Eri Kagami
Fanime has a ton of interactive events from the ballroom dance, concerts, cosplay contest, karaoke, and more. My favorite event at Fanime has to be be the maid cafe. We did the “shinkansen” ticket. It’s like a fast pass where you reserve a time when you want to go in on the day of. The catch is you have to line up on the day of. There’s already a line as early as 9AM to pick up the “shinkansen” ticket. However, this is guaranteed reservation into the cafe. The cafe has food enough for a light lunch. You get drinks, a sandwich, and dessert for your stay. Paired with your meal, you are also given a maid to keep you company. The maid will also play board games with you as well. We had a really sweet maid who played card games with our table. There were also games for all attendees of the cafe. I participated in the “Guess That Anime Tune” game, but sadly lost. I would highly recommend checking out the maid cafe to make your Fanime trip worth it!
Additionally, the cosplay repair room saved my thighs on Sunday. I needed double sided tape to tape tights to my leg because they kept slipping off. The cosplay repair station is great if you need a quick fix whether it be a safety pin or detangling that mangy, ratty wig. On the way in, be sure to say “hi” to the cosplay repair room’s furry assistant.
The video game hall never closes either! There’s always life here whether if it’s a speed run, Just Dance get together, table top, or ping pong.
Stage Zero always has performers who cover idol dances. I was able to check out the Musa group during the weekend. This is an amazing outlet for the growing number of idol and k-pop cover groups.
Jared the Greek
One of my favorite panels to hit is Cosplay Wrestling Federation. This is a panel designed around cosplayers smack talking each other and cutting wrestling style promos for the audience. This year brought us another wild Fanimania with some great surprises. The tag team division finally got belts and the arrival of Lupin and Jigen promoted the first match as they took on Mumen Rider and The Great Sayaman. We also got a preview of plans for Sac-Anime with the current champion Sailor Moon giving her two cents about her challengers. The event ended with a Triple Threat match between All Might, Skeletor, and the current champion Franciscka von Karma. If you want to see the show it has been posted on the CWF Twitch channel. This is a great show that doesn’t require any knowledge or love of pro wrestling. As long as you are ready to cheer for your favorite hero/villain and you don’t mind crazy audiences then you will have fun. Watch a show on their channel if you aren’t sure, but there is no replacement for attending a live show of the Cosplay Wrestling Federation.
