At first, I was a little skeptical. I mean... I've never heard of IFFT before. My first exposure to IFFT was an ad on Facebook wayyyy back in maybe November 2018. Often questioning the validity of ads I see on Facebook, I Googled IFFT. I browsed around IFFT's website (which did not have very much information at the time) and saw four Japanese voice actors listed as guests. Immediately, I thought, 'That's a lot of Japanese guests. This is too good to be true...'
Despite my skepticism, though, I kept IFFT in mind. I'd check out IFFT's site every now and then to see if more information got added.
Then when IFFT's ticket pricing was released in January, I took a chance and bought a weekend pass. At the time, the programming / schedule was still very bare. Aside from a chance to meet Japanese guests, I had no idea how IFFT was going to be like. Will it be an anime convention like Anime North? Or will it be like one big room and we all line up to meet and greet the guests?
A week before IFFT, I received an e-mail telling me what I wanted to know: their programming / scheduling was finalized! I took a look and breathed a sigh of relief -- 'There will be panels after all!' I would be super shy and nervous if the convention was nothing but mingling with attendees and guests (a scenario I was fearing).
I wasn't too crazy about getting autographs from any of the guests. Based on their bios on the IFFT site (at least for the voice actors), I wasn't too familiar with their notable roles. The only one I would have considered was Konomi Suzuki, but she wasn't doing any autographs.
An interesting thing to note about the ticket pricing: there were multiple tiers. Forgive me if I'm ordering this incorrectly... but there was General ($10-$60), Gold ($250), Platinum ($400), Diamond ($2000 -- whaa...??), and Master ($5000 -- what the heck?! O_O). Each tier came with their own perks, though I don't recall what they were. For me, with this being its first convention, I decided to play it safe and get the General admission.
IFFT took place at Metro Convention Centre in the North building. All I thought was, 'Yes! I don't have to keep trekking back and forth between the North and South building [like what I'd do with Fan Expo]!'.
Now... Just to warn you: this blog will be quite long (and possibly boring). I'll be covering each day of IFFT -- what I did, what panels I attended, and any thoughts. That's three days' worth of blogging. Certain parts of this blog are also more for myself, as I'm doing my best to record the interactions that I really want to remember.
I've lumped all my pics of cosplayers into one section. If you want to see just that, search for "Photos of Cosplayers". For the section of what I've bought, search for "My Convention Purchases". :)
The Little Details
Dates of International Fan Festival Toronto (IFFT): April 19 - April 21st, 2019Location: Metro Convention Centre, North Building (Toronto, Ontario)
Ticket Price Total: $63.00 (Super Fan General 3-day admission)
Friday
Time Attended: 9:30 AM - 6:30 PM (CLOUDY)
As soon as I arrived, I got in line for the TAM & Akai Ryusei Show. I didn't know who TAM or Akai Ryusei were, aside from the few lines I read of their bio on IFFT's website (they are known for their arrangements of music from Touhou Project). It was the only thing happening at 10 AM and I generally enjoy live music, so I thought, 'Why not?'. Time Attended: 9:30 AM - 6:30 PM (CLOUDY)
While in line, I overheard another attendee talking about how one person bought a Diamond pass (costing $2000) and they were wondering what the Diamond attendee looked like. In my head, I thought, 'That person is just like a rare pokemon -- hard to find / catch!'.
Before we were let into the room (around 10 AM), we were informed that TAM and Akai Ryusei were still doing sound checks. Even though they said that, as soon as I stepped into the room, beautiful string and piano tunes seeped into my ears. Tunes that made me melt into my chair in awe. Tunes that made me ache with nostalgia. Right then, I knew: this show was going to be awesome!
TAM & Akai Ryusei Show -- 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
TAM is the violinist (left) and Akai Ryusei is the pianist (right).
I was right. This show was awesome!
When sound checks were done, TAM and Akai Ryusei introduced themselves in Japanese, and then in broken, but understandable English. Then TAM expressed that he could speak a little English. Everybody was really supportive, myself included. The audience also expressed that it was fine that he and Akai Ryusei could speak in Japanese. So when the interpreter for the show asked if they needed any help with translation, TAM expressed that it was okay.
"Okay! Do your best to understand the Japanese then!" the interpreter said cheerfully to the audience. We laughed.
After a few more words, they performed their first piece. And I sat there in awe -- through the whole show. I wish I could provide a setlist, but I didn't recognize all the tunes. Being known for their Touhou Project music arrangements, I knew they would perform some of those tracks, but I've never played any of the Touhou Project games. Regardless, I loved what they played.
They also played anime and video game medleys. Whenever I recognized a tune, I would get all giddy and smile really wide. When they played the ending theme to Bakemonogatari, oh man... words can't even describe how elated I was. It was sooooooooooo goooooooooooooood. I was like off in another world! XDDDDDDD
Halfway through, Akai Ryusei asked in English, "Do you like Final Fantasy?"
Many of us cheered, myself included. Then Akai Ryusei started playing "Prelude", with TAM joining in at parts. I just sat there, drinking up all the beautiful notes. Ahhhhhh, so nice.... and then it transitioned to "Main Theme"... and then to "To Zanarkand", and I promptly went to music heaven.
I wasn't anticipating getting any autographs during IFFT, but after hearing all the lovely music, I thought: 'I want their autographs! I want a photo of them! I wanna meeeeeeet them!!!!'. I was so happy they had a booth in the Vendor Hall (i.e. Dealers' area).
When the show was getting close to the end and TAM said their next number would be the last, the audience went "Ehhhhhh?!!" with the same inflection of an anime character (pretty much expressing, "What do you mean?! I disapprove of what you just said!"). I thought that was really cute.
After the last number, Akai Ryusei said that TAM wanted to take a picture (hahahaha, TAM is adorable ^__^). Then the interpreter came to the front and told us that TAM and Akai Ryusei would be performing at the Opening Ceremonies, which would be starting in 30 minutes. I was originally going to attend another panel during the Opening Ceremonies, but a chance to catch TAM and Akai Ryusei perform live again? There's no way I'd miss that!!!! XD <3
I don't know what's played here, but I enjoyed it! I love how the audience
supplied the backup sounds. This is just audio,
supplied the backup sounds. This is just audio,
so click play and do something else. You might
need to click play two times. The volume may be soft.
need to click play two times. The volume may be soft.
TAM and Akai Ryusei playing "To Zanarkand" from Final Fantasy X, and then
another track from another Final Fantasy (maybe Final Fantasy XIII?).
"To Zanarkand" was so beautifully played! <3
This one is also just audio.
TAM wanting to take a selfie with all of us.
Of course I'd be that person who'd take a pic of them trying to take a pic! Hahaha ;3
This is how TAM's selfie turned out (his Tweet):
No question about it -- I went straight to the line-up for the Opening Ceremonies, hahaha. I just had to see TAM and Akai Ryusei perform again! ^_^
Opening Ceremonies -- 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Jeremy Androsoff being emcee to the Opening Ceremonies.
This was okay for an opening ceremony (I was mainly there to see TAM and Akai Ryusei). Jeremy Androsoff was the emcee and he did multiple performances, including performing IFF's theme song. Personally, I found the theme song kinda... unaligned with the overall look and feel of IFFT. The song lyrics were fine -- it was the song vibe. The song had a clubby, dark-ish feel, but IFFT's image with their soft blue colours and cute mascots gave off warmth and cheeriness. This could be just my interpretation, though. Maybe everybody else enjoyed it.
After Jeremy's performances, the president of IFF came on and spoke briefly about IFF's history and why they brought their convention to Toronto.
Then... TAM and Akai Ryusei came on (yayyyyyyyyy!!! \XD/~~~). Again, they blew me away with their wonderful playing. Some of their pieces were the same as the 10 AM show, but I thought that was fine. For attendees who missed the 10 AM show, they got to hear the songs for the first time, and then for attendees like me who attended the 10 AM show, they got to hear the loveliness again. It was a win-win situation, hahaha. :)
Other performances included ACT102 (Toronto's J-pop maid idol group). As soon as they came on the stage, some of the attendees left their seats and formed a small crowd to the right of the stage. I smiled. It was their way of supporting ACT102 and expressing their fandom. When ACT102 started dancing, the small crowd danced, too, shouting at certain parts of the song. It was great! :)
The president of IFF Toronto. Sadly, I did not catch his name :(
He encouraged us to thank the staff as they were all volunteers.
TAM & Akai Ryusei. I was so happy to see them again,
even though I saw them just 30 minutes earlier, hehehe.
I don't know what TAM & Akai Ryusei are playing here...
but it sounds soooooooooooooo gooooooooooooooood! I love it.
I can feel the passion, hahaha. :)
Edit -Aug.24, 2019 -- I know what this is now! "To the Beginning" from Fate / Zero! :)
Edit -Aug.24, 2019 -- I know what this is now! "To the Beginning" from Fate / Zero! :)
TAM & Akai Ryusei playing the main theme to Final Fantasy.
This is audio only.
ACT102. Their dancing was cute! :)
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With lots of time till the next thing (Anime Speedtune), I decided to check out the Vendor Hall. I really wanted to check out TAM and Akai Ryusei's booth, but they were still setting up, which was understandable since they were in the Opening Ceremonies.
I decided to start at one corner of the Artist Booth area and snake my way through, intending to end at TAM and Akai Ryusei's booth. There weren't too many attendees in the Vendor Hall, so I walked through the booths fairly quickly, making mental notes of certain booths, and then buying at other booths.
Partway through, I was stopped by a lady at a booth that was set up like a hair salon. She gestured that I sit on an empty salon chair. At first I said, "No, it's okay", and then another person at the booth gestured me to sit on that same empty chair. Then I thought, 'Okay, let's see what happens', and I sat on the chair.
The lady proceeded to curl the right side of my hair, telling me that she was using an infrared curling iron -- something that would not damage the hair (I thought, 'Is this true? I don't know much about hair'). She also told me that the curls would last 48 hours (I thought, 'So about as long as the convention') and that normally a curling iron like this would cost $300, but just for the convention it would cost $100 (I thought, 'So if I say no, will you not curl the rest of my hair?'). I told her, "I'll think about it."
Then she told me how pretty my hair looked and she swiveled the hair to her and said with a big smile, "Okay, we're done."
I got up and shot her a look. I don't know what my look expressed but here were my thoughts:
'Did you think I would cave in and buy your product just so that the rest of my hair could get curled? Did you think I would care about my hair so much that I would feel my weekend was ruined because I now looked like a freak?'
Maybe I was completely wrong about their sales tactics, but... is it really trendy to curl only one side of the hair? I left that salon booth and continued snaking around while playing with my curls, trying to make them not so bouncy.
As I was approaching TAM and Akai Ryusei's booth, I got a little nervous and a tiny bit self-conscious. While I didn't care if any other attendees / guests thought I looked like a freak with half of my hair curled... I cared about what TAM and Akai Ryusei thought, if they would make any judgments that way. I just didn't want to become "that freaky-looking fan" because of my hair! Hahaha... I'm such a dork. ^__^''
I decided to check out their booth anyway, thinking that if I came off as too dorky or weird, TAM and Akai Ryusei might not recognize me the next time I was at their booth when half my hair was NOT curly.
TAM and Akai Ryusei's booth was pretty busy, with crowds around each booth. They were both selling different CDs. I was by Akai Ryusei's booth first, but the crowd was quite large so I couldn't get a good look of what was on sale.
I moved over to TAM's booth, intending to go back to Akai Ryusei's booth when the crowd was smaller. The crowd around TAM's booth was also large, but I was able to stand by the edge and look at most of the CDs. When I picked up the CD for Madoka, TAM noticed and exclaimed, "Ahhhh, Madoka!", and I burst into a wide, sheepish, quiet smile.
There were a few customers in front of me, so I took that time to look at the CDs intently. I already knew that I didn't have enough money to buy all the CDs I wanted (I also wanted to buy some CDs from Akai Ryusei), so I had to make this first purchase count. I mean, if I didn't buy the CDs now, they might be sold out the next time I came by. I settled with a CD for Madoka, Hatsune Miku / Vocaloids, and then two CDs for Final Fantasy VI.
When it was my turn to buy, TAM saw my "haul" of four CDs and he reacted with a lot of earnest gratitude. He said thank you a lot. He noticed the Final Fantasy VI CD on top of my haul and smiled, commenting that Final Fantasy VI was 25 years old now.
Because I was buying four CDs, TAM offered to sign two of them (*squeeee!* An autograph!). I picked both the Final Fantasy VI CDs. When he noticed I was buying two copies, he shot me an inquisitive look and said in English, "There's two..."
"It's for a friend," I said brightly. And TAM looked at me as if he was deeply surprised and moved. He is so adorable. TAM also gave me two free CD samplers, a CD he was giving away for free if two CDs were purchased.
After all my giddy and appreciative interactions with TAM, I went to Akai Ryusei's booth. The large-ish crowd around Akai Ryusei's booth earlier had now dispersed, and it was only me and another attendee by his booth. I thought, 'Oh no! I don't want him possibly observing me looking at his CDs!'
I saw three different CD groupings, but... I didn't recognize any of the anime characters on the CD cover art, and I couldn't read the CD titles (there was a lot of Kanji). I also didn't recognize the red stamp on each CD, saying "something-something NEETs". For the briefest moment, I wondered, 'Is he selling CDs from another music group, not his own CDs?'. I stood there for what felt like very long minutes, playing with my curly hair, undecided on what CDs to get (I was still determined to buy some CDs!).
Then the other attendee by his booth requested that he play a song. Suddenly, beautiful piano / keyboard tones drifted into my soul. Slowly, I could feel my quiet smile getting wider. Slowly, I could feel my eyes getting softer with possibly a gleam. Slowly, I could feel my tensions melting away. I stared down at the CDs, trying not to give myself away, but I knew: I was completely charmed, and I don't think I can hide it!
Every now and then Akai Ryusei would look at up the attendee while he played. Then he noticed me standing there and started looking at me, too. On the one time I knew he would look up, I looked up, too, and met his dark eyes. I don't know if I successfully conveyed my charmed status, but internally I was a puddle of pure bliss.
When Akai Ryusei finished playing, I randomly picked out two CDs, concluding that no matter what I picked, it would be a new exposure. I wanted to buy more CDs, but that was all the money I had on me that day.
Akai Ryusei made motions, asking if I wanted him to sign a CD, and I said yes. When he was done, I asked if I could take a picture, and he said yes.
When I was done, he held out his hand, saying "Arigatou gozaimasu (Thank you very much)." I smiled, taking his hand and shaking it, saying "Arigatou gozaimasu." Then Akai Ryusei asked slowly in English, "Do you know who I am?"
I froze. The interpreter assistant by their booth repeated the question in English. But I was speechless. A couple thoughts raced through my mind:
'Is he asking if I knew his name [which I knew]?... Or is he asking if I knew more than his name??!'
I looked away, anguished (I wonder if I expressed that on my face), thinking he meant the latter... and I didn't really know anything beyond his name. I was intending to look him up as well as TAM when I got home, so... Akai Ryusei did a pre-emptive strike! He caught me while I was still green and clueless. Hahaha. ^__^'''
I said quietly, "I saw you at the show... I really enjoyed your playing."
To which Akai Ryusei said, "Ah..."
I started walking away from the booth, but then turned back and said, "You play really good!" Then my mind screamed at me, 'Why did you say good??! It was amazing! Why didn't you say that????!'
Akai Ryusei looked at me and said politely, "Arigatou gozaimasu!".
As I walked away, I thought, 'He probably thinks I'm a random girl who knows nothing... Nooooooooooooooooooo!!!! OTL'
Me with TAM with my face grey-blocked out.
Thank you for visiting Toronto! ^____^
I love your violin playings! <3
Akai Ryusei. What a cutie!
Thank you for visiting Toronto! ^_____^
Your playings are super awesome! <3
Anime Speedtune -- 4:00 PM - 6:30 PM
Gippy hosting Anime Speedtune.
This was pretty interesting. Years and years ago, I used to help out with Anime Name That Tune at Fan Expo, but that played very simply. A song was played and the first contestant who buzzed in with the correct answer won points. Anime Speedtune was very different -- it had rules and various point and scoring structures. Let me see if I can give a general overview of how it's played:
-Anime Speedtune is broken into six rounds.
-One round has six contestants, and in each round, each contestant gets one turn to choose a topic of songs.
-There are 40 different topics to choose from, and are broken up into four difficulty levels: Easy, Medium, Otaku, and Ramp. Each difficulty gives a different amount of points, with Ramp difficulty ranging from low to high points.
-Each topic has 5 songs. Each song is played for 25 seconds max.
-A contestant can buzz in anytime within those 25 seconds to answer.
-When it comes to scoring, points awarded are based on the difficulty of the topic.
-If the contestant answering is correct and also chose the topic, they get regular points + 2 extra points.
-A player can decide to go into Berserk mode, allowing them + 3 extra points for each correct answer in the topic. BUT -- they have to answer correctly within the first 2 seconds of the song. If they answer incorrectly, they can't buzz in for the rest of that topic. Berserk can only be activated once per contestant.
-There was an added mode called Risky Medley. A Risky Medley would have two numbers in a circle in front of the topic name. When Risky Medley is chosen, contestants are given tablets. The five songs are played for their full 20-25 seconds (often with video). The contestants write down their answers on the tablet. At the end, scoring is determined by the number of correct answers. If the contestant who chose the Risky Medley got enough correct answers to match or go over the 1st digit in the topic, the contestant survives and bathes in all the points they get. Otherwise, the contestant will be ELIMINATED from the game! For everybody else, their correct answers need to match or go over the 2nd digit in the topic, or they will get -10 points! Berserk mode can't be activated during a Risky Medley.
-A topic can also have extra rules or conditions and would be mentioned before the first song in that topic gets played.
Did you get all that? -- Hahaha -- it was a lot to take in at the beginning, especially because it was my first time watching Anime Speedtune, but when the rounds actually started, the mechanics and scoring went quite smoothly.
I barely knew any of the songs that played, and that was fine. One of my reasons for attending Anime Speedtune was for exposure to some nice tunes. And I did get that. A couple nice songs I got exposed to:
-"Bokura no Sekai" by CooRie (from Aura: Koga Maryuin's Last War)
-"Forever Friends" by DAOKO (from Fireworks)
Some of the contestants -- wow! Some buzzed in within the first second of a song and got it right.
I was personally amused by one round where the first three contestants each chose a Risky Medley and were eliminated one after the other. Before the scoring even happened, the contestant would get up and leave, knowing that he failed.
Overall, it was a fun event and I'd totally check it out if I ever catch it at another convention.
You can view the entire event on YouTube.
All the topics for Anime Speedtune for IFFT.
The categories with the two digits in front are the Risky Medleys.
I enjoyed it when a contestant chose the "TAM, Violinist" topic.
The categories with the two digits in front are the Risky Medleys.
I enjoyed it when a contestant chose the "TAM, Violinist" topic.
A clip of one of the songs for 2018 Movies topic.
I thought this clip was funny.
Misc. Photos for Friday
I somehow did not drop by this section at all.
I think I felt a bit intimidated.
I think the mascots are very cute.
It was listed on the map, but I never came across
the food court during my time at IFFT.
Saturday
Time Attended: 11:00 AM - 9:11 PM (RAINY)
Before heading out to IFFT (I was commuting to and from IFFT each day), I went on Google and looked up "Akai Ryusei". I wasn't going to get caught not knowing anything about him again! u_____u''' Time Attended: 11:00 AM - 9:11 PM (RAINY)
I promptly found Akai Ryusei's YouTube channel and learned he was the leader for Tokyo Active NEETs and producer for Kokyo (symphony) Active NEETs (so that's why his CDs had the red NEETs stamp!). I also found his Facebook page, his Twitter, and also his birthday (I did not even look specifically for that -- I just scrolled through the Google results for "Akai Ryusei" and that info was there).
Up until I had to leave, I clicked "Play all" on his YouTube videos, and reacted accordingly when I loved what I heard. I got especially giddy with his playing of "Don't Forget" from DELTARUNE. Could he be an Undertale fan...? *squeeeeeeeeeeeee!* XDDDD
2018 Anime: Year in Review -- 11:30 AM - 1:30 PM
The hosts for this panel.
I attended this panel, hoping to get some good anime suggestions for 2018. Sadly, I did NOT watch any anime that were released last year (I still don't have Crunchyroll, and I am still trying to get through my physical DVD / Blu-Ray collection). Not all anime from 2018 were covered (that'd be a lot), but many, many titles were.
I sat there with my notebook and pen, and would write down something if it sounded interesting. Below are titles I'm considering (not in any specific order). If you've watched any of these and think they are horrible, feel free to let me know! :)
-March Comes in Like a Lion
-Skull-face Bookseller Honda-san
-Space Battleship Tiramisu
-I Want to Eat Your Pancreas
-My Sweet Tyrant
-Bloom into You
-Magical Girl-Ore
-Liz and the Blue Bird
-Steins; Gate 0 (though I'd more than likely play the game first)
-Asobi Asobase: Workshop of Fun
-Happy Sugar life
-Cells at Work
-Violet Evergarden
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After the panel, the only thing left on my schedule was the IFF Anisong Concert. So... I had 5 hours to kill. Well, more like 3 hours, because I wanted to make sure I lined up early enough to get a good seat.
I went into the Vendor Hall, thinking about possibly grabbing Ayako Kawasumi's autograph. Then I overheard an attendee talking about how the line-ups for the autographs were screwed up. I asked the attendee if the autographs costed anything and he said the autographs were free (what?!! Free?! O_O!!). Then he went on to say that the lines were poorly organized. There was a huge crowd wanting autographs, but because the autograph signing only lasted an hour for each guest, attendees were being picked randomly to go in line. Ouch...
I decided to go through the Artist Booth area again (ignoring the salon lady when I passed by her booth this time). There were more attendees today, so I was able to spend more time at booths that caught my attention (without worry of eyes watching my every move).
I really wanted to visit TAM and Akai Ryusei's booths again, but I didn't want to possibly come off as a creepy / stalker fan... so I stayed away today (though I had plans to visit their booths tomorrow -- I still wanted to buy more CDs and say "Arigatou gozaimasu!" more times).
I left the convention to grab some kind of dinner and came back around 5:30 PM. I quickly went down the escalator to start lining up for the concert.
I was surprised that nobody else had started lining up when I reached the lower floor. It was actually... very suspicious. I walked closer to the concert room and saw two security guards and a vendor selling light sticks. One of the security guards told me that this entire floor was on lockdown until 6:10 PM. I interpreted what he said as 6:10 PM was when doors would open for the concert. I asked when I should come back to start lining up and the guard said 6:10 PM.
I gave a puzzled look, but walked away. This was not going to be good...
I went back upstairs but stayed close to the escalators. Having a line up start 20 minutes before doors open -- especially for an event almost everybody was looking forward to -- was just asking for chaos. And I was right.
When I noticed some attendees going down the escalators but not coming back up (around 5:45 PM), I went down the escalator and saw a mob of attendees facing the security guard. The security guard said that large groups of people can't be lining up or else it would be considered a fire hazard and the concert would be cancelled (can they really do that?). The attendees ended up dispersing but not very far. There was also an unofficial line for the line-up.
And then when time came for the real line-up, it was a mess (as expected).
I won't go into much more detail, but the concert started late (I'm guessing due to the long lines still being organized), and my seat was not as close to the stage as I had wanted.
I'll share more of my thoughts about this line-up issue in the "Overall Thoughts" section.
The unofficial line to the line-up.
IFF Anisong Concert -- 6:50 PM - 9:11 PM
At some point, Akai Ryusei said he wanted to play something a little more jazzy. And he got off his seat and played with lots of energy. I could see he was really into it. It was so great.
For their last song, I stood up. I didn't have any light sticks to wave, so I probably looked weird, but I wanted to stand for the last song -- it was my way of expressing my fandom for them :)
Next was DJ Kazu. A bunch of attendees left their seat to crowd around the front area and danced. I stayed seated the whole time, knowing that I'll be standing for the last two acts.
When Konomi Suzuki appeared, I cheered. I only knew her from "Choir Jail", the opening theme to Dusk Maiden of Amnesia. She didn't sing "Choir Jail" this time, unfortunately, but she sung other tunes and sung with lots of power and gusto. I really dug her edgy black and blue dress (at least... I think it was black and blue).
Last but not least was Megumi Nakajima. Almost everybody stood up for her. She was wearing a soft white-yellow dress. When she sung, there was this light, playful, and mesmerizing air / aura around her. It was really neat.
After a couple of her songs, Nakajima waved to the audience and said hello. We waved and said hello back. Then she spoke a bit in Japanese. I don't remember all that was said, but she was asking us what Canadian food dish she could try. People started yelling out "Poutine!"
"Pooo...teeeen?" Nakajima asked.
Then audience members started chanting "Poutine! Poutine!" the way "Encore! Encore!" would be chanted. I laughed, as well as the attendee standing next to me.
When Nakajima exited the stage after her last song, the audience began to chant "Encore! Encore! Encore!". After a few minutes, the chanting got softer... then got louder when they thought something moved. Then...
Nakajima appeared again, saying in Japanese, "Me?". And the audience cheered. Then she said more things in Japanese and began to sing a cappella. It sounded so nice... I later found out that the song she sung was "Aimo" from Macross 7.
Overall, the concert was super, super enjoyable. Thank you for performing! *bows* :)
Here's roughly how the concert went and times:
6:50 PM - 7:22 PM -- TAM & Akai Ryusei
7:23 PM - 7:44 PM -- DJ Kazu
7:45 PM - 8:22 PM -- Konomi Suzuki
8:23 PM - 9:11 PM -- Megumi Nakajima
Misc. Photos for Saturday
Sunday
Time Attended: 11:15 AM - 4:15-ish PM (CLOUDY)
Well, I woke up feeling a little under the weather today...Time Attended: 11:15 AM - 4:15-ish PM (CLOUDY)
Even so, I trekked to IFFT, but I left the house a bit later than I had hoped. Out of all things on my schedule, I had to attend the IFF AMV contest, and TAM & Akai Ryusei's show. After that, it was all up in the air, depending on how I was feeling.
Before I left the house, I looked up on TAM (it was his turn today! Hahaha). Just like with Akai Ryusei, I found his YouTube channel, his Facebook page, his Twitter, and his birthday (but not birth year). :3
IFF AMV Contest -- 11:30 AM - 12:15 PM
I've mentioned this in past blogs, but I love AMVs. I find them to be an interesting way to get exposure to a new song or a new series -- and then possibly make me feel something if the AMV is done well. Gippy (the host for "Anime Speedtune" and "2018 Anime: Year in Review") was the host for the AMV Contest, but was a stand-in host.We watched 12 AMVs, and then at the end, we were able to mark on various sheets of paper which AMV(s) did well in which category. I had my notebook out, ready to jot down any AMVs or songs I liked.
Below were AMVs I especially enjoyed or thought were done well. Warning that there could be SPOILERS!! I haven't watched any of the anime in the AMVs, so I would not know.
"Scums Promises" from Scum's Wish.
I really like the song ("Promises I Can't Keep" by Mike Shinoda), and think the
video's done really well. Definitely gonna check this series out sometime!
"Beings" from Beyond The Boundary. The song is "Beings" from Madeon.
I gotta check out this series as well!
I gotta check out this series as well!
"Persevere" from Yuki Yuna Is a Hero.
The song is "Fight Song" from Rachel Platten.
Again, I gotta check out this series!
"Give it Up" from Bakemonogatari.
The song is "Like Boys" from Hyphen Hyphen.
Bakemonogatari's been on my to-watch list for the longest time.
Just watching this AMV moves it up on my list, hahaha.
With some time to spare before TAM and Akai Ryusei's Show, I went into the Vendor Hall, thinking maybe I could start lining up for Noriaki Sugiyama's autograph. There was a security person around the autograph area and I asked where would I line up for Noriaki Sugiyama's autograph.
"Platinum / Gold are over there," the security person said, waving his hand over a small-ish line, "and General are there around the corner." I followed the security person's finger and around the corner was a large, large crowd. My reaction was probably something like this: O________O!
I went back to the security person and asked if all those people were in line for Noriaki Sugiyama, and he directed me to the tape on the floor in front of the crowd, indicating which line was for which guest. I just thought, 'Holy crap...'.
I thanked the security person and started walking down the sea of attendees, thinking that I better skip trying to get an autograph entirely and go to TAM and Akai Ryusei's booths. It would probably be best to buy more CDs before their show in case they all get sold out afterwards.
As I kept walking, I ran into an old friend sitting in one of the autograph lines. I sat down (I said out loud that I was not budding and would leave when I was done chatting) and we chatted briefly about IFFT -- any criticisms and positives. My friend pointed out that these long line-ups were a response to how poorly the line-ups were organized yesterday. So this was a positive, the long lines actually existing. We also talked about whatever panels we attended throughout IFFT. I invited him to come watch TAM & Ryusei's show, but he would be in line for another autograph at that time.
After some more chatting, I left for TAM and Akai Ryusei's booths. Their booths weren't too busy (which made sense -- I probably saw half of the attendees in line for autographs). I approached Akai Ryusei's booth and looked intently at the CDs. First thing I noticed was that the CD selection wasn't as varied as on Friday.
I looked at Akai Ryusei and asked in English, "Umm... is this all that you have?"
After a moment of silence, Akai Ryusei said, "Yes, all."
I nodded and went back to looking at the CDs. There was definitely one CD I had to buy and thankfully it was still there: "Touhou Bakuon Jazz 12". After listening to his group's arrangement of Kobito of the Shining Needle, I knew I had to get that CD and listen to that track over and over!
All of a sudden, I asked, "Have you played Touhou? The video game?"
"Yes," Akai Ryusei replied. Then he added with a small laugh, "They're hard."
I smiled quietly.
"What song do you like from Touhou?" he asked.
I froze. Craaaaaap! I don't know anything about Touhou T_T.... I mean, I know that Touhou games are bullet hell shooters, but I've never played any of them.
I proceeded to blab that I've never played any Touhou games, so I don't know their songs... but that I looked up his YouTube channel and listened to his songs and enjoyed a lot of them.
I'm not sure what Akai Ryusei processed from my blabbings but he then motioned to the different CD groups and explained what they were. I nodded and kept looking through the CDs. Aggggg, why do I keep messing up when I try talking to him?? Wahhhhhhh... OTL
Thankfully, another attendee came by just then and politely asked in English if he could play a song from the Fate series. That gave me a chance to pick out the CDs I wanted to buy.
When Akai Ryusei finished playing, the attendee thanked him and left. Then he turned to me and I held out four CDs, smiling. I wanted to buy more... but decided that if things go well and I'm back in Japan next year, I'll get more then. Akai Ryusei asked if I wanted him to sign any of the CDs, and I said yes, pointing to "Touhou Bakuon Jazz 12".
When the exchange was done, I decided to take a stab. I asked, "Do you know the menu theme for Kingdom Hearts?"
I guess I asked too softly, 'cuz he said indicated that he couldn't hear and leaned closer.
After I repeated my question, Akai Ryusei nodded, saying "Yes, I know."
"Umm... can you play it?" I asked.
Then Akai Ryusei looked at me, eyes wide, and shaking his head a little. I smiled at him and made motions that it was okay if he couldn't play it. But then he tried -- and he did play it. And he played it well! I clapped when he was done.
"Do you like to play... Square-Enix games?" Akai Ryusei asked.
I didn't answer right away, 'cuz my mind was thinking, 'I don't know if I like to play all of them...'
In the end I said, "Yes", since it was true that I tended to play Square Enix games and enjoy them. "One game I like is Chrono Trigger..."
"Chrono Trigger?!" Akai Ryusei exclaimed. I think I sensed some excitement in his voice.
"Yes, Chrono Trigger," I said, smiling.
Akai Ryusei then proceeded to play three songs from Chrono Trigger, and my jaw dropped. I wish I had recorded it, it was so awesome. When he was done, he looked up at me and I clapped excitedly, and said "Thank you so much!"
He nodded and said, "Arigatou gozaimasu." He also said that there will be a concert today at 2:45 PM. I nodded and said I would be there. Then I proceeded to move to TAM's booth, intending to buy CDs from him as well.
TAM's CD selection... was barely there. Only a handful of CDs were left. I decided to buy one of each unique CD left, which were four.
When TAM saw me, he reacted in a way that he recognized me. The interpreter assistant went on to say that TAM was very good at remembering faces.
I smiled and said, "Thank you for remembering me."
Then TAM saw the four CDs in my hand, gasped in an appreciative tone, spread his arms wide and said, "Thank you very much!" Did he remember how many CDs I bought the last time?
He then spoke with Akai Ryusei about something and took out two small packets of something. TAM split the small packets and placed one on the booth in front of me.
"It is gift," TAM said.
I took it, quietly smiling. "Arigatou gozaimasu!"
TAM made motions to explain I'd pour the packet on my food, and I would mix it. He also mentioned pouring water, too, and then I got confused. I looked at the packet, seeing if there were any characters in katakana or hiragana to hint what it was. I read "nori" (seaweed), and wondered if this was seaweed seasoning.
TAM pulled out a clear folder of an anime girl with guns from underneath the table, and placed it on the booth in front of me, telling me it is also a gift. I took it, thanking him. Was this because I bought four CDs, but I already got the free CD samplers last time, so he is giving me alternative gifts? Regardless of the reasoning, I appreciated the gestures, and would definitely not turn them down.
The interpreter assistant came by and explained that the seaweed packet wasn't exactly seasoning -- That when you pour the packet, you'd also need to pour hot water and mix it.
TAM shook my right hand with both his hands and said, "Thank you very much!"
I smiled and returned the words. Then I added, "Thank you for coming to Canada."
As I was leaving, TAM said that there will be a concert at 2:45 PM. I smiled and said I would be there.
Anisong DJ Play with DJ Kazu -- 2:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Loving that nerd look! :)
I wasn't exactly intending to attend this. It just happened to be at the same location as TAM and Akai Ryusei's show. BUT -- I enjoyed it. I enjoyed seeing attendees dancing at the front, expressing their fandom. If I had attended IFFT with somebody else, I might have tried joining them.
After DJ Kazu's last track, some of the attendees stayed at the front and together they said something to him in Japanese and ended off with "Aishiteru!" (I love you!). DJ Kazu looked at them with a smile and said, "Arigatou gozaimasu."
How sweet! :')
A short clip of the last track DJ Kazu played.
Do you notice a certain somebody??
A certain somebody with a violin? Hehehe! :3
TAM & Akai Ryusei Show -- 2:45 PM - 3:45 PM
What I've been waiting for since seeing them at the Anisong concert last night!For this show, TAM and Akai Ryusei performed a mix of set medleys, and requests from the audience. One medley that I loved was anime-themed. They played little snippets from multiple series, but many of them were series that I recognized! It was truly a nostalgic delight! xD
Close to the end, they performed their own arrangement of Kumikyoku Nico Nico Douga -- 10 minutes of non-stop playing! O_O
The show was super enjoyable as always. Every now and then I would close my eyes and get lost in the wonderful sounds.
One unfortunate thing is that sometimes there was an audio issue where TAM's violin couldn't be heard. I don't think it detracted from the overall enjoyment, but it was noticeable when it did happen.
When the show ended, Akai Ryusei told us that an auction was going to happen for the large posters by his booth.
TAM and Akai Ryusei doing sound checks / set ups.
TAM and Akai Ryusei still setting up and doing sound checks.
I guess TAM was still in the groove from DJ Kazu's show, hahaha. :)
I loved the medley combination of Rayearth, to Sakura Taisen, to Rurouni Kenshin.
I always want to dance a little / wave my arms when it reaches Rurouni Kenshin's part.
Hearing the snippet from One Piece also made me swoon. *swoooons* <3
TAM and Akai Ryusei playing "Guren no Yumiya",
the first opening theme to Attack on Titan.
the first opening theme to Attack on Titan.
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I quickly went to the Artist Booth area to pick up a commission. Then I wandered to Akai Ryusei and TAM's booths. They were both there and a crowd was forming. I decided to stick around and observe the auction.
Akai Ryusei explained in English that bidding would start at $10, and next bids would be in increments of $10.
The first large poster was auctioned off without a hitch. The second large poster... well, something amusing happened there.
During the second large poster auction, one attendee (let's call him Attendee A) shouted the next increment bid, and added, "And a bag of chips." The crowd laughed.
Akai Ryusei then said in a serious tone, "Which chips?"
Then Attendee A opened his knapsack to produce a large bag of Miss Vickie's Original-flavoured chips. Only problem was that the bag was already open with a huge elastic band wrapped around it.
Another attendee shouted a higher bid, and then Attendee A shouted a higher bid, adding, "And a bag of chips."
Attendee A ended up with the winning bid, and Akai Ryusei said, "So... xx dollars [I forgot the winning amount]... and bag of chips."
Everybody laughed, including Akai Ryusei. Oh man, he's really gonna take the bag of chips! XD
When Akai Ryusei took down the first two large posters to do the exchange, a couple other attendees quickly felt one of the posters and commented that they were vinyl posters. Suddenly, I kinda wanted one...
The crowd then asked if TAM's large paper poster was going to be auctioned off... to which an attendee just showing up shouted, "Ichiban yen!" (1 yen [converts to less than 1 penny]). TAM's large paper poster did get auctioned off in the end, and for more than 1 yen, hahaha.
Then it was the holy grail -- the large poster featuring characters from the Fates series. Bidding shot up really quickly -- beyond my budget (I had $90). The bid sat at $120 (woah!), and then somebody shouted "$150!". $150 was the winning bid.
I started to leave, but then overheard sounds of anguish coming from the winner. Why would there be sounds of anguish? From what I gathered, the winner didn't have the $150. Oh man... I hope the attendee who bid $120 was still nearby... o__o!
When Akai Ryusei took down the large poster and waited patiently for the winner to pay up, the winner started saying he didn't have the money on him and that the previous bidder should win the poster. Then angry outbursts from the crowd to that winner ensued. I think Akai Ryusei didn't know what was going on until an attendee told him.
"Joke?!" Akai Ryusei burst, and he sneered, eyes flaming with anger.
"Say Gomenasai," Akai Ryusei ordered in a stern voice. It means "I am sorry".
The winner said it and then Akai Ryusei held out his hand and they shook on it. The winner proceeded to quickly get the f*** out of there.
Thankfully the attendee who bid $120 was still around. As the attendee got out his money, a couple other attendees asked Akai Ryusei if he would be auctioning the large posters taped to the booth tables. Akai Ryusei looked and said, "Okay."
He untaped one of the large posters. When the attendees asked about the other large poster taped to the booth table, Akai Ryusei looked at it, said no, and covered it with a tablecloth. I thought that was pretty cute, hahaha :3
The auction for the last large poster... well... I decided to bid on it... and I won! XD The winning bid was $70. Other large poster winners were getting their posters signed, so I wanted it signed as well.
After he signed the large poster, Akai Ryusei held out his hand one last time. I took it and we shook, exchanging our last "Arigatou gozaimasu".
"Take care", I said.
When I exited the Vendor Hall, I was a little sad. This is because I knew I'd be going home. And I didn't want to leave yet. Hahaha, this is always the sucky part of conventions.
Misc. Photos for Sunday
Overall Thoughts
For me, IFFT was very enjoyable. It wasn't crazy crowded, so most times I felt like I could relax wherever I was. I will say: I am so happy I attended TAM and Akai Ryusei's 10 AM show on Friday and got exposed to their awesome music. Getting to interact with them in the Vendor Hall and listening to their lives -- they alone made my weekend admission well worth it! I really hope I get to see them again! :)I didn't attend the Closing Ceremonies, but was informed later that the winners for the AMV contest were the BanG Dream Dating Simulator, "Persevere", and "Give It Up". Crowd choices (where I voted) were "Scums Promises", "New Kings", and "FUN" (Attack on Titan comedy short) (thanks for the info, Gippy!).
Now, for the overall convention criticism / feedback:
1. The choice of weekend. Unless this was chosen to fit with the schedules of the guests, I really think another weekend should be picked instead of Easter weekend. IFFT is missing out on attendance from those who might have religious / familial obligations because it's Easter weekend.
2. Line-up organization. Now it seems like this got addressed with the long lines on Sunday, but I'll mention it here anyway: telling attendees that line-up starts 20 minutes before an event starts (especially for a popular event) is a baaaaaaaad idea. If an attendee is willing to sacrifice a couple hours to ensure they get a good seat in the event, why can't they? I personally think it would be easier to manage a line that can get organized over the couple hours leading to the event than managing a line that forms 20 minutes before an event starts (unless there are tapes and poles set up to prevent disorganized crowding).
3. 1-hour autograph blocks. If this is to accommodate the guests' comfortability, then fine, I can't argue with that. I just think that if the blocks could be lengthened and spread out between each other to allow attendees to get multiple autographs if they strategized properly.
4. Better advertising. I don't know about others, but I barely saw any advertisements for this convention. Just that ad on Facebook and that was it. For a new convention, it really needed better / more advertising so people would know it existed. For all the guests it managed to get, I personally think IFFT deserved more attendance!
Next time, if IFFT comes back, I might consider buying a Gold admission, to get better seats at events and to maybe have a good shot at getting autographs.
I will also have to make sure to invest in a couple of light sticks! :)
Photos of Cosplayers
As mentioned earlier, here are some photos of cosplayers. I didn't take as many as I would have. Not because there weren't any good ones; because there were so many good ones in huge groups! I felt a little shy approaching many of them.I also took many pictures of characters I don't know, so if you recognize any, I would appreciate if you let me know! :)
Close by, there were two other Joker cosplayers chatting with their friends.
I still need to play the game! >_<'''
Edit -Aug.24, 2019 -- This is Nana Osaki from Nana. Thanks for the info, G! ^-^
(I didn't respond to the Contact Form message, 'cuz doing so would reveal my personal e-mail address. I'm sorry ^^''')
Cosplay I wanted to take a pic of, but missed my chance
-Too many to list!
My Convention Purchases
Since this convention was new, I had no idea what to expect for Vendors / Artists, so I didn't have a budget set. I did moderate my buyings in the Artist Booth area, but -- I couldn't hold back too much from buying TAM and Akai Ryusei's CDs. They came all the way from Japan -- I wanted to support them as much as I could!I've said this in previous convention blogs, but I'm saying this again. When buying fan stuff, I often have this frame of mind:
1. Does the art style align with my tastes?
2. Does this work express the kind of fandom that expresses me? (like, if I saw a poster of Zuko and Katara holding hands and gently smiling, I might get it, because it expresses how I feel about their relationship -- a sense of deep understanding for each other)
3. Is this a piece of work that will evoke something in me every time I see it?
At IFFT, I tended toward buying more original works, or unique items. There were trends that I clearly missed since I noticed the same characters showing up in multiple booths, but I didn't know who they were.
For what I've bought that I haven't yet watched / experienced the series for, I'll note it like this: (*)
Here is what I bought (minus things I've bought specifically as a gift):
Also a wallet and two sets of stickers.
I think the keyblade is very unique!
So cute!
I think the colour designs are really nice.
I found the free sample too short. After reading it,
I wasn't completely sold to read more.
The art style was nice, but I wanted more character development.
one shounen ai fanzine.
I'll have to watch that series sometime.
And then my commission on Ace.
It makes me quite happy to see Shin Megami Tensei (SMT) fanart / fan products.
From top left to bottom right, the top two were Akai Ryusei's CDs.
The rest were TAM's. Since IFFT ended, I've opened, listened to, and enjoyed all
the CDs except for the Madoka CD and the CD sampler.
Those two CDs haven't been listened to yet.
I'm so happy to have the "Touhou Bakuon Jazz 12" CD! <3
Once I use that seaweed mixture, I'll take a pic!
I've taped it up on a wall in my room.
I'm technically not allowed to put up posters in my room,
but I made an exception for this!
So, to calculate the "damage" to my wallet:
Anisong Concert ticket: $20
International Fan Festival tote bag: $15
TAM's music CDs (8) + 2 free sampler CDs: $180
Akai Ryusei's music CDs (6) + large vinyl poster: $210
2 sticker sets + wallet from eecks: $40
2 Totoro washi tapes + Pikachu keyblade + sticker + postcard from Studio Katamalia: $29
Pikachu, Luffy, and secret crochet plush from CraftiiOwl: $70
Card Captor Sakura and Eevee postcards from noisywyvern: $10
Saber and two other postcards from Johnny Ho: $30
Futaba mobile phone charm: $5
Persona 5 washi tape: $5
"I Love" posters (3) + Klance fanzines (2) + FFXIV keychains (2) + Ace Commission from Aku-usagi: $97
Slime poster + 2 cake smaller posters from inomnom: $30
Jack Bros posters (3) + Jack Bros lanyards (2): $55
Total "Damage": $792
Total "Damage" (NOT COUNTING TAM & Akai Ryusei's Merch): $402
If you made it this far, thank you very much for reading! If you have any questions about anything I experienced at International Fan Festival Toronto, or just comments and questions on anything, feel free to comment!
I... need to get some sleep now. I blogged for nearly a full day, getting this done! But now I have to leave for work... T_T
Thank you again for reading and have a wonderful week! :)
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