UlasanAnime.com – Words alone might not fully capture the essence of this convention, but even if they could, the author admits to a certain laziness that makes pictures indispensable. Nevertheless, some words are crucial for setting the scene.
The experience can be summarized chronologically: Thursday involved preregistration, drinks, and dinner. Friday was a full day of queuing for tickets, watching anime, browsing dealers, eating, attending the Nobuteru panel, the Madhouse panel, eating alone, enjoying a concert, and karaoke. Saturday brought more ticket lines, dealer browsing, a Kawasumi panel, autographs, karaoke, a Fate meet-up, a concert, an MT meet-up, Geneon events, Hellsing discussions, dinner, an art gallery visit, a 4chan session, and a Geneon panel. Sunday concluded with more karaoke, art gallery visits, hotel frustrations, lunch, and finally, heading home.
Alternatively, a more descriptive tag cloud might include terms like “Haruhi-tard,” “ETERNAL BLAZE,” “Hottest. Otakon. Ever.,” “Kawasumi Ayako,” “Lafiel,” “Mahoro,” “Trap-chan,” “Raptor Jesus,” “Getsumei Fuuei,” “MUCC,” “fatigue,” “NO U,” “Free Stuff,” “Mihata no Moto ni,” “Pictochat,” “Geneon,” “Dan Kim,” “Futakoi Alternative,” “Touhou,” “Ever17,” “waiting in line,” “Nobuteru Yuuki,” “Nakazawa Kazuto,” and “God Bless…”
Cosplaying was present in its usual abundance. For those interested, a selection of images is available, though viewing them comes with a certain “risk.” The author notes the presence of “Traps,” and expresses that the variety of cosplays this year met expectations, perhaps even exceeding last year’s. The author also mentions seeing cosplays from series like Fate and characters like Maihime.
A notable meme from the convention was “Web 2.0.” The author reflects on how their approach to writing about Otakon has evolved over nine years, now often presented in a blog format. Instead of focusing on AMVs, the author considers a “trip down memory lane” style of writing, acknowledging that some things remain consistently enjoyable over time.
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One recurring, albeit frustrating, element is hitting traffic on the NJ Turnpike.
Despite the predictable challenges, there are many memorable stories from the weekend. These include the difficulty of hearing monitors during karaoke after the MUCC concert, the impressive “Trap-chan” cosplay by a Canadian friend, how 4chan managed to create anonymity within convention lines, the desire to attend missed panels or watch recordings, the embarrassing question about Lafiel at the Kawasumi panel, and the suggestion that more Nana Mizuki songs should be sung at karaoke. Overall, the sentiment is one of shared fun and a wish that more people could have been there.
On Friday, the author was actively searching for “Os,” imagining they might have been at the Mad House panel together.
Another significant aspect of the convention was the blurring of social lines between real-life friends, different friend circles, online acquaintances, and strangers. The author emphasizes the value of knowing people who know other people, but also acknowledges the complexities that arise from such extensive connections. This year, a clear distinction emerged between “con buddies,” “visiting friends,” and “groupies,” highlighting the importance of maintaining these categories and sharing appropriate stories with the right audiences.
With these reflections, the author expresses a strong hope that more people will attend Otakon next year, indicating high expectations for future events.
