Cosplay Experience Retrospective

As we come to the end of another year and enter a new one, I feel it would be appropriate to look back on my time in the geeky community and why this year is particularly important to myself, especially from an emotional standpoint.

I had been watching Anime during my early childhood, mostly through video tape cassette recordings sent from relatives in the spiritual Motherland that is Hong Kong, and after a long gap, got back into watching it when I started attending University. I am not sure what encouraged me to return to Anime, but it happened. Until then, however, I felt like I was only just scratching the surfance of the fandom. At some point, I caught wind of certain events where fellow Otaku would congregate, so-called “Anime Conventions”, where geeks would actually be able to see and speak to each other about various geeky topics in the same place. It was only after I attended my first Anime Convention about 12 years ago where I felt I had finally felt like I was a full blown Anime geek. But there was one thing I felt I was missing out on but didn’t have the confidence to try.

That being Cosplay.

Hibanacon Post Event Writeup

Last weekend, I was at Hibanacon, a "residential" Anime convention that was the brainchild of certain friends I know of who are based around in and around Basingstoke (And hence will be referred to as the "Basingstoke Circle"). This was the second one to be held at the Jurys Inn hotel in Milton Keynes. I was intending on writing a post action report on the inaugural event, but eventually forgot to do so. I'm intending to rectify this. Anyway, the short version of the story is that the first Hibana was sort of an obligation due to me knowing so many of the committee, but even if I didn't, I would've enjoyed myself. Attendance at the second one was all but a given.

Some Post-MCM Scotland 2018 Ramblings

In light of the lack of long form written content on this blog, I felt it right to post something after MCM Scotland 2018. Something that requires me to do a bit more thinking while I put words to paper, or in this case screen. Something that isn't as quickfire as a Facebook status update or a Tweet.

Content/Trigger Warning: I do bring up mental health topics here, including references to suicidal thoughts and general negativity, so keep that in mind before you read on.

So, MCM Scotland 2018 came and went. I thoroughly enjoyed myself despite the fact that it really is nothing more than a large dealers hall with maybe a few panels going on at the peripheries. But then it has always been like that since I started going in 2013. So I am used to it. Doesn't stop me attending when I can because I still find it enjoyable and there are not many geek type of events north of the border. However, I admit that about 2 year ago, I started to have a crisis of confidence, not just regarding attending MCM Scotland but going to any geek event, especially the fan run "residential" conventions I've been going to for a long time, the major ones being Amecon and until it's demise, Ayacon.

In the Shadow of Ayacon...

About two weekends ago from the time I started writing this entry, I went to my first Kitacon, a relatively small convention that has been running for some time in the spring of every year for a while, from what I could gather. Although it was nice to be away on a holiday for once, I will have to admit something right here, right now, while everyone else lavishes praise on Kitacon 2014.

Meh.

Literally that is all I have to say on the convention.

OK I will elaborate. It was fun but not spectacular. As much as I enjoy being at these sorts of events, this Kitacon turned out to be a bit of a damp squib for me. There are various reasons for this. Some directly related to the convention. Some not. Some personal. I will go into a long and possibly rambling posting here on some of those reasons.