Otakon 2017 Review: Different Venue, Same Home

It’s that time of year again. Weebs, otakus, weenies, nerds, all descended to the nation’s capital August 11th through 13th to celebrate Otakon 2017, the infamous East Coast anime convention. I myself was prepped for this: I had a duffel bag full of my cosplays, sandwich stuff, a fancy-smancy camera, and my trusty Ein plushie (don’t judge, you know Ein was the biggest boss on the Bebop). The Walter E. Washington Convention Center located in Washington D.C. was not going to be ready for the unleashing of the weeb kracken. The cosplays looked amazing, ready to rock in the slightly hot and rainy weather. I knew the weekend was going to be glorious.

Artist’s Alley Do you like the idea of art imitating anime? Look no further than the Artist’s Alley at virtually any convention. Want some FFXV crew keychains? BAM, it’s there. Plushies of Voltron Paladins? You got it! Breathtaking prints? You’ll buy as much as you can to decorate all the bare wall space you have at home. Artist’s Alley, like the Dealer’s Room, is a MUST-SEE for every anime convention. You may not need to make your bank account weep and scream at you, but it’s always fun to gaze at the wide array of magic at each booth. And many artists are now printing a lot of their merch on notebooks, backpacks, and portable whiteboards, so you can enjoy your favorite characters on more practical items for everyday use. Dealer’s Room If you ever wanted to peruse an area full of anime products big enough to house the entire Dothra…