Review #1: Anime Midwest 2015 -- by Erin

Hello blog readers - this is Erin! I'm now back from Anime Midwest 2015, and I'm more than pleased to say that this year's convention was definitely the best one I've been to! So much happened in the span of just three days, and I wouldn't trade it for the world.

First of all, this is not the only blog post about the con -- a friend of mine, Elizabeth, helped with the press coverage, and she will be adding her own blog post from her perspective! But for now, here's what happened to me in a brief overview:

FRIDAY (July 3rd)
I started the day by meeting up with some of my friends from Con Alt Delete (see last year's post) at consweet, where there was free ramen, rice, and soda. We talked for quite some time about all sorts of things, and just generally enjoyed each other's company. Naturally, I also got many pictures of other cosplayers.

At the vendor's stalls, I bought a small stuffed bird and a pin of a character from one of my favorite video games. As I was in the area, I also met up with a voice actor (Chuck Huber) from a TV show that I adore (Yu Yu Hakusho, for those who might be familiar with it) and got a signed piece of fanart! I was so nervous, but it was amazing to get to see him.

From 3pm-4pm, I was at a photo shoot for the anime Attack on Titan. Plenty of shenanigans happened. Unfortunately, I haven't found any photos that feature myself yet, since I was mostly behind the camera for the photo shoot. And after I was done with the photo shoot, I got recruited to substitute for another person in a panel presentation on Saturday morning! Obviously, I accepted the offer.

At night time, I went to a Cards Against Humanity panel... and won exactly one point. Oops! Afterwards, everyone went to Denny's for a late night meal. It was delicious, considering I didn't eat much during the day (I was too excited!)

SATURDAY (July 4th)

I woke up at approximately 9:30 am to get ready for the panel (10:30-12). I was incredibly nervous to participate, but it was much less stressful once I was actually there. I met a lot of people and got to make a lot of jokes while I was at it. I even made a few friends!

Later, I went back to consweet to talk to my friends again. Again, it was lovely, and I'm glad I had the opportunity to talk to them. When I went to the vendor's stalls again, I bought something I had been meaning to for quite a while -- a penguin kigurumi! For those who don't know, a kigurumi is basically a full-body pajama set with a hood, usually in the form of some sort of animal.

Later that day, I took a brief nap, and then went off to McDonald's with a friend. The walk was incredibly long, and it was a bit scary to be there alone, but it was good food nonetheless. And cheap, too!

 

SUNDAY (July 5th)

The 5th was relatively uneventful. I didn't go to any panels, and I mostly talked to my friends. But it was still a good day, even though we were on a time limit. I dressed up as Sollux Captor once again for Sunday, and I talked to quite a few people who also cosplayed from the same webcomic.

I felt somewhat bittersweet when I left the convention center, knowing that it would be a while before I could return. The experience was too good, and I enjoyed every minute of it. I managed to take one last selfie in the car before we left.

After we left the convention, we took the long drive back home, and stopped by the Cracker Barrel for a brief dinner. We didn't arrive home until about 7:30 or thereabouts, and when we returned, I immediately set to taking all of the pictures and putting them on my own blog (which will not be disclosed). I managed to find a lot more of the people that I took photos with there.

 

Anime Midwest 2016 is another year away, and it's a shame that I have to wait so long to go there again. But distance makes the heart grow fonder, as they say. The opportunity was marvelous, and I'm so glad I got to experience everything.

   

See you around!