The A-kon 20 Experience: 20th Anniversary of one of the Longest Running Anime Conventions in the U.S.

A-kon 20 has come and gone, and it sure didn't take long for them to update the website for A-kon 21 (practically the next day.)

I wasn't going to blog about it, but it just doesn't feel right to not make note of something so awesome. Although this years con was kind of uneventful (aside from it's 20th birthday!!!) and all my usual roomies had to drop out due to lack of funds, but it was still a ton of fun!

I wouldn't have been able to go myself if my absolutely WONDERFUL boyfriend hadn't been there to save the day! It was his first year to be able to go, and he heard all the crazy/wonderful/scary stories from me and friends... so he said there was no way he was going out miss out this year. His first true A-kon experience was the pre-reg line.... and he said that was the funnest and best line he had ever been in. Hey.. it's A-kon... crazy stuff happens EVERYWHERE! Thankfully it wasn't the pre-reg hell like we had last year (over 4 hours in line and it was NOT fun!) This time we got there early on Thursday and only had to wait an hour and half... and listen to some cranky teenage she-demon. But she got told off and it was so glorious.

So in a nutshell, here's our A-kon 20 experience:

• I got The Boyfriend addicted to Ramune. SCORE! Next year if my brother goes, I'm sure our hotel room will promise mountains of used Ramune bottles. He also got to sample several Pocky products.
• He won a free Sonic T-shirt at a booth. First try too. Amy won last year. Do I ever win one? No. I win Pocky and only Pocky. Unlucky I am. I shouldn't complain. I used to win free DVDs from the FUNimation Booth.
• Sheraton totally remodeled a ton of stuff. So I'm walking along thinking I know way... BOOM! "What the heck!? There's a wall here!?" Kind of annoying, but I adjusted. Some of it works better than it was before, but I (as well as others apparently) miss some of the old stuff too...like cowboy statue *sobs* He will be missed.
• The rooms are SUPER AWESOME now. Flat screen HDTVs, sweeeeet bathrooms, and better comforters than those crappy things Adams Mark made us sleep under. Stayed in the North tower this year too..that was a first. It was nice elevator-wait-time wise, but the view was of the outside Central Tower wall. I missed the window view!!
• We got the chance to experience Anime Hell this round. It was a love/hate thing. Love most of it, but there is a heavy price for such amusement (i.e., the reindeer castration video... my retinas were pierced and the image is still in my mind...). I will do this again next year.



Canadian Ice Skating in a Kimono. 

• The Boyfriend bought a Yukata while we were there and wore it when he went ice skating at the Plaza (pictured below). At some point someone called him "Jesus on Ice" or something of the like. Another new A-kon Ice Skating category to add along with "Anime on Ice" and "Nerds on Ice."
• I bought a pink wig. It's really cute. Will be put to good use for many A-kons to come.
• Finally got a chance to sit down and watch the Sleeping Samurai Demos and the Kobushi Taiko Drummers. Way awesome and entertaining. Cept when you really have to pee and those drums are making the floor vibrate....
• Attended my first Masquerade Ball ever (I'll post pics later). Raymond wore his awesome white suit with a top hat. He got more compliments than I.
• Freshly exposed to the world of Steampunk costuming and gadgetry. WAY NEAT!
• Was rudely awakened twice in the wee early hours of Sunday morning from an intercom announcement and a fire alarm. Probably some drunken 13-year-old thinking he's gonna be a riot by pissing everyone off by pulling the alarm.

That's all I can remember for now and I'll try to post more pics later. Hopefully all my A-kon buddies will be there next year! And the cosplay this year was really cool; really inspired me to get busy with my coveted Macha costume! We'll just have to see!