Anime Expo 2009 - AX '09

Anime Expo 2009. This is my fourth year attending AX, which I have been anticipating for over a year now--since I wasn't able to go to last year's... However, this is by far the best one I've been to yet, in comparison to the '05 & '06 @ Anaheim and '07 @ Long Beach. And it is definitely better to attend for more than just one day!

AX '09 - Thursday, July 2: Day 1 ~ 8:20am


Day 1 AX Registration line, at a distance

I woke up early on Day 1 to catch the MTA 460 bus and volunteer for at AX. Hey, I like volunteering, and if it gets me some free day passes at AX, why wouldn't I? Day 1 volunteering became a bit crowded as it lunching rolled on in, so I was there most of the time waiting for 2-hour shifts to open. For the most part, it was easy though. I got jobs where I checked badges, help pass out bags for registrants, and helped control the crowd (stopping people from cutting in line to enter the exhibit hall). Now that I think about it, when I arrived at the LACC, there was already a good line of people waiting outside for what I think was for the exhibit hall. I had to work on Day 1 and Day 2 to get my two Friday & Saturday badges that I planned on getting.

Volunteer HQ - Room 410

Day 2--straight to the exhibit hall! The line for the exhibit hall isn't that bad compared to the first day. I usually roam the place for the most part and window shop a lot. Also, sticking around to get some free items is cool too! ^_^ Unfortunately, I didn't really get any exhibit hall pics, though if you can call 'busy trying to get free stuff' an excuse and forgive me, I'd appreciate it. xD

Kentia Hall crowd (top) & the exhibit hall entrance (bottom)

There was also a Beatmania-type of game that I saw at the exhibit hall as well as the upstairs arcade. Technika is a touch-screen music game made in Korea. I didn't really pay much attention to the game at first, but by the Day 3 I purchased their $5 platinum crew membership card and actually tried playing it. As a DDR fan, it is a bit harder than it looks!

Someone playing DJMAX Technika



A friend showing off his DJMAX Technika skills

Also on Day 2, I saw Morning Musume!!! It would have been better if I got closer seats and some glow sticks to cheer them on! But I'm not complaining--I saw Morning Musume in concert!!! WAI~! Anyway, I haven't followed on their news for a while now, but it seems there are only 9 girls in the group now. There were over 10 members the last time I checked up on them. But they were extremely cute speaking in English! >//< Happy Summer Wedding, The Peace, and Souda! We're Alive were a couple of songs that I recognized in their medley part. Most songs where new to me though. 3, 2, 1 -- BREAKIN' OUT! was sung as the official AX theme song at the beginning and refrain at the end, which I thought was pretty catchy.

On Day 3, I spent more time at the Artist Alley and looked at the artworks. I then wondered about these 'commissions' that the tables where advertising. I had an idea about what they were, but I was kind of embarrassed to ask just anyone, so I asked some of my friends to confirm my idea. I had passed by one of the exhibit hall booths, (I think she was at the 4th Dimension Entertainment booth) and saw Keiko Sakurai, aka. cika (pronounced 'shi-ka'), drawing chibi art for a child attendee, and I thought 'her art looks so cute!' I paid her $15 for her artwork, which I enjoy very much! ^_^ Her artwork is shown below, along with the other things I got from AX.

I only stayed until Day 3, because I personally don't really think that it is worth it to buy a pass for the last day, with it being a short day and having little to no interest in the events and all. But I'll try and aim for the whole 4-Day pass next year!

Overview of my stuff from the convention! (Click pic to enlarge)


MOSAIC.WAV CD? I'll buy it!


ちょ～かわいいな！　「もっと『ぽ』やシャイな感じ」っと言った方がいいかもね。
I'd love to cosplay like this for next year! ^//^


Clazziquai Ed. Wall Scroll -- who is she?


Morning Musume Ticket Stub


Technika Platinum Crew Card

Friday & Saturday 'Axcess' Badges

See you all at next year's AX!

Minori Blocks Foreign Access

I saw thru the Lycee Offical website that a couple of banners on the right side of that page hadn't loaded up. Among these are Minori and Key are the ones that won't let me in to the site. The Minori website actually tells us what's going on, while Key doesn't load up at all.

Screenshot of Minori's Website on 6/25/09

At the bottom of Minori's Wikipedia page, there's a link that let's you access Minori via Japanese Proxy Server. You can also access Key in these ways:
http://www.ijapan.org/red/index.php
http://www.ijapan.org/blue/

There's also more info at Sankaku Complex about why this is happening. Also, as posted on Minori's site, you can share your thoughts to the Japanese administration about this by submitting them here.

Semester's Over! =D

Whooo! It's been a while since I've posted something here, but since the semester's over (which explains why I haven't been able to do anything), expect more frequent updates, and some changes. I'm going to work on this blog as well as my website that I never update--which I've figured out what I'd want to put on it. =)

In the meantime, I've been getting more into Lycee TCG. Some more packs have been coming out since my last update on it, including Windmill 2.0, which is coming out in June, as well as minori 1.0 (ef Series) and Nexton 1.0 coming later in the summer.

Here are some sites to buy Lycee cards if you're interested:
Ebay
Hobby Link Japan (which has a sale right now on some booster boxes)

Hobby Search
Toys Logic
Amazon.com

You can look up cards that are already translated:
Zettai Ryouiki

And the other cards that aren't translated yet (in Japanese):
Ore no Turn

For now, you can enjoy staring at Sumomo's loveliness:

Sumomo!!! Clicky <3!

WindSlayer - Outspark MMORPG

WindSlayer is a MMORPG that I recently got somewhat addicted to. I believe this game was originally made for the Koren community, and now Outspark hosts this game for the US, along with many others games as well. I found them back when I still had a dial-up internet connection, and I thought their games looked pretty attractive. And yes, I had dial-up and I still wanted to attempt playing their games. Unfortunately, it didn't work back then due to an older computer and a slow internet. (Been a member since October 2007, yet I've only started playing their games last month...)

I remembered Outspark only around three weeks ago, and I started playing WindSlayer for its most Anime-like graphics. I have been playing it a good amount ever since. I currently have four characters (or avatars), my main one "ScPpY" (who I am not sure to keep as a Novice-classed character) that I'm currently playing, my preist who I accompany my cousin's character along on the weekends, and the other two I'm just saving for their names. xD

Also, I saw last night in the forums that I was one of the top Novices in PvP (Player versus Player)... Um, yeah... I wasn't really expecting my name on the thing, but... really? I don't know whether I should be happy that I'm one of the good ones or I should be sad that I take too much time playing a game that I think I'm too old for... ^^;;

But anyways, try out the game, and maybe we'll meet there sometime! =D

Lycèe & UNiSONSHIFT 1.0 coming out!

Lycee (リセ) is a trading card game based mostly off characters from several visual novels and developers. My school's Anime Club piqued my interest in these things since last semester. I didn't really had the urge to start my own collection until I noticed that they're coming out with a UNiSONSHIFT based card next month! Ahh, my beloved Sumomo, we meet again! *~* I refuse to buy any other pack unless I have you in my hands first!!! xD

These cards are bought by import, so they're in full Japanese, but of course that wouldn't stop me (even if it was just for the cute art). Fortunately, there is also a site translating these cards, though they seem kind of behind... Current Lycee card include characters from Leaf (To Heart series), Visual Arts (Kanon, Little Busters), Navel (Shuffle, Soul Link), 07th Expansion (Higurashi series), and Type-Moon (Fate/Stay Night, Tsukihime). The UNiSONSHIFT version of the cards coming out March 27 would include characters from Nantsuiro Drops, Alice Parade, Chu x Chu Idol, and Flyable Heart which is also coming out next month.