Day 0: Previously On Anime Fest

Well those last 3 years since the last one went pretty anime…fast.

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Day 1: Takotical Espionage Operations

Sorry man, bus only goes at 1 pm. >:

Well then. Only one option here.

TO THE WALK.

Under the cloudy skies of a Thursday Kelana Jaya walkway, near the outskirts of its LRT station with buses stuck on rest duty for awhile, the path to Paradigm Mall lies ahead.

Dodge some cars, cross some bridges, and eventually the frontline of Paradigm Mall brings itself to you.

One simple showing of one’s personal vaccination certificate on a space wasting application on the phone grants entry into Paradigm Mall’s premises.

Like the unintended event ticket it is.

…that doesn’t cost a bomb or force you to plaster over your skin with water.

The time is now 1:15 pm, wonder how’s the…oh…

Never change, event backed by Comic Fiesta.

It’s the only Comic Relief this doomed country’s ever gonna have.

Sorry furniture/deadweight fairs in Mid Valley, this is what your general audience ironically simp for. Even on a Thursday.

A THURSDAY WORKDAY.

Hmm? Oh, so that’s what the Collector’s Gallery is for.

About 11 standing panels of Banpresto backed figures that cost less than 3 digits in retail…that’s more PTSD inducing that it seems.

Why is that?

…it’s…kind of the day job that pays the bills.

…sort of.

( ´･･)ﾉ(._.`).

Enough rambles about the day job, as other opportunities in the event await.

Like the godforsaken lines that’s obligatory even in the middle of this semi-not pandemic ‘endemic’.

It’s not an event unless someone or everyone’s lining up for something.

In this case, a booth that’s named after…one of the guests?

…huh…that’s confusing…questions for later.

Also, did that guy just look at the camera? D:

Speaking of things that should look at the camera…there’s nothing here.

Banana Boss huh?

…huh, wonder if the boss uses a Banana-shaped padlock to fight with. 🍌

Should check back later then.

“Oh hello, would you like some popcorn?”

A snow white looking cosplayer lady comes up with a basket of actual popcorn.

For what appears to be some booth for a…videogame that’s totally not ragging on Disney’s version of their princesses.

To answer the question, that depends. Does it come with drama? (OKAY NO. NONE OF THAT BOLLOCKS.)

But free food’s always a good thing to have. Event or not.

Speaking of free food.

“Hey hey, take a picture, get a free burger!”

What’s the catch?

“Just post and tag on Instagram. :D”

Deal. Let’s get this onto Insta-…

…WHAT DO YOU MEAN INSTAGRAM LITE DOESN’T UPLOAD PICS?!

Man F this Meta.

The game and the company. ╰（‵□′）╯

“Tako Tako.”

Oh hey Tako.

Least this is a better pic than the one running around Instagram.

Suddenly, a familiar phone ringtone blasted this short Day 1 visit open.

…yes?

…

WHAT?!

THE PACKAGE IS ALREADY HERE?! (╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻

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Day 2: The Quiet Storm

The time is now 9:55 am local time. Kelana Jaya LRT station.

Tactically speaking, exiting via the LRT’s front doors will drop you outside the staircase within the station.

Which are near the ticket counters to Rush B into before the buses stationed downstairs leave passengers in the dust.

…which they don’t because they start work 20 minutes later, OH COME ON.

Huh?

A bunch of cosplayers here this early?

One conversation later, a 2-buck taxi ride brought this temporary party to the outskirts of Paradigm Mall for Round 2 of Anime Fest.

High above the 1st floor overlooking the previously crowded overhead where armies of supposedly employed locals did their best to emulate a can of sardines, Tako the Tako watches over them.

To showcase nothing remarkable in this 10 am morning, where early attendees in the area aimlessly stroll around with literally nothing to do.

With some black coated booths still out of action temporarily.

Apparently it’s because the staff are picking up stock from their transports or something?

Makes sense, some stock’s worth more money than the cost to open a booth at a mall like this.

Oh? There’s tape at this Banana Boss place now…ah crap, is it because of that banana joke yesterday?! (╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻

What?

It’s not?

Oh, some smuchk hijacked the booth like the terrorists they are.

Hope they get their-…oh?

Nearby, one of the toy booths setting up shop were stuffing a cardboard box full of smaller flattened boxes…heh… (o゜▽゜)o☆

“Oh you want these? Sure.”

On this cardboard mountain whose remains need some dumping, time for a trip to the loading bay underground.

One short dumping trip later, a convenient elevator ride back up led to an encounter with the reason Tako was brought along for the trip. o.o

A shop boss associate who’s workplace happens to share the same name as a guest at the event.

Which apparently includes…

Selling TNT. (Or C4, Dynamite, Tactical Nuclear Warheads etc)

Legally.

…man the things passing popularity tells you about series you don’t have to get into.

Meanwhile, back at a familiar booth to farm free burger tickets with alt Instagram accounts.

Oh it’s the villain from Sonic.

…who turns into an actual egg.

…freaky yet surprisingly appealing.

What’s that? It’s okay to upload multiples but you need an alt account?

…

Hey, they said it. *Hides in website account*

Apart from toys, the middle concourse did had one strangely fitting booth for attendees that were going to swarm the place this weekend.

A cosplay shop owned by a…what’s the name of this person?

Miss J?

Oh cool.

A warehouse of props/wigs/costumes all without the baggage of dealing with the CCP’s version of Amazon.

Man, if only there’s something else to sho-…oh right!

There was that figure some lady brought in with a security escort earlier…which is…ah there!

A still Gundam figure whose name is too much homework to look into, right by an Ultraman Ribut SHF Figuarts figure with a price tag. (For people to ignore. It’s Malaysia, come on.)

But that cape in the wind though. :0

In contrast to a hard hitting robot from some unforeseen future.

Is a little shiba plushie. 😀

For 140 bucks?

…eh, someone will buy it for sure.

Apart from the bog standard merch booths everyone crowds into as though there’s no pandemic or something, was a…

Okay what.

Some media people interviewing this booth owner for stuff?

Probably some college assignment thing but…they have name tags with media on them.

…is this what Malaysian TV has become?

Not being RTM backed anymore?

Anyways. On the topic of something people would throw money to. (Probably)

The MyHolo TV booth, basically Malaysian based V-Tubers.

…that’s on the higher floor than the other V-Tubers in the country.

…and for 2 days longer to boot.

…

No wonder Hololive & Niji keep hosting auditions.

Oh hey the Banana Boss is here.

A boutique-esque booth of sorts, run by some notable folks in the community.

With some chess set of white losing horribly, that features Hakken.

…uh…Hakken, is the person a dude or a lady?

“She’s a lady.”

“Oh thank god, that clears things up.”

…wait, then does she own the shop called Hakken or…

<Insert bastard anime music here>

JEEZUS WTF.

Directly above the Banana Boss booth, was the biggest nightmare any mall concourse event had to endure.

A speaker.

Blaring music.

Well that’s it, someone oughta find that control room and waste whoever’s spamming all that tryhard music in an event where people are trying to have conversations! (╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻

There it is!

Wait, this isn’t the control room?

Then where the heck is that blasted music coming from?

…

…are they seriously suggesting that the mall’s haunted by anime music?

…

Not a bad being haunted downside.

Isn’t that right Tako?

“Tako Tako Tako.”

Tako says, “Use the following advice for the event’s next 3 days.”

You know someone’s not going to do that. 🤔

Oh and, bring the V1.

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Day 3: Event T.O.S (Tactically Organized Simping)

Another day, another Kelana Jaya LRT station buses going…nowhere.

Though, in the midst of this mad Saturday morning, you can usually tell if there’s an event based on one specific thing anyone can notice.

…cosplayers.

The same people tagging along a bus ride for a one-stop stop to the bus stop outside Paradigm Mall.

…or so they claim, as another ‘stop’ forced the passengers off to the mall’s other entrance underground.

Within the safety of this dead empty LG level hours before the mall’s opening, hides the nightmare that lies above.

Which, oh. This is the V-Tuber booth place right?

Wonder how they look li-…

…oh dear.

…man the locals REALLY hate developing local talent don’t they. >:

That’s talentcist.

Ah well, back upwards then floor by floor.

You know a mall’s primed for an event to flood its concrete floor pants, when the mall’s lighting is as dim as the country’s future.

With sale signs that seem to accurately reflect its audience.

On the same floor, was the Artist Alley hallway where scrambling art booth people get their stations ready for the oncoming horde.

Horde? What horde?

…ah right…the classic.

It’s not a Comic Fiesta backed event unless crowds are lining up hours before the event actually starts.

All for the common cause of.

Simping.

…hey, no judgy. (Even though it’s a bit funny how the booths are based next to a store called “Daboba”)

Surely this is the extent of the morning’s madness?

…maybe not as mad as the people lining for this other Hakken booth.

…there’s a morbid joke here somewhere, but that’s the floor beneath this floor.

Alternatively, another future pain in the ass alley for cosplayers await its future attendees to flood this place into a chokehold.

With…an art booth stationed here?

Wait, that looks familiar.

Questions for later.

But answered questions down below.

…man, with the way this Saturday’s looking, it’s a downward spiral to hell.

Oh well, off to breakfast.

Why not a double potato for the morni-…

KFC’s closed.

…didn’t they used to do breakfast menus?

Or did they stopped doing that because only the KL Sentral outlet gives customers pepper for its porridge.

Plan B then.

Which means it’s time for El CLASSIC.

CHILDREN’S CARD GAMES.

Children not included.

Even attendees know better than to get kids involved.

What do people think this place is? Malaysian Alabama?

After killing some time sending cardboard minions to their demise (As they do the same by bricking when you take them out to play with irl people), it was time to check out how the crowd stew is brewing.

Why do people expect any other result. (╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻

Hey, at least they’re getting the crowds in line to not cross the line.

…kind of convenient it’s on the same floors as the following:

Common Sense and ATMs.

A trait and money.

Two things pretty much everyone threw out the window for attending the event.

Oh? A text?

…

…apparently an old contact wants this side quest to acquire a Darling’s Photobook.

Well, there are ways to do this w/o having to line up. ;D

In the field, lines are the biggest hazard between having freedom to roam events and do your mission, whatever that is.

Using a simple trick of casually passing by a line on the side, you can help convince folks near the front waiting their turn to help pickup whatever photobook or A4 image you want to add to the collection.

It helps to cover the cost directly with cash. It helps even more if you happen to give them a tip for the service w/o suggesting it.

OI!

GET OFF THE NARRATOR MIC! (＃°Д°)

Meanwhile downstairs, the Artist Alley stroke begins with a baggage of cosplayers and attendees having to squeeze into what bondage must feel like.

Tight. Contained. A pain in the ass.

…that’s a weirdly specific analogy to compare it to.

…huh, it is strange that some retail stores are closed for some reason, adding to the intended traffic.

Wonder what’s going up upstairs?

A broken escalator now?

“Nah dawg, just some <Redacted incident because getting sued is not funny> happened.”

…huh.

Maybe people should wear slippers instead of shoes.

Or alternatively, shoes with no strings attached. Like puppets or contracts with the Russian Mob.

Jumpjet upstairs with the elevator it is.

As the elevators bring the mall’s blood rush of attendees up and down its fine overpriced premises, little did many realize…

…this event suddenly turned into a K-Pop concert.

Minus the dudes.

Let’s checklist:

• Squealing fangirls
• Phones raised to record
• Dude looking pretty boy (Who’s actually Hakken, the lady)

Yep, it checks out.

Oh look, she even has some Lion security detail, she should be fine.

Things only start going to sh*t when the squealing starts so, time to scramble.

Oh but before that.

It’s not an ACG event in a mall unless people are looking down on other people.

Both figuratively and literally.

Why do people keep doing that events again? It’s a nice view but come on, move your damn corpses or something.

…do people literally pay mall parking fees just to stand around and do nothing?

Yall do that already with your damn dayjobs.

Ok diss track done. RUN. (っ °Д °;)っ

The pursuit of ghostly rioters led to a salad themed Subway-esque bar, where some old contacts are preparing a…cake?

Oh it’s someone’s birthday.

That sounds fun.

Oh look a zombie.

The perfect metaphor for event attendees with legs.

…used by hacks who somehow, don’t seem to deserve them.

Speaking of undeserved…

…even during an event, Pizza Hut doesn’t serve people dining in?

Or it’s the other way around with people not wanting to…eat there…huh.

In less morbid stories, one last personal quest to rendezvous with a contact led to an interesting exchange about her friend’s kid.

…in an actual stroller.

…at an ACG event.

It’s still alive right?

“Yes, she’s asleep.”

She answered, as the future human being shuffled around the stroller.

A good sign for something planned for the future…soon.

Speaking of future, comes the ones backed by people attendees can count on.

Red Crescent staff stationed for the event doing their job to save the attendees from fainting.

Which, explains the wheelchairs running around the venue.

That’s neat.

As the day crawls to its eventual end, another Comic Fiesta ‘tradition’ comes back to light.

With people camping at the venue waiting for transport back.

Like the old days from Secondary school, only instead of subjects people are blackmailed into caring about, its exhaustion from attending events.

If only the traffic jam stroke wasn’t as severe.

Oh well, good thing walking to the station’s always an option.

…ah.

…right.

This is Kuala Lumpur.

On a day when things have gone well so far. D:

Ah well, back to the front.

Oh right, that odd duck booth in an area for cosplay booths.

Turns out this booth selling trinkets of fruit/flower shaped jewels also does Hololive EN merch.

The kind shared between two longtime friends as they work on this one gig together.

Which is a nice observation to wrap up Day 3’s crisis.

Hey.

At least someone at the Ramen restaurant’s having fun. (☞ﾟヮﾟ)☞

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Day 4: Transmission Interrupted

…we lost the camera.

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Day 5: The Story Continues?

My name is <Redacted>.

I used to do event coverage content, until…

“We lost the camera.”

*Comedic whistle here*

When you’ve lost your camera, you’ve got nothing.

No pictures, no proof, no practical material for stories.

You’re stuck with whatever PTSD induced from losing such a thing.

“Now what do we do?”

“Finish the job.”

<Insert rocking jingle here>

So you do whatever event work comes your way.

You rely on anything that can be of use to you.

A voice in the head that advises you, “We should shoot them.”

An old phone that used to report about you to the parents, “Ah you know parents, bunch of whiny little kids.”

Family too. “Hey, is that the siblings again?”

If you’re desperate.

“YOU LOST THE WHAT?!”

Bottom line.

Long as there’s an event story to cover till the end.

You’re not going anywhere.

…this is far from over.

*End Transmission?* (Story’s not over yet. Finale Monday.)

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Classified Secrets Here

For something being worked on for a year now. Enjoy it in the meantime. Public release later.

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Day 5: The Actual One

Let’s take stock.

Anime Fest at Paradigm Mall? Check.

Mad sized crowds of fangirls lining up early? Check.

Supposedly unemployed normies dicking around too? Check.

Camera? Ah…

…way to rub more salt in the wound. ( ´･･)ﾉ(._.`)

Still, the plan doesn’t change. If there is no camera and footage to shoot, then it’s time for some hunting.

Monster Hunting.

The kind that involves people with cameras who shouldn’t be having those.

Examples: (Seriously, F these people)

Apparently losing a camera to keep one’s sanity in check makes them find another hobby at events.

Which involves hunting ratsh*t attendees who think they have a birthright to cosplayer photos because they can take a shot.

…

…ok fine.

Despite the various mad self-indulgent old farts running amok the attendees, at least the actual people in line know where to draw the line.

The End of the Line for one of the guests anyways.

Besides, what kind of people are that stupid to get arrested by the cops?

What kind of dumbass could possibly do something this stupid?

…huh, that’s weird.

CF staff and the cops? Wonder what happened?

One inspection of the situation suggests some kind of containment formation, with mall security and some mall manager lady with a walkie talkie transmitting info around.

As they tried to take the elevator out, some nearby bros within the elevator area were confused as to what’s going on.

A simple hand signal to pull them out of that shituation was enough to signal them to get the F out of there, and give a rundown over what happened.

As it turns out, the culprit appears to be some schmuck running around the event asking cosplayers (Specifically ladies) to…uh…

Nail them to the wall?

Really? Who the F wrote this script?

What? It’s real? There’s even postings of this sh*t?

Huh.

…wonder why were they that stupid to wear the same outfit.

Oh well, let the cops sort this out.

…least that’s more likely to yield results than finding a camera on a Sunday backed holiday*.

(*Context: In Malaysia, if a public holiday lands on a Sunday, the following Monday is also a holiday. Unless your company hates employee freedom. So basically, almost every company that’s not a school.)

Maybe those dumbasses taking sneak pics could learn a thing too. That, or it’s cheaper for them to hire assassins to yeet the person calling them out.

And with all that.

5 days flew by like nothing.

Like a leaf landing on its tree’s grassy grounds.

…yes it’s artificial, but that’s not the point.

All ‘good things’ come to an end.

And another crisis begins.

End Transmission.

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Afterword

So. How likely are the organizers gonna shoot us for outing the normies…? (⊙_⊙;)

Eh to hell with them. If they got the brains to protect those future corpses, they’ll get over it.

…please tell me that’s not a metaphor for their future graves.

People dig graves here?

Only if they’re graveteful to be alive. (☞ﾟヮﾟ)☞

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