This was my first time attending PMX so I was rather sad I couldn’t attend all three days but I will say that I loved the time I spent there. The first thing I realized about this convention is that it’s completely lax. The entire crowd isn’t very large, the people are very mellow, and it has an overall nice, almost intimate feeling to it. The people seem much less stressed than anyone at a huge con, like Anime Expo, and it really improves the experience, at least in my opinion. While a huge, rush-for-your-life con has its advantages, I think these types of cons are nice towards the end of the year.
The first day especially had a laid back feel. The panels were rather few and far between, almost less so than what I’d expect out of a Sunday at a larger con. Which I find interesting since the Sunday schedule was jam-packed with everything and anything. I attended a few panels such as Infotakus’ K-Pop 101 panel, which was informative and well put together. I’m glad it happened at all since there were technical difficulties before it even started! After that, I slipped in and out of a few other panels, since I wanted to get a feel for the con in general. All together I think that most of the panels were successful and really interesting.
The Artist Alley and Exhibit Hall were both well stocked for the size of the rooms that could be expected from a convention of this size. Another convention special was the Photo shoot Room, which I thought was a brilliant idea since most people want mini shoots of their cosplays but not everyone knows photographers to do that for them. I cannot possibly write a report on PMX without including the MASS AMOUNT OF POCKY that the Pocky Lounge had. Hordes of Pocky cases were brought in and they left quickly. Free Pocky for days. I left with 8 boxes myself. I just kept getting it given to me. Pocky Madness Expo became a common joke. It was amazing to have free snacks but I’m not sure I can eat Stawberry Pocky again for the rest of my life…
As it got later in the day, everyone was gearing up for the BACK-ON concert. I couldn’t go to this unfortunately, but once again, you can look at Tally’s report. From her and the other people I know who went, it looks like it was another PMX success!
I spent a good amount of time in the Karaoke room just meeting and greeting people then singing my lungs out with them! The staff there, and everywhere else in the con, was sweet and helpful. I got lost more than once, which is a tad embarrassing since it’s such a small convention… But they helped me along. Although I did get lost with a member of the staff once. It was his first year at PMX too. It’s good to know that I’m not the only one who got confused.
Towards the end of the night, the dance started and people were going crazy. I stopped in for a bit but my leg, which was hurt, wouldn’t let me stay long. Everyone who went was thoroughly satisfied though. I ended my night just in the lobby, resting my leg, and talking to everyone who sat down. I spoke with Jeff Suddarth, the founder of a new convention starting next year, Anime California. He told me a lot about it and it sounds very promising! I’ll definitely be covering that next year! I’ll put a link in to the Anime California website so you can look into this up and coming OC convention.
Now, as I said, I couldn’t attend half of the con so I didn’t get to PMX until late in the day on Saturday, sadly. But I did get there in time for the Masquerade! Just so you all know, I absolutely hate Masquerades but I felt I should cover it anyway. However, I was extremely happy with this one! Unlike any other that I’ve been to, it did not take 3 ½ to 4 hours. It was a 2 ½ hour experience with not a dull moment! The cosplays were beautiful, the performances were extraordinary, and the flow of the show was smooth. It started a little late but that wasn’t really a hindrance. This is where I took all of my pictures because my friend let me borrow her camera. The host was a tad stutter-y but he did well overall. The people who did performances were amazing, from choreographed dances and flag spinning to acting out actual scenes, I was entertained and enticed. I also like that they announced the winners of the AMV contest near the end of the night. It was a good buffer between the semi-concert they had and the judge’s announcements. All of the AMVs were fun and amazing and I recommend finding them, assuming they’re on the internet already. After the Masqurade, I mostly just stopped around and talked with friends before leaving for the con.
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| Tiffany Nguy and Ichiro Ao as Ultimate Madoka and Ultimate Homura |
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| Winner of the Masquerade |
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| Special Performer Takeriya Samurai Mikarin as Inori |
Anime California Website: http://animecalifornia.com
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