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Anyone going to Otakon?
https://forum.lddb.com/viewtopic.php?f=42&t=3087		 Page 1 of 2
Author:  elahrairrah [ 08 Aug 2013, 14:33 ]
Post subject:  Anyone going to Otakon?
I used to go to Otakon for the whole weekend, but since 2011, I've only made a day trip of it and not even registering (though with some subterfuge, managing to sneak in to certain events.) This year, in lieu of some rather high brow guests--Yoko Kanno, TMR--I'm heading down to Baltimore for the whole weekend.

Anyone else planning on going? How about getting some LDs autographed?

Since Kanno and also voice actor Tomokazu Seki are guests, I'm hoping to get some LDs autographed. Just can't decide on which of the following to have Kanno autograph:

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Leaning towards having Kanno sign Cowboy Bebop and Seki sign Escaflowne. Though having them both sign Escaflowne is an idea (since Seki voiced Van in the show.)
Author:  publius [ 08 Aug 2013, 14:51 ]
Post subject:  Re: Anyone going to Otakon?
One of these days, I probably will, but I missed the opportunity while my sister was living in DC.

Are you only allowed one autograph per signer? Because two LDs aren't all that much more bulky than one, to carry around. I had SEIKIMA-II autograph both "Wanna-Be's" & the first volume of "MAZE" when they appeared at A-Kon — they didn't even know that the former had a US LD release!
Author:  elahrairrah [ 08 Aug 2013, 16:15 ]
Post subject:  Re: Anyone going to Otakon?
I know Kanno and TMR autograph sessions are one item per person (it's going to be a hassle to try to get Kanno's autograph according to this.) The "lesser" guests, I'm not sure. Been a while since I got any autographs there (last one I got was Hikaru Midorikawa back in '02 or '03), but I think it was one item per person overall.
Author:  xtempo [ 09 Aug 2013, 00:21 ]
Post subject:  Re: Anyone going to Otakon?
I wish I could go but I ended up quitting one job and getting another one recently and can't take the time off.

Have fun when you're there:D
Author:  elahrairrah [ 12 Aug 2013, 05:43 ]
Post subject:  Re: Anyone going to Otakon?
Well, Otakon was a huge clusterfuck. So many damn lines! Wasn't able to get Yoko Kanno's autograph, but I was able to get autographs from Tomokazu Seki:

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Also from director Shinichiro Watanabe:

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Got a picture with him too:

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So it was a pretty good time. Shoulda heard all to oohs, ahhhs and wows when I pulled out the Cowboy Bebop LD to be autographed!

While I didn't get an autograph from Kanno, I did go to her concert which was amazing--and worth the admission in itself!
Author:  johan184 [ 12 Aug 2013, 09:07 ]
Post subject:  Re: Anyone going to Otakon?
elahrairrah wrote:
Well, Otakon was a huge clusterfuck. So many damn lines! Wasn't able to get Yoko Kanno's autograph, but I was able to get autographs from Tomokazu Seki:


So it was a pretty good time. Shoulda heard all to oohs, ahhhs and wows when I pulled out the Cowboy Bebop LD to be autographed!

While I didn't get an autograph from Kanno, I did go to her concert which was amazing--and worth the admission in itself!


I so which I lived in USA or Japan, this would never happen anywhere close Sweden.
Author:  publius [ 12 Aug 2013, 09:15 ]
Post subject:  Re: Anyone going to Otakon?
The World Science Fiction Convention is going to be in London next year, & there is an active bid for Helsingfors in 2015.
So that's something.
Author:  signofzeta [ 13 Aug 2013, 06:24 ]
Post subject:  Re: Anyone going to Otakon?
I was at the first Otakon, 1994. I went a couple of times to other ones and other east coast shows like Katsu, Neko, AnimeEast, etc.

After years of not going I took a trip to Otakon in 2004 since I was already in the area. It was...nuts. %90 of the show seemed to be jailbait cosplayers and the sort of photographer scum that follow them around. The game room was the size of a gymnasium with 8 player Halo tourniments and other things that have zero to do with anime, manga, or anything Japanese.

The original Otakon was maybe 500 people, most of them at least 20, many with college degrees. Now the population is 50,000 and most of them don't even look like they are employable let alone interesting. It's basically a Gathering of the Juggalos.

"I want to return to that day."
Author:  elahrairrah [ 13 Aug 2013, 15:30 ]
Post subject:  Re: Anyone going to Otakon?
I know where you're coming from, but like I said, I don't normally go. Just made an exception this year because of Yoko Kanno.

2004 was indeed crazy, mostly because they had L'arc~En~Ciel that year, so they had even higher membership than usual (lots of people coming from the West Coast as well as from Japan for that concert.)

Though I am considering going to Otakon Las Vegas next year since I've never been to Vegas and I have a friend who lives there, so I don't have to pay for a hotel.
Author:  signofzeta [ 13 Aug 2013, 17:27 ]
Post subject:  Re: Anyone going to Otakon?
Vegas...that's a good way to make Otakon even trashier!
Author:  elahrairrah [ 13 Aug 2013, 18:02 ]
Post subject:  Re: Anyone going to Otakon?
We'll see.

I tend to not judge until I see it first hand. ;)

And if the con sucks, I'll just gallivant around Vegas.
Author:  publius [ 13 Aug 2013, 18:40 ]
Post subject:  Re: Anyone going to Otakon?
Well, if you're feeling like an old curmudgeon, there has been a trend recently toward age-restricted anime conventions, to allow mature (in the genuine, rather than the package-warning, sense of the word) fans to socialize without the pressures & distractions caused by teenybopper scene kids.
Author:  elahrairrah [ 13 Aug 2013, 18:46 ]
Post subject:  Re: Anyone going to Otakon?
For the "mature" crowd I just go to DragonCon.

But that also just devolves into a drunken idiot party after 7PM . . . which can be both a good thing and bad thing!
Author:  xtempo [ 14 Aug 2013, 00:06 ]
Post subject:  Re: Anyone going to Otakon?
why are they going to LV ? I thought it was only for the east cost crowd
Author:  elahrairrah [ 14 Aug 2013, 05:56 ]
Post subject:  Re: Anyone going to Otakon?
http://www.otakonvegas.com/
Author:  xtempo [ 14 Aug 2013, 12:43 ]
Post subject:  Re: Anyone going to Otakon?
didn't planet hollywood go defunct?
Author:  elahrairrah [ 14 Aug 2013, 16:11 ]
Post subject:  Re: Anyone going to Otakon?
Unless this website is mistaken . . .

http://www.planethollywoodresort.com/

. . . I would say it is alive and well.
Author:  signofzeta [ 14 Aug 2013, 17:46 ]
Post subject:  Re: Anyone going to Otakon?
publius wrote:
Well, if you're feeling like an old curmudgeon, there has been a trend recently toward age-restricted anime conventions, to allow mature (in the genuine, rather than the package-warning, sense of the word) fans to socialize without the pressures & distractions caused by teenybopper scene kids.


The age thing is a problem, I guess, but not the main one. My issue is with the fact that anime cons have become crappy cosplay cons full of loud exhibitionist idiots. Its almost like, "Hey, are you socially retarded? Then you need to visit our anime convention!" It used to be the primary reason for anime cons was anime and manga. Model kits, video games, musical acts, etc are also great as long as they are at least tangentially anime-related. Even US voice actors are fine. Guys dressed as the cast of Breaking Bad having a Call of Duty tournament before catching the world premier of the latest Justice League TV movie and then sniffing glue and running around the con barefoot chasing squealing 15 year old geisha who are constantly bumping into you you screaming a shrill "GOMENASAI!!!!! at 104db?...not that great.

Quitting your job so you can go to an anime con? Hard core!

Doing it 6 times a year? Looser.
Author:  yazorin [ 29 Aug 2013, 04:41 ]
Post subject:  Re: Anyone going to Otakon?
Nothing in the geek world is perfect. So there are some annoying things at cons these days, so what? There will always be plenty of people at cons who enjoy classic well written animes. There are always at least a few well done cosplays of characters from classic good animes. Ignore the teenyboppers and just have fun. Also, some of those 17 year old girls actually do know something about classic animes so don't just go prejudging them just because they're in a Vocaloid costume
Author:  hoyeboye [ 29 Aug 2013, 05:07 ]
Post subject:  Re: Anyone going to Otakon?
So, I've got a convention question. The only con I've been to was Anime Iowa in 2001. It was small but had 3 screening rooms. I've been looking at some small cons in KC and St. Louis, but none say anything about screening rooms. Do cons still actually show anime, or are they more vendors, cosplay, and voice actors?
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