Just 2 weeks ago, the curtain descended on the fourth annual Anime Milwaukee convention at the UW-Milwaukee Union, marking the best-ever achievement of the convention- it had hit thousands of anime, video game, and cosplay enthusiasts to attend the grand occasion of anime and comic world. Described by convention chair Melissa Erdman as “an opportunity for local nerds to come and hang out,†Anime Milwaukee is an ambitious three-day event featuring everything from voice-actor meet-and-greets to a Rock Band competition.†So, what‘s up with those “indoor kids†anyway? Just have a look at what our accredited journalist brings you below!
Eye-Catching Cosplay Contest
The Cosplay Contest of the 4th annual Anime Milwaukee convention, I think, was the most wonderful event among all those events. A bunch of people dressed themselves up as anime figures in the Sailor Moon, The Legend Of Zelda, Judo Princess, etc., quickly waking up their audience by hot dance and cool poses. The cosplay phenomenon was also well represented at Anime Milwaukee, with a contest scheduled for Saturday night, as well as a “Gothic Lolita Fashion Show†early Sunday afternoon. I must mention a female contester whose theme was Lolita Fashion from Sedagaya Area, Tokyo. With a specially designed “Cotton Short Sleeves Ruffle Bow Lolita Dress†on body, she gave us a memorable enjoyment by acting her part to miracle. And undoubtedly she won the title of Winner of the Cosplay Contest.
The Cosplay contest also created a great business opportunity. “It‘s kind of a big deal,†Erdman said, “Someone spend up to $1,000 on one costume. They go all out with wigs, makeup, hair, and fake weapons.†Actually, he was right. I walked through only 1/2 of the business area and had already seen 15 Lolita fashion stores authorized by milanoo.com, gothloli.com and lolisky.com selling Lolita clothing, Lolita shoes and many other Lolita items. For those looking for a few pointers, they also leant a lot from Cosplay courses like “How to Cosplay Gothic Lolita Properly on a Budget,†and “Good Cosplay Gone Wrongâ€.
Anime Exhibition
This year‘s Anime Milwaukee was packed with tons of screenings aimed squarely at the Demon Prince Emma, Lunar Legend Tsukihime, and Yawara. Fashionable Judo Girl was also one of the obscure titles slated for the convention. Moreover, Internet sensation “Little Kuriboh†presented his humorous abridged versions of Yu-Gi-Oh(Game King), which was longed by many fans. For those looking forward to bone up on their anime knowledge beforehand, Lost World Of Wonders was the best local source. Another worth watching was Greenfield‘s Mega Media Xchange, which carried a staggering number of used DVDs, video games, and Laserdiscs priced to move.
By the way, all of the Anime Milwaukee Awards had their owners, which is listed as follows:
Winner, Action: Shut Me Up! (freakfranky)
Runner up: The Breathtaking Tension Project (freakfranky)
Winner, Comedy: Azu-Madness! (Doomimus)
Runner up: Detroit Metal Marauders (drewaconclusion)
Winner, Drama/Romance: PUNISHMENT (Kitty-Galia)
Runner up: I Believe in Yesterday
Winner, Dance/Fun/Upbeat/Over The Top (DUFOTT): Truh Beatz (oglog)
Runner up: Super Starlight (Vellure)
Tabletop Gaming
In a memorable sketch, The Dead Alewives—Milwaukee‘s late, great comedy troupe of the ‘90s—took a glimpse into the terrifying, Satanic world of Dungeons & Dragons, only to find a bunch of nerds bickering about Mountain Dew and “Mordenkainen‘s Magical Watchdog.†Anime Milwaukee really injected energy to the popular fun and paid tribute to this geek staple by setting aside numerous rooms for paper, pencil, and dice games. D&D, Munchkin Quest, and other sinister titles were also represented, sending players either into nerd nirvana, or, as the Alewives described it, “deeper and deeper into the bowels of El Diablo.â€
Video Games Excitement
For those who thought anime like Magical Witch Punie-chan a bit too magical and tended to look for something new, Anime Milwaukee was really a rare event providing them with dozens of console and arcade games, causing some crowd favorites along with a few surprises. “We're bringing in two full arcade DDR machines along with some other video games that aren‘t available in the U.S.,†Erdman said. A Rock Band competition was also slated under so many watchful eyes, focusing more on showmanship and less on “how fast you can play your plastic instrument.â€