I normally try to keep COVID chat to a minimum and try to
make my blog a zone where people can find something fun to read that doesn’t involve
the sorry state of the world at the moment.
And you know what, even if said sorry state of the world factored heavily
into the weekend, it doesn’t matter.
I don’t
know the future.
I didn’t come here to
talk about how bad things are with COVID again, I came here to tell you about a
single day, a day some said shouldn’t happen, others thought would never
happen.
I was nervous, I wont lie, I know
how bad things are getting out there.
Right up until I left home for the journey, I was unsure of myself.
But then my friends and I saw the Walter E.
Washington Convention Center and everything felt right.
Then I saw the line of Otaku in Cosplay
wrapped around the building and everything felt right.
Once I was inside, badge in hand, gazing upon
the familiar halls…I was home and I was ready to make a one day experience
count.
I knew Otakon 2021 wouldn’t be a
three day experience, im not ready for that yet (Katsucon 2022 will hopefully
be a different matter).
It would be a
day and “there are those who said that this day would never come.
What have they to say now?”
Welcome, Dear Readers, to my Top 5 Otakon 2021
Moments.
#5-Doomed Megalopolis
Talk about a blast from the past that I had never
seen.
Doomed Megalopolis was a title
that, much like Akira, had a “Not for Kids” sticker plastered on the VHS Box
Art.
Granted while Akira had Kandea on
his bike heading into action, Doomed Megalopolis had a demonic looked M. Bison
like character grinning menacingly over a city scape…this looked wayyyyy
scarier than Akira did from the box are alone.
Well, I had some time to kill while waiting for my friends so, with 18+
Wristband attached, I ventured in and watched the end of the first episode and
the start of the second of this 4 Part OVA.
I might do a First Impression feature so I’ll save more in depth
thoughts for then.
I will say that Doomed
Megalopolis exemplifies everything most people associated with Anime in the
early 90s: tons of blood, violence, sex, demons, over the top destruction…you
know Hentai if it were more official and had a plot.
Might look into reviewing this one in full if
I can find a copy somewhere.
#4-Just Dance
The Video Game room, like many other rooms in Otakon this
year, felt more open and a bit sparce compared to previous years.
And yet, there was plenty of fun and wonder to
be found within.
The arcade games
section, the Smash Bros fighting section, that rhythm stick game from 2019 I don’t
understand.
The two areas that had my
attention most were the Rock Band 4 stand, with everyone jamming to their
favorite rock legends and singing along too (especially Chop Suey by System of a Down), and the Just Dance zone.
Just Dance has always been a staple of my
Katsucon experience and sharing this experience with the friends who came with
me to Otakon made me so happy.
I told
the friend of mine who was a first time attendee that me dancing like a fool
with other Otaku to random and catchy Pop Songs is basically how I spend most
of my Katsucon evenings…guess this was Katsu’s way of reaching out to me in a
year it couldn’t be held.
#3-A Gift for a Friend
Kayley Marie Cosplay’s birthday is coming up and I got to
hang out with her for the first part of my Otakon 2021 adventure.
It was fun catching up and wandering the Dealers
Room and Artist Alley with her and seeing everyone take notice of her Female Version
of Ash from Pokemon.
While she was rocking
a Pokemon Cosplay, I think she tends to side more with its spiritual cousin,
Digimon.
Knowing her birthday was soon, I
remembered her telling me about one of her favorite Digimon, Wormon, and made
it my mission to find her a Wormon plushie.
The Dealers Room wasn’t as vast as with previous years and there was a
chance I wouldn’t find one.
HOWEVER, on
the outskirts of the DR I found Wormon and presented it to Kayley as an early birthday
gift, giving her a good Otakon 2021 surprise memory and one of my first major
memories from that day trip myself.
#2-Manly Battleships Returns
I wasn’t sure how long my friends and I would be at
Otakon for our day trip but the consensus leaned towards as long as
possible.
That in mind, there was no way
I wasn’t doing an 18+ panel if it meant staying til the close of the con (Everything
ended at Midnight and the Convention Center had to be cleared by 1am for
extensive cleaning).
I chose to attend a
panel hosted by some old friends.
Manly
Battleships, the Otaku who bring the comedy when the sun goes down, returned
triumphantly to Otakon with a new round of “Youre Wrong and You Should Be
Ashamed of Yourself”.
Mr. Panda didn’t hold
back as he tore three fandoms a new one: my own favorite Mobile Suit Gundam,
Star Wars (which was an update that included a righteous rant about The Rise of
Skywalker) AND Neon Genesis Evangelion.
Colorful commentary and a healthy dose of visual aids propelled this
event high up my list of favorite events for the weekend.
To cap it all off, I got to reunite with my
friend and Manly Battleships member, Brook, for a long awaited hug and get a
selfie with Panda, thanking him for making me laugh at some of my most
treasured fandoms…cause if you cant laugh at what you love…well you’re wrong
and you should be ashamed of yourself.
#1-Why I Keep Coming Back to Otakon
In the days leading to my trip, my anxiety and doubt was
at an all time high.
After talking it
over with an old friend of the family, I came to a realization, one I guess had
slipped my mind even in these crazy times.
I don’t go to Otakon for the Dealers Room, Artist Alley, Panels, Screenings,
even the Cosplay…I go for the friends I’ve made over the better part of a
decade and the chance to have new adventures and make new memories with
them.
I ran into many of those friends
over the course of a few hours and theyre people I haven’t seen in person in
almost two years.
The hugs, they were
real.
The love behind those hugs, that
was real.
But the one thing that nearly
had me break down crying like I’d wanted to all day: was hearing my friends
tell me that I was a vital part of their Otakon experience and the convention isn’t
the same without me there.
Sometimes, I’m
too hard on myself and think that I care more about my friendships than others
might.
I was so happy to be proven wrong
in that moment.
There’s a reason these friends
have become family to me, my life, much less Otakon, wouldn’t be the same
without them.
As I’m so fond of quoting
from Martian Successor Nadesico, “Those unforgettable days, for them I live.”
I love Otakon, I love the family I’ve made
there.
And at the end of the day, I’ll
admit…id risk all three days (four if you count Thursday) for more time and
more memories with them.
Otakon will return…and so will we. See ya again in 2022 old friend.
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