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Razorclaw X's Look at Anime Expo '99 (7/19/99)
----------------------------------------------

Didn't really do a whole lot there but sit in video rooms.... I even missed 
the concert.

Friday

Got to the hotel at around 7am, and got in line. I was with seven other 
people, one who was without preregistration (!), so he had to go to a 
separate line. And of the eight of us six had costumes (I was one of the 
other two). We were almost at the front of the line, even, and my buddies 
were making a show there (with flip sticks, juggling Pokeballs, or just 
yelling out "You're on my team!" to anyone in costume). Someone came by and 
was handing out flyers for something that was going on next week, so one 
member of the group (the one who juggled the Pokeballs) made claws out of 
them-- which I used to annoy them with.

After getting our badges we headed up to our room for about a couple hours, 
while the six guys got into costume (meanwhile, I was itching to get to the 
dealer room), and ended up staying there for a couple hours. Incidentally, 
the costumes consisted of: Dan, Ash, Chuji-wu (Tobal), James (he 
accidentally left his Pokeball at home but he still had his rose), Happosai 
(not very convincing), and Genma. Odd combination, yo... and they wanted to 
get in the Masquerade. I had no idea what they were planning.

While they were registering for their spot in the Masqerade, I submitted my 
music video (to this day I'm sure it didn't air, because I didn't even go to 
it-- see below).

Anyway, we eventually parted when I discovered there was a gaming tournament 
I wanted to attend. While the others decided to go to the dealer room, I 
chose to enter the Power Stone tournament that was at noon. Needless to say, 
I was yet again delayed on my trip to the dealer's room.

The Power Stone tournament was pretty small... only thirty-odd people, I 
think, and most of the people didn't know how to play the damn game (I, of 
course, HAD played it, because a local arcade had it). I watched the 
brackets go by, and I gaped in horror at the lousy playing I was seeing (and 
because that meant whoever I was pitted against may be one of the good 
players). I got into a friendly conversation with one guy next to me, and we 
pointed certain things out to each other (we both thought one guy who picked 
Wangtang-- a Ranma-lookalike and Goku-wannabe character, would win... but 
lost instead). Eventually I got my turn, I picked Ayame (Japanese cutie who 
turns into a pink ninja, and my usual character despite being an utter 
weakling), and ripped up the first guy.

My second opponent actually turned out to be someone who went to my high 
school, but I ripped him apart too.

Third match never happened; since there was an odd number of people, I was 
last-man-out.

Fourth match I actually got to play against one of the good players... and I 
ripped him to shreds too. The others were jabbing ribs at me at about how I 
thought I was going to lose.

Final match turned out to be against the guy I talked to earlier-- he used 
Galuda (that's how it's spelled), and it was a VERY close match-- I lost in 
the third round because of time-out! Anyway, it was fun and exhilerating; 
too bad I didn't win.

And NOW I finally made it to the dealer's room. And, after two hours of 
running around in it, all I had to show for it was a CD and a set of Magmar 
Japanese Pokemon cards from the Squirtle Guy's booth. I met my buddies off 
and on here and apparently they've already eaten (I hadn't).

So for the next few hours I went to the video rooms (forgot what I saw on 
Friday except for the Saber Marionette J OAV-- which rocked, even if it 
didn't explain a thing about Tamasaburo and Baiko (SPOILER), or even why 
Lime calls Baiko 'Uma-chan'-- it's not that hard to imagine 'Tama-chan'), 
and didn't get back with my pals until around 10 (they went back to their 
room and went to sleep) and we all went to the dance party. I left a little 
early to catch 'Ninja Ressurection,' but it wasn't impressive.

Saturday

Watched Pokemon on the local station, and their touted music video sucked 
hard. Checked the video room schedule and noted that Saber Marionette J to X 
was going to be on at 1:30 pm. Headed for the dealer room to kill time.

Got in line for Masquerade tickets at noon, and by 1pm the line still hadn't 
moved. By 1:20 I got so restless and fed-up that I left to watch SMJ2X. The 
opening was great, but the ep sucked. Still, this turned out in my favor 
later on (see below). Later watched the second ep of the SMJ OAV, and I 
yelled out "MOUSSE!" when a guy appeared on-screen that looked exactly like 
him. Also watched Sakura Taisen, Slayers: Dragon Slave, and Nadesico: Prince 
of Darkness (even though it wasn't subbed, it was hilarious).

Got out of Nadesico at around 5:15pm, and walked down the street to the 
nearest Carl's Jr. Got back to the hotel at 6pm, just as my pals were 
leaving for Masquerade (they requested to be last by the con-directors). So 
I killed time and slipped into the Fanfic Panel to listen to fanfic writers 
who didn't read fanfics ^_^

I left and slipped back into my room at 7pm, played one roommate's 
Playstation Rival Schools (he wouldn't know because he was at the 
Masquerade). Nearing 8pm I went back down to the room where the fanfic panel 
was held to await the simulcast of the Masquerade, and several other people 
trickled through as well.

It turned out to be the longest wait from hell. The Masquerade didn't get 
going until 9:45pm, during which time the video guys in my room were running 
back and forth to the Masquerade techs and telling us what was wrong (the 
board got fried, and apparently it was being run by someone who hadn't slept 
in THREE days). Sound was a bastard because it kept losing, but the gang in 
the room faked it anyway. We absolutely loved Pen-pen and the 
Evangelion/Austin Powers skits ("One million dollars is more than one 
million yen, Mr. Gendo..."). I picked out the winners (the robot suit, 
Pen-pen, and the Eva/AP, and the two little girls, were the ones I picked 
and they all won something). My groupies came on last, and well... thought 
the fight was well-done, it was rather lame (they excel in fight scenes). 
They didn't win a thing (oh, shame :P)

The Music Video contest was to be held after the Masquerade, and, being 
intolerable and irritable at waiting for the Masquerade, screwed it over. At 
midnight I slipped into the video room and caught a couple of Dirty Pair 
fandub spoofs (the first one was about capturing Carl Macek, who was being 
held by Exedore (heh), and the second at Disneyland. The best part was the 
first one-- Kei and Yuri blew up Bablyon 5 section-by-section, and when the 
last part went it became DS9 ^_^).

Lumbered back into my room after the second one was over, and violently 
jerked awake by my roommates (they came in at 3am acting drunk). I was so 
pissed by this that I got up and left, hitting the video room AGAIN (they 
were still showing spoofs). Among other things watched Shin Getta Robo OAV 1 
(nostalgia...! I want more!) and Idol Project 1 and 2 (personally I liked 
Shion; it's got a lot of ecchi scenes (especially the end of part 2 when a 
bunch of muscles (the sea crature) jumped out of the sea and latched 
themselves onto the girls in weird spots), but gads, it was funny).

Sunday

At 8am caught Pretty Sammy vol.3-- it was okay. After that everything became 
inconsequential because I'd lost my badge somewhere, and I wasn't willing to 
get another one when I was going to leave soon, so I left.

Conclusion

The convention seemed a bit disjointed (especially the Masquerade wait), and 
I barely attended a panel at all. I spent most of my time in the video 
rooms, and I have nothing to show but a CD and a couple Magmar cards 
(incidentally my favorite Pokemon). I will remember next time to get my own 
room, so I won't have to sleep on the floor again.

<!-- End File -->

----------------------------------------------------------
If you're [un]lucky, you earn a place in my .sig!

* "[Y]ou're lamer than your signature and screen name indicate."--Chris 
Davies
* "There was a recent case where a fanfic author put together his work with 
only another fanfic serving as his primary resource.  *I* started writing 
fanfiction that way, and consequently I never grew attached to this whole 
idea of remaining true to the original.  I call it "correction."--Reverend 
Prez

--Razorclaw X
Author: "The Wheel of Fire", "The World's Worst Ranma Fanfic!", "The 
Geometry of Shattered Souls", "The Balance of Power".
"I sold my soul to buy a copy of the dubbed 'Ukyo Can Cook'"
"Decepticons Forever!"


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