Written by Jonathan Lee, January 15, 2017, 8:30 p.m.
In the heart of Columbus, Ohio stands the Greater Columbus Convention Center, and an amazing event known as Ohayocon. What started in 2001, organized by a group of immensely dedicated people, has become a yearly event with a past attendance of over 18,000 attendees with people coming from Ohio and neighboring states! It began as an anime convention, but has since evolved into a convention for all things geeky (video games, movies, animes, comic books–it’s all here!) And with 388 events this year, there was no shortage of things to do, people to see, and awesome merchandise to buy.
You don’t so much enter Ohayocon as you get taken by it. It first comes as a sound as the elevator carries you upward. And walking through those parting doors, you immediately become immersed. You see a character from Dark Souls to your right, chatting it up with his buddies dressed as characters from The Legend of Zelda and a parody of Deadpool. To your left, a troupe of some magical girl characters are sitting on the floor taking a break from their rounds through the halls of the Greater Columbus Convention Center. But that’s just the first steps out of the elevator. You still haven’t seen where all the awesome commotion is coming from.
Enter Ohayocon!
It is the weekend of January 13-15, 2017. The convention center was absolutely bustling with convention attendees (mostly of the 16-35 age range). There were cosplays of characters from video games, anime, cartoons, movies, and comic books. The main lobby was full of both costumed and regular-clothes attendees, congregating with friends, taking pictures, or just relaxing and taking a break from their days-long convention adventure. A couple concession stores were open selling comic books and Japanese snacks, as well as figurines and anime films. A singing group occupied a portion of the area, entertaining onlookers and passersby. I went to grab my convention pass/wristband, which went smoothly and very little wait time, and off I was to check out my first area of interest: The Game Room.
Did Someone Say Video Games??? Enter: The Game Room
Bass beats punctuated by gun shots, connecting fists, and death screams permeated the large, dark room. No, it’s not a scene from Hardcore Henry. It’s Ohayocon’s Game Room, where all gamers come to play a wide variety of video games. Fighting games, first-person shooters, rhythm games, racing games, it was all there! Beat rhythm games lined a few of the walls, providing the tone for the rest of the area. From the good ol’ Dance Dance Revolution to some Japanese import arcade rhythm machines, the rhythm fan had it all from the familiar to the uniquely different.
The fighting game tournaments had sadly ended by the time I got there, but the fighting game area was in no way empty. Players were duking it out on Super Smash Brothers, Tekken Tag Tournament 2, Naruto, Injustice, Mortal Kombat X, Street Fighter IV, Marvel vs Capcom, and Virtua Fighter. Even I had to get in on the action for a few rounds!
Across from the fighting games were some first-person shooters. One screen had a remastered Halo on screen, two players working together in a Co-Op campaign. Another screen had two players fighting for their lives in Left for Dead. Elsewhere a screen had a split screen of Mario Kart going.
It’s not just video games either. Close by to the Game Room is another smaller game room. There, players were taking on the grand campaigns of dungeon masters and game masters. Tables were neatly arranged for gaming groups of all sorts of board games and tabletop RPGs.
And then it was onto the next part of why I was here. Probably one of, if not the biggest part of what makes Ohayocon and other conventions like it so unique: The Cosplays!
Cosplay!
I’ve never been too good at cosplay, myself. The most I’ve ever done was a cosplay of the character Snow from Final Fantasy 13 and Eddy Raja from Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune–and while I pulled those off, it took either a lot of help from others, or it cost me a pretty penny. The ingenuity that goes into some of the cosplays that people do is astounding! And the best part? A lot of these cosplayers make their outfits themselves! The spectacle of cosplay is already fun and amazing. It’s made even more amazing when you think about all the hours that potentially go into making these costumes. At Ohayocon, it’s an expression of love for a favorite theme, movie, or game. And it’s a testament to a cosplayer’s grit and dedication.
Guest Stars, Dealers Room, Artist Alley–Oh My!
And what better way to conclude your Ohayocon adventure than with a bag full of loot and autographs from your favorite stars? In the enormous Dealers Room, there were vendors selling all sorts of anime, movie, and thematic merchandise. Want a shirt of a favorite character or internet meme? Yup! What about a plushy of your favorite Pokemon? Definitely! How about a sword to put on display in your home? Hey, if that’s your thing, they’ve got it!
The Artist Alley is no different, but instead, you’ll find the art stalls of a wide variety of artists both local as well as from other states (even countries, sometimes!) From artist’s works of favorite characters to original works, there’s something for everyone to collect or frame. And it’s not just drawings or paintings that they sell. I got myself a couple comic books to continue a series that I’ve been following. And a couple stalls were selling collectible pins and plush toys!
And there’s the guest stars. Ohayocon’s panel schedule often has panel events such as Question and Answer sessions, autograph sessions, and the occasional comedic roast event. This time around, there were guest stars such as Rikki Simons (Invader Zim), John Swasey (Black Butler, Evangelion, Darker Than Black, Attack on Titan, the list goes on!), the multi-talented Lisa Ortiz (producer, director, and a voice actor), and more! Voice actors weren’t the only guests that showed up. There were also musical guests such as Diana Garnet (Did the original song Spinning World for Naruto Shippuden!) and stand-up comedians. I’ve always found there to be a diverse group of guest stars, and this year was no different!
Final Thoughts
I’m just sad it’s over now!! That’s 363 days before I get to go back to Ohayocon! Ten years ago, Ohayocon became the first anime convention I had ever attended. And it has evolved so much since! Heck, it’s evolved much even before I discovered it. When the convention first started in 2001, most of the operations were organized with pencil, paper, and a lot of dedicated individuals. Since then, Ohayocon has been utilizing digital platforms, organizers working together from several cities. The convention’s social media is well-maintained, and they have an excellent Facebook presence. Their website (http://ohayocon.org/) is very organized and well-designed.  Personally, I had no troubles at all during my convention experience. The staff was very helpful. The attendees were very friendly and welcoming (I’ve made so many friends from my convention experiences). And the event rooms were spacious.
The best part about Ohayocon is always the memories that you make. From the events, the games, the fun people you meet, and even the things you do after you leave the convention center–these experiences–for its regular attendees and newcomers, Ohayocon becomes a weekend as special as any holiday. I look forward to Ohayocon 2018! And if you’re in the neighborhood in January, you should definitely check it out!!
