It’s probably a dead horse by this point, but the Japanese con experience couldn’t be any different from the American. For those used to the chaotic socializing of the West, experiencing something like the bi-annual war that is Comiket can be an alienating experience …Read more »
So um yeah… it was a quiet couple days in Los Angeles. A few breezes during the day, a couple folks in costumes… Who am I kidding? Anime Expo 2010 has been one of the busiest this writer has attended and covered. Through all the …Read more »
Last week got me thinking back to SITACon 2008. It was a small convention in Utica, NY that, to date, is the only con that's invited and flown me out as a guest. It wasn't the greatest thing ever but myself and the other guests, …Read more »
Fanime is a chill con. For a convention that’s over 15,000 attendees, tons of guests, events, and thousands of Cosplayers, my overall vibe was chill. I’ve attended anime conventions and cosplay events all over the world, but this was my first time at a large …Read more »
For those readers who aren’t familiar with the man or the studio, Hiroyuki Yamaga is one of the founding members of GAINAX, the animation studio that produced such works as Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honneamise , Neon Genesis Evangelion , FLCL and Gurren …Read more »
Northern California's Bay Area was once a hot bed of anime fandom drama and in-fighting; the financial failure of AnimeCon in 1991 (the first large scale anime convention in the United States) caused the local community to splinter, leading to the creation of two new …Read more »
You would think having an event devoted entirely to anime smack dab in the epicenter of Japanese pop culture would be more exciting. You’d think. In all honesty, I wasn’t looking forward to visiting Tokyo Anime Fair this year. Last year’s was something of a …Read more »
Mention the word “Cosplay” in the US, and the image tends to be one of perky teens in various states of dress (and undress) crowding up already-congested convention center halls as geeks of various shapes and sizes snap their little cameras away. Sometimes they even …Read more »
The fans attending Katsucon 2010 had to suffer several hardships on their journey to the event. After several snowstorms hit northeast America in the previous week, many flights were canceled on the days leading up to the convention. Even those close enough to drive had …Read more »
Hetalia has been on the rise in popularity this year among American fan girls. You could tell by the girls dressed like boys dressed like WWII soldiers carrying around enormous flags at every convention this year. Either that, or the same group of six girls …Read more »
Here is my short list of highlights from the 4th and final New York Anime Festival: - Yoshiyuki Tomino draws a haru-ball with every signature. - The one-man Indy-short Cencoroll premiered and looks like fun (I only saw the trailer). - Vertical picked up Chi's …Read more »
You'll probably think me insane for this, but I sacrificed this year's Otakon for the first year of the ScrewAttack Gaming Convention. Why!? First year cons always make people a bit nervous as there have been a few memorable disasters. The one I'll always remember …Read more »
Hey, we've got a few more pictures from Otakon to share. From the gigantic lines to the cross-dressing lolitas, there was never a dull moment. We were particularly fond of the Rydia cosplayer (hailing from the classic Final Fantasy IV ) and Beetlejuice provided some …Read more »
This year was actually my first time attending Otakon in Baltimore, Maryland. It’s a massive convention, so in addition to the big name guests and awesome concerts, I was on the lookout for a bigger BL and yaoi presence at the convention. Overall, Otakon proved …Read more »
The economy may be in the dumps, but with over 26,000 people having attending Otakon 2009 you sure wouldn’t know it. Granted, that’s roughly the same as 2008, but to just hold steady demonstrates that even though money is tight, people will still come out …Read more »
Fernando Ramos
Darius Washington
Mike Dent
Judith Stephens
Mark Aspillera
Sean O'Mara
Evali
Erin Finnegan
Otaku USA Staff
Clarissa Graffeo
Daryl Surat