Otakon 2011

Otakon 2011 Prequel Experience: One day I was riding the Light Rail with my sister on the way to Fells Point for a day trip, I noticed a lot of people dress up in the middle of the day. I wasn’t paying attention at first but then I realized I recognized some of the characters and started pointing them out to my sister. Trigun, Cowboy Bebop, Naruto, I see you Pikachu. I was rattling them off the whole way to Lexington market stop for our transfer. Yeah she did a lot of eye rolling until she realized she and a Con-goer had the same shirt (Sonic the Hedgehog) on and she realized to have been mistaken as a participant. I was like that is right the Anime Convention was this weekend – I had looked it up previously but it did not fall on a fee Paycheck so I just let it go. Ever since then I have wanted to go to Otakon and check it out for myself.

Otakon 2011 Full Throttle: No matter what your current level of Anime love is, this convention will have you wanting more and more Anime and Manga. Panels, Previews, Parties you have all that and so much more at Otakon. Every aspect of Anime is covered from the music to the artwork. And let’s not forget cosplay! A chance to Dress up and it’s not on a cold day at the end of October- I’m all for that! It’s a truly stimulating experience. Some of my favorite things about my first convention:

1) Chemistry Concert: Chemistry plus Synergy (their dance group) did their First live show in the United States at Otakon 2011 in Baltimore for their 10 year Anniversary! I first heard about this group from my friend Samantha who had been telling me to check them out on YouTube. The night before Otakon I got a new cell phone so the first thing I did was get on my mobile you tube to check these guys out. And they were great so I was really happy to get to see them live. They had a really great show and Synergy made it feel like I was watching a live music video! Excellent performance from them and if I wasn’t a fan before I am now! I also got their autographs and went to the Q&A panel and they are true gentlemen and artists and I look forward to more great things from them. And for Anime Fans we know them from the fourth Opening them song for Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood.

2) The Dealer Room: This is where all the shopping happens. Everything Manga, Cosplay, Anime, Plushies- they really have it all. If you spend the time you can find bargains for some of your favorite things. Some stands will even work with you if you buy a few things from them. You can also walk away with free stuff as well really why would you not- Check out every stand you just might spot something you can’t live without. And don’t be afraid to ask questions or ask for suggestions- if one stand doesn’t have what you are looking for see if they know where you can find it. This year the Ban Dai Stand was doing a Rally- you had to get four stamps for them and 3 other stands in the Dealer Room and you got some art work from the anime Durarara that is coming to Adult Swim in OCT – Seen the preview and it’s a must see/dvr! I liked that because it made you walk around the room and get your stamps and you go to stalls you might have otherwise pass in the sea of shoppers on the hunt.

I do recommend checking out the stand for Art-Toons – They have everything from posters to lithographs, journals to sticker sheets for sale illustrating art for a wide selection titles. I was able to almost one stop shop for gifts. They had quality and unique items for any price range. I asked for assistance from Mary Anne and she pointed me in the right direction and I walked away very happy. I even went back the next day when I got a special request – I knew to go there get exactly what I needed. I will be looking for them at future events. If you are a collector of Anime Art check out their Website or Facebook .

Stop by After Images of Ghostfire/Art of Julia Lichty and pick up some buttons from your favorite Anime. They had good prices – low enough for complete sets or mix and match different shows and games. I picked up my zodiac and a few others and I really love them. I used my Code scan on my smart phone and linked to her website Ghostfire.net from my phone and they have so much more beautiful artwork and originals for prints to bookmarks that you can order online too!

3) Ladies Choice (18+ over panel – Not for Kids): This panel was so much fun. The ladies running the panel were fun, energetic and engaging. We had lots fun talking about different genres of 18+ anime and we even had some audience participation for reading the subtitles to a featured scene. I laughed till I cried. Hilarious. If you were not there this year you missed a good panel and if you were there we need to request they bring these ladies back!! Both ladies are Authors can be found on Facebook (Info to come).

4) Otakon Rave Party: Great Music. Great Costumes. Blinking lights. Free Cd Demos- We danced till we couldn’t dance anymore! Enough Said! Much ado: There is way more to do then can actually be done during this 3day convention. Plan ahead; be open-minded and above all patient. Lines can be long- especially for the more popular events and panels. So decided ahead of time what you want to do or download the guidebook on your smart phone and get in line early. Once the rooms are at capacity they close the doors and you won’t get to participate. Also be kind to the staff they are there to help as best they can and the guests outnumber the workers. They are just trying to direct you to where you need to go as fast as possible but long waits are a reality. Budget your time wisely and you will have a better time. If for some reason you still can’t get in use that time to get to the next event or find some water (they have it set up everywhere and I still feel like I needed more).

*Hint for getting the best seats* If you are going to see a premier or series showing- go the room where it’s being shown about an half an hour early . If there is not a controlled line, go inside and find a seat. That way when everyone clears out from the previous showing you can get a closer seat/preferred seat. Who knows you might even see something new you might want to check out later as well.

Food: There are plenty places to find food to fix whatever budget you have. The convention center is located right on the Inner Harbor so there are food courts and eateries close by as well as inside the center and street vendors lined up out front. The first day we at Hooters and the following days we decided to eat cheaper so we can spend more money in the dealer room. I ate at the vendors near the building and my friend went up the street to Subway.

Parking: Parking in the city can also hurt the pocket a bit but it’s a necessary evil. It’s usually better to park in a garage – they have security and you don’t have to worry about being towed with all your stuff in the back seat. Some parking garages are cheaper and some are just plain out of the way (those should be last resort). I suggest parking at the First Mariner Area parking garage its close by and if you need to drop stuff off as you shop its only two blocks away and if you are planning on going the rave, they have a bag check, but I don’t see the point in paying for that if you can just take it back to the car early enough to be hands free and ready to party!

Oktakon 2011 was Great! I had a Blast with my Anime Buddies- I got to wear a HOT Purple wig for three days and no one thought it was weird or ghetto- I bought a lot of nifty stuff and see some excellent cosplay costumes. I can’t wait to see what they do next year at Otakon 2012 – (maybe have 2PM perform a concert- hint hint nudge nudge Otakon decision makers).

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