Saturday was my first experience attending Baltimore’s Otakon anime convention. I had mixed feelings at first, since I really haven’t watched anime since I was 17. Even still, I always have a soft spot in my heart for the anime/manga of my youth (Tenchi! Ranma!). My nifty Sailor Moon shirt helped me not to feel too much like a ‘poser’ amongst all the true ‘Otaku’ (name given for extreme anime/manga fans). The kids that attend this convention are die hard fans. They obsess over Japanese culture –and it’s actually quite fascinating to see that anime/manga has such a strong following.
Immediately after parking the car, I was bombarded by hundreds of cosplayers. I swear nearly every person that attends Otakon dresses up as their favorite anime, manga, or video game character. Plenty of individuals represented Naruto, Final Fantasy, Mario Brothers, and even Halo. I was honestly overwhelmed by the sheer size of the convention center. There were panels for discussions, videos, autographs, and even an entire floor dedicated to anime/manga vendors. Unfortunately I was not able to find the Ranma ½ shirt I so desired.
As I am an Otakon newbie, I missed all of the panels and didn’t get any autographs. Part of the fun was scoping out and taking photos of my favorite cosplay outfits. The most phenomenal outfits were of Final Fantasy fame. Those ‘Kingdom Hearts’ fans also take their cosplay seriously.
The highlight of the entire day at Otakon was the Masquerade at the 1st Mariner Arena, which started at 7pm. The masquerade was basically a glorified talent show. Majority of the acts were lackluster, but a handful were quite humorous (loved the Dragon Ball Z skit). My favorite skit (and the only one to receive a standing ovation), was performed by a girl cosplaying as Link from ‘The Legend of Zelda”. With the aid of her flute, this girl played the theme song to the Legend of Zelda with such prowess that she made every Otaku’s skin crawl with delight. She was the gem of the entire show. I hope to find her skit on YouTube this week.
Overall, I defiantely got my $65 worth. Can’t wait for Otakon 2009! Maybe next year, I’ll be there with my costume in hand too.
*Yes...that is a guy dressed as Princess Peach...
5 comments:
I wish I was into Anime. I think if I was, I would of been way more into my trip to Japan.
Ohh yeah! I'd love to go to Japan just to see how extreme they are with their anime. Its a huge part of Japanese culture. Anime style cartoons are here to stay in the US...I'm sure Filip will be watching some Dragon Ball Z or Pokemon eventually.
Haha...you know I love you like a sister right sweetie?? Well...that is why I can just come out and call you a dork...hahaha. I cannot believe you went to that...although, w/ your love of the arts, I shouldn't be so surprised...glad you had a good time though!
Austria - this was another extreme level of geekiness! lol. And hey, I appreciate 'art' in all its forms. I went mostly for the amusement factor though. I havent watched much anime in a long time, but have always wanted to go to the convention to see the costumes.
Steph, this is Lina. :) Ugh... I hate when people think anime conventions are too low and geeky for normal folk. Everyone has their hobbies and everyone obsesses over something. Be it Heros, Star Wars, Horror Movies, or Renaissance Fairs, if you don’t have something you like and can be creative with… I consider you a pretty boring person. Not that anyone was saying that here, but it is a very enriching art form, and anime/manga/cosplay in general – are all growing in popularity in America.
As someone who has been to Japan, Otaku-ism is not seen as something particularly positive. A lot of people who are considered Otaku are the generation of gamers, anime nerds, and the people that adults or the media love to criticize. I spoke to a kid while there who explained how little most people think of the Otaku culture. Of course, in America – most people with those types of interests are happy to call themselves Otaku. But, in Japan, it’s considered derogatory. Though, I was incredibly amused by the amount of men and women in business suits that were reading some form of manga on the subway there. LOL.
Anyhow, I’ll end my pro-nerds response. I do have a journal as well, but I use livejournal because it has a lot of fun communities. If you ever join it, let me know. :) Saving this so that I can catch up on what’s going on in your life.
Oh – and if you’re ever looking for something to watch or read (especially good jdorama) let me know. Take care!
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