The last couple of years I have been spending more and more time in artist alleys at conventions. At this year’s Otakon, I resolved to spend twice as much time as I did last year (I don’t think I actually accomplished that) and was still left with a feeling of having not seen all that was on display. In fact, I barely even glanced at the art auction!

I realized this time, more than any other, depending on the pace at which you explored the alley, the experience and what you took away could be different. On my first casual walkthrough, I felt a twinge of disappointment. Nothing seemed to jump out and the myriad of crafts I had seen growing in previous years felt diminished. But once I took a more careful and slow pace in my return visits, there was still plenty of artists producing worthwhile pieces. However, my first reaction was not completely off the mark.

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(photo courtesy of Gerald from AWO)

 It was quite telling that so many people started their questions to Shinichiro Watanabe at his public Q&A with the simple statement that Cowboy Bebop is what made them anime fans. The sheer electric feeling you got from people when FUNimation announced that licensed rescued Cowboy Bebop and had the Blu-Ray rights was physically palpable when I heard people talk about the news. Hayao Miyazaki winning the Oscar might have shown that anime could be art but Bebop showed English-speaking fans that anime could be cool (at least in a way that no one had done since Akira.) So the impact of the series on Western fandom cannot be underestimated. His work on Samurai Champloo and Kids on the Slope had noticeable impacts on the fandom but Bebop changed things forever. So being able to pick the brain and get a little insight into this underused luminary director was an invaluable experience.

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 UFO enthusiasts call the discrepancy between how much time an abductee remembers being gone and how long there were unable to be found missing time. While I am fairly certain no gray aliens or space brothers were involved with Otakon 2013 (THAT I KNOW OF) I do feel like I’m not exactly sure were all my time went. I was always doing something at Otakon. Always going somewhere. Always listening to someone. From when I woke up until I went to be there was no rest for the wicked. But my memories seem like a constant blur.

I felt like the weekend passed without me doing half the things I wanted to. I usually feel like I get a lot done despite missing some things I really wanted to do at Otakon. But there was SO MUCH to do this year I felt like I barely scratched the surface of what I could have done. I have never previously so acutely felt like I missed more content that I wanted to see as opposed to what I did see.

This is hardly a bad thing. It is just proof that Otakon went all out for their 20th anniversary. If you like panels there was always one to tickle your interest. If you like Japanese guests there were always at least two per day to go and see. If you like American guests you had quite a few to choose from. If you like music Saturday and Sunday gave you some blockbuster performances. And even if all of that was not catching your fancy there was a constant stream of cosplay to take in if you just like people watching.

My sense of lost time might also have partially to do with the fact that I had a 3DS with me this year. Anytime I was just sitting down or waiting for something to start I would bust it out. I would have 10 street passes anytime I was in a room with more than 10 people in it. So even when I was waiting I was doing something. So those little breaks in my head were gone. Those pauses even if minor and mostly useless do change the sense of pace. It is the difference between listening to a single hour overture as opposed to ten individual pieces of music that are 6 minutes long. The content may be the same but the pauses change how you absorb the music.

To use an Attack on Titan reference, since it is the cat’s pajamas this year: If a normal Otakon is a 15 Meter Class titan than this year was the Colossal Titan and it was smashing the wall of your time into itty bitty pieces in the best possible way.

 Otakon is a gem among conventions because above any other it really feels like they go above and beyond for fans, the fans come first. I can’t remember how many Otakons I have been to tell you the truth, it is more than five and less than ten. No matter what the number is, it has become a vacation home of sorts. I am now familiar with the area, the people who will attend, how to get around the convention, and even some of the staff. (This makes me keenly feel the news about Otakon moving to Washington D.C.) But at the same time every year Otakon is able to delight and surprise me!

Otakon celebrated 20 years with a major blowout in an event that combined beloved guests with new panels.

We were even treated to more exclusive coverage this year with an interview with Mr. Tachikawa and Mr. Suwa, a roundtable with Mr. Adachi and Mr. Kawakami, and a press conference with Mr. Watanabe. To top if all off, we nabbed one (though only one, which we flipped a coin for) of the coveted Yoko Kanno concert tickets as well.

It was a beautiful ride.

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