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I went to an anime convention today! It was a local one that happens every year. It was a nice time. I didn't buy as much stuff as I normally did. Instead, I spent most of my time in panels and in the video room. I watched episodes of Neon Genesis Evangelion, something that has been on my watch list for a while now, and Ergo Proxy, something that was not on my watch list but seemed interesting. Both shows were very good, and I may end up watching the rest of the episodes some time soon. While I didn't purchase as much stuff as I normally would have from the Artist Alley, the stuff I bought was pretty cool. I bought a sticker sheet containing detailed cuts of steak, some Digital Circus character stickers, and a few pins. I attached two of the pins, Oswald and Spongebob, to my tote bag. I don't bother with the Dealer's Room at conventions anymore because it really only has mass-produced items; the real special stuff can only be found in the Alley. Plus, I like the idea of my money going to small, personal creators.

I would like to expand a little more on my reasoning behind spending more time in panels this year, as opposed to my normal convention behavior of spending a lot of time perusing the shops. I've come to the realization that panels are the real lifeblood of any good convention. A big draw of these events has always been the ability to meet and interact with people who are into the same nerdy shit as you, who you would otherwise almost never meet in person. Panels are the vehicle by which this takes place. For example, if you go to a panel about Honkai Star Rail, everyone in there chooses to spend their free time playing the same game you do. The same feelings that drew you to a space-faring gacha game swirl in their brains as well. Armed with this knowledge, you feel more inclined to put yourself out there and create new connections. Even if you're not ready to take that step quite yet, it just feels nice to be in the same area with people into the same stuff as you. I went to a QnA panel with an actor who starred in a show I used to absolutely love as a kid. While I didn't go up to the mic because I am rather reserved in real life, other people went up and shared feelings that have always been close to my heart. It all left me with a very warm, fuzzy feeling.