OWLS Blog Tour – Happiness is FANIME!

Ironically, I have post-con depression, so I’m not happy at the moment. I wished it didn’t end…

Before I talk about Fanime, I should first introduce what this month’s OWLS theme is, “Happiness.”

Happiness is subjective. We all have different definitions of what happiness means to us and we also feel happiness in varying degrees. This month we will be exploring several questions describing our happiness in our fandoms, communities, and hobbies. Why do we find enjoyment watching anime or reading manga? Why did we decide to join the anime or pop culture communities?  Why do we blog about our hobbies or cosplay as our favorite characters? This topic is all about the passions we have for our interests and why they are important to us.

I started to attend Fanime back in 2010 and I have been attending ever since. (The only time I didn’t attend was in 2017). Every year I try to do something new while I’m there. In the earlier years, I would mostly just shop at the Dealer’s Hall and Artist’s Alley, which eventually led to me having a bunch of prints that I don’t have space to hang in my room. So over the years, I have become more selective towards what I want to buy; in which I buy more apparel as opposed to pins, figurines, art books, and prints.

Every year, I slowly started to branch out and tried to do other activities to make my convention experience more enjoyable. I did speed dating, I volunteered one year, I went to a few 18+ panels, and I played arcade and board games. This year, though, I decided to cosplay as Kiki from Kiki’s Delivery Service and I tried open mic karaoke. Both of these things I did was a lot of fun and I’m glad I tried something new again.

Before, Fanime was an opportunity for me to just go on a crazy shopping spree and buy my anime merchandise. However, it transformed into a more social event for me where I get to meet other anime fans and also try new experiences.

This year, I had the chance to meet my fellow bloggers from OWLS, but this time, I got the surprise of the lifetime: I got to meet Mel! She didn’t tell me she was coming! It was a great adding another Pokemon sighting to my collection alongside Hazel, and Shay! We were also able to give Mel her first boba milk tea experience. That was exciting.

As for karaoke, I am a horrible singer, but I just enjoy singing and dancing in general. I do it all the time when I am alone in my room. So I decided to rap to one of my favorite Nicki Minaj’s songs, Superbass, to a bunch of strangers. It takes a lot of courage to actually go up there and perform, and I don’t regret it. I know some of you may be asking for a video, but there is none that I want to share. 😛

So overall, happiness for me comes by once a year at an anime convention known as, Fanime. I made new friends here, and I made the most of my convention experience by participating in events you wouldn’t think I’d do in the first place. I also have some fun memories and inside jokes with my friends that would remain hidden from the public eye, but I’m pretty sure every friend group has their moments.

In the future, though, I hope to be part of the Fanime staff and I would like to host my own panel.

Check out the other happiness posts by fellow OWLS bloggers like Crimson and Scott.

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