It was that time of year again for me. Design the best costumes, plan all the amazing things, do none of them and get one awesome thing ready then head across the Atlantic. Yes, that’s right, it was time for Katsucon.
This year I truly think that Katsucon was more impressive than last year. This comes down to a number of factors. I actually knew what I was doing this year, I knew a few small tips and tricks, had a few more friends, knew the area better, so it made for a better con all round. The last year of traveling has meant that I have made a bunch of new friends, most of which descend on Katsucon if they live on the East side of America. Because of this I had more incentives to go to the Katuscon Ball, which we hit up as Disney princesses, as well as go out to dinners, drinks and all sorts.
The costume standard was also pretty high again this year which has motivated me once again. Going to Katsucon last year made me realise that I really needed to focus on my costume construction instead of pumping out one costume after another. This year I felt like I still had a long way to go but I felt more validated and justified to be able to wear the costumes that I picked. There was still a tonne of inspiration around as well as some absolutely stunning creations such as J Hart’s Ciel, and Stella Chuu’s Sakizou costume.
Unlike last year I had every intention of checking out some of the panels and workshops this year but with a surprisingly busy schedule and a surprise fire alarm, I didn’t really get to see anything. All our carefully laid plans failed miserably. We did manage to get to the dealers hall, which as usual, was better than any dealer’s hall I’ve seen in the UK. A Lot cheaper too thanks to the exchange rate. A bishouju statue of Wasp was $50!! In the UK it’s more like £70-80 if you can find it!
There is honestly not much bad I can really say for Katsucon except that maybe there should be a better system in place for people taking photos. Since it’s landscaped very nicely, pathways are constantly getting blocked by people taking photos across them as well as an overcrowding problem for big meets as well. This might have been due to the fire evacuation on the Saturday which meant a lot of meets were cancelled or moved, so multiple groups were trying to fit into the same spaces that are not meant for that many people? Who knows.
Either way, if you want to go to Katsucon I highly encourage it and I would strongly suggest you take one or two good friends and socialise as much as possible. It’s the only way to really get the most out of Katsucon.