Anime Expo 2012

Anime Expo 2012

Otakus from all over America were excited as July slowly approached. Finally, on Friday June 29, 2012, the long awaited Anime Expo kicked off to a start at the Los Angeles Convention Center!

Now in its 21^st year, Anime Expo is the largest Anime Convention in all of North America. It showcases anime, manga, videogames, and Japanese lifestyle all in four short days.

Day One Pictures (Friday):

Day Two Pictures (Saturday):




Day Four Pictures (Monday):

Personal Remarks by Ren: Anime Expo was probably one of the AWESOMEST things I've EVER gone to! I was able to go for 3 days and it was fantastic! A definite otaku paradise, with all sorts of merchandise from shirts to plushies to handbags! It was pretty crowded, especially on the second day, but it was super empty on the fourth day! There was a TON of cosplayers, and I took a lot of pictures so I suggest bringing a camera/phone with a lot of empty space. Also, I suggest taking a look at Artist Alley (located at the back of the exhibit hall), as the items available there are beautifully crafted and wonderful to look at! Overall, I probably spent around $100 on Anime products and posters from Artist Alley. If you plan on attending, I have some words of advice. First, ARRIVE EARLY. Traffic is INSANE and parking is hard to find (any good spots are either taken or expensive), and as soon as you get inside the convention center, the place is full of people posing for pictures and waiting around for the gates to open. Second, bring a ton of money. There's a lot to buy and it's rather expensive...and here's a tip- on day 4, vendors want to get rid of their stuff, and you can haggle for a lower price (but don't be too annoying or ask for too low a price, they won't sell it to you). Remember to have fun (and don't get lost!) I look forward to maybe seeing some of you there next year :D

Personal Remarks by Lynn: I was really sad that I could only go for two days (even though I had a four day ticket!) This was the first anime convention that I attended and it was just so amazing. My favorite part of Anime Expo was the cosplay. It was so exciting to see fellow cosplayers left and right. However, the most enjoyable moment was when someone would ask Ren and me for a picture. I felt really appreciated, especially when someone chased us down from the third floor to get a picture with us. I spent most of my time at the Exhibit Hall. In total, I spent about $214 on my loot:

I highly recommend that attendees for Anime Expo 2013 purchase their tickets as early as possible (I already bought my AX’13 tickets). Ren and I bought our four day tickets for $55 on Christmas. Compare that to the on-site price which was $75.

I also recommend that attendees who will cosplay bring extra hairclips, hair ties, duct tape, and/or a sewing kit. It was a total pain when my Serah wig started slipping off, when the disc for my Serah cosplay fell off, and when my legwarmers for my Rin cosplay ripped.

Overall, Anime Expo 2012 was definitely the greatest time of my life. As Ren said, prices harshly drop on Day 4. Swords that costed $35 on Day 1 only cost $20 on Day 4, and plushes that costed $45 on Day 1 only cost $15 on Day 4.

I also apologize for the poor quality for some of the pictures. I was in such a rush to see everything that a lot of the photos are blurry. Goumen!

*Please feel free to contact us if you do not want your photo shown on this site. Overall, we would like to thank all of the outstanding cosplayers from AX that allowed us to take a picture with them.
*Comment and tell us which cosplay you thought was the best in each day :D