There’s a certain level of expectation that arises from attending a convention that is self-titled as “colossal”: impressive events, engaging panels, astounding cosplay, big-name guests, and a venue to match. This being my first time to both Colossalcon and the Kalahari Resort in Sandusky, Ohio where the con took place, I was expecting something on par with the size of Ohayocon, in both physical con space and attendance numbers.
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Once you’ve been to about two or three anime conventions, bets are you know what to expect before you arrive on the scene. However, this was not true for Cosplay Day Out 2010, an outdoor picnic event held in Humble, Texas for cosplayers to have a day of fun. Why might this be, you ask? Simply put, there are not many major cosplay picnic events of significant size out there, and not many people really ever mention their experiences at one. In fact, a quick Google search brings up a handful of cosplay picnic events, and most of those are not in America, or are small and intended for local anime clubs. So what compelled me to make the four hour drive from Lafayette, Louisiana to Humble, Texas to check out Cosplay Day Out?
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This year marked my eighth Anime Expo, the ninth anniversary of the first year I attended, and my eleventh con overall. In these eight years, I have attended and graduated high school and college, worked full-time and supported myself, and most recently, started preparing for a new career as an English teacher in Japan. My anime fandom has waxed and waned several times over, as has my participation in the online community.
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To an anime fan, especially one who enjoys fanworks, Comic Market—better known as Comiket—is the trip of a lifetime. Held twice yearly at the spacious Tokyo Big Sight, it is certainly a sight to see.It’s a mistake to think of Comiket in the way you’d think of most Western anime conventions. Panels and showings aren’t a focus, and while there’s cosplay it’s not a main event either. The best way to think of Comiket is a gigantic……
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Yaoi-con. Just the name might send a few shudders down your spine, and not necessarily the good kind. These days, the word yaoi tends to conjure up images of screaming underage fangirls, the kind that tend to give fandoms, not to mention fans in general, a bad name. However, if one was in the area and decided to drop by the hotel where Yaoi-con was taking place, the San Francisco Airport / San Mateo Marriott, he or she would be in for a treat.
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This year’s Nan Desu Kan was amazing… and busy. Started back in 1997 as a film festival at a local movie house in Denver with just over 200 people attending, in a little over a decade they have grown to become one of the most popular conventions in the Rocky Mountain region. The con has a yearly estimated 6,000 attendees from not just the US, but from around the world. For the last four years, NDK has been held at the Denver Tech Marriott Hotel, the con’s best venue yet.
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As far as conventions go, Anime Matsuri has one of the worst reputations around. To those of you who haven’t heard of it, here is a brief history: in its first year, it simply tried to be too big too fast. Voice actors canceled, panels were canceled, events just did not happen. The lines seemed to last forever, and some people could not get in because day passes cost far too much. Staff members were less than helpful and volunteers were downright rude.
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After many years of anime and manga fandom, Otakon 2008 was my first con experience. It was suitably impressive in scale, with over 26,000 attendees wandering the halls, many in elaborate cosplay. It also boasted hundreds of different scheduled events, from anime and live action screenings to panels and workshops and concerts. There were tons of interesting things for your average diehard fan to do, but unfortunately not so much for an overly discriminating fan like myself.
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I’ve attended MechaCon at the Hilton Lafayette in Lafayette, Louisiana for the last three years now, having only missed its premiere in 2005. However, before I go on to discuss MechaCon 4.0, I’d like to spend a moment highlighting something about the convention that originally gave me an immense feeling of pride (other than the pride I felt in it being in my small hometown, of course)…..
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Chaos. It’s the term I affectionately use to describe the cons I go to, and for the most part, its pretty accurate- not much else can describe the experience of the noise, color, and sheer activity of an anime convention. Even the tiny cons I attend are usually a mess of people running around, back and forth between buildings. This was my first time at Katsucon…..
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