Fanime 2014: Robbie's Report (Part 2)

And now we get to Sunday. I suppose you'd think, "Oh, this is the part where things start slowing down," but you'd be wrong, for Sunday was just as busy for me.

I started the day cosplaying as Gowland from "Alice in the Country of Hearts" for the Wonderland gathering. I had, after all, promised the organizer that I'd be able to make it this year. The gathering was mostly split between "Madness Returns" and the series I was from, but it had a moderate turnout, and we got some good pictures out of it.

Immediately after, I left to change into Flynn Rider from "Tangled" for a Disney photoshoot, and later the gathering. I found my friends, and we mostly hung around while waiting for the photographer, then got some pictures in. I think I wound up in more goof shots than serious ones, but that's half the fun.


Given the lines for food, there wasn't much time between the photoshoot and gathering, but thankfully, my girlfriend was awesome enough to pick up food for me while I was rushing between things both days. I got to the Disney gathering just in time, and it had an impressive turnout. There was an "extended family" Disney gathering the day before, but this one still had a lot of attendees from all sorts of Disney movies. Naturally, "Frozen" had a lot of cosplayers, but just about every movie got some representation, including Cinderella and her step-sisters and even Lady and the Tramp.

Sadly, I was unable to stick through the entire thing, as I had go to change for the gathering directly after, for Avatar: The Last Airbender/Legend of Korra. I went as the Pro Bending Announcer, although I foolishly forgot my hat at home, and couldn't find the proper vest. But I was there to co-host, since I could do a pretty good impression of the announcer, and helped organize everyone for each shot.

No sooner was that over than I had to prepare for the Cosplay Battles. This was the final set of the convention, and like before, it had a small but good turnout. Everyone enjoyed their battles, and many expressed a desire to return for next year's matches.

You'd think at that point, my day was over, but you'd be wrong. For once that was done, I changed into a formal version of Ryoga Hibiki and checked in to my panel. I was hosting "Abridging a Series" once again, and when I arrived at the Fairmont, where the panels were held, I saw a huge line stretching through the halls.

Then I learned that line was for the "Free!" HaruMako shipping panel.

My line was a bit shorter, but it was still a line, so I'll take it!

The panel went quite well; there was a mix of new and old attendees alike, and they were a receptive audience. This time, we abridged "Disk Wars: Avengers," an anime that puts the Marvel heroes in disks that act like a combination of Beyblades and Pokeballs. There was not enough time to finish recording everyones' lines, so the volunteers will have to email me the remaining lines before the video can finish.

Then it was time for dinner, and I got a surprisingly good steak at a nearby Chinese restaurant. That's not too important, though, for what came next was the Black and White Ball. I didn't go to the masquerade (although I'm sure you'll hear about that in other reports), but I went to the ball with a formal Ranma 1/2 group. The group was well-received, which was very welcome, and the ball itself was improved from last year. The staff was more careful about consistency with the dress code policy, and although it played some songs that didn't quite meet the formal mood, they were catchy nonetheless ("Everything is Awesome" and the "Ghostbusters" theme were played). Many other songs were more fitting, such as a waltz version of "Zelda's Lullaby," and the night generally went well.

Except for poor P-Chan.

Finally, it was Monday, the last day of the convention. I actually had a day free of plans, so I cosplayed as Jean from "Attack on Titan" with my girlfriend as Mikasa. We got to wander, meet up with friends, and check out the exhibits before they closed (or our feet gave out on us, whichever came first), and I finally had the chance to chat with friends without needing to check the time constantly.

I did end up attending one more gathering, as the Nickelodeon/Cartoon Network gathering was closing the convention. As "Attack on Titan" is on Toonami, I was welcome to attend, and as a friend was hosting it, I was more than happy to. As the convention was nearing its end, we started letting any cosplayers join in the fun, and it concluded the day on a high note.

Then began the lengthy drive back, but it was well worth the trip. Fanime 2014 was a step up from last year, and went very smoothly. Any drawbacks were my fault, as I overbooked myself event-wise, but next year I'll try to limit myself a bit more so I can enjoy the con and spend more time with friends. The cosplay department did an excellent job keeping gatherings and cosplay events running smoothly, and all in all, it was a return to form for Fanime.

All men must die... of heat in those awesome Game of Thrones costumes.

Om-nom-nom it's Eren's mom!