Otakon is one of the largest anime and Asian pop culture conventions on the East Coast, drawing over 40,000 attendees to Washington, DC every August. Held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Otakon spans 3 days, from July 31st to August 2nd. I had the privilege of attending as press for Girltaku, and got front-row seats to some of the convention’s biggest highlights, from panels to events. I spent the weekend surrounded by awe-inspiring cosplays, vibrant artist alley halls, and jam-packed panel rooms. Here are some of my favorite moments!
Otakon Events
TOUGEN ANKI: Nikko Kegon Falls Arc World Premiere
My first world premiere! Otakon attendees were spoiled this year with two major premieres; Tougen Anki season 2 and Kagurabachi. I was able to get a seat for the former, and watched episode 1 of the Nikko Kegon Falls arc, which releases on Netflix or Crunchyroll (depending on your location) in October. The first episode kicks off with the action-packed snow mountain training arc. The animation was seamless and the buildup leaves you on the edge of your seat. I’m excited for the rest of the season – the raid and rescue mission will be intense! After the premiere, we were joined by some special guests… the Japanese voice actors and producer! They came with great energy and shared many insights into their character dynamics. If you haven’t watched season 1, now is a great chance to get caught up before the next season starts airing in the Fall.
Otakon 2026 Fashion Show
The Otakon Fashion Show this year brought stylish alternative Japanese fashion to the featured events stage. The international designers were Fluffy Tori and Spooky Sparkle Party, and the featured designers included Renova, Lilia and Lace, Miss Candyholic, and Dykemint, to name a few! The runway showcased a great variety of alt J-fashion, from gothic lolita to whimsical pastels. I enjoyed watching everyone’s distinctive styles, and all the petticoats, long ruffled skirts, and intricate lace tights striding down the stage.
Otakon Panels
Across the Hoyoverse
As a huge fan and (returning) Genshin Impact 1.0 player, I was elated to hear the voice actors of Hoyoverse games talk about how they landed their roles, their experience in the industry, mentorship, and other fun verse-related questions, like which game they would want to live in. The guests for this panel were:
- Sam Slade (Honkai: Star Rail, Zenless Zone Zero)
- Hayden Daviau (Honkai: Star Rail)
- Crystal Lee (Genshin Impact)
A standout conversation for me was when Crystal talked about how Jordan Reynolds (Marvel Rivals, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, Dynasty Warriors) helped launch her voice-acting career by providing detailed feedback on her portfolio and connecting her with his agent. It was a really wholesome story because she didn’t at all expect that from him; someone with many projects under his belt and her being completely new – sometimes all you need to get the ball rolling is for one person to really believe in you!
The three also had fun conversations about how Honkai, ZZZ, and Genshin’s worlds are all too hostile to live in. I agreed with Crystal that I’d probably pick to live in Liyue from Genshin because it’s such a beautiful place – rolling mountains and tranquil plains. Plus, the people of Liyue are protected by the adepti. And there’s no crazy weather, so I’d feel a little safer. Albeit, if the Heavenly Principle decides to drop another celestial nail, everyone is doomed anyway. Also, I started the game as a Hu Tao main, and she lives there!
Production I.G. USA Panel Featuring Maki Terashima-Furuta
Maki Terashima-Furuta, the President of Production I.G. USA, was an absolute standout industry speaker, giving us a candid look into almost 3 decades of experience in the anime industry. She was surprisingly down to earth despite her esteemed position and significant role in bringing Japanese animation to international audiences. The room was packed with everyone eager to listen to her talk about the behind-the-scenes stories, her journey through many titles, from Ghost in the Shell to Uzumaki, and even some heart-to-heart conversations about persevering through difficult times. Absolutely delightful to listen to. She now lives on a farm with all her cute farm animals!
AMV Fight Club – First Rule of AMV Fight Club: Tell everyone about AMV Fight Club!
This was probably the most fun I’ve had at a panel in a while. I grew up in the era of Naruto AMVs on Youtube, edited in Windows Movie Maker, with Linkin Park in the background. I’m talking about 360p quality and Naruto vs Sasuke throwing hands for 3 minutes straight, clip fade-ins, and screaming IN THE END, IT DOESN’T EVEN MATTER. This panel featured two accomplished editors in a live showdown to make an AMV from scratch, in front of the audience, within the time limit. While they were editing, we took a trip down memory lane with 2000s anime AMVs. It’s crazy to see how far the editing community has come! I got to watch so many amazing edits from phenomenal editors. The panel was highly interactive with trivia, mini games, and fun commentary.
Artist Alley
Artist Alley is always my favorite part of any convention. I love browsing aisle to aisle, starting at the first row, stopping at every booth, and seeing my favorite characters from anime and games drawn in all the different art styles. It’s easy to lose hours in those halls, but I always come out of it with the prettiest things! This year, I was specifically searching for art from Genshin Impact, Frieren, Apothecary Diaries, Pokemon, and Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint (aka the 5 things I’ve been loving the most lately). It was a success! Since they’re all popular right now, plenty of booths had art, keychains, and stickers for the fandoms. I bought the most stunning prints, the cutest keychain and enamel pins, and even wooden and acrylic stands! My only regret was not buying more.
One thing I’ve noticed in the evolution of artist alleys is that there aren’t many artists selling Studio Ghibli art anymore. That used to be my favorite thing to look for (at my very first con), and I still have a stunning Kiki’s Delivery Service poster from back then. I hope to see Ghibli make a return to artist alleys in the future!
Gaming Hall
The Gaming Hall had it all – retro and modern arcade games, fighting games, racing games, party games, dancing games, rhythm games, VR games, board games, gacha games, tabletop TCGs, and at the very back was the itasha car show! I was able to spectate a few competitive tournaments (Street Fighter, Tekken), and even stopped by the Nintendo table to chat with their representative. Nintendo brought 3 playable demos: Starfox, Platoon Raiders, and Donkey Kong. There was also a My Nintendo check-in for 100 platinum points and an exclusive keychain!
Itasha is where car culture and otaku culture collide – they are cars with vinyl wraps featuring anime, manga, and video game characters. The full exterior body anime wraps and plushies/figurines on the dashboard make the cars so charming and colorful. Genshin, Neon Genesis Evangelion, and Gundam were featured on some of the cars I saw.
Cosplay
I saved the best for last! Although I didn’t get to cosplay this year, I spent my whole weekend surrounded by the most amazing ones. Anime and video game cosplays that looked like they walked straight off the screen. I saw plenty of Jujutsu Kaisen, Bleach, Frieren, and of course the ever-classic Hatsune Miku. The cosplay coordination spaces ran seamlessly and were so crowded I could barely take pictures most of the time! The energy was high, and everyone was just happy to be there, sharing their love for cosplay.
Pro tip: Many cosplayers go to the Marriott Marquis hotel connected to Otakon to take photos. The lobby is expansive with natural lighting and greenery. You don’t need to be a guest to head over and snap some pictures.
Overall Thoughts Otakon
Otakorp did an incredible job with Otakon this year! From the stacked industry presence to the dynamic events, the world premieres, and the unforgettable panels, everyone who attended made the con all the more memorable. It brought everything I love about gaming, anime, and Asian pop culture together in one space to celebrate fandom. Shared passions are what make these conventions feel so alive. Until next year!
