The last day of Arisia. If you were a local curious about Arisia and wanted as taster's version of this con, this is the day to go. Admission is $10 and it's worth it if you wanted to check it out for yourself. We would reccomend using that $10 for the whole day though - the con starts at 9AM and starts to dwindle down at 3PM. However, there were still some quality panels and events happening throughout Monday. The team got up bright and early and took that 50 minute train ride down to the Westin one last time.

Art Show by Eri Kagami
Through the weekend, I kept poking my head in the Art Show. Art Shows are a dying section of anime cons - usually pushed at the back of the dealers hall, it's often hard to find. At Arisia, there was a ballroom full of art ready to sell. Most of the highlighted works were from the artist guest, Lee Moyer. It's not every con I like to investigate and learn more about a particular artist, but I did appreciate his pin up style work. Moyer had a few prints up for auction that had pin up style art based on classic literature. I ended up purchasing a calendar wherein I can frame each of the images. However, Moyer's works was not the only ones highlighted at Arisia. There was a cosplay gallery by Richard Mann - the gallery highlighted before / after shots of people in cosplay. I really did like a lot of the cat themed art work that was highlighted. However, because I'm so unfamiliar with how Art Shows work, I forgot to place a bid before Sunday evening. Monday was pick up day - if your bid won, the piece of art was your's to keep. Lessons learned.

I Give Up! Knowing when to walk away by Jared
Comics have been part of my life since I was a little kid in the 80s, but I have had my share of times I quit reading one of my favorite series. This panel focused on the reasons why readers drop off of certain books or outright boycott a company. It was no surprise that members of the audience chimed in with their stories and questions as well. In the end everything came down to fans wanting to be treated like they are smart and to let artistic talent do their job.

Masquerade Show and Tell by Eri Kagami
Right after having a quick bite to eat at the con suite, I decided to check out this panel that was happening across the way. It was hosted by the Arisia masquerade coordinators. The panel discussion was a primer for entering masquerades and costume competitions. They also talked about what goes on behind the scenes - from the planning stages to the actual night of the event. We even went around the room where each person talked about their costume - how it was made and who the character was. It was an interesting roundabout informal discussion on creating garments and competition from a costumer's perspective.

Dealer Hall by Eri Kagami
The dealer hall was tucked in the basement of the Westin. From the exterior of the Westin, it looks like any ordinary hotel for conferences. However, in the basement, there was a fair amount of exhibitor space. Because of Arisia's diverse programming, you could find rare books and anachronistic style costume pieces. You could literally come to the con without a costume and then buy something for yourself. There were plenty of corset dealers and plenty of helpful dealers to help you find the right fit. As an anime person, I was happy they had one booth that had Love Live figures. I'm so used to Love Live figures being sold out by the end of the weekend, but I was happy to take home Nico in her maid outfit. Additionally, they also had food vendors. Booths sold rare chocolates, spices, and tea. We picked up some spices and seasoning for the household. Also, there were fan tables promoting future cons (mostly World Con bids) and fan organizations (local Harry Potter and Star Trek groups). Additionally, there were also some adult dealers behind a curtain. Though I'm used to seeing adult material at anime cons, Arisia is one of the first cons I've been to that sold toys for the bedroom.

Anime and their remakes by Eri Kagami
In recent years, various anime titles have been remade for new generations. As a panelist for this discussion, I was thrilled to talk about some of the best and worst remakes. When asked about my favorite remake of recent years, I easily mentioned Jojo's Bizarre Adventures. When asked about my least favorite, I mentioned Sailor Moon Crystal followed by a deep groan. Among the titles talked about included recent shows such as Saint Seiya Omega, Fate / Unlimited Blade Works, etc. We also talked about remakes around the world - this also covered Korean dramas that have adapted manga works such as Hana Yori Dango. We also talked about live action remakes such as the Rurouni Kenshin movies and the hillarious Cromartie High School.

Learn from my Fail: Costume horror stoires by Eri Kagami
The last panel of Arisia! I was invited to be on a panel to talk about costuming horror. This was different from the type of horror story panels that I've done. I was on the panel team with veteran cosplayers and winners from the masquerade. We covered topics such as the pros and cons of contacts. We went over safety in regards to working with different types of material. We also talked about one of my favorite costuming horror - shoes. I talked about my RICC story about walking home in my Super Sailor Moon boots and how I hardly was able to make it from the commuter rail transferring over to the green line. Panelists shared anecdotes on nearly getting burned and injured from various projects. It was nice to share and discuss the things we do for fandom and art.

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