Tomodachi Fest 2012 Feature - Day 1: Hello Tomo!

Welcome, friends!

Ah Tomodachi Fest... The Boise Hotel & Conference Center recently played host to the fifth iteration of Tomodachi Fest, a convention that its official website describes as "[an] annual anime convention that focuses on all aspects of anime, manga, cinema, gaming, and Japanese and Asian pop culture!"

I, being the arts & entertainment journalist that I am, just had to make my way to my first Tomodachi Fest. I had previously covered Anime Oasis, Fandemonium, and FurIdaho right here on this very blog, but had never had the chance to venture to Tomodachi Fest. This year I wanted to change that.

Attendees register for the convention.

I was lucky enough to attend Tomodachi Fest 5 and take in the sights and sounds of con. Every convention story has a beginning, and mine, like most people's, starts at convention registration. I arrived at the Conference Center around noon on the 23, Tomo's first official day open, and proceeded to the registration desk in the main lobby of the Conference Center. I picked up my complimentary badge, checked into my hotel room, and was on my way. It's always nice when I can just pick up my badge and get underway without a lot of hassle, and Tomo's staff was very expedient in taking care of that for me.

Official bio photo for Adam? I think so.

I was sharing my room with radio DJ, convention MC, and buddy of mine Adam Britson, who had more Tomo experience than I. So while he was busy being the master of ceremonies for the convention, I had plenty of time to wander around, take photos, interview and generally pester the convention goers.

Colorful Cosplay: John from Homestuck!

My first real stop at the convention (ie, an event of some type) was opening ceremonies, a staple of conventions where all of the heady muckety-mucks of the convention bid us enter the main event area of the convention, sit down, and be informed about what the convention is all about. This year, as mentioned above, my good friend Adam would be playing MC for the convention, which means doing things like introducing guests, holding a microphone, and impersonating Michael Cera.

Chris Cason (left) and Chris Rager (right) answer fan questions.

Tomo, like any respectable anime convention, had its share of guests. Voice actors Chris Rager and Chris Cason of Dragon Ball Z fame were in attendance this year. Rager had previously attended the convention last year, while Cason had never even been to the gem state until the convention. Other guests included artist Newton Ewell, famous for his artwork for roleplaying games such as Dungeons and Dragons and Realmspace.

Tanglwyst de Holloway gives advice on getting published.

The V.I.P. guest of the year was author Tanglwyst de Holloway (aka Tonya Adolfson). Tangl has authored two books, Thine Enemy's Eyes and An Unpolished Gem, and has over 20 years of costuming/cosplay experience.

Chris Rager admires his work as Tomo's proud mascot Miu observes in the background.

Tomo attendees wait for con to officially begin.

All of the aforementioned guests were introduced with quite the fanfare from the crowd. In addition to event information and panel times and locations, there was a flash mob of Gangnam Style dancers that invaded just before ceremonies concluded. The ceremony was pretty high energy overall and I didn't feel like it dragged on too long or went too short, which is definitely something to be praised; inform your audience, entertain them, then let them loose.

Tomo style!

After closing ceremonies ended and the attendees disbursed, I made my rounds; taking pictures, asking questions, and getting to know some of the other attendees at the convention. I had already been to the Boise Hotel for my inaugural blog entry about FurIdaho, so I knew the lay of the land fairly well, which made for a much smoother journey this time.

Attendees peruse the various works on display in Artist's Alley.

As with any anime, sci-fi, or fantasy convention there were cosplayers; lots and lots of cosplayers. Naturally, I used my journalistic prowess to coax them into posing for a few pictures. And by journalistic prowess I mean approaching the subject in question, pointing at my camera, and sheepishly asking "Picture?". It really is a fool proof system. Completely.

In brightest day, in blackest night...

Very, as the kids say these days, kawaii desu.

Cobra!

(Click here for the full gallery of Day 1 pictures)

And of course, no convention worth its weight in pocky would be complete without my old nemesis: the Dealers' Room.

The Dealer's Room: Calm before the storm.

Now let me explain something, I have absolutely no hard feelings towards the dealers, the room, the merchandise -- NOTHING -- at any convention, ever. My only problem is, and I say this with a bit of shame, that I almost never buy anything. It's not that I'm broke all the time or that I don't see anything I like. For me, itt all comes down to the fact that I'm trying to get as many pictures and interviews as humanly possible, making business transactions a difficult prospect. Having said all that, I saw some pretty awesome stuff in "the room of making deals", and as a way to atone for my non-purchasing ways, I will display some of my favorites.

Aaaaadventure Time!

I tried to cram as many dolls into this shot as humanly possible.

Cats, bears, and pillow ladies!

Next year I vow to take the time to spend a little bit of cash in the Dealers' Room and Artist's Alley as well (will get to that in the next part). In any event, the biggest highlight of day one for me wasn't anything for sale or on display.

The highlight of my first evening at Tomodachi Fest came when I heard there was an event taking place where participants had to endure torturous, embarrassing, and possibly hilarious consequences in front of a live audience; the Batsu Games.

Chris Rager prepares his unfortunate victim.

The Batsu Games, which I believe translates to "Torture Games" from Japanese, is a game where two teams (one headed by Chris Cason, the other by Chris Rager) "compete" by drawing cards and seeing who has to suffer the unfortunate consequences that the card entails. Sometimes, the card will give the player a free pass and they will be spared, but most of the time at least one person has to suffer some unfortunate "torture", which is usually more comcical than painful. Such punishments included seeing contestants brushing with wasabi, having clothespins attached to their face, a battery to their tongue, a free lipstick makeover session (pictured above and below), and many more.

Adam watches as the makeover begins.

A satisfied customer.

Clothespins to the face.

Onion goggles.

Brushing with wasabi.

Despite the "torturous" nature of the event, which I believe the competitors had to sign a waiver for, it was all in good fun and it was entertaining for the audience which is the most important thing. I'm not sure if I would ever participate in the event, but its definitely something I plan on attending every year that I cover Tomo.

"Yes! Cry mortals!"

After the Batsu Games my day winded down and I returned to the hotel room for some rest. I hate having to go to sleep at conventions because I always feels like I'm going to miss something, but let me give some free advice for any future convention goers: SLEEP. Set an alarm if you have to so you don't miss anything, but for the love of whatever deity you may or may not believe in, SLEEP. Remember the old 6-2-1 rule: 6 hours of sleep, 2 real meals (i.e. not a candy bar and a soda), and at least 1 shower a day. Trust me; you'll have a much better convention experience.

COMING SOON: Day 2 - Swimsuit Contests, Panels, and Con Plague

What: Tomodachi Fest
When: November 23 - 25, 2012
Where: Boise Hotel & Conference Center
Official Website: TomodachiFest.com
Official Facebook: http://goo.gl/FteB1