Aresef

Yoshiki abruptly canceled an event in San Francisco to go to Japan as reports came out that Heath had died. Now we have official confirmation from the band. https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2023-11-11/x-japan-releases-statement-confirming-passing-of-band-member-heath/.204340 Pata and Heath joined Yoshiki onstage at Otakon 2014:

I am planning on it, just figuring out logistics. It's not exactly in a major city and all that. I don't currently have anybody to room with so I'll probably grab an Airbnb nearby. The con is being run by Media Blasters. John Sirabella has made it a pet project. Koichi Sakamoto never ever does cons. The last one I know for a fact he was at was Power Morphicon, waaaay back in 2007.

I think the off year and Discord caused traffic here to take a hit. That's just me talking. I don't know anything about anything. I remember the old mailing list and how that fell out of favor as the board and then social media came in.

There's a CVS across from the WEWCC and a Giant and Safeway each a few blocks away.

Yeah, there was someone handing out flyers about it when I went into DC the other day for my Global Entry interview. I'm taking the train to Union Station, though, so it's not an issue for me.

From experience: Yes. Therefore, the earlier you can do orientation the better. I've gofered reg and such on the Thursday.

I'd like to see Shocker OH!NO! I didn't even know he did cons and all of a sudden he turned up at Momocon and I missed it. For those who don't know who he is, he's a former tokusatsu stuntman with scattered voice roles in projects like DD Fist of the North Star and Perfect Blue. He got his stage name from no less a figure than Shotaro Ishinomori. He trains stunt actors, emcees events and is just deeply embedded in Japanese pop culture. I'd compare what he would bring to the con to Takamasa Sakurai.

I can't think of many events that blare the fact they'll have hentai content front and center but hentai is what pays John Sirabella's rent. I'm interested in seeing what else is planned for this event but I'm not sure if I'll go.

Here's the thread for that. Parenthetically, I don't think a lot of people check the board so much anymore.

https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2023-02-28/singer-maon-kurosaki-passes-away/.195420 She'd had health issues dating back to September 2021, when she collapsed during a live-streamed concert. She was 35.

Oof. Always something with Metro.

Congoers and especially cosplayers of a certain age may remember him and his camera from various cons in the late 90s and aughts. He was everywhere. https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2022-11-15/cosplay-photographer-kevin-lillard-passes-away/.191951

I don't think I've seen staff pool represented at any orientation that I'd been to prior, that's why I mentioned it as something I appreciated. But it's good to learn there's more coordination than I was aware of.

Music: Yuki Kajiura, m-flo, Granrodeo, renewing my request for MONKEY MAJIK Voice: Yuri Lowenthal, Johnny Yong Bosch, Monica Rial, Jamie Marchi Other: Toshiki Inoue (who hasn't done a con to my knowledge), Yasuhiro Nightow

According to Otakon's policies, if it has wheels and isn't a mobility device, it's not allowed in. They indicate that that rule is from the venue but they probably wouldn't let them in anyway, IMO, because of liability.