Otakon 2011 Review

(reposted from my Tumblr account)

The last weekend of July 2011 was spent by me at the whatever-teenth annual Otakon. Otakon weekend is perhaps the only weekend on the calendar during which thousands of people actually travel TOWARD Baltimore, Maryland, as opposed to running away from it at full speed, blood gushing from their bullet wounds.

Otakon is synonymous with the first time I ever heard the words “anime” and “convention” used together. Credit for this goes to my friends Bill & Brian who, several years ago, traveled to Baltimore specifically for the convention. Complaints about Baltimore’s lack of parking, restaurants, and navigational ease (all of which I confirmed while there) were interspersed with vivid descriptions of anime infiltration stretching on into infinity. At the time in Philadelphia, at least as far as my experience was concerned, anime was limited to a pathetic shelf or two at the movie/music stores and imported VHS tapes at a novelty shop downtown. Thus, digesting the fact that there was a gathering around the genre, enough to brave the six-hour round trip separating the two cities was difficult.

Then, Brian told me the following story:

“The convention center was also holding some religious conference that weekend. So we’re waiting by the elevator with a bunch of nuns. The elevator doors open and there’s a guy inside cosplaying a demon. He looks right at the nuns and says in a really deep voice ‘going down?’”

I had to go to this event.

It wasn’t until years later that I would begin frequenting anime conventions on an annual basis, despite still classifying myself as “anime lite.” The overall geek culture and sub-emphasis on video games prevalent at many conventions is what attracted me. Ultimately, I even began blogging for the conventions, something that earned me many new friends, friends with whom I felt truly comfortable, close friends. My travels took me to conventions not only in and around Philadelphia, but also to Washington, DC (where I learned that Brian’s above story is an anime con urban legend) and Boston.

So, what did I think of Otakon, the second biggest anime convention in the COUNTRY, a convention to which, as anime anthropologist and good friend Charles Dunbar puts it, “all roads lead?”

Impressive.

But not memorable.

I suppose that size is to blame. In terms of anime convention, Otakon has become a corporation of sorts, with policies and personal politics steering a convention that bills itself “for otaku.” The panel offerings struck me as the least diverse; I am still spoiled by Anime USA 2010, whose panel offerings were not only plentiful but also varied. The fans seemed to be there for no other reason other than to be there, because, dude, this is OTAKON! The sense of community wasn’t wholly lost, but it wasn’t abundant, either; this is in stark contrast to those conventions that draw fewer attendees than Otakon’s final total of 35,000+. It didn’t seem personal.

Maybe it’s just me.

What did impress me was how welcome Baltimore was to the convention. Signs at our hotel and nearby eateries welcomed Otakon. Street vendors were just as plentiful as they are at sporting events, hocking food, drinks and even caps outside of the convention center. I half expected to see Otakon badge scalpers! Certain units in a nearby food court overlooking the city’s famed Inner Harbor offered specials to those in costume and/or possessing Otakon badges. Local TV news crews were on scene and one free weekly newspaper I saw—a publication describing itself as a source for all things “hip”—featured Otakon on the front page.

Perhaps Otakon 2012 will be more “Otakon” and less “OTAKON!!!”

This all being said, I am in no way any sort of expert. I open the comments floor to any and all debate/discussion about your OWN thoughts on a convention whose most popular aspect was a guy selling ice cold water.

For only one dollar.

Panel: OMG! WTF Did I Just Watch?!

On Friday night of Otakon 2011, I and over 200 others watched as a giant chicken and frog promoted a device that automatically opens and closes your toilet lid.

What, how did you spend YOUR Friday night?!

The above commercial was one of numerous Japanese television clips collected by panel host Deuce Loosely, of Deuce Loosely Productions. Accurately communicating the phrase “WTF” using methods other than three keys on the left side of QWERTY keyboards, Loosely had his audience in equal parts amusement and shock throughout the duration of the presentation. The 18+ offering was held shortly after midnight, conveniently adjacent to most folks’ periods of REM sleep. Oh joy.

Among the offerings:

–Images of a happy family are displayed. The mother and father coo joyously over their new baby, who is still breastfeeding. Things take a sharp turn into the dark side when the couple’s older child has jealousy get the better of him. Grabbing a bottle of poison, he paints drops of it on his mother’s exposed breasts while she and her husband sleep. The next morning, she awakens with a bloodcurdling scream…

…at the sight of her husband deceased in bed, foam on his mouth.

Dear random Japanese insurance company: Flo the Progressive Lady and the Geico cavemen have NOTHING on you. NOTHING.

–A DJ Ozma music video featuring naked men dancing (and playing baseball) atop a roof…holding fans that strategically cover each other’s genital areas.

–Several clips of Japanese wrestling matches that display common wrestling moves like the pile-driver and bodyslam being performed…from atop platforms 20+ feet in the sky.

–A game show seriously punishing laughter. Several men are gathered in a classroom, where a video of a Japanese man poorly attempting to read simple English plays. The man’s attempts are truly pathetic, a consistent rhythm of stutters and false starts interspersed with periods of reading the numeral “20” as “ten ten” (and, naturally, the numeral “100” as “ten ten ten ten…”).

Those who laugh at the video are marked “out” and have that status certified with—what else?—a caning.

This makes the “Price is Right” losing trumpet riff sound like heavenly music.

–A game show that went on to be the crowd favorite. Taking place in a library, several young men are playing a rather simple game: each one is issued a card and whoever receives the card with a skull must face a brutal physical punishment, which changes from round to round. During each punishment, the recipient cannot make a sound louder than a whisper, thanks to the library location. To ice the cake, joining them is Japanese kickboxing champion Ernesto Hoost, who possesses the same look and build of Michael Clarke Duncan.

Think of it as “Jackass: The Party Game.”

The punishments range from having one’s nose hair pulled to suffering a bat strike to the ass. Spoons that spent the past hour in boiling water were applied to the stomach. At one point, an elderly man removes his dentures and nibbles ferociously on the skull card recipient’s ear.

Afterwards, Hoost treats everyone to an evening out at a karaoke bar.

“WTF” was truly redefined, perhaps even intensified, at Loosely’s panel. The audience, one to two hours away from life-changing nightmares, were amused throughout, their satisfaction level at a full ten ten ten ten ten ten ten ten ten ten percent.

Kotoricon 2011: Wrap-Up

Two days. Three campus buildings. Guests, vendors, performers, volunteers, artists, and of course otaku galore. Things have certainly come quite a long way for Gloucester County College’s Kotoricon anime convention. It seems like it was in its infancy only last year.

Oh, wait. It WAS in its infancy last year.

In the year’s worth of time bridging Kotoricon 2010, the debut convention, and Kotoricon 2011, the event grew by leaps and bounds in all areas. This is rather impressive for many reasons, a key one being that its freshman year was pretty remarkable itself. I appeared at Kotoricon 2010 to help promote Inochicon 2010 and was impressed with not only its offerings, but also the turnout. Anime fans and curious parties alike were drawn to this small college in a quiet New Jersey suburb to quench their anime/video game/comic book thirst while waiting for larger area conventions like Zenkaikon, Otakon, and AnimeNEXT to come back around again. It’s a safe bet, especially given the success of Kotoricon 2011, that not a single person left Kotoricon 2010 unsatisfied.

Sadly, I was not able to make the convention’s gaming tournaments on its opening day, but I was thankful to spend all day Saturday within the halls of the College Center. My sole complaint is that the time flew by too fast; I’m not sure if I can really fault Kotoricon staff for that drawback. While each of its many volunteers wore many hats and performed many duties throughout the day, slowing or outright halting the Earth’s rotation most likely wasn’t in the job description.

I have been to numerous conventions throughout the past few years, conventions which crowded fans of all sorts of genres into spacious convention centers and hotel floors. While Kotoricon of course is not on that scale, it nevertheless successfully captured the same positive, fun atmosphere that draws this blogger to such events. Everyone I passed had a smile on his or her face. Friendliness abounded.

A hilarious panel and screening by the group Underbelly, two stand-up comedy performances (Uncle Yo and Cosplay Comedian Joe), one of many musical acts (Reni), and the masquerade contest were the offerings in which I found myself during Kotoricon 2011. Additionally, I wandered the dealers’ rooms and artists’ alley, treating my eyes to the numerous pieces of merchandise being offered.

I’d personally like to thank Dr. Susan Glenn and her entire staff for not only continued assistance throughout the day, but also for the opportunity to blog for Kotoricon 2011. I look forward to Kotoricon 2012, which could very well encompass each building on the Gloucester County College’s campus.

Kotoricon 2011: Reni

The Gloucester County College cafeteria in its College Center building is often filled with sounds. Conversations, clinking utensils, and crunching the crispier parts of Chick-Fil-A chicken pieces normally bounce off its walls on any given day. In the early afternoon of Kotoricon 2011’s Saturday, however, this was not the case. Not entirely.

Popular anime convention staple Reni entertained an enthusiastic crowd with her unique vocal stylings. An acclaimed singer from New York City (by way of Japan), Reni’s performance was met with warm applause from her audience. “My Shy Master” and “Shining Star” made their way into her set, with the latter tune ending her performance.

In between songs, Reni interacted with the audience, even inviting a number of them up onstage to serve as backup dancers. A particularly memorable exchange involved her actually playing the game “Rock, Paper, Scissors” (sans Lizard and Spock; sorry, “BBT” enthusiasts) with the crowd. A lucky crowd member who won the game was actually serenaded onstage by Reni, much to his delight (and, at first, embarrassment).

Sadly, said crowd member was NOT yours truly, although I *did* join Reni and other audience participants onstage for her final song. Since I possess the rhythm of Bowser, I didn’t exactly add a whole lot to the performance.

If your convention attendance ever happens to coincide with that of Reni, I strongly suggest checking out one of her concerts. Her amazing vocal chords and downright adorable looks (that could have even the most jaded of men claiming responsibility for Virtual Boy) are sure to please fans and non-fans alike.

For more information, visit Reni’s personal website at Renireni.com; there, one may purchase music CDs, watch Youtube videos, and buy specialty merchandise.

Kotoricon Returns to Gloucester County College!

Kotoricon, a 2-day convention put on by the Gloucester County College’s anime club, is mere days away! The convention has the honor of being the first official event covered by Inochiblog.

On January 14-15, 2011, the convention will take over the College Center Building in the heart of the campus. Since the greater Philadelphia area is home to so few anime-only conventions, any and all anime fans in the region should do their best to check out the efforts of the Gloucester County College anime club’s staff. I personally attended the convention last year and was quite impressed with the offerings and crowd turnout.

Uncle Yo, Reni Mumura, Cosplay Comedian Joe, actor Robert Axelrod, and the L33tStr33t Boys are a mere sampling of the guests scheduled to appear and perform at Kotoricon. In addition to the guests, a schedule overflowing with panels, workshops, contests, and video screenings will keep attendees beyond satisfied throughout the event.

While a limited number of (cash only) tickets will be available at the door for $25, organizers urge you to pre-register online. Not only will you pay a mere $20 for admission, but you will also be guaranteeing an ample number of staff members to assist you during the event. The college’s Sewell, NJ location in suburban Philadelphia translates to easy access from not only the City of Brotherly Love, but also from Wilmington, Delaware; Trenton, New Jersey; Atlantic City, New Jersey; and all surrounding areas.

For more information, check out the convention’s website at http://anime.gccnj.edu.

See you there!