Yama-con 2017: Paranormal and Supernatural - Vendor Review

Yama-Con 2017: Paranormal and Supernatural

(The theme not the TV show)

 

 

I know the question that you've all been asking.

"Did animazeme make it to Yama-con?!" well my fair folks, we sure did.

 

I didn't really get loud about us going to Yama-con before hand because of the topic I wanted to report on this year. Now generally, people get a little up-tight when you mention this so bear with me.

I wanted to observe and report the Vendors/Artists and see if they were doing the following:

1. Following all Yama-con, convention center, and state guidelines for merchants.
2. Keeping the same prices at all times.
3. "Family Friendly" as is the convention.

 

First thing's first, What are the Yama-Con vendor rules? In fact, what are rules at all? Well my good people, rules exist to keep you and I safe. Sometimes they might seem like a buzz-kill but I assure you there is a good reason for most of them. The rules specific to Vendors, AKA Merchants, can be found on Yama-cons website here. I wont go over all of them because as I'm sure you can see, there are a lot of them. I will pick and choose the ones that I find are commonly ignored

 

1. Bootlegs: Oh do I have bad news. Every convention, say it with me, every convention ends up being a hot spot for bootleg merchandise. It isn't even always intentional, sometimes you have vendors who just don't know. Regardless of the reason though, there is always bootleg merchandise afoot, or a-hand, or sometimes a-plushie.
1. How am I so certain of this? Bootleg refers to unlicensed or unauthorized sale of a product without the producers consent. Did you see all of the posters at Yama-con? Did you see those plushies? How about all those books? Posters are usually a big one for bootlegs, because it is so hard to obtain creative license for them; however, just like everything else there are ways around it. Buy 1 (one) poster, get your purchase rights, order 100+ unofficial posters, sell them all under the pretense that they are the same one you bought the rights too. OR, my personal favorite, rip off hard working artists who make stunningly beautiful fan art because what  could the repercussions for that be? a lawsuit? only if some artist from Berlin happens to physically see you selling their art.
   Now did Yama-con have an issue with this? Not really. The merchandise wasn't blatantly obvious. The only issues came about when you asked vendors if you could see their license to sell.
1. Don't let me enthusiasm fool you, bootlegging art and other merchandise is despicable and I will continue to call out merchants I see doing it till the day I stop attending cons.
2. Adult Content: Mmmmm Daddy, check again. It's hard to filter this subject because everyone sees different things as being adult content. Some more reserved people might believe that Sailor Moon has a little too much skin showing and call it 18+ where as others will read Sekaiichi Hatsukoi and think "Could have shown a little more". What I typically judge it by is, "How would I feel showing this to my grandma? And not the crazy one." Usually, artists are in more violation of this than merchants are. BUT WAIT - Yama-con has 2 rules on adult content. The first rule is just a general description of adult content, the second says it may be displayed in a tasteful manner.
1. Is the convention really family friendly if you've got Hentai front and center on some massive art walls that can be seen from almost any point in the vendors room? Don't get me wrong, I like a little fanservice as much as the next guy but I don't need to see all that when I'm shopping for pocky. Since this entire subject is up to discretion I wont linger. Personally, I saw some art pieces and items (I'm looking at you, "Yes, Daddy?" belly shirt!) that I found a little distasteful. Oh and at one point in one of the vendors booths, a cosplayers shirt fell down and she didn't have a hidden modesty panel if you catch my drift. I know that isn't exactly accredited to vendors; however, what happens in the vendors room stays in the vendors room. I guess it just dampened my enjoyment of PG13 stuff.
3. Minor things like merchant conduct, checking of ID's and use of music are also always little issues.
1. Every con has minor violations. Why? Because vendors are people too. They are fans and otaku's just like the rest of us. They want to cut loose and have fun, they sometimes forget that they are there working. It's not that big a deal because generally the area manager nips it in the bud. I heard music that was probably a little too loud, I heard vendors cussing or saying things that I personally would have taken the wrong way, I never saw a single ID checked and I personally asked about some items that should have prompted that. It's normal in the con environment. Personally, I secretly believe we all enjoy that a little bit. We don't want our convention centers to have a little Otaku edition of Walmart, we want to fangirl/fanman with the merchants when we find an item we love, we want to openly discuss why we might hate/love this franchise or that character. We don't want them to force smiles and say "My Pleasure!" after every transaction. It's because we are there for more than just a transaction, we are looking for a connection.

So did Yama-con follow all convention, building and state rules, guidelines and laws? I would say yes. There wasn't anything blatantly disturbing or crudely illegal. They passed!

 

Did the vendors keep consistent and fair pricing? Depends. The consistency of pricing was pretty good, I didn't see too many vendors actively changing prices or anything like that. The biggest infraction with price changes that I saw was the "friends and family discount" which is when a vendor gives you a cheaper price cause they like you. It's not exactly a bad thing so I don't deduct any points for it. I was very pleased to not see any gauging this year. I have been seeing it a lot at the other conventions that I go too and it would have made me sad to be forced to do some call out posts on my favorite vendors.

Were the prices fair, this is where it really depends. For an example, I saw Harry Potter wizarding wands being sold for $20. I own one of the same wands, I purchased it brand new for $7 on Wish.com. Because I have vendor friends, I happen to know that this is where a lot of them will get their merchandise. Knowing that they were charging $13 over what I would have paid for it elsewhere, can I honestly think that the prices were fair? Different items, like character custom jackets (Yuri on Ice and Free!! Fans, I am referring to your boys jackets) where it has to be different fabric patterns, stitch types, and materials. Hell yeah, I'll pay whatever god-awful price you want. Why? Because it is highly unlikely that I'd be able to make it for cheaper. After you buy all the different materials, do your research, and sew the thing, you have more time and money invested than if you had just bought it. I'm not saying pay $100 for a track suit jacket, but $27-$35, yeah. That's a fair price. T-shirts with custom prints are ENTIRELY different. Do you know how cheap and easy it is to order custom shirts? Last year I bought a Nekoma (Haikyuu!! Represent!) t-shirt for $20. Just a t-shirt with the school name, not a fancy jersey or anything. Yesterday, from a freelance embroider/fabric printer that I know, I paid $22 for an overly custom hoodie that I got my sister for Christmas. He can do t-shirts for $10, or even cheaper if I provide the shirt. So don't get suckered into buying the shirts, they are different from the jackets.

Sorry about the tangent, I hope you learned something though.

Were the prices fair? Not really. They were over priced. BUT, all dealers rooms are over priced. It is part of con culture.

 

Was the convention hall "Family Friendly"?  Again, that lady lost her shirt. That one vendor was selling boob mousepads. Oh God all the Hentai and "Daddy" Merchandise... Yes, it was family friendly. Surprised? You shouldn't be. Even in the family friends animes, the girls jiggle when they breath, there is fanservice everywhere, and it's just a part of the culture. I'm not saying you should have your kid watch Junjou Romantica (unless you are ready to answer a ton of questions), but if your kid watched even the first season of Naruto then he or she is familiar with the over-sexualization of the female body in anime.

 

Overall, the Yama-con "Market Place" was great. They had more unity and standardization among the vendors than I have seen in years past. There was an obvious increase in security (Back the Blue!), and the vendors were civil human beings. I think that this is one of the best merchant rooms I've seen. I hope you enjoyed this post and that you might have learned something! Feel free to leave your feedback in the comments or email me at akiameokami@gmail.com!

 

~Aki Ame Okami

Fall Hickory-Con 2017 Cosplans

Cosplans for Hickory-Con F2017

Hello again, I thought about trying something new for Hickory-con. I suppose you could say I'm about to experiment on my fellow con-folks. 

You all know the common cosplay motto of "Anyone can cosplay!" but is it real? I personally believe anyone can cosplay, but does the reception change depending on who it is and what they're wearing? 

My suspicions are: 

• Child cosplays are more well-received than not just because they are young.  
• What I mean here is someone will see a kid with a crayon on cardboard costume in think it's amazing yet someone will see a teenager or adult with a cardboard costume and judge them harshly. 
• Females are more well-received than not. 
• Do I have to break this one down for you?
• Hand-made costumes that look "good" are more well received than a fancy purchased costume. 
• A costume that is purchased online o be an exact replica still might not be regarded as highly as a hand-made costume BUT a cheap purchased costume is still better than a bad hand-made costume?! What are these strange cosplay bylaws?! 

My primary focus for Hickory-con will be the first and third theory. 

I will be bringing my kid cousin to the convention, partially to help in testing the theory and partially to bring him to the dork side. I'm just going to throw him a costume together and see what we get in response.

For the third theory I joined a website called Wish and purchased the different parts of the "Attack on Titan: Survey Corps." uniform. Specifically the jacket, butt cape, and cape. I am being slightly bitter by trying to use the harness I made in my last cosplay attempt. If it doesn't work I will go without a harness this time and retest the theory later.  

The results I am anticipating are:

 

For the first, I expect my cousin to be cooed at. I expect women to be more receptive than men but for him to be found "adorable" regardless of the quality of the costume. I am curious to see how he will interact with other cosplayers his age and if they will come across as judgemental. 

For the third, I expect people to be a little "over" the AoT fandom. Even though they just had their second season, they have already had a ton of cosplayers that have shown up at these 1-day cons dressed in AoT gear. I wont be anything new, so I do not expect a shock factor. I expect the general questions of "Did you make it or buy it?". 

I think it will be curious to gauge peoples reactions and figure out where the bias of Hickory lays. 

I can't wait to run into any of you there, be sure to swing by and say hi if you follow the blog! 

-Aki Ame Okami

Upcoming Appearances

Upcoming Appearances

 

 

 

 

Hey Y'all, I am just giving you a 20 day notice that I will be at Hickory-con on September 30th and at Morganton-con November 4th.

 

This semester around my instructions seem to be in sync with con season! I wont have midterms or finals right around there so we are good to roll.

 

See you soon!

 

-Aki Ame Okami 

 

Why Him? Dean Winchester Edition

Why Him? Dean Winchester Edition!

 

The segments of "Why Him?" and "Why Her?" are going to be character studies of characters I want to cosplay. I will dig deeply into what makes them, them. It will be something akin to the way your English or art teachers always over analyzed everything authors or artists did.

 

The first character we are going to dissect will be the infamous Dean Winchester. Dean is one of the main characters of the incredibly popular CW show Supernatural.

Dean is a character who has depth, he is more than just a pretty face. But boy is he a pretty face!

This show follows the story of Dean and his brother, Sam and eventually their best friend, Castiel. The brothers hunt monsters and demons and Cas is an angel of the Lord. Strange sentence, am I right? But I am here to focus on Dean's personality, not the show.

 

Things that make Dean perfect:

• Dean is short.
• Being short is important for two reasons. First, I am short so from a cosplay perspective I can provide a better character depiction if I match our heights up.
• Second, the strong male image that media projects is that of the "Tall, dark and handsome". It is important to show that short men can be strong and impressive. Their height doesn't make them any less manly. This is the message that young men who are short need.
• Dean likes leather, combat boots and nice cars.
• We all know I have a thing for these three objects. Dean is the epitome of manliness, but he isn't a schmuck like most playboys. He doesn't conform to stereotypical unhealthy male behaviors. He shows it is possible to be a man, but not be a jerk. (No offense my dudes, but a lot of you that I go to school with could use some work.)
• Dean cries.
• People die? Good time to cry. Just because you are male doesn't mean you don't get upset. I think it is important to show young males that when you lose someone, it is okay to cry about it!
• Dean has family issues.
• You guys tired of me talking about this yet? Too bad. I have had a lot of issues similar to Deans. This reason is incredibly personal. When you spend your entire life living for someone else and they just leave.... It messes you up.
• Dean is strong, selfless, brave, sarcastic and loving.
• I respect him. He has the character traits that I can only aspire to have.

 Let me guess, I have you wanting to cosplay him now too don't I? ;)

Well now you know why! If you have any further questions feel free to email me at akiameokami@gmail.com to ask!

See ya!

-Aki Ame Okami



Descendants 2 Character review

Descendants 2 Review

 

I am a hopeless Disney Descendants fan. You know it, I know it and now the neighbors know it because I was a very enthusiastic fan this evening.


Here is a general review of the characters and the growth that we have been able to see. Overall I think Disney did a very nice job with this new movie and I think it flows nicely. There were some areas that could use a little more emphasis, but I guess that is where Descendants 3 comes in. ;)

 

Again, if you are new here I am going to provide a short self introduction as to my personality and writing style to help you better understand this review. I write in a casual/inclusive writing style. I want to you to feel involved and like I am speaking directly to you. Nothing is more frustrating than professional reviews that are painful to read, so here is an alternative review style. I am an enthusiastic cosplayer/reviewer who is 18 and well versed in most areas. If I don't know something, I will just tell you that instead of making something up. With that in mind, I hope you enjoy the review!

 

Descendants 2 had a lot of strong points but what this post is going to focus on is the character development in all of the characters.

Mal -

Obviously this movie focused a lot on Mal. She has grown a lot from the first movie but not in a healthy way. She developed some bad habits (spelling things and people) and developed some self image issues. This is a vast difference from our defiant and confident Mal from the first movie. While I don't like the softer Mal that was shown, even closer to the end of the movie, I like that they explored these identity issues. By the end of the movie Mal has reconnected with her roots, her group and what made her want to change in the first place. I think it leaves us with a strong Mal with more room to grow in the right direction.

Evie -

THIS IS MY GIRL! Gonna be honest, I disliked her in the first movie cause she was a ditz but my girl has come a lonngggg way. Evie grew from a superficial girl into an incredibly smart, talented and confident lady. She has a booming design business and doesn't take crap from anyone, and right beside her for these changes was her supportive boyfriend Doug. I love the dynamic they have because they are equal to each other, she is the strong one but he will still defend her to princes, he manages her business finances and supports her dreams. BUT she is not a dainty princess and he know he isn't her "prince" but he is her knight. I will defend this ship with. My. Life. Also, she has a big heart and is fighting for the kids that she grew up with. She is going to be a great advocate for the isle.

Jay -

Jay came a long way from his rule breaking enthusiastic lifestyle. He even obeys the smallest (and more sexist) of rules. We also saw that he became less aggressive than before. It was curious to see him as a responsible captain, and it was very fitting. Through out the rest of the movie we got to see him step up as a leader when Mal was lacking or when something needed to be said. Like when everyone was arguing he calmed them down and when Mal and Evie were chatting about her hair, he took initiative to bring them together. Jay is a born leader and is doing the one thing his father, jafar, could not. Being successful and compassionate in a leadership position. In the end when he forfeits his title as captain to Lonnie(?) so she can join the team that is him doing what is best for the team. She is strong and they needed her. He sacrificed his title for the greater good and I hope that doesn't go unnoticed.

Carlos -

Our shy boy came a long way as well. Carlos is a more outspoken and confident person. I don't think he lacked confidence in the first movie but I believe he was more introverted, now we see a more open Carlos who stands his ground. For example, kicking Chad out of his room repeatedly. He is dismissing a prince and gives 0 cares. We also have a slight mention of how he programmed his 3D printer to have really cool hacks and such which references his special abilities with computers. Jay can be physical, Evie can be smart, Mal can be sly and Carlos can hack. This is important. Finally we see our boy finally ask Jane out. To be honest, I didn't see it. BUT I am not against it. The little dorks make each other happy and they make each other stronger, for Carlos he has someone to protect and for Jane she has someone who makes her feel beautiful which is not to be under-estimated.

Jane -

Jane grew in a few notable ways. She became a more involved and outspoken person than the shy, squeaky girl from the first movie. Now she is coordinating big projects and making sure the schedule is kept to. BUT she is still insecure about herself and you can tell, even the way she thought Carlos wanted to go to the party as friends until he spelled it out for her is a sign of the insecurity. Carlos makes her feel beautiful and while that isn't the best place to get a confidence boost it is still a wonderful development for a young girls self esteem to have someone like that.

Duke -
well, he/she learned English so that is pretty impressive.

Ben -

Ben was a goodie two-shoes in the first movie. While he developed a wicked streak in the second one, he NEVER abandoned his big heart, which is what truly makes him King Ben. He was trying to tackle the life struggles of ruling a kingdom, dealing with an engagement, helping the project areas and maintaining his grades. We know he had to quit his different sports teams because he didn't have time, the time he spent with Mal dwindled to near nothing and we know he was overwhelmed. He never complained though. Ben is a strong character who is taking care of business and while he might not be the first to throw a punch he is powerful with words before fists, and he doesn't let his girlfriend fight all his battles for him. In the end when he still trying to seek peace, preventing what could have been a catastrophic battle, he was doing his duty as a king. He put his life on the line. His biggest development in this movie was seeing the other side of things and understanding just how abused these kids were. It is one thing to hear about it and think you know, but he never really knew.  And Uma abusing his kindness and spelling him didn't scare him away from continuing to seek justice for these kids. Ben is a good leader.

Lonnie -

In the first movie we never really got to explore her character. We saw that she wasn't afraid of our lil' villains and that she was still compassionate towards them but that was it. In this movie she is introduced as a threat. She is powerful and smart just like her mother, and she may be a love interest for Jay which is a perfect math. Talk about power couple, am I right?! I look forward to seeing more of her.
NEW CHARACTERS -

Uma -

 

You can see the results of abuse and bullying in her personality. All she is looking for is validation. This is the entire point of "Say my name", she wants to be acknowledged. Her dwarf rats don't really obey her, they still challenge her constantly and call her "Shrimpy". While she has issues, there is room for change. I really hope Disney takes the opportunity to properly show kids/people how to interact with someone who comes from that abusive background.

 

Harry Hook -

 

Dang.. Uh, not gonna lie, I am so weak to this little out law. I was practically drooling over him, and when he tickled Ben my heart skipped a beat. I could ship that, I wont cause I will be lynched, but I could. I could see him being a bigger problem in the future. He has more of a cutthroat attitude than Uma and it is clear that him and Jay have bad blood. I hope we see much more of that delectable pirate.

 

Son of Gaston -

Sorry dude, I can't remember your name but I bet you are one that gets to leave the isle. You don't seem inherently bad, just kinda a dunce. Definitely room for improvement. 

Flash update: ARDA

ARDA DID THE THING!

 

Arda is the wig company that I religiously order my wigs from. They have made some ground breaking progress lately which has relieved some major stress from the cosplay community.

 

They released Kyle which is a wig that can be made to have an UNDERCUT.

 

This is ground breaking because now characters like Levi (Attack on Titan) And Dean Winchester (Supernatural) are within reach.

 

Anyways here is the link: https://www.arda-wigs.com/products/kyle-classic?mc_cid=56227537ef&mc_eid=240c7dc393&variant=42810982732 

 

Much love!

 

~Aki Ame Okami



Cosplay Radar: Update

 

Cosplay Radar: UPDATE (6/21/17)

 

 

Hello everyone! This will be the heading that I make updates for the cosplays under.

 

 

Progress with previously planned cosplays:

• I have started looking for Indian prints for Isi Dawn Dancer
• I have gotten back into the gym and healthy eating (I'd dropped it during my hiatus when things got so rough). This is kinda generally good thing for cosplay because lets face it, a strong character with organic muscles looks nice.
• I have sought out jackets for the characters who have distinct jacket. There will probably be a separate blog post about this. The popular opinion is "make it all!" but realistically materials cost money, and your time is worth money. If it is going to take $20 to buy the materials (and that is if im going cheap-o on fabric) + 4 hours of work with lets use my current wage (4X$11 = $44) that = $64 for a jacket, plus 4 hours lost when they are sold online for $25-$35 and it takes seconds to order. Some things I will argue that you should just make them yourself, but not these types specifically.

 

Now if you are thinking, "Well we know Aki has leather jackets, what other characters needed jackets?" I have an answer.

These NEW-GOOD BOYS! And when I say new, I mean I grew up with these angels/demons.

 

Introducing:

 

- Rex Salazar, the MC from an AWESOME CartoonNetwork show called Generator Rex! This was my show when I was younger. I am 90% sure I have little figurines still tucked away somewhere.

He is one of the characters who'd I'd look at purchasing the jacket for. In a world where tiny "nanobots" have infected every living creature, occasionally turning them into monsters called EVO's, the best hope is a 15 year old latino boy named Rex Salazar. Rex has amnesia and knows nothing about himself, accept that he is being held captive by a government organization called providence. Providence uses him as a weapon, and besides the 3 friends that are his supervisors (or as he calls them, nannies). Rex just wants to be normal but at the same time he wont let

 

-Ben 10 (The older one probably) Do I need to say he is from the show Ben 10? It is kinda self explanatory, but hey, why not? Another awesome show from CartoonNetwork called Ben 10 is one that I grew up with, and it actually grew with me as well. Ben 10 has had multiple seasons with varying story lines, art styles, aliens and characters. It is still currently on air with the newest season being a CN reboot. Personally I am not a fan of the newest because... well, I am biased. I loved the originals. BUT ANYWAYS, Ben 10 everybody!!!!!

 

- Kevin Leven, Also from Ben 10. Kevin was a one time protagonist who changed (most of) his ways after taking the hard way in life and learning from it. Kevin and Ben were rivals until they were in a position that required them to not be, it was then that things started to change for him. Regardless, he is still my favorite bad guy from the show.

 

-Doyle Blackwell from The Secret Saturdays. Anyone know what I'm talking about? No? Where was your childhood?! outside?! (Rhetorical questions).   Doyle is my favorite bad-butt mercenary turned proud uncle. Doyle came into the game a little late as far as the show is concerned but he always spoke to me as a character. The MC of the show (Zack) was a homeschooled kid who was somehow shelter but also able to control all kinds of beasties. When Doyle met his nephew, it was love at first sight. Sure, the kid was a pain and had a smart mouth, but he was family and he really needed someone to teach him the hard-knocks life lessons. I have always had a special fondness for this man and despite the fact I wont be able to cosplay him perfectly, I am still going to try my very best.

 

-Danny Phantom from... well... Danny Phantom. (Why do all these characters have shows named after them?) DAN IS THE MAN! This ghost boy is my aesthetic, all black white and glowing green eyes. He is a large part of my childhood as well so it's just kinda natural for me to want to bring him to life.

 

-American Dragon Jake Long from American Dragon Jake Long! Arguably my first crush, Jake was where it was at as far as Disney channel went as a kid. This is likely where my fascination with Asian culture began. Jake is such a fascinating character that is forced to grow up and postpone/miss special events in life. He is a fan favorite among many people my age and I think it'd be a blast to take him out and show him off.

I hope you enjoyed the update ~

-Aki Ame Okami

Summer Schedule

Summer schedule

 

You may have noticed that I haven't mentioned upcoming conventions. That is because it will be a rather last minute thing for all conventions other than Yama-con. I would like to go to Shelby-Con and maybe a few select others; however, I do not know how schedules are going to fall.

 

I recently obtained a full time job as a receptionist/personal assistant and it keeps me busy through out the week, then on top of that I have 3 summer classes that each require 9 assignments during the week. Flipping school.

 

I will be cosplaying, gaming, taking pictures, reading books and tons of other things throughout summer I just don't know about conventions.

All of that being said, I will also be trying to introduce some new areas of life to this blog. Areas including the beauty of nature, dancing, music, art, exercise, maybe some car appreciations and possibly food. If you think that sounds boring, I promise I will surprise you. I will also find a way to loop all of the areas back into the traditional cosplay and anime but that wont be the sole purpose.

There is a big world out there but there is an even bigger world right here. There are so many hidden treasures to discover and share right here at home and that is what I want to do. So look forward to something new!


-Aki Ame Okami 

Cosplays in progress!

Hello darlings!

 

Cosplays that I am beginning the process of working on. Some of them may potentially be taken to Yama-con 2017 (Themed supernatural/paranormal) will be listed below and become a regular topic on the blog and FB page.

 

 

List:

 

Males-

• Dean Winchester - SuperNatural
  

  
• Lots of people only appreciate Dean for his looks; however, for me there is more to it than that. Dean is a soldier. His entire life was about taking care of someone else for them to leave. He never felt like he could get attached to people because they would leave. Above it all though, he is still a lover and fighter. He never stopped loving those who hurt him and he never stopped fighting to protect those he loved. So next time you think of Dean, please get past his looks.
• Kiba Inuzuka from Naruto Shippuden
  

  
• Before you start "Whyyyyyy?" -ing me, let me explain. Kiba was my first cosplay, and I have grown a lot as a person since them. So in order to close the door on who I was I would like to re-visit where it started. So I am going to do the grown version of Kiba. My leveled up Kiba, so to speak.
• has a character based off of Loyalty and hard work.
• Doesn't get enough love or credit

• Ryuji Sakamoto (Persona 5)
  

  

• This boy is my personality in a nutshell. Might be a group cosplay with a friend that I met from Yama-con last year. Gonna either test my limits as a cosplayer or be super easy.
• Fabulous personality
• Going to be a challenge if I make his armored version

• Noiz - DMMD
  

  
• He is very attractive, but again, he means more to me.
• He can't feel anything, and all he wants is to feel pain. He wants to remember what it feels like. He grew up in a hard way and those things still stick with him and I can relate and respect that. I want to show the guy that girls with fan-girl over, but I want to show them a man whose been hurt.  

• Kuroo Tetsuro - Haikyuu!!
  

  
• Because I am sports anime trash.
• I love him.
• He is my attitude embodied in a character.
• I would probably do the different variations of him such as-
• Volley ball player
• Police officer
• mobster
• neko
• suit and tie good boy

• Tsukki - Haikyuu!!
  

  

  
  
  
• I'll already have the wig if I do Ryuji
• This salty twig is me.
• I love volley ball.
• He is actually a very strong and metaphoric character.
• Might do other characters from Haikyuu as well, depends on what wigs I have and what I feel like.

• Shizuo or Izaya from Durarara!!!
  

  
• I adore them
• Both of them have major personality traits that I respect and relate too
• are both very deep characters
• I ship it
• I want to
• I more or less already have both costumes made

• Hei - Darker than Black
  

  

  its a big pic, click for better res

• Complicated character who deals with all kinds of pain and suffering, eventually deals with addiction but over comes it.
• Curious back story
• interesting character to try and portray- someone who never dealt with emotion suddenly starts feeling things and can't cope
• was/is an awesome assassin

Females-

This year I am going to try and do more females. Why? Because doing a Fem!Black Ranger costume and taking it to the movies showed me something. The little girls were amazed to see a powerful female that they could look up to, because heroes were "Supposed to be the boys!". I met a bunch of little girls who thought that the boys were the only ones who could be strong. That's not okay, so I want to inspire more people by doing strong women cosplays that rely on more than sex appeal.

 

• Shego - Kim Possible
  

  
• Okay, I know she is a villain but come on! That is one bad butt chick! I'd follow her to the ends of the earth and back.
• I also may do Kim herself.
• Character I grew up with
• Strong. Very strong, with a good heart. 

 

• Astrid - How to Train Your Dragon
  

  
• As a person with Viking heritage it would be an honor to bring some factual history into Astrids design and play around with my armor working abilities. Not to mention I really want to make a battle axe.

 

 

• Isi DawnDancer - Monster High
• 

  

  Credit to Fantazyme

  "What?" Shut up. Monster High is kinda like My Little Pony in the way that, regardless of the intended audience, it is very entertaining and has good life lessons.
• A lot of little girls like the Monsters and see them as strong, so if I can bring one of their heroes to life then I will.
• Isi has a style influenced by Native American culture and I also have Native American blood in me so this is a personal interest.

 

• Yin - Darker Than Black
• There is something about the empty expression she wears that draws me to her. She looks hurt, but she is strong as heck. And that's okay, to be hurt and be strong. I want to show people that through her.
• Hopelessly in love with a cat.

 

• Lisbeth - SAO
  

  
• This girl and I have a lot in common. She loved someone, but her friend loved him first so she backed off. She has a ton of guy friends. She is strong and resourceful. She is a maker. She has a slightly different body type than the average.

 

 

That is all I have for now. I would like to cosplay characters from Psycho-pass; however, I first must get over the emotional trauma that the show caused me.

I hope you look forward to what Ani-Maze-Me has in story! See ya at the cons ;)

~Aki Ame Okami

The Hiatus is over!

 

The Hiatus is over.

Ani-Maze-Me

IS

BACK

 

Or at least Aki is XD

 

Okay, before you guys be upset with me for the unplanned hiatus, I want to apologize. I am not going to make excuses.

 

I am sorry. It was unfair of me to just disappear and I apologize for any worry, concern or distrust it may have caused. Despite my vacation I still care about you all very much and I would like to repair any bonds that I may have broken.

 

Don't be upset with me please!

 

In the next few months I am going to make an effort to bring my blogging back into a regular schedule. I am going to try to post several articles relating to anime/manga/gaming, some about the new Pirates of The Caribbean movie because I am a hopeless fangirl, self growth/realization and maybe a few tutorials since I am now working with new materials!!!

 

I will also take human interest articles if you have a topic that you would like for me to do some investigating, either email it to me or comment on a post. 

 

 

Thank you all for you understanding and forgiving hearts!

 

 

~Aki Ame Okami 



Music Rant

Hello everyone,

Today's article is going to be a little different from usual. I'm not recommending or reviewing anything and I'm not giving a tutorial. This is more of a personal interests and life value type of article, so read if you are interest (and if you value my heart) or, don't read and be a heartless monster. Whichever you prefer. Just kidding you all know I love and value you, regardless of whether you read my rants.

We all have that friend who wont let you play one of your favorite songs because it "reminds them of their ex". Man that gets annoying. It is your favorite song, so obviously it means something to you too. You want to feel the emotions that this song makes you feel, and they don't want to.

Or maybe you are that friend. You have one song that you just can't listen to. You will be having a good day then hear it on the radio, or catch a few chords from someone else's car as the pass you in a parking lot, and it just ruins your day.
That's it though, that's the point. That is the entire point of music. Artist take the time to perfect a song because they want it to make you feel something.
      Music isn't an accident. So many songs are sang with pure emotion from the artists. That is one of the beautiful things about music. A single song, that means one specific thing to the artist, can mean something as equally tragic to a fan. It is a universal form of therapy and release.

So what do I say to those people who wont listen to songs that make them sad, angry or happy? FFFF.

Face it.
Face the fear of feeling those emotions again. Let them wash over you with every chord that plays. They are there to teach you something about yourself.

Feel it.
Feel the emotions that you have been running from. If you need to cry, cry. If you need to get angry and yell, do it. If you need to be so happy that you are down right giddy, do it! Don't deny yourself the emotional closure that you are subconsciously seeking.

Figure it out.
Find out why these songs meant something to you. Are they words you wish you could say? Is it a song that someone you use to love sent you? Did turn to this song as a coping mechanism when you lost someone?

Free it.
Free the resentment and fear that you had towards these songs. Absolutely nothing in this world needs to contain you. A song shouldn't have the power to cripple you or ruin your day.


I still have issues with getting stuck in the "Figure it out" stage. I've lost some people in my life, permanently, and it's hard when you hear their songs. It can take you back to a different time where you were fragile and that's painful. I don't regret it though, and I wont stop listening to those songs. Those songs help me remember the people and those painful feelings help me see how much I have grown.

So go listen. youtube.com


~Aki Ame Okami

Late Valentines Day 2017: Let's talk about love

Sorry friends,

I know I am late with the Valentines day post. For some reason the scheduling button still doesn't work -_-'
Oh well, let's do this!


Valentines Day means love, happiness, and romance to millions of people across the states, but to an equally sizable amount it means loneliness and bit of bitterness. (Or as I like to call us, Salty Singles).

Typically I address the way we single folks can spend this time of loneliness in enjoyable ways, like binge watching series or reading good books, but this time I want to talk about love.

Love doesn't have to be romantic and mushy. We all have those friends in our lives that can make the worst days into the best and that is a type of love. In Japan, there are actually terms for this different levels of love so I am going to introduce you to them.

Daisuke (Die-S-kay) Means the type of love that you would express towards friends or someone that you find endearing.

Aishiteru (Eye-She-Tear-ooo (not "oh" but the "u" sound sort of like Eww)) This is for a more serious relationship and instances where you are trying to convey your feelings.

Koishiteru (Co-She-Tear-ooo* (same as above))
This is the real deal. This is the, "I'd take a bullet for you" type of love that people rarely find. 

These are the subjects that I will be talking about today.

"Daisuke" is the best way to spend your single Valentines Day in my opinion. Surrounded by friends who bring you happiness with no romantic obligations what-so-ever is a truly relaxing and enjoyable time. There is no shame in having a Daisuke Valentines Day!

"Aishiteru" is for those poor fools who decided to start dating right before Valentines Day. This is the traditional case of "I like you! Please be my Valentine!" that ruins relationships that could have had potential. I don't recommend this, but that doesn't say that this type of love doesn't work out.

"Koishiteru" is who Valentines Day is really for. The couples that have been dating for a while, and know each other. This is for the couples who truly love each other.

What is love?
Love is when you would die for someone, or depending on where you are at in life, when you would live for someone. This is when you would willingly give your partner your lungs if they needed them, knowing it would likely kill you.
       Love is also when you know your lover has faults, but you know that and love them anyways. The way your partner is really insecure, but you do your best to make them secure and don't take it personally on the bad days when they question you.
       Love is when you ignore the little things. The way they smack when they chew, or leave their clothes all over the bathroom floor, or how they always ask you to buy them food. That is just one of the prices of love, and trust me, you aren't a cupcake either. You annoy them just as much.
       Love is when you love who the person right in front of you is, not the person from their past that they are ashamed of and try to hide.


Is love for everyone?
Yes and no. To receive love, you must learn to love yourself. To be able to love someone else, you must have been broken. Humans are weird, squishy little things. We get hurt by the most bazaar things and getting fixed isn't anywhere near as easy.
      The yes part, everyone will have some form of love in their life. It may be a friend, or a partner, but it is still love. For those of us that reach the partner type of love, treasure it. Know that to be fully devoted to the person you love, you need to open yourself up emotionally. Don't hide those insecurities or burdens that you bear. Your lover wants to help you with them, and they want to share theirs with you.
      The no part, not everyone learns to love themselves or accept the flaws of others. Some people have been hurt so badly by a love from the past that they can't trust themselves to love in the future. These people can't give love until they love themselves first.
      The other side of this is when people are so in love with themselves that they can't make room in their heart for you. Learn to know the differences and it could save your heart.

Closing:
Do I believe in love? Well who knows... I know my parents love each other. I know I love my friends. Do I think I can be loved? I am working on that. Previously in my life, I would have told you no, but I have grown as a person and I have accepted a lot of who I am. It might be possible now but I am not holding my breath.

I hope that whatever form of love you have, you treasure it. I also hope that you had a fantastic Valentines Day!!!
I promise you will be seeing more of me around here because I need something happy to do and blogging makes me happy.

Upcoming articles:
The Shelby-con article never posted?! The heck, Google?!
365 days of growth- my personal growth from one Yama-con to the next!
Probably some school related rants.

Thank you for reading,
Love, Aki Ame Okami

Blog update: Admins and where we are at

Hello friends,

I know the posts have been seemed rather random lately but I assure you that is not the case. The way the end of the year worked out just caused everything to go into a tailspin.

Upcoming posts on this blog include:
*(but aren't limited to):

A book review from one of the merchants from the last Hickory-con.

A book review from a stranger that I contacted online.* Tentative.

Cosplay ideas, tutorials, and theories as to why something isn't canon. Maybe a few prop "breakdowns" about the components and what they are/do.

Convention reviews. I still have the personal posts to write about Yama-con 2016 and after that I have Shelby-con coming up at the end of the month, then Morganton-con in March.

Valentines day special. Probably going to be a list of things to do when you are single and feeling down, or me in cosplay randomly giving out valentines to strangers. I haven't decided yet.

There will also probably be some spur of the moment posts about school, what it means to have family, life in general and maybe even death. Bad things happen sometimes and I am not afraid to acknowledge them or talk about them with you guys, because they don't just happen to me and if my experiences can help you in some way it is worth it to share them.

PSA Yuri on Ice cosplayers

         Attention Yuri On Ice Cosplayers!

A lot of cosplayers have been looking for ways to create ice skates that they can cosplay in. The go to answer is normal skates; however, we all know those aren't allowed in convention centers.

My solution! (Please credit me if you use it, I have only ever had this one good idea).

Furniture sliders! (Those things you put under heavy furniture to slide it across carpet easily).
As a kid I used to "skate" around on the carpet with them all the time. You could make your "skates" and make the bottom have that hardened, slick plastic bottom while still leaving enough normal space for proper walking traction. Obviously it isn't a perfect theory but please let it take you in the right direction!