Review of MCM Expo May 22nd - 24th 2009 - A Cosplayers Experience

My Review of MCM Expo May 22nd - 24th 2009 - A Cosplayers Experience
Friday 22nd May
 
I'm going to start this the Friday before the actual Expo for one reason- the experience for me really started then. After months of preparation, the day I'd been waiting for all year finally arrived. I'd arranged for a group of people from my hometown to come along and so this day was the meeting up with people I hadn't seen for months, getting them all across London to the hotel we were staying in and generally getting all excited for the weekend. 
 
This was our first Expo, and the moment we stepped off the DLR at Custom House station you could already feel the atmosphere. Electric with some great sense of apprehension. By early evening we had noticed that some people were already in their cosplay outfits, and were headed over the bridge from the station towards the Excel centre and so it was decided that we would follow suit. Quickly throwing on our cosplays we decided to have a wonder. The long walkway across the bridge and towards the Excel centre felt to me heavy with each step, adrenaline was already pumping and even the strange looks from civilians as we passed them indicated that this was totally worthwhile. Every swing of the long sword I held and every small bounce of the armor I was wearing felt perfect. 
 
The Excel centre itself stood dormant and closed but we headed towards the top of the outside steps and peered down. There was a fairly big group of people all gathered around, all in their cosplay and casually meeting, greeting and chatting. Naturally not knowing any of these people I felt more nervous than ever walking down those steps. That was until we got half way down and some of the group at the bottom saw us apporaching.There was a loud shout of "Sephiroth!" and the floodgates opened. By the time I got to the bottom of the steps I had about a second before I was overcome, people hugging, smiling and complimenting the cosplay which had taken me in total of two years to get to look like it did. 
 
We only hung out there for a couple of hours before it got a little too cold and then headed back to the hotel. But what a way to begin this marvelous weekend, I couldn't wipe the smirk from my face. 
 
Saturday 23rd May
 
Despite that I wasn't at work, by 0700am I was already wide awake and enjoying a coffee in my hotel room and preparing for the hour or so it would take to get the cosplay to look ready. By 0900am we'd left the hotel and headed back to the Excel centre. The weather was scorching, I could tell already that by the end of the day I'd have cooked in all my leather. There was already a large congregation of people around even at that time. Anime characters, video game characters and even some sci-fi cosplays poured into the area from the pathway leading away from the centre, down the steps and off towards the street of hotels nearby. Not to mention the Uk Garrison were present with their stormtroopers, necromungers, preadtors and aliens to keep everyone entertained; even on their knees with blasters pointed at them! Everybody was stopping everybody for photos, posing with their favorites with all big grins and glistening eyes. Myself included. The photograph barrage had begun, roughly every five minutes or so there would be a new face to meet and then hold a pose for a camera lense! Most of my friends had gone inside to join the queue for entry but I was having so much fun outside in the sunshine with all the fantastic costumes that people were wearing that I did not even head into the centre until late morning. 
 
There was plenty to do inside the centre and the amount of people was something unbelieveable. You could meet various celebrities, nose around an enormous amount of stalls for merchandise, go and watch a show or talk at the stage they had set up and even try out the latest up-coming releases for console games. I would have probably paid more attention to all of this if every few steps I didn't have to stop, pose and smile or grimace at someone taking a picture but hey, if you don't want the attention wear normal clothes right? There was a cosplay masqerade (competition) also for people to enter but the rules are quite strict due to the limited places. Being that my cosplay is mostly commissioned work and hardly made entirely by myself this was an opportunity closed to me. 
 
However one thing I did do was participate in the "most people dressed as video game characters in one place" world record break attempt which took up the majority of my morning. I think the grand total was over 340 people or something, and we won the new record with it. No surprises there with the amount of cosplayers present. It's amazing to think that you contribute to something like that. 
 
All in all, Saturday was the largest day out of the two with the most people in attendance. I I was so starstruck by all the photographing it got to a point when I couldn't say no. Though it did make trying to go anywhere for a drink or for some food a little troublesome the majority of people wouldn't ask if they saw you were busy with something. I stayed at the Excel centre in full cosplay until late in the afternoon when we decided to head back to the hotel to prepare for the Expo's cosplay party on the Saturday night that we'd bought tickets for. 
 
This in itself should have been the most exciting part of the weekend, however i'm personally not one really for anime-pop/japanese music and that was all the music that was played. Nevertheless, a nice bar with drinks (if a bit pricy) is all good for making new friends whilst cosplaying. Hopefully this will be improved upon for October later this year.
 
Sunday 24th May
 
Sunday was very much a repeat of Saturday but with a few less people in attendance. Saying that the stall hall was still full of people and the atmosphere hadn't decayed at all. In fact I like to think of the Expo weekend as a large two days rolled into one because that's how it felt. 
 
I do have to admit that the wondering around aimlessly for me at least wore off by mid-afternoon. I spent a lot more time chatting to the new friends I'd made rather than walking around and showing off. 
 
However this didn't stop me from taking part in several photoshoots on Sunday. There were a great deal of professional and near-professional photographers around on both days but for some reason Sunday I seemed to encounter them more. Perhaps that might be due to not wondering around so much. Again, a heavy day of pictures of Sephiroth. It felt like I was royalty or something but then this was the reward for spending so much time and money on making, as I was told a few times, a very good cosplay. It was worth every hour. 
 
Overall, this weekend went by too fast. By the time we were all waiting outside for the replacement bus service (as the DLR was closed on Monday) people were in general coming down, looking forward to the next Expo but at the same time sad that this one was over. I am still never going to understand how I managed to survive on so little in the way of meals and drinks but I did it, and I will undoubtedly do it again. Back to real life in the weeks after, as you gradually find the pictures of you taken on the internet makes your stomach knot itself all up with pride. You came, you went and you left people with memories that will last.
 
Review By: Amie Withington