The Fangirl Experience: Attending Collosalcon 2016, Part 2

Three ladies from Fire Emblem Fates

Hello again. If you haven’t checked out Attending Colossalcon 2016, Part 1, please do so now. Part 1 covered my Colossalcon experience on Thursday and Friday, while this post covers Saturday and Sunday.

As mentioned before, I have three categories: the good, the bad, and the contastic (meaning events or experiences specifically encountered at cons in general). You know the drill, though. So, without further ado:

The Good 

1) (Old) Friends

I didn’t elaborate on this before, but I did see a few longtime friends while at Colossalcon. Sure, I met plenty of new folk, but Colossalcon was special because I was able to spend it with people I hold dear. We could geek out, take control of photo shoots (as explained later), and munch on emergency granola bars.

My good friends.  A Pokemon trainer and her Pokemon.

I know I said I didn’t eat, and for the most part I didn’t, but one night, I was able to have dinner with a friend’s family in between panels. We had a spaghetti dinner and moose tracks ice cream for dessert. What could be better? I even spoke with my friend Rena about possibly doing a panel next year (and cosplaying together).

Met up with a few friends.  Stars Wars and Sword Art Online?!  Yes, please.

By the end of the weekend, I was tired but I was satisfied.

2) Photo Shoots (Kingdom Hearts, you made my con!)

Now, I know I said that the Final Fantasy shoot was one of the best I attended during Colossalcon and, don't get me wrong, it was fabulous. But Kingdom Hearts, hands down, was the best photo shoot I’ve ever seen in my life. I think I might have started crying midway. 

 "Bad" guys versus good guys

It didn’t start out that way, though. Alas, it wasn’t so simple (and clean). Now, you should know that during the entire weekend, it hadn’t rained at all. Yup. We were lucky. It was hot, though. And there was a chance of rain in our future.   

At the exact moment that the Kingdom Hearts (KH) photo shoot was about to begin, it started to pour. I convinced myself I didn’t care. I would march out into the rain and see all the KH cosplay splendor that was before me. Plus, one of my really good friends had dressed up as a heartless. Couldn’t miss that.

Look how adorable she is!

But Joey, one of my oldest and best friends (and the amazing photographer from Joey Render Industries), had the bright idea to ask the Kalahari Staff if we could use their lobby for the shoot.They agreed! So, the only Aqua (who, along with Joey, took charge) led the cosplayers up the bridge to the lobby in a KH parade. 

 Girl power!  Female Kingdom Hearts characters for the win.

Once there, we began the shoot. Of course, we had a group shot, then there were shots of various characters (there was one shoot where they had all versions of Sora...yes, that included Namine), and lots and lots of requests (a bunch of them made by yours truly). There wasn’t enough time to do all the requests I wanted. (I know, I’m KH crazy.) But one of the best shots was when everyone did the dab, Keyblades and all. 

 

"Who else will I have ice cream with?" Be still my fangirl heart!

Oh, and then there was this picture...

  "I looked everywhere for you!" *cue fangirl squeal*

3) The Panels

I’m not sure why, but most of my favorite panels were on Saturday. One of these panels was Sailor Moon related (Moon Prism Power, Make up! The Legacy Continues). It was basically the history of Sailor Moon, and anyone who knows me wouldn’t be shocked at all that I had enjoyed this. What was interesting about it was that it offered information about both Sailor Moon and Sailor Moon Crystal. They even mentioned that one Sailor Moon Crystal ending featuring Tuxedo Mask. (If you haven’t seen it, it is absolutely hilarious. Definitely had some fan service included.) I will wholeheartedly admit that Tuxedo Mask was my first crush. *sigh* You still bae, Mamo Chan (Darien, hehe). 

If you're interested, watch it here.

But oddly enough, my favorite panel wasn’t one I had planned on going to in the first place. In fact, it was a way to kill time while I waited for friends. Ahem, it may or may not (it was, it definitely was) have been rated for those 18 years and older. It was called (bear with me) Dorito Pope’s GAMEOCALYPSE 2016: The End is Nigh.

Now, before you question my sanity (eh, I’m probably crazy anyway, so go right ahead), let me explain. You’re probably wondering, what the heck was that panel about? Well, to put it briefly, it was a video game panel. More specifically, it was a panel on the future of video games (and also shamed you for whatever game you were looking forward to). And of course, all the games I’ve been waiting forever to play (Kingdom Hearts 3, Final Fantasy XV, Final Fantasy VII, Persona 5, etc.) were all shamed in glorious fashion. Literally, he shamed them one right after the next.

But there was something different about this panel. It was a gaming panel, yes, but it was set up like a church service. Yup, you heard me right. Dorito Pope had a Mountain Dew bottle staff and a hat in the shape of a curled Dorito.

Dorito Pope

Dorito Pope was there to predict the gaming future and, my, do I wish I had more room to explain to you everything he spoke about. But just imagine the experience: a guy up front shaking a bag of Doritos, Dorito Pope baptizing people in Mountain Dew, and everyone shouting Hallelujah whenever Dorito Pope answered a question. I can’t make this up.

But the funniest thing was that he shamed ALL (not some...all) of my most anticipated games. Oh, Dorito Pope. Goodness me.

Bad

1) Not Eating or Sleeping

Again, pretty bad but necessary all the same.

2) That One Photo Shoot (Disney is too big of a universe)

There was a Disney photo shoot. Everyone looked amazing, I will say that. However, there wasn’t really anyone there who knew how to organize it. Although, it should be said that Disney is extremely large and owns not only its original animated movies but Marvel, Stars Wars, and an assortment of other things. So, I can’t really fault whoever was in charge for not having it all together.

Anna from Frozen

But the reason why this photo shoot was somewhat of a fail was because there wasn’t enough time scheduled, and they organized it in such a poor way. They had Disney movies go up one at a time. It should have been broken down into categories, such as: Pixar, Classic Disney, Golden Age Disney, New Disney, etc. But we live and we learn. It also didn’t help that it began to rain around this time...so, yeah.

Two Sophies from Howl's Moving Castle

3) Nothing Lasts Forever

The con had to end...and I had to say goodbye to all my lovely friends, had to watch as Colossalcon dwindled to a few cosplayers. It was a sad sight, indeed.

Look how sweet! It's Luna and Noctis from Final Fantasy XV.

The Contastic 

All and all, I felt renewed, I felt a part of something bigger, and my euphoria lasted the entire weekend. The fandom culture was outstanding. The art was beyond this world. I've collected a few things that I’ve hung up or placed in a safe spot at my work desk in the library. I’ve even showed my teens the Free! Iwatobi Swim Club water container. Those who have seen the anime will know having Free! characters on your water container is pure perfection. 

Speaking of Free!...look, it's Haru.

The Flea Market was on Sunday, so I was able to get a few trinkets and a potential Silver Crystal for a future Sailor Moon/Neo Queen Serenity cosplay.

Honestly, I’ll be back next year and hope to see some of you guys there too. 

My favorite picture from the con

Will you be going to Colossalcon 2017?

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Fire Emblem Favorites: Of Birthrights and Love

As few spoilers as possible. Ending not disclosed. 

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After purchasing a 3DS, the first game I had to buy was Fire Emblem Fates: Birthright. (Warning:  I’m new to the Fire Emblem fandom, so bear with me.)

For those of you who know only a little about the game and have been meaning to play it, you may have a few questions.  After all, both new games are called Fire Emblem Fates. So, why is one called Birthright and one Conquest?  You may be wondering, are they two versions of the same game (like Pokemon Black and White)?  Well, to keep it simple (or as simple as possible), Birthright and Conquest follow the same story up until a certain point.  Your avatar is a prince/princess of a realm called Nohr that is very much like a Western medieval kingdom. You eventually find out that you’re actually a prince/princess of another realm named Hoshido that is likened to feudal Japan. Your adopted father stole you from the Hoshido royal family because you possess magical dragon-changing powers. (Did someone say dragon?! Huzzah, a dragon game!!)

The games diverge when the main character is given a choice to either stay in Nohr with a family they've known all their life or leave for Hosido with a family (the one they're related to by blood) that they've only just met. Birthright is the story of how the player chooses the family the avatar is related to and Conquest is the story of staying in Nohr. Since I haven’t played Conquest yet, I can’t say for sure, but I’ve heard that Birthright has a story that is much more virtuous in a sense (think the Light Side), while Conquest's story is quite morally gray (think more Dark Side). Of course, keep in mind that nothing is purely good or purely evil.

Either way, both games play as turn-based RPGs and double as a kind of dating simulation (you have to pair characters with other characters to give them more powerful attacks). Because of this, the game has an interesting set of people populating the world. So, in honor of this amazing cast of characters, I’d like to take the time now to list my top three favorites in Fire Emblem: Birthright.

3. Subaki 

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Subaki is the guardian of the player's younger sister, Princess Sakura. Gliding around on a Pegasi (think Pegasus), he is the epitome of beauty and grace. He's also a complete and utter perfectionist. There is a scene where the avatar hears Subaki’s stomach growl. Subaki refuses to show weakness, so he covers it up, and later on, the avatar sees him stuffing his face full of food, so much so that it may endanger Subaki's health. Because he must be the best in everything, this can sometimes come off as obnoxious or rude. But he doesn’t mean to be! In fact, he’s caring and tender in his own way. Plus, it’s always amusing to hear what he has to say in battle.  For example, if you let Subaki die in battle, he says, "Well, this is just...What's the opposite of perfect?" Ah, so true to character, even when injured in battle. 

Speaking of battle, Subaki is always my go-to for a character who can travel quickly over the battleground. He’s a heavy hitter and is (usually) lucky enough not to die the first time an archer shoots at him. (*sigh* All the Sky Knights die when pitted against an archer.  *shakes fist at Lady Luck*)  

2. Azura

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Azura was a princess of Nohr, who was captured and taken hostage by Hoshido. Although, you learn that she doesn’t mind this situation one bit, explaining that Hoshido is much more pleasant to live in. Over the course of the game, the Avatar develops a very deep connection with Azura. Even at the beginning, when the main character transforms into a dragon for the first time, it is Azura who calms the avatar with a song (a catchy song to boot). It’s then you learn that Azura is a songstress who carries magic in her voice. Her song can heal and help the various characters along the way. However, you learn that it is a double edged sword.

In battle, Azura is EXTREMELY useful. She is a songstress, and as such is able to sing a tune that gives a character another turn. Azura is quite powerful in this regard; however, she doesn’t have the most health in the game, so enemies are always targeting her. Good thing she can dodge fairly well.

1.  Kaze

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So, my avatar ended up falling for, marrying, and having children with Kaze. He’s a ninja that you meet at the beginning of the game and end up saving from your adopted father’s merciless actions. He’s polite, and the ladies like him...a lot.

At first, Kaze seems like the perfect ninja: ever vigilant, stoic, and mysterious. But as the story progresses (and the player chooses the right options), Kaze opens up and lets his heart melt for the avatar. Kaze’s family has been serving the Hoshido royal family for ages, and if the player chooses, he eventually pledges his services to the avatar as a retainer.

Because of his sweet disposition and caring attitude (underneath that hard ninja shell), it’s almost too easy for the avatar to accidentally fall in love with him.

During battles, I always pair Kaze with my character. (They make an unstoppable team.)  As a ninja, Kaze is nimble and dodges attacks quite easily. He usually deals two hits in one battle and is able to throw his shuriken from far enough away that the enemy can’t attack back. Quite useful, huh? 

Honorable Mention: Ryoma

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Ryoma is the avatar's big brother and heir to the Hoshido throne. He is all calm and collected grace, a figure of pure royalty. You don’t end up welcoming Ryoma into your party until much later on in the game. 

But after a few battles with him, I realized why. He’s a beast in combat! He’s my trump card, that’s for sure! Brute force and unbelievable luck make him, by far, the most powerful character in the game (sometimes even better than the avatar). There was this one battle where he was the only one left standing against maybe 10 other people. He still won! So, if I want to win a battle, I need only add Ryoma to my party.

Which Fire Emblem Fates game is your favorite? Do you have any favorite characters from either?

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