Anime Expo got really big this year. It grew from 4,500 in 1998 to around 6,000 in  1999. That growth might have led to some more disorganization: for better or worse,  the convention didn't have that tightly run feeling that it had last year.

 Still, if people intend to have fun, nothing - not delays or room changes - will stop them. The best example was the Saturday night masquerade, which overcome a  major technical snafu to be an entertainment success.

 Here's how the masquerade went on Saturday night:

 7:30 p.m.: Something's wrong. Music videos are being played, but there's no sound.  Just like in the days of silent films, fans are still laughing along with the funny parts.

 8 p.m.: Scheduled start of the masquerade. Much fiddling about on stage with  microphones and cables.

 8:43 p.m. Mike Tatsugawa of Anime Expo jumps on stage, signals for quiet in the big  room and announces that the main sound mixer was fried. A replacement is on the  way from another room.

 9:33 p.m. As patient costumers watch from backstage, the crowd cheers as a  technician recites "test one two three" into the podium mike.

 9:39 p.m. The sound for the music videos has returned. The sound crew unplugs the  carefully-installed PZM floor mikes and sets up two standard mikes on telescoping  stands.

 9:49 p.m.: Tatsugawa announces to the crowd - over the rejuvenated sound system -  that Anime Expo has set new records for the longest masquerade delay.

 9:50 p.m.: Master of ceremonies Widya Santoso introduces the judges and the show  is underway.

 Now, despite that extreme delay, it looked like no one left the hall - and more people  may have sneaked in the back. No one lost their enthusiasm, and the cheers and  laughs for the show were just as loud as last year. Things did get a little out of hand  with some of the fans who made some unnecessarily cruel remarks about a few of the participants (those yelling from the back should try making a costume, or get on stage and find out what it's really like).

Besides, the crowd got a special treat while waiting for the judges to render their verdict. Akira Kamiya, popular voice actor who technically wasn't a guest of honor this year, brought a group of Japanese voice acting students to the convention. Kamiya and those students gave an "after-recording" demonstration (the anime term for dubbing voice tracks) that had the crowd roaring. The audience's favorite was a young woman who generated some great, open-voiced screams (the crowd was applauding the mere mention of her name at the end of the demonstration).

Next, the SPJA industry awards:

 Best Male Character - Anime in Japanese Release: Kenshin, Rurouni Kenshin
 Best Male Character - Anime in American Release: Alan Shezar, Vision of  Escaflowne
 Best Female Character - Anime in Japanese Release: Deedlit, Record of Lodoss War
 Best Female Character - Anime in American Release: Lina Inverse, Slayers
 Best Non-human Character - Anime in Japanese Release: Ryo-ohki, Tenchi-Muyo
 Best Non-human Character - Anime in American Release: Ryo-ohki, Tenchi-Muyo  (with Pikachu of Pokemon a close second)
 Best Anime Music Album in Japanese Release: Cowboy Bebop
 Best Anime Music Album in American Release: Best of Anime (Rhino)
 Best Manga: Inu-Yasha
 Best Translated Manga: Oh My Goddess
 Best Anime Movie in Japanese Release: Nadesico, Prince of Darkness
 Best Subbed/Dubbed Movie in American Release: Kiki's Delivery Service
 Best OVA in Japanese Release: Rurouni Kenshin
 Best OVA in American Release: Tenchi-Muyo DVD box
 Best Japanese TV Series: Cowboy Bebop
 Best American TV Series: Batman Beyond
 Best Japanese Anime Publication: Newtype
 Best American Anime Publication: Animerica
 Best American Sub/Dub Company: Pioneer Entertainment

One more note: a female Japanese voice actor appeared at the convention on Saturday. This author walked into her panel and was ready to start taking pictures when a convention staffer said "No pictures at the request of Pioneer Entertainment." This page uses words and pictures to tell its stories, so no pictures equaled no story.