In terms of "geeking-out," this takes the cake.
And if you're a true gamer, you would know that the cake is a lie.
The 11th annual Sakura-Con anime convention brought in thousands of people from all over the nation for the three-day event. The anime fest brings people together through their love of anime, video games, music, merchandise and cosplay.
Cosplaying is when an individual dresses up as a character. Consider it similar to Halloween, but most of the people dress up as someone or something from their favorite anime.
Popular characters cosplayed this year were from Naruto, Bleach and the Final Fantasy series. Most attendees are equipped with digital or disposable cameras and frequently take pictures of one another.
Last year, the convention brought in more than ten thousand visitors; 32 times the original attendance back in 1998.
The event costs between $30-60, depending on when visitors register. People can buy either a single-day pass or pay for a full convention pass. Unless visitors get there early, they end up in mile-long registration lines.
The atmosphere at Sakura-Con is incredible, where the only judging going on is how real your costume looks.
The convention is crawling with activities, inside and out. The courtyard is located just outside of the Exhibition Hall, where hundreds of people gather at a time to either perform mini-skits, play games or take massive group photos. It is a popular hangout for people, even through rain and snow.
A popular game outside is GLOMP, where a group of people form a giant circle with one person in the middle. The middle person then throws an empty bottle in the air. Whoever the bottle ends up pointing at, the middle person must hug. The person who just got hugged must then take the middle person's spot, thus repeating the game. The rules vary from group-to-group, such as having the middle person yell out "Group Glomp!" where the outside circle rushes towards the middle for a group hug.
Anime is shown throughout the event, played throughout the night and into the wee hours of the morning. Three brand new animes were debuted this year, with panel discussions held afterwards.
One of the main attractions is the Cosplay Contest, which gives members a chance to perform skits in under five minutes. The story is judged by a panel who then decides the winner. Contestants plan weeks in advance and will even seek strangers on message boards in order to team up for a skit.
Video gaming was a big hit this year, with rooms set up for Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Call of Duty 4, Dance Dance Revolution and Rock Band. There was even a Guitar Hero contest that took over a hallway.
The biggest attraction is the Exhibitors' Hall, that is filled with about a hundred vendors offering up the latest anime merchandise. Computer animators Funimation offered virtual drawing lessons, while Pink Godzilla taught passerby's how to play their unique card game. Keychains and plushies are strewn about everywhere, ranging from the popular Bleach Kon dolls, to the ever-popular Totoro stuffed animals.
Need a costume? No problem - a dozen of the vendors offered various anime costumes for cosplaying. One Itachi cloak cost $80 at one vendor, while the same cloak went for $59 at another nearby stand. Cutting deals and bartering is a must at the convention and regular attendees are pros.
The convention has been averaging two major concerts between Friday and Saturday. Bringing in famous J-POP artists, the upstairs concert hall is always packed, oftentimes leading security to shut down the escalators, due to over-capacity.
The convention does a superb job of bringing diversity to the already eclectic area. Instead of focusing strictly on Japanese pop culture, there are various cultural events offered throughout the event that visitors can attend. Cultural dancers and other performers walk the event, handing out fliers, recruiting, and just trying to educate others. Here, attendees get to learn about other cultures as well as the history behind animation.
By Sunday, the number of attendees dies down and the atmosphere becomes more serene. After Closing Ceremonies recaps the highlights of the convention, people trickle out on the streets, with new friends in tow.
When it comes to fun activities that bring people of all different walks of life together, nobody does it like the biggest anime convention in the Northwest.