Less than 2 months away until the first con for many in 2023. Cosplay plan? Ribbons to give out?
>>10818891I'll go, just to wash off the mediocrity of AX Chibi, I'm Going with a group cosplaying as KOF Characters.
>>10818902Cool! If you or anyone in your group cosplays my KOF favs, you're all getting a ribbon.
>About turn the big 4-0 during ALA>Been attending this con since 2011>Been rooming with the same friends every ALA I have attended>Can't keep up with them in alcohol consumption since I'm no longer in my twenties>Falling asleep early while everyone is in weekend party mode due to my bio clock getting all fucked up due to work>Too beta to talk to random people 10 years younger because they'll think I'm a creeperThis is likely my last go around for ALA.
>Covid vaccination or test check still required>Mask still enforced>In the year 2023 ADFucking dropped. And Long Beach is a dump anyways.
>>10818931>3 years to slow the spread!
>>10818891>ugly ass mascot >accent mark over the e what the hell lmao was this con designed by 15 year olds
>>10818917I barely drink if you want to room with me :3
>>10818931>Covid vaccination or test check still requiredI swear anime cons are like the last weirdo holdout for this crap. Every other tech conference or convention has moved on. Funny enough, I went to designercon this past weekend. They said they required vaxx pass or proof of test...but there was literally no check for that at door. Nor more than a couple mask wearers at con. Everyone seemed chill. I bet it's just some weirdo in ops who has a hard on for authortarian control and wants to Mask Nazi people.
>>10818931They started selling tickets back when they had a masking policy. Changing that is going to result in the same uproar AX got about announcing they wouldn't check vax cards.In reality, not a single con in the LA area has enforced masking since AX. It's a boilerplate thing to write so they don't have to navigate a social media storm over policy changes.
>>10819778>I bet it's just some weirdo in ops who has a hard on for authortarian control and wants to Mask Nazi people.I'd think it's more of an unspoken rule that you can go without a mask, with the "requirement" being there for liability reasons
>>10818891>Cosplay plan?Running a Tenchi Muyo! gathering on Saturday of the con. >Ribbons to give out?Pic related.
Anyone know of anyone who makes ribbons? I used to have someone that made their own ribbons and I would commission them but they stopped doing it, it was way cheaper than websites
>>10819778LULI usually get the flu after cons but with Fanime and AX, I neither got the Flu or the Rona. Anecdotal as it is, that shit works, deal with it.
>>10819872Covid is over. Get a new Psyop.
>>10819872unhealthy immune system niggas
Does anyone have the link to the ALA discord? I accidentally left it now I can’t find that shit anywhere
>>10819788What do I have to do to get that ribbon?
Is it okay to give out ribbons that are non-anime or non video game related? More like western comics, etc.?
>>10820031No. This is an anime convention for anime. Do that shit at wondercon or comiccon
>>10820034What about something Japanese but not anime related?
>>10820031It's okay but widely frowned upon and looked down upon. Most people prefer anime and video game things because this is explicitly a weeb con. >>10820037People still give out Idol ribbons, subculture ribbons, and even things like Maruchan and general weeb apparel all get ribbons with huge praise.
>>10820030You'll have to wait until I fix that shit, because apparently the ribbon company said the graphic is fucking up. For now, show up to the gathering on Saturday of the con. I'll come up with some other fun stuff too.
I don’t know what ribbons are. I think I might go as Nemissa from Soul Hackers.
>>10819844I’ve made them before, using heat transfer vinyl cut on a Cricut. It’s slow going but you don’t have to pay for the set up fee like on websites and you can make as many or as few as you want. You just iron on the htv to the ribbons, cut them apart and put double sided tape on the back.
Is this con worth going to?
>>10820495>Is this con worth going to?Depends on what you want out of it. ALA is more of a social con, with cosplay being a big part of it. Lots of social interaction events also. Big emphasis on artist alley. Used to be more of a party con, but new long beach location makes that almost impossible. Big Name guests of honor, events/premiers, and exclusives in the dealers hall aren't ALA's thing, so if that's what you want, it's not that.
>Black Friday sale had issues
>>10818931>>Mask still enforcedSome crazy fucking staffer was in pure Nazi mode last year. Told me to put my mask on when I was taking a sip of water inside the con center. What an asshole.
>>10820723What happened?
>>10820739Payment failures when the black Friday sale went live.They fixed it though
>Hotel reserved>Costumes done>Bills all payedNow I must simply survive the Holidays
>>10819788Link to ribbon website pls
>>10820842There's like three main ones I know of. The one I made of Ryoko however doesn't seem to be working with their printers. I'll either have to pay to get it vector'd, or just do something else. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1abEc9LoPAJMlqHleB10HXRWLc9JGGDSo0DeD9EtdH1w/edit?fbclid=IwAR2EgHBy1XIsAERxGtYJn48gFxQReJzvdJ7mvyZWQNISnzuEdt2lQgiWk1M#gid=0
Which hotel did you get the best experience for ALA?
>>10820908I commute to my home in San Diego, best hotel
>>10820908As a cosplayer, and if it's the long beach convention center, I won't bother with other hotels besides the Hyatt Regency. It's pretty much connected to the con center at the hip, which makes it super easy to go up and down for costume breaks and rests. But I think the room block is taken up already, so you might have to stay elsewhere.
>>10818891Just putting it out there that I run a Matrix chatroom at #los-angeles:arcesia.net.(To make an account, go to chat.arcesia.net and enter "soclain" when prompted for a token.)
>>10820974Is matrix chat room a service, or like a chat for fans of the matrix movie series?
>>10820917Damn nigga you rich with that ballin Tesla you're driving everyday.
Any chance Goodsmile will be there since they were ar AX Chibi or is it the usual shitty vendors, literal whos in AA, and Wild Bill's Soda?
>>10821024Did you go last year? Probably gonna be the same vendors. If we're not lucky it's gonna be like 50% sticker vendors. lol
>>10820981It's a chat room on the Matrix protocol. See socalain.com for more detailed instructions.
I’m just here for the cosplay I don’t have friends. Do you think I can just hang out outside of the con?
>>10821134Just buy a badge for one day. Very much would be a waste of time if you only hang out outside the con center (there's not much out there in between cosplay events). If you want to meet people, ALA is known for being a social con. I hung out in the tabletop room for like 6 hours one year and met tons of new people. But that means you need to go inside.
>>10821145>ALA is known for being a social conNah, I'll stick to more expensive AX. At least there is stuff to do. I tried ALA a few times and I didn't realize all the con goers in SoCal are all full of autism.
>>10821222That's probably for the best. AX is for large events and GoH. ALA is for socialization and cosplay.
>>10821283>ALA is for socialization>socialization No it isn't, everyone that goes this con is already in their shitty circlejerk cliques. Not worth going to this shitshow alone if you're looking to make weeb cosplay friends.
>>10821442This is only true if you're still messing with the main discord group for LA and surrounding. It's a clusterfuck I still just post a few times a year in not to get they yearly purge but it's a drama filled hellscape. I seriously don't get it, posts are seemingly like it was written for a tabloid article, people hate each other's guts, and still go to this convention wear a smile and then come back to shit talk about one another. I can only guess the group exists simply because everyone has some kind of dirt on everyone else so they all play nice. Can't wait to see what explosion happens this year where actual shit goes down and the mods downplay it as "well yeah they did some really bad shit but they aren't rude in the server!".
Anyone know whatever happened to that fag who started that car fire a few years ago that caused ALA to get booted out from Ontario?
>>10821448He's in jail was a pretty open and shut case being on camera for it. Though he wasn't the reason ALA left Ontario they had stated prior to that they were looking for a newer bigger venue. He was probably the last nail in the coffin for any hope of renewal though.
>>10821442I use the discord for organizing and general info about what's going down day to day, but most of my interactions with people at ALA are in person with people I've never met, seen before at con, or generally never knew there was an ALA/Socal cons discord. Just go to an event or room of interest and make acquaintances/network. Doesn't have to be lifelong friends.
Is the A line safe?
>>10821967Lived in LA for 26 yearsEither move as a group or underhand a knife. I won't say it's "dangerous", but the sheer volume of crackheads, LA vagrants, generally mentally unstable homeless, and immediate criminals sneaking away from cops is denser on that train than any form of public transportation in the state. They (probably) won't bother you because most of them are in some kind of addled state or are trying to shuffle away from the actual police, but you don't want to play games with people who have nothing to lose, and the goons that take the A Line are suspect through and through.
>>10821450Ontario was a perfect place for it. Why do you think AX chose it as the venue for small shitshow? If they just put a smaller cap on attendance, it would be fine and would still be there.
>Mfw I'm banned from ALA because I called out Chaz for being a creepy pedophile
>>10822146Gonna be honest, I loved the Ontario con center. Mostly because it was out of the way of normie foot traffic, and it was semi isolated. Did not enjoy those black dudes getting mad when you wouldn't take their rap CD outside the con center, however.
>>10822293Personal bias, but I've never seen Chaz do anything creepy. He's usually a nice dude trying to keep things social at cons. What was your experience?
This one came out pretty well
does anyone care about monogatari cosplays anymore? thinking of bringing one for a day but not worth it if no one cares anymore
Are they really going to cram everything in one hall? That doesn't look pleasing.>>10822458Wtf is that
>>10822337>Did not enjoy those black dudes getting mad when you wouldn't take their rap CD outside the con center, howeverI don't remember being harassed by niggers in Ontario. I didn't even know they existed out there.
Is Anime Long Beach any good?
>>10822565>Actual con center is somehow larger and yet feels more cramped>Outlying areas are all a mess of sit-down restaurants so you need to commit to dining rather than being able to just grab fast-food on the quick and keep moving>Hotels are extremely strict with noise complaints and try desperately to shut down anything that even resembles a room party from occurring>Vagrants and homeless and other annoying outsiders constantly threading through the con, making the space feel far more penetrated by randoms than most other cons>Most scenic locations are stuffed with tourists so many opportunities to take good beach/port shots are made exceedingly difficult>Organizers were nazis last year and excessive policing of places people were sitting, mask adherence, and even trying to section off ribbon trading areas wound up making a lot of the environment feel more sterile than it had any right being>The amount of major businesses in the immediate area means that there's an excess of rent-a-cops and security so you can't do anything wacky in public or they start pretending like they're going to report you to the police>In the opposite direction, the rest of dogshit-assed Long Beach is full of crackheads and homeless and the "city" is filthy like most of the rest of LA It should really be stressed that as shit of a decision as it was to bring this con to Long Beach, the fact that tons of people had a fun time shows that the enduring ALA spirit presses on and can survive even with a boot pressed against its neck. My only dark prayer at this point is that the next ALA location is placed somewhere even more remote and sleepy than Ontario.
>>10822578Where else would you want them go to? They're pretty much running out of places they can hold in LA. Pasadena is too small and LACC is too large and expensive. Anaheim is the lone option if they want to move again in a few years.
>>10822578>pretending like they're going to report you to the policereal talk, you can just ignore them. real police don't come for actual crimes let alone anime weeb bullshit
>Check cosplay gatherings>3 Genshit gatherings>3 Vtuber gatheringsThis has got to stop.
i wonder if theres going to be another melt down at the maid cafe. apparently it got really ugly and half the maids walked out
>>10822725what happened?
>>10822725Drama caused by attendee, or drama caused by the dude that owns the maids?
>>10822578Man I fucking miss Ontario. I never got to go to ALA when it was near LAX, so I don't know how it compares. But goddamn did I love Ontario for how remote it was and away from normies.
>>10822543>Are they really going to cram everything in one hall?If it's a repeat of last year they will, and that fucking SUCKS. Especially if you like the tabletop rooms. It's way better when they get their own quiet rooms to play in and chat with people.
>>10822770They are moving everyone that was in the next hall over (itasha, gaming, Arcane Maid, and ribbon station) with the exhibit/AA hall
>four Owl House Gatherings alreadyLiterally what the fuck. Is the show good?
>>10822850Considering how all of the links point towards it being a Discord-hosted event and the "main" Discord has 6 fucking people in it, I'm willing to believe they're either a few friends taking advantage of placeholder slots, someone on the current staff who personally is giving them all of the time slots they want, or this is all some kind of goofy in-joke.
>>10822725It's Arcane Maid Cafe, who fucking cares.
>>10822770Look at the map on their site. It shows Itashas, table top gaming, Arcane Maid Cafe, and ribbon station all mixed with the exhibit hall and AA.
sounds trash plus i accidentally booked wrong hotel. im at the westin thought i was getting the hyatt lul
>>10822865You can literally shove anything else in there, but I really wish tabletop had some private rooms again. The noise from the exhibit hall makes it almost impossible to play. It's the same mistake Anime California made in their final disastrous year.
>>10822543>>10822770>>10822773>>10822865>>10822895Actually they making the two halls into one. I don't see what's the point of having a north entrance.
>>10822865Arcane Maid Cafe? Yikes
>>10823002Unfortunately, the maid cafe does gangbusters. Only like 30 something people know the drama behind it. Regular attendees don't know or don't care.
>>10822855teenager owl shits would absolutely be the types to try and game the system like that. I swear that show is irrelevant in terms of actual fan numbers but they make up for it taking every negative quality of 2010s fandoms and making them 10x worse.
>>10821975Do you remember when it first opened?
>>10823007There two most popular maids are gone, Beari and Nagi. It's all downhill from there.
>>10823007Yeah, you're right. It does make me wish cancel culture was real because Drew has done some pretty awful things that deserve to be canceled.
>>10823071Wow, how'd he get Nagi pissed? Assuming they also broke up.
>>10822855>>10823010Should we say anything to the cosplay gathering mods on ALA's discord, or leave it be? Not sure if it's worth rockin the boat over, but seems kinda scummy if they're just camping timeslots.
>>10823085I wouldn't start anything personally (just because I can't be assed by any metric other than how stupid it is), but if you wanted to send them a concerned e-mail, I'd only make a note of the fact that there's 4 gatherings and asking if it's in error. If they're aware and nothing is being done, there's no reason to press into it further. If they're unaware, I'm sure they'll address it (or just not care anyways).
>>10823071Story time.
>>10823071>Nagi's gone
>>10823071>>10823091the AI rendered them... obsolete?
>>10823120Maid cafe's are cringe anyways, in both Japan and the west.
>>10823094Who cares, she's full blown autismo. How the fuck can anyone simp that twig?
>>10823071Beari and Nagi were never the most popular. They were both Drew's girlfriend/live-in partner. He just made them the mascots for Arcane and everything else because they were willing to do virtually anything he said in exchange for a 24/7 photographer and a (dinky) platform. The Arcane social media still has Nagi posts pretty recently, but I'm hoping the rumor that they broke up is true.
>>10823425i heard the meltdown at the maid cafe earlier this year was because of the girls got into some drama amongst themselves. that would make sense if its because the cafe favors a couple maids over everyone else and treats the rest else like fodder. no wonder arcane cafe has so many enemies.
>Ribbons finally came in>100 each>Still don't know how to give them out besides several close friends.
>>10823518What's the theme?
>>10823490>i heard the meltdown at the maid cafe earlier this year was because of the girls got into some drama amongst themselves.Kek they're all ugly and unmarketable.
>>10823518Post Ribbon, we can give you a game to do for them.
>>10823582The theme is that your mum is a cunt>>10823688I threw ended up throwing them, I can't believe I blew $100.
>>10823710>Didn't want to donate to ribbon station to get more ribbons, trade, or even just dole them out at complete random just for the festivities>Instead trashes them
>>10823710>The theme is that your mum is a cuntEasy then, just give it to congoers who give you a story about shitty parenting, like yours did.
>>10823710Good for you Anon that you suddenly decided to pull out from the ribbon shit where no one wins. It's unfortunate that you lost out on $100 like I did. Ribbons are so stupid, this is the only con I know on this planet that encourages this shit. I tried it once years ago, and hardly got anyone to take my ribbons off me. I felt like I wasted money in the end that would have been better spent at overpriced merch at the dealers hall.
>>10823743What was the ribbon you brought out? I'm not sure why people act like these are hard to dole out. Even if your shit is extremely niche, you just broadcast it on the Facebook page, the Discord, or just in general go for trades. Worse comes to worst, you could also post them on /cgl/ and someone would definitely try to meet you for them.
>>10823743try not being a creepy and then maybe people will like you
>One of their Japanese guest pulled out
>>10823821This,Most people just care about adding a ribbon to the chain.I've had popular ribbons where i've accidentally blocked one of the dealer's hall entrances with an interest mob, and i've had ribbons where I just use em as trade fodder. I still make new ones every year cause I get rid of most of them!>>10823743Why are you even going to cons if you're complaining about easy conversation starters and common interest flags? Just buy your merch on amazon and you'll save the price of the ticket since you hate talking to people.
>>10824189It's ALA, not AX. People don't go to ALA expecting amazing GoH. It's mostly a social/cosplay convention. It's nice when we get interesting GoH, but it's not what people look for in ALA. I really hope ALA doesn't try to grow larger. Then it'll suck.
>Two weeks away AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
>>10824391>It's mostly a social/cosplay convention>socialWhat?
>>10824605Yes, socializing and cosplay always been the point of ALA. If that's not for you, then skip it and go to some other convention. You won't have fun.
>>10824674>socializingHow is that possible when either everyone wants pussy or are too intoxicated to even complete a sentence?
>>10824189>>10824391He probably did think Anime Los Angeles was indeed AX. Then he looked it up and realized it was a complete shitshow.
>>10824793Go to panels or events that suit your interest. Go to gatherings and talk to people. Basically, do opposite of what you usually do, which is sperg out on 4chan.
>>10824793>Ribbon hunt>Panels>Cosplay gatherings>General conversationHell even with room parties and everybody being plastered you can easily draw conversation out of some people if you give it a little bit of effort. The key is trying, not being a presumptuous waste of space.
I personally had a super good experience with ribbons. Gave out all 200, got to talk to a lot of people, and had a really good keepsake of the whole thing. I think you just have to get lucky and think of a good combination of cool ribbon and way to get it.
>Itasha cars are almost the same people every yearDon't people ever get tired of looking at the same cars every year?
>>10824999Itasha is a trash hobby anyways. I wonder why they think we care about their wraps?
>>10825123I was so close to joining this clown show. Glad I didn't.
>>10824999>>10825123the drama behind the scenes is funny though. apparently theres people that fuck with the cars because they have a problem with the people that run the maid cafe. one of them busted up a mirror last year and was bragging about it to each other behind each other backs.
>Forecast predicts rain during ALA
>>10818931Covid cases are on the rise. I'm sure ALA will have a mask policy in place like last time.
going to just use a "real" jabby card again and not wear a mask. deal with it.
>>10825142i heard some people that dont like maid cafe are planning on slapping nagi stickers on the cars
arcane maid drama was caused by the owner, an actual pos who mistreats and verbally berates the maids. shocking that ALA still lets them in.
>>10825254its ironic that hes known for hating autistic people. hes pretty autistic himself. thats why he makes so many enemies.he was on voice chat during nagis last few streams. he was the screaming nerd rage voice in the backgroundbut other then being an autistic dislikable guy, what else has he done?
>>10825268You answered your own question. Doesn't respect social norms
>>10825254>>10825254apparently the drama from earlier this year was that the other girls found out that maid cafe was boosting some of the OTHER girls at the cafe like maid nina. and hooking her up with sponsorship deals.it was already a low key understanding among all the girls that the cafe was buying followers and bots for maid nagi. when they found out that some of the other girls were getting special treatment too, they all turned on the owner.
>>10825144>>10825233Kek, what a bunch of fucking manchildren.>>10825254>>10825268>>10825295Who cares, majority of those girls are hideous anyways. Maid Cafes was a mistake.
>ALA got rid of all mask and testing bullshitb..based!
>>10825464Not so fast. Expect a change in the coming days. LA county is experiencing a surge in Covid cases.
>>10825491More like a surge in people getting tested because of holiday travel.
>Last con attended was Twitchcon and people were up in arms about no mask>Twitch caved in and added a mask enforcement>Nothing here at ALA so far
so does arcane maid cafe have bots that like your posts? because lately they’ve been randomly liking my posts and I thought it was really weird
>>10823083Not true... looks like their stronger then ever...https://animelosangeles.org/maid-cafe/
>>10825268I read all of the drama and couldn’t figure out exactly what they did wrong other then trying to run a business? Is this all you have anon? Why not target the real bad ones like animanga’s trans hater or ala’s founders pedo addiction to boys.
>>10825295>among all tIts really sad and pathetic the other shit tier maid cafes have to make up stories because they cant live up to arcane
>>10822725I read the whole google doc the maid who first walked out posted. lul seems like she's just a special snowflake complaining about not wanting do her job
>>10825786Is this the gremlin looking one? Bcus if it is I would done the same
>>10825773They liked and commented on a picture of my labrador which I thought was nice. Their account looks more legit with less spam and bots then the other maid cafes.
>>10825144I heard about that too but it was actually done by john yang aka otakoo john woo
>>10823094https://animelosangeles.org/maid-cafe/
>>10823071NO ONE CARES ABOUT THE STUPID MAID CAFE DRAMA!! stop spamming the same shitty made up stories you posted last year on 4chan loser
>>10825786link?
bruh lmao the person in this thread who is part of the maid cafe and trying to defend it is so obvious
Anyone have any idea when they'll send letters out to anyone who made it to the AMV finals? I submitted 3 that I am very proud of...
>>10825826got mine last week looks like youre out
>>10822578Long Beach is meh. At least it isn’t a hour drive anymore
>>10825491Tired of the Covid bs it’s been how many years already?
>>10825858I live in the eastern SFV so other than the one year ALA was in Burbank it's just become a longer and longer drive with every move. Man I miss the original Van Nuys days in that little airport hotel with the giant airplane models. I wonder if that place still exists.
>>10825859It's here forever
>>10825145>Only partly cloudy on the day I'm running my gathering outside. Phew, but still could be a disaster. >>10825684Maybe if we all just keep real quiet about it, ALA will happen before the vax/mask crazies realize and cause a stink. >>10822580I know we can never got back to the LAX location, but in all honesty, I'd prefer going back to Ontario (if the hotels aren't still mad about the car fire). It's remote, it's comfy, it's not disgusting long beach, the different departments all get their own rooms (idk who's fucking idiot idea it is to copy the failure that was Anime California and shove the gaming and tabletop all into the dealers hall). ALA social media keeps saying they "outgrew" the Ontario con center. I don't know if that's cope-posting for being kicked out due to the car fire, or they want to grow ALA too large for it's own britches and need larger con centers. Either way, the LB move has sucked.
>>10825977did the engines explode? what happened?
>>10826041https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2019-01-14/man-arrested-over-7-vehicle-fire-at-anime-los-angeles-hotel-lot/.142025
>>10826041tldr: Some cross dressing mentally ill power ranger cosplay community member had One-Itus for a girl who was already married, stalked her, and when he was rejected, he torched her car at the con, destroyed a couple other vehicles too.
>>10825876I grew up around that Van Nuys place and its still around as a hotel. I didn't know about ALA at the time so I never got to go.
>>10825785>made up stories. heres a reddit account thats mod for a bunch of arcane cafe subreddits buying IG accounts right before maid nagi launched. heres also her buying thousands of followers in her early days before anyone noticed.then arcane cafe turns around and puts those fake numbers on their website. the other girls left cause they didnt want to be part of this scummy behavior. other girls like maid nina are just waiting for their turn. they're already pumping her IG account with fake followers, they're just doing it slowly this time
>>10826078>>10826079
>>10825785Nigga stop defending them. The girls are ugly, fuck the "chefs" that cook at these because they gave my friend who went food poisoning, and the guy behind it all is a dick.
>>10825963until all the jabbies die of heart attacks and cancer anyway.
>>10826194Just two more weeks!
Does /cgl/ still have meetups at this con?
>>10826090>at cook at these because they gave my friend who went food poisoning, and the gidk bro did you see their kitchen? they bringing out full stainless steel sinks and everything. better than the dirty kitchen I work at kekpretty impressive food prep if you ask me compared to the other "maid cafes"
>>10826245SO excited! I have a huge ribbon collection to hand out this year
>>10826255No but we could always make one, just gotta be aware of the downpour.Friday work for folks? Lobby of the Regency
>porn star DJ
just found out some of the google street view in long beach was shot at ALA. cringe genshits forever preserved in time
who's hosting the touhou orgy this year? got me 3 femboys in tow this time
>>10826516They made me be the femboy last year and every one got to nut but me :^(
>>10826477Are you talking about Kaho? I went to her set last year. Yeah, she sucks.
>>10825144Nobody did that. The owner, Drew, makes up rumors about "the haters" doing crazy things to get back at him when the reality is that he does insane stuff unprompted and people just judge him for it/stop working with him.
>>10826443see you at the fire pit
What's with the official ALA discord being so cringe and braindead, no one bothers reading any post or notifications.
>>10825145RIP all Thursday gatherings
>>10826245more like>two of weeks agoits already HAPPENING
Why do people bring up the damn maid cafes. Everyone knows the superior one and I don't need to name them. But it's not arcane
>>10826820>Wasting money at shitty convention maid cafes
Man, thread's pretty dead for the a con in like 3 days. Is it gonna be a slow year?
>>10826255There use to be a ALA+SoCal cgl group that would meetup which was very okay, it was on a downward spiral for the longest time constantly exploding with drama and random orbiters. Not sure if I just left out of the shitstorm that was ALA 2020 and other stuff or if the server imploded and sub-fractured... again.
>>10827037i hope so i hate crowded cons
>>10827037The AX thread usually dies until Day 1 too. I like to think it's because people are busy packing, travelling, or finishing their costumes before the con. Just give it until Day 1, then we'll see some action. Not much mind you, but something.
I just arrived when is the room party to get lade.
>>10827109Plenty, myself included
>>10827037It's going to be a dead con since it's supposed to now be raining all weekend.
>>10827166Odds are high this just translates to a packed con center and lots of room party noise complaints. ALA has had rain before, it just becomes far more indoors than outdoors.
>>10827166Rain doesn't usually stop ALA fans. Just makes em get cozy in the con center. Though the con not going back to Ontario sucks, since LBCC is ass for a con like ALA. We can't even go back to the first ALA location, since that spot got turned into housing for a college.
>>10827037>Is it gonna be a slow year?Haven't cons been dead for years? It's all consumerist normfag garbage. More people doesn't mean better.
>>10827202I prefer the long beach location but i also have no friends
>>10823425People in the know laugh at whoever ends up being the face of Arcane Maid Cafe or any of Drew's shitty cons because that means they're Drew's latest fwb. Hell, it's the rep Beari is trying to get away from.
>>10827166I'm only seeing guaranteed rain on Thursday and even then it's only 0.5" which is fucking nothing.
>>10825826Confirmed I didn't make it. ngl, I am pretty crushed I didn't make it to the Anime Los Angeles 2023 AMV contest finals. I made 2 new AMVs just for this + submitted another which I was very proud of. I still consider all 3 fantastic and some of my best work. I just have to try harder next time.
>>10827242>people in the knowso is it the same 2-3 assholes in every thread. why cant these maid cafe simps shut the fuck up already and move on?
>>10827104people actually fly just for this con? wow
Is the COVID poicy still 2 shots?
>>108273774 for fully boosted (1st +2nd are technically 1).remember to get boosted goy
>>10827339Because Drew is gaming on people who are essentially socially retarded, and that's most weeaboos.
>>10827369ALA is basically becoming FanimeCon SoCal, so no, it shouldn't shock anyone that people fly to this con from all over the USA. Especially because it has a great rep as a cosplay con and a social con.
>>10827377There is no COVID policy for ALA 2023. If you are uncomfortable around big crowds or don't want to catch a cold, flu, COVID, RSV, or Pneumonia, just mask indoors and don't mask outside like a normal person.
Anything going on today? Just flew in from Japan, didn't know thursday had a schedule seems pretty mild till late afternoonish
>>10818917>covid and wage slave job is grinding me down>feeling fatiguedIs this how it ends?
>>10820031My friend did a Stars Wars one when Mandalorian got popular.
>>10820488>Nemissa from Soul Hackers.Based.
Any rm party’s, I want to get lade tonight!
I didn’t wear a cosplay today expecting it to be pouring rain but it’s warm and sunny
>>10827202>We can't even go back to the first ALA location, since that spot got turned into housing for a college.I think you might be thinking of Ani-Magic's old location, the Antelope Valley Inn. ALA's original location, the Airtel Plaza, is still a hotel, though it seems like it's undergoing renovation or something right now.
so how’s it looking guys? Won’t be there til day 3 but does it seem packed?
>>10827507Yeah, it's surprisingly busy.
>>10827369I doubt as many as AX, but I know some people who are flying in. I was mostly referring to driving when I said travelling though.
>>10827497Is there a chance we could go back? Ontario was convenient and comfy.
>>10827460>flew in from Japan for ALAI'm not knocking your choices, but genuinely curious. Why? ALA is a cool con, but not even the most popular one we have here. What drew you to it?
>>10827490Ah, that's LA rain for you. One day you're gonna walk out of your hotel room to a warm, bright, dry, sunny day and randomly get rainfall in the middle of it. It's just how it is here.
>>10827517cons in japan suck bro they’re way too strict and don’t even have many cosplayers/cosplayers can only stay in one area, it’s mostly just a market to sell, strict camera rules etc honestly doesn’t match up to most cons in the US
>>10827519So I hear. I can understand why one would travel to the US for a con, I guess I'm just curious why a small local con like ALA instead of one of the big ones around the country which are considered bucket listers. If I were spending that much money to travel and enjoy, I'd pick a bigger one, ya know? That's why I was curious if there was some specific reason for ALA. But cest la vie
>>10827519You could do Famine instead that has more cosplayers, 24-hour programming, better cosplay, better photographers, and better social scene
What’s the ala staff wifi password?
>>10827517Why did you add "for" in there, I just got done with 2 months in Japan that's all. It happened I was landing in LAX and figured to stick around.>>10827519LOL no. Not even, at least try with better bait.>>10827523Not me. ALA is just a fun con, and bigger con doesn't always mean better. ALA is a fun party-ish con>>10827524Fanime sucks, "wait for the elevator: the con" besides crusty cosplay is always the best since the people with them often are actually sociable. Social scene is also debatable but it is cali so...
I was that guy that asked why you'd fly to this con and I'm still wondering why you'd fly to this con. Its pretty small and nothing much happens. I thought it was just people from LA with nothing better to do
Is there gonna be a meet up this year? Last year was kinda a bust with COVI2D and shit.
>>10827565>Why did you add "for" in thereWhat? I didn't have the word for in my reply??>I just got done with 2 months in Japan that's allOh you don't live in Japan! I thought you lived there and were visiting the states again or something. That's why I couldn't understand why you would make your introduction to American conventions such a small choice. That makes a lot more sense. Yeah, I'd do the same if I found out a con was happening in my area. I've found cool experiences that way.
Coming tomorrow evening to pick up my badge and drink, then go for real on Saturday. From a scale of AX Ontario to the real AX, how exciting is ALA?
>>10827592everyone seems like they’re having a lot of fun so far
>>10827592between those two its in the middle. its not ax chibi but its certainly not in the grand scale of AX. If you go to LA cons is more like a anime version of LA comic con or wondercon
>>10827592ALA is a nice mix. My favorite Socal anime con because AX is not worth it anymore unless its our first time or a turbonerd
I like being alone and this is my first con. Do you have any advice to offer?
>>10827592Feels like early era AX.
>>10827116Come to infront of the Terrace theatre got a group of bitches looking to fuck.
Won't be going to ALA, but will go to Anime Impulse. First time cosplaying, is anyone willing to meet up to help me with make-up?
>>10827592It’s like an early Anime Expo or a half sized FanimeCon.
The vibe here is like an early 2010s or even a 2000s convention. This is such a whiplash from AX.
>>10827773There are so many newbies whose first or second con it really feels like going back in time again.
>>10827774So many newbies cause of tiktok
>>10827774I mean even the art for the con gives major "western artists trying to emulate chibi" 2011 feeling art. I can't tell if it's comfy or cringe.
Welp, are there any parties or shit worth sticking around for beyond just the concert?
>>10820974Hey everyone, just a reminder that there will be a Lain meetup at 5 tomorrow at the roundabout.Join this Matrix chatroom for more information!
>>10827795why not just make a twitter or discord what the fuck
Any sluts out there who want a free womb tattoo? I'll even put it on for you if want
>>10827802isn't that for traps?
How to get bussy
fountain con lit who here
>>10827819It's for what ever I want them to be,boy wombs and girl wombs work with my magic just the same
>>10827802I'll take the free womb tatto but I'm fat
>>10818891
Any parties tonight? I just wanna drink with likeminded folks. Got some vodka.
>>10827834I'll be at the con till it ends tonight, if you want one tell me the place time and we'll meet
where to cop womb tattoo
>>10828002I have them in my backpack, tell me where in the con you wanna meet and I'll give you one, I am currently in the panel rooms down stairs, prolly gonna go to karaoke or the cosplay deviants party after this
>>10828002Look for yellow wig
There was a Willy Wonka cosplayer walking around and he was so hot. Wonka-Kun, if you’re around, I loved you
>the e-gaming area is inside the dealers hall>no more late night e-gaming >no more late night smash matches
>>10828014Ngl would want one. Where?
>>10828040I'm in the cosplay deviants party, later will go to fountain party, still in yellow wig
>>10828043Also wearing backpack with sign on it, I'm almost completely out so if you do come get one the condition is I gotta put it on you in person
someone stole my fucking badge desu now they want me to pay to come back tomorrow
>>10828025he saving the biggest golden ribbon for u bae
>>10828044Is it the pochita sign?
>>10828049It's the sign that says free womb tattoos lol
>>10828051If you get abducted send us a sign. Blink or something
Any parties going on?
Just lost my virginity
Not trying to doomer post but does ALA feel way different now? I dunno something about the entire con felt... off. I can't put my finger on it but it really didn't have that same appeal it had in Ontario in terms of things. I have had a blast at other cons in the past few months but this just I dunno was enjoyable but no where near what I recall ALA being in levels of enjoyment. Overall was a fun con, only legitimate complaint I had was that I wish they had better signage up for directions around the facility. It constantly felt like I'd be walking for a good while only to find myself in a dead end forced to go some obscure route to get to something like the swap meet.
>>10828111The con felt amazing to me, had a lot of fun but you gotta realize when a convention changes venues, the entire con changes. Hotels and surrounding cities have different rules and restrictions. Give it a few years and this will become AX 2.0 with weebs taking over the city of Long Beach. Also you're better off hosting your own party to make things happen at ALA changes the experience entirely.
>>10828114Not saying it was bad or that I had a bad time, just jarringly different from the clusterfuck/shitposty nature that ALA in Ontario had. I plan on attending next year, was just a bit different than I remember room parties weren't the issue moreso the con layout being off. Who knows maybe I was just tired from the holidays more than I thought.
Ive been having a great time but the one thing that bugs me is the cosplay gatherings that get shoved all the way behind the hotel and no short path to reach it. Ends up with a lot of lost cosplayers not knowing how to find it.
>>10828111This is exactly how I felt. I had fun at other cons recently but this one felt super off. No clue about it but I was super disappointed. All I did was just walk the dealers til it closed then left afterwards. I think maybe a part of it is that I really don’t like the new con center. Everything is super confusing and hard to find. I heard about lots of people getting lost and there’d be like 15 people standing confused staring at the maps. The whole vibe of everything just didn’t feel right.
>>10828096congratulations.gif
>>10828118Feel the same way, first time coming to LB after Ontario move and the gatherings feel very random. I also chalk it up to not knowing the layout of the center well yet.
>>10827519You have to find the small show / genre specific events in Japan. At the bare min there will be a drinking meet up but there can be so much more. YuYuYu for example had sticker rallies across town where you could try some of the local foods.
Just glad they didn't force the masks this year. Pretty fun con though. I was drunk for a good amount of it.
Did ALA have a mask mandate this year?
>>10828191Nope, but some people still wore them anyways. No covid vax check either.
I felt like I didn't have enough time.
I loved that Tabletop gaming had it's own rooms again. I didn't love that once exhibit hall was closed, I'd have to walk a city block to get to the area they were in again. That sucked donkey dick. Also what the fuck is up with E-gaming being out in the open hall? The arcade sure, but I feel like e-gaming as well needs it's own rooms.
My first ALA. Usually go to just AX. It was pretty enjoyable. Every other con in LA seems to be pretty industry driven and mechanical with no soul. Wish cons were like this again. It must have been a blast in Ontario. Wish I knew where all the parties were. The Cosplay Deviants and the rave with Kaho Shibuya was meh.
>>10828267The real parties were invite only.
>>10828270How do I get invited next time? I’m hot girl but socially inept
>>10828274If you were hot, you would've got an invite no matter what.
>>10828274If you're part of a niche fanbase or something it's easy to talk to people and usually ask them if they're doing anything later on/anything. sometimes people congregate in random places (i.e. hyatt firepit or the fountains outside the LBCC)
ALA 2023 DAMAGE REPORT>$511.49 on swag>$132.84 on food not including food run before driving back home with friends>$31.93 on non related con shit>$350 on hotel fees>$35 on gas
>>10828274>Socially ineptSo you're going to have to talk to people and make acquaintances, and ask about drinks/room parties
>>10828274If you're actually hot, the party will revolve around you. You don't really have to do anything.
so did everyone have fun?
>>10828328I did. left a few "demo decks" for a card game around and hoping someone enjoyed them.
>>10828328>Cute Asian chick cosplayers hit me up on IG and started following me because I posted pictures from their cosplay gatherings>Many of them are probably underage or lesbians>Mfw
>>10828339Which card game?
>>10828346wixosshttps://youtu.be/kqoEYLITOiw
>>10828347god people like you are cringe.
>>10828350yes, and?
>>10828347I wish I saw these. I've always wanted to learn Wixoss.
>>10828364its a very easy game to learn the basics of and if you are in LA there are 3 shops with active players near that would help you out (myself included)
>>10828274if youre a hot girl you can join my party hit me up
>>10828365What are the shops? I am in East LA.
>>10828403biggest one is Turn Zero Games in ktown, sunday events get 12-20ish a week. the owner plays.Anohana hobby in La Puente, there events are saturdays but I think its less people going (6-8?)Game Cornerin Azusa, think about the same as Anohana.all 3 do the promos and such from what I hear. turn zero seems the largest crowd however.
>>10828328Almost got rid of all my ribbons, cosplayed for 2 days, and met a lot of people. I honestly had a good time and I'm looking forward to next year.
Meanwhile at Anime Expo
>>10828410this was the first year I was going to get it too fuck
>>10828417I was Premier for the first time in 2020 but we all know what happened. I decided to go for a regular badge last year since I wasn't too sure if Premier was going to be worth it, which it wasn't imho. I was going to try Premier again, now this happens.
>>10828345well they didn't add you for your looks anon so don't even put your hopes up
>>10828403>East LANice anon, nice
>>10828456Whats so nice about it?>>10828405Is there a list of shops so I can find something closer?
>>10828457Well there's nothing nice about it but it's home
>>10828462East LA is just a very cozy place. I love it
>>10828274Hot girls don't call themselves hot. It's like how the person who is the dumbest call themselves "smart" or "geniuses."If you were hot, you wouldn't even ask this question.
>>10828274>>10828470She likely has a nice body but a face that's not too good looking.
>>10828457https://www.takaratomy.co.jp/products/en.wixoss/event/20221223/wixossparty-january.htmlthese are the shops that host events anyway.
>>10828483Thanks a ton if we ever meet some day I'll thank you in person
>>10828347Fuck I would've loved a wixoss deck>>10828483Do you know much about the turnout in socal venues like Irvine, Mission Viejo and Santa Ana?
is anime impulse good?
>>10828465Oh yeah, and most of the LA based cons aren't too far away, I know there's one coming up this weekend in Pomona but idk if the juice is worth the squeeze on that one.
>>10828535No and it's going to rain that entire weekend.
>>10828535Normie and shopping, thats about it.
>>10828282I only went one day cus I was on the fence about going, much like animanga and anime impulse, small-ish cons are nice and completely unlike the normie line hell that is AX, I'm gonna start doing ALA too from now on, still managed to spend $300 on just stuff.My one complaint is how long it takes to get to the Seaside rooms when the exhibit hallway is closed, you walk outside and onto that bridge thing and down 4 stairwells that aren't even marked and then get pat down again by security only to do it all again to get back to the main convention space with a fuckhuge security line that barely moves.It really isn't any worse than going to the JW rooms during AX but still.>>10828535It's very small, the daily parking at the fairplex costs more than the weekend badge and last year it was so small that they also ran Asian American Expo, a kpop expo, and a sneaker expo at the same time to make it an ok sized con and you could walk between all 4 and it was a strange mix of 4 different demographics mixed with genshit cosplayers everywhere, still fun though, free play rhythm games make it worth it.
>>10828485hopefully! games fun (and cheap)>>10828498no idea about those areas sorry anon. Ive seen good luck just with 2-4 people playing and others starting based on the low price barrier to play and cute art.
>>10828576Do they have chunithm machines there? I was really surprised to find one outside of japan.
>>10828576I'd like to add that i don't really get the ribbon thing at all or why people were trading them everywhere and cases full of them, were those vendors?, I looked at some of them being sold and they were clearly for your pronouns, and combined with people "winning" by having chains of ribbons going to the floor... Maybe I don't get it.>>10828587If it's that piano game, I think I saw one of those this ALA, free play, i can't remember if I saw one at anime impulse tho.I wish they had diva this time, anime impulse had diva.
>>10828591the ribbons are just for fun. some people just hand them out, some trade there made ribbons for others, some you get if you buy at a booth, or answer silly questions. it might be hard to understand but sometimes a silly thing is just a silly thing.personally It gives me a reason to keep my badges and I have fond memories of past cons just looking at certain ribbons.
>>10828591Ribbons are mostly for fun. There's some people that get super cereal about collecting them like Disney pins, however, so that's why you see the trading circles and boxes of em. I had some printed for my gathering this year. I traded a ton to get my ribbon chain going, donated some to the ribbon station, and then parsed the rest out as the convention went on. It's kind of a "get what you put in" sort of activity. It's not super important, but it is fun, and an ALA tradition. I think Gallifrey 1 also does it.
>>10828593i wish more cons did it
>>10828111>>10828128Returning from Covid-19 hiatus, remnants of the mask mandate also kind of killed the mood for me. Didn't like the dim lighting so indoor photography took a hit.
>>10828576>last year it was so small that they also ran Asian American Expo, a kpop expo, and a sneaker expo at the same timethey are all part of the same company. so its not like they just randomly shoehorned those other stuff in there.
>>10828535It was worth it to me last time simply because their free arcade had Fighting Mania machine. Thing is like my holy grail of arcade machines I wanna own. Last time I got to play one before Impulse was AX2007
who’s going to anime impulse this weekend? i’m excited for some of the voice actors. anyone know how much they typically charge to sign?
>>10828799>I’m excited for some of the voice actorsWhy? It's all dub actors. And not even the fun ones from the 90s.
>>10828328Only did one day but I did, but then again that was mainly because I already had stuff I got to do the entire time I was there.
>>10828799Unless I know Drew's out of management for that con, it's a pass for me.
>>10828801Or anyone from Demon Slayer that’ll bring the normies in droves
>>10828812>Unless I know Drew's out of management for that con, it's a pass for me.I am aware of the drama surrounding this man, but I have never seen him on the con floor. Do you have a photo?
>>10828799Impulse looks impossible to be anything other than a shittier ALA that's farther away, and with last week being my first ALA it was kind of underwhelming anyway. I was expecting ALA to have some kind of massive hotel party vibe but it was just a weird mix of a 2009 con with a lot more coomer energy sprinkled here and there.
>>10829465>Impulse looks impossible to be anything other than a shittier ALAImpulse isn't exactly a con per se. It's more like an event. It's baked into an event that's tied together with a state fairground and like 3 other events. It's interesting, and there's always plenty of food. Don't expect a regular con vibe however. >I was expecting ALA to have some kind of massive hotel party vibeALA used to be one of the primary party cons. But the change in venue to Long Beach sort of destroyed that.
>>10829468With the way the threads hyped up ALA I was surprised when on both Friday and Saturday nights I spent a little time at the Hyatt lobby bar and was one of the only people there
>>10829471>the Hyatt lobby barOnce again, that's more on account of the venue. Hyatt was not going to tolerate crazy parties in the lobby. I did attend some hotel room parties, but they were more tame than usual. No one wanted to get kicked out of the hotel. lolBack when ALA was in Ontario, we had "lobby con" which is basically the con after party in the lobby of the Radison (hotel changed names recently). Staff gave no fucks. We had tables and booze and whatever else out in the open with no supervision. I am not sure how it compared to ALA at it's original locations. ALA is becoming a more "sober" convention I guess you could say. It's probably a healthy thing, but it is sort of sad the old vibe is leaving. I hear Dragoncon is the king of party cons.
>>10829482This year we had "FountainCon" out in front of the Terrace Theater on Friday night/Saturday morning until 3AM. It got broken up by the cops after a civilian wandered in and maced two people. This was my first ALA and it really put into perspective how awful my home con (Sakuracon) really is. Fun may as well be illegal up here.
I was at Anime Impulse earlier today; it was kind of a shit show because the rain just would not let up. In Artist Alley it was leaking through the roof in several places, and a few unlikely booths were essentially getting the brunt of it.
>>10829655Its a shame because impulse is one of the better cons for shooting cosplay but the rain pretty much soiled that and it was too cramped indoors to take any decent photos. Brought the wrong shoes too so my feet were soaked from any sort of standing water. Ended up just hanging out with friends instead and bought the overpriced food. At least the food vendors toughed it out in the rain.
whats the next con for us socal people
>>10830119Fanime
https://youtu.be/zF6ZPehysY4>Mamuro5254 kino in your path
>>10829468>But the change in venue to Long Beach sort of destroyed that.Every venue change (other than maybe the one year in Burbank) has progressively made it worse, imo. LB is worse than Ontario, but Ontario was also worse than LAX, which was awesome because it was all in one hotel and a lot of rooms opened up to the pool deck, which made them ideal for parties. I remember Van Nuys being really good too but that was a long time ago and there was some crossover with Ani-Magic, which at the time was the real SoCal party con king.
