Post by Dazzle on Aug 15, 2008 0:05:47 GMT -5
Swarms of anime fans gathered to the Hilton from far and wide for the once-a-year event known as Otaku Con, O-Con. A menagerie of fans dressed as their favorite characters filled the lobby, creating an unusual away of sites, sounds, and unfortunately scents. The biggest anime convention this year, O-Con attracted people from all over Japan, and a few foreign tourists as well. The hotels were over crowded, and it seemed like anybody within a mile radius was there for the convention. It was only day one, and the situation was already like a party, with fans diving into the fountain in the lobby and holding parties in the hall ways. Despite the hotel guards' best efforts, it looked like O-Con was going to be one big bash.
Dazzle was always a fan of anime, being introduced to it at a young age. In fact, that is part of the reason he chose Japan as the place to visit for his study abroad program. Besides having the prestigious To-Oh University, Japan boasted a culture and television programming that interested him. Now was his chance to participate in something that he had always admired from afar.
Although he never had been to a convention before, he wanted to make sure he came out of the starting gate running. He pre-orded tickets and a room, and decided to dress as an anime character, or "cosplay." He decided that he made a pretty good Vash the Stampede from Trigun, and with the help of a few thrift stores, he put together a decent costume. With his blond hair slicked up and a new pair of shades, he was ready to roll in his red trench coat. He decided that it was best to leave his imitation guns at home, as it probably would not be a good idea for a foreign student to be carrying those around.
Upon arrival at the hotel, he felt like he truely was in Japan. Martial Artists, Godzilla, Video Games, Pokemon; This was the iconic image of Japan that he had envisioned. Fellow anime fans like him gathered to create a surreal environment, almost creating an anime within itself. This experience was everything that he had imagined and more. "This is going to be an awesome weekend," he thought to himself. "Time to go get my room..."
He got into the line marked, "RESERVATIONS," and although a half an hour early, there was already a formidable line of bodies in front of him. Patiently he waited, humming his favorite J-Rock songs to himself, until the line finally dwindled. "Room 23B," said the young woman behind the counter, who was dressed-to-impress in her Bulma costume. He got out of the line and returned to the center of the lobby. "Let's see what they've got here," he thought, "Before I go up to my room..."
He gawked at the magnificent and some not-so-magnificent sights of the cosplay, and saw that several people had set up illigetimate "shops" in the lobby. He began to browse their wares, which consisted mainly of bootlegs of all kinds. After settling upon a set of Gundam DVD's dubbed in German, he wandered through the lobby, wondering what might be in store for him at this magical place...
Dazzle was always a fan of anime, being introduced to it at a young age. In fact, that is part of the reason he chose Japan as the place to visit for his study abroad program. Besides having the prestigious To-Oh University, Japan boasted a culture and television programming that interested him. Now was his chance to participate in something that he had always admired from afar.
Although he never had been to a convention before, he wanted to make sure he came out of the starting gate running. He pre-orded tickets and a room, and decided to dress as an anime character, or "cosplay." He decided that he made a pretty good Vash the Stampede from Trigun, and with the help of a few thrift stores, he put together a decent costume. With his blond hair slicked up and a new pair of shades, he was ready to roll in his red trench coat. He decided that it was best to leave his imitation guns at home, as it probably would not be a good idea for a foreign student to be carrying those around.
Upon arrival at the hotel, he felt like he truely was in Japan. Martial Artists, Godzilla, Video Games, Pokemon; This was the iconic image of Japan that he had envisioned. Fellow anime fans like him gathered to create a surreal environment, almost creating an anime within itself. This experience was everything that he had imagined and more. "This is going to be an awesome weekend," he thought to himself. "Time to go get my room..."
He got into the line marked, "RESERVATIONS," and although a half an hour early, there was already a formidable line of bodies in front of him. Patiently he waited, humming his favorite J-Rock songs to himself, until the line finally dwindled. "Room 23B," said the young woman behind the counter, who was dressed-to-impress in her Bulma costume. He got out of the line and returned to the center of the lobby. "Let's see what they've got here," he thought, "Before I go up to my room..."
He gawked at the magnificent and some not-so-magnificent sights of the cosplay, and saw that several people had set up illigetimate "shops" in the lobby. He began to browse their wares, which consisted mainly of bootlegs of all kinds. After settling upon a set of Gundam DVD's dubbed in German, he wandered through the lobby, wondering what might be in store for him at this magical place...
