Otakon is a million years away, but I finally got a Marriott Marquis room, any tips for having maximum fun while there? I only experienced it during the day, is the night scene any different? Is it acceptable to switch to a different cosplays at night?
>>10950765>https://www.otakon.com/info/location/>schedule is still on 2024>maps are dated 2023>the date in the website footer is still 2024I wonder when they'll update the site and plan for this year. It's 2 months away so whatever, but I was surprised that the date isn't even on every page yet.Otakon seems like a more relaxed operation than some of the bigger conventions on either coast.
>>10954632It's a non-profit volunteer run con, but it's probably the biggest one of those in the US. Schedule still hasn't been finalized yet. They mostly update stuff on social media and discord, the website is last place people go to for info nowadays.
This is gonna be my first con, what am I in for?
>>10955538I've only gone 2 years, but it feels like a weird mix of soulless corporate con and party con, but with none of the advantages and all of the disadvantages. The hotel is nice though.
>>10955538Save your energy during the day and party all night at the Marriott lobby
do you like skits?
>>10956693Skirts? Yeah, I like wearing skirts (6'2" 200lb man btw)
How does the partying at otakon compare to Katsu or Colossalcon?
>>10956903Much more insular. Parties at ota are more kind of friend group things since they happen at hotels in the area whereas in the case of Katsu everything is at the gaylord.It's best to prowl con discords or facebook groups for any kind of ota partying.
Not the anon, but I think this is the year I forego using sites and chatrooms and try to find parties by just talking to strangers. I'm ready to try hard mode
>>10950765Hate to burst your bubble but it’s overrated. U get a more luxurious hotel at the Conrad. The marquis lobby is decent, the photography party area is cliquey, and then people camp out and sleep over in the tv lounge area. The marquis rooms are convenient, but not luxurious by current standards. They also check weapons props and if u don’t have the tag for weapons check then they make u go out and get in line at the actual walter e convention center which defeats the purpose of staying at the marquis for convenience. It was fun the first couple years but gets stale prettt quick. Much rather chill at the westin or Conrad
Doesnt seem to be much hype for this year? Whats going on?
Does anyone know if Otakon has dealers who sell Japanese language Yugioh cards?
>>10957655No idea if they'll have anything at all, but Alternate Universes (a card shop from Wilmington) has a dealer room table.Or did when I looked at the map the other day.
>>10957609Anime NYC moved to August and cannibalized any hype, guests or industry presence for Otakon.
>>10957708Thanks, exactly what I wanted to know. I looked at their online store and it doesn't seem like they carry OCG cards but I'll keep an eye out.No card shop in America really does.>>10957710anime nyc sucks so much ass, man
>>10957710>pay twice the price for a shitty corporate conNo thanks faggot
>>10957718>>10957737Lol look at this seething butthurt. Otakon has no content, the crowds just shuffle around like mindless zombies because there's nothing to do. The only reason to go is the hotel parties, which aren't even that good
>>10957773?
>>10957773ANYC, anime boston, and otakon are the bare minimum conventions I go to every year, and if I had to never attend one ever again, it would be ANYC every time.
>>10957812More than one con a year is torture.I don't know what that other guy's problem is though. What does he think these things are amusement parks or something?
I've never been to a con, this will be my first one so I have to ask, can you make friends there?
>>10957870Yes but you really need to be sure to get their discord/number/whatever. Put in the work to not end the relationship once the con ends because lord knows they sure won't.
>>10957887Are there any good communities online to arrange meeting up with new people? The otakon discord seems inactive.
>>10957918if you mean the official one, it's very active, just full of trannies
>>10957870Yes, but for Otakon, people at the con in the daytime are kind of low energy compared to almost any other con, it's fascinating. I think people who go to be social wait for the night party scene to have fun, and sleep or chill in their hotels during the day. And the people around during the day are mostly commuters who showed up exhausted and overheated and are making the rounds until they leave at night. Most other cons have a balanced crowd or a consistent energy level.
>>10957918We have a Matrix group chat at #marylain:matrix.netho.tk.
>>10957029If you see four Prison School guys come say hi. We have a room and beer. No homo
Any lolicons want to talk about lolis at Otakon?
>>10958048Hell yeah, I keep an eye out come Saturday since I'm getting pulled away to a show on Friday night, so I won't be around much during drinking hours. I was planning on going to the con as a touhou, but that order didn't work out, so it looks like I'll be re-using an old cosplay I have. I'll probably just fix up my Kamina stuff and roll with that again, so keep an eye out.>No homoUnlucky
>>10958087Only if you strictly want to talk about anime girls
>>10958119Well yeah what else would it be?
https://idolharmony.com/Please go to this if you'll be at otakon and have any interest in idolshit
>>10958126Do I have to pay money?
>>10958126I’m not paying 75 extra dollars to see Kiara. Get that vtuber shit out of here
>>10958126Shit should be free.
>>10958164One of the members is going to show up in an eyepatch because of hospital hort.Should be cute.
>>10958126I'll be going to this Saturday night and taking pictures in the Marquis lobby on Sunday. I'm not going to the con at all.
>half the site still on 2024>but here's (probably way outdated) directions from the Potomac marina for the Chesapeake bay boat you're riding in onI'm looking for a map of the entrance side of the convention center for the day of.I swear I saw "Enter from such and such street" a while ago when I looked, but now I can't find it.>thinking about buying a maid cafe slot for Sunday because fuck it>the shopping cart just doesn't workI'm excited, but fucking hell that website is the worst one I've seen for a con.
>couldn't get into any autograph sessions I wantedBrutal
>>10958121
>>10958358I don't know what this dumbass frog means you fucking faggot.
>paid panelswhat the fuck
is this con worth going to?
Going to crossplay Dutchess from Nightreign. I'm looking forward to going but disappointed there's no soulsborne photoshoot. If any anons want to meet up I'd be happy to
>>10958473Lots of idol otaku stuff. I want to see how big the vendor hall is on Friday I think.
>>10958484Are you searching for anything in particular? I know I am.
>>10957918The Discord invite to this Matrix room is https://discord.gg/MbZ8JvPuuq
>>10958484Is there ever any iDOLM@STER shit at U.S. cons or is that too niche
>>10958490You'll find random goods in the vendor hall but don't expect panels or industry talks.
>>10958490>>10958492Also I want to talk to someone about idolmaster stuff if you're interested in something like that.I love Layla and never get a chance to talk about her.
>>10958473Depends on what you want to do. Otakon has industry and a huge merchant hall. Studio Trigger and Orange attend every year. If you just want an excuse to get blackout drunk and party for a whole weekend, then Katsucon in February would be better for you.
>>10958456Forget "normalfags and instathots". Stupidity like this is the real cancer killing conventions>Special afterparty even 3 miles away>ONLY $30 entry for generic raveshit and $20 water cocktailsI'm good
Is anyone going to Otakon? What's the point of posting a gay-ass discord if it makes the thread obsolete?
>>10958543The rave at soundcheck was actually pretty decent when it was full but the drink prices were crazy
>>10958554I'm bad at finding discords and I don't like how discord does an air-raid siren and searchlight routine the microsecond you join a public discord anyway. I'd much rather post in empty threads on boards that bump like once an hour instead.
>>10958574How's the vibe in DC? Did they have a Matsuri this year today?
>>10958575Why are you asking me?
The absolute state of this thread. This used to be one of the biggest cons for anons in years past with regular meet ups at Water St.
>>10958561Soundcheck is a really fun venue. I'm somewhat local, so I end up going there a fair amount for their shows, and they pull some really big names to a club of that size. I'm not going to be there on Saturday night (I'll be up at Black Cat most likely), but I will be there tonight for Starjunk if anyone else is around. Can't speak about their drink prices since I'm too cheap to buy venue liquor. I'm more of a "chug in the parking lot and ride that through the night" sort of guy anyways. Or hit the bars along 14th st. beforehand since there are some good stops.>>10958554NTA, but I only drop my tg/dc in threads to communicate while I'm at the venue. I have no problem checking the thread, and would rather communicate there honestly, but fucking 15 minute timers make it a struggle.>>10958586It's a shame to see, isn't it. I won't be free for much tonight, but I'll be bumming around saturday if you/other anon are looking for bodies
Did anyone see the metamorphose booth? Is it a knock off? Feels like a knockoff. >no tags in dresses>no branding for the full brand name anywhere>piss poor options>poor booth decorations
i'm going to be walking around tomorrow as pipkin pippa if anyone wants to meetup
Is Hen Da Ne not here this year?
>>10958604dunno what that is
I've never been to otakon but a friend is going, I'd like anons to post pictures of stuff if they could! like the halls and anything would be cool!
>>10957655>>10957708Alternate Universe booth seemed pretty popping at least, and it had the game I wanted.
Any Friday reports? Weather was nice today, hoping the convention is going well. Also, anyone else miss Baltimore?
It's just not the same after they moved to Washington. I've only been to Otakon in DC twice before Covid but I dunno, maybe I really hate DC, the atmosphere is too stuffy.
>>10958632Otakon outgrew Baltimore, and that is a shame, the old BCC had soul. WEWCC is better for going out since the area was redeveloped. Did they ever get rid of the homeless encampments in the green spaces nearby? Also wondering how it will work with the curfew
>>10958633lmao no theres tons of homeless here. this city is a total shithole.first year here and last.
>>10958633there's not really any homeless encampments around WEWCC unless you count homeless laying around outside the carnegie library (where matsuri was). would say the neighborhood (mount vernon triangle) is pretty well developed and it doesn't really get ghetto until you walk a good bit north of the center towards howard university.
>>10958635What I heard (but had not seen) the homeless would beg the cosplayers for money, then yell at them that they must have money if they came to Otakon. Are the mini tent cities still there?
>>10958636How did the Matsuri go? WEWCC is in a tourist area now. Also, are more cops out there after BigBalls got rekt?
Having a good time. Locate me in green pants, lockheed martin polo for fun times. Probably going to Gunbuster showing
>>10958604Im down, I promise we wont rape you xD
>>10958595It is legit Meta. They brought a handful of clearance items. Also, the ones with tags, the price is super small and in the bottom left corner. Source- made a purchase there today, overheard the shop girls chatting with a friend.
>>10958650Even with no tag in the neckline of the dress? I was under the impression all big brands had tags sewn in
Genuinely impressed by how fucking awful the dealer's hall is.
Its us!
It's hunter exam time
>>10958662This panel is awful by the way.
>>10958662LOOK ITS US WE DID IT WE'RE FAMOUS
>>10958662niggy!!
>>10958662kek
>>10958660Otakon continues to amaze me on seeing they have dropped the ball once again.
I'll be there today as Rena Ryuugu. Say hi if you see me maybe
>>10958662panel went to shit the moment he started talking about twitter e celebsim in a blazer with a lavender tie and a paper towel hammer
>>10958680let's be honest, 4chan is mostly just twitter screencaps nowadays
any chuds down to meet up at the hotel bar tonight?
>>10958680I left when he called everyone in /jp/ a bunch of freaks.I mean it's true but it's fucked up and hypocrisy coming from a guy who just said how nice the fanbase is.
>>10958690The classic normie paradox of acknowledging that /jp/ built the western touhou fandom but not wanting to condone /jp/ because it's 4chan and that's bad
What happened to the art auction? In 2015 or so there was a ton of stuff worth bidding on, but the last few years I'm lucky if there's one item I want. Half the stands are empty, just like last year. Also no paintings in the art alley/dealer hall again this year. The R18 section is downright pathetic. I remember it at least being funny.Seems like the same 5 people keep putting up the same garbage as the previous year. I cannot believe that people keep bidding on that guy's pictures of his figures that he keeps reprinting. The photo of the Rin Shima figure (that he also sold last year) is up to 10 bids/$86. I pulled up the 2023 listing and he sold the same photo for $120. I found the actual figure itself on eBay for $160 in its original box.
>>10958654Yes. It is very common for meta to put the tag, wag info and spare buttons, usually in a small cluster along an underside skirt seam.
>>10958678I'll bite, what ball(s) did they drop this time?t. former staffer
>>10958709aside from the Opening Ceremony shitshow
This was my first con. I showed up in plain clothes, left as akatsuki because it was cheapest to cosplay. Next time I go, definitely doing a kingdom hearts character. I had a 3d printed keyblade but im glad I didnt bring it. I got 200 dollars worth of stuff. I think i hit 300. Theres only 20 left in my checking and 18 in my savings. Never doing another con without proper preparation. I was invited to this last minute by a friend i made on Monday. I get cosplay now it's amazing.
>>10958719Glad you had fun anon.What'd you get? What'd you see?
Never change otakon(2am Beyblade tournament, Marriott lobby)
>>10958720This was everything I got. Im a huge jjk fan so I got more stuff for that series. I got some naruto stuff also. Not really that much into it but sort of nostalgic so whatever. I do regret the big art pictures only because the guy fucked me over. He said buy 2 get any free. I chose kingdom hearts and the JJK banner, then said the naruto one for free. He charged me for both big pictures and gave me the banner for free, which I didn't notice until after I paid. Really really shitty behavior by that guy.>>10958724Damn I had FOMO and this is why I felt it. I was so tired after walking all day. I went home around 9. I live in Rockville so I didn't know what was going on
There was a blond girl in the artists ally yesterday who had a huge gut hanging out of a yellow or orange shirt, she was genuinely beautiful
>>10958724>(2am Beyblade tournament, Marriott lobby)>just left the marriott around 12-30 due to the family bullshitFuck me hard.
>>10958740Now that its almost over, what came up in the Listening Session?
does anyone know what the drama with the amv contest was? the guy leading it gave a buttmad speech at the end of the finalists about how he was being pushed out by corporate
>>10958745The Feedback will have a lot of pissed off congoers over Autograph signing and other bullshit. This year's Otakon was really bad but overall it was subpar. >>10958746Did someone made a vid of him speaking out? What happened.
>>10958747Former staffer again, autographs were/are always a weak spot--lots of newer/inexperienced staffers get thrown at it. But nothing will beat Otakon 2005 when nobody bothered to tell Scott McNeil the convention was over and he was still signing autographs at about 4-5. Instead of being pissed, he simply screamed out "I CLOSED THE CONVENTION!" because technically he was the final event.
>>10958748>Former staffer again, autographs were/are always a weak spot--lots of newer/inexperienced staffers get thrown at it.Why do they make changes for staffers to work on Autograph signings that they are not prepared or have experience. I've been to Otakon before Baltimore moved to DC. Also fuck Guidebook and the staff for NOT telling us in advance they were doing sign in spots since for me it was too late for on not getting in. Fuck these staff faggots personally who made that decision.
>>10958746>the guy leading it gave a buttmad speech at the end of the finalists about how he was being pushed out by corporateSo no more AMV Contests for Otakon then?
>>10958746They also fucked up costume contest too, it was so quick and had no categories, it was the beginning of the masquerade instead of the end and really bad. What the hell is happening behind the scenes this year?
I had so much fun. Im really glad I went. I think I'll go to risucon also since it's local. This was my first but I really enjoyed it. I got 1 persons discord information and I'll probably never talk to them, but I still asked and got it.
>>10958703Professional artist here - I want to enter this auction for the first time next year. What are some items and mediums that y'all would actually bid on? I have my own ideas but would love to hear from people. For reference I have a BFA and watch anime seasonally; I'll likely focus on new release characters.
>>10958605semioldfag tranny hereIt's not our fault 4chan went all in on right wing culture war. 2010 4chan (esp /jp/) was left leaning albeit still edgy and people literally said things like "I want to be the little girl" and its hard NOT to see "brb Gensokyo" as an early form of 41% memeing except self-referential (actual men don't want to be lesbian ultrafeminine anime girls, let alone commit suicide to do so)Pre-2013 and especially pre-2016 4chan was a far, far different place even if there were still Nazis.
To the guys Pippa and I hung out with at the Dignitary yesterday - you were super fun! Didn't find you at the arcade unfortunately. Meant to ask you about exchanging Discord tags but was too tired.My Miku is now powered by a 5.0L V8.
>>10958768Meant to reply to>>10958700
>>10958709Autograph section is a mess
>>10958751apparently staff gave a non-answer when someone asked during the feedback session if there would be an amv theater next year so chances are it's joever, hopefully not though
>>10958703I complain, but it was still fun and I got a couple of decent paintings. When the Guts painting came up, the auctioneer started to make fun of a staffer kid that couldn't afford it, and he started yelling across the room to his mom. After some back and forth she relented and bought it for him, it was very wholesome. Also, the photo of the Rin figure went for $250 this time lmao. It's honestly a good picture, but that's crazy to me.>>10958767I tend to go for acrylic or oil on canvas and prefer landscapes or scenes with animals/less of a character focus. Stuff that holds up even if the subject matter isn't you're favorite anime/game. Seasonal characters are a tough sell for me because I don't watch anime much anymore. I bought a large Frieren print last year because it focused more on the landscape and the art style was good, so I don't rule it out completely. I've read some of the manga, never seen the anime. If there are characters, I want them to be integrated into a scene that looks nice or interesting. For reference, my preferred range for a single item is $150-$250. This year I had wins at $200 and $65 (both oil on canvas).Popular seasonal anime does sell though. Frieren and Spy x Family sold like hotcakes last year. Established IPs are hit or miss depending on the art quality. Popular waifus always sell. A couple people were bidding very passionately on some Uma Musume drawings at the live auction this year.
>>10958779Any staffers watching this thread going to Dead Dog?
>>10958769Miku deserves a Hemi
>>10958768At least /jp/ culture is being somewhat prepared by spinoff sites like kissu, wap and hikari. It's not quite the same but it's something.
Brought my camera to a con for the first time, and almost exclusively took photos of cars and dolls. Maybe, one day, I'll be good enough that I can take photos of cosplayers without the "uhh, hold on, that one had shit focus. Please stay still" that I'm still struggling with (as you can tell by the couple I'll post)>>10958769OMG it miku!! It was cool meeting you guys as well. If you'd like me to, I can gather the other two's information to pass on to you >>10958767Physical mediums are what I'm most interested at, be it paintings/drawings or something like sculpture or jewelry. It also depends heavily on the subject too, and I'd be much more willing to buy a painting I liked of a niche series than an equally good painting of a really popular series (that is likely to have a lot more art available.) I think you just need to have a good finger on the pulse of the popular series with the dedicated following if you're looking to move some physical art.t. arts graduate as well>>10958773I got caught up with friends this year and didn't get to make it to the AMV contest, and I am going to be gutted if this ended up being the last one. Without understanding anything that's going on behind the scenes, if it does end up being the case that the AMVs were cancelled because of some corporate shit, I am going to be livid. They are one of the most soulful parts of the convention for me, and I can't imagine a good reason why they'd be taken away. Fuck, now I'm going to be going to bed angry
>>10958795What kind of camera? Also found just hold up the camera and ask "May I?" and most cosplayers are chill.
>>10958795It was a very simple design, but I loved the turbo baba alto works. It was fun seeing all the kei cars this year, since I feel like there were more out than the last couple of years.>>10958797Nikkon d3300 with 1.4g afs nikkor 50mm lens. The lens is decent for a lower end bit of glass, but the body is one of the most bog-standard cameras you can buy (at least it was when I bought it for my college photography class almost a decade ago) And I know they'd be more than happy to let me take picture of them, since I know I like it when people stop me for pics. It is more that I'd hate to take one or two pictures of a cosplayer I like, only to find out that neither of them were good and I missed my shot. I've been learning a lot about photography, though, so I'm sure I will get good enough in time
>>10958798A couple of people I talked to had missed it, but I loved the model train diorama set up in dealer hall. I am a massive sucker for this sort of stuff, and it looks like these guys had a lot of fun setting it up.
>>10958798I did okay with a basic bitch PowerShot set on either Auto or Sport mode, but yeah, still missed the shots. Nice of them to show cars in the Convention Center, which means they had a ton of space. Hopefully people respected the vehicles (read: didn't lean across the hood for cosplay shots)
>>10958799I thought trains were the theme last year.
>>10958799Had to take some pictures with the elephant as well. I love this little guy.>>10958801This was set up by people tabling in the hall, so it wasn't something done by Otakon itself. It would be cool if it was something officially set up, since that'd allow them a lot more space and a lot more eyes on it. Maybe that's just something only a few people would like to see, since I'm not sure how the average person feels about model train>>10958800My main problem with the cars was that I was shooting with a polarizing filter which is used to cut down on reflections. It worked really well, but it also makes your images a lot darker, and I don't yet know the ideal way to compensate for that using the camera. Thus, I was just using a slower shutter speed which introduced a lot of blur to my pictures because I couldn't hold the camera steady
>>10958769big miku
>>10958802I didn't take very many fumo pics this year, now that I think about it. I feel like the convention center doesn't have very many fun little spots for photos (that aren't by fucking panes of glass)
>>10958803Posting Mikus I found.
>>10958805Baja Blast Mik
>>10958806Washed up wage slave mik
>>10958807Miku of BoyThat's it. There were a lot of Mikus. If anyone has a pic of the Sweet Devil Miku who was walking around please share.
>>10958808Also a sponge
>>10958779>>10958795Thanks, this is great input!
>>10958795Sure, would love to talk to you guys more! My tag is lugersama
>>10958799>I loved the model train dioramaSame. I used to post on /toy/ model railroad threads a bit and that layout was a great crossover of my hobbies.
First time goer, really considering going next year too.I mostly go for vtuber stuff first, dealers and artist shopping second, and idol stuff third.Besides the website being janky and mostly uninformative, good con with lots to see and easy getting in and out.
>>10958773AMV is one the main pillars to the otaku community especially for Otakon in general. Going corporate is the worst popular outcome for anime congers. But not giving a straight answer is a sign shit about to hit the fan when corporate bigwigs fucking everyone over.
Second time I've been to a con, despite being there for only a day, I managed to do a lot more with my friends here compared to ALA earlier this year. I would've spent a lot more at the dealers, but wearing a DIY armor cosplay is a lot less liberating on you. It felt very nice to have several people take pictures of me.
>>10958816Added!>>10958832Glad to see you had a good time! For me, the most annoying parts about going in cosplay is lugging everything around. I felt like a bit of a pack-rat with my sword, camera bag, doll bag, and canvas bag. If I had bought anything larger than the pins I had, I would have needed yet another bag to carry stuff. I know it only gets worse once you start getting more detailed and bulky cosplays, so good on you for sticking it out!
>>10950765I was the guy throwing a lot of parties at Ota and cosplaying a bit. Good con. The removal of 18+ stuff was a huge mistake. I don't buy much/go to many panels, but it made the tenor worse and clearly was an attempt to push out adults in favor of kids. Some fun random stories:- I had to slam the door on multiple people trying to sneak into my private parties- Most of the female cosplayers continue to hate each other, go figure- Lots of black dudes slinging bad drugs>>10958795Dude, you should never worry about photographing cosplayers. Cosplayers want it, and they totally get how difficult it is. I was cosplaying all weekend AND taking photos, and most people in the cosplay scene are basically desperate for you to try. It is very normal for ~5% or fewer photos to come out right, given how weird the lighting can be in the WEWCC, how bad some people are at posing, how hard it is to control the background, etc. Only tips I can give:- NEVER feel shy to ask, keep in mind that it's wildly flattering. You're complimenting people, after all.- If you can, get some sort of lens with more flexibility. I roll with a 24-70mm. It's not "perfect," but you can adjust to way more weirdo situations on the fly. Lots of dudes rent lenses, which is a crapshot - you're then running around with $1k++ of someone's money.- Shoot in raw. You can bail yourself out of shitty lighting.- Secretly, most cosplayers will tell you they want realistic shots, but don't want that. When in doubt, shoot brighter, not darker. Shoot from a higher angle, not lower (except for some limited stuff, like superhero shots for good cosplayers who know not to do the double chin thing). In editing, less noise/texture = better skin for most folks. You can even go as far as GENTLY slimming down the entire image to make them seem taller.- One secret location for good shots is the top floor near the windows, assuming you can get the right angle. Tons of sunlight.Going to other cons?
>there was 18+ stuff at other otakonsFUCK this was my first year and they got rid of it. Me and my friend went to the manga library 18+ section expecting something good but it's all shit we read already. What cons have 18+ sections?
>>10958837Damn it was my first time down there and didn't really know anyone to get into parties. Maybe next time
>>10958840Most of them, including corporate ones.According to Vic (the guy who went off at the end of AMV Theatre) Otakon isn't even going corporate, it's just upper management completely changed over a few years ago and the people running the show have no idea what they're doing.
>>10958842What are the names of the big conventions? Seems like otakon was a very popular one. Theres another convention in my area called Risucon but the following is much smaller. I wanna make sure if I go to a convention its a big one with lots of stuff to do. Risucon is a 1 day event so probably not going to it
>>10958841I'll level with you since I've been doing them for a while - you deserve to know this info.People like me throwing/financing parties are always uber-protective because creeps show up and either drink all of our booze or creep out our girls. As such, the bar is MUCH higher than it used to be.Here's how you do it:- Show up to any preplanned 21+ events, especially the "Day 0" type shit on Thursday. Usually, a few party planners will be there. We will not say this, but we are vetting people. - Your goal is not to be Mr. Social (that's kinda my job), but to ADD VALUE. Be friendly. Talk to people. Being nerdy or a huge weeb is OK - hell, I want that. Talk. Offer to help. Be chill. Ask questions. Shy is OK, just stick your neck out, we won't bite.- Further to the above, the biggest blackball you can get is being creepy towards women. Cosplay girls are infamously sensitive and odd. Treat them like dudes and don't hit on them, stare at their tits (I know this is hard), etc. If one of them calls you "creepy," you're basically blackballed. They will literally text me with lists of people who give them "bad vibes." Don't be on that list. - Have a way that people can contact you. Do not be some autistic weirdo with a fake anime-themed Facebook. Instagram/Facebook is by far the most popular method, with Discord and text messages being the next. If I ask you for your contact info, that's my way of being able to send you an invite later.- I usually throw a big "public" event and then a later "private" one. The former is publicized through more public channels (Discord channels, Facebook groups, whatever). Show up to those. The latter is passworded and requires that someone specific invite you. - You can still get into parties without the password/a rec through bringing girls. That's not because we're creepy, but because it validates that you're not creepy. Bringing booze doesn't work. NEVER bring a crowd of men.
>>10958843Every state has their own big one, but the biggest ones in general would be>Anime Expo LA (Corporate, like SDCC or NYCC)>Anime New York (Also Corporate)>Anime Boston (Kind of fan run like Otakon)>Otakon >Anime North (Canadian)Those are probably the five biggest ones that draw a lot of attention, and as far as I recall, all of those with the exception of Otakon carry 18+ goods.
>>10958842>>10958746
>>10958845Is otakuthon worth going to? I was considering checking it out as well since it's closer to me but it was running at the same time as Otakon so I chose that
>>10958837>The removal of 18+ stuff was a huge mistake.This legitimately made me regret going.
>>10958850Ryotaro Okayu went so yes.
Post hauls if you got them.>>10958738That's a big haul. The Kingdom Hearts print looks pretty sweet.Here my junk.
>>10958855I went back on sunday and got 2 more swords and a kunai. Pretty sure I spent almost 400. Probably mid 350 range
>>10958855>Post hauls if you got them.I went a little overboard on prints. I was going to dial back on the Pokemon prints, but I had to add the PMD one since I love those games and have never seen someone selling art for them. Similar thought process behind the bookmark: I normally wouldnt go for one, but this is my first time seeing Redwall merch in the wild. The artist (same as the Rivendell print) said she was feeling nostalgic for old fantasy series. Top-right are the two paintings I got at the auction. There was another tree drawing I wanted, but the artist wanted $300 for the original and didn't have prints. I thought about going back and offering $100 for it, but I was worried that would be rude.
>>10958848I have my two cents either its CR or commies/leftists are taking over these anime cons and trying to use it on destroying cons itself. I'm leaning towards Crunchyroll involvement.
>>10958837>Most of the female cosplayers continue to hate each other, go figureMost of them are cunts it tends to happen because they are drunk and bitter women who don't have good acquaintences.
>>10958844?who cares about your gay partiesit's not some goal to reach
>>10958837>>10958844pics or gtfo. Or are you sacred to be the next guy being outed on being a creeper yourself and stiffing your own roommates of cash over the years? ya'll really do be soundin the same.
>>10958864I think he's some sort of pyschopathic control freak who likes having power and judging others for not fitting his vague bracket of what people should be.
>>10958837>get some sort of lens with more flexibilityIf I plan on sticking with taking photos at cons, I'll need to do this. I like the prime lens I have, and it does well for the sort of photography I like to do, but it was not well suited for a convention (especially since mine is cropped to be a pretty narrow fov). It was the first time I've got out to do "live" photography, so to speak, where I'm not controlling the location or the posing, so I was treating it as a learning experience regardless.>Going to other cons?I can't travel for conventions, so it only Ota and Katsu for me, so maybe I'll catch you around. I've been thinking about making it up to AN to visit a friend next year, but that's very much an "up in the air" thing
>>10958799Seeing the model train layout is such a joy for me now. Its inspired me to look into suitcase train layouts for a future build.
>>10958855Really happy with this
>>10958870Got a couple more afterwards
>>10958870Nice pickups! These guys are always my favourite booth to stop by, since I think their prices are good, especially for a con. I think this was the first year I saw them and didn't buy any artbooks, which was a bit of a shame. I did think about picking up one or two of the Murata books, though.
>>10958870Where did you find those drama CDs!!!!!!I was looking for drama CDs for a specific series all of Friday!
>>10958871>>10958888>hisoutensokuOh never mind I know exactly which booth that was.They probably didn't have it but it's so easy to miss stuff with the huge crowd.
>>10958837>Most of the female cosplayers continue to hate each otherngl, I audibly chuckled
>>10958870Retro Saikou is goated always hit their booth up at Ota/Katsu when I'm around
>>10958845Any good Pennsylvania cons? Its too bad anime NYC is so close. I cant afford to go but it looks cool.
>>10958986Keep this site bookmarkedhttps://animecons.com/events/schedule.php?loc=usPAWon't have all the locals, but it has all the big anime cons (and adjacent).For the rest of the year in PA, it seems>Colossalcon East Sept 4-7, Pocono Manor>ToonFusion: PittsburghSept 6-7, Pittsburgh>Animate! Philadelphia Oct 3-5, Philadelphia>Setsucon Anime Autumn AlleyOct 4, State College>PAX UnpluggedNov 21-23, Philadelphia>AnimeVerse PittsburghDec 20-21, PittsburghThe big anime one for PA seems to be Setsucon, which isn't till January 30.https://setsucon.com/Seems like your basic con fare, anime car shows, dealer halls, manga library, movie showings, swap meets, AMV contest etc.Looking at their guests, also seems to be standard mid-sized con fare, lots of dub actors and western internet talent from the 2025 convention. The other one that explicitly advertises itself as anime is Pittsburgh Anime Fest, but it's almost certainly a smaller scale convention since it's one day only (10am-5pm), only $20 admission, which is typically how small cons do it.http://animefests.com/Pittsburgh/Seems interesting in its own way though. They got the ocean dub VA for Goku and just sold him as "Goku's voice actor" on the guest list. Looking at the panel list, it's all small con fare, cosplay contest, "Awesome AMVs" (not a contest, just cool ones on the internet), that kind of thing. Seems 'cute' but not the "TRUE" con experience.
>>10958986>>10958988Anyone who willfully picks Anime NYC over Colossal East is a fucking fool. Not even saying this to be mean, just that it's the most corpo of corpo. And judging by this >>10958987 it looks like anon's already clued in to that fact
>>10958989Kek that is my post in the other thread too. I'm glad I asked ahead of time before diving in full throttle. I think maybe the only other option for me is maybe medium sized cons. I've been looking at other smaller ones and they dont seem to be my style. Colossalcon actually seems perfect but my friend is getting married that weekend so thats something I'll do next year. >>10958988I was using that to try and find some cons in DC/MD since that's where I am now but it seems like Otakon is the only one that I'm truly interested in. God damn it's going to be a long year. I wanna cosplay again but only in a big ass area like otakon, I dont wanna do something small. Seems more fun to have as many people as possible.
>>10958991That's a pretty balanced way to look at it. Too small and it's a wasted effort unless you're close by but way too big is worthless in its own way. Admittedly I'm also super biased in favor of CC because there's nothing like it
>>10958986I can honestly confirm Fanexpo Philadelphia (which was in May) is hot garbage.I might buy tickets for PAX though, if that's any good.
Just curious, did anyone see "Federal Police" while attending Otakon?
Hate like fuck to link Plebbit but...https://www.reddit.com/r/Otakon/comments/1mnnduu/otakon_2025_the_good_the_bad_and_the_ugly/
>>10959019This is a good summary of stuff that happened. Is there some way to help vocalize that people want the 18+ section back? Or is there no real helping the situation if I'm not a corporate millionaire
>>10959024Kek, my dream is that they get both Yuuki Aois (the seiyuu and JAV star) as guests
>>10959019The shitter near hall C on Sunday morning was absolutely shittified and trashed. I mean literal shit on the seat and clogged and a toilet spewing water.Which isn't noteworthy in a con on its own, except the Dealer's hall hadn't even opened yet. How tf did you degens do a shit river before 10 AM?
>>10959029Were they still mixed-sex restrooms?
Did that chimp out over safety pins by the Marriott people get addressed?
>>10959038qrd?
This was my third Otakon, all post 2020, and before I ever attended Otakon I went to the shitty small one in my city for many years (first one was way back in 2013). This was also my first time staying in the Marriot, and now with a wife/kid staying anywhere else is a big hassle. Spent a lot of time taking pictures of our cosplays (new outfit every day), hitting up panels and boozin' (responsibly) in-between taking the kiddo back to the room for naps.Probably the only one in the thread admitting they brought their family. I'm excited to bring kiddo especially when they are more grown.Hardly bought anything at the dealer's hall. It's mostly a scam anyway, I had to explain to my wife how con markup works and how to crosscheck product UPCs when possible. One booth was upcharging 100% on music CDs, wtf. There was that booth selling manga which ended up being a pretty good deal.I think for next time:>get a proper lens (have the stock one that came with my body) and an actual camera strap so I can take photos of people on the fly>plan out attending events that aren't listed as events on the schedule. Because of this hyperfocus we missed karaoke, game hall, etc...>attend the matsuri (was impossible with bab anyway)>always bring a cart of some sort (so that I have an excuse to take the elevator and skip prop check)>arrange childcare for saturday night>>10959018Apparently the Secret Service was on high alert one of the days because a couple people walked near the white house and looked like they were geared up (one of them was dressed up as Himiko Toga with all of her gear)
Anyone go to the maid cafe? Thinking of going next year>>10958832I love that cosplay, I'm sad I never ran into you
>>10959164i went to the maid cafe with friends! we got a really awkward maid at our table, and maybe only seven or eight of the twenty or thirty maids/butlers were cute/handsome. if you buy a ticket with dessert+drink the maids don’t bring it to your table, you had to get in line for it :/ kind of not worth the extra $10 but i wouldn’t go a maid cafe without eating so whatever. there was a raffle and group dances on stage (i enjoyed the performances, they clearly practiced). merch: there was chibi art of the maids/butlers and it was actually super super cute, bought so many chibi stickers and the prices for that were good. they also have trading card packs if you feel like gambling to draw a photo card of your favorite maid (there are regular cards, special iridescent cards, and special holographic cards). you can purchase polaroid pictures with the maids too. there’s some other stuff that i can’t remember… honestly would go back to the maid cafe again.
Did anyone get any good cosplay photos?
>>10959879Seconded, any good websites or anything
Ill post a few i took.
>>10959993
>>10959879>>10959975The only place I could find photos was Instagram and reddit. These ones I took though
>>10959996
This was my first con. Loved it a lot. As a local I'm definitely coming back
I actually showed up in plain clothes and bought all the shit I wore at the convention. I don't really like naruto. It was the only thing I found I liked.
>>10960001>untrimmed HP capeMan, he has better taste than I expected. I considered goin in a skillcape+phat this year, but I kinda hate the direction jagex has taken RS in these last couple of years, so I'd feel bad cosplaying from a series that I no longer like. (maxed btw) (I kept my untrimmed HP cape btw)>>10960000Trying to piece together a cosplay at dealer hall sounds kinda fun, if I'm being honest. Could be a cool thing to try at some point
