Friday started off with a photoshoot by Caitlin. I was cosplaying as Lei Fang from Dead or Alive Xtreme 2. The poolside was not crowded, so it was a nice location for a swimsuit photoshoot. Deb and Stan were in their Bleach Vizard gear. After the photo shoot, I was going to wear Mio (K-On!), but I decided to wear GoGo Yubari (Kill Bill). A few people recognized me from Kill Bill, but I was surprised that several attendees referred to me as “that one girl from that one Tarantino movie….what was it again?”

There was not much going on Friday morning until Cosplay Chess. One last member of Scarlet Rhapsody still was in transit. However, this gave us ample time to take photos of cosplayers and hang out with friends. As mentioned to a few people that I do not get to see every so often, ALA is a con where you can actually catch up with old time friends rather than doing the drive-by “Hi!”

Jared arrived around the noontime hour. We were able to check in to our hotel room which had a nice balcony view of the poolside. The only downer was that there was no mini fridge in our room like last time. Jared brought provisions and we had lunch in the room. Like any hotel room, we had a nice supply of English Breakfast tea to last us the weekend.

I looked around for the con suite so I could have a sandwich before Cosplay Chess. It was held at the same place as last year. However, they could only allow a limited number of bodies in the hotel suite. I do not like being rushed while I am eating, I like to savor the flavor and take my time to relax. If Anime Los Angeles could go back to the con suite they had back in 2008 - getting another ballroom (the Meridian would have been nice) and having tables set up so attendees can enjoy a snack or two.

We checked in with Cosplay Chess at 2:30PM. I have only been a spectator of this event. Jared and I decided to join because our friends were running the show (Julia and Maguma). We had heard they needed more players on the board. Jared went as Walter (Hellsing) and I went as GoGo Yubari (Kill Bill). Cosplay Chess was still looking for last minute additions. My friend Matthew (California Conventions Blog) joined in as Junpei (Persona 3).

Cosplay Chess was held at the lower level patio. This gave us more room for the game and the spectators. It was different from previous years because we could have the whole board to execute attacks. Deb, Jared, Caitlin, Becky, and I were on the white team. We faced off Matthew and Stan on the black team. Abe and Jill played against each other as Julia and Maguma served as the event’s arbiters.

It was total mayhem and madness! The spectators really enjoyed the show. In the end, strategy went out the window and it turned into one huge cosplay brawl. I was really happy to be a part of Cosplay Chess and I hope they do bring it back for many years to come. The only complaint I had was that the board was not tacked down during game time, that the fabric used for the board kept getting crumpled. Otherwise, it was a worthwhile event to participate in.

After the match, Matthew, Jared, and I went to Champions to grab happy hour appetizers. Appetizers cost $4 for a plate. I ordered chicken strips and fries which amounted to a meal for under $10.

Jared got owned by Pyramid Head. Let's see that again!

Oh, and the White Team (Deb, Jared, and I) won!

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