Saturday, April 9, it is 4:30 in the morning, I went to bed the night before midnight and I must say that I had wanted to stay in
bed ! Today, I get up very early to go to Toulouse for the TGS... by bus (because of the price of the train ticket)!
Before continuing, here is the video :
So here I am at Brive station, at the bus at 5:10 because the appointment was at 5:15 am to load the bus and leave at 5:45. There is nobody on site at this hour except
for a taxi and a delivery man. Pending the arrival of the bus, I do a little tour to the bridge to see the station a little earlier, like when I was young.
Some people begin to arrive but still no bus in sight. 5:45 and still nothing... Finally the bus arrives around 6am and we start to 6:10. Starting the night of Paris, the bus has a little
more time on the road, hence the delay.
The trip goes well and 2 hours later we arrived at the bus station in Toulouse. On the spot, I turn around 5 minutes to find where to go to reach the room TGS.
But with a little logic, it is easy to find : just follow the pandas (and other cosplay) !
At metro tickets, I have a small group of three young people taking their tickets with a blue stormtrooper, a panda cap and a Pikachu hat. I their request if
I can join them and we set off for the Hall of Diagora. We will take two subways and a bus. The latter being full of cosplayers and cosplayers with very
friendly and worked for some cosplay (s) and less for others, but the urge was there on each other.
We arrived around 9:15, just opened and there is a monstrous tail, I do not know how many hundreds of people are already here! But in the end there were
several queues: those who had the ticket for 2 days, those who had the vip ticket, the ticket one day (like me) and those who had already purchased their
tickets via the Internet (which was for all other queues).
TGS... there are two actually are: TGS (held in November) and the TGS SpringBreak where I am.
The November TGS is large enough to accommodate more than 50,000 people in 2015 while SpringBreak is smaller: about 20,000 visitors this year. (This is still a more than respectable number!)
This year, there were several special guests: Guillaume Briat and Bô Gaultier, the series Kaamelott, Peter Williams of the Stargate series. There were also 11 personalities from the comics :
Paul Renaud (Mass Effect, Star Wars ...), Dave Gibbons (Watchemn), Arthur Adams (X-men), Hmberto Ramos (Amazing Spider-man), Barry Kitson (Iron man), Olivier Vatine (Aquablue), Stéphanie years
(gardins the galaxy), Marguerite Sauvage (Hinterkind), Joyce Chin (Vampirella) and Claire Wendling (Avengers). There was the side of the internet came from Bruce Benamran (E-Thinking) Frigiel
(a player of Minecraft) and Unsterblicher. Still on the internet, also came a part of the team NOOB, teams of KAPAAW! and Challenger and JBX and PETULIA of Reflection Acid. Finally, for TV
and manga : Brigitte Lecordier (voiced by Gohan) and Patrick Borg (voice of Goku).
I would add personally, but not as a guest: SirAza (streamer).
TGS as many conventions drained many geeks, manga fans, the otaku, cosplayers and of cosplayers. In one hour I was able to sail around the TGS, so, I did several laps waiting for the
conference e-Penser and cross SirAza between the stands.
Although the convention is called Toulouse Game Show, there were not so many games that much, but rather oriented Japan (manga, stands of Japanese foods and sweets)
a big comic book stand, a concert scene (rock music and cartoons of the 80s and 90s), a room for games and GN trays and... a room in the basement for video games.
I let you find all the cosplays that there are different pictures on TGS, there is a longer list my list to Santa Claus!
I start with the part Stands Manga / Japan of the TGS.
Then I go to the other building of the Diagora with room and board games and RPG-GN, stalls Comics, conference rooms and room video games. The atmosphere is calmer in the dining trays of games is based elsewhere because it's crowded !
I find it curious that for a living in the game, the game '' video games '' is found a little to the basement and is not more represented... but the atmosphere
was very good with the last console discoveries nintendo, tournaments Street Fighters V of Tekken Tag tournament II of Mario Kart, Just Dance etc...
I even made a game of Magic the Gathering with a ''chicken'' deck, delusions guaranteed !
By my second round, I cross SirAza is the first time that I see in real life (I see that his usual stream). And e must say that I expected not so great! But it is also true
that nice on its stream, and very friendly.
He finished making his turn and will eat, so we end up after. For my part, I'll snack on the outside corner that connects the two buildings. Many people do the same on grass
and pose for photos. Sandwiches swallowed I also take some pictures, there is really very well done cosplays !
After this break, I head to the amphitheater for the e-Penser conference. There are not too many people in front, it is 30 minutes before the start of the conference
and there is a long queue in front of the autograph booth e-Penser (for his popular science book).
12:35 and the doors open, we are more in the tail this time but the amphitheater is large enough to accommodate the people. I ask myself in the forefront, in absolute tranquility, I
reach for my camera, microphone and prepare my record. Except I had a concern : I left the sonor recording levels on manual... the sound has often been too strong and saturated. I
put you anyway the video for sharing.
Too bad for her, despite everything we still can understand what is said. The cut at the start is due to the fact that I make a photo at a time. As follows :
Leaving the conference, a small sms SirAza I found in the room of board games. He is there with a friend of his and a young woman who explains the rules of the game. This is a game
where you have to make potion by pulling marbles... the game is fun, easy to understand and that can be quite strategic when we want to push the game for maximum points.
After a few games, SirAza and his friends are going to eat while I redo some tricks of the TGS upstairs, where I was for the conference. There are stalls Cosplays various films, but
also associations such as Rebel Legion on the theme of Star Wars or The Force Guardian.
Redoing a tour starting with the party ''japan-crazy'' as some say (it's just humor) and this time I think to take pictures of figurines that are sold (a small portion).
In a small room of the wing of Comics, there are particulires games (kinds of puzzles and IA) and a hologram homemade system (using a flat screen with an
image divided into 4 a prism Plexiglass and wooden support).
Comics back in the game, I stop... a cosplay catches my eye, it's Porco Rosso ! (The main character in my favorite Ghibli !)
While next, designers of Comics are at work.
I find SirAza at the Rock my Geek along with Denver the last dinosaur in this time then the ninja turtles, etc... while the pass cosplay a little special but certainly catches your eye !
We will do some parts of Street Fighter IV and V and Tekken Tag Tournament 2, SirAza aligning victories (and some defeats anyway), all in good humor !
Time passes and the parties are connected, but the closing time of the TGS approaching and there is still interview SirAza I have to achieve. It
also offers to take me to the station instead I have to make the return trip by bus and metro. That's very kind of him.
A short stop at a supermarket and towards the station to conduct the interview in a quiet corner near the station.
During the interview, a group of young people tumbled to the morons in front of the camera and microphone, hence the cut in the video.
Once the interview is complete (lasted 20 minutes), the steering speed train station, got my bus in 10 minutes and the station to cross its length!
Arriving at the bus accompanied SirAza and his friend (thank you to him again because it was he who led) SirAza thank for his kindness, his daily streams and good humor as well as the interview.
For those interested, Siraza stream every day from 18h to 20h on World of Warships and 21h to midnight (minimum) on various and varied games. And the address of the stream, it's here.
It is 20:30, the bus starts, I salute one last time Toulouse and soon the dark. The day has it been long and tiring for me, I fall asleep soon, rocked by
the road. 2 hours later, here vaguely woke up, it is coming soon, so stayed awake the time you arrive. 23h, I'm back in Brive.
Back at home in bed! Not even emptied the bag, just sleeping... and dreaming of Japan, girls in kimonos and funny stuff !