Almost Otaku: Anime at Comic Con

 Pikachu floating over the Comic Con floors. I can't help thinking that it's a metaphor for something.

As you might have surmised from the videos we put up here, there was a noticeable manga/anime presence at the San Diego Comic Con and I was all up in it .  While I didn’t get to stick around any of the booths for too long (given my other responsibilities) I can say that this show provided some concrete examples of what I’ve enjoyed so much about discovering anime through this site.

See, Comic Con’s more-or-less the highlight of my year.  Every time I go to one, I can’t help but think about where I was the previous year (what was going through my head and so on.)  I’m pretty sure that a lot of the same anime displays and cosplayers were at SDCC 2009. They probably hadn't changed. What had changed was me. This year was the first time I could recognize what all the logos were for, where the characters were from and I really did feel like my total convention experience was better for that. What's more, I saw  how greatly the circumference of my "common ground" has increased.  More than a few times, I'd be talking to a colleague and notice how their girlfriends looked a little bored. They came along, even though they weren't really into comics. What were they more into? You guessed it - - anime.  So both parties were often (pleasantly) surprised when I could strike up a conversation about FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST or EVANGELION.

Maybe this isn’t so much a conversation starter as it just an observation, but I’ve always thought that there's value in having diverse interests. Thus, I want to reiterate how positive an experience it's been to delve into the anime culture as I have on Anime Vice.  My horizons really have been broadened and, truly, a whole new world's been opened up to me. 

-- Tom Pinchuk is the writer of HYBRID BASTARDS!  and UNIMAGINABLE. Both are available for order on Amazon here and here.