On a chilly New England morning, the Scarlet Rhapsody team headed towards Arisia. Arisia was set the seaport - about an hour away from the Brookline Scarlet Rhapsody headquarters. With early morning panels starting at 10AM, we had no time to waste. Cosplay is very much celebrated at Arisia, but has a different air than anime conventions. Older generation fans will gussy up in anachronistic garb. Jared went as Jack Harkness and Eri Kagami went as Marie from The Aristocrats on Saturday. Though Saturday was technically Day 2, things were just getting started at Arisia.

Massachusetts Bay Colony 1630 Pike and Shot Drill by Jared
One of the things you will rarely see at the majority of conventions is the reenactment of historical combat. The demonstration discussed the historical development of fire arms and how it changed military tactics. Then they showed off the different combat drills for the different guns from the the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. This was a great panel that not only was educational, but also showed off some well done old military drill displays.

The New Big Three: Image, Dark Horse, and IDW by Jared
While many people only think of DC and Marvel when it comes to comics, but several companies that began small and independent have raised to some of the top sellers in the market. This panel looked at how the smaller companies have grown and the methods they have been using to attract writers and artists to make unique stories. Even smaller publishers like Valiant and Boom Studios. It was not only a good discussion on the state of the industry, but also a great way for those seeking new title suggestions to move away from the usual hero books.

Anime Cons: Behind the Scenes by Jared
The first panel I was assigned to moderate brought together convention veterans to tell stories about the good and bad of working a convention. This panel was not a regular ‘war story’ panel, but instead was made up of stories and advice to help those who were curious about working for a convention. The panel went smoothly and we even answered audience questions. While it is difficult to say if this panel convinced people to join the staff of an event, it was at least fun to talk about the job.

Lost in Translation by Eri Kagami
Many times, anime will brought over to the states and things may not be as what the original source intended. The panel opened up with a discussion on the many renditions of Sailor Moon. As moderator, it was my job to keep the panel going - it was rather overwhelming since this was my first time moderating a panel at Arisia and I had two gentlemen immersed in anime culture past and present. Things from American translations for domestic release and for television broadcast were discussed.

Con Suite: Free Food! by Eri Kagami
One of the staples of science fiction an fantasy cons is that no stomach is left unfed. In the dealer's hall, there was a section to grab as much food as you wanted. There was even free loaves of bread if you wanted to take something back to the hotel room or back home. Don't expect a five star meal here, the con suite provided the basics and it was typically random and something different any time you stopped by. Such selections included chips, cereal, poptarts, popcorn, meatballs, cheese plates, etc.

30 Years of Studio Ghibli by Jared
The second panel that I had the chance to be involved with focused on one of the most iconic animation studios in the world. The panel went from title to title talking about the various movies and our thoughts on them. The audience also chimed in with their thoughts and questions about different movies on the list. The panel was fun and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves on this journey through some of the best anime movies ever made.

The Internet Hate Train: Moving Past Gamergate by Eri Kagami
This is not an easy panel to cover without addressing an ongoing controversy in the gaming community. Led by local game developer, Brianna Wu, the panelists were mainly comprised of Anti-Gamergate voices. As the title of the panel implies, the panelists covered issues about harassment in the gaming community and supporting women in the tech industry, including supporting their patreons. Because this is such a complex and convoluted hot topic, I felt the panel needed more balance. As Angry Joe once said, you can be for gaming ethics and be apart from the contreversy (whether you are pro or against). A voice like Angry Joe or Total Biscuit would have been nice to add to the mix of presenters.

Saturday Night Parties for All Ages by Eri Kagami
One of the staples of a science fiction and fantasy con is the late night parties. Parties are advertised around the con. The con actually encourages room parties. The team attended two parties. First, we stopped by the Boston Bronies party. The room was dolled up with plushes of the Mane Six. Cider and cake were a plenty. Of course, being an all ages party, the cider was non-alcoholic. Bronies and pegasisters gathered all together to watch some episodes of MLP: Friendship is Magic. Later in the evening, we went to the Nauticon party. This was invite only - you had to stop by the Nauticon table to know the whereabouts. This was more of a Nauticon kickoff party to ring in their 2015 show that focused on Aegean legends. Because this was a more "adult" party, ID was checked right at the door. Most anime cons don't usually take these precautions, but I did appreciate Nauticon playing it safe. Nauticon had a few speciality themed drinks and they also opened up another room for dancing and door prizes. Nothing like enjoying a nice libation to tunes of the 80s!

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