Category: Conventions

Otakon 2011: Industry

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The presence of industry at events such as Otakon has been evolving and changing over the last couple of years. Instead of focusing on what is coming out now, which is still done, there is a shift to talking about streaming or the next big thing. This was driven home by Sunrise running their own panel this year. While there were no huge announcements from Otakon (which we’ve come to expect with Anime Expo and San Diego Comic Con in the same month), there was still much to talk about.

I have mostly decided to follows Patz’s philosophy and avoid going to industry panels unless I have a burning question that needs to be asked. With so many bloggers and news sources reporting and commentating on industry panels as they happen there is little need for me to show up. The nitty-gritty will be available for everyone to see as soon as it is announced. This lets me sit back and pick what I want to comment on. I like that approach.

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Otakon 2011: Guests

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The problem with Otakon’s announcement schedule is that every year it falls into the same pattern. Anime Expo releases its lineup and everyone goes wild. Then we don’t hear much from Otakon and everyone gets worried that it is going to be weak. Then with only a few weeks left they pull out their lineup and everyone is impressed. This year was no exception with Makoto Shinkai, Masao Maruyama, Noboru Ishiguro, and Atsuhiro Iwakami in attendance as well as a slew of other guests. I think that everyone was extremely excited to see Makoto Shinkai but we should not forget the other great guests who showed up from Japan. They had a great many things to say. Sadly to see Mr. Maruyama and Mr. Ishiguro I had to skip out on the Children Who Chase Lost Voices from Deep Below premiere but I think the things I learned at their panels was well worth it.

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Otakon 2011: General Impressions

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The last couple of years, Otakon has been quite overwhelming for me. Perhaps the cause is my further immersion in fandom each year. I feel pulled in a million different directions at such a huge gathering; never feeling as though I’ve done enough of the provided events. Otakon 2011 compounded that feeling which speaks to the quality and quantity of its guests, panels, premieres, fundraising, and all the other programing that went on over the weekend. Heck, we even witnessed the birth of meme. On top of all that, a myriad of stellar companions from all over the world were in attendance.

This year Otakon felt like a humongous buffet. There was more on the table than any one person could eat so you had to take what you could and then swap experiences with other people at the party to get a more complete picture of the event. Therefore I was almost always doing something and running into someone I knew. At the same time, I also felt a bit lonely despite being constantly surrounded by people as I did go to some of the more under-attended events. I had many a short conversation with a wide variety of people, but I can’t say I spoke to most people for any extended amount of time; being too tired to go to any parties did not help that matter. I swear next year I will make time to hang out! If nothing else I might have had a very unusual but enjoyable Otakon as compared to most of the other people I knew. But like Narutaki, whenever I did one activity I felt like I mas missing out on two other events. I was rarely at a loss of what to do, it was more prioritizing what I wanted to do most. And in the end that is usually the main appeal of a convention like Otakon.

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