalators, too, this is necessary.

A funny story of the law: Shoes must be worn on escalators. When Sakura cosplayed L from Death Note, the Security Officers pulled her over and demanded she put shoes back on. XD

Expect pictures to be taken of you, if you are in cosplay. The general etiquette rule is that if you are in cosplay, you are giving permission to have people take your picture. You DO have the right to refuse a picture if you are busy or tired, but always say ‘thank you.’

Sometimes people will ask to be in the picture with you, or ask for special poses (like a Yuki pushing up her glasses or a Lelouch with his hand over his eye). These are very fun~!

Getting pictures taken is also a reason to wear extra makeup and do your hair well, because sometimes these pictures show up on the internet (sometimes they ask to send them to you through e-mail as well). Every few hours, we go in a group to redo makeup and hair. As a group, it is common courtesy to tell your friends discreetly if their hair or costume is askew (they appreciate it.)

ALSO--going in cosplay, be sure to have poses ready! Appropriate for your character. People don’t like pictures of you just standing there, for instance; a Mikuru just standing there is boring. A Mikuru doing the Mikuru Beam or tripping over something is EXTREME COOL TIEMZ. If you do the voices and act in character, people remember you as a really good cosplayer--we have found that it helps to get into character by watching a few episodes of the anime your character is from the night before the con, to get into the mindset.

5. MONEYS. If you see something you want in the dealers room (AND YOU WILL), and it is the last one or something that is rare--buy it right away, if you really want it. Things in cons are often rare Japanese items that rarely even show up on e-bay for resale… it is like a treasure hunt.

HOWEVER--If there are many items of the same thing, especially if it is expensive; be sure to wait a little. Especially if it is within the first little while of being at the con. You don’t wanna blow all your money within the first hour, believe me!! There is so much stuff in the dealers room, it is always best to look through everything before any major purchases.

6. MAKIN’ AMIGOES! Conventions are one of the best places to make friends, because they all have your common interests. If you make a good friend or meet someone you get along with, it is okay to ask for contact information such as e-mail or myspace and such. This way, you can exchange photos and keep in touch after the convention is over. Email is the safest thing to give out, so that is a good first step to friendship after the con.

7. DON’T BE INTIMIDATED BY THE VOICE ACTORS OR CELEBRITIES. There are some guest there who might seem like uber-celebs, but especially when it comes to voice actors; they are there to have fun and interact with you. They are real people, and fun people; too! They especially love talking about your favorite role they played, or asking questions.

8. SIGHTS AND SMELLS. …Sometimes you have to be prepared to see unpleasant things. A 90 year old Daisuke Niwa. (YES, ONE ACTUALLY EXISTS.) A 200-pound Yoko from Gurren Lagann. Sometimes people who are too big or smelly to play a certain character, dress up as them. It may be unpleasant, but it is never nice to make fun… it is always best to cosplay a character you already have a similar body type or look as, but some people don’t know or care about that. It’s not nice to make fun, because they might have a very strong connection to the character.

LIGHTER SIDE: Sometimes people dress as the wrong gender. It’s all good. Especially the boys who dress as catgirl maids. It’s as funny as it is cute--but still, not nice to make fun of. Girls get away with ‘crossplay’ easier than men, but that doesn’t stop them from trying! It is just a sight you should probably watch out for (and avoid if you are uncomfortable with).

There is sometimes, a distinct con odor. Smelly people. People tend not to bathe, especially around the last days of the con. You get used to it, eventually. Some of the nicest people you’ll meet, are the smelliest people at the convention. Try to grin, bear it, and hold your breath. XD

9. FOODTIEMZ--Be sure to bring water or a water bottle, because dehydration can happen at cons a lot! And water there costs a lot of money. It is also good to bring your own snacks if you want, because con food is often overpriced. For the most part, we go outside the hotel to buy food at McDonalds or Panda Express (it is cheaper and more filling than a 10 dollar ham sandwich!)

Bringing your own snacks like pocky or energy bars are good and filling. For the most part at a convention, you can forget about things like food and drink--so having some on hand is good.

ALWAYS HAVE AT LEAST 10 DOLLARS EXTRA MONEY FOR FOOD OR EMERGENCY! D8 You never know.

10. THINGS NOT TO SAY--At conventions, there are a lot of etiquette protocols of things that you just don’t do or say. The otaku subculture can be a harsh one, but in general; there is one thing that can sum up the bane of a hardcore otaku’s existence: n00b. You don’t want to be a n00b.

-This means: things like saying ‘desu’ (even in a funny way, people get offended)--unless you are from Rosen Maiden.

-Don’t go screeching ‘kawaii’ or ‘sugoi desu ne~’ at everything. Use English, unless you have the actual Japanese skills to back it up. (I mean, even Japanese people rarely try to pull out the ‘kawaii’ deal.)

-Insulting things or using the phrase ‘so gay/that’s really gay’ is not good. People get offended at conventions if you use the phrase ‘gay’ in an insulting way. If you have to bring up somethings pending queerness, say ‘that’s really weird’ or ‘stupid’ or something.

-Acting overly hyper or excited in a quiet room, or room of a serious panel. Interrupting people by screaming about your favorite cosplayer in a high-pitched voice doesn’t fly well in a serious panel.

LIST OF THINGS TO BRING THAT ARE NECCECARY FUFUFU

1--Deoderant. Everyone needs it. You will succumb to the con smell. It’s a good plan to re-apply at every bathroom visit, or so on so forth--in courtesy for other smelly people.

2--Extra makeup. A mini-bag for re-covering up between pictures.

3--Water and food, if you don’t want to buy it yourself.

4--Lot’s of money. At least 10 dollars left over for emergencies.

5--A new manga or a sketchbook, something to keep yourself occupied between lines. There are many lines.

6--Camera, if you wanna take pictures

7--Suitcase, to transport stuff you buy/bring

8--A change of clothes in case the costume gets too hot, or you just feel like changing, or you spill something/get too smelleh.

9--Sense of adventurez, because there are always …adventures/mishaps.

Always be sure to go in elevators together. Because Elevators at A-KON are evil, and break a lot and only go to certain floors.

Try not to be loud in hotel halls, because that is where the non-con-goers go to hide from the madness.

Con hall games (like caramelldansen, little sally walker, or random singing of Disney songs) are fun, but if it gets too widespread or rowdy--be prepared for security to tell you to take it outside! We usually try to stick to smaller groups, that are not too loud.

Try not to compare Gundam to Evangelion to Code Geass. People are as loyal to Giant Robot series as they are to their limbs/Jesus. They will fight you for their opinion.

PS: It is pretty much against the RULES to get involved in conversations about series done by 4KIDS or that are notorious for bad dubbing, like Tokyo Mew Mew, One Piece, or the Cardcaptor Sakura Travesty. People are very opinionated about this, so at some conventions it has become against the rules.

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