Ultimate Lolita Fashion Show 2012

Before the Show Started

Some of the Lolita models practicing their walk backstage.

Otakon Isn't Perfect

As big and popular as Otakon is, no convention is perfect and flaws do existence. Every convention has that and all they can do is learn and try to amend and/or improve it.

Volunteer Appearance

The volunteer staff members were easy to spot, because they each wore a black Otakon shirt. However, the non-staff volunteers were dress down and some were in cosplay. I am not even sure if they had special name tags because all I saw were badges around everyone’s neck that looked like the tickets to the con. It would have been useful if the volunteers had a color theme that would help identify them as such, like having them wear yellow shirts and/or have each of them wear a sticker name tag that says “Otakon Volunteer” on their shirt. Unfortunately, they blended in with the rest of us. Having something visible and uniformed amongst the non-staff volunteers would make it easier to spot them out. If I cannot find a person in black, I would not have known WHO to ask for help to get help from a staff member.

Cosplay at Otakon 2012

Homura Akemi from Puella Magi Madoka Magica!

Grab Bags at Otakon 2012

Your plan is to go to Otakon and have fun. Then you have so much fun that you want to bring something back with you as a keepsake. Some of us take pictures while others keep their badges and a program guide. However, what happens if that is not enough?

Hunting in the Otakon 2012 Dealers Room

The 123,000 sq. ft of Dealers Room space was an anime/manga dream mall. I love the fact that there was a large dedicated space for such merchandise and products. Where else can I find a variety or even items that I have never seen before? Since the room does not have a non-competitive environment, it was time to hunt for the lowest price and bargain for what I wanted to buy!

Overview of Otakon 2012

Outdoors

This is my first encounter with the Baltimore Convention Center while driving by in the blazing heat. Thank goodness for air condition! What you see here on your left is the Hilton Baltimore pedestrian skybridge connecting to the convention building and a portion of the front entrance exterior.

My First Otakon: What’s Big?

The first time that I have heard of the word “otakon” was in college, which was more than three years ago. I only recall learning that it was the name of an anime theme convention and nothing more. As the years gone by, I heard that it was considered one of the biggest anime/manga conventions along the East coast. A few of my college friends decided to go to Otakon in 2009. After hearing about their experience, others and I followed suit.