So I have this friend, named Kyubey for now, who recently got so hooked with Madoka, that I kind of encouraged him to attend a local convention. It was both to fan his fandom, as well as to troll him for what he might get to see there. So here’s his personal account of the experience… As a fair warning, it’s quite a long, but largely amusing tale.
go to con place and wander around
animarriage booth wtf
pass by mini stage and see pathetic singer and sleepy crowd
disappointed by maid cafe
pass by main stage and hear unenthusiastic results of some facebook art contest
wtf is that hairy-legged haruhi crossplay
why is this con so dead? I wanted a taste of that obsessive fan spark
no madoka Q_Q
wander some more but find no madoka
decide to call it quits and get milk tea on the way home
go to food court
no milk tea Q_Q
hazy memory says there’s milk tea on the side towards the ocean
take some long way there but decide to backtrack and take some other path
why am I wasting my time?
pass by cinema entrance/exit that leads to the wing of the mall near the ocean
OMG
OMG
OMG
madoka cosplayer entered from that entrace
costume detailed well, has those distinctive ribbons and that bow and the back of her shirt
holding a stuffed kyuubey
random people taking photos
what combination of fate and timing let me find her here?
stalk
stalk
stalk
what do I say?
exit mall
enter mall
stalk
stalk
fuck I’m being creepy
madoka browses some store, or maybe just tagging along with her sister/friend/mother
figure cosplayer probably done with con and is about to go home
plan: take photo then talk about the best anime ever
walk up to her… wtf camera phone is in black and white mode for some reason
can’t think of words to say. trying to fix the camera app is distracting
instead we exchange awkward errs
I say camera app is broken so nevermind
walk away and wander a bit
decide to go back to con, there might be more
arrive at smx
OMG
OMG
OMG
that same madoka cosplayer is right in front of me
what combination of fate and timing let me find her here?
so… she just arrived she wasn’t leaving
some mami cosplayer calls out to her from the side
homura cosplayer there, too
they have a group cast photo
can’t approach, three on one situation
want to comment on absence of sayaka and kyoko
need divide and conquer strategy: decide to enter con and ambush them one by one
wander con
encounter ^___^ and ^_^ together
see none of the madoka cosplayers
wait, no, that mami cosplayer is wandering around
some guy holding her like her boyfriend
is it ok to ambush like this?
stalk
stalk
stalk
walk up to her and ask if it’s ok to take an interview instead of photos
she says ok after a moment of confusion. I ask why she chose mami
she says because she got into the show at first because of the character designs (flintlocks are cool to her for some reason)
she was surprised show turned up the way it did
possible boyfriend steps back and looks away the whole time
she still likes mami because of positive character traits
names a few so she knows the char
I ask about the negative traits and how mami seems doomed in all timelines
it freezes her
I feel like I stabbed her in the gut with that question
I then throw a lifesaver and ask if she thinks the positive traits overshadow the negative
she says yes and interview is over
wander some more
wtf that hairy-legged haruhi crossplay is still here and lining up in the animarriage booth
suddenly, fangirl screaming at japanese band q&a in main stage
where are the other madoka cosplayers?
go out of function room to check if they’re swamped by photographers outside
don’t see them so go back inside function room
are they in the sea of fangirl q&a? I wait until the event ends
one of the japanese band guys is obsessed with durians
event finishes
madoka cosplayer enters, is immediately overwhelmed by photographers
she can’t leave near the entrance, so she sets up shop there
stalk
stalk
stalk
finally turn off grayscale mode in camera app
then again, I’ll just tell her that I want an interview instead of a photo, since my app is ‘broken’
too much people taking photos
what will they think if I take an interview instead of a photo?
hell, she probably remembers me from the cinema entrance
might be okay to go for it when there’s a smaller crowd around her
crowd never shrinks
you know what? screw it
too tired, long day too
chance that she’ll be in that other con anyway
will be prepared then to take her interview
if not, there will probably be some other madoka
might as well get milk tea and go home
head over to wing beside ocean
only spot cha-time
fuck, that place sucks
go home
end
Moral of the story? Better know your cosplay subject matter very well. I actually want to do these kinds of interviews more often.
