Aug 7, 2017
Welcome to a brand new Otakon. For several years it has become more and more obvious that the Baltimore Convention Center was just not big enough for Otakon. The byzantine layout of the multi building convention center mixed with overcrowding and harsh bottlenecks made the convention feel like it was ready to burst at the seams. While we are all going to miss the highs and lows of Baltimore the move to DC was long overdue. Moving always brings its own set of problems even in the best of circumstances it was a change that was unavoidable. That said there is a world of possibilities and opportunities that have now opened up and we hope to take advantage of them.
First and foremost the guest lineup this year is solid. Masao Maruyama is back. We have Japanese production guests Ei Aoki, Tetsuya Kinoshita, Tomoki Kyoda, Hidenori Matsubara, Katsuyuki Sumizawa, and Hideyuki Tomioka in attendance. Everything from directors to character designers. Toshio Furukawa and Shino Kakinuma are two older Japanese voice actors. The MAJOR advantage to seeing veteran voice actors: They are 1000% more likely to give you real answers to questions since they are fairly entrenched in the industry.
We'll be treated to dubbed and subbed showing of In This Corner of the World. And the Eureka Seven Hi-Evolution world premiere. There will also be screenings of the Anime Tamago 2016 short films and Lupin III: The Italian Game. Plus, there will be the East Coast premiere of Fate/Grand Order -1st Order-.
Our tentative schedule for the convention:
Friday
09:00AM
New Anime for Older Fans (That's us!)
10:15AM Fate
Universe: I Am the bone of My Panel…
11:30AM Bubblegum
Crisis: 30th Anniversary
12:45PM
Japanese Heraldry – The Evolution of the Mon
12:45PM
Fire Emblem: Genealogy of a Strategy Game
02:00PM
Shinto Shrine Opening Blessing and Shinto Basics
03:15PM
Tomoki Kyoda Focus Panel
04:30PM Break
the World's Shell: Apocalypse and Anime
04:30PM
Toshio Furukawa & Shino Kakinuma Q&A
05:45PM Matsubara
Live Drawing
07:00PM Writing
for Anime w/ Katsuyuki Sumizawa
08:15PM Romance
and Abuse in Shoujo Manga
08:30PM The
History of Magical Girls
11:00PM Panelist
Bootcamp
Saturday
09:00AM
The First Mecha: From Postwar Japan to Mobile Suit Gundam
10:15AM Samurai
Mythconceptions: Learn the Truths of the Legendary Japanese
Warrior
11:30AM Otakorp
and You: The Bylaws
01:30PM In
This Corner of the World w/ introduction by Maruyama and
Matsubara
05:00PM Dark
Horse Manga
06:30PM
Eureka Seven Hi-Evolution World Premiere Screening with Director
Tomoki Kyoda
08:45PM Fullmetal
Alchemy: The Real-World Alchemical Tradition and FMA
11:30PM Writing
Renga and More
Sunday
09:00AM Iyashikei:
Animated Healing
09:00AM Superheroes and Subversion: The
Comedy of One-Punch man
10:15AM An
Inherited War: Child Soldiers in the Gundam Universe
11:30AM Complex
Motives: The Zero Escape Trilogy
12:45PM Discotek
Media Industry Panel
03:00PM Closing
Ceremonies
04:00PM Con
Feedback Session