You too would be resting your legs after enduring something like Otakon!
Fate sought to make me feel better, as guitar karma got her back soon enough, on the 3rd song the guitar got stuck in her hair. The roadies tried their damnedest to untangle it, buy to no avail. I'll give her credit though, she made it through the whole set, holding the guitar up awkwardly by the neck as to not pull her hair out. I got to laugh at her earned misfortune and not have to watch her pretend to play guitar anymore. It was a win-win for me, aside from my disgust of course.
Mucc was a different being entirely. They played for an hour and 40 minutes for as hard as the could, each band member playing a brilliant solo several times, including an amazing (and unexpected) harmonica solo from the lead singer. Describing the style as similar to any particular band or period would be a great disservice, as at different points in just one song you can easily pick out sounds that seem to have come from wildly different influences, case
All this bad dancing is giving me flash backs to the days of the Macarena!
in point would be the random country rock guitar solo that continued into whatever the song was. Their uniqueness didn't stem from any one major difference or a gimmick like is seen in so many J-Rock bands, it comes from a great musical ear, and amazing versatility. There is real talent here. I can't recommend them enough, even if the thought of listening to something in Japanese is a turn off for some Americans.
In the lobby there was an XM radio show, Iron Otaku, DJing requests from Otaku. Eventually, or should I say unavoidably, someone requested hit Para Para song Night of Fire which has become an internet sensation in America. Para Para isn't a group, but rather a style of dance done in clubs. Think line dancing, but to Japanese covers of euro beat dance songs instead of country music. As ridiculous as it all first sounded to me, the dance and the song where both oddly entrancing. Things got surreal fast
This appears to be the cast from the Street Fighter Alpha series, complete with an E.Honda look alike!
as Dead or Alive cos-players did the dance, then Naruto, Zelda, and just about anything else you could name. Bizarre? Hell yeah it was, but it was all highly amusing.
Para Para wasn't the only internet phenomenon to make an experience at this years Otakon though. Another big "dance" craze reared its head as well, as the DJ played Numa Numa and dozens of people started hitting the dance floor. I hope I'm not alone when I state that Numa Numa has overstayed its welcome. The two biggest internet forums were also well represented in both members and panels dealing with their respective sites. I am referring to 4chan, the biggest image board forum, and Gaia, the world's biggest forum. The panels were loud and inside joke ridden, I had to ask my friend what the hell was going on at the 4chan panel. Finally, not to be outdone, Fark.com was there in the form of a man dressed up as the "O RLY? Owl."
Last but not least are the cos-players. I think the nicest thing I could say about them as a group is "mixed bag," some
Although this is an extremely cool costume, one can only imagine how difficult it is walking through doors and going to the bathroom!
of them were absolutely fantastic, stunning both in the fact that someone attempted these ridiculously impossible outfits, and that some of them actually pulled these get ups off. Sure there were five crappy Cloud costumes and a handful of cheap Naruto outfits for every one great costume, but when it's good it's great. Even if you hate cos-play, you have to give a hand to some of these people's skill and devotion. Did I cos-play you might ask? I'll never tell.
I love Otakon; but not simply because I love anime, Japanese rock and video game. I can get those on the internet any time I want. The real draw for me is the personal connection of being in the same building of thousands of people who share you interests and are more then willing to randomly hang out with total strangers. Like every year, I met a bunch of new friends I now talk to on the internet and play on Xbox Live. I look forward to seeing them all again next year. If you're in the area next year then do yourself a favor and get a ticket to Otakon, this is one event you will never forget.
(Editor's Note: Just because you've read all of Lee's report doesn't mean the fun has to end. I welcome you to click this link and download a whole set of pictures! Included are unedited pictures taken from the event, featuring a selection of snapshots you won't find anywhere else. If that sounds like something you would be interested in then make sure and download the zip file now and continue enjoying Lee's time at Otakon 2006!)
