Photo courtesy of Ohayocon
Ohayou! From Jan. 13-15, Ohayocon comes back to Columbus, bringing anime, cosplay and local artists together.
Ohayocon brings together fans and creators of many different TV shows, movies, and video games. The event is similar to larger conventions like Comic-Con, but focuses most on Japanese animation, or anime. The convention will be taking place in downtown Columbus from Friday morning to Sunday evening at the Greater Columbus Convention Center. Door ticket-prices are $65 for the full weekend, $35 for Friday alone, $45 for Saturday and $15 for Sunday.
Most events at Ohayocon will be dedicated to hearing from the artists and voice actors involved in creating works of anime. There will also be many Q&A panels and autograph signings. Panels concerning creative writing and cosplay will allow attendees to learn about and discuss new creative concepts and techniques within the community.
Of course, a major part of the convention will also be cosplay.
Cosplay is the art of dressing up as a character from a fictional story, originally popularized by the anime community. Recently, cosplay has stepped into the mainstream with the introduction of such shows as SyFy’s Heroes of Cosplay and CBS’ The Big Bang Theory.
Cosplayers at Ohayocon will sometimes have worked for weeks to perfect their costumes, which often incorporate even the smallest details of their chosen characters. The convention hosts a cosplay competition with many different categories, one of which requires performance of a skit or musical act. The event will also be interspersed with many cosplay photo shoots, allowing participants to take photos with cosplayers from the same sphere of subculture. For those who may not have time to create the perfect costume before Ohayocon, there are still many other ways to enjoy and contribute to the convention.
The Artist Alley features a whopping 107 booths of local artists. One can shop for art, clothing, toys, jewelry and many other items that cannot be found elsewhere. There will also be a diverse set of gaming tournaments throughout the convention, ranging from tabletop and computer games to Dance Dance Revolution
If you’re looking to avoid the cold and rainy January weather, travel to another world at Ohayocon instead.
What's Happening at Ohayocon
Friday
Opening Ceremonies 5pm
Saturday
Autism in the Anime/Manga Community (James Williams)
Costumes Beyond the Basics 3:30pm (Sanddiver Studios)
Diana Garnet Concert 6pm
Cosplay Expo 7pm
The Ohayocon Gameshow 10pm (Kick-Punch-QWOP)
Sunday
Cosplay Lip Sync Competition
Closing Ceremonies 5pm
Valerie Mauger is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at gbishop@cityscenemediagroup.com.
