Anime Weekend Atlanta 2013 - Sunday
The last day of the con was a pretty low-key event. We were a little late in getting out, so I missed the Kenshin movie that was being shown... though I was rather indifferent about seeing it, so I don't really mind. I bought that Wagnaria shirt I saw on Saturday while wasting some time in the Touhou room instead, before meeting up with the people who actually made it to the movie in time for lunch.
Pictures: https://caelk.shutterfly.com/pictures/1192
But honestly, there's not a lot to be said about what happened today. The only panel we attended was the Sayonara, AWA panel, where all four Japanese guests got together to share their thoughts on the con and answer a few questions. Iwata actually started off all of his answers declaring, "岩田です (I am Iwata)" in Japanese. Nobody really knew why, and I'll bet he didn't even know... but at about the third question, I think he kinda realized that, and took his time thinking of something else to say before answering. Kind of unconsciously then... just when I thought he'd have said it himself, it kinda rolled off my tongue: "岩田です (He's Iwata)" in Japanese. There was some laughter, followed by him saying to me, "言わせたな！ (You done told me, didn't you?!?)" It was pretty great.
The panel ended with everyone in the room getting together for a few group pictures with the guests before letting everyone out. It ended up being the last thing we did that day, as the line for the Vocaloid event was pretty long, and the only person who really wanted to go decided that she wouldn't want to wait in a line that long. So, we browsed the dealer's room one last time before heading out.
All in all, it was a great con, in large part due to the guest list. ZUN alone was worth the price of admission (and AWA is a fairly inexpensive con to go to), but all the Japanese guests had a fair measure of fame in their own right. As I said, the guest list really goes a long way in determining whether or not I go to a con, and for the first time in years, I went back to the Renaissance Waverly because AWA finally has started to shake off its past and grow as a convention. I never once walked around aimlessly in the dealer's room for a sheer lack of anything to do. I never once camped out in the gaming room because nothing was happening elsewhere. Yeah sure, the DDR tournaments aren't around anymore and the AMV contests have taken a back seat, but I have to say I enjoyed my time there. There were panels that I wanted to go to. I actually knew the musical acts and wanted to see them. WE GOT FRICKIN' ZUN.
Brings a smile to my face. Let's hope this trend continues.
