The AX Report 2001
by Xoth, Master of Black Magic
Miscellaneous: Much Ado About Nothing
The AX Report 2001
by Xoth, Master of Black Magic
Miscellaneous: Much Ado About Nothing
Once again, here is my section of extraneous stuff. This year, I've expanded it into actual sections! <pause for various sounds expressive of awe> Yes, rather than just a bunch of best/worst categories, I have even more pointless yakking on subjects of no consequence! And best of all, I even have photos! Yay! <pause for various sounds of approval>
The first section is my Best/Worst Of for AX 2001. Right after that is a special section, the Best/Worst Of for all three FFML/AX meetings. I figured since AX was celebrating their tenth anniversary by looking back, I would go ahead and celebrate this third meeting of FFMLers (and others) at AX by looking back and ranking stuff. Yes, you finally get to hear me speak out about AX ’99! Isn’t that keen? *ahem* Anyways, next is AX ’01 photos, both traditional (mine) and digital. See what witty commentary I can come up with! Then the final section is a links section, basically a list of websites that are important, useful, and/or just fun, all somehow related to FFML/AX. Once again, all decisions are my call and my call alone; the opinions and judgements expressed herein may not jive with those of the rest of the group. And to the rest of the group, if you have a problem with my judgements, then write your own report to correct me. ;D
Quotation of the Expo: Homer’s “ocean sounds”
One of the things on Arty’s computer was an extensive
collection of Simpsons soundbites. And of those, the unquestionable
favorite was this one, in which Homer tries to help Marge fall asleep:
Believe me, it’s funnier with the voices. :D Anyhow, Homer easily
became the most quoted person among those in our group.
Favorite game: Dance Dance Revolution (again).
Winner for two years in a row now. Catchy
tunes, unique gameplay, lack of any narrative element—what’s not to like
about this game? Well, the annoying announcer making bizarre comments,
perhaps, but that can be tuned out. Daran got hooked on Para Para
Paradise, sure, but both Pokey and Bahamut X were all but monopolizing
Arty’s PSOne for DDR. Yes, despite that barely readable screen, they
dance-dance-revolted the rest of us with their nonstop sessions.
But heck if I'm gonna argue with two guys tall enough to step on me. (And
Lord knows they’ve had enough practice stepping... ;D)
Favorite anime: Love Hina
We didn’t actually see all that much anime this
time (thank you very much, stupid black box on the back of the TV!).
But this was the anime that seemed to be on most people’s lips. Arty
went to a panel featuring the director and character designer for the series
and got their autographs—and that wasn’t all the Love Hina stuff
he got this year. Heck, AX even chose Love Hina as the anime
name to be printed on the badge neckband this year. I may have to
get my hands on some just to see what the fuss is about...
Most valuable person: Chibi Arty
He brought a computer. He brought a CF card
reader for our digital cameras. He brought a computer, loaded with
anime and various other media. He brought a PSOne. He brought
a car. He brought a bokken. And, of course, he brought an
actual freaking computer. How could I not recognize his contributions
to this year’s AX meeting? And the amazing thing is he hooked up
with us only a few weeks prior to the con. List member or not, he
still had the greatest impact on our experience by his presence (and presents
^_^).
Biggest individual disappointment: Open karaoke—wasn’t.
As good as this year’s AX was, it wasn’t without a few
mistakes. Not being able to find the Terrace Theater to see the
X movie on Thursday night was annoying, but that was our fault.
Open karaoke was just as disappointing without any miscalculations on our
part. The only possible mistakes we made were 1) not anticipating
the overwhelming demand for slots to perform, and 2) actually sitting through
some of those performances. Again, no offense to anyone with the
guts to get up in front of people and sing their hearts out; then again,
maybe you know just as well as we do why you chose non-competitive
karaoke. But enough otaku-bashing; the main thing was Arty expected
that open karaoke was, well, open. And it wasn’t—not to him or anyone
who got there after him. After that, can you blame us for expecting
a little quality out of those who did get in?
Biggest overall disappointment: Surprising lack of actually watching
anime
If you’re attending a convention called “Anime Expo,”
you’d think you might end up watching quite a bit of anime. This
year, we didn’t actually see all that much. Again, chalk that up
in part to the Hyatt’s blasted rigged televisions. We did get to
watch several episodes of Gate Keepers on Arty’s computer (among
other things), but that’s about it. Of course, we could have gone
to AX’s numerous anime showings; however, between hitting the dealers’
room, events like karaoke and the Masquerade, and finding time to eat,
there just wasn’t much time to squeeze those in. With the sole exception
of the 5-minute Vampire Hunter D extravaganza, we didn’t watch a
single thing in the film/video rooms.
Biggest accomplishment: Getting into the Masquerade
The Masquerade is, without a doubt, the most in-demand
ticket at AX. Of course, with people lining up the night before for
tickets this year, there was little chance slackers like us would stand
a chance of snagging any. Well, Arty did manage to get a couple,
but two is hard to divide among eight. Even so, Daran and I decided
to wait it out in the reserve line. Then, an unwanted Masquerade
ticket and an unused music video contest ticket provided our way in.
Sure, there were a number of empty seats even after we got in, but if we
had given up (like I admittedly had wanted), how would we have known that?
Okay, maybe that doesn’t make sense. Just let me keep on believing
that getting into this event was something to brag about, and I won’t bring
up your ridiculous beliefs. And don’t tell me you don’t have any;
everyone believes in something that another person finds absurd.
So leave me alone. XD
Best event: Music Video Contest
In case I didn’t emphasize it enough, the music
video contest was really good. It was pure and simple the most fun
I had at a programmed event at AX. And then, I missed most of the
action videos segment; who knows how much I missed? I don’t even
want to think about it, because the videos that I did see were that amazing.
I was truly amazed what some fans could accomplish with some video clips,
a song, digital editing software, and their imagination, devotion, and
perseverance. I suppose your favorite event all comes down to what
kind of art you prefer. For those fans who love musical performance,
there’s Karaoke. For those who love other performing arts or fashion/costume
design, there’s the Masquerade. For me, a former graphic design and
current art history major, there’s the Music Video Contest.
Coolest music video: “Right Now” and “Tainted Donuts” (tie)
In case I didn’t emphasize it enough, the music
video contest was really really good. Perhaps this was because so
many of the music videos were really really REALLY good. Well, maybe
I exaggerate a little. :) But anyhow, two of the sw33t3st, 133t3st
music videos were in the comedy category. The first was a parody
of the video for Van Halen’s “Right Now” dealing with anime, the fans,
and many other things. Now I don’t know much about editing or “capture
quality,” which apparently count for quite a bit in the world of anime
music videos. The quality of the video was at least decent, since
I have no technical objections I can think of. Besides, it was the
concept that really made this video. And, boy, did this one go all
out, down to the “Right now...” blurbs.
But anyways the one that won Best Comedy Video (and
ultimately the whole cartload o’ rutabegas) was “Tainted Donuts,” a video
that pitted the bounty hunters of Cowboy Bebop against “the humanoid
typhoon,” Vash the Stampede, the star of Trigun. Even if you’ve
never seen a single episode of either one, allow me to make a confession—neither
have I. Still, the humor of the video was so broad that I still got
it, even with only minimal understanding of the two series. And my
God, the editing. Mabis (who also had not seen either series) said
she couldn’t tell they were seperate animes. I won’t spoil it by
explaining what happens, how it ends, or the significance of the title,
but I will say that, if you’re a fan of either or both series, you’ll absolutely
love it. Bahamut X did. (And no, “Tainted Donuts” does not
refer to “Tainted Love,” which is what I thought when I first heard the
title. ^_^)
Best music video: “Memories Dance”
There’s a difference between “coolest” and “best.”
And this was, for me, the best. I’m glad it won Best Drama Video
and disappointed it did not win Best Video. Call me a blatantly biased
Miyazaki/Ghibli fanboy (because I am >:D), but the video was excellent.
Combining effective use of digital effects and juxtaposed visuals with
a strong central idea (the works of Hayao Miyazaki/Studio Ghibli) underscored
by the music (Loreena McKennitt’s “Mummers’ Dance”), this video has a solid
technical and conceptual base. And, just as important, it really
stirred up my emotions as a fan; the music and images really blended to
strike a chord within me. I can understand why “Tainted Donuts” beat
this one out for Best Video, but I still feel that “Memories Dance” got
shortchanged by only winning the drama category.
Coolest music: The entire Music Video Contest
Yeah, yeah, I know. But where else can you
hear orchestral music and Van Halen in the same place? The music
videos had such variety that perhaps only country music fans would have
been left out (and who cares about country music anyhow? j/k XD).
Just to show off, I'll list all the musicians/bands/etc. that I have been
able to identify, remember, and/or otherwise ascertain: Van Halen, Loreena
McKennitt, Lou Bega, Weird Al Yankovic, Stabbing Westward, Elissa,
the Les Misérables soundtrack, Nine Days, some funky remix
of Tori Amos’ “Precious Things,” the Offspring, and Carumba. Also,
the winner of the Action category, an Eva video called “Soul of an Angel”
featured some sort of electronica/dance track, while “Tainted Donuts” had
what sounded like Japanese hip-hop (yes, apparently, there is such a thing).
So there really is something for everyone at the music video contest—except
maybe Garth Brooks fans. ^_^
Coolest costume: The “Mooglechick”
I give credit to inventive costumes. Accurate
and/or highly detailed costumes are fine and, in most cases, amazing in
their own way, but I like the idea of a costume which, though not necessarily
totally accurate, captures the spirit or “feel” in a creative manner.
And certainly, Pyxie’s Mooglechick costume does that. But don’t take
my word for it, check out this picture, and
see what I mean. And in case that one wasn’t enough, check out this
brigade of Mooglechick cosplayers. I swear, Pyxie ought to be
a costume or fashion designer; after all, you just gotta get others to
wear what you thought up, right?
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Best Memory from AX ’99: Watching anime together on the last
night
On Sunday night, just after the convention ended,
those of us who hadn’t left already checked out of the Anaheim Hilton and
moved to a much cheaper motel for the last night. After getting settled
in our new room (which, BTW, wasn’t much smaller than the one we’d had
at the Hilton :P), the first thing we did was break out the anime videotapes
and pop them in the VCR. And so began a delightful evening of
yaoi, “naked fun” (I am referring to something different here,
trust me), and pizza (and they didn’t screw up our order in that
instance). Looking back on it, that was probably the most fun I had
as “part of the group.” Of course, many things about AX ’99 stand
out in my mind, it being both my first anime convention and my first time
meeting other FFMLers. And it’s not like we didn’t watch anime on
previous nights. However, this brought the experience to a perfect
close. If you’re looking for a memorable way to conclude your first
anime convention, meeting with a bunch of people you only knew from online,
you can’t get much better than Kodocha and Papa John’s.
Worst Memory from AX ’99: Getting registered
Of course, not all of the memorable moments of AX
’99 were pleasant ones. It was the one where we had most people we’ve
ever had to cram into a single room (at least a dozen, at one point).
And we were quite impatient with the ludicrously long delay in the start
of the Masquerade (in which Jaana participated). But take it from
me—one of the worst feelings in the world is when you find out you’ve been
waiting in the wrong place at the wrong time. After our sushi dinner,
a bunch of us set out to pick up our con registration badges in the hotel
lobby. Once we got there, we found a long line already forming and
got in it. We waited there for quite a while, until someone overheard
that this was the line for those who wanted to register. Problem
was, all of us had already registered; we needed to be in the pre-registered
line. And when we got there, we discovered that said line was already
filling a large room. So we got in the vastly longer line, and we
waited. And waited. And waited. And waited. And
some of us went to the bathrooms. And we came back and waited some
more. And some more. And some more. And the line moved
forward a little. And then it moved back. And we waited some
more, now further back than when we had started. And we waited.
And waited. And.... Well, the point of the story is that “AX ’99
prereg” is now my synonym for “line from Hell.” Thank God the prereg
lines were much faster at AX ’00 and nonexistant at AX ’01.
Best Memory from AX ’00: The second AX sushi dinner
Ah, yes; good friends + good food = good times.
If there’s one positive thing I can say about the Disneyland resort, it’s
that occasionally you feel like you’re getting your money’s worth.
The Japanese restaurant we went to Thursday night was quite expensive,
but then again, so was the one we went to the year before. (Plus, it was
Disneyland’s
Japanese restaurant, after all.) Still, it was a very nice place,
with traditional Japanese interior design and decor. And the food
was excellent. Of course, because each of us had things we wanted
to do, we tended to drift off on our own during the actual convention;
dinner was one of the few times we would get together and share the day’s
experiences with each other. And since this was one of the best dinners
we had, I had to choose it. We sat, talked, sampled each other’s
orders, and got plastered on sake. Yes, a fun time was had
by all.
Worst Memory from AX ’00: Being at Disneyland
I can think of worse places to be than Disneyland
in Anaheim, CA: the bottom of the Marinas Trench, the ninth circle of Hell,
and Bloomington-Normal, Illinois, just to name a few. However, none
of those places are as wallet-, checkbook-, and credit card-numbingly expensive.
Okay, I’ll admit I can be a cheapass bastard. Perhaps what upsets
me more than the fact that they charge so damn much for everything is the
fact that they get away with it. Good Lord, you dumb tourists, do
you really think you need to pay $8 for a burger and fries? Huh?
Did I pay $8 for a burger and fries?.... Well, yeah, but—see,
the thing is...... I was hungry, and they ripped me off, dammit!
Best Memory from AX ’01: Music Video Contest (what else?)
As you might have guessed from above, the AX ’01
Music Video Contest left a huge impression on me. Of course, I had
never seen an actual music video contest before. We did get to see
some of the prize-winning videos at AX ’99, while they were scrambling
to get the Masquerade underway. However, I think I can honestly say
that watching videos on the hotel’s TV public access channel and watching
them on the big screen in a huge theater are worlds apart. Some of
the videos were mind-blowing, some were pleasant, some were hilarious,
and some were beautiful. I know that I left the theater a changed
person, if no one else did. Even if we didn’t get to watch much anime
this time around, the music videos provided some relief in that department.
Worst Memory from AX ’01: Open karaoke
Well, what more can I say about this that I haven’t
already said? This seems to be the karaoke for people who are well
aware they have absolutely no shot at winning the competition. I
probably wouldn’t be so hard on them if Arty had just gotten his chance
or if he hadn’t seemed to care so much about being denied. I like
to think I can tolerate all kinds of music, but in some cases I’m not so
sure that what certain people were doing qualifies as “music.” Sadly,
the most memorable performance for me was also probably the most ridiculous:
a bunch of guys throwing themselves around in some horribly mangled attempt
at dancing. I don’t even remember how bad the singing was; all I
could think was, “I wish I could be that unconcerned with my self-image.”
Favorite anime: Kodomo no Omocha
This anime will always hold a special place in my
bizarre imagination. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything—Japanese
or otherwise, animated or not—that captures the wackiness of childhood
(and gives it a triple dose of that wonderful stimulant called sugar).
And yet for all its hilarity, it also deals with dramatic themes, too:
family, love, growing up, and the pains and heartaches that accompany these
things. But there’s always that off-the-wall humor that keeps the
show from becoming too saccharine or too morose. In terms of the
FFML/AX experience, we watched this one at AX ’99, again at AX ’00, and
we probably would have been able to watch it yet again at AX ’01, had we
been allowed to hook up a VCR to those goddamned televisions. If
you ask me (and obviously you are, since you’re reading MY report),
that makes Kodocha the clear favorite out of all the anime we’ve
seen.
Favorite game: What else?
At AX ’99, we really didn’t do much gaming.
I remember that someone (I’d guess probably Faris) was playing Final Fantasy
V on a Playstation when Jaana, Kat, and I finally arrived at the room,
but I don’t remember much else in the way of games. AX ’00 was the
one where the Dance Dance Revolution phenomenon took off for us.
I mean, none of us had probably ever seen anything like it before.
A game where you use your feet? Dancing to music? No hand-eye
coordination required? That’s the most amazing invention known to
humankind! </hyperbole> But seriously, the music is catchy, and
some of the players we saw were unbelievable. And things only got
worse when DDR came into our hotel room, via Playstation and DDR pads.
We actually played other games at AX ’00—Street Fighter, Xenogears, Legend
of Mana, to name a few. But despite a tiny, barely readable LCD screen,
DDR got very little competition the next year. Really, there’s absolutely
nothing that can compare to it in terms of FFML/AX.
Best FFML/AX: 2001
Okay, so we didn’t watch anime. We were forced
to sit through Open Karaoke. And even the Japanese restaurant wasn’t
that great. Even so, if I had to pick a best FFML/AX get-together,
it would be this last one. This time we actually went to events like
the Karaoke competition and the Masquerade. Because there was so
little anime to watch, there was perhaps more of a sense that we were going
out and doing things together rather than staying in our room and doing
things together. I can also safely say that everyone enjoyed themselves.
Perhaps not all of us got what we had come for (if no one else, I didn’t),
but that wasn’t too disappointing (for me, anyhow). It’s difficult
to say which one was best, but as far as group chemistry, I think this
was the most enjoyable one. And on a final note, three words: Music
Video Contest. :D
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Yahoo!Groups:
The Final Fantasy Mailing List <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ffml>
Yes, FFML. Not the FanFiction, not the Family Feud, not the Ferret
Fetish, but the Final Fantasy Mailing List. Fans of RPGs,
raunchy humor, and Ragu always welcome. Flamers welcome only if you're
a well-established current or returning former member.
Anime Expo <http://www.anime-expo.org>
Website of the other half of the equation. The SPJA’s annual
Southern-California convention on anime, manga, and Japanese pop culture
in all its forms. They’ll help you get info, get registered, and
get your ass to the Los Angeles metropolitan area this summer. A
very helpful, informative site.
Yahoo!Groups:
The FFML-AX list <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ffml-ax>
Put the above two together, force them to have dirty, immoral premarital
intercourse and produce offspring, and what do you get? An informative
site on ferret fetishes and Ragu? NO! The FFML-AX list!
Dedicated to the prospect of an annual FFML get-together at Anime Expo.
However, it's open to anyone interested in attending AX—provided you are
good-natured, prepared to share one room with up to 12 strangers, and observant
of the rules of daily hygiene.
FFML.org <http://www.ffml.org>
The FFML’s “official” website. Back and better than ever after a long, long hiatus. ^_^
Pyxie’s
web-wide network <http://www.geocities.com/jaymiemay/index.html>
Heh, not an actual “network” as such, but I just noticed that that
she has sites on several different web hosts. Anyhow, this seems
to be the “index page,” so to speak. Some of the FFML/AX-related
highlights: of course, Pyxie’s
“unofficial” FFML site at quiknet, her AX
2000 photojournal/report at Geocities (picax.html), and Pyxie’s
Cosplay Passion, where you can find plenty of info about cosplay, as
well as Pyxie’s AX 2001 report. (see, I’m not the only person crazy enough
to do this sort of thing :D)
The Way In
<http://thewayin.etherealvoid.net>
Once again, let’s hear it for the man with no shame, Zack Knowles!
^_^ His website is chock-full of offensive goodness. It’s the
kind of website where you will laugh your ass off AND get insulted—possibly
all in the same article! Featuring reports on Anime Expos ’99-’01:
check out his take on anime conventions, otaku, and, of
course, Disneyland©™®. (Oh, and watch
out for random text linkage)
The Webcenter <http://www.htiwebcenter.com/>
Piro’s site, and former host of this very
report. Dunno what to say about it, other than thanks to its webmaster
for temporarily hosting my report while FFML.org was undergoing a facelift. :)
Otaku Generation <http://www.otagen.com>
The official Otaku Generation website, complete with member profiles,
con appearances, and oh so much more. Coming soon, to an anime convention
near you! Well, I don’t know about that last part, but—oh, just check
out the website already.
Anime Music
Videos.org <http://www.animemusicvideos.org>
An incredible site, dedicated to fan-produced anime music videos.
Here, you can find a place to promote your videos, FAQs on production,
review sections, etc. etc. And, of course, links to most (if not
all) of AX 2001’s videos, and many, many, MANY others.
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Disclaimer: This account contains a lot that could offend people. Sexual content. Drug use. Profanity. Violence. Celebrations of Japanese culture. Non-white people. Crudely drawn pictures. Sentence fragments. If anything in this account offends you, find another web page. If your kid reads something that offends you, tell them to find another web page. If you’re really ticked off by it, then e-mail “cosmic_chicken” at “excite” dot “com” so I can ignore you. Certain characters, events, etc. referred to and depicted in this account come from Japanese animated films and television series and are copyrighted by their respective companies. Whatever the SPJA and Anime Expo have copyrighted belongs to them.
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