I mentioned that AnimeFest was also known as Yuri on Ice Con. That is because, in December after the series had become such a huge phenomenon, they invited the biggest names of Yuri on Ice as Guests of Honor: Mitsurou Kubo, Sayo Yamamoto, and Tadashi Hiramatsu. Being a huge fan of Yuri on Ice myself, I had to get my badge the moment they were announced back in December. For the coming months after that, I spent time getting mentally prepared as to how crazy this weekend was going to be, from the cosplays that I was doing to getting autograph materials to bringing rations for the time I'm on the con floor. Little did I know, it was much crazier than anticipated.
Day 1 (Thursday) felt like it was the first time I had gone to A-Kon 21. It was in territory that I hadn't been back to since A-Kon 23 a.k.a. the Sheraton Dallas in Downtown Dallas. Everything felt new to me. After picking up my badge goodie bag and putting my badge together, I decided to do a little exploring while lugging my luggage around. I was dressed as Sochi GPF Yuri Katsuki, so it was like I had just got there from the airport. lol
(Me as Sochi GPF Yuri Katsuki)
(The line for the line for the Japanese Autographs by chance)
This is where I met my very first new friend, Karen, who turned out to be my long, lost otaku twin from Georgia. XD We practically chatted the time away because the 2.5 hours I was sitting passed by faster than I could have imagined. Yuri on Ice, figure skating, everything! If it wasn't for her, my weekend might not have been as great as it could have been. By the way, she better let me know about her competitions because she just gained a new fan. X3
(In line for Japanese Autographs)
Autographs ended up taking over an hour and a half, but it was totally worth it. I met Arina Tanemura, mangaka of Kamikaze Kaito Jeanne! She autographed my one volume of KKJ, which I've had for about 10 years, and even drew a picture of Jeanne on one of my autograph boards! My high school self is proud of finally meeting her. TvT Of course, they put the biggest guests at the end of the line, the creators of Yuri on Ice. Words could not describe what was going on in our minds by the time Karen and I got up to them. I was able to give Kubo, Yamamoto, and Hiramatsu my handmade YoI keychains, and they, gladly, accepted them. <3 As for the autographs, they each drew a drawing, too! I got mine on message boards while Karen got her jacket signed and drawn on!
(Thank you, gods of good fortune!)
Couldn't get into the first Yuri on Ice panel with the creators that night due to reaching capacity of the panel room super fast. (Such a small space!) Instead, Karen and I went to the Dealers Room to check out what all was there. One of the best con moments happened at a vendor who sold rare art books and other old findings. Almost every time we both found something we liked (mostly CLAMP Tsubasa pencil boards), we would have the exact same reaction at the exact same time. It entertained us, and it sure definitely entertained the vendor for a good while. XD I don't think I have ever been that in sync with anyone, especially since we had just met not just a few hours earlier. lol
Early on, I had planned and went to see Josh Grelle, the voice of Armin from AoT and Yuri Katsuki from YoI, at his panel. It was a Q&A to get to know him on a personal level, which was a joy to participate in. I knew Simul-dubbing was a quick process, but I didn't know it was a pick-and-choose-who-would-best-fit kind of a process. Based off of previous works, that's how the voice actors are asked to portray the characters they are given. Pretty interesting. None of the actors know how the series would turn out because they are going at almost the same speed as each episode is released, so they find out what happens as everyone else is finding out. Hearing him recite Armin's speech was just absolutely mind-blowing. The passion and emotions put into that dialogue took my breath away, so to speak. At the end, I waited around to properly give my thanks for the works he's done and asked for a selfie with him. He is such a kind person. Even thought my Yuri Katsuki cosplay was cute and gave me a very sweet hug. X3 It was, definitely, a pleasure to have the opportunity to meet him.
(Me with Josh Grelle. Double the Yuri Katsuki. X3)
Opening Ceremonies was a blast. Held at the Majestic Theatre, it's the time where AnimeFest got its kick-off celebration. Info about the con, introducing all of the guests that were there that weekend, it was like living in a dream, which is how I felt about the weekend. One of four convention weekends that have had a huge impact on me. It got the party started, officially. The Majestic Theatre, itself, is a beautiful piece of architecture in and of itself. It reminded me of the kind of theatre that Buster Moon ("Sing") ran. Nothing short of amazing.
(The creators of The Napping Princess)
It was off to dinner afterward for Karen and me. Walked a bit around Downtown until we spoke with a stranger about a recommendation nearby called Zenna, a Thai & Japanese cuisine restaurant. (I immediately thought of Phichit and Yuri, of course. XD) If you're on a budget to eat, bring a friend to this place because it's worth every penny for the portion size you get. Split a plate of Chicken Thai Lo Mein between the two of us, and we were full off of it. (^^)d Found it funny we were having difficulty splitting the check. Most likely because of the tiredness slowly setting in on us. LOL
Nothing like stopping by a Seven-Eleven on the way back for ice cream for dessert. What happened next was just fantastic. Karen and I were walking right behind the Japanese guests on the way back to the Sheraton! I was like, "Is that Tsutchie and Tanaka-san?" Apparently, they heard me because they turned around and waved, so I waved right back at them. I swear it was a repeat of what happened at Oni-Con in 2011 when I saw Earthbound Papas walk right past me a few feet away. XD We, literally, tailed behind the guests all the way back to the hotel after that moment, trying to keep our excited voices down a bit! Still so cool, though. :D
What's a convention without some karaoke? I didn't get up to the front to sing, but I would have did "History Maker" by Dean Fujioka had I had a turn. Typical of me, right? lol However, I did sing along with the people that did go up front to sing. Of course, what's a karaoke session without "Bohemian Rhapsody"? ;D A night full of fun-filled singing and shenanigans. Stayed there until it ended at 1:00 AM Friday morning.
And so ends Day 1 of AnimeFest 2017. Full of excitement and adventure, and the weekend had barely even started.
