Otakon 2013

This past weekend my sister, my boyfriend and I attended the infamous Otakon! It was collectively our first convention and so we were all pretty excited! I dressed as Claire Redfield from Resident Evil, and my sister was America from Hetalia but also Dipper Pines from Gravity Falls. As soon as we were on the highway entering Baltimore, a car passed us with a Sora in the passenger seat and we knew we were soon there! It was pure insanity upon arrival!! The line zigzagged around the building like a game of snake! We arrived around 8:30 when the doors opened in hopes of getting in by 10 to see Todd Haberkorn. Being the Convention noobs that we were, we had no chance of making it. We learned that going to Otakon is like going to Disneyworld. (So what did you guys do? Oh, we stood in line...) While waiting in line, there were many people out selling water trying to make a profit and competing against one another. One of the favorites seemed to be this shorter African-American man who was rapping the same phrase over and over: "Got cold water, only one dollar, only one dollar." Those who attended will know that song forever. There were so many people there and in all sorts of cosplays! From what we saw, the most popular appeared to be Jade from Homestuck, Elizabeth from Infinite, Attack on Titan, the Trolls from Homestuck, Main characters of Pokemon, and Link from Legend of Zelda.



I freaked out everytime I saw anything Infinite related, (as you all saw from my last post!) particularly Elizabeth cause she is the best ever! The Booker pictured below was by far the best Booker I saw there. The R Lutece made my day because she actually had an infusion bottle on a platter!!! We also saw both Luteces with the chalk board on the Robert tallying heads vs tales, but unfortunately, they eluded us. We couldn't get close enough to them to snap their picture.

Back to the convention itself, needless to say, we hadnt even entered the building yet when 10 came and went. We were so overwhelmed by all we saw and snapped pics left and right that we missed panels we didn't even know were happening. Finally we sat down and planned out what we were actually interested in seeing (which wasn't all that much) and plan accordingly. Our first workshop was "how to make pocky from scratch." The line filled up and closed before we got there. This was our second instance with not being able to arrive before the hordes. We learned quickly then. The second day we arrived early at about 8 and waited in the growing line for the doors to open at 8:30 and then booked it towards the autograph lines. We grabbed our tickets for a 10:45 with Vic Mignogna and sat around excitedly waiting for our slot.

When our ticket was called we actually got in the official queue for Vic and then waited FOREVER. Luckily, we were standing next to a girl cosplayed as Tifa and a couple cosplayed as Sora and Kairi and another guy who looked like both Sora and Roxas. Tifa was the best! I regret not actually getting any contact info to keep in contact with her. I DIDNT EVEN GET HER PICTURE!! V.V Well, anyways, eventually a little Japanese lady came over and asked my sister and me something probably about what the line was for. So we kept saying it was Vic's line. She seemed very confused and I think we embarrassed her since she didnt know what we were saying. Tifa saved the day by calling her back over and conversing with her in Japanese to better explain. She hadnt learned a little Japanese in school, but she seemed pretty good at it. The line barely moved the whole time, but at last Tifa's group got through and we were cut off. But we were finally the next ones in! Then the staff came out to inform our line that the autograph period ended at 12 and Vic needed to stop, so we were out of luck. So, so much for tickets then. We were learning lessons left and right. Needless to say, we were pissed and my boyfriend a little weary since he waited outside the line for us. Most of our weekend ended up being spent in the dealer's room. It was more fun anyways seeing all the kewl merchandise and trying on the goth clothes there. There were so many cyber goths and gothic Lolitas that I was in heaven!! Of course, I bought myself a new pair of chain pants while I was there. Funny enough, based on what my boyfriend and I got, you wouldn't know we went to an anime convention at all. 

Fun final fantasy cosplays!

More importatly, I had a mission the first day to find as many other Resident evil cosplayers as I could get my hands on and here is what I found!

Claire and her big brother Chris!

Good old Jill Valentine!

Oldie but goodie, Rebecca Chambers!

My best bud, Leon. "I got gum."

Another Claire, but with bigger guns!

My favorite, Wesker!!
 

But seriously, Wesker really made my whole cosplay experience! All I wanted was a Wesker who choke me as in the scene with Wesker in Code Veronica:

I think it was pretty good you know, minus the blue haired man photobombing...lol. Everyone else I had taken a picture of I asked them first almost timidly, but not Wesker. I was taking a picture for my sister and when I finished, I turned around and was face to face with the man himself. Appeared out of nowhere just the original would have. I freaked out and was like "OMG CAN I TAKE MY PIC WITH YOU?" He immediately half hugged me as if also thrilled to have found a Claire, then he began to assume choking me. I exploded in happiness cause I wanted that exact pose to be taken! Which means he'd played that game!! Afterwards, he told me that the second he saw me in the Dealer's room he beelined for me to get my picture! I was just tickled and couldn't stop talking about it all day. He was the best Wesker I'd seen.

There was so much more that I'm blanking at this moment, so instead I'll wrap up here. We were so jazzed upon returning that my boyfriend was immediately thinking up ideas for next year: couple cosplays. He wanted us to match sorta, at least be from the same thing. I think it sounds kewl. He returned with two swords and a pair of sais. I got chain pants, a cincher, and a lolita hat. Happy Otaku!