This is just a cut and paste from an email I wrote on the Furuba Lemon list and the FruityGroup Mailing list, I wanted to post something in here about otakon, but I've been so busy at work that I didn't have time and I didn't feel like repeating myself. I'll go into more detail in a day or two, but for now, here's what happened Fruits Basket-wise: Hey all! I got back from Otakon last night but my cable was out so I couldn't email then. I just wanted to tell you all about it. First of all, I had a blast! I defintely want to try to go back next year. Second of all, I saw Furuba stuff all over the place! One of the things that delighted me the most was that one of the badges you could select at registration was a Fruits Basket badge! (They also had Azumanga Daioh, Hack Sign, Witch Hunter Robin, Eva, and a couple others I didn't get a good look at) I saw a lot of people wearing the Furuba badge though! There were a TON of furuba cosplayers, and I managed to get a good chunk on film. I lost track of the Kyou's a saw, and unfortunately only got 2 on film, I also saw a boatload of Kaguras I think I got at least 5 on camera, Yuki's and Toorus also abounded, I got 4 different Toorus (one in in the dress from Ayame's chapter/episode), and 4 different Yukis (one in the girls uniform from the episode where Haru suggested the image to the student body council), Some characters I saw a lot more of then I got pictures of, I only got pictures of 2 Harus and 2 Hatori's but I saw at least 4 of each, I only managed to snap one of the two Ayames I saw, I got 3 Momijis (one was even a male, but his picture looks all washed out ;_;), 3 Akitos, I got 2 of the 3 Shigures I saw, and there was even 1 each of Kisa, Ritsu, and Uo-chan! The only two characters I didn't see were Hana-chan (one of the Kaguras confessed she was supposed to be Hana orginally but their other Kagura dropped out and she was shifted over), and Hiro. (And of course, no manga only characters like Rin or Kureno... but thats no surprise really). I'll try to have the pictures I got up soon, but the camera I used was a borrowed one, and the owner forgot to give me the hook up I need to get the pictures on the computer. A bunch of the cosplayers I got on film were from one group, who did a really cute skit during the masquerade. I think I got that on the camcorder part of the camera, and if I did, I'll encode it for everyone to see. They also contrived a really fun game for people to play at the con called "Junnishi Search". Each of them wore and armband that said "J.S." on it. If you found them and glomped them, they gave you a pin, if you could get all the pins and then find Tooru at 11 by the info desk she'd give you a box of chocolates. ^_^ They had a Ristu, Kisa, Kagura, Kyou, Haru, Momiji, Yuki, Tooru, Shigure and an Akito (though they told me their original akito bailed out and they convinced a friend to slap on a black pair of pants and a turtleneck and called him Akito instead). I found and glomped them all, though I didn't get Tooru until 11. I didn't get all the pins though, because Kyou had run out by the time I found him. I did, however, get a box of chocolates. ^_^ And I got pictures of them all (accept akito who wasn't too interested). They said they planned to do it again at other cons. I gave them my card with my email address and I hope they contact me so I can find out when and where. If I find out, I'll pass it along to the rest of you so you can have fun too ^_^ I didn't have much time to spend in the dealers room, and I didn't see too much Fruits Basket stuff. I did get a few goodies. I got some button fasteners/zipper pulls, one chibi Yuki, one chibi Kyou, and one each of them in their cursed forms. I also got a great art collection that had a collection of mid-size poster prints on nice heavy cardstock paper of Natsuki's artwork. It has a bunch of her color illustrations for Fruits Basket, some black and white portraits Yuki, Kyou, and Tooru that were in the manga (between chapters) and one color illustration each from Genie Muso (or how ever you spell it) and Those Who have Wings. It came in a nice plastic portfolio styled yellow case that has a color illustration of furuba on the front and her signature, and has "Best Select Art Collection: Natsuki Takaya" and "Produced by Hana To Yume" on the back (all in English). I also picked up vol 10,11, and 12 from the Kinokuya stand. ^_^ Last con I'd gone to hadn't had them. There was a strong representation of Fruits Basket in artist's alley and the art show I felt. There were a bunch of Fruits Basket peices in the art show, I saw pictures of Shigure, Yuki, Kyou and Tooru in marker, pencil, acyrlic and other materials I wasn't sure of. I bid and won on two of the more unusual items. I won a hand painted sushi set that had the banquet climb on the main dish illustrations of Yuki, Kyou, Tooru and Shigure on the individual dishes (so cool!) and a set of "Worry Doll" styled pins, one of Shigure, Yuki, Ayame, Tooru and Kyou. I got Shigure, Yuki, Tooru and Ayame at relatively low prices, but I had to go up to $30 to get Kyou (I got into a bidding war with one other determined fan, a young girl and her mother. Let me apologize if you're on the list, but I REALLY wanted all of them). However, due to a horrendous set up on the art show I don't actually have them or know for sure that I got them, I waited from 10:30 am to 2:30 pm to try to pick up my peices but then had to leave to get my flight. A friend stayed in line with my badge and bidder number tag and my money and hopefully he was able to get them. If not I'm going to be SERIOUSLY pissed off. If the maker of the pins or the sushi set is here and knows that I didn't get them for one reason or another, I DO still want them, contact me and I will send you money for the items and shipping! *really wants them* In Artists Alley I also got some cute things. I got a set of badges from one artist to hang along with my offical badge. She had quite a few, and a bunch that were furuba styled. One had Kyou on the front saying "Damn Yuki" with mice in the bottom corners, and on the back Cat-Kyou with the legend "Baka Nezumi" with more mice in the bottom corners. Another had Yuki on the fron saying "Baka Neko" with cats and beads on the bottom, and Mouse-Yuki on the back with the legend " and "Stupid Cat" and more beads and cats on the bottom. One had Tooru on the front, with animal versions of Yuki, Kyou, Momiji and Shigure in teh corner and the legend "All she wants is to make them happy. All they want is to make her happy." On the back it had Tooru as a happy rice-ball and human form heads of Yuki, Kyou, Momiji and Shigure in each corner. There are two scrolls going down the side written in japanese that i believe are the same thing as what is written on the front and it says "Honda Tooru" on the bottom. Another had Momiji on the front with Cows in the corner, and a bunny on the back with Haru's in the corners. (I think that was the only one I didn't buy). At another table I bought a pair of laminated bookmarks of Super Deformed Yuki and Super Deformed Kyou, very cute! After that I kind of stopped looking, afraid I'd spend all the money I made at my table. I was selling fruits basket themed keychains (stuffed onigiri and baka neko symbols), and magnets and stickers with fan art I'd drawn, and dolls of Shigure, Kyou, Yuki and Momiji that I'd made. I completely sold out of the magnets and stickers, and Shigure, Yuki, and Kyou all sold. Momiji I still have, and plan to put in Shoujocon's art show. If he doesn't go there, I'll put him up on ebay. I was amazed that he didn't sell, I thought he turned out the cutest of the bunch. Actually... I might just keep him for myself. ^^; I have pictures of the dolls on my camera, but untill I get the cable thingie I can't show them off. mmm... thats all I can think of Otakon-wise for right now. Turned out to be quite a long read, didn't it? wow... ^_^ oh well, it's nice to know how many fruits basket fans there are out there isn't it?