Anime Milwaukee is the largest anime con in Wisconsin that hosted a variety of vendors, artists, and incredible guests. The weekend was jam packed with events such as panels, combat chess, cosplay meet-ups, guest signings and Q&A's, and of course the masquerade. They also had an enormous game room for con goers to check out! There was just so much going on at this con I did not have an ounce of down time, which I personally love. There was always something new and exciting to do! There was so much going on and so many amazing things going on I think I just have to explain my experience day by day.
On Friday I got to the con at about 6 pm, so I wasn’t really there for very long. I was really there to grab my badge and attend the meeting for Combat Chess--which was hosted on Saturday. Besides going to the meeting, I just wandered around the con and met up with some amazing cosplayers!
Saturday was the craziest, most event-packed day for me. I was constantly moving from event to event throughout the entire day! Personally that’s something I enjoy at cons, I like to shove as many things into my day as possible because you only have one weekend there!
The first event I did was Combat Chess. I was involved in the show as Avatar Korra. It’s the first time I have ever done an event like this and I had so much fun! I was able to choreograph some fight scenes and perform for a room full of people which is always a great time. I was able to meet some amazing cosplayers and try something a little out of my comfort zone which in my opinion makes a great experience. I’d recommend auditioning for combat chess to anyone who wants to get involved in con events!
One of the awesome opportunities I had that day was to attend a press session with Laura Post. She is a voice actress who has lent her talents to various video games, animes, animated TV shows, as well as other mediums. She discussed how she got into the industry as well as some of the challenges and successes she has had so far in her career. It was also really cool to know that when it comes down to it she is a geek at heart. She is overall extremely down to earth and kind, I’m so glad I had the opportunity to speak with her!
After meeting with Laura Post, I attended a Voltron photoshoot/meet-up that I helped organize. Doing this just reiterated the reason why I love conventions so much; you get to meet so many people who have the same interests as you. Granted, the thing we all loved was Voltron, so you know some shenanigans went down. Fans of Voltron are pretty loud and crazy, but each one that I met was so kind and fun to hang out with! This shoot was one of the highlights of my con because everyone there made it such a great time--and I mean we got some pretty cool pictures as well.
I finished off my Saturday evening by attending some panels and doing a spontaneous outdoor photoshoot. The weather was so nice--especially for it being February--so the opportunity just couldn't be passed up! I also was able to hang out with some amazing cosplayers in what I will call the sketchy closet of hugs and tears. We spent hours just talking to each other about whatever and awkwardly dancing the Caramelldansen (don’t judge us) or doing some crazy gymnastics (@Zoe). I want to say I am so thankful for each of them and I’m so glad I was able to meet them all.
Sunday, as most Sundays tend to be at conventions, was the most laid back day for me. I mean minus the fact that I made a robot arm from scratch that morning while at the con (again @Zoe I love you, thank you for keeping me sane). After a kinda craziness, I probably had the most fun I have ever had at a convention. If I could explain my day in one sentence, it would be ‘we formed Voltron.’ A group of us got together and, well, shenanigans ensued (I’m looking at you Madison). We wandered around the con for a little bit, then decided to explore the mall that was connected to the convention area. We were able to take some awesome photos and just overall have a good time!
By far my favorite part of Anime Milwaukee was seeing my cosplay friends and meeting so many new ones. I met so many great new people who I already could not imagine my life without. You all have made such a great impact in my life and I know I keep saying this but I really appreciate each one of you. It was so hard to say goodbye to you guys on Sunday and I hope we all remain in contact in the future!
My overall takeaway from Anime Milwaukee is that it is important to get involved in cons and not be afraid to try new things. There were so many different things to try out and I would tell any con goer to try to get more and more involved in each con you go to! Don’t be afraid to break out of your comfort zone, you never know what you could be missing.
