UlasanAnime.com – This year’s Otakon proved to be a memorable experience, largely due to a blend of convention activities and personal excursions that made it feel more like a vacation. The constant demands of attending multiple conventions and taking time off work have made a true vacation a rarity, highlighting a personal need for one.
For those who attend conventions with me, my dedication to them is evident, perhaps even in my blogging. A side effect of this commitment is burnout. While conventions start as massive parties, the experience has evolved into a non-stop schedule with little downtime, which can be utterly exhausting. This contrasts with true vacations, with Animazement being a notable exception.
To inject a vacation-like feel into this trip, I attended the Zelda Symphony live show in Philadelphia on Wednesday night. Following that, I caught a baseball game at Camden Yards, where the Rays played the Orioles. Both events were incredibly enjoyable and relaxing, and they effectively extended my time off by an extra day. I encountered many familiar faces at the concert, which was exceptional. Although I wasn’t aware it was the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, I’ve heard them before and recognize their high caliber. The only drawback was the amplified sound in the amphitheater, coupled with excessive crowd cheering during the songs, which occasionally drowned out the music.
The baseball game was primarily an opportunity to experience a game at Camden Yards, a venue I had never visited despite this being my 15th Otakon. Thanks to Alexd, I secured excellent seats. Despite the sweltering 100-degree weather, we found shade. The food offered some interesting choices, though the deep-fried sausage was more of a novelty than a culinary delight. The steak and egg sandwich, however, was nearly worth the $12 price tag. I also indulged in the classic ballpark souvenir ice cream cup, which I consider the best collectible from an MLB park for those who appreciate such things.
The game seamlessly transitioned into my usual pre-convention ritual: drinks at a pub. Given the extreme heat, this was a welcome alternative. This meant missing the Matsuri, but it was a trade-off I accepted. The Day 0 festivities generally proceeded without significant issues. A headcount problem arose during dinner, and due to the heat, our group dwindled from over 20 to just 4 by the time we finished. We then spent some time relaxing at the Hilton bar, which was a pleasant experience.
This year, I opted to stay at the Holiday Inn, a choice shared by many acquaintances from the internet for reasons unknown. It proved convenient for catching up with people I hadn’t seen in a long time. Perhaps the complimentary Wi-Fi played a role in this convergence.
For many attendees, Friday was the main event at Otakon, primarily due to the Kakihara-related activities. My personal focus, however, was on obtaining a Nanri Yuuka autograph. The Riichi Mahjong panel ran as smoothly as ever. Although I left halfway through, I still wished for a clearer explanation of how kans can be deadly in Riichi Mahjong, particularly regarding Dora bombing. It’s possible this was covered, but I didn’t stay to confirm.
This is my official statement if you were to inquire about Nanri Yuuka’s activities in the dealer’s room on Friday and Saturday. She did share some updates via Twitter.
One of the most appealing aspects of Otakon is observing how the convention guests genuinely enjoy themselves, both within the convention and outside of it. While I didn’t witness extensive activities from Butch, who did have a Q&A session on Friday that I attended and have partially documented (unlike AX, Otakon content will be posted promptly, I hope, and I still need to post the Animazement recap), others shared photos of their enjoyable experiences. Notably, Aya Hirano posted a very dark picture on her feed, featuring herself and Nonaka, which strongly evoked memories of the 4chan “nutbladder” incident from five years prior, specifically the “Massugu Went? The 2007th Summer” event.
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More accurately, it was around 2006, as Aya Hirano and Haruhi Suzumiya were prominently featured a year earlier. I lacked the opportunity to speak with the few individuals I know who saw her at AX 2007, as one mentioned she presented a significantly different demeanor at Otakon compared to her earlier appearance. Five years is indeed a considerable span of time.
My personal highlight at the convention didn’t occur until Day 2. The remainder of Day 1 was largely spent relaxing and dining at Fogo de Chao. Fortunately, it was only $30 per person due to Baltimore Restaurant Week prices, which is an incredible deal, offering a dining experience not easily replicated in Japan at such a cost.
I managed to spend an hour at the game show, which is a long-standing and elaborate institution at Otakon. However, I typically avoid it due to the significant time commitment. Instead, I spent my time hanging out and waiting for @thebign, finding the proceedings entertaining enough.
I attended my friend PJS’s late-night panel primarily to show support, anticipating that the Mangagamers panel would be a letdown (having confirmed this with Koryuu beforehand, thanks bro). It was more a way to pass the time. I enjoyed conversing with a group of people after dinner, engaging in casual conversation before the 1 am panel, and continued the fun during the panel itself. My conversation with @7thwraith eerily reminded me of @cowboybibimbop, though he is perhaps more “normal,” LOL. Several other individuals were present, including @thebign, @klone343, and @_eternal, along with others whose names I either cannot recall or did not notice, such as @kai989. My apologies to those whose names have slipped my memory.
Saturday began bright and early, involving a return to the hotel room after a panel that concluded at 2 am, followed by lining up for a 9 am panel. My body, a “Brazilian-meat-filled half-corpse,” was certainly feeling the strain. Thankfully, a 32 oz Double D coffee provided the necessary boost. NISA, Aipon, and Nanrietta all delivered engaging presentations. I particularly appreciated NISA’s direct approach, as is typical for them, cutting straight to the point. The audience plant for Umineko was exceptionally well-executed, as such a scenario is entirely plausible. It certainly caught me off guard for the initial 10 seconds.
Aipon’s panel was undoubtedly the standout event of Otakon for me. While others have recorded it, the experience itself was remarkable. Yes, SQUEEEEEE! It was truly a “Wonderful Show.”
Yuuka’s panel was considerably more solemn, featuring many serious inquiries. At one point, she elaborated on the concept of “Kyuushu Danji” when describing the character Sentaro. I found this amusing, having seen a humorous clip involving that stereotype, featuring NTR BL, the previous night. More notably, there was a full-on display of “wotagei” when one attendee performed a dance move during the screening of one of Yuuka’s PVs. As no photos were permitted for Yuuka, I did not take any.
The time constraints persisted during the Aya Hirano panel, which was a substantial event with a large audience. I managed to secure a seat close enough to get a good view of her. While Nanri wore conventional dresses throughout the convention, both Nonaka and Hirano were dressed in traditional attire during their appearances. Hirano’s high-heeled geta amused me; it seems to be their preferred style. As expected, no photos were allowed for her, but I did capture some from the concert.
Overall, Hirano came across as professional and personable, demonstrating a polished demeanor in her responses and skillfully navigating questions. Toshi served as the interpreter, facilitating a lively discussion. Two intentionally provocative questions were posed: one was phrased acceptably, while the other was more direct. What was most impressive was the breadth of “nerd” questions, covering a wide spectrum of Hirano’s voice acting career, from Angel Tail to Seikon no Qwaser, Fairy Tail, White Album, and, of course, Haruhi Suzumiya and TIMOTEI. I believe she even mentioned her voice work for a Taylor Swift dub in a CSI episode. I was genuinely impressed by the quality of the questions at the panel; they challenged her without being overtly offensive! The Katja line, in particular, was quite entertaining.
Saturday continued with my interview with Urobuchi, followed by the signing of Manabi Straight DVD #2 (representing 2 out of 5). Afterward, I spent a considerable amount of time relaxing as the effects of the coffee wore off. I ended up watching some Mahjong and playing Tanto Cuore with some people until dinner. In retrospect, I probably should have prioritized capturing cosplay photos, as there were several gatherings happening at the time, which I was unaware of.
Dinner maintained its relaxed atmosphere with an extended meal at La Tasca. The three-hour affair was enjoyable, especially while socializing with @mandoric, @linkington, @1moy, @momotato, @starcreator, and alexd. I say “I think” because the sangria was quite delicious. Unfortunately, due to the lengthy duration of the meal, by the time I finished, it was already 11:30 pm, and I was ready to retire for the night.
Naturally, this meant returning to the hotel room to watch the GSC stage at Wonder Festival with @1moy, while @paranda_update provided the moe shochu. During dinner, we periodically checked Twitter for updates on new figures. I recall many of us being impressed by the size of the Immobile Fortress. We were fortunate to catch the latter part of the Tari Tari stage, which was quite entertaining.
Day 3 was even more straightforward. I suppose I could have sought something other than an Aipon autograph, but why would I? She appeared significantly less tired on Sunday morning compared to Saturday, exhibiting a much more cheerful disposition. I obtained my Imo-chan plush and had a copy of Ai Ranger signed. The timing also perfectly aligned with the Hirano concert.
I don’t have extensive commentary on the concert itself. It’s time to replace my Streetlight MultiX, as it malfunctioned after “Lost My Music.” The setlist predominantly featured songs from Fragments, meaning they all sounded familiar, yet I couldn’t recall their titles. I believe track 1 is actually song #1. Song #1 was “Riot Girl.” Song #2 was “Kiss Me,” after which she threw her towel. An MC segment followed. Songs 3 through 5 were suitable for press photos, so I took pictures, though I can’t recall the song titles beyond them being from Fragments [refer to comments for the full setlist.]. Another MC segment followed song #5, which led into “God Knows,” “Lost My Music,” and “Super Driver.” The encore consisted of “Bouken Desho Desho” and “MonStar.” Notably, there was no “Pizza song.” During song #2, we engaged in “toweling.” At her merchandise booth during the concert, only towels were being sold. While I’m unsure of the reason, it’s fitting to have a towel song. At the conclusion of the show, we rushed for a photo from the stage.
I spent time after the show, primarily in the autograph line. Manabi received another autograph (3/5)! As we were still somewhat dispersed, I ventured out to search for individuals in iM@S cosplays. This led me to discover the Tsuritama Dance Party.
In true Otakon fashion, I wished for a clone to attend all the events I missed:
- Trawling the con on Saturday night – the ideal time to absorb the “mono no aware” (pathos of things) and the overall convention atmosphere, while also connecting with random internet acquaintances.
- Karaoke – a wait of over 2 hours. The only available time was Sunday morning, which was consumed by the Aipon autograph session.
- Maid Cafe – The line was long, and I never found a suitable window to attend. In retrospect, I probably could have gone there instead of the game room on Saturday.
- Charity Auction – Similar to karaoke, it was overshadowed by the Aipon event.
- iM@S merchandise – There was a distinct lack of it. I believe one Kotori crossplay was present. Was there anyone else? I was later informed of a gathering, but it was not particularly noteworthy.
- Actually playing Mahjong – I could have done so if I had waited. I saw some people with tiles! However, I hesitated to intrude, and the timing wasn’t ideal.
- Kakki – Excessive competition and panel scheduling conflicts prevented attendance.
- Maruyama – I saw him more frequently in the dealer’s room and at Yuuka Nanri’s panel, amusingly. At least I encountered him multiple times. Missing his panel was somewhat disappointing, as I had been looking forward to it.
In terms of loot, there wasn’t much. I acquired a Carnival Phantasm Neko Arc pocket watch, contributed $40 to the MG raffle and won several consolation prizes, and obtained the Otakon apron in addition to the usual t-shirt (not pictured). I also received another free CR t-shirt, enjoyed some Hi-Chew, supported Mikako Joho’s merchandise table, acquired Hirano’s towel (not pictured), and picked up a remarkable hardcover book from Ed, concluding my acquisitions.
I encountered numerous individuals in the autograph area, among other locations. I didn’t even spend a significant amount of time there; I believe the current system is quite effective, aside from the initial rush when staff opens the lines. It’s perhaps the only place I consistently see @jdcsenken and his group, @hisuiRT, @narutakiRT, @sdsamshel, @animemiz, @jpmeyer, @lvlln, and likely some others. I bumped into @greatsg a few times while he was in his Kotomine outfit, and @calaggie before he headed to the baseball game on Saturday.
We were able to witness the Orioles shoot off fireworks after the game, despite a typical Orioles loss on Friday night against the Athletics. The view from the Hilton was quite pleasant. Walking towards the Hilton via the crosswalk, one could observe the lights illuminating the hotel. It was a rather captivating sight.
On the journey home, I chose Route 95 over Route 295. It offered less traffic, more winding roads, and a quicker arrival, making for a more enjoyable drive. I had previously mentioned the possibility of customizing my new car into a Kuroyukihime itasha, but the prospect now seems overwhelmingly daunting, even if it only involves applying custom decals. Perhaps I should start with something smaller, like a chibi Makoto fuel port cover? Heh, as if.
Well, that concludes my report for now. Here are the few photos I was able to take and share. For more comprehensive coverage, please check out the links from some of these other individuals. I had intended to meet many people, and I did connect with a significant number, yet there are still many I haven’t had the chance to meet. I also omitted mentioning many people I met because I either forget their names or for other reasons. Therefore, please feel free to reach out if I’ve missed anyone.
