The halfway point of FanimeCon. Today is crunch time for most people with the final full day of festivities; yes, there is a Monday but mostly everyone worries about checking out, trying to get home, and mostly everything is done by evening.
I find myself in a position to do something that I didn't do a day ago: use a Bird Scooter to zip on over to La Vic's to get food then zip on back before anyone could notice; I went to the much quieter San Pedro Square location to avoid the majority who go to the San Jose State location. The impact on having on-demand transportation was gigantic so far.
A pair of Bird Scooters
This morning brought me to the Final Fantasy Gathering in continuing the video game theme. I had a live stream going but due to the the location, its proximity to the sun, and how the sun reflected off of the concrete in that particular spot, my phone overheated, so I aborted the stream.
Pre-gathering gathering
As predicted with Persona 5 at the Persona Gathering, this gathering was dominated by Final Fantasy XV/15, the most recent mainline entry into the long running Square Enix franchise.
Final Fantasy XV group shot
FFVIII vs FFVII
Not sure what's going on but roll with me here
*insert stabbing noise here*
With the gathering over, I head back into the "not-so-hot" convention center to re-explore; I found myself back at Stage Zero at what was going to be a quick glance at Quick Draw with a Saber Nero cosplayer but then found out that there was going to be an idol performance from two groups of Love Live! cosplayers and performers, one from the original series and one from the Sunshine sequel. Given that my Final Fantasy stream failed, I decided to live stream this performance as a makeup as well as bridge time between now and the iDOLM@STER Gathering.
I had an opporunity to run into both µsa Cosplay and Follow Your Kokoro to let them know about the live stream and the photos I took before I ran off to cover the iDOL@MASTER Gathering.
Personally, I'm more of a iM@S fan than a Love Live! fan.
SideM characters
Group shot
I knew I that I wouldn't get anything to eat after I locked myself into covering the Charity Auction followed by CWF, so I scurried over to the nearly infinite amount of food carts stretched out for a block.
Attendees playing Overwatch
Black & White Ball on display on Stage Zero
Auctioning off a signed gaming keyboard and mouse set
Even if my skills were rusty, as in the Scott the auctioneer calling me out for a call bid after he explained the rules ON THE FIRST ITEM, I was able to make in impact on some unique merchandise and took home two pieces on the block.
Of course, everything was "relatively normal" until the FLCL shiki board came out.
One of the two that stretched out the bidding into the thousands...SPOILER ALERT he won
The piece up close
After the madness had calmed, I went over to the Dealers Hall to both catch up with everyone who had won and claim the items that I won before stashing them in my room and making the mad dash over to the Fairmont.
But first, a stop to My Milkshake - a place I've been wanting to drink at since its opening
A view inside the Fairmont
Lashayda Ducree at Fanimania I
Lashayda Ducree at Fanimania V
I remember when I first attended the Cosplay Wrestling Federation, or CWF for short, at Fanimania I in 2014. Back then, I thought "wrestling promos and trash talking with cosplayers? They may be onto something." And this was before they had secured a panel slot at Anime Expo (which became AXteme Rules); SacAnime, the Blkout Circuit, and their partnership with Supreme Pro Wrestling; or their expansion into Arizona; or everything in between.
None of us knew how big the CWF would get in five years.
I was able to sit on a pre-production meeting with all the participants and get a feel for what it was like before one of the biggest shows in CWF history.
Phoenix Wright going over pointers and tips for rookies and veterans alike
Sailor Moon setting the tone for the night
Super Mario and Reality with some unfinished business
Fan interaction at near professional wrestling levels
Dick Gumshoe gets ambushed during his time up on stage
Fan favorite Little Mac making a return
Super Mario and Reality attempting to finish said "unfinished business"
Phoenix Wright (C) vs Franziska von Karma (#1 Contender) - von Karma wins and becomes new heavywright champion
With everything out of the way for the evening and way too late to partake in the Karaoke Gong Show, Ray and I head out to Original Joe's before enjoying one evening run out at the convention. And in between a host of police reporting to a false report of a person with a knife to possibly doing something I never imagined I'd do in the front of the convention center, I guess it was a good evening.
The Sainte Clare sign lit
These crowds aren't going anywhere as Memorial Day approaches
-Day Three End-
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