Attending an Anime Convention step three: Traveling and Attending an Anime Convention

So you have made all your plans prior to the anime convention and spent the last few months saving all your cash. Hopefully all that cash is in your wallet before the morning of the convention as well as all your bags being packed.

It is almost time to go! Pack up those last minute items, double check to make sure all appliances are off and all other windows and doors are locked, and kiss Wolfy goodbye. It is time to hit the road and have a fun filled weekend at the anime convention of your choice.

...so here are some helpful tips so you can better enjoy your weekend! XD

First things first make sure all of your stuff makes it into the car. In the excitement one can forget a bag or two and you only notice it is missing once you get to the hotel. Check the house over to see if anything jumps out at you that you missed packing up. And don’t just shove your luggage in the car, especially if there are more people in the car. Things can get mushed pretty easily and things will probably squished as it is.

Before you take off towards the convention make sure you or the driver has directions to get to the location. Or that you have the exact address written down so you can type it into your GPS unit. If your hotel/convention center is right off the highway you might be hit with a slight right before you know it and BAM you are lost. Directions are our friends. XD

So get some sleep during the car ride over XD

Next is the car ride itself. Personally I fall asleep on most trips because I can’t stand to see how fast my husband is going. But for more considerate people I am sure they stay awake and have excited conversations about the upcoming convention. Or bring some anime CDs to get in the mood. Or perhaps you will all play some silly road games. But if you are like me and rather sleep, make sure that your pillow and blanket aren’t in the trunk. XD

After a long (or maybe not so long) car ride you have arrived! Before you make your way over to the convention center or the parts of the hotel where the con is going on you need to check into the hotel. Depending on the time you might be able to get into your room. As a general rule most hotels allow you to check in when you arrive but you will not be able to get your particular room until around three. Even though you are not getting your room until around three doesn’t mean you should wait until three to go up to the counter. It will be full of people picking up their keys. So if you are the person booking the room this is where you should head to first. The person making the reservations should be the one talking to the hotel people and have their credit card handy.

I would like to say I am not telling people to fill their rooms with 15 people. Not going to say that at all. But if you are going to have more than 4 people in your hotel room chances are that breaks hotel “fire code” and you would get in trouble if they found out blah blah. So if you are going to have a lot of people in your hotel room don’t all go up to the counter and ask for a key for each person. Have the person with the reservation get several keys and suck up the fact that you have to buddy up with someone and share a key. This is also why you should bring your own blankets and pillows, so housekeeping won’t go X_X when you ask for 9 extra pillows.

Beware long lines of doom!

So after the hotel check in situation is handled and the car is moved from the check in spots (don’t leave your car at the check in station!!!) it is time to pick up your badges. XD Of course if you are a smart cookie or lucky enough to travel on Thursday and check in and pick up your badges already skip right on to the fun. But for most it is time to battle the lines. Depending on if you prereg or not the line might not be so pretty. If this line happens to be outside make sure you have some water with you. And make sure your hotel mates are with you so you can talk in line and be generally less bored. Hopefully the line is not too too long and maybe you can snap some early cosplayers walking by. Or maybe you can snag an extra convention guide book and start planning your weekend if you haven’t already.

This is hardcore planning though.

Depending on how early you got to the hotel/convention center it might still be early in the day and not all the activities are started yet (the line for the dealers room seems to start way early). Take this time to actually eat some food and explore the surrounding areas for potential food sources. Also you can locate all the different rooms and convention areas beforehand. It’s not fun running around 10 minutes before a panel trying to find a room in the middle of nowhere.

Once you are hydrated, fed, and are slightly familiar with your surroundings it is time to experience the convention! XD Now since every single convention is different and people like to do different things I am going to stop giving you a timeline of what to do and just suggestions and helpful advice on common things that are done at an anime convention.

If you are already in costume and your costume has a prop you need to get it checked at security. Every convention has different rules regarding props and different methods on checking props in but you need to get it checked before you do anything else at the convention. Most will peace bond it somehow, letting other convention workers know that your weapon has been checked. Of course your prop should be within convention rules because being the responsible person you are you went to the convention website and checked to make sure it was okay. So this process shouldn’t take that long and soon you can go on your merry way. Just be careful with that prop.

As a general rule try to be considerate of your fellow convention goers as well as the normal people at the hotel. Hotels are generous enough to allow the convention to use their facilities. Don’t mess up the contract between the convention and hotel by acting like a nut. Don’t hog the elevator by riding it up and down like a moron. Don’t throw crap off balconies. Don’t leave your trash all over the place. Don’t go around smacking people with yaoi paddles and glomping people. Yes you are there to have fun but being a moron is not fun. If enough people act like that the convention can lose its contract and have to find somewhere else to host the convention. That and you will piss people off.

Prepared and ready to spend!

The dealers room is an excellent source of fun and a place where you can donate your precious money to the anime gods. But before you go insane and spend your 6 months worth of savings in 2 hours stop and walk around the whole dealers room first. I know that is a hard (believe me I know) but some booth tend to have the same things and will be priced a little differently. Or maybe a huge price different. The point is you might pick up a really cute figurine at one booth for 25 and find it later for 18. You do this a few times and you have wasted 50 dollars already! 50 dollars you could have spent on other stuff you probably don’t need but must have. So shop carefully. If there is something you really want but want to check to find it cheaper elsewhere make sure to mark it on your program guide and come back later. Sometimes I take pictures of the item I really want (gotta ask first before the vendors get mad) and it helps remind me to look for that certain item later.

Sometimes you walk around the entire dealers room you will note that some items are relatively the same price. And still that price is still a little high. You might have done your research before hand and realized the going internet price of said items. Now you have to stop and think is it worth getting the item now or waiting and saving a little money. And is the item cheaper on the internet but with shipping it makes it equal with the convention price. Just things to think about as you spend your cold hard cash.

Remember to be polite in the dealers room. If you want to take pictures of a cosplayers do it off to the side and not in the middle of the walkway. Don’t stand around and have conversations right in front of tables and not look at the merchandise. Other people might want a closer look. Remember to keep a close eye on your stuff as not everyone is going to be honest and lovely. Most dealers won’t have credit card machines but if they do, it is really -____- to use a card for a purchase under 5 dollars. Sure they will run it and all but it with the fees they incur it is really not worth it for them.

The artist alley usually goes hand in hand with the dealers room, sometimes even in the same room. It usually consists of fellow congers selling their homemade (or should be anyway) merchandise. Most booths with have prints and sketches of anime characters or original creations. Some booths might have plushies, key chains, or stickers. Most booths will have reasonable prices and will most like be one of a kind pieces. Again don’t camp out at someone’s booth and take up space for someone who is willing to look at the art work. I would also wait on making any major purchases until you get your hotel room and can properly store the pieces. Be considerate since these people made the merchandise and have actual feelings connected to these works.

When purchasing things in the dealers room or the artist alley always make sure you have enough money to eat for the whole weekend and to get home (gas money, train ticket, ect.). It is easy to drop a lot of cash at conventions before you know so beware. Keep your food and transportation money separate so you won’t be tempted to spend it all.

When attending any panels or events you need to show up before said event starts. Depending on the size of the convention you are attending will determine how much time in advance you need to arrive. The smaller the con the smaller the lines. But for huge conventions lines for the more popular events like the costume contest/Masquerade can start two or three hours before the event. If you are looking to get an autograph from a special guest note that if the autograph time is 12-1 that means the guest will leave at 1. That doesn’t mean if you get in line at 12:55 you will get an autograph. Hopefully the volunteers/people running the event will cut off the line so you won’t waste your time hoping against hope.

When you are in an event/panel be respectful. Yes it is a time to have fun but if the panel is focusing on the person running it talking you need to be quiet. It’s okay to talk and add your own commentary in certain events but a generally rule of thumb is be quiet. Especially in viewing rooms. Also be mindful of your costumes and take off large hats and move large props so everyone can see.

When your group’s hotel room is ready make sure you get your key/go to the room as soon as possible. That way you can make claim on your bed/spot on the floor. Space will probably be limited especially if you have cosplayers in your room. Try keeping your stuff in one spot in the room and take your toiletries out of the bathroom when you are done using them.

Try to knock before you open the door. Yes it is your room but people might be in various states of undress and you don’t want to expose them to a hallway full of people. Same goes with the bathroom. And in regards to the bathroom you are probably are going to have very limited use. Try not to take long showers if you are sharing with tons of people. They want hot water too and might need to use the bathroom while you are showering. Try putting on your make-up in the room itself to free it for other people.

Sleep is important. While I am not saying get the recommended 8-9 hours of sleep try to make sure your head touches a pillow for at least 5 hours a night/day/sometime in a 24 hour period. I know you are caught up in all the events and the convention brags about 24 hour events but you don’t need to be up those 24 hours. Your body needs rest or you will pass out and miss the convention anyway. Sleep might be hard to come by if you are sharing a room with tons of people. Before hand try to discuss with your roommates that certain hours are sleep only hours and if people want to go out partying they need to do that somewhere else.

I am about to be harsh. But know it comes from a kind and gentle place and I am not trying to embarrass anyone.

But most con goers smell. Every single con report out there mentions con funk and how the game room is the worst place to be in the convention. There has been talk of Frebreezing people as they walk by and handing out free deodorant at conventions. Please don’t be one of them. I think it is common sense how to not be one of them but clearly that is not the case. If you wear the same costume three days in a row you will smell. Costumes tend to make people sweater and many conventions take place in the summer. So as much as you like your most favorite costume in the world please don’t wear it all three days. Or apply deodorant every hour if you love it that much.

The point is every needs to stop smelling. It is tough going in the dealers room and someone next you smells like they haven’t bathed in a month. Just because it is a weekend of fun doesn’t mean basic hygiene goes out of the window. I know a 15 minute shower/teeth brushing/deodorant applying cuts into convention time but that is a sacrifice you have to make for the good of your fellow convention goers. Don’t wear the same Naruto shirt all three days. I am not sure what else to say because I can’t understand the con funk phenomenon myself. I always worry if I am one of those people and carry deodorant around just in case. Do the same people.

Traffic in bigger cities can be terrible making wait time for food even longer.

You also need to schedule time to eat. I know that also cuts in on your anime fun time but so does a trip to the hospital when you pass out from missing 5 meals in a row. Start looking for food when you get a little bit hungry. Chances are by the time you either locate a restaurant or reach your hotel room you will be ready for a full meal. Don’t start this search once you are MOG starving and dying in the hallways. It takes time to walk to the nearest fast food place or even drive there. So while you might have 5 things scheduled back to back that you want to see you still need to eat. Get a Subway sandwich or pack something you can carry around when you have a list of nonstop fun going on.

Call your momma/roommates you have left behind. I am 25 years old and I still call my mom whenever I go out of town, usually right when I arrive so she knows I am not dead on the highway. Yes parents worry and that is not going to stop once you turn 18. If you don’t call every day call at least when you arrive at the hotel and before you leave to come home. That way they will have better peace of mind.

At most conventions there will be happy cosplayers walking around and posing for pictures. Before you go crazy and start taking pictures follow a few simple etiquette rules. It is not polite to run up to a cosplayer and randomly snap a shoot. Always ask before you start clicking. Don’t take a picture when someone is eating or otherwise busy with something else. Just because they are in costumes does not mean they are posing for pictures the entire time. Don’t tell them to do outrageous poses or anything dangerous. Try not asking for pictures in tight spaces or in the middle of busy hallways. Remember to say thank you. XD

The bigger conventions have scheduled cosplaying gatherings. Usually it characters from a particular series all getting together and takes pictures as a unit. Like everyone from Tsubasa/the CLAMP universe will gather at a certain time and pose for pictures. If you are interested in cosplays it is worth seeking these schedules beforehand. Cosplay.com is the best source of cosplaying gathering information. Go to the forums and check under the US convention section.

Don’t lose your convention guide book and check it often. There is always something to do. Some conventions even have an anime channel so you can still experience the convention while chillin in your room and doing that thing called eating. A good anime convention should never have you feeling bored for too long. Check out some panels even though if you aren’t too sure on their description. You might have more fun that you think.

Safety in numbers people!

Be careful of your surroundings. Especially if you are a girl. I am not saying that girls are weaker and can’t take care of themselves. But in most cases of something bad happening to someone at a convention it is a girl. Some con goers play up the stereotype of never interacting with females and MOG if you are dressed up as their character surely you are them and act the same way. In rare cases people go way too far by stalking and following girls around convention centers. This is why you never go anywhere alone. If this creepy behavior frightens you in anyway do not hesitate to tell a staff member either at the convention itself or the hotel. Chances are if they are bothering you they are bothering other people. You need to protect yourself and not worry about the feelings of others. If you cannot find a staff member get to an area with a lot of people and tell them what is going on. Chances are that will at least scare off the would be creep and you are protected.

If you get lost don't hesitate to ask for help.

In fact any funny business is going on please let the staff (hotel or convention center) know. If you see someone harassing other people or someone stealing in the dealers room let someone know. Sometimes when people are getting harassed they are too scared to say anything themselves. Look out for your fellow con goers. Don’t let a few bad apples ruin it for all of you.

And remember to have fun! Sure I am giving you a lot of rules but the key is to have fun. Strike up conversations while in line. Don’t be afraid to ask questions or interact with other people. Sometimes the most interesting moments at a convention center are the unplanned moments you have with your friends. Plastic cups make good cellphone holders true facts!

Check-out time is usually around 11 am. You can request a later check-out time but that is usually only extended by an hour. If you are not out by a certain time they will charge a late fee or even another day onto your bill. That is an expense that is really avoidable. The night before you leave organize your stuff so it is a little easier to pack in the morning. Use your handy dandy notebo… err list and double check that you have all your stuff. If you are one of the last people to leave the hotel room check under the beds and in all the drawers for forgotten items. And remember most of the convention will be checking out at the same time you are as well. So if you get up to the desk at 10:55 they might not get to you for a while and you will get the stink eye. FEAR THE STINK EYE.

Leave the convention center at a reasonable time so you can get home safely. Yes you want to stay until the very last event but if you live 5 hours away and the last event isn’t over until 7pm you won’t get home until after midnight. It is hard enough driving 5 hours without having to do it in pitch black darkness. If you do decide to leave that late please switch drivers every so often so no one gets too tired.

Woot! You have survived your fun anime weekend. Unpack, take a well deserved nap…and blog about your adventures. XD Or at the very least post pictures on the internet so we all can share in your adventure. XD Some conventions have feedback sections on their forums. If something went wrong or you think there is room for improvement please leave feedback. But don’t post stuff like “the hotel sucked”. Be specific so the problem can be fixed for the future.

It is typical to experience post con sadness. You were surrounded by your favorite hobby and those who share interest in your hobby. Now it is back to work or school. Fear not for the anime convention season will be upon us again next year. For now don’t forgot to set that alarm clock for your real life obligations and get your anime fix via the internet.

And remember all three of the Attending an Anime Convention posts are simply a guideline. I am sure there are things I left out or don't apply to you. But they should apply to most people's situations and give them a general idea of what to expect. If you want more details about a specific convention check out that particular conventions feedback thread from the year before or google blogs about that convention. I just hope these three posts are somewhat helpful and aid the newbies as they enter the big bright world of anime conventions. Thanks for reading!!!

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Attending an Anime Convention step two: Packing for the weekend

So you have made the all the plans and booked the hotel. You have your tickets paid for and you took the weekend off at work. Your mom has agreed to take care of Wolfy for the weekend and you have been saving for months.

Now it is time to pack for your weekend of fun. Hopefully most of this packing takes place the day before your trip and not the morning of. Some packing like toiletries might have to be packed the morning of but for the most part the bulk should be done in advance. If you wait until the morning of the convention to start packing you might get rushed and forget something important.

The easiest way to pack for your convention trip is to write a list before hand and check everything off as you pack it up the night before. That and lists are fun! So on to your anime convention packing list of fun.


Must haves:

Money!-without money you are pretty much screwed. Keep it in a secure location wallet/purse.

Credit card-make sure you have an available balance if you are paying for the hotel.

Camera-make sure you have plenty of space on your memory card

Prescription medications-meds are important people. But only bring as much as you need for the weekend and not the entire containers.

Clothes-bring enough for the entire week plus two extra complete outfits. So at least 5 shirts, pants, socks, and underwear.

Comfortable shoes

Coat/sweater-some viewing rooms can get cold!

Keys-to get back into your house XD

Hotel and ticket confirmation sheets-usually you print off these in your e-mail. You will need these if you are the one who arranged for the hotel and if you prereg for tickets.

Toiletries- showering is very important people. Very, very important. Bring all necessary showering equipment. The hotel does provide some soap and shampoo but if you are rooming with a lot of people I wouldn’t count on that stuff. Bring shampoo, soap, razor, toothpaste, toothbrush, pads/tampons, lotions, deodorant , make-up, hair brush, hair clips, aspirin, ect.

Sleepwear

Personal pillows/blankets-this is especially important if you are sharing a room and you are not guaranteed a bed.

Water/drinks/snacks-I would bring my own personal cooler to keep my stuff safe from my fellow hungry con goers. Peanut butter crackers and apples are easy to carry around and munch on.

List of mangas/anime DVDs you already own-you have to make a list to make sure you don’t buy the same titles/volumes again.

Cell phone/cell phone charger-always make sure your phone is charged.

Extra batteries/battery charger

Personal towels


The luxuries:

Swimsuit-depends on the time of year and the hotel of course.

Sunscreen

Laptop-but most hotels charge for WiFi so be careful.

Cosplay outfits- the easiest way to pack costumes is to place the entire outfit on the bed like you were dressing a person. Top to bottom. Hat to shoes. This way you won’t get to the convention and forget the collar or important belt. After all the pieces are gathered then pack them together in a garment bag. Do not stuff in the truck. The back seat is much safer.

Cosplay survival kit-tape, glue gun, needle/thread, extra buttons, safety pins, ect.

Play station/x-box/controllers- I would call the hotel and make sure they have the proper connection thingy things. Some hotels have really old TVs in the rooms.

Umbrella

Forks/knives/spoons/plates/cups

CD player (I’m old school)/MP3 player/headphones

Reading material for lulls in things to do (or waiting for events to happen

Spare bag to pack up all your lovely purchase

Alarm clock

Watch


I have consulted the husband and run this list by him. He couldn’t think of anything else to add to the large list of fun. If I think of anything else or if someone comments with another suggest I will update the list. But this is a pretty basic list that I think will apply to most people. With the cosplay section there are probably a ton of things I left out. :( But I think I gave a good starter list. And in regards to the toiletries...just take your whole bathroom. XD It seems safer.

The last post in the convention series will cover traveling and attending anime conventions. XD Thanks for reading!

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Pandora Hearts Episode 13

I really don't know how I am going to blog any new Summer anime shows. XD Apparently some are coming out this week and I haven't even looked over the list! I can't even blog the shows I have now, let alone any new ones. X_X

Presssssssssssssssure.

But somehow I will manage. Or I will just blog the things I am really into and watch other shows without feeling the pressure to blog every single episode.

For now Pandora Hearts is still on my blogging list. Something about this show has my interest so I am not dropping it anytime soon. So enjoy my slightly late post. XD

Such an interesting dance.

Alice is still running around screaming that she is scared and is chasing after her old pet cat. Gilbert and Oz wake up in the home of the Cheshire Cat. Sharon starts talking through Oz’s shadow as that is her Chain’s special ability. She tells Oz and Gilbert that something happened to Break and it is lucky they even made it to the right place. The Cheshire Cat enters the room and tries to slice our heroes up. Gilbert then decides to freak the hell out. Apparently he is afraid of cats and the code name Cheshire Cat was obviously misleading to him. The Cheshire Cat explains that he locked Break up in the mirror with his own sad memories and that he doesn’t care about Gilbert, Break, and Oz. He only wants to get rid of Alice for the Will of the Abyss. Sharon’s Chain turns into a majestic unicorn from hell and fights the Cheshire Cat, allowing the boys to escape. Sharon through her Chain wants to question the Cheshire Cat about the events that happened 100 years ago but he decides to run away instead. Suddenly Echo is behind Sharon and everything is MOG serious.

Oh? No smirking now?!

Oz and Gilbert make it up a long stair case and see an Alice. Gilbert shoots her in the head explaining it wasn’t her. The Cheshire Cat explains it was a fragment of Alice’s memories. He also explains that this dimension is made up of Alice’s memories. The Cheshire Cat slices Gilbert up and he falls over the edge. The Cheshire Cat demands that Oz tell him why they are gathering up Alice’s memories. Oz says that he is only doing it because Alice asked him to and the Cheshire Cat freaks out. He said Alice herself erased her memories as her past was too painful to live with. Elsewhere in the house Alice meets up with the blond hair dude that plagues her thoughts. Oscar arrives for a Pandora meeting but it has been cancelled as Sharon’s dad is sick. He and another dude run into Vincent who is sleeping on the ground. Apparently he is new to having a Chain and his Chain puts him asleep all the time. Oscar questions why Vincent why he would keep Oz’s name out of the Grim report (caterpillar monster). Vincent rather keep his brother happy than tell Pandora everything.

Maybe these details would be important to Oz? Just a suggestion...

Oscar and Vicent end up playing chess and discussing the events that happened 100 years ago. How the Baskerville people were behind it and how they were the ones who had the 4 gates to begin with. That they planned to have the whole country fall into the Abyss and how Jack Bezarius was the one who stopped them all. Then the Baskerville people were quiet for the next 100 years until Oz came into the picture. Now Pandora wants to control the Will of the Abyss and to do so they need the fifth door that the Baskerville people have. When the questioning becomes a little too close to home, Vincent leaves but not before saying everything he does if for his brother’s sake. Elsewhere Gilbert has woken up in the memories of the past. He is chasing a memory Alice and thinks back to a conversation he had with Break. When Oz first came out of the Abyss Gilbert wanted to kill Alice and was pissed she looked like a little girl. Break said that he wasn’t allowed to kill her yet and wasn’t sure if her real form was the rabbit, that she might be a girl. Anyway Gilbert keeps on running through the memories and he finds the blond hair guy with the pocket watch. Only it is not Oz, it is Jack Bezarius. The end.

More dramatic moments being dramatic.

I have mixed feeling about this week’s episode. On one hand almost nothing happened. On the other hand the small things that did happen were necessary for the plot. If a lot had happen those small important details might have been lost. So…it is up in the air for me.

Look at me being wrong again.

Let’s start with the most important detail of this episode. The person who plagues Alice’s memories, has blond hair, and could be anyone. Well now we know who he is. His name is Jack Bezarius and he is Oz’s relative. I would say grandfather but since the incident happened a hundred years ago it might be closer to a great grandfather. The point is that it is not Oz, it is not Vincent, and it is not Oz’s dad. See how I am wrong all the time? I am not saying that to be cool XD.

Quick, close-up of his lips!

But yes we now know who this guy is. Or who he isn’t. He is also the hero mentioned in the earlier tale by Vincent and Uncle Oscar. Those crazy robed Baskerville people tried to suck the entire country into the Abyss a hundred years ago. They only got the capital until Jack somehow saved the day. So if he is such a hero why does he look so creepy? And why does Alice want to forget about him? MMM mysteries.

But you weren't scared of the huge caterpillar monster of doom?!

Gilbert is just a huge WTF. How many times was it mentioned that Alice and Break were kidnapped by the Cheshire Cat? Then it turns out he has a fear of cats and MOG he didn’t know it was a cat? Yeah you are made of fail Gilbert. I am glad you are not the big bad monster tough guy you were pretending to be but cats? Maybe Oz threw a cat in that barrel before he pushed Gilbert over the water fall.

But then he acts like he cares for Alice? Yeah that makes sense.

So after the Cheshire Cat fights our heroes a little bit and goes on and on how he wants to kill Alice for the Will of the Abyss….he decides to freak out when Oz explains why they are there. Because Alice doesn’t want her memories back and he is there to protect them! I mean, it’s not like he was going on and on about killing her for the Will of the Abyss. I must have been imagining that all.

Poor Alice needs a hug. But probably not from him.

But as for the dimension being created by Alice’s memory and that she forgot her memories on purpose I do believe that. I thought it was possible that Alice had her memories erased by the robed people or the Abyss itself but her erasing her own memories makes sense too. I think we will find out sooner rather than later why she erased them and then we will have to deal with a mopey Alice. Which is fine as long as the pace doesn’t go too fast and Alice’s emotions aren't ignored.

I don't think that sounds good for Oz...

Vincent is very creepy. Here he is talking to Uncle Oscar and whoever that other guy is and Echo is off doing something Sharon. It takes talent to be that conniving. But part of believes that he really does do everything for Gilbert. Not sure if he is doing those things to help his brother but I think all his motives focus on Gilbert. Creepy guy is creepy.

Massive unicorn fail.

Will Sharon bite the dust? XD I wouldn’t be crying any tears if she did. But I would be sad if Echo is the one who takes her out as she is super cute and shouldn’t have to do Vincent’s dirty work. Sharon’s Chain is a very special kind of unicorn. That is not the kind of unicorn I mean when I say things like cookies and rainbows and unicorns. That is more like a unicorn Satan would ride out of hell on. Do not want.

Gilbert demands to know more!

I think that is about everything. Alice spent most of the time running around after her pet cat from a hundred years ago. The plot is being talked about around our heroes and not to them. There are some important details about the robed people having the other gate and why the heck they would want to world to be destroyed by the Abyss. But any theory I come up with now will probably just prove to be false. So for now I will just note these details in my head and move on.

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Attending an Anime Convention step one: Planning before the convention

It’s a little more than a month before AFO (Anime Festival Orlando) and I am pretty excited. Excited that I get to miss work on our two busiest days out of the week and escape the wrath of being completely rushed with orders. Excited that for three days I get to not think about delivery orders and running out of boxes/sauce/dough/EVERYTHING and special co-workers who drive me up the wall.

But I am mostly excited about the anime convention itself. The cosplays, the dealers room, the hotel filled with equally crazy anime fans. A year seems much too long in-between cons (which is why we added another convention to our vacation list this year). I am having serious anime convention withdraws.

So to hold off these my convention withdraws I have decided to do a series of posts about anime conventions. Sure anime conventions are fun and a time to just chill out but you still need to have a game plan and do a bit of research before you embark on your journey of fun. So here are some words of wisdom from myself on how to have a blast at the anime convention of choice while being safe/alive and without breaking the bank.




So after you have decided that you want to attend an anime convention you have to decide which convention you want to attend. If you live in Florida like me you have quite a few options. But if you like in North Dakota probably not so much. So you to narrow down what convention you want to attend before you proceed any further.

That is where the internet comes into play. Are you more interested in a huge convention like Fanime and Otakon that have massive attendance or a smaller convention that has a more close knit feeling? Both types of conventions are fun in their own right but have a different kind of feel towards them. Lines tend to be longer and the rooms a little more crowded at the bigger conventions. The smaller conventions might have less to do and with less people less wonderful cosplays.

And there is also the decision between an established convention and a newer convention. Most new conventions will be very small and have a few little bumps along the way. But if the new convention is nearby it will be worth supporting it and help get it on its feet. An established convention probably will have things down pat but will more expensive overall.

So once you decide what kind of convention (s) you want to attend it’s time to think about a few basic things. One of the most important is time off from work. I am going to just assume for blogging purposes that everyone is over 17, has a job, and will not depend on a parent/guardian/alien companion for any anime conventions. Nothing is wrong with youngens going to anime conventions but that is a whole different set of rules and relies on too many outside factors out of the con attendees control.

Back to the work situation. Even if the convention is 6 months away you still have to factor in time off and what your managers will say about the situation. If the anime convention of your choice is after Halloween you might want to cross your fingers you can get time off. Most retail stores have a no vacation/limited vacation rule during the holiday season. And there are other factors to consider when asking for time off (is the convention near a major holiday weekend like Memorial Day Weekend). So to play it safe make sure you will be able to get time off before you spend any money on the convention!

The next factor to consider is travel plans. Most conventions require you to stay at a hotel (meaning it is not feasible to travel to your house and the convention everyday). And depending on how far this convention you might have to make airplane plans. But most likely the convention will be cheaper to drive to. So you need to take care of hotel arrangements and car rides.

Almost all hotels require the person booking the room to have a working credit card. That credit card will need to have enough to cover the amount of the room and usually a small incidental fee (50 dollars or so). Sometimes the hotel will actually charge your card even if you are planning to pay with a different method. The card will be refunded after you check out if you choose to pay by a different method but know that money will be unavailable during the convention.

Maybe you can catch a ride with the Pika mobile?

Transportation will depend on if you have a reliable car or not to get you to the convention. If not you will either have to rent a car or bum a ride from a friend who loves and cares for you. If you do bum a ride chip in for gas money. Your friend is doing you a favor the least you can do is help out with the rising cost of gas. Also be ready when they come to pick you up. Nothing is more annoying that arriving to your friend’s house and they are still running around packing.

Speaking of friends it is also important to decide if you are going to go with friends or if you are going it alone. Going alone is a little lonely and will cost a bunch more but you will have more independence to do your own thing. Going with friends will help defray the cost of the hotel/travel arrangements but it can be a hassle. Bathroom time will be crazy especially if you have a bunch of cosplayers in your room and you might not even get a bed.

But if you do go with friends and you are the credit card holder for the hotel get the money up front. As in the second someone gets the convention that is rooming with you get the cash from them. If you wait until the last day people might have spent their hotel money in the dealer’s room. I am not saying your friends are going to cheat you out (on purpose) but they might get caught up in the moment and go a little crazy. Also if you are the one who makes the hotel arrangements you are in charge of its condition at the end of the convention. So while I am not saying being the fun police you might want to make sure no underage people are drinking in the room or if people are getting high in the bathroom. If you are the car driver set some ground rules. And make sure your trunk has enough space for all your luggage and your passenger’s luggage as well.

So after you have decided the convention and who you are going with, make the hotel arrangements and buy your tickets as soon as possible. For many conventions there is a discount if you mention you are with the convention. You either need to mention the convention of the phone or use the code found at the convention’s website. The sooner you buy the tickets the better. Most likely you will save more money than if you pay at the door and the prereg lines tend to be shorter. You will also be able to put aside the hotel and ticket money aside, away from the other expenses.

There is also the small matter of arriving a day early. Some conventions are HUGE and waiting in line even for a prereg ticket is insane. Some people spend hours in line on the first day of the convention (usually Friday) and that is after they spend hours on the road getting to said convention. So it might be worth it to arrive on Thursday and picking up your ticket in advance (check to see if your convention has that option first). Sure it will mean an extra night at a hotel (which might not be in your budget) but it might be worth it so you can spend a full day on Friday at the convention.

Something else that needs to be thought of well in advance is if you are cosplaying or not. You don’t want to put a costume together 3 days before the convention. Most costumes take month to gather the materials/sew them together/make the money to buy said materials. That will probably be a major expense and will cut into your merchandise buying spree. So if you want to cosplay you need to decide sooner rather than later.

The next issue and probably the most important is money. You will need money for basic things like the hotel, transportation, the convention badge, and food. You need to figure out what your share of the hotel room is and gas money right off the bat. Factor in your ticket and at least 20 dollars a day for food and that is the bare minimum for what you need for the convention.

Perhaps not a healthy bento but one can not live on pocky alone at a convention!

The food issue is a little bit dependent on where you are going. Is this hotel/convention center close to a bunch of fast food/restaurants or is it pretty much out in the middle of nowhere? Or are all the restaurants in the area way too expensive for your small budget? Some hotels may provide you a fridge but one is not to be expected. It is cheaper to bring your own food but storage becomes an issue. Some basic things you can bring that will count down on costs are your own water bottles/sodas and light nonperishable snacks. If the convention is at an actual convention center be aware of outrageous lunch prices. Imagine movie theater prices and work from there. So 20 dollars might be a pretty lowball number actually. But eating is important! Do not pass up dinner in favor for a new shine figurine.

Some conventions charge extra for some events. The ticket price will not cover special events. Some events include concerts, Maid Cafes, and certain dances. If you want to attend these events you need to budge a little bit extra money.

The dealers room: The source of my empty wallet.

Of course there is the always popular dealers room. Some people spend huge chunks of money during the convention weekend while others barely can afford to get to the convention. If you do want to drop some healthy change in the dealers room make sure you research some of the products you are interested in. Dealers are there to make money and some bank on the fact that you will be too caught up in the MOG funness to see that they are charging slightly (or really) outrageous products. You do need to check out the entire dealers room before making purchases but we will leave that for a future post. For now you need to figure out how much money you need budget for said dealer’s room.

The dealer’s room will probably be the most up in the air in terms of your budget. How much you spend there will depend on how much you can save before the convention and after all your other necessary expenses are paid. The easiest way to save money (at least for me) is to save a little bit each month. If you try to pull money together a week or two before the convention it might not work out. You might have an unexpected real life bill or medical issue or a parking ticket or something else. The point is saving two weeks before a convention isn’t a good idea. What I do is put aside at least 20 dollars from each paycheck. That is a pretty small amount that can add up quickly over time and surely you can survive on the rest of your paycheck and not miss that 20 dollars. So if you start saving 6 months before a convention and you receive at least two paychecks a month that is 240 dollars. Since you have already budgeted how much it will be for the hotel, ticket, gas money, and food you should have the base amount of money you need figured out. So if after all that the 240 dollars is long gone or not enough change your budget accordingly. Personally I try to budget at least 100 dollars for the dealers room but everyone is different.

As a side note cash is usually preferred at conventions. Some vendors won’t have a credit card machine handy. Others might be able to give you a bit of a deal when paying all in cash. Cash is also easier to pay back your friends for gas money/hotel expenses/ect. In short cash is better. I would bring said cash with you to the convention and not rely on long line at ATM machines if they are available at all.

So now that we have the money issue covered you need to plan for your real life issues. Do you have pets that need to be taken care of while you are out of town? Do you have exams/classes that you will miss on Friday? Do you have any bills that are due on the days you will be out of town? Whatever your real life issues are need to be taken care of before you leave for the convention, not the morning of. XD Also make sure someone knows where you are going in case something happens. That probably means your parents and hey parents like to know this stuff because it makes them feel better about the situation.

Next is making up a list of events you want to attend at the convention. Most conventions post a schedule up when it comes close to the time of said convention. If that option is available it makes planning your weekend easy. Otherwise you will have to wait until you get to the convention and pick up the convention handbook. At the very least the website should list major events that you can pick from and highlight in your convention book when you arrive. Time can fly really fast so make sure you have a game plan so you don’t miss anything fun.

I think I have covered the basic planning needs before an anime convention. Of course everyone has a different life situation so there may be more things that apply to them or most of the list doesn’t apply at all. The point is this post covers most scenarios and maybe will remind you of something else that you need to do before said convention. It all depends on how much money you have, what kind of weekend you are looking to have, and whether or not you are cosplaying. For my next anime convention post I will focus on the items you need to bring on your super fun convention trip. Thanks for reading!

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07-Ghost Episode 12

Welcome to another chapter of Tenchi's blog post is late. This time I will just blame work for draining all my energy and faith in humanity. That and the 500 degree heat does not make me a very happy skippy person.

Rarw to customers!

My Friday feels a little empty without watching Eden of the East. :( Hopefully my time management skills will improve slightly and I can add a few new summer titles to my viewing list. Or you know...finish Chrome Shelled Regios and catch up with Shugo Chara. Or you know...even research when said new shows are coming out. X_X

So instead of focusing on the things I want to do and my sucky time management skills on to 07-Ghost instead!

Simply beautiful.

The episode starts off with a man down on his luck. While walking on some random street a gypsy looking woman offers to give him three wishes in exchange for his soul (WHAT COULD THAT MEAN?!). He wishes for a hot girlfriend, money, and the death of hot girlfriend when she gets greedy with her share of the cut. The gypsy woman appears and surprise she is a Kor coming to collect her soul . At the church of good looking men Teito is off probably thinking of Mikage when that other candidate walks by. After a few manly man moments of strength Teito comments he looks like Shuri Oak. This other candidate turns out to be his cousin or something Hakuren Oak. Teito scoffs a bit, saying that any member of the Oak family would be outcast for becoming a priest/bishop/hot church guy. Hakuren gets pissed off and stomps away, with Mikage dragon flying to ride on his head. While chasing after Hakuren two other candidates have a run in with Teito and are jerks. The nuns break it up but aren’t really on Teito’s side which is mean.

Yes, heal me on the nasty dirty floor surrounded by a bunch of kids. This is wonderful.

Teito happens upon a random impromptu lesson from another bishop (who is not really hot) getting a Kor out of a woman. It is all sparkly and new to some people apparently. Frau gives Teito some good advice and tells him to work on his word attack thingy. It is then cut to Frau going off to some bar to kill that man from earlier, the one who offed his girlfriend. Lots of sparkly blood and Frau being a vampire. The nuns take Teito to the room he will be staying in and TADA his roommate is Hakuren. Both are equally happy about this situation. Teito then gets into depressed mode because he can’t use his Kor killing stick thing (called a Bascule for those who need to know). Teito is touched by the stand blood on is borrowed weapon stick thingy and thinks of all those who have gone before him and took this test. Hakuren and Teito then decide to go to a hall to practice their stick fighting stuff. They meet a bald guard who was a former prisoner. His name is not important but he decides to collapse anyway to get a little more air time. Teito and Hakuren take the unimportant bald man to the clinic where Castor and Labrador talk ominously about the situation.

Bonding over baldy. Wonderful.

Teito and Hakuren arrive late to class but since they are hotties no punishment is handed out. Teito starts to wonder why his stick weapon Kor squisher is different than everyone else’s. All the students enter a hallway that has a magical water barrier (like the glass fishie tank you can walk under at Sea World). Except instead of cute fishies there are Kors flying all around. Hakuren shows off his mighty Kor slaying abilities and everyone is impressed. Teito finally understands that he can’t use his stick Kor squisher because he is use to fighting work attack things and not “healing” attack words (because those Kors are totally being healed true facts!). The teacher tells Teito to focus on his nonexistent faith on God and BAM Teito powers up his stick thingy so much it blows a hole in the hall way and breaks his staff. Surprise. It turns out the staff belongs to Frau. Or did. Hakuren gets massively jealous that Frau and Teito have a special relationship. Hakuren explains that Frau holds the highest score on this test and he is made of special. Then there is a random useless scene of Ayanami looking evil and plotting something. Both Teito and Hakuren get kicked out of the practice hall and Teito apologizes for causing scene. Hakuren smiles as he thinks Teito will be a worthy opponent now. But he still calls Teito a little kid and it is funny. Before there can be a slap fest there is drama at the church of good looking men. That bald guy from before is outside dead in his own pool of sparkly blood. Everyone goes GASP as Ayanami smirks. The end!

Ayanami...doing nothing. Amazing.

Well…that was less magnificent than I was expecting. And I wasn’t expecting much. X_X
So…what is up with Hakuren Oak? Besides the fact he is Teito’s new roommate (SHOCKER), is taking the test for personal reasons (he wants to bone/be boned by Frau), and he is a relative to Shuri Oak. All and all…bad news for Teito.

Yeah, someone named Frau!

I guess Hakuren would be more interesting if Shuri had more air time. But we saw Shuri be a butthead for a few seconds in episode one and now all his relatives have it out for Teito? When really it was Teito who started with the snippy remarks about who Hakuren is? Not buying into the MOG I hate your cousin so surely I must hate you crap.

But had he said Mikage then I would have said MOG MOVE ON. Because I am mean.

And why did Teito automatically think that Hakuren looked like Shuri? If anyone he looked like Mikage. And given the last few episodes (I am not sure if you are aware of this but Mikage died..) I would have thought that Mikage would be on his mind and that we were getting a MOG moment. A little boy on boy hug until Teito realized his mistake. Tis was only a dream of course.

Mikage is a traitor dragon!

And why does Mikage the cutest dragon like him so much? The only head he should be riding on is Teito’s or maybe Frau’s. Mikage doesn’t know who this Hakuren person is. Be a little more wary Mikage dragon. Don’t trust everyone who might look friendly.

MMM tasty radioactive blood...

The animation was interesting this week. And by interesting I mean X_X. The blood was sparkly. I know I go on and on about yaoi but blood should not be sparkly. The blood on the naked greedy girl at the beginning was slightly normal looking but her boyfriend’s was more like radioactive strawberry jam. And Mr. Baldy was drowning in a pool of a Prostitute Red nail polish. Now the rest of the show had a different kind of crispness to it that I thought worked. Just not the random sparkle blood.

Victories deserve man hugs!

There really wasn’t much plot in this episode. Which would be fine if this episode could be classified as something else. Not really funny, not really serious. But I guess since Teito wasn’t completely falling over because Mikage died it is a small victory?

Frau needs a shirt that fits...

What was Frau up to? The whole licking the blood off in a creepy manner didn’t really seem like him. I like that we are shown that the ghosts go out and splat some people too. It’s not all kisses and rainbows and we can heal everyone. Sometimes it is sparkly blood and naked hookers and angry wishes. The world is a harsh, harsh place and sometimes Kors are cute little elf girls whose faces melt in random mirrors. But I want to know if Castor and Labrador go on these secret missions too or is Frau doing all the work.

You know what would be better than a barrier? The Kors not being there at all.

Why at the church of good looking men…is a hallway full of Kors? I mean, weren’t they complaining that Teito attracts these nasty little thingies? And now there is a room full of them? Sounds kinda dangerous for a bunch of newbies to the church. At least get some baby Kors or slightly injured ones for them to practice on.

:( Apparently I do not love my husband enough. I do not make things glow blue when I think of him.

I really thought it was going to take Teito a lot longer to master his staff Kor killing weapon. A few episodes of him failing completely and then him still not getting the hang of things when Teito and Frau go out on the open road together. Frau would show him the way and slowly Teito would improve. But only during the finally battle with Ayanami will Teito master the sticky wand thing and blow up Ayanami. Or…Teito thinks of Mikage and BAM he gets it. Rarw.

MOG SO INTERESTING! But only not.

Speaking of Ayanami…was there a reason he and his crew of delightful followers were in this episode? Besides to make sure that no one forgets about them and how important they are? You know…how they are always talking about doing stuff and all we see them doing is flying around in their magic flying machine. Yeah they are boring. They need to kick it up a notch because they are boring me to tears.

Now that Hakuren and Teito are roommates/teammates maybe I will have another pairing to love. Even though Hakuren is there for Frau. And Teito hates them both. But still maybe it will be fun for now. Hakuren will show Teito the way of being part of the church of good looking men and Teito will….err….be the bright flower in his life? Yeah, I am sure they will benefit from each other somehow.

Jealoooooooooooous.

So w got a new character with a past we are not aware of but surely it will be full of angst and devotion towards Frau. We have Teito who proves once again he is too strong for his own good. And we have Ayanami who controls Kors and gives people the ability to have sparkly blood. Next week I expect to see a little bit more action please. That or a funny adventure in the saga of Hakuren and Teito being roommates. Thanks for complying with my simple requests.

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Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles Volume 23-current chapters

Remember when I said I was going to blog Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle every week until I was caught up with the current chapters? Yeah I lied.

Come, experience the craziness that is Tsubasa.

But I didn’t mean to lie. It was my intention to blog each volume until I either got caught up with the current chapters or the series ended. But then chapter 223 came out and my brain exploded all over the place.

Seriously I walked away from the computer screen with a splitting headache that lasted all day. I kept thinking how is this possible over and over again. I tried to make sense of what happened and it really didn’t work.

So I don’t think I can blog the next 5 or so volumes and pretend to not know what is going on. It will slip or be greatly implied in my writing and I will feel like scum for spoiling things for people. Or I will just be too focused on this big blinding factor and not talk about whatever volume I am on.

That being said I am just going to talk about this huge massive X_X moment that involves the entire manga series and why the heck this is all happening. So if you don’t want spoilers that lead up until chapter 223 of Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle do not click read more. But if you are sharing in my massive headache read on!

Cute picture is cute!

I will be special and give a little bit of back story that leads up to the WTF moment. Or as the case may be the material that comes after the WTF moment.

Why must you be so brave until the very end?!

When we last saw our heroes Syaoran and clone Syaoran were fighting over Sakura’s feather. Sakura was all boohooing that she didn’t need her feathers anymore and that she wants the boys to stop fighting. The end result of this fight is that Sakura dies. She is stabbed trying to keep both boys from killing the other. Sakura turns to the real Syaoran and says that the one he wants to protect isn’t her. Then she dissolves into flower petals and is no more. Clone Syaoran is slightly pissed off and Kyle appears and takes Sakura’s body with him. Through a side conversation Fei Wong Reed explains how he cloned Sakura for the purpose of having her body gather information about the different dimensions and crap. Now it gets slightly complicated as the original body of Sakura died so as of right now Fei Wong Reed has Sakura’s clone body. Wait a minute, all will be explained.

I will take the ring!!!

After Kurogane is explained what the hell is going on (because Fai and Syaoran knew from the start that clone Sakura was a clone) Syaoran explains that he is going to save clone Sakura and his Sakura. The price to travel to the place where clone Sakura’s body is has been paid by Watanuki (the price being his memories of his parents). And it turns out that Fei Wong Reed has been in Clow Country from day one!

My poor Fai.

After everyone spends some time thinking about how much they loved clone Sakura and Kurogane gets his sword back the three travelers go to Clow Country, during the cut off time. Syaoran realizes it is the day of Sakura’s 7th birthday. Something significant happened on this day and the time keeps repeating itself. Our heroes keep reliving the same day over and over again until they find a way to break the pattern.

Syaoran always takes the blame on himself.

Then our heroes make it down into the ruins, close to the area where clone Sakura was zapped through the first time. There Syaoran tells his tale of woe to Fai, Kurogane, and Mokona.

The only innocent time they will get to experience.

When real Syaoran was 7 years old his parents told him that there was a Sakura who needed his protection. He was told he had 7 days to help her and he would return on her birthday. So Syaoran travels to Clow Country as Sakura is going through her purification ceremony crap. So for 7 days they can’t touch but that doesn’t bother them. They become fast friends. One could say that Syaoran falls in love with Sakura as she reminds him of his mother, who is also named Sakura and looks just like her. Syaoran also reveals he looks just like his father. Fast forward to Sakura’s birthday and Fei Wong Reed attacks Sakura. Syaoran hesitates and does not save Sakura in time. Fei Wong Reed lays a curse upon Sakura and she will die on her 16th birthday.

A moment of hesitation changes the entire universe...but I am sure Fei Wong had a back-up plan.

Syaoran is injured trying to save Sakura. He is sent to Yuuko to recover. He wishes to go back to Clow Country and find a way to save Sakura. His price will be the fact he will never return home to see his parents again. So off he goes and he spends the next 9 years with Sakura and loving her. Only a select few number of people know of her curse and try to stop it. But on her 16th birthday she dies anyway. Or she is moments from dying. Her mother (in this time period) has lived and has the ability to stop the flow of time just for a second. There Syaoran makes his wish to go back in time and grab Sakura’s hand when he had the chance. Fei Wong Reed appears and
cackles!

Syaoran is Syaoran no matter what...

Yuuko appears and tells Syaoran that if he goes through with this wish the lives of Sakura’s parents will be affected. That Syaoran himself will be captive and unable to do anything to help the outcome. Basically everything is going to fall apart and it will all be his fault. But he wishes it anyway and goes back in time to when he and Sakura were 7. There Fei Wong is waiting. He explains to Syaoran that since he has wished form something taboo a space has been created where he once existed. Watanuki is created to take over that space instead. Yuuko gets a hold of Watanuki and protects him from Fei Wong’s influence. Then Syaoran is taken and locked up in Fei Wong’s lair. Clone Syaoran is created and goes and lives with clone Sakura until volume 1. Oh and Sakura’s mom goes splat, Sakura’s dad becomes clone Syaoran dad, and Clow Reed becomes clone Sakura’s dad. None of which matters as they are all dead.

I swear we are getting up to the WTF moment. I promise!!

Kurogane likes to give out love taps.

So after this sad tale Syaoran tells Fai and Kurogane he is no better than Fei Wong as they both wish for the same thing: to bring someone back to life. Just that Fei Wong waited for Syaoran’s wish to mess with the space time continuum and laws of reality. Syaoran tells his two friends that his wish caused the universe to be turned upside down. Fai might not have been born with a twin had Syaoran not made that wish nor would Kurogane’s parents had to die. But his companions do not care about all that. Especially Fai as he made the same exact wish. So as it stands Syaoran is the cause of all this drama. Not on purpose of course but whatever.

Waiting all this time for her prince to save her.

Our crew makes it to the spot where the real Sakura is frozen as a 7 year old. Fei Wong appears and smirks as his grand master plan is almost upon us. Clone Syaoran arrives to fight with Syaoran and Fei Wong makes his little minions attack Fai and Kurogane. So it is fighting time blah blah. It then appears that clone Syaoran kills Syaoran. Fei Wong is like bring me his body slave boy. So he does and BAM Syaoran is still alive and together with the clone Syaoran they throw open the space where Fei Wong is. Fei Wong is pissed off and goes to stab Syaoran but clone Syaoran throws himself in the way. Everyone is in shock that clone Syaoran was able to make such a sacrifice. Clone Syaoran says that he wanted to know what came next, when clone Sakura said he loved him. He then apologizes to all his friends and dies in a similar fashion to clone Sakura. Fai gets his eye back but is sad he lost his friend. They then kill Fei Wong but it turns out it was Kyle all along. Fei Wong was in the background holding clone Sakura’s body. Time begins to move and Syaoran runs to grab young Sakura’s hand. However everything gets crazy as Mokona senses a feather.

Clone Syaoran got his heart too late....

TADA Acid Tokyo is the ancient country of Clow. And the feather that Sakura left to guard the water, yeah it is still in the water right now. That is why the real Sakura was protected by the water on her first 7th birthday. Anyway the feather goes into clone Sakura’s body. At the same time Syaoran manages to grab the real Sakura’s hand. Fei Wong cackles more as now Syaoran’s wish has been granted. Both clone and real Sakura glow and turn into one being, the real Sakura. Fei Reed says now that Syaoran’s wish has been granted so can his. And his wish is bring someone back to life that was on the verge of death as well.

Seriously?! Yuuko?

It turns out that person is Yuuko. You know, the person Fei Wong has hated this entire series? Yeah that Yuuko. Clow Reed had tried to bring save her life but had failed (or merely wanted her to live and didn’t really want to mess up the world with his wish). Fei Wong promised that he would do so and went about with this horrible plan. Before Yuuko is transported to Clow with everyone else she explains what the tube was at the beginning of volume 1. In that tube we saw a Sakura and a Syaoran. It turns out not to be the real or clone versions as Yuuko states these beings have been in the tube watching all these events take place, so neither of their precious people would disappear. Yuuko says their time is now allowed to move forward and they are released from the tube.

I would say something...but just wait...

TADA! It is real Syaoran and Sakura’s parents. Who look just like real Syaoran and real Sakura. They briefly appear in the dream world to Watanuki and tell their precious person (AKA SON) not to disappear. Momma Sakura explains that she knew that this was all to come as another Sakura (CCS) gave her her magic wand and told her all would be okay.Then they appear in Clow Country and rescue real Syaoran and real Sakura’s body. They then using their awesome power to start rebuilding all the worlds that Fei Wong is destroying. Fai is going WTF because if they are that powerful that they can rebuild the entire universe he should have been able to sense their existence. Fei Wong gets all pissy, wanting to know why Father Syaoran is able to use Clow Reed’s power. Yuuko says that is because Clow gave it to him.

Can't she just explain things better? So things won't be so confusing later?!

Then Yuuko appears back in the dream world. Clone Syaoran materializes in the dream world and Yuuko explains that since he is a created being he cannot disappear. Then clone Sakura poofs on the scene too. Clone Sakura wakes up and there is a slight dramatic moment. Then Yuuko explains all that stuff about her nearly dying and Clow tried to save her life. She then explains to Sakura and Syaoran that they can be reborn again and their prices have already been paid for. Clone Syaoran’s by Clow Reed and clone Sakura by Yuuko’s. She explains even though they are going to be reborn that they will have all their memories of this life and that they will again move forward to this moment (this moment being Fei Wong destroying the world). If they decide to be reborn the past and future will be affected but they will be together again one day. Clone Syaoran starts mumbling about how he has sinned so much and doesn’t deserve this second chance. Clone Sakura takes his hand and says she will bear the sin with him, just so long as she can live with him. Yuuko considers that a yes on the wish and sends them on their way to be reborn, but not before clone Sakura finally tells clone Syaoran she loves him.

A little bit late but at least it was said.

Do we have all that down? Because after this is when it stops making sense. And as farfetched as this all sounds I am following the story up to this point. Here, let us create a time line of what has happened so far in this series.

-7 year old Syaoran is told by Daddy Syaoran and Momma Sakura that he has to go save a Sakura in another dimension.

-7 year old Syaoran grows close to Sakura but fails to save her. A curse is inflicted on Sakura.

-16 year old Syaoran watches 16 year old Sakura dies. Fei Wong grants Syaoran’s wish to save his Sakura. Both Syaoran and Sakura are cloned and Watanuki is born. Clone Sakura and clone Syaoran live in a slightly different version of Clow as real Syaoran can only watch.

-Fai is made Fei Wong’s pawn. Even though Fai is older than everyone else this event has to take place after Syaoran’s wish. Also time flows different in each dimension.

-Kurogane’s parents are killed. It is unclear what Fei Wong had in store for Kurogane but it doesn’t matter as Tomoyo stopped it.

-Real Syaoran and Watanuki’s parents make a wish to protect their sons and are placed in that tube. Watanuki thinks his parents died to save him so it is unclear if that is a false memory or not.

-Watanuki made a deal to have his memories erased to save some version of Sakura and Syaoran in the future.

-Clow Reed dies in Clow country as he was playing the part of clone Sakura’s father.

-Clone Sakura and clone Syaoran begin their journey as clone Sakura loses her feathers.

-Fai knows all along what is going on and fails to stop anything.

-Clone Syaoran’s heart breaks and real Syaoran escapes his prison. Fai loses his eye.

-Clone Sakura chooses to split her body and soul rather than let Syaoran die.

-Clone Sakura dies and tells Syaoran to go back to his real Sakura.

-The team goes to Clow country 7 years in the past when real Sakura first gets cursed.

-Clone Syaoran dies protecting Syaoran.

- Syaoran’s parents, mommy Sakura and daddy Syaoran appear to save real Sakura, real
Syaoran, and the entire universe.

-Clone Syaoran and clone Sakura are allowed to be reborn by the price paid by Clow and Yuuko, Clow being the father that clone Sakura knows.

Okay, now that all makes sense to me. Even the fact that CCS is a different person than these three Sakuras and her wands was also a payment in all this junk. Also the fact that daddy Syaoran is the one who has Clow Reed’s power and not CCS Sakura is okay with me. Rules can be bent a little bit. For a while I thought that real Syaoran was the son of CCS Sakura and CCS Syaoran. That is not the case.

This just in: you suck.

So despite this being confusing and everyone being a clone or a look alike somehow this makes sense. I am even willing to buy the fact that Clow is built on the ancient city of Acid Tokyo and that real Sakura at age 7 was protected by a feather clone Sakura has yet to leave.

I am willing to buy all this because Yuuko explains that the worlds have been torn apart by Syaoran’s wish. That his wish to bring someone back to life has broken all the rules of the world and the past and future are one big mess and both can affect the present now. It is almost one of those things you buy and believe because magic is involved and it is so illogical it has to make sense.

:( Clearly they were not important enough for more screen time.

Chapter 222 rolls around and suddenly it hits you like a freight train. Or at least it should. You might be temporarily blinded by the fact that MKR’s main heroines FINALLY make an appearance. I had been begging for Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu to make their appearance. Of course they only get like 5 whole pages where as other less worthy CLAMP characters get entire volumes…but maybe I am being slightly ungrateful.

A happy reunion that was fated to happen either in the past or future........

The point is in chapter 222 clone Sakura is walking around with her MKR pals as they are on a school trip. Down the path walks clone Syaoran and it is all magical. Since they have been reborn with their memories intact they recognize each other immediately. They embrace and it is all cherry blossoms and love. No kiss for some reason but there is love.

Clone Sakura, clone Syaoran, and a baby...OH CRAP!!!

THEN THE WTF MOMENT! Chapter 223, the chapter that made my head explode. We fast forward to sometime in the future. Clone Sakura has just given birth to a baby. Then everyone knows. Everyone friggin knows what is about to come out of clone Sakura’s mouth as she shows off the new baby to clone Syaoran. Let me bust out clone Sakura’s exact words here.

And this is your brain on Tsubasa. X_X

“ After all….he is both our child…and also…one with the same existence as yourself”.
As in she just gave birth to the real Syaoran. The Syaoran that the clone Syaoran was based on.

Exactly. That is EXACTLY what Yuuko meant!!!

…………………………….
………………………………………
………………………………………………..

Do you see that? That is my eye twitching out of control and my mind unable to handle this information. Let me repeat that again. Clone Syaoran is the father to the person he was cloned from.

Must not think....

Oh but it gets better. Or worse. Clone Syaoran and clone Sakura are the ones who tell their son, real Syaoran to go and protect real Sakura. You know, the real Sakura in which clone Sakura is based on. They are sending their son to go be with a version of his mother.

Oh hi son! It's almost time for you to go make me exist.

……………………………………..

My…my mind can’t handle much more….

On the one hand that means the number of Sakuras and Syaorans in this series just got cut down a little bit. The tube Syaoran and Sakura are actually the clones. The parents that just appeared out of nowhere to protect the real Syaoran are not only mommy and daddy but the clones. So in that once sense it makes everything not seem SO wtf.

But...in the end it is cute?!

But then I think about the entire situation again and I am not really that grateful at all.

But Tenchi, what about the whole the past and future are all messed up and this the present is crazy theory? What about magic explaining everything? Can’t you just go with the flow?

NO!

There is a limit to how much I am willing to buy! I cannot and will not accept that clone Syaoran and clone Sakura sent their son on an adventure that would result in clone Syaoran and clone Sakura being created! To make this possible someone had to exist as real Syaoran’s parents to begin with to start this entire process down this road. You can’t send your son into a future to make sure you are born for this all to happen. You can’t pull a reverse Terminator on me!

Forget space time continuum! This is grandfather paradox, parallel universe, Novikov self-consistency principle, alternate timelines, and restricted action resolution times 100 and on crack. A serious amount of crack.

The very thought that father is a clone of his son makes me dizzy. The thought of a son in love with the real version of his momma makes me think I should be ill. And the fact that this all happened within 5 minutes of each other makes me pass out and die.

The only ONLY way I will be okay with any of this is if it is explained later down the line that real Syaoran was the son of Yuuko and Clow Reed. In that scenario he will be worthy of Clow Reed’s powers. It will also allow for real Syaoran to be cloned and for there not to be with almost incest related future. Clone Sakura and clone Syaoran will be similar to Watanuki. Watanuki was created to fill the void in this wish and become a son to clone Syaoran and clone Sakura. Clone Sakura and clone Syaoran can be the parents to real Syaoran since Clow Reed and Yuuko are both “dead” due to trying to make real Syaoran’s wish possible.

If and only if that is the case I will be satisfied! Otherwise my brain will still be in a state of explosion and WTFness. Seriously, clone Syaoran is father to the real one?! X_X My mind still can’t compute this information.

But you know what…I still love you Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicles. I love how almost all of this was explained from the start yet it wasn’t. You can read back and all the clues were there. That is what makes this series fun. Well, until you start thinking about being the father of someone you are cloned of. Then it becomes fun and MOG wtf at the same time.

Oh and yay for Fai and Kurogane true love proof!

So don’t let me down CLAMP. You better explain this with the time you got left. And I swear to God if Watanuki ends up being Fei Wong or Clow Reed I will scream. Then it will be game over man.

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