Anime Boston

I loved this thread in the 2006 memories board so I wanted to start it again here. Basically share any stories of the weird looks you got or questions you got asked by any of the "Normal People" at the train station, mall or anywhere else.

My experiance was pretty tame. I was dressed as Alphonse Elric Human/Movie version so I only got a lot of stares. Nobody asked me any any questions Maybe they thought I was a Satanist or something!

Well, when you have pink hair, you're bound to get lots of stares..When we left the con on Sunday, we stopped at that McDonald's off the exits to get some food. Luckily there was a Shuichi Shindou and Chii cosplayer in there as well, and all the people in there eating were like "O_O" It was great. xD

I decided to visit the Copley mall, and I swear I got stopped 10 times. I was in my suigintou outfit, and people kept going, "Excuse me, what's going on? O_O" or "What convention is this, I see people dressed up?"

I explained as best I could...but they all had that same o_o expression on, haha.

Okay I was cosplaying as Yuna and my bf n I were sitting down on a bench in the Shearton down by the registration room. A woman with short grey hair, raspy voice, and a perplexed look asks me...

"What's the event this week? Whats is it?"

"Anime Boston"

" >_> _>"

"Japanese cartoons, video games, things like that..."

"Oh...are there drag queens?"

"Ummm...."

"No drag queens right?"

and then she just left...me and my bf sat there and silently agreed to not talk about it for the rst of the day..it was rather creepy!

My friends and I got a lot of weird looks. Especialy in the food corut, and on the street. we were dressed up as the Sailor Scouts (And Roy from FMA). And on Sunday I wore my blue wig (Didn't feel like wearing my costume, beacsue I was only there for a few minutes), a lot of people gave me weird looks. It was funny

You don't know fun until you've walked down a street in a really short Red mage costume. It's REALLY fun.

I think the best was when I kept retreating to the expensive garage across from the con to drop stuff off in my trunk. People kept stopping me in the street asking me why I had purple armor and a helmet on. I think they got werided out because I couldnt talk very well with the mask on so I kept getting really close to their ears to say something.

We were talking about our vacations in class today and one of the kids said he went to the mall on Sunday and was freaked out by all of the cosplayers. XD

I had the full Ouran group with me at the bus stop every morning, and on Saturday, my hairdresser ran across the street (we had our masquerade props in hand, they were signs) and was like "we wanted to know if you were war protesters, protesting the war in Japan or some- oh, hi!" Haha, she didn't recognize me until then... so I explained to her what we were doing.
(Also didn't know that there was a war in Japan.. haha.. silly hairdresser.)

Then later on the train that day, this lady leaned across to my friend, and was asking him what we were doing and such.. heh.

On the way back down I-95, we stopped at a Taco Bell for dinner. My GF walked ahead into the place while I helped my brother and my GF's sister get out of their things by the car.

My GF was pissed...on the way to the bathroom to wash her face, the people there thought she was a drag queen. I was pretty embarrassed, but I kind of agreed. I kept telling her it was a bad idea...but she never listens.

we were asked by a bunch of hobos on the street what we were doing and are costumes were good but w/ me saying "normal ppl give nightmares" whenever we left the con nobody wated to talk to me but the looks and stares were great XD.

my friend kept yelling at me friday for having my mask on the T, she said i looked like an idiot lol. Good thing she wasnt there on saturday and sunday when i actually had the costume and not just the mask.

All I'm going to say is that people assumed I was a terrorist....

Our Turk group went on the T to get to UMass. Nothing like an unbalanced Reno crashing into you because she lost balance to make you raise a few eyebrows

"What's going on?" Asked the clueless lady on the escalator to floor 2 of the Hynes Friday.
"You know what anime is?"
"...no."
"Japanese animation?"
"Yeah?"
"Well this is a huge gathering of fans of that."
"... ... oh." We reached the top, to reveal the long registration line. The look on her face...priceless.

I was walking out of the con Friday, crossing the street, when some guy ran up and asked "Where's the con?!"
"Um, it's that way..." Pointing diagonally across the street.
"Thanks!" He responded, and promptly charged across the crosswalk towards the Hynes.

People these days... XD

I was wearing a kilt. I was getting stares even in the convention. Kilts make everyone so damn curious.

Me:

Asian
Crew Cut
Glasses
Dressed like a Guardsman

I got more than a few weird looks.

I was in the Walgreens across the street wearing my state alchemist costume and this old couple came up to me and said, "Iran is horrible," out of nowhere. I gave them this "WTF?" look and said, "Yeah, sure," before running back to the con. I don't get what my costume had to do with Iran, but whatever. Crazy old people. At least they didn't say something like, "Grow up, cartoons are for kids," or "Those Chinese cartoons are Satan's work."

I walked down Newbury Street on Sunday as Nanao Ise from Bleach and was asked (by multiple people):

What convention was going on?
What martial art school I practiced at?
What was going on, followed by what is anime?
What religion do I belong to? (I was carrying a large German-English dictionary and the guy thought it was a bible O_o)

The last one made me smile the most

The T wasn't so bad because there were a bunch of other cosplayers heading back home from the convention at the same time.

[quote=InvaderFlak]Me:

Dressed like a Guardsman[/quote]
Death Korps of Krieg?

Or Armageddon Steel Legion. I couldn't find a good helmet that DIDN'T make me look like a Nazi. My avatar's the pic, 'twas sexy.

But after VT...I got some funny looks. Some people have a hard time telling between Chinese and Koreans, I tell you.

On Saturday, me and some friendx were in the food court eating lucnh, and Mariah and I had to go to the bathroom, and the one in the food court is closed, we ask the people as Legal Sea Foods if we can use theirs. We got plenty of stares walking through the place, but it what happened in the bathroom was hilarious XD While we were in the stalls:

Lady 1: Do you know what's going on around here?
Lady 2: Oh yeah... it's a con!
Lady 1: A... con?
Lady 2: Yeah, like... an anime convention, I think.
Lady 1: What's an anime?
Lady 2: It's like animation from Japan.
Lady 1: Like...?
Lady 2: It's like... it's... Pokemon!

Meanwhile, we're in the stalls trying not to crack up. And later I heard this woman talking on her phone in the mall:

Woman: You have to see this. I've been sitting in the food court for like an hour watching them. It's hilarious!

Then later we decided to go around asking people in the mall if they knew where the tennis courts were (we were cosplaying as Prince of Tennis) and we got plenty of funny looks XD

Yah me and my friends were getting a bunch of weird stares, especially after I got cat ears and some claws XD

you were cosplaying from prince of tennis? Who were you? I was Echizen Ryoma ^-^
you might have spotted me

I was Atobe, and I had an Eiji, Ryoma, Fuji, and Yuushi with me. Which Ryoma were you? There were a few XD

hahaha

Now thats proof your costume is really good XD
I have a few pics of you , you were great!

I got a lot of the "what's going on" speech from mallgoers and people at the hotel(and a lot of "how much does it cost to get in?"). >>; On Saturday shortly before I got bored of waiting for the KH luncheon photoshoot on the terrace of the food court, I heard the following being videotaped by a group of 3 boys:

Boy 1: So, we came home this weekend.
Boy 2: And then we get here and realize...
Together: *laying on the sarcasm* It's ANIME weekend.

My aunt works in the mall for an advertising company. XD She said they all got scared and she doesn't believe I'm a part of "that" crowd. She's requested pics and next year I have to visit her with friends in costume. Oh boy... this'll be fun. XD

Me and my friends were out getting food in town and myself and my friend Nikki both stayed in costume and we were both Twilight Princess Link. Well at one point a trolly comes back REALLY slow honking its horn and giong crazy bc of the yankees/red sox game. There was a strobe light and fog comnig off the trolly and everyone was drunk. lol. And then this one girl, had to be in her late 20s, shouts out to me and Nikki, "Hey Peter Pan!!! Get on the bus!!!!" And then me and Nikki look at each other and like, "okayyy...and thats not even a bus! Drunken weirdo."
HAHAHA

We had a few other random poeple, about my age or lil older (I'm 23) shout out that they loved the Legend of Zelda. which was cool.

Then the adult adults just gave us "wtf" stares. HA!!

I needed to meet someone at starbucks to get things ready for Saturday. So this only being my second year at AB I had no idea where some things were. Upon asking security where a starbucks was located he pointed me and 2 other people I was with all the way down the pavilion. Turns out that was the wrong place and we stood there in confusion for a good 5 minutes. And just before we were about to back track a group of people walked by us, one of them saying, "People in Boston are weird!"

Well I say to those not in crazy, cool, and or goofy costumes that walk through public places, you are the weird ones! Otakuz pwn youz all!!
muahahahaha!!

I got stopped so many times whenever we went out into the mall. People kept asking why there were so many people dressed up or what was going on. There's a convention center right there, you'd think they would assume it had something to do with that. Lol.

But it was funny to watch the normal people stare at us and other cosplayers. And of course, the cosplayers ended up staring at the normal people. There was plenty of gawking on both sides.

People thought I worked at the Sheraton when I woke up from my nap in the lobby on sunday. I was standing there and these 3 guys came up to me and asked where their rooms were.

Well since my hotel was about a mile away from the con when i walked to and back to the hotel i got tons of stares in the downtown boston area. Lol it was pretty funny and actually i took about 10 pics with random people who had no idea what i was and made a little kids day when i took a pic with him cause he knew i was kakashi. Oh and i walked by a night club in full costume with a horde of people outside hahaha imagine the looks on their faces lmao

oh and also every duck bus thing i saw when i was in costume and one of them a ton of people waved the the tour guide was saying something to me but i couldnt really hear all i heard was hey buddy u got a bus full of fans lol

I got a few annoying remarks at walgreens from the employees there. The worst part, I was dressed rather normally, no wig, just my Selphie dress.

When I was conducting a photoshoot, a group of french tourists took a picture with the cosplayers I was shooting. :3

Atobe? AH! That was you! I was with you guys for a bit on the second floor. When I saw you guys going up the escalator I was like: "ZOMG! Prince of Tennis cosplayers! I need a picture!"

My name was Andrea if you remember (The asian girl XD)

I basically got that reaction. People were talking loudly about freaks and what's going on and someone asked me if it was some sort of Harry Potter spinoff audition or something. o_0

I also added to their uneasiness... Everytime we passed a large group of non-congoers, I'd say loudly to my friend, "God, there are so many normal people here this weekend." in that tone you use, y'know, like, what're they doing here. XD That made people stare at me more.

Oh and in the parking garage/mall elevators I got a few stares, but not too many because most people were either con-goers or knew what was going on at that point.

Oh, I remember you!

Lol I was walking down to the food court to get a pizza to bring back to my group of friends in the masquerade line(where we'd been waiting for roughly 4 hours) and I walked by these two guys, one of whom said to the other "Dude, I'm gunna go jump one of the anime freaks."

I really wish he had, because that would have been pretty funny to watch play out. With any luck, it would have been a Cloud, or some other cosplay with a ridiculously huge weapon.

Seriously, some people are so stupid @_@.

With any luck, they would have picked one of the male-looking girl crossplayers, and get arrested for attempted bake a cake.

I don't think people are that stupid...who would try to take someone with a weapon, even if it was fake? My gun may have been fake, but ramming the PVC barrel into a face would have broken more than a few bones.

I walked into Walgreens and bought Tylenol because my wig cap was EATING MY BRAIN and the cashier justs asks me, "Anime con stressing you out?" It was kinda funny

some lady was asking us about the con
but the awkward thing was that she had this THICK eastern european accent
and my friend and I were trying to answer her...if only we could understand what exactly she was saying lol


I don't really mind people being perplexed as to the mass amount of people in cosplay
considering that not everyone knows about anime and the con, it seems plausible that they'd be shocked.
I guess its a matter of perspective

my friend actually got quite a few compliments for her costume (especially the wings)

Well, I was part of a Princess Tutu group, and all through the mall every time we passed a little girl she'd say something like "Look, mommy! It's a ballerina!" It was adorable. xD

We also had a French woman ask us what was going on... the first time knowing French has come in handy in real life.

Most of the people asking us what was happening were actually really nice, even the teenagers. There was a guy in the mall snapping pictures of everyone, I don't think he was even part of the con. xD

My dear, you don't know fun until you've skipped through Saks Fifth Avenue twice with a Zabuza cosplayer, remarking on how wobbly the swanky designer displays look and how fun it would be to smash through all of them. We got so very, very many dirty looks. ^__^ But the security guard hardly gave us a second glance, even with the giant sword.

Perhaps the best part was when we got to the elevators and these two devastatingly trendy blonde girls sort of flinched upon seeing us. One of them tipped her overpriced bug-eyed sunglasses down her nose, eying us warily, and half-whispered to the other, "Are we in the right place?" I turned to the others and we were all stifling fits of laughter until the pair made their way to the door (making a wide path around us, I might add). I nearly died, I swear.

[quote=maikan]Oh, I remember you![/quote]

yay! I didn't think I'd actually find you on the forum ^-^
I also wanted to know how the Prince of Tennis skit from the masquerade did, i didn't stay long enough for them to announce who won.

Also people, you don't know how weird it was walking with cat ears, a tail, claws, and a leash in Everett, MA. No one there knows what AB is, they just either think you're a prostitute or a street performer.

[quote=StopAllSadness][quote=maikan]Oh, I remember you![/quote]

yay! I didn't think I'd actually find you on the forum ^-^
I also wanted to know how the Prince of Tennis skit from the masquerade did, i didn't stay long enough for them to announce who won.

[/quote]

Lol, I kind of just wandered around here when I was bored. I'm glad I found you, though ^o^

I didn't stay for the awards either, but I think I read somewhere that they won the contest coordinator's award or something. Dunno, but they did win an award of some sort XD

I was often stopped by older women asking me what was going on.

A pair of them asked if the event was still going on (this was Friday) and I later saw them with badges. XD

Everyone of the people that asked me complimented on my Reira costume after. I guess they felt less intimidated asking me?

[quote=Anon_99]My dear, you don't know fun until you've skipped through Saks Fifth Avenue twice with a Zabuza cosplayer, remarking on how wobbly the swanky designer displays look and how fun it would be to smash through all of them. We got so very, very many dirty looks. ^__^ But the security guard hardly gave us a second glance, even with the giant sword.

Perhaps the best part was when we got to the elevators and these two devastatingly trendy blonde girls sort of flinched upon seeing us. One of them tipped her overpriced bug-eyed sunglasses down her nose, eying us warily, and half-whispered to the other, "Are we in the right place?" I turned to the others and we were all stifling fits of laughter until the pair made their way to the door (making a wide path around us, I might add). I nearly died, I swear.[/quote]


Oh my, yes! My fiancee and I, dressed as Naruto and Chii, went through Saks, and we were followed all the way through the strore. So I very loudly proclaimed it to be "Sucks Fifth Avenue"! Much fun.

i started a conversation about Naruto that these two people on the T had cus I was dressed as Kiba. and then the girl told me she liked my costume/akamaru

My experience wasn't too exciting. I had to leave Friday night after the Cherry Blossom Ball to go up to Andover (I had a test TOO EARLY Saturday morning) for the night & my bf asked me how the Con' was going. I've been trying to explain it to him for well over a year now. So I just pulled out my camera & stared flipping through the photos I had taken throughout the day. When we got to the photos of me & my friends getting ready for the Ball he looked & saw a photo of me with my friend dressed as (an awesome) "formal ball" Ed Elric. He said "Who's that guy you're with?" I just looked at him very calmly & said, "That's a girl." He got a little weirded out, but didn't say anything else. When I told her later she was pleased and shouted "YES! The crossplay is COMPLETE!!!"

i was asked by someone "Is there a movie coming out? Is that why everyone is dressed up?" So i just said "Yeah! The Grudge Three has come out!" Shes like "Oh is that French" I just stared at her and said... "Its Japanese..." =p

when we were walking to the con an old lady said "aww you guys look so cute" (note- we were dressed as bible black, and cammy) and at four in the morning on the streets a bunch of drunk guys were like "hey freaks." oh and some dude on the duck tours yelled out "yeah anime." we even got some weird hobo drunk man following us on the street screaming who knows what cause it didn't sound like an actual language. oh normal people. oh oh and we caught two real preppy looking college guys trying to sneak into the con...they got caught heheh

omg i saw that hobo too if i was any good at remembering strets i could tell u ware but i cant

and some ppl on the duck toors were taking our picture i couldnt tell if they were from the con or not but it looked like kakashi-sensi's hair or an old guy with long hair