Las Vegas is where anime conventions make it or break it. To this date, there are three major anime themed weekend events in Las Vegas – Otakon Vegas, Level Up Expo, and Sabakon. Many anime cons have came and went. We still remember the old days of Anime Vegas at Cashman. Otakon Vegas is in their third year – it’s not bad for a start up con. However, with a name like Otakon attached to the con, it set high expectations for veteran convention attendees. The past Otakon events had Japanese guests. At closing ceremonies, the explanation of the lack of Japanese guests had to do with the timing of the con – industry folks have to be back in work this week following the New Year’s celebrations. However, for other events that weekend, Taiyou Con was able to get Yuu Asakawa and Kappei Yamaguchi.

Otakon Vegas is not a perfect con. While I do applaud the staff for owning up to mistakes and still hosting a well-run event, Otakon Vegas does have potential to grow. I can’t imagine it being cheap to have an event on the strip. It made our team wonder how many more years Otakon Vegas will have surviving if it does inherit the curse that most Las Vegas anime events have. I would like to see more international guests and I’d also be fine with guests from the Canadian dub for Sailor Moon. Love it or hate it, John Stoker and friends have always shared some behind the scenes stories and are very candid about anime localization.

There also was not much of an online presence for Otakon Vegas. Closing ceremonies alluded to having a “BBS.” That three word acronym is archaic to the otaku high school kid. Most online presence is done in Facebook groups nowadays as opposed to message boards. Most message boards for cons have ceased to exist, at least on the west coast. Though OV does have Tumblr and a Twitter, more engagement needs to be done by having a simple Facebook group moderated by Otakon Vegas staff. I didn’t know where or if Otakon Vegas was having cosplay meetups or if there were Love Live groups recruiting for more people.

Programming can be hit or miss. I really like that Otakon Vegas was trying out new things like Cosplay Murder Mystery, a legitimate masquerade ball, and cosplay chess. I could do without in character Q&A panels, as those tend to be hit or miss as well. I would have loved to have seen more industry driven panels on anime localization and I do know my colleague, Jared the Greek, would not mind moderating an industry and anime history panel for future Otakon Vegas events. I felt there were quite a few things to do during the day if you were a willing participant of Otakon Vegas, but if you were in the older crowd, the younger crowd of the event can make you feel "old." I will say this about the overall vibe. As cosplay is becoming more about a quest for "likes" and e-fame, I liked that the younger crowd here was not concern for fame or growing a fanbase. They were in it for fun and just to enjoy themselves. I liked talking to young people who were just starting sewing and looking at their handiwork. It's a shame that people in my generation will shame the young generation getting into cons and judge a newbie cosplayer. There were some really great costume work here. People were generally friendly to talk to and were willing to forge new friendships.

Would I return to Otakon Vegas? While it does fall on a holiday weekend wherein I can get time off, it would depend what Otakon Vegas can bring for the 2017 show. I'd be more than happy to consult and help out Otakon Vegas. This cons seems like it has a ton of potential. However, Las Vegas cons don't have the best reputation for longevity. AniMegaCon, Anime Vegas, etc are long gone. Because Otakon is a huge name in the anime con scene, people have high expectations. They expect to see Japanese guests. As much as I don't mind seeing American voice actors, I'd like to see concerts and creative talent behind anime. This would be a great opportunity to pull some anime veterans who are not currently working. While January is the busy season for the Japanese anime industry, get someone who hasn't been working in a while and still has a lasting impact on fandom.

Overall, I made the best out of Otakon Vegas. I enjoyed the con for what it was. It was very laid back. It could use more work and I would hate to see Otakon Vegas not last here in Sin City. I liked the staff; they were helpful and friendly. I liked the dealers and artists. I liked the discount of the buffet at Planet Hollywood. My return would depend on a number of factors. However, I do thank Otakon Vegas the opportunity to cover the event and to do a few panels. Here's hoping I'll be back in town. There's something very humble and warm about the Vegas fan community that I've missed since the early days of anime cons. Any excuse to get back to Vegas is a good one for me!

See you at Otakon Prime!

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