G&C Podcast - Episode 169: Alex Goes To Anime Boston 2024!

[00:00:00] Hey guys, on this episode of Gaming and Collecting, Alex recounts her recent trip to Anime Boston, going over the event and all of the weirdness she experienced there and just the general quality overall.

[00:00:11] Was it a good time? Was it improvement over last year? Well, maybe not last year, whatever the year we went. Anyways, listen to find out. Enjoy the episode.

[00:00:30] So how you been?

[00:00:45] I have a feral animal.

[00:00:57] I think it wants to go.

[00:01:01] What do you mean?

[00:01:03] It's climbing over you and screaming.

[00:01:07] It always does that.

[00:01:10] It's very rude.

[00:01:12] It's very, very rude. Anyways, it's raining out. It's been raining all week.

[00:01:17] It's been raining for like three days straight and the weather keeps saying it's going to snow, but then it keeps going like pushing farther and farther away.

[00:01:23] It's not warm enough. It's not cold enough. It's not. Yeah, that's the word.

[00:01:29] I hope it doesn't snow just because that would be so annoying.

[00:01:33] Hi ho, we're off to work we go.

[00:01:40] I don't know why that came into my head.

[00:01:42] Like March, March, I still will understand the snow, but we're in April now.

[00:01:46] Like, I'm done with it. Yeah, I'm over it.

[00:01:50] I'm over it.

[00:01:55] You always do. It's a running gag.

[00:01:57] It is.

[00:01:59] Start the counter now.

[00:02:03] This one.

[00:02:04] You know what sucks about the rain though?

[00:02:06] Amazon will drive like ding this.

[00:02:08] Well, that that's expected but um Amazon will just leave your packages in the fucking rain and they don't give a shit.

[00:02:14] Yeah, I've been pulling off purchasing any manga because of that.

[00:02:19] I bought a new bookshelf thing and it was sitting in the rain all day so that's great.

[00:02:26] So it's soggy.

[00:02:28] The box was it's dry now so hopefully nothing inside got wrecked.

[00:02:34] Yeah, they they left. They didn't even try to put it underneath the overhang.

[00:02:38] They just left it directly in the open rain.

[00:02:40] I was like really?

[00:02:42] I hate when they do that.

[00:02:44] Yeah, the worst part is too.

[00:02:45] They take a picture of it and they're like delivered and I'm like, thanks.

[00:02:49] Thanks.

[00:02:50] It's soaking wet.

[00:02:52] Did I tell you one time?

[00:02:54] Did I tell you one time that they did that and like absolutely ruined what I ordered?

[00:02:59] Yeah, wasn't it manga?

[00:03:01] No, no, it was another shelf.

[00:03:03] See manga they'll put right near the door.

[00:03:05] So at least it's somewhat under the overhang.

[00:03:07] Any fat thing in a box, they're too lazy to carry to the door.

[00:03:10] So they'll just leave it right as close as they can get it without.

[00:03:14] Oh, snake.

[00:03:16] Sorry.

[00:03:17] As close as they can get into the door without like causing basically to get their photo.

[00:03:22] Yeah.

[00:03:23] But yeah, they it was left out in the rain all day and it got fucking destroyed like it melt.

[00:03:28] It soaked through the box and actually warped all of the wood pieces inside.

[00:03:32] Oh, damn.

[00:03:33] So I just like straight up bullied Amazon until they gave me my money back.

[00:03:37] Yeah, I don't understand why you have such a problem with Amazon.

[00:03:42] I don't think I've ever not reached like done customer service to them and not gotten my money back.

[00:03:48] I like they don't even question it.

[00:03:50] Like I don't understand why you have such a hard time.

[00:03:53] Like I've never had a hard time.

[00:03:55] Maybe because I'm super recurring and they're just tired of me at this point.

[00:03:59] Or they have a vengeance or something.

[00:04:01] I don't know.

[00:04:02] I don't know.

[00:04:03] Yeah, I just don't get it because like every time like I remember my gummy bears, I send you the video of the gummy bears that all came as like a giant gummy mass and I emailed them.

[00:04:14] I was like, can I please have my money back or some new gummy bears?

[00:04:19] And then I was like, no, just the money back because the gummy bears are going to come back.

[00:04:22] And they were like, sure.

[00:04:23] I was like, you need a picture.

[00:04:25] They're like, now we trust you.

[00:04:27] Yeah, for me, they're always like they need like forensic evidence.

[00:04:30] And I'm like, what did you do to Amazon?

[00:04:33] They're fucking it's probably just a different you just got lucky with the bots.

[00:04:37] Probably like never had any issues.

[00:04:40] Yeah.

[00:04:41] Basically, though, like I had to bully Amazon by pestering them daily until they finally just gave me my money back to make me go away.

[00:04:48] Yep.

[00:04:49] Hey, hey, she was licking the floor yesterday.

[00:04:56] Like she was a cat.

[00:04:57] I was just like, don't do that.

[00:04:59] And she's doing it again.

[00:05:01] She's just a little shit.

[00:05:07] I love her.

[00:05:08] But oh my God, she's a cat.

[00:05:11] Yeah, she's something.

[00:05:12] She's something.

[00:05:13] All right.

[00:05:14] Oh, like I'm doing laundry right now.

[00:05:15] I took the clean laundry like literally right before this took all the laundry.

[00:05:19] I just came out of the jar, put it on the bed.

[00:05:21] Who comes stomping over and walks all over the fucking laundry?

[00:05:25] That little shit.

[00:05:26] I'm like, God, fuck you.

[00:05:28] Don't lick the floor.

[00:05:30] I might have to get up to make yourself.

[00:05:32] Oh, she'll just do it out of defiance at that point.

[00:05:36] Come here.

[00:05:39] She's coming over.

[00:05:42] Stop licking the floor.

[00:05:46] That's only downside of having the wood floor is.

[00:05:52] She would like the carpet, too.

[00:05:55] Yeah.

[00:05:56] And she's just a freaking weirdo.

[00:05:58] She's a cat.

[00:05:59] They're just weird.

[00:06:00] Yeah, she's but she's especially weird.

[00:06:03] Like she's her own breed of weird.

[00:06:07] I think the viewers and listeners have have already noticed that she's

[00:06:13] she's something.

[00:06:15] Yeah.

[00:06:16] Something.

[00:06:19] It's only been three days, but it already feels like an entire week.

[00:06:22] I know.

[00:06:23] Like yesterday I was like at dance.

[00:06:26] I was like, oh, yeah, it's set class Thursday.

[00:06:30] And then it was like, no, it's Tuesday.

[00:06:32] I don't usually go to dance on Tuesday, but I can't go Friday because

[00:06:35] I'm getting my hair done Friday.

[00:06:38] She's rubbing on my hand.

[00:06:42] It's been that week for like for everybody.

[00:06:44] Yeah.

[00:06:45] Everyone I've talked to, I've talked to, I've talked to them.

[00:06:48] Yeah.

[00:06:49] Everyone I've taught, I feel like it's the weather because it's been

[00:06:51] crappy all week and it's just like, give us some sun.

[00:06:54] Yeah.

[00:06:55] Sunlight.

[00:06:56] It's been weird everywhere because I've seen other people on like

[00:06:59] the servers have been like posting like it's snowed and I'm like,

[00:07:02] Wow.

[00:07:03] Yeah.

[00:07:04] It's just like not here.

[00:07:05] Please not here, please.

[00:07:08] So did you forget it was April Fool's Day?

[00:07:10] Like on Monday?

[00:07:12] No, I knew I forgot and I was completely unfazed by everything I saw.

[00:07:17] Like I was just like, Oh, that's cool.

[00:07:19] And then like the next day everyone was like, we were kidding.

[00:07:21] And I'm like, Oh, Oh, cool.

[00:07:24] I was like, Oh, so you're not retiring anyways.

[00:07:30] What is she doing?

[00:07:33] Now she's in the mud room.

[00:07:38] Yeah.

[00:07:41] Come here.

[00:07:47] Now she's just going to annoy you to like just add a defiance.

[00:07:51] No, she's like coming over.

[00:07:56] Come here.

[00:07:58] Come here.

[00:08:02] Yeah.

[00:08:05] What are you drinking Bill?

[00:08:07] Come here.

[00:08:09] I just have like a sparkling ice because I was too lazy to go get another drink.

[00:08:17] Look loser, can you read the nutritional facts, please?

[00:08:22] No.

[00:08:24] Read the facts.

[00:08:25] Aren't you going to ask me what I'm drinking?

[00:08:28] Are you going to read the facts?

[00:08:30] No, I'm not.

[00:08:32] If you do, I'll beat you.

[00:08:34] That's what I'm reading.

[00:08:36] What are you drinking?

[00:08:38] I'm drinking a sweet.

[00:08:42] Your crack addiction, right?

[00:08:44] Yes.

[00:08:45] The 20 fluid ounces of deliciousness.

[00:08:48] 1.25 pounds.

[00:08:50] Points.

[00:08:52] Is that what PT is?

[00:08:54] Is that pounds or pints?

[00:08:57] What the fuck's wrong?

[00:08:59] Pints.

[00:09:00] Did you meal me?

[00:09:02] No, you would be able to see if I did.

[00:09:04] 230 calories.

[00:09:06] That's a lot of calories.

[00:09:07] Don't you miss Sierra Mist?

[00:09:09] No, Sierra Mist fucking sucks.

[00:09:11] It's the same fucking thing.

[00:09:13] No, they're different.

[00:09:15] If you taste Sprite next to Sierra fucking Mist, you will be very different.

[00:09:30] It doesn't even exist anymore now.

[00:09:32] It's like Starry.

[00:09:34] Which is the dumbest name for a soda.

[00:09:36] They taste different.

[00:09:38] And everyone will agree with me in the podcast discussion discord.

[00:09:43] Agree that Sprite and Starry taste completely different.

[00:09:47] They do not taste the same.

[00:09:49] Sprite is distinctively...

[00:09:51] I'm not done.

[00:09:52] Sprite is distinctively different tasting.

[00:09:55] It's better in every fucking way.

[00:09:58] Starry just has that artificial sweetness in it.

[00:10:03] That's just gross.

[00:10:05] Hate it.

[00:10:06] Do you remember Walmart brand that was like Lemon Twist or something?

[00:10:13] I don't fucking care about Walmart.

[00:10:15] I care about the brand name shit.

[00:10:19] The brand name shit.

[00:10:22] Shit.

[00:10:23] None of that, unless it's my good boy, Kierke, then I'll mess with that.

[00:10:28] But if it is Walmart, get out of my face with that garbage.

[00:10:34] Next time I get you a Sprite, I'm going to totally switch it with Starry.

[00:10:39] And see if you even notice.

[00:10:41] Well what?

[00:10:43] I'm going to look in the bottle and be like, wow, someone opened the Sprite.

[00:10:46] That's suspicious.

[00:10:47] I'm not going to drink that.

[00:10:48] So.

[00:10:53] So you went to an anime convention this weekend?

[00:10:57] I did.

[00:10:59] Yes.

[00:11:00] Bill wasn't invited, loser.

[00:11:04] No, I just didn't want to drive.

[00:11:06] That was really it.

[00:11:10] I'm dying.

[00:11:12] Sorry.

[00:11:13] Serves you right.

[00:11:17] I fucking dare you.

[00:11:20] Anyways, yes.

[00:11:21] I went to an anime convention.

[00:11:23] A convention that.

[00:11:26] Sorry, had a snuffle.

[00:11:27] That was gross.

[00:11:28] That Bill hasn't been to since the last time I haven't been to, which was 2020?

[00:11:34] Yeah.

[00:11:35] Yeah.

[00:11:36] Because it was the first one after COVID and it was anime Boston.

[00:11:42] And it was utterly bad.

[00:11:45] Well, 2022 was.

[00:11:47] Yes.

[00:11:48] That's what I mean.

[00:11:50] But yeah.

[00:11:52] So I went to Boston this weekend.

[00:11:55] I went.

[00:11:56] I have Friday off last week.

[00:11:58] So did Bill.

[00:11:59] And I went to visit my friend and I got to stay at her apartment.

[00:12:02] I got to meet her adorable kitty cat.

[00:12:06] Which was so sweet and just made me realize how much of a fucking ingrate mine is.

[00:12:14] I got cat snuggles from her cat and I'm like, this will just bite people.

[00:12:20] She's so mean.

[00:12:23] So normal cat.

[00:12:25] And oh my God, I've never had a chimichanga before.

[00:12:28] Do you know what chimichanga is?

[00:12:31] No.

[00:12:32] I didn't either, but it's a deep fried burrito.

[00:12:35] And oh my God.

[00:12:37] It made me realize that like we haven't.

[00:12:40] There's like not like a good like authentic Mexican restaurant around here.

[00:12:45] Like I have not found one yet and I want to find one because I want chimichangas.

[00:12:52] That sounds like something.

[00:12:54] Considering how Mexican food doesn't agree with me in the slightest, that sounds like something that would be miserable for me in the long run.

[00:13:01] It was worth it.

[00:13:02] It was worth every second.

[00:13:04] Oh, and I got like these tacos too that were like, it was like brisket.

[00:13:09] Oh, that was so good.

[00:13:11] Oh, and then I got a margarita because I was at a Mexican restaurant or Hispanic restaurant, Hispanic food restaurant.

[00:13:20] And I got a margarita and it was a matcha.

[00:13:24] What was it?

[00:13:25] It was like a matcha coconut margarita, which was like that sounds weird, but it was delicious.

[00:13:32] Delicious.

[00:13:33] So I want more burritos and chimichangas in my life because it's freaking delicious.

[00:13:42] So my goal is that we need to find one like an authentic one because I love I love our other burrito place that we go breakfast.

[00:13:50] But it's like, you know what I'm saying?

[00:13:52] Like you go for the burrito.

[00:13:53] It's not necessarily like, you know, like it's not the same as like a Mexican Spanish restaurant.

[00:14:00] So I'm going to find one.

[00:14:02] You just want me to be miserable?

[00:14:06] I mean, I will too.

[00:14:08] You know, I'll suffer too, but it's worth the pain.

[00:14:10] You want that though.

[00:14:12] I don't.

[00:14:13] It's worth the suffering.

[00:14:16] It's fine.

[00:14:17] It's worth it.

[00:14:19] It's worth it for the good food and the good vibes.

[00:14:22] Anyways, and then my driving to Boston for the first time ever.

[00:14:27] I didn't have a hard time driving to Boston, which like knocking on some wood.

[00:14:33] But yeah, I didn't have that many issues.

[00:14:35] I mean, it took me down like a lot of winding back roads, but I feel like because there were so many one ways it was harder to fuck up.

[00:14:43] So yeah, I didn't really have that many problems, which was pretty, pretty nice.

[00:14:47] But after that, the next day was the actual convention day and we took the train in.

[00:14:57] And when we got on the train, there was no one else in Costco except for us.

[00:15:02] And we got lots of stairs.

[00:15:05] But my friend went as shit.

[00:15:10] I'm sorry.

[00:15:12] No, she went.

[00:15:14] No, she didn't go and shit.

[00:15:16] Oh, hold on.

[00:15:21] It was so memorable.

[00:15:22] Alex doesn't even remember.

[00:15:24] No, no, it's just it's a show that it was a character from Soul Eater.

[00:15:33] Give me a second.

[00:15:35] She went as Crona from Soul Eater.

[00:15:38] And I went as the wonderful Nikkado from Dora Hidorah.

[00:15:44] And I did her look from when she I don't want to spoil it, but it's when she's in like an orange jumpsuit with these fun little wings on her arms, little bat wing thingies on her arms.

[00:15:57] So I went as that Nikkado because I was researching Nikkado cosplays and there was one particular one which is from later in the manga where she is very much not in any clothes.

[00:16:08] And I was like, I am not doing that.

[00:16:10] No, thank you.

[00:16:11] Speaking of that, I looked up who I looked up who Crona was on Google because I haven't watched Soul Eater.

[00:16:19] Crona.

[00:16:20] The purple pinkish haired character.

[00:16:24] Yes.

[00:16:25] So I did the classic, you know, you look up an anime character on Google and then you scroll.

[00:16:29] You keep scrolling to see how long it takes you to find the porn.

[00:16:32] I found it.

[00:16:33] Yeah, I took about a couple scrolls.

[00:16:35] It wasn't that far.

[00:16:36] Nice.

[00:16:37] But yeah, I mean, you know, it's just part of it.

[00:16:40] But her Crona cosplay was really good.

[00:16:44] And there was actually quite a bit Soul Eater when we were there.

[00:16:48] There was quite a bit, which was funny because I was there.

[00:16:50] A guy screaming the Excalibur song.

[00:16:53] No, Excalibur was not there.

[00:16:57] But it was it was funny.

[00:16:59] So the night before me and my friend are talking, she's like, OK, we need to plan out what we want to see.

[00:17:04] And I'm like telling her, I'm like, I'm sorry, but you don't plan.

[00:17:08] You just go.

[00:17:09] And she was like, no, no, no, we need a plan.

[00:17:11] I'm like, OK, we can make a plan.

[00:17:13] But I'm telling you, we are not going to follow this plan.

[00:17:16] She was like, no, we're going to follow the plan.

[00:17:18] We get there.

[00:17:19] Guess what?

[00:17:20] We did not follow the plan.

[00:17:22] Because it is a overwhelming environment.

[00:17:26] I remember like when we went to Comic Con with the convoy that one time and we all planned to stick together and then within like three seconds, we broke apart.

[00:17:34] The plan never works.

[00:17:37] But it was funny.

[00:17:39] So we're spending the night before looking at all the schedules and like she's like going through and very innocently is like reading something and then just reads tentacle fanfic theater.

[00:17:51] Oh, no, it got worse.

[00:17:52] And I'm just like, Jackie, no, Jackie.

[00:17:58] Um, yeah, but there was a weird thing about the event where like on Saturday, the event goes from literally 8 a.m. to 1 45 a.m.

[00:18:09] Whoever was there the whole time, you're a psycho.

[00:18:13] I mean, anime fans in general.

[00:18:15] I mean, I say this as an anime fan.

[00:18:18] We're all kind of psycho.

[00:18:20] Yeah, but that's too much.

[00:18:22] There was an event at starting in 11 called Slumber Party, which just sounds awful.

[00:18:27] And I know I don't want to know.

[00:18:29] I hope it's not coed there.

[00:18:32] I think it was.

[00:18:34] Um, that's concerning.

[00:18:35] It was many and all the events after that.

[00:18:37] At that point, we're all 18 plus events.

[00:18:41] You see, that scares me at a convention like this because I see the people who go to these conventions.

[00:18:46] Yep.

[00:18:49] But it was really funny because she's like covering over things.

[00:18:53] I'm like, you don't want to know what that means.

[00:18:57] I had to explain to her what AMVs were, which was a fun time.

[00:19:01] And then I got to show her some cringey ones that I found.

[00:19:05] You mean Sonic the Hedgehog animal I have become?

[00:19:10] I should have showed her that one.

[00:19:12] No, I was just like, well, I was like, OK, I'll familiarize it with like the character you're cosplaying as.

[00:19:18] I fucking love that shit.

[00:19:20] Oh, I get it.

[00:19:22] I will say the AMVs are pretty funny.

[00:19:26] Hey, I love that shit because that's like my favorite fucking music.

[00:19:32] Yes, yes. I know you were watching AMVs. It's fine.

[00:19:37] But it was funny. So we were going to go to some events, but then it didn't happen like I predicted because just the nature of a con.

[00:19:45] So back to the train, I've kind of been bouncing back and forth.

[00:19:49] This has not been a concise story.

[00:19:51] I am so sorry listeners for the confusion.

[00:19:53] But now we're back on the train.

[00:19:55] And also it took a 10 minute walk to get to the train station from her apartment.

[00:20:00] We are walking down the street full cosplay at like eight in the morning.

[00:20:06] Everyone is scary.

[00:20:08] This happened. This is just a convention thing.

[00:20:10] You just get used to it.

[00:20:12] Oh, but still like she was like there's a lot of well because I was like, I was like, OK, I'm just telling you, you got to be prepared for the stairs.

[00:20:20] And she's like stairs.

[00:20:22] She's like, OK.

[00:20:23] And then like we're walking.

[00:20:24] She's like, oh, you meant stairs as in staring not physical going up the stairs.

[00:20:32] I was like, no, just people staring at you.

[00:20:35] Like why the fuck are you in full cosplay?

[00:20:39] And I also forgot that like by wearing a bright orange jumpsuit, it would be very noticeable to every person walking around.

[00:20:46] But I was right there.

[00:20:47] So I felt like eyes were on me the whole time.

[00:20:50] Well, I mean, you remember when we went to Connecticut and we went to the Baker and the Brew right before and then we were in full cosplay.

[00:20:58] And they they didn't they kind of looked at us here at all.

[00:21:01] That which is pretty great.

[00:21:03] But everyone on the train cared and we took the green line in and the green line, you know, the green line.

[00:21:10] It's either it's either fine or it sucks.

[00:21:13] There's no good time.

[00:21:14] Yeah, it was the it sucks range because it got crept in there.

[00:21:20] But we did eventually get off our train.

[00:21:23] And as the train got closer, there was progressively more and more weebs on the train, which made us feel more comfortable because we were like, OK, our people are here.

[00:21:31] We're going to the right place.

[00:21:32] So get out and then we got to walk outside from the train station to get to the to get to the actual convention center.

[00:21:40] But the nicest thing was I when I registered, I did the option of mailing pick up the badges to us.

[00:21:48] So I had the badges already.

[00:21:50] So we didn't have to go through the registration line at all, which honestly I recommend because it makes your life so much easier.

[00:21:58] And then you can also go in like all those side entrances and just get right in and not go through the main channel.

[00:22:05] But but we were tired adults who needed coffee.

[00:22:11] So we said, fuck it.

[00:22:12] We're going through the main hell hole and we got some coffee.

[00:22:15] And I will say blue bottle coffee is very good coffee.

[00:22:19] But damn, do they rip you off?

[00:22:21] My drink was mostly ice cubes and I was pretty pissed.

[00:22:26] So the typical was a seven dollar coffee for a coffee about this thing with ice cubes.

[00:22:34] I think she does a visual gag on an episode that we all show the video of.

[00:22:46] Go fuck yourself.

[00:22:48] Anyways, what was I saying?

[00:22:52] Oh, yeah. So I got ripped off by coffee and I was disappointed, but it tasted really it was really good coffee.

[00:22:58] It's I mean, it's convention. You're going to get ripped off regardless.

[00:23:01] I know. I know. I did get food there, too.

[00:23:04] But I'll talk about that later.

[00:23:06] But so we get in and there's so many people there and they're all in cosplay.

[00:23:10] But then there's also it's kind of connected to a mall, which is where we got the coffee.

[00:23:14] So there's the people who are just at the mall who are like, what the fuck?

[00:23:17] Like, why are all these waves here?

[00:23:20] And then everyone's like, it's a convention.

[00:23:24] But there's a lot of cosplays, a lot of really good ones, too.

[00:23:28] I got recognized as Nikaido quite a bit, which was pretty awesome because I wasn't I wasn't expecting a lot of people to because it's not like a super mainstream show.

[00:23:37] But the people who recognize they appreciated my culture, my weed culture.

[00:23:43] But yeah, so got our coffee and we were we were we were alive and ready to go.

[00:23:49] And then we walked in and we were like, wow, it's crowded.

[00:23:53] And I will say security was still a little bit sus.

[00:23:58] They were not fully checking people over as they which is it must be a staffing thing because the previous years before that,

[00:24:06] the previous years before COVID, they had like full on lines like seven metal detectors.

[00:24:12] Like so I will say they did have a lot of staff there, but there was a lot of people, not as many as when we went like because you could actually walk around the hallways, which was nice.

[00:24:27] I mean, they got crowded in points, but it wasn't like the last time we're like you were shuffling just down the hall.

[00:24:34] So take that as you know, as something.

[00:24:40] Anyway, so we get in and we actually start walking around like, OK, let's go check out the artist alley because I was down on the bottom floor.

[00:24:48] Big mistake. Artist alley was bad time.

[00:24:53] It was just very poorly, not poorly laid out.

[00:24:56] I mean, they laid out the best that they could, but like there's just so many people in there and it was like what was happening was like it was basically like a square with like rows like three rows in the middle.

[00:25:10] So what was happening was people were going in a loop around the square.

[00:25:14] And then that first big corner was just like traffic jam.

[00:25:18] And it was just constantly like you were just stuck there.

[00:25:22] So in all honesty, you just couldn't see anything like actually go.

[00:25:26] Yeah, that's that's what I remember from the last time we went because it was like any time I'd see something I wanted like you could even like stop and look because the crush was just everywhere.

[00:25:36] So I will say it was mostly just that corner.

[00:25:39] Any of the other booths like literally if they weren't on that corner, you could go and you could see it and you could get up to the front.

[00:25:46] But that corner specifically, I never looked at the art because I couldn't see it.

[00:25:51] So I don't know how they did.

[00:25:53] But I'm assuming not great because it was so hard to just go and stop over there.

[00:25:58] That's just a problem with conventions where it's like people nowadays just stop in the middle of the fucking aisle.

[00:26:04] Yeah, they really had people on all the corners saying move, move.

[00:26:11] But one thing I will say is that they announced it like 50 times in the artist alley.

[00:26:17] And I actually did see it happen.

[00:26:19] So like my complaints from earlier, if you take pictures of someone's art in the artist alley, you are stealing.

[00:26:30] That is theft.

[00:26:31] And they were promoting that.

[00:26:33] And if you were caught doing it, you were kicked out of the convention.

[00:26:36] And I was like, honestly, round of applause to anime Boston because you don't see that as often as you should.

[00:26:42] But it truthfully is stealing and it's a problem.

[00:26:45] And I was really glad that they were enforcing it and saying, hey, you're stealing and you will be kicked out of this event.

[00:26:53] And I did see someone get kicked out.

[00:26:55] And I was like, good.

[00:26:57] I still remember that jackass the last time who was just the iPad in everybody's fucking way.

[00:27:04] The guy that elbowed me in the face.

[00:27:06] Yeah.

[00:27:07] So I will say that was really good on them.

[00:27:10] And I actually did get some art.

[00:27:12] Well, I ended up getting some key chains, some Dora key chains I got in the Kaido and I got a Kaman.

[00:27:18] But then I also got a Chapa because I love my boy Chapa and I can't not get a Chapa key chain too.

[00:27:24] But she had really cute art.

[00:27:26] And I was just like, it was weird.

[00:27:31] Usually with an anime convention, there's like a trend in cosplay.

[00:27:35] Like, oh my God, everyone is this one series.

[00:27:38] I didn't see it.

[00:27:40] Like, it was pretty mixed.

[00:27:42] Like, there wasn't a single series that I was like, oh, I saw 50 billion blah, blah, blah.

[00:27:48] It was pretty good mix.

[00:27:50] We're kind of in an off year right now, honestly.

[00:27:53] No, yeah, I feel like a lot of stuff is in doubt.

[00:27:56] Well, especially like Attack on Titan is over.

[00:27:59] And that was a big cosplay for many, many years.

[00:28:02] I feel like that's kind of like not that it's gone, but like it's not, you know, it's over.

[00:28:07] So it's just like bye.

[00:28:08] And then there hasn't really been like anything.

[00:28:12] I don't know. It was just really good mix, I would say, which was fun because you got to see a lot of cool ones.

[00:28:17] And I did see a lot of retro ones too.

[00:28:21] I actually saw a couple girls who were cosplaying as like, I'm trying to remember the name of the series,

[00:28:29] but it's like very old, very old anime.

[00:28:34] It's a very old magical girl anime.

[00:28:36] Oh, revolutionary girl Utena.

[00:28:39] And I haven't seen a cosplay for that forever.

[00:28:42] And I saw like a couple girls cosplaying as like two of the main characters.

[00:28:46] And I was like, that's freaking awesome.

[00:28:48] Like cool.

[00:28:49] And I haven't seen that in years because that show came out in 1997.

[00:28:55] So that was pretty cool.

[00:28:57] And I will say too, like have you heard that show has been Hotel?

[00:29:03] I'm aware of it mostly.

[00:29:05] Not so much the show, more that guy that commissioned like the million dollar fucking thing.

[00:29:11] Yeah, yeah.

[00:29:13] So that show only came out recently and I actually did see quite a few cosplays for that show.

[00:29:19] And I got to say, it's pretty impressive because that show only came out not that long ago.

[00:29:24] So to see these people came with these full cosplays like one of the characters.

[00:29:28] Anything that's super popular doesn't surprise me.

[00:29:31] When it gets like really popular like that, you're going to find people that are going to make that poster.

[00:29:35] Oh yeah. But like these were like really detailed.

[00:29:38] Like one of the guys went as the character Adam and like that's a detailed.

[00:29:44] You got to put some work into that.

[00:29:46] And he like wears like this giant like mask face thing and the guy killed it.

[00:29:51] Like you look great.

[00:29:52] So it was pretty impressive.

[00:29:54] I will say like the cosplays in general, like some really good cosplays, like really good ones.

[00:30:01] Did you see our friend Mr. Deodorant Man running around?

[00:30:05] No, but I did see the Pikachu with the Pikachu in its face, which is always frightening.

[00:30:11] It's one of those blow up Pikachu costumes.

[00:30:14] But inside, like the face is clear.

[00:30:17] He always wears a Pikachu mask and it's terrifying.

[00:30:20] I never told you about the literal Deodorant Man at Rhode Island Comic Con, did I?

[00:30:25] I don't think so.

[00:30:27] I'll tell it now just because I never shared it.

[00:30:30] At Rhode Island Comic Con, there was legitimately a guy cosplaying as a speed stick and he was giving out speed sticks to people.

[00:30:40] Honestly, 10 out of 10. That's wonderful.

[00:30:43] It was kind of some people were calling him out because it was targeting.

[00:30:47] But like I was like, I mean, is he wrong?

[00:30:50] Honestly, yeah.

[00:30:52] And so that was one thing I had to tell my friend Jackie.

[00:30:56] I was like, OK, I'm just telling you this now.

[00:30:58] You will smell BO at many points and you will not be able to un-smell it.

[00:31:04] And she was like, OK, sure.

[00:31:05] And then she's like, I get it.

[00:31:07] I get it. I smelled it.

[00:31:09] It's a very...

[00:31:10] It's not even just casual BO.

[00:31:13] This is like that burning your nose hairs smell that you're like, what the...

[00:31:17] Like when was the last time you showered, sir?

[00:31:19] Yeah, it's one of those things that's unavoidable.

[00:31:23] But yeah, we ended up going around the artist alley for a bit.

[00:31:27] Planes were completely out the window, which I kind of knew was going to happen.

[00:31:31] And then we went upstairs because the artist alley was on the bottom floor.

[00:31:37] And then they had this cool booth that was giving out.

[00:31:40] I got this cool holographic bag that was free.

[00:31:43] So I was like, free stuff. I'm taking it.

[00:31:46] Everyone had those bags because everyone was taking it.

[00:31:49] But it had one of those 360 ring lights.

[00:31:52] So you could go up there and take a cool slow-mo video of you on the little platform with the light going around,

[00:32:00] which is pretty cool for the professional cosplayers.

[00:32:03] Jackie was trying to make me do it.

[00:32:05] And I was like, no, I do not want to see that.

[00:32:07] So I didn't do it.

[00:32:08] But it looked cool.

[00:32:12] Alex is like, there was this really cool thing.

[00:32:14] I didn't do it, but it looked cool.

[00:32:16] It was cool.

[00:32:17] But like I know.

[00:32:20] Thank you.

[00:32:21] I hate photos of myself already.

[00:32:24] What was I going to say?

[00:32:25] So we went upstairs and the second floor was the gaming.

[00:32:29] They had a game room in the autograph signing room.

[00:32:32] So when you went in, it was actually board games that you could actually go and borrow.

[00:32:37] You could just sit down and play a board game or card game, which is pretty fun.

[00:32:41] I will say we tried to do it at one point, but it was just too crowded.

[00:32:45] And we said, you know what?

[00:32:46] Let's just sit on the floor for a bit because my legs hurt.

[00:32:51] You guys gave into floor sitting.

[00:32:53] Yeah, we did. We did.

[00:32:55] That was the goal of like, OK, let's go play some games so we can sit for a minute.

[00:32:59] And then they were all busy and we're like, there's some nice floor over there.

[00:33:03] Let's pop a squat.

[00:33:05] And we almost didn't get back up.

[00:33:07] But we at least at least you didn't sit directly in the middle of the aisle like some people do.

[00:33:12] No, and some people, some people definitely still do dumb shit like that.

[00:33:17] Did you did you ruin any photos?

[00:33:21] Not on purpose.

[00:33:23] I'm just from like not paying attention.

[00:33:25] Well, I mean, you remember the classic like photo in the aisle, the busy aisle, like the perfect place to do a photo.

[00:33:32] Oh, yeah.

[00:33:33] Where I would deliberately walk past him because I was like, get the fuck out of my way.

[00:33:37] Yeah, I will say one of the things that was really funny about my cosplay is that so I was wearing a wig which covered my ears and then it had like a hood thing, which also covered my ears.

[00:33:49] So I couldn't hear well for most of the convention.

[00:33:54] So if people were talking to me, it was very difficult for me to hear them.

[00:33:59] I basically have like earmuffs spickled into my cosplay.

[00:34:04] So I felt bad because I kept losing my friends.

[00:34:08] And I was like, I'm sorry.

[00:34:10] I just can't hear you.

[00:34:12] It was bad.

[00:34:14] It was bad.

[00:34:16] That's what you had to teach them about the the the convention leash, you know, just holding onto someone's bag as you.

[00:34:22] Yes.

[00:34:23] So I did do that and I had to I had to teach them.

[00:34:25] But also that was part of my cosplay.

[00:34:27] It's like I picked a bright orange jumpsuit so you could always find me.

[00:34:31] So yeah, it was helpful.

[00:34:33] But we went to the game before we looked around the autographs.

[00:34:37] It was something.

[00:34:39] And then we went to the main the main the main shopping area, which was like all the all the vendors not small artists.

[00:34:49] So all the bigger vendors and stuff, which I didn't get ripped off this year on figures.

[00:34:55] I was smart and I stayed away from the booth that I knew was especially a bunch of ripoffs, which was the one that had them all in like the glass cases.

[00:35:03] Yes, the new trap.

[00:35:05] Yes, the new traps.

[00:35:06] So I avoided them.

[00:35:07] I did get one figure.

[00:35:09] I got a I got an Android of Aruma from Welcome to Diva School Aruma.

[00:35:13] And I actually paid the price I would pay for online.

[00:35:16] So it was worth it.

[00:35:18] It was really cute.

[00:35:20] I was looking for the Gyoza fairy, which is a Dora Hidora character and also has an Android, but I didn't see one.

[00:35:26] So I did get a room, though, which was pretty cute.

[00:35:28] And then my main look at were manga.

[00:35:31] Specifically, I was looking for the Magi Manga because Magi's not really in print right now.

[00:35:37] I did get three volumes that were pretty random.

[00:35:39] It was like 32, 29, and like 15.

[00:35:43] So three really random ones.

[00:35:45] But I saw them and I was like, you know, like, and I grabbed them.

[00:35:49] So I got a couple of those.

[00:35:51] I will say there wasn't like.

[00:35:55] Stuff that I liked, but there was stuff that I was like, meh.

[00:35:58] I was like, I feel like I'm at that point of figures where it's like if I'm going to buy one, it's going to be something cool and interesting or something I really want.

[00:36:07] So Luffy and Luffy number two.

[00:36:10] And a lot of Luffy ones.

[00:36:12] I was a little disappointed.

[00:36:14] I don't know if they were all bought out.

[00:36:16] There wasn't a gear five, so I'm assuming that either they couldn't get their hands on gear five or there just wasn't.

[00:36:27] So yeah, didn't die.

[00:36:29] Didn't get.

[00:36:30] I don't think I actually bought anything one piece.

[00:36:33] Who are you?

[00:36:35] It's just like I feel like I'm at that point where it's just like, do I really need another Nami figure?

[00:36:41] I like this Nami figure that I have.

[00:36:43] It has to be something stand out in order for me to buy it because well, as you know, Luffy is my favorite character.

[00:36:48] So that's the character I would buy multiples and multiples and multiples of or like a Saba Luffy.

[00:36:53] Those are my favorite.

[00:36:54] I love those three in Chopper.

[00:36:56] I'd get another Chopper, but there wasn't really a lot of cute Chopper ones either.

[00:37:00] But yeah, it was the main way.

[00:37:03] It was split into two giant areas.

[00:37:06] There's some cool stuff.

[00:37:08] Cool vendors.

[00:37:09] Definitely had ran into some of the I was told that Jackie, Jackie found the porn booth.

[00:37:15] Yes, yes, yes.

[00:37:17] So at one point we were walking in.

[00:37:20] There's a big booth that's selling like anime DVDs and manga and Jackie's like, oh, OK, I'm going to peek over here.

[00:37:29] And I was like, no, no, no.

[00:37:30] And she was like, why not?

[00:37:31] And I was like, no, no, no, no.

[00:37:33] I was just look at the body pillows and she like looked up to it.

[00:37:37] Oh, I was like, yeah, that's head tied.

[00:37:40] No, no, no, for you.

[00:37:42] Not me.

[00:37:43] Yeah.

[00:37:44] The classic like, oh, yeah, I'll just look at the DVDs while Alex does something and I look over and I go, yes, that's porn.

[00:37:50] That's porn.

[00:37:51] It's always so funny to me that they're just like readily selling porn out there.

[00:37:56] Like, it's just like, OK, it's there.

[00:37:58] I've never actually seen people buy them though.

[00:38:00] Like, I see people grouse, but I never see a transaction.

[00:38:05] I'm sure it happened, but I've never witnessed one.

[00:38:07] And I've never seen it happens early in the con and then discreetly like people are sneaky about it or it's just the people who don't give a fuck.

[00:38:14] Yeah.

[00:38:19] What else?

[00:38:20] Yeah, I was walking around and I met up with my other friend, John.

[00:38:24] That's why I was saying friends because John also appeared.

[00:38:28] And John joined us on our adventures and we ended up going eventually back down to our Sally.

[00:38:33] We were like, maybe it's not as crowded in the corner.

[00:38:35] And it wasn't as crowded, but still pretty crowded.

[00:38:38] And we were like, OK, this was a bad idea.

[00:38:40] And then we were all like, man, I'm freaking hungry because at this point, it was like multiple hours had passed.

[00:38:45] It was like lunchtime.

[00:38:46] We were like, I'm pretty hungry.

[00:38:48] So we went and we went to go get a snack.

[00:38:51] And then we were like, well, let's see what's on the menu for the convention.

[00:38:54] I will say the food was actually reasonably priced.

[00:38:57] It wasn't too expensive.

[00:38:58] I got chicken figures and french fries and it was like 10 bucks, which is pretty decent for a convention.

[00:39:05] I will say Jackie also got chicken fingers and french fries.

[00:39:10] So don't fucking judge me, Bill.

[00:39:12] OK, don't I see that face of yours that judging smile.

[00:39:17] Sometimes you just want chicken, OK?

[00:39:20] I'm just reminded of the time that you made us drive all the way out to nowhere and wait 20 minutes to go to Texas Roadhouse just for you to get chicken.

[00:39:29] Where that wasn't nowhere that was Manchester.

[00:39:33] And we were living at the time.

[00:39:35] We still had to wait.

[00:39:37] We still had to wait like 20 minutes in the parking lot.

[00:39:40] Bill, I wasn't there for the chicken fingers.

[00:39:42] I was there for the fries.

[00:39:44] Bill, I wasn't there for the chicken fingers.

[00:39:46] I was there for the bread and the butter.

[00:39:48] That's why you go to Texas Roadhouse.

[00:39:50] You want that bread when you got chicken fingers.

[00:39:53] I was so disappointed.

[00:39:54] I was like, why?

[00:39:56] Why?

[00:39:57] What I ordered at Texas Roadhouse.

[00:40:00] What did you order at Texas Roadhouse?

[00:40:02] You got a fucking burger or something, right?

[00:40:04] You got what you wanted and I got what I wanted.

[00:40:08] Go fuck yourself.

[00:40:09] And I want to fry pickles.

[00:40:10] You were hyping it up like it was the greatest thing ever.

[00:40:13] Because it is.

[00:40:15] I was like, OK.

[00:40:19] That's what I'm saying to you.

[00:40:21] Stop getting me off track.

[00:40:24] OK.

[00:40:26] What else happened?

[00:40:27] Oh yeah.

[00:40:28] So we went and we got some chicken tendies.

[00:40:31] Don't fucking judge me, Bill.

[00:40:33] They were pretty good.

[00:40:35] There was a lot of people in cosplay.

[00:40:38] I did find some other Dora Hidoro cosplayers, which was pretty nice.

[00:40:44] But I ended up taking a picture with Shin.

[00:40:47] I forgot to give Jackie my phone though.

[00:40:49] So I don't have a photo of myself.

[00:40:51] But he has one.

[00:40:52] So maybe I'll find it someday.

[00:40:55] But he had a really good heart mask.

[00:40:57] Like his face mask.

[00:40:59] So like in the show, which was pretty awesome.

[00:41:02] Let's see.

[00:41:04] And the third floor was like where all the panels were.

[00:41:11] And like where a lot of they also had like some cool little sets people could take pictures in for cosplays, which was pretty fun.

[00:41:17] Mostly people were chilling on the floor up there or waiting in lines to go into panels.

[00:41:22] And I was just like, peace out.

[00:41:25] It was also really hot on the third floor.

[00:41:27] That building in particular can't handle a lot of people in it without it just becoming a sauna.

[00:41:34] And it was pretty sauna-y.

[00:41:37] But anyways, guys.

[00:41:39] Anyways.

[00:41:41] A lot of sweaty human beings in costumes running around.

[00:41:44] Yeah.

[00:41:45] So we ended up going, I think we ended up going through the artist's alley and like the regular shopping area a couple more times.

[00:41:51] We found a couple cool things.

[00:41:54] Oh, my friend John.

[00:41:56] Oh, it was really funny.

[00:41:57] I almost bought Bill a joke gift.

[00:41:59] And then like because my friend John was also buying someone a joke gift, which he bought a Gojo body pillow, which was pretty hilarious.

[00:42:08] And they had a Shoshomaru one and I was really tempted to just buy it for Bill as a joke.

[00:42:13] But then it was like eighty dollars.

[00:42:14] I was like, not that funny of a joke.

[00:42:17] It wouldn't even have been a satisfying joke because I would have just raised my eyebrow and just threw it away.

[00:42:23] Yeah.

[00:42:24] I would have been.

[00:42:25] And that's why I didn't do it.

[00:42:26] I almost got you a jock and pop figure too, which I thought you would have laughed at.

[00:42:31] But the line at the pop figure booth was so long that I was like, fuck this.

[00:42:34] I'm not I'm not standing in line for a joke.

[00:42:37] So I'm sorry, Bill.

[00:42:38] I came back FJ Hansen.

[00:42:41] But I had two jokes planned.

[00:42:43] There wasn't that much in Yasha.

[00:42:45] Really?

[00:42:46] Well, there rarely is.

[00:42:49] Like a lot of like the stuff they were selling to, like I was like, I don't know what shows this is from or like.

[00:42:58] A lot of there was a Yowie, which is pretty funny, which for those who don't know, yeah, we is.

[00:43:05] Boy love the boy.

[00:43:07] Yes, boys love.

[00:43:09] And I was like surprised, like how much I wasn't surprised by.

[00:43:12] I was like, OK, there's just a lot of it.

[00:43:15] I was like, oh, cool.

[00:43:17] They're trying to get the females to buy stuff.

[00:43:20] Oh, yeah. And I mean, they were selling out like crazy.

[00:43:22] I mean, those body pillows sold out.

[00:43:24] The secluded one was pretty hilarious since he wears a robe and he was very scandalous.

[00:43:30] And it was selling that booth was selling like hotcakes for them.

[00:43:35] Yeah.

[00:43:36] But there's some cool stuff.

[00:43:38] And then it was always awkward in the artist's alley, though, because like you make eye contact with the vendor and you kind of like in a sub vendor that has no one in front of their booth.

[00:43:47] And like you feel bad.

[00:43:49] So you say something.

[00:43:51] But then like you're like, but I don't want to buy anything.

[00:43:54] I'm so sorry.

[00:43:56] You just say I just felt bad that no one was here.

[00:43:59] I just walk by and don't acknowledge them.

[00:44:01] I know. But I feel bad.

[00:44:03] I feel bad.

[00:44:04] And I want them to be happy.

[00:44:05] Well, I'd feel worse giving them that false sense of hope, to be honest.

[00:44:09] Yeah, that is true.

[00:44:12] But a lot of walking in a little sip break.

[00:44:15] We were like, we end up we got there, I think around like nine and we didn't leave until about like five.

[00:44:23] Um, and on the train back.

[00:44:27] Oh, you forgot the you forgot to talk about how they were announcing over the Eatercom that you don't touch the cosplayers.

[00:44:35] They always announced that but they had to keep announcing it which is they never used to announce it

[00:44:40] They used to just have signs everywhere

[00:44:44] Consent yeah, that was being announced quite a bit and I did see some like there's some cosplays where I was like

[00:44:51] I mean good for you

[00:44:52] But I could not have my butt that exposed like there was one girl who like I think she was in a what was it?

[00:45:00] From

[00:45:02] Which it was a really cool cosplay, but I was like, holy cheeks. Um, it was

[00:45:12] Kill a kill

[00:45:14] That's the one with the fabric the outfit the

[00:45:19] school uniform that turns into a super suit and she was the

[00:45:23] Shorter hair one. All right. Okay. Yeah, she was Ryoka and

[00:45:28] Yeah, it was a very accurate cosplay but I was like I would not feel comfortable with my butt that out

[00:45:36] Wouldn't um, there's a couple like that. I'm like more power to you, but no, thank you

[00:45:43] So

[00:45:45] What was your oh my like?

[00:45:47] Channeling your inner mom just like you saw one cosplay and all you could say was oh my

[00:45:51] Well, I'd say those were a little oh my cuz you were just like but um

[00:45:55] But I mean there was a couple what I always love when like just a grown adult men cosplays Anya

[00:46:03] That's a thing. It's

[00:46:05] So funny

[00:46:06] The best part is is when it's like they literally just put it on and then they just wear normal clothes underneath

[00:46:11] Like there's this guy who's just wearing jeans and like a t-shirt

[00:46:15] But just had the on your dress over in the wig

[00:46:18] But then was walking around with a backpack and I was like it just it looks so stupid

[00:46:23] My favorite are the ones that don't that don't wear the jeans and they're just straight-up work on his school uniform

[00:46:32] Female Anya, I think all of them were grown men

[00:46:36] Well, the best one I ever saw just cuz it was like it was like hilarious

[00:46:39] how shocking it was was a this is that Rhode Island comic-con but there was a your cosplayer that walked by and

[00:46:47] This was a very

[00:46:49] effeminate looking man from behind

[00:46:52] And I was like, that's a nice your cosplay and then she turned they turned around and beard and I was like

[00:46:59] Yeah, I was like you rocket sir

[00:47:03] Was like oh my that's uh, I'm like hey he rocks it well, I guess

[00:47:08] Yes. Oh and uh

[00:47:11] For well for guests one of them was a baby beard

[00:47:15] which was this guy in a maid outfit with a beard in

[00:47:20] Two girls and made outfits. I was like that's fun. But uh for other guests though, they did have um

[00:47:30] I'm brain-finding Queen B Queen B was there who does the out who's like pretty new to the anime outros and stuff

[00:47:37] But she did the outro for um, they they did the outro

[00:47:41] I think he act I don't know they I'm gonna say they just say singer is definitely more masculine

[00:47:48] Yeah, I'm not sure so I'm just gonna go with they to be

[00:47:53] Say um, just cuz I'm not sure and I don't want to

[00:47:57] assume

[00:47:58] but they were doing me great and

[00:48:01] They weren't performing but they were doing a sign and like a sign thing in a Q&A which was pretty cool

[00:48:08] Cuz I really love their music. I mean we both love the outro for Oh Shinoko. So

[00:48:15] That was pretty cool

[00:48:17] but

[00:48:19] Yeah, and after that we hung out a bit more and then we that tiredness had us all and we were like

[00:48:26] All right. It's time to go. You can only convention. You can only convention shuffles

[00:48:32] And that's what it's in the artist alley, especially we were shuffling and my hips were hurting I was like

[00:48:41] And it was it was good she had a lot of fun though for her first that was her first convention ever

[00:48:46] Which was a pretty big one to start out. So

[00:48:48] She was overwhelmed at times, but she had a good time and that's what really matters

[00:48:53] We took the train back and again lots of staring especially because like as we got closer to her place

[00:49:00] the less cosplayers and like

[00:49:02] Well, the best is when they ask you are you cosplaying your responses? No, no, I just wear this normally

[00:49:09] No, I don't really talk to us though. Um

[00:49:11] There was a man who was freestyle rapping though on the train back which was pretty interesting he did an okay job

[00:49:18] He wasn't bothering anyone. Well, he wasn't I mean he might have been but he wasn't bothering me. So I didn't care

[00:49:26] Well, yeah, but the best part was is

[00:49:29] So when we were walking there we cut through this park like this playground and no one was there

[00:49:34] Well, we were coming back and we went to cut through it again

[00:49:37] There was a lot of chill everyone was there everyone was there so we had to walk around

[00:49:42] And go a lot farther like our shit Alex looked in and went you children. Yes, that is exactly what I did

[00:49:50] Um, and then we ended walking back and then I ate a quick little snacky snacky before I left and I drove back home

[00:49:58] And then

[00:50:01] Yes to see my ingrate who begged for food even though I knew bill fed her already cuz she's a twerp, um

[00:50:09] But

[00:50:10] The next day was Easter

[00:50:14] Which Bill can comment and narrate the story of go

[00:50:18] Not much to say we went home to visit our family for Easter and we finally get to see our mom's cat

[00:50:24] We did it she was so cute and she let me pet her which was fun

[00:50:29] And but she ran and hid but I knew that was gonna happen cuz you know strangers

[00:50:35] You

[00:50:37] Think you will happen. You got your Easter basket. You got Jenga. Have you played Jenga?

[00:50:41] No, that's actually sitting over in the corner there

[00:50:45] Let me see it. No, it's it's like

[00:50:49] It's not close enough. It's not close enough

[00:50:53] It's not close enough for me to get that's all i'm gonna say how

[00:50:58] fucking

[00:50:59] Dare you?

[00:51:01] Dare you if you want to play Jenga turn around?

[00:51:09] I forgot that was there. Uh, yeah, but we

[00:51:13] Went home for Easter bill drove which was great because I was very tired from driving

[00:51:19] To

[00:51:23] Boston but the drive wasn't too bad. It was pretty much just straight the 90

[00:51:28] On yeah and took nine

[00:51:30] to

[00:51:31] Back home, which was wasn't too bad

[00:51:34] um

[00:51:37] Yeah

[00:51:38] When we came home and then we left

[00:51:41] Yep

[00:51:41] Well, no, we came home ate some good food. I tried a wig on

[00:51:46] You were there for that, yep, and then and then

[00:51:55] We went home

[00:51:57] Which was it was good. It was fun visiting home, but also then we had to go to work on monday, but

[00:52:04] Closing thoughts my review of anime boston

[00:52:08] Honestly, I will say

[00:52:10] Definitely was a lot more fun when it wasn't as

[00:52:15] Popular I guess you could say as anime is now when it wasn't as crowded

[00:52:20] Because even though they did

[00:52:22] So they actually did close doors and they weren't letting people in

[00:52:27] After a certain point because they had too many people and

[00:52:30] That is one thing I will say they did do that this time because the last time they did not do that

[00:52:34] And you could not walk so at least they were enforcing. Oh if anything bad happened that year, it would have been a disaster

[00:52:41] Oh, yeah, it's really bad

[00:52:43] But they were enforcing it which was good, but still like I don't know

[00:52:47] I just feel like there's so much more crowded than they used to be

[00:52:51] And for two previous years we went we're not we're near that as bad

[00:52:56] No, yeah in but I mean, I think that's more of a result of like just

[00:53:02] Boston is a big city and anime has gotten progressively more popular and it's just kind of

[00:53:09] Happens now, it's like

[00:53:11] Comic-con regular like I'm sure they weren't as big as when they first started and now that it's become more mainstream

[00:53:19] It's just grown a lot bigger and I just don't think we'll ever get back to you know

[00:53:23] How those old ones were but I still had a good time

[00:53:26] I think though the strategic plan would be to go on Friday

[00:53:32] Do your shopping that day when there's never nearly as many people in the world

[00:53:36] There's never nearly as many people because not everyone can get off on a Friday and go to a con and then

[00:53:43] Saturday you spend for

[00:53:45] Cosplaying and stuff but buy your shit Friday and then cosplay Saturday and then boom

[00:53:52] And I feel like that's kind of with cons in general. That's usually the way to go is like

[00:53:57] plan one is your

[00:53:59] Cosplay like just walking around day and then plan was you're like, okay. I'm here to shop

[00:54:04] That is my goal day. So yeah, I think also too the the other major

[00:54:10] thing that kind of made uh

[00:54:12] The lat the previous in a boston suck was the overly draconian fucking covid policies

[00:54:21] Yeah, especially considering the time frame

[00:54:24] Yeah

[00:54:26] And there was definitely

[00:54:27] I mean covid's pretty much over at this point. Um

[00:54:32] There wasn't anything like that so

[00:54:35] Um, I mean let's be fair. It was kind of over the last time we went to

[00:54:40] No, yeah, because going from the convention to the mall and seeing the fucking like

[00:54:46] Nobody like it was almost like a different world

[00:54:50] Yeah, or just going from the convention just walking outside just being oh, okay

[00:54:54] Uh, yeah, so that that was definitely nice

[00:54:58] Have fun and I would go again, but I would probably do the planet out of like, okay

[00:55:03] Doing my shopping on friday, and then i'm gonna go and cosplay on saturday

[00:55:09] Yeah

[00:55:10] yeah

[00:55:12] What do you think would you after hearing about my my time? Would you want to go?

[00:55:18] uh depends on the time frame when it is and uh

[00:55:23] Uh how

[00:55:24] Rough traveling would be well, I guess if in a perfect world if you didn't have to worry about any of that

[00:55:30] Based on my experience. Would you go?

[00:55:33] Yeah, probably okay

[00:55:35] good to know

[00:55:37] maybe next year

[00:55:39] I'm just so i'm just I hate traveling now. So it's like

[00:55:42] No, i'm with you

[00:55:44] I I mean, hey you're traveling later this month

[00:55:47] Yeah, that's different though. That's for an event like that's not for a convention

[00:55:52] Yeah, and that's like that's that's like my once a year trip like that's not like

[00:55:59] Like i'm still trying to go into like a new york

[00:56:02] Anime con at some point. I just feel like it'd be fun to experience once

[00:56:07] I don't know

[00:56:09] New york just kind of scares me. I'm not gonna lie

[00:56:12] You've never been well, you've been once

[00:56:16] Yes, once in high school

[00:56:19] And it was miserable yeah in middle school actually not even high school middle school

[00:56:26] So i'd rather go to like new york

[00:56:28] I don't know. I don't like new york. I'd rather go to like one of those big conventions

[00:56:32] Like I want to go down to like one of the philadelphia conventions at some point

[00:56:35] Okay, i'd be also willing to do that. Like is that where pax is?

[00:56:40] Uh, that's where too many games pax is in boston. Oh, okay. Oh never mind. Uh

[00:56:45] But

[00:56:46] Yeah, I'd like to do too many games or something. There's also magfest is a big one that everyone brings up. I've been curious about

[00:56:55] And i'd like to do the rood island anime con because we didn't do that last year and i'd like to give that one a shot

[00:57:01] Yeah

[00:57:02] I mean I just i'm spoiled by the fact that the heart that all the canadian conventions are in hartford

[00:57:06] Which is literally 20 minutes away from us. Yeah, it is pretty nice where we live in relation to

[00:57:12] Getting to the convention center

[00:57:14] Yeah, because like we can literally do

[00:57:17] We can go to retro world and sleep in our own beds every night in between because we're that close

[00:57:23] No, yeah

[00:57:25] But I would like to try and branch out and like visit some friends too that we've made. Yeah, it's just it's kind of

[00:57:31] Kind of scary to fly right now

[00:57:34] Why

[00:57:35] Because all the boeing's that are blowing up in the sky lately. Oh, yeah

[00:57:40] Don't want to think about that

[00:57:43] Especially it's

[00:57:45] It's just kind of scary because it's happening like on a weekly basis right now

[00:57:49] Yeah, that's scary. Especially because like boeing's supposed to have really great manufacturing processes

[00:57:57] Really wrong. Yeah, you didn't hear about the whistleblower. Did you?

[00:58:00] No, I didn't there was a whistleblower that that basically leaked

[00:58:05] That they've been like quality standards have been shit for years and they've been using like scrap metal on planes

[00:58:11] And he yeah, and he mysteriously turned up dead a couple days later

[00:58:17] That's scary

[00:58:19] Yeah, that was a big story. I was going around my god. Was there like an investigation into like boeing?

[00:58:27] I don't know yet. I haven't followed it any deeper than that. I just remember seeing the

[00:58:32] Yeah

[00:58:33] I want to scary. I want to fly on airbuses going forward

[00:58:37] Yeah, if you can help it or at least make sure it's not a 747 max

[00:58:42] Yeah, still

[00:58:44] Well, the max is the one that's having all the problems

[00:58:47] Okay

[00:58:50] Yeah

[00:58:52] But anyways ending on that morbid note

[00:58:56] Once again guys, thanks for joining did you just like throw up in your mouth?

[00:59:00] Yes, I looked at you and I couldn't help it

[00:59:03] Yes, I looked at you and I couldn't help it

[00:59:06] Just kidding. I didn't throw up. I didn't throw up. I'm sorry

[00:59:09] That was mean but you walked into it so I had to you made like a you made like an ick sound

[00:59:15] I did

[00:59:16] Yeah

[00:59:19] Maybe I am maybe i'm going insane. Well, I already knew that

[00:59:24] Oh, you didn't call me on my glasses. Do you like my glasses? I picked them up for you

[00:59:30] Yeah, but you didn't see them

[00:59:32] I saw them check them while I was there and you wore them to thanksgiving. Oh, yeah

[00:59:37] Oh, yeah, I forgot

[00:59:39] We've already had this conversation

[00:59:42] But yeah anyways guys, yes, I did and i'm not gonna acknowledge it um picked up on the mic. Yes

[00:59:52] Jesus christ

[00:59:53] Um anyways guys once again, thanks for joining us on the gaming collecting podcast game collecting podcast giving fun at all your major podcasting platforms

[01:00:02] Alex is insane in the corner

[01:00:05] I'm making duck noises

[01:00:09] Are we gonna mute you so I can do my outro how fucking dare you you better not you better not don't you dare mute me

[01:00:15] Don't you?

[01:00:20] How fucking did you

[01:00:23] How fucking did you

[01:00:26] Anyways guys

[01:00:28] Sure, you are

[01:00:29] Uh, you can find all of our links at linktree slash the barber who games and you can join the gnt podcast network discord server

[01:00:35] Where you can

[01:00:36] Don't do this as a bully

[01:00:39] I do bully amazon all the time

[01:00:43] And with that everybody we will see you all later no you won't because this is a podcast you can't see

[01:00:51] We'll hear you all later. That's what you gotta say, you know just for that. I'm gonna post a video

[01:00:59] You