Nothing like checking in your local bank and cashing a few checks as you leave for the con in cosplay. Site editor, Eri Kagami, cosplayed as everyone’s favorite British manufactured battleship girl, Kongou from Kantai Collection as she deposited a few checks to the teller at the local credit union. The ATM was down. When she finally found herself back at the familiar Pico Blvd, she caught the sights of young otaku wielding glowsticks and rockin’ out to “The iDolm@ster” on a breezy Los Angeles summer’s day. This was the place.

Cosplay @ Entertainment Hall by Eri Kagami
As people were lined up outside South Hall in anticipation for the dealer’s hall to open, the entertainment hall in West Hall was already open. This year, the entertainment hall really expanded their programming. You could spend an entire day in here and not get bored. One of my favorite things about the entertainment hall are the popular cosplay dioramas. Introduced in 2013 as a surprise, the diorama’s are inspired by Japanese “cosplay theme parks” where cosplayers can use stage sets to pose accordingly with the background. The LA Convention Center is no Gaylord Resort, so this made a great way to have professional photos and selfies of your cosplay. Highlights included City of Van Nuys’ Japanese Garden, the Ball Pit, and the never ending lines for the brand new classroom scene and the girly bedroom.

Additionally, there is a repair station at the end of west hall with an abundance of supplies in case if you need to hot glue something at the last minute. Also, it was a nice quiet area to socialize and make new friends. Quite a few articles suggest that cons have a cosplay chill out zone. Though not the original intention of the repair room, it was really nice to have a space where you can sit down, have a snack, and recollect.

Also, CosPix opened up a mini photo studio where you can get photos of your cosplay published on their website. Prints can be bought at an additional cost. Cospix is a brand new online platform for cosplayers to archive their work. I haven’t seen a free-for-all studio like this at West Coast cons since Consplayers died out years ago. A great and valuable service to have at cons!

Cosplay Senpai @ Entertainment Hall by Eri Kagami
In addition to the cosplay interactive dioramas, Anime Expo had a series of “cosplay senpai.” These were mostly cosplayers with a large social media presence. Such names included Chocolate Covered Cosplay, Dustbunny, Vampy Bit Me, Window of the Stars, AiCosu, and Kiba the Corgi. While these were a series of tables where cosplayers with a large fanbase can sell prints and interact with their fans, I did enjoy talking to Kiba the Corgi’s mum. Kiba was happy to take selfies with humans and welcomed being pet. (And so behaved too!) I also talked to AiCosu about make up; I’ve been trying to get my makeup game to level up. We spent some time talking about different foundations and primer that we’ve used in the past. In a way, this was also a great way for newbies and oldies of the hobby to ask veteran crafters about stuff. The only downside I have with Cosplay Senpai is that the line for Vampy kept blocked the rest of the tables which made it hard to see who else was there. One way the cosplay senpai station can also up their game is if there was a live demonstration on worbla or embroidery work.

Art @ Entertainment Hall by Eri Kagami
Likewise, you can spend an entire day at the entertainment hall. From the east coast, the Chalk Twins were doing their usual live drawing on display. Usually, the Chalk Twins have an art piece to dedicate to the con. These talented sisters draw something on the chalk medium live. You can watch them as they go and they very much welcome photos. Art Show is treated differently at Anime Expo than other cons. At Anime Expo’s Art Show, they had strips of butcher paper where you can draw to your heart’s content. Markers were available. You can really get your artistic side out. Additionally, Art Show was doing a charity for victims of the Nepal Earthquake by encouraging attendees to make 1000 paper cranes for a charity auction. Other exhibits in the entertainment hall included a history of Good Smile figures. Display shelves showcasing favorite nendroids from recent years was put on display. Additionally, Studio Trigger had an art gallery showcasing the storyboard and character references for Little Witch Academia 2. This was great if you’re into animation to see something from conception to a final product.

Pictures are copyright by Scarlet Rhapsody . If I took your picture, feel free to use it on your site or cosplay gallery. While you're here, do sign the guestbook. This site was brought to you by the font Miss. Many thanks to Dream Host, Adobe Bridge, MS Photodraw, Picasa, and Dreamweaver for making this site design possible.