Otakon 2018: A Con That Keeps Flourishing and Evolving

Otakon weekend once again has proven that old-school nostalgia, the need to nourish creativity, the frenzy for all things nerdy, and the desire to celebrate Japanese culture and animation can triumph nearly anything that comes its way. This convention has survived through a tremendous amount of adversity. Each obstacle has made the staff and convention stronger. I am proud of how Otakon has evolved over the years, and while not perfect, it has remained a loyal friend for the fans by the fans each and every time. *Cue The Golden Girls’ theme song* Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington D.C. is still a new venue for this veteran convention; however, its second year only solidified the belief that the move was 100% necessary. There is a far less crowding than during the last few years at the BCC. You feel like you can breathe much better, while still having easy access to the immense amount of activities. They have a giant game room with old-school arcade games, every iteration of DDR, table-top games, and new and strange indie games. Maker’s Studio was also a place I stumbled upon, where attendees would be able to bustle about creating cute things from ribbons, hot glue guns, and string. This year, people were able to make Teru Teru Bozu, long-established Japanese dolls that helped keep the bad weather away. They were super sweet to see hung up outside the studio, and were fun to make.

The Dealer’s Room housed a plethora of booths servicing your wildest Otaku nee…