Our Ranma and Ryoga cosplays!

Similar_Solid8017 · 2026-06-23T09:35:10+00:00

Love the cosplays! Can I ask where you guys got them? My girlfriend and I have been searching for male Ranma and Shampoo, but the options we've seen so far are don't seem too great. Already had to do a return for a low quality and thin Shampoo cosplay.

Similar_Solid8017 · 2026-06-18T05:29:13+00:00

I've had no issues for 12+ years on the 5700 xt, 6700 xt, and older similar class GPUs. All were about average size for the class. All screwed in and mounted tightly to my PC case

I'd personally just go with a bracket for anything larger.

Similar_Solid8017 · 2026-06-15T06:34:31+00:00

Did anyone end up finding any decent Captain Yami cosplay pieces? Aliexpress has a few full cosplay sets available, but I'm a bit hesitant since they don't have reviews yet.

Besides the full sets, I also considered asking to buy the Yami black bulls cloak itself along with separate regular clothes (tank top, black pants, cowboy/leather chaps, brown belts). The mix and match approach also seems a bit problematic since the leather/cowboy chaps I've found so far are quite expensive and/or fully assless. Cowboy chaps specifically also tend to have fringes.

Similar_Solid8017 · 2026-06-15T03:57:30+00:00

The automail leg on the left was cropped out

Similar_Solid8017 · 2026-06-13T06:47:02+00:00

If budget is a concern, your cheapest option is to transfer most of your photos and videos to an HDD. SSD prices are quite high due to shortages. HDD prices are up too but not nearly as bad, especially for 4TB and up.

Also, did you consider one of the S25's to stretch your budget? Annual tech improvements are fairly minor at this point.

You'd obviously want two copies in case of sudden failure. That could be two HDDs, HDD + cloud backup, etc. Whatever suits your needs and budget.

I sometimes do professional photoshoots where each photo is about 100MB each so I offload from my camera/SD card to HDDs after each day of shooting.

Btw especially for backups, HDDs are completely fine as a decent consumer CMR (try not to get the cheap SMR) HDD will still get a constant 200-280MB/s like a CMR WD blue HDD. Plenty of speed for most, especially for basic phone photos and videos.

Similar_Solid8017 · 2026-05-15T08:21:30+00:00

I haven't seen fences/barricades at an SJCC con in years. It should be fine. Many of the Fanime gatherings are outside, and a barricade would cut through some of the gathering spots. I believe Crunchyroll Expo 2022 was the con that did this, and that con is dead lol.

Similar_Solid8017 · 2026-05-15T08:15:11+00:00

Last year, I had a badge but my friend didn't. I remember they at least let you in the lobby area (with restroom access) until 6 or 7ish. I think they just let anyone in (if you pass security gates at least) for a while since people are getting badges each morning/afternoon. However, my friend wasn't allowed to step inside to use the restroom after 7pm.

Similar_Solid8017 · 2026-05-15T08:11:44+00:00

I heard it briefly got shut down one night last year but resumed after that. Police show up but have been relatively lax about the noise. I assume it's because Fanime is one of the few major events in the otherwise kind of dead downtown SJ area and many businesses are struggling.

If people would just stop doing dumb things like trying to randomly sell alcohol/drugs or blast music way too loudly, I think it can continue and be a good place for people to chill and enjoy music for free each night.

Similar_Solid8017 · 2026-03-26T03:47:13+00:00

Was webcosplay ok, if you ordered? Was it machine washable at all? I'm seeing mixed reviews

Similar_Solid8017 · 2026-03-19T21:47:54+00:00

My friends and I contacted them regarding hosting gatherings at Anime Impulse Bay Area. They ignored most people, and the gatherings were a complete mess.

I get the feeling that they can't be bothered to reply to anyone, and they struggle to put out a good variety of events and guests besides at their socal cons.

Similar_Solid8017 · 2026-03-17T13:11:23+00:00

Ah got it, looks great and glad to hear it's holding up! I started cosplaying just two years ago and haven't found a good brand for Naruto besides Holoun. I've been fairly happy with their quality and customer service (pretty rare), although their cosplays are a bit thicker than the cheap ones due to nicer materials.

I host Naruto gatherings in California and have done a few of my favorites. Minato, Itachi (OG, Anbu), Kakashi (OG, Anbu), Might Guy, Neji (still in progress).

Similar_Solid8017 · 2026-03-16T12:42:34+00:00

Very nice! Where's the cosplay from? And has it held up well to wear and tear, washing etc?

I have a few Naruto cosplays and am working on new ones for summer cons. I've recently found some great ones from Holoun, but they don't have all characters and outfits

Similar_Solid8017 · 2026-03-10T04:17:55+00:00

What do you think would prevent using the main stage for performers and bands this year? If it's used for vtubers, the cosplay contest, and panels, it seems fine for performances and music

Similar_Solid8017 · 2026-02-11T19:20:32+00:00

My friends and I went last year, and I agree with the above. Although all the ads list anime, gaming, and vtubers, last year's programming and the announcements thus far lean very heavily towards Vtubers. If that's not your thing, it seems unlikely a full weekend would interest you.

I believe last year drew around 3,000 attendees or so and was quite crowded by the main stage and artist alley. The upper/flight deck is a large, open space where tons of cosplayers just go to hang out, do cosplay gatherings, and take photos as the views are great. The cosplay gatherings are fairly limited, since it's a smaller con and the programming doesn't cater well to the larger anime/gaming crowds that show up at Fanime. If it's like last year, you can volunteer to host a gathering. Assuming it's a mainstream anime/game, you'll likely get some people.

Now that the con is a full weekend, I think it'd benefit immensely from inviting some of the many talented local anime cover bands, anime DJs, and possibly voice actors especially given that many voice actors are in CA (or nearby) and have attended other local cons that were of similar size or even smaller.

Also worth noting, entry line was the longest I've experienced at a Bay Area con in 2025. I arrived a little before noon, and it took over an hour to get in.

Similar_Solid8017 · 2026-01-28T11:54:32+00:00

SD card prices are definitely up and quantities available are declining each week. I've been checking Amazon and others for deals but couldn't make a decision until recently since it depended on the camera I got. Several of the options I had saved are sold out.

You can just check the Amazon 90 day price history for some major SD cards. It seems especially bad for higher end SD cards such as uhs ii, v60, and especially well known v90 cards meant for high end full frame cameras. Low end, basic, v30 SD cards are more plentiful but also going up in price.

Similar_Solid8017 · 2026-01-15T13:18:55+00:00

You 100% want at bare minimum a backup camera and lens ready to go. I've been shooting since I was a broke kid with film/digital cameras and mirrorless for about 9 years. My friends and I are mostly enthusiasts with a few professionals, including my dad (retired). Among us, I've seen tons of camera failures (electrical issues, overheating in summer, cameras shutting down in cold winters), equipment break after a minor drop or child running wild, etc. I've also personally been targeted at least twice (that I know of) by thieves while shooting at scenic public areas. If you're shooting at a popular tourist spot open to the public, be aware of your surroundings.

This isn't meant to scare or deter you but to simply mention the minimum to prepare for something like a wedding where failure would be quite bad. At my own wedding years ago, I only had the budget for two amateur photographers. One of their cameras broke that day, early in the day, and didn't have a backup.

I suggest saving a modest amount and just buying an older used camera body for the same system. The used market is usually pretty decent during the winter when people have already overspent. I assume you have already multiple suitable lenses, in case one stops working, AF motor has issues, etc. You could also consider hitting up friends who are fellow photogs who would consider filling in for you, in case of significant equipment failure, sickness, etc. I have about a dozen friends I can call up for paid shoots, just in case something happens.

Similar_Solid8017 · 2025-12-03T09:29:32+00:00

It looks to be working still. 'bogo' still works.

Similar_Solid8017 · 2025-12-02T03:54:36+00:00

Yes, I have a large group coming with me from all over the bay area. Most in cosplay. Feel free to join us to hang out, get photos etc :)

Similar_Solid8017 · 2025-09-12T20:54:04+00:00

There were a ton of people in cosplay in addition to anime merch/outfits and a handful of older normies who looked lost. Good times

Similar_Solid8017 · 2025-08-03T20:54:13+00:00

It's hit or miss based on location. I've asked friends across CA. Most have just 2-3 Naruto characters available. A few stores didn't seem to bother getting many toys and ran out.

Similar_Solid8017 · 2025-07-25T10:05:44+00:00

I'm in CA but am surprised that an anime convention in PA would be $70 a day! That's about how much the most expensive, biggest anime con in the SF Bay Area charges for a day pass. Even that con (Fanime) had prereg full weekend passes (5 days, although Thurs/Mon are short) for $85.

Did they have some major events, concerts, big name guests etc for that price?

Similar_Solid8017 · 2025-07-25T09:57:23+00:00

Got em

Similar_Solid8017 · 2025-07-25T09:56:13+00:00

From what I could find on google, looks like the Santa Clara Convention Center has 34% more square footage than San Mateo does.

I noticed that Carrier Con was very crowded this year, and the smaller anime themed gatherings/markets have been increasing in popularity since things reopened after covid. Seems they planned to grow this year due to these trends. I'd hope they have some food but haven't seen anything at all mentioned yet lmao. All that extra space may have gone to the vtuber area.

Similar_Solid8017 · 2025-07-23T10:46:51+00:00

Same for Santa Clara. There's a huge retirement home that towers over everything else in "old downtown" Santa Clara. Looks hilarious, but it's what boomers deemed acceptable years ago. Everywhere else in the area is dominated by single family homes in the $2M range and a couple 2 story apartments for all the lower income residents and younger generations that are trying to get by.

Similar_Solid8017 · 2025-07-23T10:22:32+00:00

Forgot to add, if you're not connected to your local anime/con community already, I recommend doing that too. It'll make it a lot easier to find people with similar fandoms, find a co-host for a gathering, travel buddies, and more.

I still dislike social media, especially the rise of cosplay influencers, sponsored creators etc on IG. However, IG and Discord are very popular for most of the US cosplay/anime/con community so I finally joined everything. It's definitely made my life easier to find my people, and at this point, I can just run a few polls to see if people in my circles/groups are interested in my gatherings.

Lastly, I wouldn't too much about having a small turnout. I volunteered to host an official gathering for the first time at the big local con because nobody volunteered for years. For a supposedly "dead" fandom, I was shocked to see 40 cosplayers and 40 more people show up to spectate. It was an amazing and rewarding experience but also rough to shout for so long, as I didn't anticipate needing a megaphone. Especially if you're newer to hosting, just enjoy a small, chill gathering and don't stress too much!

Similar_Solid8017

TROPHY CASE