I'm planning on going to Kumoricon, and Sakuracon 2005 was my first con. I had a load of fun. My girlfriend found me a cheap and simple (and accurate!) Nabeshin costume that earned me a lot of shout-outs and requests for pictures. And while I couldn't spend the money to buy any anime at the tables, I did find a band to follow me around. Anyway, I'm just trying to get into the whole anime culture for the first time. I'm an anime newb. And, not to attack anybody's interests here, but why are there some things at cons that don't seem the least bit anime-related? Maybe they are, and I'm not saying they aren't cool, I just don't see the connection, is all. I can understand stuff like having the J-pop singer Kumiko Kato, since it's so common for an interest in anime to be merely part of a larger obsession with Japanese culture. And I can understand cosplay of Final Fantasy characters, since those games are so anime-like. But what does Penny Arcade or any of the video gaming have to do with anime? What does Unreal Tournament or Halo, DDR or D&D, or any of that gaming have to do with anime? I don't mean to malign anyone's interest in them but it seems more like a large distraction than anything else. Thanks. (As I go back to playing playing PS2 after signing out.)
