Though we all knew about it well in advance and knew it
was inevitable given the current state of the world, the fact that we wont have
a Katsucon this weekend still stings like a bitch.
I often go back and forth over which
convention I prefer more: Otakon or Katsucon and the answer varies from time to
time as theyre both very different experiences.
Katsucon is like a non stop 3.5 day party where something is going on
literally every second from the Thursday Pre-Reg day to the slow die down of
the final Sunday.
Screenings, Dealers
Room, Artist Alley, Video Game Room, endless photoshoots and everything you can
get into around the Gazebo after dark, there’s hardly a dull moment and with no
curfew a la Otakon it is, as I said, a non stop con.
2020 marked my 6
th Katsucon and
I’ve always done a Top 5 or 10 after each one for the Gundam Anime Corner.
In lew of the lack of Katsu magic this
weekend, I’m going back over those last 6 years and putting together a special
Top 10 Edition of Top 5 Wednesday, dedicated to Katsucon.
It’s both a greatest hits list and might even
have some moments I haven’t talked about yet on the blog.
These are my Top 10 Katsucon 2015-2020
Moments.
Here’s hoping I can add more to
it in 2022.
#10-Getting the Gundam Wing Ultra Blu-Ray Box Set
(Katsucon 2018)
Mobile Suit Gundam Wing is a title no one who’s a regular
on this blog should be unfamiliar with.
It might be overshadowed by superior Gundam titles (sorry, not sorry)
but Gundam Wing still holds a very special place in my heart and is one of the
reasons I am such an Anime fan in the first place. I was excited to hear that after Bandai
closed down its US Distribution that RightStuf.com had teamed up with Sunrise
to bring everything Gundam stateside, including a few titles that had never
seen a US release EVER like Gundam ZZ, Gundam X and Victory Gundam. This also meant old favorites like Gundam
Wing would also be getting a new lease on life in Blu Ray after the complete
series had been out of print on Blu Ray for so long. The announcement of a giant box set for
Gundam Wing AND Gundam Wing Endless Waltz got me stoked in December 2017 and a
few months later…a series that should have been in my collection years ago was
in my hands and I felt like the luckiest Gundam fan on the planet…sometimes
it’s the little things that matter the most.
#9-Katsucon Open Dance Gathering (Katsucon 2017)
Dance Gatherings have been fun little treats to find
around conventions.
However, with Katsu
getting more and more crowded every year, finding a sizeable space, out of the
way of traffic can be tough and it’s put a damper on Dance Groups holding
performances over the weekend.
So it was
nice to see Katsu be a bit accommodating by allowing not only the quntisential
Dance Group, Dansu to Pantsu (sadly founder Dejavudea wasn’t at Katsu this
year), and other groups they’ve inspired like Ember Dance, Jump Ship Dance and
Wonder Dance, to engage in a massive Gathering in one of the main
Ballrooms.
The result was the ultimate
convention crossover event with each group getting to perform their own
routines while meshing with other groups as well.
Not a bad way to spend a Friday afternoon.
#8-Sailor Moon Photoshoots (Katsucon 2015-2020)
I’ve always made it a point to attend at least one Sailor
Moon Photoshoot at any convention but I double prioritize this at
Katsucon. Friday night at the Gazebo is
the place to be and has been all six years.
Yes, the cosplays and cosplayers are all amazing and beautiful but more
so is the energy brought to these gatherings.
Theyre always so welcoming, so inviting and generous. It helps having hosts who know how to make
any Sailor Moon cosplayer, veteran or newcomer, feel like they’ve come to the
heart of Sailor Moon fandom and are more than welcome to stay for all the fun
that comes with. GC Chan brought an
infectious fun energy to the first shoot I attended in 2015 and since 2018,
Rizuki and Reila (I forget her true cosplay handle, sorry), have emphasized the
safe zone of fun and acceptance aspect while showing the con the true meaning
of a loving fandom. Also helps that the
Gazebo level is perfect for these shoots cause at night it looks like something
straight out of the Moon Kingdom.
#7-Naginata by the Fountains (Katsucon 2018)
One of the best parts of going to any convention is just
walking around, wandering and seeing what you’ll run into.
Case in point: seeing a pair of girls dressed
in Kendo Sparring Gear with Bamboo Staff weapons practicing by the fountains.
This was my very first introduction to the
Kendo-like sport of Naginata.
While I
got to see a demo of the sport in a make shift Dojo set up in one of the show
rooms on Friday, this Thursday night special was something truly wonderful to
behold.
Maybe it was the lighting and
the location of the spar.
Maybe it was
how kind the two participants were to allow me to snap photos and videos of
their workout while answering some questions.
More than likely, it’s another reminder that old Lord of the Rings
saying: “It’s a dangerous business, going out your front door.
You get swept onto the road and if you don’t
keep your feet, there’s no telling where you’ll be swept off to.”
#6-That Shouldn’t Fit in There-STFU Edition (Katsucon
2019)
Ok, so, priorities while attending an Anime con besides
hygiene and having fun: Always go to at least ONE 18+ Hentai Panel.
It might require a strong stomach and bleach
for the eyes but these are always some of the best times you’ll have at any
convention.
This particular raunchy
Panel stands out for a couple of reasons.
First,
it 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 made it the best: 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. 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.
#5-First Time in the Gaylord (Katsucon 2015)
February 2015 wasn’t just my first trip to Katsucon, it
was my first visit to National Harbor and the Gaylord Hotel and Convention
Center itself.
I had seen a few videos
from Vloggers and Cosplayers on YouTube but nothing and I mean NOTHING could’ve
prepared me for those first few steps into the Atrium of the Hotel.
The glass ceiling seemed to go on forever;
the sounds of a vast space filled with Otaku echoed in my ears; the sights of
all the cosplayers already crowding around the Gazebo waiting for photos; the
lighting, the fountains, the sights of people in the Atrium room balcony’s
waving, I hadn’t felt this kind of experience since I first stepped into the
Baltimore Convention Center for my first Otakon in 2010.
There was so much to see, so much to explore,
so much to do and I could not wait to get my badge, get my stuff to my room and
then get released into the wild, so to speak.
2015 was my first Katsucon, Welcome to the New World.
#4-Getting to Talk to Steve Blum (Katsucon 2018)
Steve Blum, a name that is synonymous with Anime Voice
Actors.
For decades his voice has been
immortalized thanks to roles that defined generations: Spike Spiegel from
Cowboy Bebop; Roger Smith from The Big O; and, probably most importantly, the
every lovable host Tom from Toonami.
Though Steve’s voice we’ve been given sage wisdom and bad ass
inspiration whenever words flowed from his mouth.
And in 2018 he came to Katsucon with his long
time partner, now wife Mary Elizibeth Mcglynn, and I got to attend one of their
extremely packed QnA Panels.
Knowing it
was a long shot and deciding to be a bit daring, I hopped in line hoping to get
a question answered by both of them.
By
the time I reached the head of the line, there was only enough time for me to
ask either Steve or Mary a question…and I chose Steve.
I asked him about
his final Toonami speech and if the Spike inspired final line “bang” was either
written for him or added by Steve himself.
The answer was the former and he spoke highly of the Toonami writers and
staff who have helped him since he stepped into the role of Tom years ago. HOLY FRAK.
I was shaking and dumbstruck. I
even called my sister to tell her what I’d just done. I spoke with a legend…and he is the chilliest,
coolest dude ever.
#3-Helping a Friend Expand Her Community (Katsucon
2020)
If Katsucon 2020 showed me anything, and it showed me
plenty, it was just how far I had come as an Anime fan and as a member of the
Anime/Otaku community.
While she was
only there for a short while that Saturday, my friend SpicyCat was still
finding her way around the convention scene.
As I showed her around Katsucon, I ended up running into several fans
from all walks of convention life: long time fans of older anime; friends who
had worked conventions around Maryland; artists who frequently presented their
work in the Artists Alley; even getting a couple of cosplay friends, new and
old, to offer advice to my friend on future cosplays.
never knew how large my circle of friends had
grown over the course of 10 years.
And I
got to put that gift to good use by helping Cat meet new people who could help
expand her knowledge of Anime and especially cosplay since she has big plans
for 2020 in terms of future projects.
It
felt good helping a new friend gain insight and see that if she ever needs help
with any endeavor…there’s a whole universe of Otaku waiting her help out, me
included.
This was the first time I
really felt like someones Sempai when I was just trying to show a friend
around…and it felt good.
#2-Meeting Popular Cosplayers (Katsucon 2015-2020)
If there’s one convention that’s synonymous with Cosplay,
it’s Katsucon.
I’m not sure if this is
true but Katsu has always felt like the largest cosplay driven convention on
the East Coast (correct me if im wrong, its fine).
Some of the most prolific and popular players
in the field will make coming to Katsu a priority, more so than Otakon, which
is one of the largest Anime Conventions on the East Coast (2
nd
largest I think).
This means that
cosplayers whose work I’ve seen over social media might be around and it is a
whole kind of shock to meet them in person.
Few experiences rival meeting Dejavudea and Fawnina at National Pastime
or Rizuki in the Pre Reg Line or Katie Cosplays in the Gaylord Lobby.
And then there’s actually getting to chat
with and even befriend cosplayers at various photoshoots or just hanging around
a random hallway.
Kayley Marie Cosplay,
Ghostiemuffin, Kid Kryptonite are only a few of the ones ive come to call good
friends and eagerly await when new crafts they’ll bring to the biggest cosplay
party of the year.
#1-2020: Year of the Dance (Katsucon 2020)
Dancing has always been as associated with Katsucon as
Cosplay.
Every night after 11pm, when
the Gazebo photoshoots are done for the day, the night really kicks in and you
can find one or two dance parties happening around that single area.
Not to mention you have Just Dance in the
Video Game Room too.
In 2020, however, I
attended more of these events than ever before.
Maybe it was because they were blaring more music that I grew up with
from the late 90’s and early 2000s (Smash Mouth, Ginuwine, Sum 41, even some
Will Smith, Queen and The Backstreet Boys, if you could dance AND even sing to
it, it was gonna get played).
Maybe it
was the good company and epic dance moves being pulled off.
Maybe it was Kid Kryptonite’s spitting image
of Freddie Mercury belting out Eminem’s Lose Yourself with a Will Smith
Character Cosplayer.
Truth is, it all
comes down to me being able to cut loose and not act like a shut in Otaku like
I normally do.
And even without knowing
what lay ahead for the rest of 2020, this was the Katsu to go all out and act
like the true fun loving nerd I always want to be.
The Gazebo was the best place to end every
night at Katsucon…cause it was always time to dance and I never wanted it to
stop.
No comments:
Post a Comment