Fantazzztic!

What the fork! , This must be the only expression packed with hyperbole  that is capable  to make a dramatic exit outside my bucal cavity upon experiencing the not so ultimate gathering of the year called “Hero Nation 2009″ formerly Hanep Hataw sa Hero.

The venue is too small for a convention with sponsors. The estimated venue size is as big as the main building cinemas of SM North Edsa. At around 1-2 PM It came to the point wherein they stopped selling the tickets because the venue itself reached its maximum capacity, Because of this many spectators both cosplayers or not was left out in the long queues outside. Last year. They held the Hero Convention in the wide grounds of Silver City (behind Tiendisitas) in Pasig City wherein some spectators because of the space regarded the event as spacious and almost empty while this years event is the opposite (though not so accessible).

Aside from that there are no “affordable place” to eat for the masa within the vicinity, ironically the uber exaggerated elitist abs-cbn appointed security marshal’s doesn’t allow to bring food inside the “sardine’s can“. To the point where they want you to throw your  “packed foods”. Here’s a funny thing a “Youth gathering” near a “red light district” epic.

Most of the booths are those we saw from the recently conducted Mangaholix Manga Mania Convention 2009, ranging from Anime/Toys/Manga merchandises, J-POP fashion items up to the booths of their sponsors. Local Haruhi Cosplayer’s promoting Pocky anyone? AMA Computer college has a space to promote their curriculum for Robotics. RUN UP Information are there to promote LUNA ONLINE where you can get a 2 pcs of their posters and a CD-Installer after that there is a free play as usual.

There are plenty of  Food Stalls in the left side of the venue which is a bit “pricey” but you don’t have a choice but to buy them. The problem is “where the hell can you eat them!” As a close observation there are less people who buy some food inside the venue because there are no  freaking place to eat it! like i said earlier. Most of the booths are congested in the middle of the venues. The partition between the booth’s are too small it is around 1 meter The hallways are overcrowded because of the random photo shoots conducted by the spectators.  Which kind of reminds me of QUIAPO or DIVISORIA street vendors where there is a high risk of being violated (body motion FTW!) or worst mugged! It is actually hard to take a decent picture of a cosplayer because of the crowd. Since there are no place to sit in. Some spectators occupied half of the hallway space to sit in or leave their things. Leave their things? Yes there no baggage area. You must have someone to watch out for your things. If you’re alone, we’ll sorry.

Unlike the recently concluded Mangaholix Manga Mania  Convention 2009 aka M3CON the ventilation in A-venue is ‘Ugh” most probably you cant feel their AC because the venue was jam packed.

The “smart” crew of ABS-CBN are confident to leave their technical equipments such as wires/cords/cameras everywhere. Yes! those technical equipments are scattered all over the place and pretty visible in the eye of the spectators, Which in my opinion can easily be sabotaged without getting noticed or can cause injury and accidents. What if a wire sparked, caused fire in a jam packed event? oh brother!

Everybody loves the SECURITY Personnel’s  of this convention because of their strictness and exaggeration to the point wherein they do not allow a “Counter Terrorist” cosplayer to enter the venue because he looks like a “terrorist”. Yes they are capable of  harshly pushing back some cosplayer who wants to enter the cosplayer’s area because he forgot something. “tapos ka na bawal ka na pumasok dito!” epic.

The organizers are showing a sign of inconsistency by shouting or even having an argument in front of the cosplayers/spectators. Aside from the fact that they lack assignments, they are epically misinformed. A case wherein a staff claimed that the tickets are sold out although a huge roll of tickets are displayed in the ticket booth.

They provided the right side of the back stage for the cosplayer’s to stay however it is not spacious too accommodate at least 200+ cosplayers. Not all of the cosplayer’s can sit in this area. It is hard to go back and forth to the cosplayer’s area because it is way too crowded at the stage area.There are even no dressing rooms except for the female comfort room inside the cosplayer’’s area. Ironically you can only enter this area if you are on costume. It is hard to hear the person who briefs the cosplayer’s because of the sounds coming from the stage. There’s no such back-up equipment to use to brief the cosplayers. Foods and Drinks are not allowed inside the cosplayer’s area yet most of them are stuck in there for almost 2 hours. None would offer water for those people particularly cosplayers who wants to drink although there are display of foods and drinks inside the cosplayers area. WOW! Rule number 1“They must separate the staff and cosplayers area“.

The stage design is perfect, not too high, not too big, not too wide in my opinion which is a great advantage for group cosplays. The stage is inclined, It’s sandy and powder-ish causing other cosplayer’s to slip off.There are no stairs which is a great advantage for cosplayers.The catwalk is too small which is a great disadvantage for people who wears huge/bulky/mecha costumes to perform.There are no definite stage time for the cosplayer’s. Some cosplayer’s even performed a song number for a couple of minute while some other cosplayer’s are only allowed to project on stage for a couple of seconds.

I do not even want to voice out my suggestion as a con-goer on how can they improve this convention. It’s like they’ve been doing this for 5 years already! What on earth is happening with them? We’ll for me 2007 might be their best in doing this convention.

Now it’s time for some PIC SPAM!

The Pozy Girl’s cosplaying some Cubizone Game Character’s

A Chibi Belldandy from Ah My Goddess!

The little goddess striking a heavenly pose

Kawaii Gothic Lolita Girls

Paparazzi shot

The Maid Cafe nuff said.

Iba-san, Zaraki and a grown up Yachiru from Bleach!

Silent Hill Nurse, Coach Anzai from Slam Dunk and who’s that anyway?

Final Fantasy 7 Cosplay group! Gotta love Yuffie’s Weapon

Anya Alstreim from Code Geass.

Bring it on babeh!

Gundam Seed cosplay group by Chwibis.

Archangel of X-Men

Akatsuki from Naruto Cosplay Group

A fierce Silent Hill Nurse with her Patient

A Geisha

Sorceres from King of Kings 3 and Zhao Yun from Red Cliff

A con goer surrounded by beautiful ladies!

Zhao Yun mimicking the Yang family spear stance from Jinyong’s  legend of the condor heroes. oh look it’s Lacus Clyne !

Kurama from Yuyu Hakusho (Ghost Fighter )

Toshio from the grudge! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

The Free Hugs commitee

Cubizone Green Bag’s spotted.

BEST COSPLAY EBURRR in the EVENT IMO! LOL Noynoy Aquino (Photo from Playground Magazine)

More pictures can be seen here.

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1. Maki says:

   December 3, 2009 at 1:46 pm

   Agreed, Mangahollix was far better compared to this. Outside that heat sink was far better, some of the good cosplayers that werent able to enter were gathering in the streets up to night time.

   I think hero cutting down on costs? or just being arses
2. Mr.NG says:

   December 3, 2009 at 4:22 pm

   I do believe that they are somehow “experimenting”.
3. reimaru says:

   December 4, 2009 at 2:15 am

   this is the second time they are experimenting, last year the event had very few booths and a very spacious venue, and this year it’s the exact opposite and much more worse of all the events that i have attended

   luckily there was no incidents that happened there, like from their infamous Ultra stampede.

   it feels like abs-cbn is getting degraded year after year, now what will we expect for next year? outdoor event in a parking lot?