MC Brooks at Otakon 2018

Otakon 2018 just wrapped up and this year’s convention did not disappoint at all. This was the 2nd year that it has been hosted at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington D.C. I was curious to see how the convention would fare in its second year after making the decision to move to the much larger space.

What I've always appreciated about Otakon was the fact that you always know what you're going to get when you're attending. It doesn't matter if you're a casual fan of anime or a complete otaku (essentially the Japanese equivalent to "nerd"), there's something for everyone to enjoy at this convention.

For example, I haven't been heavy into anime in years. I've seen afew recent series like Seven Deadly Sins and Your Lie in April, but my days of knowing characters and plots from several popular shows are over. Despite that, I still find joy in seeing the amazing cosplays, watching highly competitive matches in the video game room, sitting in on panels on anime intros or awkward dance moves, etc.

While Otakon seeks to focus on Japanese animation, like most other cons, it bleeds over into other areas of nerdom as well. It's never surprising to find cosplays and photo shoots for characters from shows like Steven Universe. Some of my favorite cosplays came from the DC/Marvel photoshoot. You can check out some of the photos below.

I do want to take some time to acknowledge and show some public appreciation for the Otakon staff as well as the participants for creating an atmosphere that was welcoming and judgement-free. A few streets over from where the convention was being held, there were people dedicated to spreading a message of hate to people of all marginalized groups. Otakon was a nice reminder that it is still possible for us to come together and bond with people who are different over a common interest in something like anime. I definitely look forward to attending next year. Please check out some of my photos from the convention below!