T5W#26-Top 5 Katsucon 2015 Moments

Well, tomorrow is the big day.  Well it’s the start of the big event anyway.  I don’t know if a lot of people do this, but I easily count Thursday, the Pre Reg Day, as the unofficial start to a convention.  So yeah, Katsucon 2016 kicks off tomorrow.  So it’s only right that I finish off this little three part T5W arc with one more look back at last years game changing convention.  These are the 5 moments that made it so and made me so excited to return one year later.

 

#5-The WTF Moment

They are rare, but moments can hit you at a con that threaten to derail the whole experience.  For me at Katsucon, it was the news that a new friend I had just made had returned home a day into the con to avoid bad weather. I spent most of the rest of Friday night in a saddened state.  I was almost ready to admit defeat around 230am when I decided that, “Hey it’s a 24hour convention.  I should see if I can find something.”  I found my way to another 18+ panel and just happened to enter at the right time…as an image I probably shouldn’t even begin to describe appeared on the screen prompting wide eyes and a very loud, “WHAT THE F***” from myself and more than half of the audience.  I’ll just tell you that the panel was pretty suggestive, so I’ll leave what I saw to your incredibly disturbed imagination.  There’s something about these more raunchy and not so kid friendly late night panels that can make you laugh, gasp and question your own morality watching some of this stuff.  But the memory is one for the books for sure.  So yeah, seeing what I saw cheered me up.  It saved my weekend and the con could now continue.

 

#4-Video Game Room

It wasn’t as big as Otakons but dammit it had everything Otakon had been lacking the last couple of years: Halo and Call of Duty, Smash Bros of all generations, multiple DDR’s and even an X-Men Arcade machine.  The X Men game was six players and we were able to actually have a full on team of six playing as Cyclops, Wolverine, Storm, Colossus, Nightcrawler and Dazzler for the bulk of it.  We didn’t finish with six but we did manage to beat the game, a fun bit of retro gameplay.  However it was the very back of the room that held my attention for the rest of the night.  They had Just Dance 2015 playing on an Xbox 360 kinnect hooked up to a massive TV and it was drawing quite the crowd.  I was content to watch until after the first few photos I decided to join in.  The playlist was short but memorable and we definitely did some song multiple times.  .  From mastering a song I thought would kick the crap out of me (Get Low) to songs the DID kick the crap out of me (The Tetris and Christmas Songs) to classics I enjoyed thoroughly (Bad Romance, What Does the Fox Say, You Spin me Right Round), I danced with a group of fun individuals for TWO AND A HALF HOURS!!!  .  At 330am, I was sore, hot and tired but feeling the greatest, not a bad Valentines Day event in a way. 

 

#3-Sailor Moon Photoshoot

The Sailor Moon photoshoot next to the Gazebo doors was the perfect setting.  It just looked like Moon Kingdom material.  And we got a nice collection of all scouts and even a few villains who I don’t see cosplayed that often (here’s to you Doom Tree Siblings).  And the shoot ended up falling into the hands of two energetic and sister like Sailor Moons named Jerri and Gillian to organize and announce the shoots.  Man were those two amazing and so full of life and love for Sailor Moon, keeping everyone smiling and energized.  I had never experienced a Sailor Moon shoot quite like this.  I let a little tear emerge cause it was pure moon magic…and the perfect spot to grab a well earned nap.

 

#2-The Gaylord

Could I ever imagine such a palace existed?  It was ok at first but it’s here I bring up a scene from The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.  That scene where the Fellowship descend into Moria and discover the remnants of the Dwarf City of Dwalindale and the song that plays as they arrive?  Yeah it kind of felt like that.  Beyond the hotel lobby was the main section of the hotel: A giant glass box, including a high glass ceiling. with balcony views of the interior all within.  There were three levels: the bottom most was the Atrium, which held a tiny town of sorts with shops and restaurants just before the main entryway fountains; level 2 was the main hotel lobby and the bar and level 3…was the Gazebo, the most coveted spot of all cosplayers and photographers.  If you came to Katsucon in costume, that was the spot you had to get your picture taken in or the trip just didn’t matter…ok that’s a bit much but that spot was a big deal.  The Convention Center attachment more than matched the hotel portion.  The floor to ceiling ratio alone, this place was built for giants.  If you ever want to make a place specifically catered to Anime Conventions, this is what you should model it after. 

 

#1-Meeting Popular Cosplayers

I follow numerous cosplayers on Facebook and Instagram and I knew many would be attending this con: Katsucon kind of has an unsung rep of being a cosplay hotspot, more so than Otakon.  But did I ever think id meet MangoSirene, Mostflogged, Dustbunny AND Dejavudea all in the same weekend?  The answer is no and from the moment I took that selfie with MangoSirene and Dejavudea that Thursday night, I knew this weekend was going to be something special.  I got autographs from all of them and I think that surprised them all, cant say why but it was still cool.  No clue if im going to see them all again this year, one of them at least has announced they wont be able to make it.  It was definitely an experience getting to meet these girls in person.  They are so incredibly nice, their feel good spirits more than matching their skill at cosplay.  If you ever have the chance to meet your cosplay idols, do so.  I guarantee it will boost your will to craft and cosplay 100 fold (ok I don’t guarantee that since I don’t cosplay but you get the point.)

Katsucon 2016 has arrived.  See you there if you go.