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Topics - Kuudere

#1
Although there are similar threads already, I'd like a general, structured place for feedback.
If you have negative comments, make them constructive and related to the convention itself. Not stories about how your friend Brad was a real jerk all weekend.

Pros:

  • Registration: Simply flawless. Please don't change this system.
  • Shuttle service: I didn't use it, but those slick looking vehicles looked awesome and I heard many good things about them.
  • Opening Ceremonies: Loved being front-row for X4's performance in Stage Zero. Staff also promised they would not kick us out of the first row to make room for other staff/guests, and they followed through on that promise.
  • Fan Panels: CWF and the Anime high school murder mystery panel were great large-group events full of hype (despite, you know, the "human students" being giant cheaters...)
  • Dealer's Hall: THANK YOU FOR MARKING THE AISLES. The one improvement that I didn't even know I needed. Finding stuff and my friends was 100x easier this year. Kudos to whoever named the Pork Cutlet Bowl aisle.
  • Adobe Events: I went to the one on Thursday and it was really fun and informative, even for someone like me who doesn't really do digital art. BRING BACK ADOBE FOR 2018!
  • Artist Alley: I cannot get over the fact of how amazing the artists are. Some of the things they make are better than official merchandise. It seemed like they had a better time in registration this year than previously, so I hope they will continue to be treated well for the great things they do for Fanime.



Cons:
  • Autographs: Really bad communication there. It is not unexpected for people to wait over an hour to be first in line, so to pop out and say "You need to leave until 15 minutes before it's time" twenty minutes before it starts and take out a sign stating this policy at that time rather than earlier where it would have been the most benefit, it's pretty obvious that people are going to be angry. There was literally no way to enforce this on-the-spot policy other than clearing out the entire hallway, which didn't happen. Instead, we all stood in a disorganized mob by the door since lines weren't allowed, which was even more chaotic. This happened on Friday and I still heard of people complaining about the policy for Saturday's autographs (so lessons weren't learned). This could probably be fixed by issuing tickets to those in line early, so that they will leave until it's time to get an autograph. Fanime will also not have to cut off lines of people who have waited only to be turned away with this system.
  • Artist Alley: Those first few rows were so badly congested, it was an actual safety hazard. I never even saw the booths in the first three or four rows simply because it was impossible to leave the moving throng of people. There needs to be far more space in the aisles, especially in the front. There looked to be plenty of empty tables in the back of the room that could have been removed for space.
  • Street safety: I already addressed this elsewhere, but I'll add it here. There should be police presence in the evenings around the blocks with heavy foot-traffic. If I'm walking to the Fairmont to enjoy Fanime-sponsored entertainment, I would hope that I am not harassed on the streets. It happened this year, and it puts me off of going to night panels because I don't feel safe walking outside at night.
  • Some Fan Panels: Certain panels were not making use of their allotted time. I walked into TWO HOUR panel about 20 minutes late, and the presenter was already done presenting. They even said, "I didn't expect people to stick around this long" (not even an hour into the panel). If Fanime is compensating them with badges, they certainly didn't get their money's worth. The application process might need to be reviewed to make sure people actually have enough content for the hours they're requesting.
  • The Fairmont: I mean, I didn't stay there personally, but it seems pretty clear that they do not want to do business with the attendees of Fanime. Between cancelling reservations and moving people all over, to making them sign pretty explicit anti-convention policies (yes, room-stuffing is bad and you shouldn't do it, but don't start saying you're actually enforcing these policies AS PEOPLE ARE CHECKING IN. Email ahead of time if you have to so that people can make arrangements). All I can say is that I will never give DTSJ's Fairmont my business, and perhaps they would like it that way.




#2
So Marriott had a contest for the cleanest room upon checkout (done by raffle with all qualifying rooms), with the 1st place prize being 3 paid nights for their hotel next Fanime. I was wondering if anyone knows how they will contact people. Did anyone here win anything? Did the other hotels do this also? I know I personally stepped up my cleaning game on Monday.
#3
This thread is for MusicFest guest requests! For general guest requests, please use this thread in order for those requests to reach the correct department.


Remember: the sooner you request, the better chance you have of staff being able to fulfill that request! These acquisitions can take months of planning/talking, so request early! All requests placed here are monitored by official staff, so no other steps (aside from posting here) are necessary to make sure your suggestion is heard.


For 2017, I'd like to see (copied and pasted from my 2016 request):

  • The Pillows (forever first on my list). They perform the whole soundtrack for FLCL and are just a great group all around.
  • ClariS. Featured in Madoka Magica, Nisekoi, OreImo, Nise/Tsukimonogatari.
  • Tommy Heavenly6. Featured in Soul Eater, Paradise Kiss, Mobile Suit Gundam 00, Gintama, Bakuman, and Pokemon.
  • Crystal Kay. Featured in Nodame Cantablie, Fullmetal Alchemist, and several J-dramas.
  • Kalafina. Featured in Madoka Magica, Black Butler, and Fate/Zero.
  • Etsuko Yakushimaru. Featured in Arakawa Under the Bridge, Denpa Onna to Seishun Otoko, Space Dandy, Mawaru Penguindrum, Natsu no Arashi, Tatami Galaxy.
  • Kana Nishino. Featured in Soul Eater, Naruto.
  • Maaya Sakamoto. Featured in too many anime to name, but probably mostly famous for Wolf's Rain's Gravity.
  • OreSkaBand. Featured in Bleach and Naruto.
  • Supercell. Featured in the Monogatari series, Guilty Crown, Black Rock Shooter, Naruto, Magi.
#4
Hotel and Facilities / Review Your Hotel 2016!
June 01, 2016, 05:10:02 PM
I like to read about others' experiences for their hotel stays and I think it benefits others who want to compare and contrast for next year, so let's hear those reviews!

I stayed at the Marriott Thursday-Monday. Normally, I have mostly positive things to say about my stay here (been staying here for probably 9-10 years straight now), but this year was definitely not its best. I'm thinking that their staff was very limited due to monitoring the entry points into the convention, and those of us that stayed at the Marriott ended up with lackluster service as a result.

Pros:

  • Hotel parties were shut down! I know this is a "party con" to many, but this was such a relief.
  • Hotel staff was responsive to issues we brought to their attention. (We called in to report that there was a lady bathing and washing her clothes in the hotel jacuzzi and they sent out security fast to take care of it). Though I think they should have also drained the water because the woman was full-on washing her hair with shampoo in there.
  • I think mini-fridges were standard this year?
  • They actually accommodated our two-rooms-next-to-each-other request! We tried this for years and never were successful until this year.
  • Checking out was a breeze as long as you did it before noon.
  • Elevator lines were non-existent for some reason. I never waited more than 5 minutes for an elevator, which has never happened before.
  • Staff set up a booth to hold luggage on Monday for those who were checking out but needed storage. It was really easy to find and use compared to previous years.
  • Lots of stuff had been remodeled to look more sleek.
  • Better lighting in the bathroom! There's a vanity light going all the way around the mirrors now.
  • Easy access to Netflix and Hulu from the televisions made finding something to watch while getting ready very easy.

Cons:

  • We had almost NO hot water the entire stay. I had maybe 10 minutes total of hot showering in that 5 day span of time. The rest were lukewarm or freezing cold. We called to get it repaired and they claimed it was fixed, but it wasn't. This occurred in both of our rooms and I wonder if it happened elsewhere in the hotel.
  • This "go green" effort to cut down on room service is nice in theory, but it just made our rooms and the halls look like a disaster. People were leaving trash outside their door to get it picked up, staff allowed trays of food to be left in the halls for days...it was just really not pleasant to look at. I don't mind using the same towel more than once, but trash needs to definitely be picked up.
  • Not enough staff around in general. Everyone seemed to be helping out with badge checking
  • Using the hotel for badge pickup made it kind of a hassle to enter the convention with all the lines blocking the way.
  • The hotel doors kept rejecting our keycards several times.
  • The decor looked ridiculous. What's with the weird metal men climbing ropes on the side of the walls?
#5
Since we're getting pretty close to the convention, I thought it'd be a good idea to express gratitude about the things we liked concerning staff and the convention as a whole. They don't get to hear these comments enough, and I think it'll be a nice boost to encourage them through the stressful last few weeks. Remember that these people are volunteering their time outside of regular life commitments to help put this event together. So if there's anything a particular staffer or department is doing that you like, let them know about it here!

This thread is for positive comments only! There are plenty of other threads to give constructive criticism, so if you want to do that or just complain, utilize those places, please. Backhanded compliments are discouraged, too. If you disagree with something someone said, take it to PM.



I'll start us off with a few of my own observations:


  • Eric (ewu on the forums) is a beast as always in both helping run the convention and basically dedicating all the rest of his time to managing these forums. I know his position probably makes it so he can't be as vocal on here as in the past, but it's obvious he's incredibly dedicated.
  • I like the way Tye (Imperial on the forums) is managing the Cosplay Gatherings. This is his first year heading that department and he's really doing a good job covering all bases and keeping people updated. The form was a great way to go in the organization of information, I think.
  • Guest relations has gotten some pretty great people this year. It's nice to see all the excited comments from attendees on the announcements.
  • MusicFest got a group that looks like a lot of fun to watch. I also liked the way that they choose to announce their guest by making a game out of it.
  • The staggered hotel registration kept the servers up for nearly the whole time, which is a great improvement from before. I am excited to see what the system is like when all the small things are fixed.
  • I'm glad that staff communicated the registration pick-up location change. Hopefully that old space can be used for something else since it was so big. Badge-pickup is so fast now that it makes sense to move it somewhere else.
  • I appreciate Fanime working to negotiate more hotels at reduced prices.
  • I liked that the website was up and running much earlier this year. And I love the artwork by Stephanie Kao (hoping once again that I get Candy on my badge this year).
#6
This thread is for MusicFest guest requests! For general guest requests, please use this thread in order for those requests to reach the correct department.

I didn't see the thread yet, and I wanted to get it started early so staff has an idea on who people want to see before they begin the long process of getting a MusicFest act.

Remember: the sooner you request, the better chance you have of staff being able to fulfill that request! These acquisitions can take months of planning/talking, so request early!


For 2016, I'd like to see:

  • The Pillows (forever first on my list). They perform the whole soundtrack for FLCL and are just a great group all around.
  • ClariS. Featured in Madoka Magica, Nisekoi, OreImo, Nise/Tsukimonogatari.
  • Tommy Heavenly6. Featured in Soul Eater, Paradise Kiss, Mobile Suit Gundam 00, Gintama, Bakuman, and Pokemon.
  • Crystal Kay. Featured in Nodame Cantablie, Fullmetal Alchemist, and several J-dramas.
  • Kalafina. Featured in Madoka Magica, Black Butler, and Fate/Zero.
  • Etsuko Yakushimaru. Featured in Arakawa Under the Bridge, Denpa Onna to Seishun Otoko, Space Dandy, Mawaru Penguindrum, Natsu no Arashi, Tatami Galaxy.
  • Kana Nishino. Featured in Soul Eater, Naruto.
  • Maaya Sakamoto. Featured in too many anime to name, but probably mostly famous for Wolf's Rain's Gravity.
  • OreSkaBand. Featured in Bleach and Naruto.
  • Supercell. Featured in the Monogatari series, Guilty Crown, Black Rock Shooter, Naruto, Magi.

And my #1 request:
  • μ's. Featured in the Love Live franchise.
    • Probably a long shot, but I'd really, really like to see the girls of μ's (pronounced Muse) on stage. While expensive to get all 9 girls, the cost can be justified by their value as both extremely popular singers and seiyuu. Since the group was founded from the anime/game (Love Live), it has the industry tie-in to make them relevant for MusicFest. Other conventions are capitalizing on their popularity (AX is charging its attendees just to watch a recorded performance), so if Fanime ever wanted to charge a small fee to help cover the additional costs, I'm positive people would pay to see them. If all 9 aren't feasible, they do also sing in smaller, three-person groups (BiBi, lily white, and Printemps), though that won't have as much impact, obviously.


#7
Probably the only major complaint that I had for this year was how the Japanese guest panels were handled. I felt terrible for both BACK-ON and Ai, who were asked inappropriate questions, or were asked for autographs/high-fives in a Q&A panel. BACK-ON's panel didn't tell people to only ask one question, either, so each person who went up asked 3-4 questions in a row and took up most of the time. This could have been mostly avoided if someone were asking people what their question would be before allowing it to be asked. For example, people with questions could raise their hands during the panel and a staff member could ask them what their question was, and if deemed appropriate, they could be allowed to go in line to ask it. There's no guarantee that they'll ask that question, but hopefully people will get the impression that they need to be respectful in their questions by needing to pass it by a staff member first.

BACK-ON had almost no moderation. The same questions got asked over and over, people asked for autographs, guitar picks (one of the band members joked about that, asking if the guy "wanted some money" too), high-fives, people hogged the mic with tons of questions or just rambled on and on because no one stopped them.

Ai's translator did really try to control the room (telling them not to ask certain questions, or ask for lines to be spoken), but I think she needed some extra help controlling the crowd. The fanboys literally stampeded to the front to get a photo with Ai. I feared for her.

I'm hoping that something can be done to improve these things for next year. The guests don't deserve that behavior, and Fanime doesn't need to have that negative experience impact their guest relations.



P.S.: To the bros who thought they were being funny asking all the yuri/hentai questions to Ai, or proposing to her...or walking creepily to her table with pocky, you were seriously cringe-worthy. I felt so embarrassed for Fanime as a whole witnessing that.
#8
Just a reminder to everyone, you should consider tipping the hotel staff. I always tip the valet and bellhop along with the housecleaning staff, but at the bare minimum, set aside a few dollars for housecleaning. If you're staying for multiple days, it is good practice to tip each day (there are different staff, so just tipping at the end of your trip gives the last person a bunch of money, but everyone who cleaned up after you in between gets nothing). The staff will remember you, especially if you do tip a little each day (previously, I've gotten nice little extras [extra towels and soaps/lotions] without asking, and I'm positive it's because of the tipping).

If money's tight, have everyone in the room chip in a dollar and leave a little note so the staff knows it's for them. These staff are working much harder than usual over this weekend (partially due to room-stuffing) and they are definitely not paid enough to compensate that extra work.

Let's be gracious guests so the hotel staff views Fanime attendees positively!
#9
In the guide, I couldn't find which rooms autographs would take place. Will these be released later or did I miss it?

Also, I had a question about autograph etiquette that I hope someone experienced has an answer to. I'd like to go see Ai Nonaka, and my favorite character that she's voiced is Kafuka from Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei. Merchandise from that series is...difficult to find, at best (also, no official English release of the anime series has been made - I'm pretty sure the subbers are terrified to work with it). I was wondering if having her sign the manga from the series would be acceptable, even though she was only tied to the animation. Would that be rude? Should I just suck it up and buy the non-translated anime?
#10
First of all, thanks to staff for getting the program and pocket guide out early (link for those who haven't seen it yet). They're even on a flashy new website for easy viewing!

I was wondering if it were possible to get a PDF version of the pocket guide to print so I can highlight it and start planning my schedule. I think others would be grateful for one as well. As far as I can tell, there's no print option on the current website.

Thanks!

Edit: Looks like someone (Jerry Murry of the unofficial Fanime android app) managed to extract the guide and put it in PDF form. If anyone else needs it, it's currently here: PocketGuide.pdf

Edit 2: The official guide is now downloadable in pdf form! Thanks!
#11
Quote from: citrus on April 05, 2015, 07:47:03 PM
Of course there's always fanime never listening to us and giving us stuff we don't want or ask for.

I'm laughing at this part now, because the band they got (which as of this time, hasn't been officially announced by Fanime, but the band announced it themselves) has been requested 4 times in the span of these two pages. They are absolutely listening to what we ask for.
#12
Registration / "Registration Incomplete" Email
November 14, 2014, 07:43:08 AM
Did anyone else get this email?
QuoteHello,

Our records show that you have recently attempted to register for FanimeCon 2015 membership but have not yet completed your registration.

If you still wish to register, please return to the registration website: https://www4.cmrreg.com/fanime2015/ and click on Edit Registration.  You may log in by entering the email address where you are receiving this notice and the zip code of on your registration record.  After logging in, please be sure to click the Check Out button and submit payment information.

If you have already registered using a different email address, please let us know.

If you wish to register as a group, please note that you must have minimum of three people registered.  If you have registered only two people, you will need to register one more.  If you have only two people in your group, please let us know so that we can remove that 2nd person from your registration record.

Kindly note that you must either complete your registration or respond to this email within 72 hours.  If not, your registration record will be deleted.

Please let us know if you have any questions.

Kind Regards,

Yohanna Bulan l FanimeCon Registration

Even though it's pretty straightforward in its request, I'm kind of confused because I've never seen Fanime require existing-but-not-complete accounts to pay for their badges in less than a week after creating an account or risk having their account deleted.

Deleting my account would be fine (I can remake it when I plan to actually buy the badges), however I'm concerned because it's the same email address that I used to book my hotel over the phone and with registration and hotel registration being combined on the same checkout process, I'm worried the data is combined as well and my hotel reservation will be deleted also. Obviously that will be an issue for me.

Can someone please clarify this? I'll try emailing back, but I figured that this might be a question others would have, so it'd do good to address it here as well.
#13
Hotel and Facilities / Marriott rollaway bed?
May 04, 2014, 03:29:16 PM
Anybody with experience on this...can you let me know size and comfort of the rollaway beds at the Marriott? Would they fit two people, or are they built more for one person? I've got a king bedded room with guaranteed rollaway, but I'm trying to weigh my options for if my waitlist request goes through. Thanks for any input!
#14
I would really like to host a SHAFT gathering this year, but I'm unsure if there will be enough interest, so I'm testing the waters out on here first before submitting an official request. Please post if you'd be interested in joining.

SHAFT is an amazing animation studio, headed by Akiyuki Shinbo, that is responsible for works like Madoka Magica, Bakemonogatari (and all its sequels), Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei, Arakawa Under the Bridge, Hidamari Sketch, Maria Holic, and more recently, Nisekoi and Mekakucity Actors. Here is a list of the other works they've done. They are famous for being a little out-of-the-box and stylistically different than other anime studios.

If you're cosplaying from any of these series (and the others that I did not list), let me know if this is something that you'd like to take part in!
#15
OFFICIAL FANIME PHOTOS HERE!!
We're just after the RWBY and Persona gathering photos, so keep scrolling. There's plenty of photos of everyone! Thank you to our Fanime photographers and thank you for everyone who showed up!


Day: Saturday
Time: 3:30pm (Please arrive on time! We want to make sure to get everyone in the photos and not linger into the next gathering's time. ...Fu-Fuyukai desu...)
Meeting Place: G4 (MAP)
Location: G4






Characters:

Megameganman, kurishieru, TsukiYuu, Jets

                           

Dimm, nateb39007 (Idol Version)


Kuudere

                           







Kuudere's friend

                           

kaemis?


                           
                           




Other Characters:
(Will fill in if there is interest in any other characters)

Photography Order:
1. Individual characters
2. Literary club
3. Spirit Warriors
4. Idols
5. Youmu
6. GLASSES group shot (everyone included, please bring glasses!)
7. Suggestions (pairs, groups, ships)

** Please use #knkfanime to tag your photos to make it easy for others to see them!

Disclaimer:
Fanime will be taking group pictures during the Gathering/Event this year. If you do not want to be included in those pictures please step aside for those photos. By remaining with the group when the pictures are being taken you give your consent to be photographed.
#16
About the forums / Subforum suggestion
March 11, 2014, 09:44:37 AM
I noticed that Clockwork Alchemy links to this forum as a way for its members to communicate. Assuming that they don't have plans to create their own forums, would it be okay to give them a separate subforum area?

I know that for myself, I would like to request guests for them to invite, but there's really no proper place here to do that without it getting hidden under Fanime-centered replies and I don't know if their staff will even see it.
#17
Ideas and Suggestions / Website suggestion
March 03, 2014, 10:29:33 AM
I just realized that there is actually no way to find the forums for Fanime attendees (other than brief mentions of specific threads on Facebook and maybe google search). Would it be possible to add a link to the forums on the fanime.com placeholder page? I know it'll be on the full website itself, but since we don't have an estimated date on its release, it'd be nice to at least have some form of direction for people who want to talk about Fanime with other attendees. I think it could also be beneficial to make a link to it on the social media's static pages ("about" page) so that people can find it.

Let's get some new people in here and remind the older ones where to find us!
#18
Big Event Showcase / ROOKiEZ is PUNK'D interview
June 19, 2013, 02:00:53 PM
I spotted this interview with ROOKiEZ is PUNK'D about their Fanime experience on Crunchyroll today and thought others would appreciate reading it. I'm glad they enjoyed their visit!

ROOKiEZ is PUNK'D interview at Fanime - Crunchyroll
#19
I think I know the answer to this question, but I told my friend I'd double-check here to be sure I wasn't giving her the wrong information. The deadline to cancel a room without penalty was on the 26th, and she's concerned that if she's on the waitlist past that point, and they switch her to her desired hotel, that she will be charged a penalty for the original hotel for canceling with them. I don't think this is the case, but I'd like verification before telling her she's safe being on the waitlist right now.

Also, as for the status of the waitlist, if it's already past the 26th and she still hasn't been moved to the hotel that she wants, what are the chances of her getting it at this point? I believe she's followed all the proper protocol for being waitlisted (having an existing reservation at another hotel and emailing housing about it). Just curious, since it looks like people have already had their requests fulfilled, and she made the request the day she booked (the day that housing opened the site).

Thanks!
#20
General Convention Discussion / New site design
January 24, 2013, 05:13:25 PM
I wanted to give a little praise to the web design team for this year's website! Past years have made me cringe (especially in regards to difficult navigation), but this year, with the navigation at the top, and a wide dropdown list of links, it's not a huge hassle.

There are a few little things to be fixed (on my browser, the header art on pages like this one is covered in an awkward place, and the titles of each of the sections on that Community page should really be links, rather than searching for the link in the paragraph description). But really, overall it's a great improvement in my opinion. Thanks for the hard work, guys!