I have known about Anime Vegas for a few years. The reason why I have not gone earlier is because of timing. I was 90% set on going the year before, but plans fell apart at the very last minute - deceptive hotel arrangements, Southwest voucher being unavailable due to black out dates (Labor Day Weekend), rental car issues, nettling travel companion, and sickness. To save myself from the drama, I waited out until the next year. Having travel arrangements secured (hotel, transport, etc), I felt much more at ease attending the show.

This is my first Anime Vegas and hopefully not the last. I have had issues with the website before the con. It would never load. Someone on staff needs to seriously revamp the site and keep the information updated. I would have also appreciated a reply from the press department concerning my press badge. I have sent five emails since April 29, 2009 asking for confirmation, but recieved no confirmation. I had to register Scarlet Rhapsody as press as the door.

Luckily, registering on site was not a huge problem. Many people complained about the site not loading and not getting any information until the day of. I was thankful that people had cross posted pertinent information to Anime Vegas on Cosplay.com's Anime Vegas forum (hotels, shuttles, cosplay events, etc).

My other gripe with Anime Vegas is that the convention has outgrown the Cashman Center. I would consider returning to Anime Vegas if they plan to move to a bigger venue. I am not asking for the Sands, Mandalay Bay, or the Las Vegas Convention Center, but something that can fit a good number of programming that is easily accesible to attendees. Paying $60 at the door for the full weekend should grant you more. I would like to see more panel rooms (two is not enough), the return of UNLV's Ichigo Maid Cafe, a return of the anime music video contest, and other events that one would normally find at an anime convention. From a cosplayer's perspective, there were hardly any decent places for photo shoots. JC (Anime Photos) and I had to improvise with what we were given. Anime Vegas is getting too big for the Cashman, we need a better and bigger location.

I am very happy that Anime Vegas has added a new event to their programming, The Phantomhive Ball - a themed ball based around the Black Butler series. It kept to the theme by having the event hosted by Madame Red and Ciel. I liked how these cosplayers kept in character. Somehow, the European aristocrats got Professor Layton to provide music and entertainment for the event. How they did so seems like a puzzle to me. Though this was a first time event, it was not that bad. There is always room for improvement (some of the song selections seemed out of place and we could have used better lighting for dancing and the contest). I liked how dress code was enforced (finally!), the availability of water, and the cosplay contest (we could all use a dance break). Let's keep this tradition going on. It has great potential. Unfortunately, due to staffers backing out at the last minute, we were not able to see the full experience of what the Phantomhive Ball could have been. Swinging out to "Swing Shift " made my night.

Other live programming events were so much fun. My favorite panels are usually the voice actor related panels. It is fun to hear about shenanigans in the recording studio (commentary panels) and insider tips and tricks how to get into the industry. This is a great networking event if any of you aspire to become a voice actor. These guys have a wealth of knowledge they are willing to share. However,I was rather disapointed that Emerald (The Gamer Girls) was not able to speak at her panel, though she put so much effort into getting The Gamer Girls costumes done. Even behind the scenes folks need some love too.

The attendees were surprisingly polite. Though I have heard that the Anime Vegas crowd is on the "underage yaoi loving fangirl" stereotype, it really did not seem that way. It just seemed like a bunch of high schoolers who have been introduced to anime via Cartoon Network and they just want to know what else is out there aside from what is currently broadcasted on American TV. I hardly saw any random acts of yaoi. For the most part, people were very polite. It was great having an impromptu doll gathering on Sunday and meeting fellow cosplay compatriots.

Many thanks to the Anime Vegas staff for making my Anime Vegas a decent first time around. I am considering going back if changes are made to the venue, programming, website, and communication to attendees. I really want this con to keep going on for years to come. Besides, I need excuses to visit Vegas every now and then.

If you wish to contact me, I can be reached at v @ scarlet-rhapsody.com. I can also be found on Facebook, Livejournal, and Twitter. Just send me a message before you add me.

And I forgot to mention Tommy DeVito when I was at a casino while I was in Vegas.

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