Anime Otakon 2003!

[Syk3]

*looks around* I hope this lack of posts in the subject doesn't mean that so few people are actually going. o_O

Yeah, anyway, if you're wondering what Otakon is, it's an anime convention held annually in the Baltimore Convention Center, in Maryland. If you're familiar with Anime Expo (I understand that there was quite a popular topic on it a while back), then this is obviously supposed to be similar to that, except for the fact that it's not located in Califronia. I'm not too sure on what exactly they do there, seeing as I've never been to an anime convention before, but it sounds very exciting, and I'm noting that the first thing many people say about it is how it will be so tempting to spend lots of dough on anime. <<;

Otakon will be the first anime convention that I go to, and I know I will have a lot of fun there simply because of my love for anime. I'm looking to meet some of my friends there, as well, from both my new and old neighborhoods, and with some luck, possibly some of you guys who are going. So anyway, I have a few questions for all of you to get this topic rolling.

Are you going to Otakon this year, and if so, will it be your first time?
Will you be cosplaying as anyone from an anime or game?
When are you going to be going?
How much do you think you'll be spending on this anime? oO;
And lastly, is anyone up for meeting up somewhere? heh

[AzureWolf]

You know, a little advance notice would have helped. -_- I was going to ask when this convention was so I could go, but then I saw you sig...

There are not many conventions around this area, so one in Maryland is wonderful news for me. I have never been to a convention simply because of distance (I'm not going to travel a half a day or two just for a convention), and Maryland is pretty convenient for me. Haha, I [I]know[/I] how to get to Maryland since my dream Med School is there. [IMG]http://www.otakuboards.com/images/smilies/biggrin.gif[/IMG]

Well, would have been nice to meet you, and I think the lack of posting is due to [I]when[/I] you created this thread. I wasn't even online yesterday because I devoted my online time to Chaos Legion. [IMG]http://www.otakuboards.com/images/smilies/smile.gif[/IMG]

[Syk3]

Sorry about not bringing this to the attention of the boards earlier; me going in the first place was sort of a last minute thing anyway, and I was hoping that someone would have already made this topic. I guess that just means that very few people from these boards actually went, despite the large ammount of people there. I knew that not that many people lived in Maryland, but this is rediculous. o.o'

Anyway, the convention was a lot of fun. There were quite a few people who cosplayed as their favorite anime, gaming, or movies characters (I even saw someone with a Ghostbuster costume), but only about 30% of those people were really able to pull it off and look good in their costumes. I saw this one Samus Aran suit...man, that was REALLY good; it looked perfect on her, and it was as if she bought the actual helmet and stuff. Overall, though, it showed me just how silly these anime characters would look in real life, lol.

There were clearly different parts of the convention that you could visit, most of which I was able to see, but there were a few that I never got around to going into, mainly because I was only there for one day. There was, of course, the Dealer's Room, where you could purchase so many different things, such as anime movies and series (obviously, though also extremely over priced), manga, How to Draw books, T-Shifts, katanas, ninja stars, wallscrolls and posters, anime guides, cards, original animation cels, and more. It was a very large room and I've never seen anything like it before. The only thing I bought, though, is what I had left over after I ate and payed the entrance fee and stuff, which was a 13 dollar TokyoPop anime guide of the first 5 episodes of Cowboy Bebop. It is my favorite anime, and this guide included 3 of my favorite episodes, so why not?

The Dealer's Room was pretty much where you would buy your souveniors and such, and everywhere else was simply for information and enjoyment. Some other things they had were rooms that showed the first few episodes of a given anime, live-action anime movies, anime music videos, previews of random animes coming to the states, concerts, maskerades, and press conferance-type situations where a company such as Bandai would give out information about upcoming animes and answer questions from the crowd. I went and saw most of those, but things like the concert and maskarade were on the top floor and I never got around to going up there.

Let me once again reiterate just how many people were there. I was lucky enough to have my friend's cel phone number and get in touch with him to walk around with his group, but my other friend who was there and did not have a cel phone (or at least one that I knew of), was able to elude us the entire [b]eleven hours[/b] that I was there. Not on purpose, of course, but [i]dang[/i].

So yeah, I had a lot of fun at Otakon, and I'm hoping to be able to go again next year, this time actually setting up a meeting place for my friends, lol.

[Guest Tical]

I wanted to go... the convention started on my birthday. But my day had JUST takeen his vacation... WAAAAAA!!!!!! I WANTED TO DRESS UP LIKE YAHIKO AND GO AROUND PRETENDING TO KILL PEOPLE WITH MY TYRAPHOME SAKABATOU!!!

[Shinmaru]

I would've gone if I was anywhere near Maryland, but I wasn't, unfortunately. But man, did it ever sound cool. If I had gone, I probably would've been one of those cosplaying nuts, too...probably as Spike or Vicious because suits are easy to find...I heard there were a bunch of people from various webcomics (like MegaTokyo and Penny Arcade) at Otakon. Can you confirm this, Syk3?

[ladyscorp2006]

What you mean I missed it:bawl: !! Do you know when the next one is I have to go. PLEASE PM ME WITH THE DETAILS WHEN YOU FIND OUT PLEASE:worried:

[IwakuraLain]

how do u guys find out about these things??! by the time someone tells me about a convention its always too late! :bawl:

[just2kawaii]

I've never been to one...Do they even have any down around Louisiana?
I can't remember ever hearin' of any.

[HaUnTeD]

i went to otakon...its in mah home town...i was dressed as yuna from final fantasy X, so out of the fifty thousand yunas that were there...i was one of them.. ^_^ some guy video taped meeh...vause im special.. otakon, if you've never been, is definatly something you should look into, its tons of fun..if ya know what your doing..this was my first year, and i know ill be going back untill.......uhm...im tired of going..:D heh.... WOO! GO OTAKU! WE SHALL TAKE OVER THE PUNY TOWN OF BALTIMORE CITY! I TOLD YOU WE WERE COMING! YOU"LL SEE! YOU"LL ALL SEE!! MWAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA!!!!...:devil:

[Aya_Fujimiya_42]

:excited: I Was There !! It was Soo cool, I Got T.M.Revolution's Autograph, went to his Panel, and then his Consert, Sorry to say.. but they didn't have Any Anime that I like...Other then D.N.Angel witch was Cancelled.. :mad: and Full Moon wo sagashite was at the same time as the consert :bawl:..

~*wonders if Haunted was the Yuna she Saw in BK, talking w/the Kyo from KOF*~

[Guest Komugi]

I'm so pissed! I was down in B-More with my relatives going out to eat! We rarely ever go down there, but just happened to go on the Sunday of the convention! I saw a lot of girls in schoolgirl outfits down there, and I had been wondering why! I saw a woman in a store and I was looking at Manga, and she told me about the convention! I would have gone if my parents would have let me, but they wouldn't! (Trust me, I begged them all afternoon...) I can't believe I missed it!!! Wahhhh!

[KKC]

Like my parents would drive to Maryland so I could go to an anime convention.... *sigh* I think the only ones close to KY would be ones In Indiana or Ohio... But I still doubt they would take me. If I ever went... I dont know who I would cosplay as... probably Vash Stampede. That would be fun... I would probably drag one of my friends in to be Crim... heehee.

[Xra]

:twitch: I hate new Jersey, nothing ever happens here. Anyway, i reaaly wish i could goto one of those contventions, meeting wierdos with interests like mine. Perhaps i should move to california or sumfthin, then i wont have to be bored with everyday life:)