UP AME Track 10 at the SMX

This should have been posted during the weekend but I was actually waiting for UP-AME's official statement regarding the fair. I still wasn't too clear about what exactly transpired -- all I really know is that I've been hearing both good (from people who were able to get in) and bad (from people who who couldn't get in) things from various camps.

Honestly, I didn't think that I would be able to make it into the hall when I arrived at approximately 4PM. I had just come from another event at the SM Prestige Lounge. Had I known that that this would be quite chaotic (at first), I would not have confirmed my attendance with the other event's organizers. This fair is the kind that awards early birds because early birds get to experience everything it has to offer before people come in droves. By the time I arrived at SMX, what greeted me was this:

(Don't even ask how it looked like outside. It was worse.)

I had to swim my way through that crowd and still ended up swimming in the wrong direction. In a good way, hehe. I found myself standing inside the halls of the World Robot Olympiad 2010, which I blogged about three days ago. While I enjoyed my time in that other convention, it was this pretty elf that caught my attention and brought my mind back to the AME fair.

Unfortunately, she had also caught the attention of just about every fan boy imaginable. (They come in all shapes and sizes. Waaaah! Thought I was going to get crushed.) Sorry for the blurry shot. I had to stand tippy-toed, with my cam on full zoom, because her swarmers were much much taller than li'l ol' me. I can't even give her beauty justice. Feh.

A lot of cosplayers were really determined to get inside, regardless of the crowd size. I had not even taken a photo of how it was like outside of SMX. To say that many people outside were becoming disgruntled was an understatement. Some were turning into degenerates.

I actually feared for the organizers. They could've been easily mobbed. Thank goodness, they kept themselves level-headed the entire time.

I found myself staring at this ticket when I saw a bunch of scalpers outside. It made me wonder: "Hm. Maybe I should sell this for P1,000?" I was pretty sure there would be takers. People were getting THAT desperate.

Hah! Of course, I wouldn't do that. This is actually my first AME event. I would not miss the experience for anything. Certainly not for a measly P1,000. (Maybe for P10,000?)

Once inside...well, there were many things that had been removed in order to accommodate the crowd. I wasn't able to see the Café, the Sumo and some other highlights. Fortunately, I still had a lot of fun going around the hall. (Even if I couldn't take decent photos because I keep getting jostled. Really must learn event photography. How do professionals handle it?)

On the left was one of my favorite costumes. I love the little details this cosplayer painstakingly took into consideration. In the middle was one of the things I wanted to purchase. It's a dark green, floral girly trench coat...that I couldn't buy because I had a measly P100 left on my wallet.

On the right is one of my favorite RPG couples of the 90s: Rinoa and Squall.

Here's my friend Molly, posing with a bunch of head pieces. She's actually the sister of the fair host, Szusza. Hm. I just realized that we don't have photos together.

She brought me in front of the stage, where the cosplay judges sat. I saw the score sheet and I was pretty impressed with it.

Look at that. It's so high tech! And so adorable! This clearly had been well thought of.

Below: Klaine and Szusza, the kawaii hosts. Behind them are some band members who were about to perform a J-Rock number.

This is the best part about being at an event: meeting someone you had not seen in ages. A few weeks ago, I had encountered an old Otaku Fridge Boards (OB) member, Kel, known a long time ago as Voldee. Last month, it was MarkPoa, whom I had encountered at Cosmania X. This time around, I saw Josh (known in OB as Lune Knight).

His voice is now lower pitched. Hehe. But he still has that full head of rowdy curls, which I immediately recognized. Looks like I wasn't the only one who had a great time at the AME fair. There's only one thing I hate Josh for: He had photo booth pics, which he posted in his Facebook account! I didn't know there was a photo booth. Wah!

All in all, I'd say that this is one phenomenal fair. I've heard "horror stories" about it being so full of people that function rooms kept getting bigger and bigger and bigger each year. Despite the "horror stories", the crowds just keep multiplying. (Kinda figured one SMX hall would not be enough.) I think that speaks a lot about the organization. Good job!

And as they say in Japan, "Congraturation!"