Post UppCon

I feel like I have neglected the blog for a while now and I guess it is true. I don't have any internet at home any more and the simplest way to access all you out there is to drag my stone age laptop with me too the school's library and sit there for hours. It just that it takes me forty minutes to walk and it's heavy. Well now enough with the complaining. I have almost completed my school, just have some small things left, and then I'm done. With my education or at least my foundation of being an librarian. Yes, I want to be an old lady with pullover and knot in my hair and go down every line and telling people to be quiet. No, that 's not really what a librarian does any more, I'm more like a certified information dealer. Oh, I like the sound of that. Just taste at certified information dealer, no it's not that exciting it really is just information organization.

But a couple of weeks ago I was at UppCon. I was excited that I would enter the cosplay contest for the first time but realised that I had taken a bit much over my head so I never entered. But on the good side so do that give me enough time too finish my cosplay before next UppCon.

Me and my friends usually take the train to Uppsala for UppCon and it was something that we had to repeat. Not that it was such a good idea this time since we got two hours late and then I had missread the name of ours hotel and it laid on almost the other side of the city, when I thought it would be almost at the convention. Not to mention that it was so warm outside and the sun was glearing at us all the time. I guess I was the lucky one as I had my Rikku cosplay at me, thank you for small shorts.

"We have to wait for the train to move for an hour?" :(
Ignore my lack of make-up, I saved that the hotel. 

Well as we had made our, or my, mess in the hotel room we went to the convention for picking up our tickets, nice small wristband in really cute colours, and take a small tour on the area to check where everything where. We kind of stumbled to the AMV contest as the staff asked if we wanted to see it, we thought there were no sets left, and got to see some amazing AMVs.

The rest of the Friday where spent at talking to people, eating and realising that I really needed to sleep as I had only slept 2 hours the lasted two days, not a thing I recommend. So we felt a bit like old people when we said goodbye to the convention at midnight and took the bus back to the hotel. It was here that I realised that staying up all night trying to get my contest cosplay would be impossible. So I went to sleep.

Bromley, Derek and Odette.
aka CarpeDentum, Madiirje and me.
Shoot by Lienwyn while waiting for the bus to the convention. 

Saturday morning we woke up almost peacefully. The sun was shining and I had to brush a wig longer than half me. Not that that was so much of trouble even thou it gave me some aching muscles. But we had hotel breakfast and I could eat as much as I wanted. Not that I got to be that much since I was unconsciously still sooo tired, but it was good. We got dressed and all snansy pansy, no idea if that really is a expression but that was how we felt. Well dressing up as a princess in a long flowy dress with long blond hair give me those feelings anyway.

Shortly speaking: We made success. Even people outside from the convention reacted. I loved all the children's looks and well everybody's looks since they all somehow got a bit happier.

We could almost be mistaken for being at Disneyland, right XD

Since I did't enter the cosplay contest I watch the show outside on a big screen as the people I was there with had tickets to the show. Although the weather almost started to rain and the staff had to hold the screen in place so that it wouldn't blow away we had a great time we people outside the big hall. The contesters were really good, even thou some really stood out as being amazing.

Sunday was a bit more relaxed. Since it was the last day of the convention the outside area was free to enter for everyone that wanted to see what crazy people do at conventions. It was also Cosplay SM, the Swedish national cosplay contest, that I hope will come back next year since the contest was awesome. And someone cosplayed Sheryl Nome, I was so happy.

So after eating and waiting for the train I fell asleep. Not ordinary sleep according to my friends ether. No apparently I gave the impression of SLEEP, with capitals. I have no idea of what happened those two hours but apparently I was so fast asleep that no one dared to wake me up.

That was this years UppCon and next year I'm planing to live at the closest hotel and sleep a week before the convention.

A bit more Swanprincess! :)

KodachiCon 10

So this weekend I went to KodachiCon in lovely Lund. Old towns are always nice, to bad I didn't get to see much of it as I had to much fun at the convention. That is also the reason I forgot to update the blog and twitter since I forgot it.

But what happened then. Me and CarpeDentum got ourself in the hands of some of my friends and we arrived just in time for the introduction to end. We checked what was going on and checked the times that we had to hold.

At some time it was piñata-time. This years piñata was Miku Hatsune. It was really fun to watch and I'm glad I was not one of them who jumped at the floor when she broke. She was full of candy and chocolate was I told. I took the time to play some video games in the other corner.

Of cause there was merchandise. Here is our own maid, Luchida from Mermaid Melody? and Lavi from D.Gray-Man. :D

DcastEye in your very own person. I got to cosplay Ame-Warashi and the wig did not get destroyed when I was styling it. Unfortunately this is the best photo I have at my cosplay so far, but I still like the fact that I almost didn't smile in this photo. It's damn hard for me not to smile a whole convention. Photo by CarpeDentum using my camera.

This was our sleepingspace. I was so tired when I went to sleep that I didn't even feel the hard floor, and got up early cause it was so warm and light in the room at the morning. Even thou that I slept really good.

Whenever we had the time over we played Benrangel, Fotleken or the Foot Game in English. More of it is in the video. :D


This is some of the film I shoot at the convention. I've got much more, but this is some of the best things.


This is the skit that me and my friends took part of. It was decided the night before the con that I was going be in it and I'm happy that I could be in it. It was so much fun, and I admit that I can be an attention whore.

I am already planing the cosplay for next KodachiKun this fall and hope that I will be able to be there. :D

Delays

So I got the flu and then my iron broke down a few days ago. But I seem to be improving my health, and I hope to be able to sew some things this weekend. Including my high waisted skirt for the upcoming tutorial. But here is something to watch until then:

UppCon:10

So I when to UppCon, the biggest convention in Sweden aimed at Japanese Pop Culture. And this is how it went:

Friday: I got up in a decent time this year and met with CarpeDentum and Madiirje on the station. From we got on our train and I finished all the things that had to be finished. And then we finally got to Uppsala, since it takes five hours to go by train. But the line in to UppCon was a bit long and it was about to rain so we occupied a table at the nearest Burger King and sat there a few hours.

By the time we gotten back to UppCon the line was a bit more normal (meaning: you don't have to wait more then two hours) and we only had to wait for an hour and a half before got our waistbands. Then we just had to get in the line to leave the luggage so it would be shipped to our sleeping rooms. But once we got in it was fun, even thou Madiirje was freezing and we were all wet from the rain. But at least we got to see MinxZone when we were standing outside and waiting in the second line.

Friday cosplay: I got ~CarpeDentum to cosplay Rangiku Matsumoto while I did Momo Hinamori from BLEACH. Our lovely ~Madiirje was our own steam punk inspired sky pirate. I got to meet with a Hitsugya and we took some photos together.

Later at the evening we watched the lolita fashion-show. It was much sweet, little gothic and they were all so cute. Hopefully I can take part next year After that we went for pizza and the we felt tired and retired to sleep.

Saturday: I went ahead of the others and went for a BLEACH-photoshoot at the con. We managed to get nine of us put in one photo and it was so much fun. After that I watch some of the BLEACHers training for they’re musical skit and I switched cosplay to Usagi Tsukino. By that time it was many who recognised me, sometimes it took me twice the time to get somewhere because of being stopped and asked to be photographed. But in Sweden Sailor Moon used to run at TV when I was little so it may not be so surprising.

After the rest of the people showed up, I went for second breakfast/lunch at the con and drank some lemonade with some strange name that barley tasted anything but was cold so it was enough. The day pasted with peoplewatching and missing things I had planned to do but just didn't since I forgot them.

But I did see the big cosplay contest. This year we barley got in and got to sit as far of the scene that was possible, that was a lie, there was one more row behind us, but we still got to see some really good and some less good cosplay as we sat there and I almost wanted to be a part of it as well. Who know, perhaps next year?

The skits this years was as much fun as last year, even thou no one can beat Norrlänsk cosplayfront who did the opening and ending of the whole cosplay contest. And to find out that it was Lulu from Code Geass that had stolen UppCon was fun as well.
After the cosplay contest was done we saw the AMV contest, or at least that was it was suppose to be. But because of technical issues we did some sort of mini disco inside the room instead. The whole room was dancing to Caramelldansen at some point, and think over thousand people dancing in a room that is made for concerts. It was awesome!

Then it worked and we got to see some amazing AMVs. After that we felt more the tired and got to sleep.

Sunday was not so much convention for me as I had to go to an interview at the other side of Sweden. So there ends my adventure of UppCon 10. Hopefully it will return next year and that the weather might be a little better.

Me at the Friday as Hinamori Momo as we were waiting for the Lolita Fashion Show to begin.

Looking out on the square that the public could also come and take a look at. We mostly sat on the inside and looking at all the funny people we could see, and wondering whether they were cosplaying or not.

I found some friends from Sailor Moon. Usagi: me, Jupiter: Rosenguru-sama, Venus: qwastanja and Mercurius: ?
I can also proudly say that I made the patterns for the school uniforms in this photo.

One of the best shoot I got of my Usagi-cosplay. Here is also the lovely stairs of UppCon, as UppCon would be nothing without them. Snapped by Qwastanja

Double-posted on DeviantART, minus the photos.

OkashiiCon

So, I went to OkashiiCon in Malmö, Sweden with a few friends. It was a real adventure just finding the way there, but that was since we didn't have the map. After getting there it was easy to find again.

Our first goal: filling the wardrobe and getting something to eat. And since I hadn't finished my cosplay we were all going casual. After eating we split up and watch what was happening in all the rooms and played games. I got to sit down to finish my cosplay, or at least what I could do there. I sewed on a pair of shoulderstaps, so it wouldn't slip off me, and got some crystals at the skirt. That took me a couple of hours. To keep me occupied during this time, I was hoping for the gamerz to come, and talked to many people. Nothing to do on your convention, talk a bit!

But I got a bit sleepy, so I talked my friends into getting their sleepinggears and camp in one of the corridors. It was out of the way and close to the toilet and by that close to switching to cosplay in the morning.

And that was I did in the morning. So in my nearly finished Ranka Lee cosplay I went around the convention with a Orihime (later transformed to Kira Izuri), a schoolgirl and a lolita. I guess we made a grand view on McDonalds when it was time for breakfast. After that it was time to get shopping at Scince Fiction Bokhandeln for a bit of manga.

The rest of the day was talking to random people, playing games, stalking Gin Ichimaru and just having fun. In the night it was time for the cosplay-showoff. I was standing filming and had a hard time standing still, since I was laughing so hard. Then my battery ended, and I stopped worrying about that and just watched. It wasn't so many entries but they were all funny, hilarious or just great. There was only one serious skit, and my friend told me it was just like the character since I haven't seen that anime. Of cause it was Hetalia that toped the popularity-chart, but there were many different cosplayers and I loved the D.N.Angels-cosplayers.

Since I was going home the day after, I went home to my parents house that night and didn't see more on the convention. But I sure had fun and have been forced to speak in english the whole thing since english is so much easier than danish according to some.

Wishes for the next time: a quiet sleepingroom and that it coming back next year, because it was really fun. Now for some pictures:

Three of us. This is the best snap I've got of my Ranka Lee cosplay so far. I've also drawn the pattern for the red dress. BL-loving schoolgirl was just simply cute. Photo by qwastanja.

Since all the fangirls demanded a Kira for his captain Gin, qwastanja was made male. I had to check if it was true. Photo from facebook.

A bit of karaoke is always fun. Since my companion didn't know that much japanese songs, we sang in english. Photo from facebook.

We got to play this really fun game where you build a tree. It was really fun and I got in second place once, the other times I was last.

Double-posted on DeviantART.

KodachiKun:09 no 2

A bit late to report what happened, but here it comes.

The day went fast, even thou KodachiKun held out six more hours than usual. There was animedisco, cosplayskits and Jepordy. We (me, and two more) came a bit later than usually. We wasn´t there from the very start, but now afterwards I´m glad, since I was so tired that I almost fell asleep on the way home. But first of all, I didn´t cosplay. My schoolwork to the time that I had, and instead I wore my first lolita brand-dress. A pink Baby, the Stars Shine Bright with hand-crotched lace.

So what happened on the con. Well I got my ass kicked in a drumgame by a friend who only could use her one hand. I don´t know if it means I don´t have any rhythmic sense, or if my left hand lays a second behind, of if I´m just no good in videogame, but I would guess a mix of the last two.

There was the cosplayshow, filled with skits and runway. Somehow this show´s unspoken theme seemed to be Hetalia. There was one big group that made this skit that even those who haven´t seen the anime would get. I always like those, since I can´t see everything.

Before the cosplayshow, so was it Jepordy. And it was anime-Jepordy. We got in second place! Well, it was about that we had aimed for, not first and not last. Sometimes the questions were easy and sometime non could even guess the answers. At that point we sat with mouths opened like O. But there was at least a bit I could, like the butler in the Black Butler, Sebastian and the most macho man in Bleach, Zaraki Kempachi. There were more I could than that, but I skip that since I don´t think your that interested in that.

When the night came, the con closed it´s doors, and there where two opions. You could ether play in the animedisco or watch Ponyo on the Cliff in the movie-theather. I did both. I started and ended on the disco and also when to see the film, and it was so cute. I really recommend you to see it, specially if you like the Cats Return or Toroto.

And we went to the local McDonalds to scare the staff and all the families eating there. And it was two people asking us what was going on. I had hoped for at least four to ask, since that would brake the record.

The day after my muscles ached, and I think it most was all the jumping at the disco and the half day in really high high-heels. I switched shoes after half the day, since I had trouble keeping up with my friends since I started to walk slower and slower. But even so love my super high-heel pumps from hell, since they´re so cute.

KodachiKun 09

Around 10 AM did we (I, Little Red Ridinghood and Alice of Wonderland) found our way in to KodachiKun. What followed was public hugging with mates and other. I did manage to give out the impression of being Rukia, while cosplaying Hinamori Momo, both from Bleach. It must have been someone who hadn´t read that far in BLEACH.

I had already planed my day. Finding my captain Aizen, spontaneous dancing (caused by to much Rock Musical Bleach) and follow (read: stalking) people. I manage to do all things apart from finding my captain. He was nowhere to be found. T_T I think he was sitting somewhere reading a book.

By noon we invaded the nearby McDonalds. Think: almost the whole resturang crowded with cosplayers eating hamburgers and french fries. Everything from the duck of Gintama to Hidan from Naruto. At my table we got Little Red RidingHood, Alice, Hinamori Momo (me), Amulett Heart (Shugo Chara) and our Japanese cameko (I named him that). This year I got asked twice about what was going on. That beats last years record by one.

After a few hours of stalking people (not so bad as it sounds), it was time for the cosplayshow. This year instead of entering, I watched. One of the most popular song for this year was Hare Hare Yukari, do you think that was after I cosplayed Haruhi Suzumiya last year? Like all years from before so were there a big mix of skits and ordinary posingshows.

After the cosplayshow I meet a Light who was frilled by the fact that I was cosplaying Hinamori. He had tried to find me, but thought I had already gone home, while I hadn´t. It was a little scary to sign his Death Note, but since I´m a shinigami I don´t think it´s so dangerous.

Of cause there were many more things to do, but I was to busy finding my Captain, dance and follow people. So here follows what everybody else could do: drawingcontest with the theme: Envy, fansubbing, animewatching at the cinema, buying and eating Pocky, buying merchandise and manga, and playing games.

To sum the day up: I had fun, and the day went fast. It goes specially fast if you spend it with about 200 persons who have the same interest as you, and isn´t ashamed to dance the Caramelldance so everybody can see it. There were even people who recognized me from past years.



Photos by our lovely Red Ridinghood, not seen on the photos.

UppCon 09

Three days with more then three-thousand japanese and anime-fans is enought to kill you. Good thing I´m one of them. I survied and arrived whole to my sweet home.

UppCon is the biggest convention within the japanese popculture in Sweden. And you really feel that. This year (which also was my first time there) they had it in the middle of the winter. I stood for two hours and waited to come in, in below 0 degress. It was cold, but I´m glad I did.

There where so many people in that place that I couldn´t belive my eyes. Everywhere I turned my eyes there where more people. And cosplayers, this is the paradise for swedish cosplayers. Next year (yes, I have already made up my mind), I´m going cosplay all three days. I can´t describe how normal I felt the first day, wearing jeans and and shirt. It felt to normal, and I usually don´t dress normaly as other people do (I like stange clothes).

My advise for people who want to go there. Don´t miss the shows. There´s lolita fashion show, cosplay show (show of your cosplay), cosplay-skits, AMV-contest and live conserts (this year Y.M.C.K., Supreme Machine...). And for gods sake: don´t forget to cosplay and if you find something fun to buy, do buy it. It is always fun. Don´t forget to have the camera ready.

One more thing: drink lots of water, eat and sleep. It´s always good for you.

Me at UppCon day two. Ariel by Shakespeare. Photo by CarpeDentum.