The last time I went to Otakon prior to this past weekend was literally ten years ago. In 2002. I decided to go this year after such a gigantic hiatus, because I was already going to be up there for Hacksaw Jim Duggan night, I had decent fun delving back into some conventions, at Neko-con and Animazement in prior months, and pretty much everyone I would have wanted to see pretty much runs Otakon now.
I guess looking back at the weekend, if I could have done it all over again, I probably wouldn’t have bothered going if I knew what it was going to be like nowadays. Not to say the convention is bad, on the contrary, it’s run better than it’s ever been run nowadays, it’s just I realize how much of a cup of tea Otakon is not for me today.
And the biggest problem turned out to be the one thing I knew going into the weekend; that most everyone I would have wanted to see ran the convention. Meaning, they had things to do, duties to perform, actual work and little (no) time to bullshit and hangout, which is what I do better than anyone else at these things. Needless to say, just about everyone was always busy and tied up in convention matters, which I don’t fault anyone for, but it led to a lot of boredom on my end, being the 30-year old guy wandering around in teenage retard land.
Not to say I didn’t enjoy and appreciate the limited times in where I did get to see people I knew, but it was far, way too fleeting and not the least bit satisfying to enjoy the company of friends and surrogate family.
Wandering isn’t as gratifying as it used to be for me; sure, it’s true that I don’t recognize over half the costumes running around, but at the same time, I feel that I have some pretty tough standards when it comes to what I want to take pictures of. Such a sentiment can be obvious by simply how few pictures I took while at Otakon; simply put, I’m not easily impressed and I’m not amused or attracted to, nor have the tolerance for mediocrity and/or shitty internet meme joke costumes.
In a way, if I don’t know you and I take your picture, it should almost be considered somewhat of an honor. Because if I want to take your picture, it typically means one of the following: You really have impressed me with your construction and representation, regardless of if I recognize you or not. Your costume amuses or interests me and/or makes me laugh, on the inside or out. You have appealed to my fandom and/or nostalgia. You are pretty, have a great rack, have a great ass, or a combination of the above. Or, you are so tragically bad, that I have to take a photograph to have evidence to share with my friends so we can laugh at. That sort of explains the few photos that I did take, mostly because I like Ahri and League of Legends but yeah, something along those lines.
The bottom line is, and I knew this going into it, but frankly, I’m too fucking old for Otakon. I just want to hang out with my friends and drink and have fun with little sense for responsibility or obligation, and hope to see some good costumes and pretty girls. When little to none of this is possible for me, it becomes somewhat of a wash, I leave early, and makes me feel that I have no reason to try again next year.
Thankfully, despite my hesitations in going, the Orioles were home, so I was able go somewhere where I’m slightly more at home and comfortable at; drinking beer, eating street food, and watching baseball at Camden Yards, my favorite ballpark in baseball. Even if Josh Reddick didn’t play at all and totally no-sold and failed to look up and recognize the US title.
Anyway, here’s all like 20 pictures or so I took in my 22 hours spent in Blatimore for Otakon.
