Fun With Finny: March 2012

Hyper Japan decided that after the runaway success it had Summer 2011 that it would be held again in the Spring, this time in the much bigger venue of Earls Court (Brompton Hall).

I decided to attend on the Saturday and Sunday again like last time as these seem to be the days (the Saturday especially) that are busier, more exciting and more full of fun things to see and do!

Travelling alone in Lolita is always an experience, and I was very happy I got no trouble on the train. One woman with her kids even kept taking my picture which was a little taster of what was to come. One thing I like about these events are that if you are dressed up, you are like a mini celebrity for the day. Everyone at the event was really nice about asking for pictures and you don’t mind when the odd sneaky one is taken as you can have fun looking for them on the internet later.

The queue was very short (on Saturday I had general entry) and I got in with only a few minutes of waiting. Inside was already buzzing with activity, and after meeting my friends who I hadn’t seen for a while, I went with Scarlett and her friends to watch Natsuko Aso perform. Natsuko (or Naa-chan as she made us call her) was very bubbly, cute and charismatic. She sung her songs that were used for the endidngs of various animes, dancing and involving the audience as she went. My personal favourite was Diamond Star. As entertaining as she was, the spotlight was also shared by a group of her male fans doing Wota Gei (a kind of support to idols involving chants, and basic dance moves) complete with glow sticks and good old fashioned Otaku enthusiasm :D I have to admit I joined in with the arm waving and shouting “HEY!”, and also joined in Naa-chan’s finale dance. Her clothes were gorgeous – the petticoat she wore as a skirt had so much poof and I really loved her white boots with a slight heel!

Next was general milling around. I had a mini slot on the Nico Nico Douga live streaming which was a lot of fun and had some really sweet comments from Japan calling me pretty and cute, and some crazier ones like “Be my waifu!” and “What colour are your panties?” Someone answered “PURE WHITE PANTSU” which made me laugh a lot XD

Most of my friends were in the Frills And Frolics fashion show which on the Saturday showcased the more sweet and cute types of Japanese fashion such as Sweet, Country and Classic Lolita, Otome, Mori Girl, Decora, Fairy Kei, Gyaru and Punk Lolita. It was good to see some guys up there as well strutting their stuff and at the end of the show everyone in Japanese Street Fashion was asked to come up on stage for photos and the chance to win prizes. Apart from the rude lady behind me, it was great to be surrounded by so many Lolitas :D

After this I did a spot of shopping as the queues for food were still waaaay too long >_< I visited the Lolita Bring And Buy where Scarlett was eyeing a Macaroon Print skirt whilst we waited in the long line to the clothes. I didn’t get any clothing items, but I did get two fluffy hearts which I had been looking for a long time. Other fuzzies I bought involved the awesome items from Little Mizz Kitty where I got a fluffy/fuzzy star and bow. There were other really cool necklaces (my friend Jess got a pink and purple cute skull chain) and brooches, but I spent some more of my money on the stall shared with LMK, called Little Miss Mann. Here were more Gothic items. With the popularity of bones and body part prints and accessories rising after the success of Kyary Pamu Pamu’s PonPonPon video (did I mention I know the guy who created the background for that music video?) these accessories were in high demand. Eyeball rings and skeleton pendants were cleverly displayed but I got a black bow with bone detail (it reminded me of a dogs bone J ) and Jess got a skeletal hand and bow brooch.

Other awesome stalls included Bunny De Coeur, the quirky but cool (and expensive) Cyberdog, Roxie Sweetheart, Deer Oh Deer, the amazing handmade hair accessories of Now, Voyager and the sweet, super Kawaii items of Tofu Cute. I got a pudding ring and a cupcake necklace from two stalls who I don’t think have a brand name but were really sweet just the same.

I had a fun time collecting packs of free tissues, entering competitions to win a sewing kit, trips to Japan, a handmade skirt and designing an edame bean to win a hamper. I loved listening to the great music of Masa-Kun the violinist and Hibiki Ichikawa, Britain’s only professional shamisen player who also performed with his students, an enka singer and showed his own composition with a very skilled drummer. Unfortunately, there were a lot of people standing up and crowding around the small stage. One of my only criticisms of the event was that the stage and the stages seating area was still very small.

At last the food queues had gone down (slightly) and I had some yakisoba on the floor as the tables were full of people, some not even eating but having a rest. It was delicious and to finish it off I had a pink chocolate covered banana with sprinkles. Some very sweet Japanese ladies took some pictures of me eating it as they thought it looked ‘kawaii’. They were ever so lovely, but the pictures themselves are probably really unflattering XD

I watched the Cosplay parades and selections for the English representatives being chosen for the World Cosplay Summit and the European Cosplay gathering (both groups and individual) from afar as there were so many people T_T What I could see of the performances though was really interesting and the winners all thoroughly deserved their prizes as there was some amazing costumes and skits.

Sunday rolled around, and I arrived early and got in without waiting as I was on the Lolita Bring And Buy Stall! Volunteering meant that I got to meet new people, got free entry, got first pick of the items and got a free vegetarian bento lunch! Performances by Beckii Cruel (other YouTube users such as Venus (VenusAngelic) and Kelsey (KimonoTime) were also around that day) and the more Gothic Focussed Lolita Fashion show kicked off the day, and then after a quiet three hours on the Lolita B&B I hung out with the other finalists of the Kawaii Star Of The Year 2011; Nazia and Scarlett. We had a great laugh.

I tried on the robotic Neko Mimi which are supposed to sense your brain waves and move accordingly. They were so cute and twitched when I had different emotions and facial expressions. They were such a clever gadget! I looked at all of the amazing (but expensive) kimonos; furisodes and yukatas alike. The obi belts, tabi socks and other accessories were just as amazing, and if I had the money I would have gone on an absolute spree! I loved in particular the orange, green and dark blue furisodes. In the corner, Kimono De Go were dressing people up and taking their picture for a reasonable price in either a kimono or… a ninja suit XD Great stuff.

Another thing I didn’t do the previous day was have a shaved ice as they had sold out before! At Nice Ice there were many flavours but I played it safe with Strawberry. Both Scarlett and I enjoyed playing with the moving toys including a Totoro, a cat and mouse and a cat in a crate moneybox whilst we waited. The ice was the most delicious thing I tasted all weekend! It was gloriously fruity with real strawberry chunks on top, and the flavours of strawberries and even cream were prominent.

I enjoyed golden chestnut ice cream, a vanilla filled biscuit and dorayaki as well. Munching on them as I wandered about taking pictures, having pictures taken and giving interviews and talking with press about what I was wearing. It was great fun! I even saw an article in Cosplayer magazine about last years Hyper Japan in Spanish with a massive picture of me giving out origami during the KSOTY. There was also video footage of me dancing being shown which was pretty cool :D

I also met the ladies who had provided us with the Yukatas we used and they recognised me which was lovely J Overall I was amazed at the support and how many people who remembered me and my performance; it was very touching.

I took a little trip around the Baby, The Stars Shine Bright stall. I love the Lolita items that they and Alice And The Pirates create, but it is all so expensive! I also paid a visit to the Third Window Films and J-Books stands buying a DVD to add to my growing collection of Japanese cinema.

The day ended with the announcement of who won the sushi contest; I didn’t try the food but from what I saw of the presentation and other peoples comments, entry number five, Dragons Volcano was a worthy winner!.

After that, it was time to head home. All of the game TVs were switched off and the Nico Nico Douga live streaming presenters said goodbye. An announcement said the venue would shut in five minutes and I headed out… only to bump into friends who I couldn’t find during the whole event! Typical. They were cosplaying Ouran High School Host Club members and even gave me plastic roses which are now displayed in my room!

Needless to say, after my experiences last year, Hyper Japan will always have a special place in my heart. It is great to have a show that focuses on Japanese culture in general as there are now several that already focus on manga, anime and gaming. I felt really good in my Lolita clothes and had an absolute ball. This has fuelled my desire to visit Japan! I can only do my best!