 |
Can an anime convention have a personality? Project: A-Kon seems to be a gaming convention, Anime Expo feels like an industry trade show - and Katsucon V tried to set a reputation as a "party" convention. This author finished uploading the pictures and summary from the Saturday cosplay and masquerade at 1:30 a.m. Sunday, made another pass through the convention floor and found that things had barely slowed down. That might have led to a remarkably quiet Sunday, where con goers seemed to shuffle through the day as if feeling the effects of the previous night. Or it might have been the flu that was spreading through much of the South in mid-February. Some people were slowed by the flu, while others said they had tried hard to avoid their ill friends and co-workers so they would be in shape for Katsucon. |
| Those who stayed healthy saw an explosion of costumes. It looked as if fans had spent every moment of the winter preparing for the show. This author spotted at least four couples or groups that showed up with two costumes or more in the same day! There were fewer red-suited Ranmas then previous years, and more Evangelion characters, from plug suits to school uniforms. |  |
 |
The Katsucon tradition of a slow start continued. Video room schedules arrived at the last second and were perpetually subject to change, most events started late and a couple of scheduled panels disappeared. Yet, in the midst of the strange happenings, there was Haruhiko Mikimoto, patiently creating sketches for the fans. That seemed to be what really counted for the fans, as Katsucon satisfied a pent-up longing for an anime convention to break the doldrums of winter. It was clear that fans could hardly wait for this event to arrive. |
| There was a perpetually long line for the dealer room, but that was for a reason. First, some fans were in line, two hours before the room opened. Also, Katsucon decided, apparently with some help from a fire inspector, to control the number of people in the room. It turned into a one-person-in for one-person-out deal for most of the weekend. That room seemed to be awash in Pikachus from golf-ball to beach-ball size. Tables sported more DVD and video game discs and fewer laser discs. |  |
 |
As Katsucon got underway on Friday, four miles to the northeast in the District of Columbia, the U.S. Senate finished its solemn duty and voted against the articles of impeachment against President Bill Clinton. No one at the con gave a damn. |
 |
Katsucon Day 1 |
| Katsucon Day 2 | |
| Katsucon Day 3 |