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Hello! I was wondering what the tryouts are like. Should I have a dance prepared to show off or something?
Thanks!

Hello! I'm Keiko, another of the Fanimaid staffers.

You don't need to have a dance prepared for the tryout. You will want to bring a notepad and pen for notes, however.

For tryouts we mostly discuss things like what the nature of our maid cafe is, responsibilities of our maids, con safety, uniforms, expected behavior, etc. It's a lot to discuss and remember so you really will want to take notes. There will also be a short interview and we may take a photo of you to ease our selection process.

Gathering gathering gathering! I'll go about setting up the gathering again; hope to hunt with lotsa people at Fanime again this year!!

Still debating between Gold Rathian gunner or MH4U's new Guild Sweetheart as far as cosplay goes orz we'll see!

I was just a walk-on so I didn't have too many things that could've gone wrong; I don't think I even had any major hiccups seeing as I didn't have specific lighting directions and just had the music that I sent. This year was my first year competing in CS, so I was asking a lot of questions prior to Fanime weekend. There didn't seem to be a lot of guidance on the website about what sorts of categories craftsmanship division participants would be divided in, so as a relative novice to cosplay (especially in competition) I just sort of hoped for the best? I ended up looking at Anime Matsuri's Masquerade guide as a general guide for how to approach topics like how to present reference materials to judges and how to conduct myself during a judging, but I would've liked to see that information on Fanime's website already instead of having to look it up separately.

Also, I practically spent all day waiting around for the performance to start on Sunday. I was told to be there by 3pm but as soon as I got there I wasn't given rehearsal time or directions other than to just sit tight and wait for more instructions. I ended up twiddling my thumbs for 3 hours, which would've been okay if I were actually doing something, but I considering I spent my con time sitting on the side of the stage instead of on the con floor I was a bit miffed. I asked the volunteers for things that I'd expect to see backstage, like a holding room for performers and a location for water; I was given a chair in the wings to sit in which was great (volunteers you are all wonderful!) and the water arrived midway through the opening band. Even the minutes prior to my walk-on I was confused, having gone from #27 to #6 to #4 in a matter of minutes. If it weren't for that stage hand ushering me off the wings I wouldn't have even known. After my performance no one seemed to know where I ought to sit and watch the other performers so I just ended up setting up camp off to the side; it just would've been nice to have some direction.

It's a few days after the awards ceremony, and I still haven't been contacted about receiving my cash prize. Cash is great and I really appreciate it, but I saw that the 2012 winners also received a small glass plaque? Is that something I can hope to receive as well?

Might I also suggest utilizing Google submission forms for next year's CS entry submissions? I didn't know what to even send in my email other than 'Hello! I'd like to compete! Thanks for considering me!'

Fanime is my home con, and I intend to attend it for as long as I stay in the Bay Area, but I would rather see this particular part of the con grow from this experience.

[Monster Hunter 3 United 3DS gathering]

Hello everyone!

I just wanted to give you all the information about the official Monster Hunter 3 United 3DS gathering for Fanime 2013. It will also be listed in the Gaming Hall page for Fanime's website soon :D There doesn't seem to be much Monster Hunter presence at Fanime, but let's change that, yeah?

When: Fanime Day 2 (Saturday) at 6PM
Where: Gaming Hall's handheld area (If this crowd is anything like the Capcom-unity event players, we'll be loud and yelling about Brachydios; we'll make ourselves seen for sure)
Who: You and your hunting party


If you have any Monster Hunter cosplay, we can treat this gathering as a mini unofficial cosplay gathering as well. As mentioned before, I will be in Azuros gear and have a Queenblaster bow with me; I guess that'll be a landmarker too!

If you have a spare power strip/ surge protector/ 3DS chargers feel free to bring them; it isn't clear if Fanime's handheld section will have these, so just in case they don't any extras would surely be appreciated! Please be sure to label your belongings if you intend to let others share it.

Hope to see you all there ^^

Hello!

I've currently got 60+ hours in, just repelled Ceadeus because I am very slow offline orz I'm only HR 6 too; G Rank is no joke! I attended the Capcom-unity event on Saturday, and there are a few gatherings in San Francisco that I've been attending as well. The Bay Area has a ton of hunters, but we're all split up and scattered.

As far as Fanime goes, I was working with a couple people to try and organize a 3DS meet up the Saturday (or Sunday?) of Fanime, so maybe we can all meet up and hunt together. I'll be wearing an Azuros armor set with my Queenblaster bow so I wanted to definitely meet other fellow hunters and grab some guild cards! As far as I know there isn't anything in the works yet though....?

All we'd really need is an extension cord or two and an empty spot in the game room and we'd be set :]

another question from me! what about gatherings? i have a few (5-6)  that id really like to go to. is it a bad idea to do the cafe with this in mind? or is it possible to compromise?

Personally another maid and I managed to cram in a gathering between practicing our dances for the Live and our shifts at the cafe; essentially we were rushing between casual to cosplay to maid uniform. It was really hectic on Saturday because that's when my important gatherings were, but I just decided to go to gatherings that weren't during my shift. I suppose if you're committed to so many gatherings, shifts might pose a problem for you.

The way I see it, working Fanimaid is a cosplay event in of itself; you get to get dolled up and put together an ensemble and personify another role. I usually end up meeting patrons that like things that I like, just as if I were at a gathering anyway. I hope this provides some sort of cosplay/maid insight!

So, I was a Fanimaid last year!!

I heard about it from a friend, and I was really nervous to join. I was curious, so I decided to just do my best at the auditions and hope for a good outcome. The veteran maids were all really nice, and even the newbies like me were bonding already. Once I got in I was really excited!! I did have some reservations, though. I thought it was too late for me since I was joining when I was 21, but everyone was quick to reassure me that it was okay. I also thought I was a bit too heavyset, but the girls are all very supportive. I just had to be careful with my measurements when I was ordering my uniform!! Plus we're a pretty open bunch of people, so we're a source of support when I worry about these things.

Interacting with the goshujin-sama and the ojou-sama is a lot of fun, since for many people it's their first time at a maid cafe. They don't really know what to expect, and often have lots of questions about what we are and what we do. Sometimes they're really quiet, and they don't ask questions, but if you ask them about anime or video games they really open up! I like it when they're really playful, though. I had a lot of fun playing whack-a-mole and headbands with my patrons. I like drawing, so it was fun to take mini-commissions; its like they get a little keepsake, too! The way I see it, patrons are there to see the maids, so it's our duty to entertain them to the best of our abilities. Fanimaid teaches you a bit about keeping patrons happy while maintaining a professional (and moe) attitude, as well as exercising social skills; I got a lot better at making small talk with people post-con, hahaha.

Dancing for Fanimaid Live was really fun too; the energy of audience and my fellow maids helps us all get HYPE! Getting together with all the girls really helped us bond before con. Walking around Fanime in my maid uniform was exciting too, since many con attendees know that Fanimaid is there but not everyone gets to participate. It makes me feel very proud to be able to tell people to come visit the cafe!

If you have any reservations about joining, the best I can tell you is to just go for it!! Fanimaid has been a very positive and exciting experience for me, and I would highly recommend trying out!