Katsucon 2019 has come and gone and…while it wasn’t quite
as good as the game changer that was Katsucon 2018, I still had an incredibly
awesome time. Being back in National
Harbor is always a treat, as is getting experience one of the best Anime
gatherings ever with new friends and close family. It’s actually a miracle I was able to pick 5
moments that stood out in a sea of many.
But here they are, what you’ve all been waiting for-Todays Top 5
Wednesday: My Top 5 Favorite Katsucon 2019 Moments.
#5-Meeting Sombra
When it comes to big name guests at Katsucon, im usually
keeping an eye out for cosplay celebs.
This year though, I saw on the guest list that the voice of Sombra from
Overwatch, Carolina Ravassa. Those of
you whove followed my blog a long time know that Sombra is my Overwatch main
and I love her to death. In a way
running into Ms. Ravasa in transit between panels reminded me of how I lucked
into meeting Katie Griffith (Sailor Mars from the old Sailor Moon dub). Nervous as I was, I took a chance, asked if
she really was Sombras voice actress and managed to get a quick selfie in. I almost go tin trouble for it cause running
into a guest like that could result in her getting stopped by many others. But it was worth it, especially when she
tapped my nose for Sombra’s signature “boop” before she left.
#4-Let it Go
Billie Jean
This one requires a little backstory: im a fan of late
night 18+ anime panels. These are the
panels to bring out the Hentai, the violence, the stuff that you don’t dare
show to any innocent minded otaku. I
always try my best to attend at least one every night im at a con. Saturday night was no exception and it turned
out to be a sequel to Bizzare Hentai Theater 20XX from a year prior. However…while I do have a strong stomach,
even this panel was too much for me. I
can never unsee what ive seen and others agreed…a lot of people actually. The constant returns to one particular clip
resulted in massive chunks of audience members exiting the panel. I wonder if anyone stuck with that panel til
the end.
Cut to about half an hour later. My mind was mud and I needed to regain my
sanity. So I wandered back to the
Gazebo, which had become party central for the penultimate evening of Katsucon
2019. Groups all around were chilling,
dancing, drinking or a combo of all three.
In the process of wandering, I fell into a group belting out “Let it Go”
from Frozen. All of a sudden, my mind
reconstructed itself and I joined in cause…well yeah I like Let it Go when it’s
not on repeat 50,000,000 times. And the
energy I got off of it was incredible. The DJ behind the song choice offered me
next dibs…and I decided to pull out a classic.
Turns out Billie Jean is still a solid choice to play at any dance
gathering and it will get me in there to dance myself, joined by the girl who
was belting Elsa lyrics prior. It was
awkward, it was stylish, it reminded me why Saturday nights at Katsu are worth
staying up til almost dawn even though you def should be packing to avoid a
Sunday crowd lol
#3-K-ON Panel
hosted by the Baltimore Anime Denizens
The Baltimore Anime Denizens (B.A.D.) are a local Anime
group in Baltimore comprised of long time fans who want to extend the reach of
Anime to the community. Theyre a fun
crew and host regular hangouts and Anime screening series in the spring and
fall. Back at the beginning of the year,
I learned they are going to be doing a panel about the history of one of my all
time favorite shows, K-ON, with an emphasis on the music, at Katsucon. I thought it was awesome to see Rob, Daryl,
Adam and Jessie in the main auditorium hall and realized why that was a good
idea later on. Rob, Daryl and Jessie
(who was cosplaying as series character Yui) performed two songs from the
series (one from season one and one from season two). I was sitting in the front so my eardrums
were utterly destroyed…but let me tell you it was one of the best panels ive
ever been too. It reminded me of the KON
Concert from Otakon 2011 which first got me introduced to the show. Im pretty sure I was tearing up listening to
Fudepen ~Ballpen being played live again.
KON has a soundtrack that screams “feel good” and its even more awesome
that there are people out there who can actually play this magic live…and give
a good rundown of a series I really need to finish one of these years. Rob, Daryl, Adam, Jessie…you guys did so damn
good and you should be proud.
#2-Cosplay
Avengers
Katsucon has always attracted a ton of cosplay coverage,
it really is one of the biggest cosplay hotspots on the East Coast. Thanks to that, ive been able to meet so many
famous cosplayers ive followed on social media for a long time. Several of them have become good friends
while I just feel honored to meet others just for a moment. 2019 brought the best experiences with cosplay
so far. Old friends like Kayley Marie
Cosplay, GC-Chan Cosplay, Ghostiemuffin Cosplay and Canary Cry Cosplay all
returned with stronger works than ever (especially GC Chan, I had to do a
double take to see that it was her under some very impressive red make up, man
shes come so far since Sailor Moon at Katsu 2015…I mean she was always good
lol). In addition, I got to meet West
Coast cosplay legend Hendo Art (she does a lot of Spider themed cosplays) and
up and coming cosplayer Penberly. It was
a tremendous honor to see everyone, get a selfie if I could, and give them
proper praise for the work they do and the inspiration they all give to the
community, even those like me who don’t cosplay. Cosplayers are all rockstars in my book and
Katsu is my Woodstock (that makes sense right?)
#1-That Shouldn’t
Fit in There-STFU Edition
This might be a first, an actual Hentai Panel has topped
my Top 5 Convention Centered list.
Unlike the one that followed the next evening, this Friday night 18+
Panel, titled That Shouldn’t Fit in There-STFU Edition, was filled with all of
the best qualities one of these panels can bring to a large audience:
disgusting, but tasteful, bizzare Anime clips and a hostess who knows how to
keep you engaged while its all going down.
Best part absolutely goes to the Manga and digital comic segments that
required audience participation. Those
champions of the 18+ Panel made history that night, becoming champs who can
make the most disturbing imagery utterly hilarious. Youre not supposed to record anything from
these panels but I wish I could hear the audio from this panel. But the thing about this panel that makes me
place it at the top of this list is a more special reason: the hostess. The hostess of this panel was the same woman
who hosted my first Katsucon 18+ Panel back in 2015. Let’s just say I wasn’t full of energy that
Friday night 4 years ago. But the second
I stumbled into her panel and saw what I saw…I was reenergized. (you can
actually read about that particular panel on my Top 5 Katsucon 2015 Moments
here- )> To know that this same girl
who have me one of my favorite highlights from 4 years ago just gave me my all
time favorite Hentai panel…im glad I got to thank her in person and hope I get
to see another panel done by her at Katsucon in the future. Cause this disturbing stuff that gets the
best reactions from armies of crowds is the reason why 18+ are the best parts
of coming to any Anime Convention.
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