LONDON MCM EXPO!!! May 2012

Behold! I am back!

Just in time to write a Blog Post about MCM Expo!
For those of you who are new to this Blog or don’t know what I’m talking about, MCM (which stands for Movies, Comics, Media) Expo is a large event featuring pop culture in the form of sci fi, comics, cult television series and manga and anime. 

If it sounds incredibly geeky, that’s probably because it is.

However, you are guaranteed a great time.

The one in London’s Exel Centre is held bi-annually on the last Friday, Saturday and Sunday of May and October. I’ve been going for a few years now; it stared with helping in the Japanese Language section, and then it became a regular thing.

One of the other notable points about MCM is the cosplay - imagine hundreds, even thousands of people dressed up as their favorite character from a comic, movie, TV show, manga, anime, pop group, the internet or even of their own creation, with the vast majority creating the costume themselves. My first MCM I felt out of place because I didn’t cosplay, and now I do it every time!

Their are some pretty big cosplay competitions and masquerades where costumes are shown off in order to win prizes and the chance to represent the UK at other events.

Anyway, this Expo started off rather dismally. The weather had decided to be rather awful and was grey, drizzly and overcast the whole day. Fortunately I had decided to make my costume weather suitable and it featured a yellow raincoat, white skinny jeans and boots. This ‘closet cosplay’ pretty much was able to blend in with society so I didn’t stick out too much traveling up to London on the train, although lugging my suitcase around was a bit cumbersome. My attempt at Emmy Altava from the Professor Layton franchise kind of made me feel like a secret agent, with the setting for the games being in London and all.

In the venue however (I shall skip the queueing part as it is always boring and long) it was rather toasty so you couldn’t really win either way. My friend Marisa had a great costume of Skyla (Pokemon Black & White) and was pretty cool (in temperature as well as looks) and kept on getting stopped for pictures with her Pidove plushie. 

My costume eventually got recognized (after a lot of: Are you Jane from Tarzan? NO!!!) and I rejoiced for many a minute. Then I realized I had to walk to the hotel and my voice was slowly going. 

Being ill is never fun, and being ill at a convention where you are in a stuffy room filled with people baking alive is a hundred times worse. But overall I think I had a great time, even if I did run out of tissues and had to use toilet paper.

It’s great to meet people with the same interests as you, and it was intensely liberating to speak about nerdy things with wild abandon to new found friends who are just as eager to discuss about their preferred fandoms over a lemonade.

My Saturday costume (Lucy from Fairy Tail) I made myself, but my Sunday one (Orihime from Bleach) was bought.

I went to the meet up and photoshoots of each series respectively and had a fun time meeting everyone and posing for pictures. On Sunday when the whole bleach group got together and posed for one picture, everyone in the vicinity decided to whip out their camera so we had to pose for much longer - even those with heavy weapons! XD

I got some posters, a few bits of candy, my favorite snack - Kakigori (flavored shaved ice with a selection of fruit, green tea or sweet toppings) from Nice Ice, some manga books, fuzzy fruit phone charms and a lovely photo of my home made costume.

Hopefully I’ll enjoy the coming Expo in October more as I will be of sound body, but once again, MCM hasn’t failed to delight and give me a fantastic mini holiday in the docklands.