Chinese New Year
March 9, 2010 by super-no1 · View Comments
On February 20th, I went to the Chinese New Year celebration in Los Angeles’ Chinatown. I was a little worried because of the rainy weather on the night before, but it turned out to be a very nice day. It was the second year that I’ve attended this. Since last year was the first time that I went, I missed out on a lot of things. So, this year, I arrived a bit earlier and was able to look at the festival portion of this event. It was fairly standard stuff. There was a main stage that featured plenty of local entertainment. Like many Asian events, there were many East Asian countries that were represented in the festivities. It wasn’t just limited to Chinese entertainment and culture. The main event of the day was the Golden Dragon Parade. It’s a very large parade. I’ve seen the parades at Nisei Week and the LA Korean Festival and this is probably the largest parade I’ve seen for any of the cultural events that I regularly go to. It’s also the best attended. There aren’t a lot of empty spaces on the sidewalk during the parade. It’s really a great sight to see. Since it was the year of the tiger, every float seemed to have at least one tiger prominently displayed. There are plenty of lions and dragons as well. It’s also not just and Asian-themed parade. There are groups represented from all parts of the city. There are some things in this parade that you wouldn’t expect to find in a Chinese New Year parade.
Unlike last year, where I left as soon as the parade was over, I actually took some time to walk through the neighborhood and found a few interesting sights. I’ve lived in Los Angeles for awhile, but I rarely visit Chinatown. I visit Little Tokyo frequently, but Chinatown is just a short walk. Sometimes, I forget that I live in such a great city that has so much to offer. I would definitely love to visit Chinatown more often, but then again, that’s what I said after attending last year’s Chinese New Year festival.
Otaku Rehab
February 16, 2010 by super-no1 · View Comments
Otaku Rehab is a new event created by the same group that created MikomiCon, an anime convention held on the campus of Cal State Northridge. MikomiCon has been one of my favorite anime conventions over the past few years. I’m not a huge fan of very large conventions. I like the slower pace of smaller conventions and generally, they have a better atmosphere for socializing. Also, being on college campus, MikomiCon has the best location of any convention in Southern California for taking photographs. It has had its share of struggles. It’s the smallest convention that I attend. Attendance has remained steady at around the 1,000 mark. It has a big problems with convention “ghosts”–people who come to the convention to cosplay, take photos, try to get freebies, etc., without purchasing a convention membership. For large conventions, “ghosts” aren’t as damaging to convention’s income as they are to smaller conventions. For the smaller conventions, every paid membership counts and if there aren’t enough paying customers, it could mean that the convention won’t survive for another year.
For 2010, the creators of MikomiCon decided to hold two different events. The large convention would still be held at Cal State Northridge, but renamed as MikomiCore. Otaku Rehab is the second event, consisting of two pre-events and a main event to be held in May. The pre-events are basically a cosplay gathering and picnic held in the same park as the main event. The main event would be a one-day mini convention, complete with a dance in the evening. The first of the pre-events was held at the end of January at Borchard Community Park in the city of Newbury Park, CA. There haven’t been very many anime related events held in Ventura County. This was something new. I went to this event and I really didn’t know what to expect, but I kept my expectations very low. However, the turnout was surprisingly good for an event of this type. About 30 people attended this event and to be quite honest, I didn’t expect more than 10-15 people. This is good news for this struggling convention. It shows that there is an interest in their events. The event was definitely a small success. In the end it seemed that everybody had a good time and enjoyed the picnic. Hopefully, this is a good sign for MikomiCon.
Anime Los Angeles 2010
February 2, 2010 by super-no1 · View Comments
Last month, I attended Anime Los Angeles 6, which was held at the LAX Marriott. It was the second consecutive year that this convention has been held at this location. I’ve attended all six editions of this convention. It’s quite impressive that this convention has grown from about 600 attendees in it’s first year to this year’s total of slightly over 3,2oo attendees. This event is no longer simply a convention attended by Southern California residents. People come from all over the US and a few foreign countries to attend this convention. Honestly, I think a lot of its success has to do with the nonstop efforts of its staff to promote the convention. They attend many events to get the word out about their convention. They also try hard to improve the convention every year and are very open to suggestions from its attendees. If there’s a problem, it gets addressed and it usually gets fixed. Fans take notice of that and decide that this is an event worth going to.
For me, I’ve seen so many changes at this convention. It used to be a pretty laid back convention for me. It was mostly a convention for relaxing and socializing. This year, with the larger attendance and a lot of friends coming in from out of town to get here, this convention has become really crowded and hectic. A lot of people seem to be really busy. Honestly, it’s not as relaxing as it used to be. I still try to get to the cosplay photography aspect of things. People expect that of me, so I do it. However, anybody that knows me and knows what my style of working is knows that I hate cramped quarters and conventions that are “zoos”. If it’s too crowded, I get very unmotivated and that’s one reason why I tend to avoid conventions like Comic Con International and Anime Expo. Anime Los Angeles is rapidly becoming one of those “zoos” that I really don’t like. People were taking photographs everywhere including the parking garage, neighboring buildings, the small green spaces in front of the hotel. Cosplay photography at conventions has become a big rat race and honestly, it isn’t very fun anymore.
Since I felt that I needed to do some photography to justify spending three days at this convention, I was really thankful that they have a photo studio that’s open for all attendees to use. Anime Los Angeles is the only convention that I go to that has this kind of facility. I’ve never been too much of a fan of indoor cosplay photography, particularly at conventions were it becomes a really big hassle. Indoor photography usually involves blocking a hallway which is a huge inconvenience for people who just want to pass through. So I made the choice to simply spend most of my time in the photo studio, tell a few friends, and see who shows up. It felt a little awkward especially since I’m used to using things like trees, rocks, stairs, and whatever else I can find when I’m doing my cosplay photography out and about. In this studio, I basically had nothing except a backdrop and a few lights. On occasion, I’d throw a chair into the studio, but that was pretty much all that I had. I learned quite a few things about how to get some good results and I actually enjoyed shooting in the studio all weekend. Honestly, my flash was probably the most rarely used piece of photography equipment that I had. I used it mainly for interviews news articles, but not for a whole lot of other things. I liked studio shooting so much that in the weeks after the convention, I bought two more flashes and a lot of other lighting accessories–light stands, umbrellas, snoots, filters, straw grids, etc. It’s something new to learn and I’m ready for the challenge.
First Event of 2010
January 13, 2010 by super-no1 · View Comments
For many years, there has been a New Year’s Day festival in Los Angeles’ Little Tokyo. I’ve always wanted to check it out. My usual New Year’s Day routine has been to spend the morning taking down all of my holiday decorations. After that, I’d go out to the gym for my first workout of the year. This year, I thought I’d try something different, so I went to this Oshogatsu festival in Little Tokyo. During the year, I go to many festivals in Little Tokyo. Nisei Week week is the largest and spans 9 days. Last year I went to 4 days of that festival and saw many incredible things. The LA Cherry Blossom Festival is also a very large festival with many things to see and do. Oshogatsu is pretty small compared to those two larger festival. Basically, there’s entertainment on two stages–main stage is in Weller Court and there’s also one in the Japanese Village Plaza. There are also booths selling food and arts and crafts.
The event starts with the breaking of two barrels of sake. Yes, if you are of legal drinking age, you can get a free sample. There seemed to be plenty enough to go around. There was a good variety of entertainment on the festival’s stages. Entertainment consisted of taiko drumming, traditional Japanese dances, martial arts demonstrations, magic shows, modern dances, a kimono fashion show, and karaoke. Bags containing mochi were also passed out to the crowd. The crowd was sizable. For most of the day, all of the levels Weller Court were filled with people trying to catch a glimpse of what was going on. I was pleasantly surprised at how large the crowd was. Many businesses in Little Tokyo were also open on this day and it was actually a very vibrant and energetic place to be on New Year’s Day. In the end, I was glad that I was able to visit this festival this year. It was definitely a fun way to start the year.
Pacific Media Expo 2009: Day 2
November 8, 2009 by super-no1 · View Comments
During a three-day convention, the second is the usually the busiest. It’s the only day where you get a full-day of programming. There was heavy traffic for the second day of Pacific Media Expo, an Asian pop culture convention currently going on at the Los Angeles Airport Hilton. Saturday’s events got off to an early start with Western Regional Tournament for the World Eskrima-Kali-Arnis Federation, which is devoted to Filipino martial arts. This day-long tournament featured full contact weapons sparring and forms and drew competitors from all over the western region of the United States.
Just in time for lunch, a Kogi BBQ truck rolled into the alley tucked in behind the Hilton for a three-hour stint. The Kogi trucks are somewhat local icons. The menu is very limited but features unique dishes such as Korean BBQ burritos and tacos and kimchi quesadillas. Wherever these trucks go, large crowds follow and Pacific Media Expo was no exception. Before the truck showed up, the line of people waiting to place their orders was approximately 50-75 people. For people at the end of the line, it would be nearly one hour before they reached the head of the line to place their orders.
The dealers hall, artists alley, and boutique shops continued to do steady business. Attendees were able to buy anime good, Asian foods and snacks, designer label clothing, fan art, books and calenders, and grooming products.
Saturday’s concert had an afternoon time slot this year and featured solo local acts Poel, Nobu Albatross, Kiryu, and the band Lemon Drop Kick. A larger than expected crowd showed up to support these local acts. With a surprise announcement, guests of honor UchuSentai NOIZ performed another brief concert to the delight of convention attendees.
In the evening, it was time for cosplayers to take the stage with the CosFest masquerade competition. The contest featured nearly twice as many entries as last year. The audience was treated to skits, performances, and costume displays by the show’s competitors. Competition was fierce for the cash awards given out to the top performers in various categories.
At many anime conventions, most days typically end with a late-night dance. For Saturday night’s dance at Pacific Media Expo, guest of honor Takuya Angel served as the DJ. The dance was delayed for over one hour, but for fans, it was well worth the wait. Pacific Media Expo continues through Sunday November 8 in Los Angeles.
Pacific Media Expo 2009: Day 1
November 7, 2009 by super-no1 · View Comments
Pacific Media Expo is now underway at the Los Angeles Airport Hilton. This is the sixth year for this Asian pop culture convention. There are a few new activities and events included in this year’s convention. For the first time in many years, the traditional opening ceremony for the convention was brought back. Several guests were in attendance for their introductions including anime director, producer, and voice actor Shinichi “Nabeshin” Watanabe, fashion designer Takuya Angel, and manga artist and idol singer Aoi Kidokoro. The Japanese Rock Band UchuSentai NOIZ, making their second appearance at Pacific Media Expo were also in attendance in their colorful costumes and makeup and gave an energetic speech to the audience. Also returning to Pacific Media Expo were clothing designers Maki and Asuka of the Angelic Pretty brand, who were given the honor of filling in the first eye of the traditional daruma.
Other new activities that opened on Friday included the Far East Market, which sold unique Asian products such as beauty care products, cell phone accessories, art, and a booth where you can star in your own video. Last year, a Pocky sampling room was very popular. This year, it has expanded to include sushi, Ramune, and also a sake sampling room for those of legal age. For the past few years, boutique rooms for the fashion designer guests of the convention have been very popular. It’s a unique opportunity to purchase clothing and accessories from their labels. This year, there are two boutique rooms–one for Angelic Pretty and another for Takuya Angel. Also new for this year was a swap meet where attendees can sell some of their gently used merchandise. This was all on top of traditional anime convention attractions such as the artists alley, dealers room, karaoke, video game room and screening rooms.
The day ended with a concert by American-born J-pop artist Ai Cherie and local Japanese rock band Rusika. Also, making their first performance in the US at Pacific Media Expo were the idol duo Papillon. The show concluded with the energetic rock band UchuSentai NOIZ. Pacific Media Expo runs through November 9. Saturday’s activities will include concerts by local acts, and appearance by the Kogi food truck, and the CosFest cosplay competition.
Casual Photos
January 15, 2009 by super-no1 · View Comments
After the latest Cosplay Underground pictorial was released, I got caught up in discussion about what cosplayers look like when they’re not in costume. After all, most of the time, they’re living normal lives just like everybody else. I have many friends who are cosplayers and I often meet with them outside of conventions. I’ve spent a lot of time with them doing things around town and travelling on the road. At conventions, we do what we do. They cosplay. I take photos. It almost seems like it’s our duty to do such things. It fun to get together outside of conventions and just do normal things. They’re a very diverse group of people. Some work. Some are students. Some are very shy until you get to know them a bit better. Some are more outgoing. Some are artists. Some are musicians. Some of them never sleep. Some of them sleep all day. I don’t think there is anything as a “typical” cosplayer. You can’t stereotype them. They’re all over the map.
Last weekend, I got together with a bunch of cosplayers and photographers on the UCLA campus for a more casual photo session. We treated it as a fashion photoshoot. A lot of the cosplayers simply wanted photos of themselves in casual clothes taken by a bunch of convention photographers. It was a fun little exercise. Quite honestly, I don’t watch a lot of anime or read a lot of manga and play very few video games. While a lot of photographers prefer to take photos of the cosplayer in character, I usually get a lot of my ideas from magazines and prefer more natural and relaxed photos. If there’s one piece of advice that I find myself giving to new convention photographers is that there are many styles of cosplay photography. Each has it’s own merits. If everybody had the same style, the world would be very boring. Having completed two Cosplay Underground pictorials and having completed shooting for a third edition, I thought it would be fun to show a photos of the cosplayers who have appeared or will be apprearing in Cosplay Underground.
Camilliette (v. 001)
Susan (v. 001, 002, 003)
Anela (v. 003)
Ming (v. 003)
Anime Los Angeles
January 5, 2009 by super-no1 · View Comments
Anime Los Angeles was officially the first anime convention of the year. It was held January 2-4 at the LAX Marriot. This was the fifth year for this convention and it attracted more than 3,000 attendees over the weekend. Despite current economic condition, this convention still experienced solid growth. I’ve been attending this convention since its first year, when it attracted slightly over 300 attendees and year when there were so few dealers that it was cheaper to put vendors in their own hotel rooms rather than rent out hotel exhibit space. This was its third different location in its brief existence, having outgrown the Airtel Plaza Hotel in Van Nuys and the Burbank Airport Marriott. This years location was extremely retro and actually looked like it was trapped in the 60’s with it’s dated architecture and interior decor. However, it seemed adequate for a convention of this size and there were obvious benefits. The convention typically brings in several decent local musical acts to perform and for once, the music room was acoustically better than in years past. Artists alley had its own room and wasn’t simply a bunch of tables lining the hallways. The video theaters, gaming room, and programming rooms were noticably larger. The age of the building was also a big disadvantage as cell phone reception was spotty at best.
Anime Los Angeles takes great pride in being a fan friendly convention. It has some comforts such as a costume repair station and a con suite where attendees can grab a quick snack. There were badge checks to get into most of the ballrooms where events and exhibits were being held, but none of those random checks in other places of the hotel area. The staff pretty much let attendees roam around freely as long as they weren’t being nuisances and that’s good. Personally, I’m not too crazy about locations like this because they can get really cramped. There were times when both the indoor and outdoor areas got a bit too crowded for my tastes. Nontheless, I still had a great time at this convention. It’s an honest convention and it never pretends to be something that it isn’t. You’re not going to get a ton of big name guests here or a dealers room the size of an airplane hangar, but this convention proves that you don’t need all of that to have a good experience. If you just want to hang out with a bunch of anime fans for a weekend and are good at creating your own fun, then it’s a fun place to be.
Tags: Nergene Arquelada, Super No. 1, The Scrap HeapOn Location: Knapp’s Castle
December 28, 2008 by super-no1 · View Comments
Over the long Christmas weekend, me and a bunch of cosplayers and cosplay photographers went out on another one of our road trips. The location for this photo session was Knapp’s Castle, the site of a ruined mansion in the Santa Ynez Mountains above Santa Barbara. It’s not really a castle. It’s just a mansion that burned down in the 1940’s and the remains are still standing. I’ve documented several of our cosplay photography outings in “The Scrap Heap”, but by far, this was the biggest outing that we’ve had. I don’t know the exact number of people we had there, but it was 5 carloads full of cosplayers, photographers and support staff. I call them support staff, but most of them were actually cosplayers who didn’t want to wear costumes this time. They just wanted to be part of this journey, but we put them work by helping the photographers with lighting equipment. Usually, our travelling group consists of people from the Los Angeles and San Diego areas. This time we were joined by cosplayers from Fresno and Arizona. Our trips are becoming more ambitious in our quest to make cosplay photography a lot more interesting and fun.
This was one of our most rigorous trips. Although the trip is not very far from cilization, such as our trip out to the Salton Sea, it was somewhat dangerous and dirty. Knapp’s Castle is only a 20 minute drive out of the city of Santa Barbara, but you must travel along some very narrow and pothole-filled mountain roads. Once we arrived there, it was another half-mile hike along a muddy dirt trail. On top of that, the temperature was somewhere in the upper 50’s, which is cold for Southern California and not something that we were really ready for. It’s quite amazing what we’re willing to do just for the sake of cosplay photography. The trip didn’t go exactly as planned and everybody arrived fairly late in the day so we only had a few hours to do our photos before the sun went down. We needed to be off that mountain before nightfall because driving the mountain roads at night was something that we didn’t want to do. We actually spent more time driving there and back than taking photos. It was a beautiful location with great views of Santa Barbara and Lake Cachuma, but maybe we should have gone when the weather is warmer. Sometimes, there’s snow here, but not on this day.
I managed to get one photo session done with cosplayer “Ming”, who was dressed as Yuko from the series xxxHolic. The results of this session will be featured in an uncoming issue of Cosplay Underground.
On Location: Yorba Park
December 17, 2008 by super-no1 · View Comments
Last weekend, I got together with a few of my photographer and cosplayer friends for another one of our extracurricular photo sessions. I’ve written several times on The Scrap Heap about our adventures to various locations in Southern California. We really enjoy doing things like this away from the crowds that you find at anime conventions. When we go out and do our photo sessions in some random place, we have a lot more room to be creative. Being able to choose the location is a tremendous benefit. Generally, they’re more scenic locations that convention centers and hotels. We can work at our own pace. We don’t have to rush things, and that’s a nice luxury to have when you’re trying new things and experimenting with different photography techniques. We can scout the location to find the best photo spots. Also, we can bring lots of extra equipment that would be impractical to have at an anime convention. These are just some of the reasons why we prefer to do our cosplay photos away from conventions.
As we have learned, it’s impossible to pull off a lot complicated photos without a lot of help. The amount of equipment that we bring out is somewhat insane, but all of it has a purpose. On this day we had quite a few wireless flash setups and reflectors and diffusers. So we have a lot of other photographers to hold all of this equipment in position. This is particularly useful on windy days, such as the one we had during this photo session. It’s definitely a lot different from what you see at conventions, where most convention photographers work by themselves. Also, by bringing along so many photographers, everybody brings their own unique style to the photo session. In order to have a successful day, teamwork is a neccessity. Even for the few conventions that we go to, it’s still very common for us to work in groups. You may have seen us at Pacific Media Expo a few weeks ago. For cosplayers that we know, they’re used to us and know what we’re all about. For cosplayers that we don’t know, it might be a bit intimidating to have all of this equipment and lenses pointed at you, but there’s really nothing to be afraid of. It’s only us.
