Anime Expo 2011 wrap-up

Anime Expo is described as “the nation’s largest anime and manga convention”; this is definitely not a hyperbole. This past Saturday I had the privilege to spend time with Anime Vice’s top dog -Tom Pinchuk-, some of my favorite people in the anime industry, and a ton of cosplayers. Let me tell you a little bit of what went down that day.

The approach to my first Anime Expo (AX) experience began on an awkward note as me and 128,000 other attendees were cleared out of the convention center’s South Hall. After hearing rumors of a stabbing, shooting and even organization issues, apparently, there was a bomb scare that day. According to LAWeekly:

“A member of the AX staff told LA Weekly's Liz Ohanesian he can't go into detail, but it's a "safety issue." They just had to get everybody out. A police officer tells Ohanesian the suspicious package was a bag of clothes and unidentifiable liquid. Someone apparently came back to pick it up.”

By 1pm we were all back inside enjoying the events. Tom, MetalMike and I were ready for shenanigans. Our first endeavor was trying to get to sing karaoke in front of cosplayers and attendees at the con. Sadly, that failed since there was a two hour wait time in front of us. Following that, our day involved taking lots of cosplay pictures, recording tons of video content, meeting new people at Artist Alley, and catching up with some anime industry professionals. We even got invited to a Funimation after party.

Overall, the AX experience was grand and I feel in touch with my inner Otaku now more than ever. I got to meet some wonderful people and spend time with one of my favorite writers from the Whiskey Media sites, Tom Pinchuk. I enjoyed the experience a lot but do not worry this wrap-up article is not all you are getting from us. Expect some really great pictures and video content.

-- Geo (sora_thekey) 24/7 geek! -- Follow me on Twitter: @sora_thekey