Posted: 090320 11:00
Tekkoshocon
This is a head's up, since the con's only two weeks away. For the first year, it'll be held in a real convention center, in the actual heart of the city. Kind of exciting, because it's starting to feel like a real anime convention. Still, though I am biased, it seems odd that anyone would drive hours and book hotels for this particular con, but then again, I live here, and if I wanted to go to that much effort, I'd go to a bigger con like Otakon. Yet, this con seems to be growing year after year. I only found out about it last year (well, I found out just after it was held two years ago, so I've only attended last year). The first five years of its existence, I was wholly unaware that it had even broken off from the local Comicon it used to be affixed to, back around the end of the previous decade.
Well, now that the history lesson's over, is anybody planning on checking out the con, or am I gonna have to go alone? It's too convenient an opportunity for me to pass up, and I'm sort of hoping I can maybe get some good pictures. But, you know, cons aren't really fun without friends...
Posted: 090328 23:09
IfTheLightTakesUs wrote:
It'll have to work around my work schedule though...
I don't know what your work schedule's gonna be like for next weekend, but here's my generic tentative plan: Since Friday is an Open Stage, I'm thinking about going early to check out the place, get the lay of the land, get registered, see where everything is, maybe attend a few panels depending, and get back home before dinner. Then, on Saturday, which is the big day for any con, it'd be nice to spend a lot of time out there. I dunno how early I/we'd go, but it'd be cool to stay late. As for Sunday, Sunday's a pretty big non-day for a con, so I'm not sure if there's even any point in going. Depends on how the other days go, and if there's anything interesting to see on that day. All of this is, of course, modifiable depending on your schedule.
Posted: 090402 19:32
I was starting to think I'd have to wait till I actually got to the con, but a schedule has finally been released. You can also take a look at the map, if you are so inclined. I've been trying to get information and do some planning, but the Tekko site keeps going down... :|
Not a terrible lot of interesting panels/events/etc. that I can see, but then again, the main fun of a con is the cosplay, and the dealer's room. Still, I hope the schedule doesn't get shuffled *that* much at the last minute... :|
There's a Claymore panel on Friday in the afternoon that might be interesting. Apparently it'll be hosted/feature as a guest the English voice actress for Clare. Which brings up one of the things that bugs me about cons - the English fandom. On Saturday there's a Kendo Demo in the afternoon which should be most interesting, I hope. Also a "J-Rock Shock" panel in the evening, which may or may not be of any interest. Sunday looks to have very little to offer, confirming my suspicion that there won't be much point in going that day.
As for the video rooms, I wish they would make it a little more obvious what's being played in English and what's being played in Japanese - as that's kind of really important to some people. On the schedule, one of the video rooms is marked "(sub)" and one is marked "(dub)", but I have no idea what that means, as it leaves the question of what the other three video rooms are playing, and it's not something I'm confident enough to rely on.
Anyhow, I saw a bunch of titles that'd be fun to watch a bit of, provided they are shown in my preferred language. I'm surprised Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei is airing in the middle of the night (Saturday, 3:30-5:30am), though it's nice that it's scheduled for two whole hours. But it seemed to be a fairly decent hit at the con last year, it seems odd for them to schedule it that late...
Ultimately, it'll be good to watch some AMV's in the AMV Room, which, hopefully, will be big enough this year to accommodate more than twenty people. :|
I've heard about three photoshoots of interest. There's a Code Geass one, which I'd love to see (C.C.!), except it's scheduled for Friday evening... But there's a Naruto photoshoot Saturday afternoon, and I'm hoping to see a lot of Akatsuki, which would be cool. :ninja: Also, there's a Fate/Stay Night photoshoot Saturday evening, and I have reason to believe there will be an Ilya cosplayer. :shock: In any case, I hope I get to see some good cosplay - and better yet, get a few decent pictures for once.
But perhaps the thing I'm looking forward to the most is the Dealer's Room. Just gotta try to keep myself from spending a lot of money. Always good to find a couple cool souvenirs though. Like my Primula blind box figure I got last year! ^^
Posted: 090402 23:41
Kashi wrote:
Imo, if you're paying for a con (which is already a scant 2-3 days), you go the whole time. There's gotta be something on Sunday. There was stuff at Otakon that I remember, but we bounced because we had a lot of road time ahead of us.
And what the hell? The con goes on until 5:30am each night?!
Sunday is a non-day for a con. I think it's kind of silly that there's more activity on Friday morning than there is Sunday evening, considering that some people still have work/school/whatever during the day on Friday, yet Sunday is a vacation day. Sure, I suppose people have to get back home on Sunday to be ready for work/school/whatever on Monday (but then what did they do during the day on Friday?), and the staff or whatever has to close down the con and clean up and all that. But it still seems funny to me.
The con ends by noon on Sunday. There are no especially interesting panels or events, and nothing in the video rooms that I can't see elsewhere. The thing is, I'd have to get up super early, to be at the con at like 9, instead of by 12, and I'd rather sleep in. You know? If I was staying at a hotel next door or down the street, sure, I'd go just because I was there. But the payoff for going out there on the last day isn't really worth the effort, when I can do everything I want to do on Friday/Saturday.
And if you don't think Sunday really is dry, go ahead and take a look at the schedule. It's just closing ceremony and crap. 'Sides, Tekkoshocon is growing, but it's still a lot smaller than Otakon.
Oh, and technically, the con doesn't go until 5:30 am each night. All the events and stuff end by 2am, I believe, and the convention center itself closes at a certain time of night, but the hotel it's connected (?) to stays open all night, and one of the video rooms is scheduled to go 24 hours a day, so...
Kashi wrote:
PS - Save your money don't buy stuff lol
Well, yeah, that's the plan, but when you're surrounded by posters of bishoujos and plastic loli figurines and whatnot, it's impossible not to pick up something. Besides, it'd be a waste not to get a souvenir. It's just a matter of utilizing the proper amount of restraint (which I'm usually pretty good with when it comes to spending money, I think).
First Day
