It's no surprise that Anime Boston encounters rain during the weekend. Lines for security circled around both the Prudential and Boylston Street entrances. However, one could always sneak in through the Sheraton entrance. This made it hard for press to cover a few events, being stalled at main entrances. However, one of the upsides of Anime Boston is that there's a happening nightlife with panels running until the wee hours of the morning.

Anime Unscripted by Jared the Greek
One of the few comedic presentations at the convention featured several of the voice actor guests doing some very silly improvisational comedy.  The hosts had several ‘games’ set up for the group and had their own suggestions for character, but also got suggestions from the audience to make things even more crazy.  It was fun watching the various actors stretch their acting muscles as they took on the roles of various movie, anime, and stereotype characters.  If you like mostly low brow humor you can have a good amount of fun at Anime Unscripted.

What really happened to Robotech the Sentinels and The Untold Story by Jared the Greek
This was a different type of Robotech panel that looked at two of the more notorious parts of the Robotech universe.  The incomplete Sentinels original series and the very hard to find Untold Story movie both of which have many stories behind them.  The panel featured clips from the nearly lost series in addition to a long form video of Carl Macek telling the insane story about the movie in his own words.  It was really interesting to see a panel like this since it is hard to find first hand sources when it comes to things like Robotech and anime in the 80s. 

Artist Alley by Eri Kagami
Artist Alley was held in the same usual spot on the second floor of the Hynes. This year, Artist Alley had a variety of products from fans selling fandom related wares. Prints from popular series were being sold. Indie authors and publishers also had tables set at the front of the Artist Alley. You can also find Lolita and other assorted jewelry at Artist Alley as well. Not only you can find anime fandoms here, but you can also get fan creations from series like Steven Universe, Avatar the Last Airbender, etc as well as some original work.

Cosplay Photo Studio by Eri Kagami
The cosplay photo studio was located on the first floor of the Hynes Convention Center. It was a nice and quiet area where cosplayers can get professional grade photos done by Anime Boston convention staff. Jared and I went in as Kotori (Love Live) and Giovanni (Pokemon) to have our pictures done. There were plain backdrops. There was hardly a wait. All you had to do was sign a waiver for the photo studio to get your photos done. These would be on the official Anime Boston website. However, I feel the processing time is hit / miss. In years past, I was able to see some of my photos posted online. I still have yet to see the Erica Fontaine photos from last year. However, this year, photos were posted in a timely manner. Photos can be seen here.

Cosplay Repair by Eri Kagami
Right next door to the cosplay photo suit was the repair station. This was a small room with scraps of fabric, hot glue, sewing machines, safety pins, bobby pins, etc...almost anything you need for a quick repair. Staff members were on standby if anyone needed any assistance. The repair room was open during peak hours of the con. I had to go in here a few times to grab bobby pins for my wigs and to hot glue Jared's Team Rocket badge. It's a nice convienient place for cosplayers who need a quick fix during the weekend. No photos are allowed in the repair station.

Japanese Confections: Desserts After Dark by Jared The Greek
The fun shock of having your expectations turned completely on their head.  We attended this panel thinking it was going to be built around weird Japanese snack foods, but instead it was about the strange and sexual side of food.  From advertising to aphrodisiacs to the Pockey game just about anything involving the strange side of food was covered.  Several odd traditions were covered, as was strange fan art, and scary mascots.  This was a huge surprise and very much worth attending, it will be great to see what happens next year since we’ll be coming knowing what to expect.

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