As the mall doors opened, we rushed to the fifth floor, among the many people similar but not limited to photographers, collectors, item hunters (a category which me and my sisters mostly fall under), cosplayers, and congoers of all shapes, sizes, and backgrounds that want to witness the con.
There was a line that reached to the first floor via the stairs for buying tickets, and another line that reached the first floor via stairs for getting in Megatrade Hall. All for the first 20 minutes of entering the mall. At least the lines moved fast. I entered the con with a big smile of my face, knowing that I will enjoy it even if it’s short!
After four hours, I do not know what to say. I like some parts, but the rest of it ended up disappointing me (My youngest otakuest sister was actually SADDENED to hear that the con wasn’t as it seemed). The only redeeming factor was that I spent the entire time with my best friend’s younger brother, who I got along with pretty well. We could have done a lot of random, fun, and somewhat destructive things in the convention, but with our minds on finding our friends and checking out the toys and cosplayers that were more rampant than an anime/cosplay-centric convention. And at such an early time, you know it’s rampant!
My companion throughout the whole 4 hours.
Well, the con’s interior was a bit confusing for me, since the con was more of some strange division of a convention, a mini-mall, a museum, and a movie set. You would think that a con that fills all three Megatrade Halls would be filled with one big awesome, unified mess, yet to me it looked pretty separated to the point that it looks like there were several conventions in one big Megatrade Hall.
Megatrade Hall 1 was the mini-Divisoria of popculturedom: Toys, figurines, mangas, comic books, clothes, and other popcultural menagerie as far as the eye can see. I do wanted to buy some of their stock, but with a tight budget all I can get for myself and for my youngest sister was a shirt, some (random) Gloomy Bear keychains, and one Copic Marker. The rest of the stuff I got in Toycon were stuffed toys that my sister pre-ordered online that ended up becoming my errand for the day.
Megatrade Hall 2 features exhibits of life size statues and busts of superheroes, and a collection of rare figurines which was pretty enjoyable (though I did have a teeny weeny problem with crowds). There was also a teeny exhibit for Harry Potter celebrating the final movie on July 14th. My sister admitted before she went on her merry way to buy that dress that that booth was the only thing she liked in the convention. Deep within the exhibits was the Back2Gaming/GameOps booth where our fellow dudes have hosted a video game competition there. And yes, there were some moments of me swimming in and out of the exhibit with my friend who I spent the whole four hours with just to check up on a bit with Kuya Vince and the others.
Harry Potter Mini-exhibit. For Potter Fanatics. Can’t wait for July 14th!
Kuya Vince, and the Back2Gaming/GameOps Booth.
Halls 2 and 3 have two stages. The one that filled the other half of Hall 2 was for the general stuff (introductions, panels, bands, the like) and the other I will explain in a bit.
The Cosplay Stage/ Cosplay Nation Movie Set.
Megatrade Hall 3 is nothing more than a big, discoesque stage which is meant to be a movie set to shoot for the Chinese movie, “Cosplay Nation”. Well, when I went to the movie set for an attempt to take some pictures, everyone was a crowding in a big messy circle. Well, as a person who has been to a few cons, there will always be a famous guy crowding in the center of these crowds. That person I just saw then was the proclaimed “Cosplay Goddess” Alodia. I did get a glimpse of her, with her bodyguards and the photographers around her with camera flashes here and there, yet I ended up being pushed out of the crowd by these fans who just want to make a moment in the spotlight with her. How rude.
When I returned with my friend in hopes to take a picture of the set, I was greeted with some kind of bouncer friendship barrier to protect the stage from charging crowds. I didn’t get a picture of Alodia, but it didn’t matter anyway. She wasn’t my cup of tea. I was here for the toys, hobbies, and collectibles and by means I’m in it for the toys, hobbies and collectibles! It gives me shivers that a sea of fanatics, perverted cosplay photographers, and cosplayers (ranging from NO to AWESOME!) who are in it for the Alodia would create such a foreshadowing of epic havoc!
Bouncer Friendship Barrier~
So yeah, me and my friend walked around the con and spent the rest of the time finding his friends, my friends, and taking pictures of some cosplayers. We also made a lot of fun with snarky comments and whatnot but my time here was a little too short that when the cellphone clock struck 2, I have to go outside and meet my sister to go home. Right after a tarot card reading that turned out pretty well.
I did teach my friend to learn how to use chopsticks during lunch in Terriyaki Boy. I am proud of that. But I’d be honest, if it wasn’t for time constraints, I would have either done so much more in the convention, or create more havoc for the fans that weren’t supposed to be there. Let’s just see next year 😉 I did flip on a cosplayer. But my friend told me to. He knew him.
Though to waste some preciously good time, here are some pictures of stuff of what I did in Toycon (taken from a cellphone):
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MMO Shenanigans will return with some cute stuff like ASDA Story 2, Luna Online, and … I can’t do Eden Eternal since I think someone here already reviewed it… uhm… MYSTERY MMO GAME!
