Wait Awhile, And The Weather Will Change: AnimeBoston 2013

Winner of the Tales of Yokai contest - Honne Onna

AnimeBoston definitely felt like a whirlwind this year. With more panels to attend to and more people to see. And with the incident of the Boston Marathon just yards away, it really didn't seem like it. In fact it was very much con fever as usual.


This year the con fell on Memorial Day weekend and I dreaded the day when I would have to book my hotel. However the Omni Parker House saved the day for me by offering a holiday discount on their rooms., making my trip more affordable (not by much but just enough) than if I stayed near the Hynes. I love this hotel for all it's historic, haunted glory – it was fit for a Lolita like myself.

Room for one plus a spooky view of church windows next door.

The room was listed as an “Economy Petite Room with Twin Bed” and I actually expected a closet. By New York standards this was not a closet. In fact it was perfectly suited for just one person and had a full-sized bed. Being smart I signed up for their rewards program and as a member received a complimetary morning beverage service and free internet to check my email, etc.

Adorable Bleach family cosplay.

Arriving Thursday I was able to get my pass early with no troubles at all. Friday I wasn't sure what to expect expecially only a few weeks after the Boston Marathon incident. However I was quite impressed by the amount of security and bag checks taking place. As far as I had seen no one had caused a scene and everything went smoothly. I was also surprised by bag checks by an entrance into Artist's Alley adjacent to the Sheraton.

This fox girl fits well with the Tales of Yokai theme.

Cranes made by staff and attendees to bring hope and well wishes for  Boston.

Attending opening ceremonies in the morning, the two things that I found stuck out was Tom Wayland referencing Kakurenbo and Ringu as a reference to this year's theme: Tales of Yokai. Also that one of the big guests this year was ORIGA, who sang the entire opening theme to Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex.

Magi cosplay.

The Harajuku Fashion Panel on the first floor was a full house and gave some interesting incite on general street fashion and trends.

IBI explaining this year's collection.

Hair tip of the day - wet hair, insert into microwave, press "Start"

Next up was "Meet IBI" panel, featuring the designer of Sixh/Nine, who talked about his line. Like h.Naoto's fashion lines, each has a distinctive look–with IBI it focused a lot on graphic design, having learned graphic design as a student above all else.

Sweet Mildred in Artist Alley

I took a break, grabbed some lunch in Chinatown and headed back to check out the rest of the con. The big difference this year that I saw was that the space for Artist's Alley had gotten bigger. This improved from last year since I remember AA being quite crowded. At the same time this may mean that the Dealer's Room is getting significantly smaller each year.

Original Cosplay Fashion Show - Swagdoka?

California Pizza Kitchen meal of penne pesto and chicken sesame dumplings.

Dinner I caught up with an old college friend—who I hadn't seen since college—and we had a very long catch up at California Pizza Kitchen.

"If you like it, wear it, and own it." - advice on getting into Lolita fashion

What we all waiting for - the fashion show lineup.

Saturday was an early start for me since the Lolita Fashion Show was at 10AM. I was a bit worried about the turn out but I was proven wrong with a pretty full house when the panel started. In a bigger room and slightly changed layout the girls did a great job. What caught me and everyone unawares was the models started their walk from the back of the room to the front. This was a good move since it allowed everyone to get a good snapshot.

Pho. Need I say more?

Afterwards I grabbed another friend, took the Green Line to Boylston, and ate pho in Chinatown. Boston surprisingly has very great pho restaurants.

Moon Prism Poptart: Looking Back at Sailormoon Fandom

Cute SailorMoon couple cosplay. My childhood friend and her husband are on the right.

My only other panel was SailorMoon fan panel so I snuck into the FUNiMation industry panel just in time to annouce the dub cast for Future Diary. Then I made may way up to the fan panel which a half hour before it started was already overflowing. Thankfully being a single person I managed to snag a seat.  Despite that, it was a great informative panel, comparing dubs to original Japanese, discussing what exactly is that “Moon Cycle” and rooms devoting solely to SailorMoon merchandise.

Who needs room service when you have a cupcake shop and a grilled cheese shop  within walking distance.

Sadly after that I said my goodbyes, caught a few more pictures, then heading back to the hotel for some dinner, packed up and rushed back to NYC like it had all been a daydream.