Another year and another fun con. Sadly masks were required again, but hopefully this will be the last year for it. The voice actors are good about a free autograph with admission, but some are weirdly picky about what they sign or if they will charge for pictures you take of them. The scavenger hunt can be pretty fun and the ribbon game is also interesting as you can collect a lot of ribbons. Panels range acriss the board. If you have something you love be sure to apply to be a panelist or volunteer as staff to keep the con going. read more

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Ohayocon was a blast! I didn't manage to catch any panels, but the artisans and vendors were fantastic, the atmosphere was good, and the people were friendly. Ohayocon has a thriving ribbon tradition, so make sure to hunt for ribbons to add to your con pass, or even bring your own! read more

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This was my first Ohayocon at the convention center and it was super fun! I loved that the vendors were only allowed to sell their own items since it felt more like a huge craft fair. All of the vendors were super nice and the prices were actually really good for the event of that type. It would have been nice for the Con to offer a reduced price for shipping, especially if you live in town and planned on visiting the show each day. $15 is a bit much for event parking and really turned me off to going back for the 3rd day. There was so much on display and they really kept the calendar full of events which was nice to keep you busy at the show. I was the only Gandalf I saw there and I got a ton of requests to take photos!! read more

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We came into town for Ohayocon to watch a panel and meet a Youtuber that we are both into., as well as see what else this convention has to offer. While we both love nerdy stuff, we're not as much into anime, which is what a lot of this convention is. The convention center that is was held in was very large and nice! It is also connected to the Hyatt, where a portion of the convention was held as well. It made for an easy walk back and forth to where we needed to go. I'm not sure if I would have spent the $45 for one day, but we ended up doing the $15 Sunday and that ended up being enough for us. One thing I wish they would have had were programs/schedules of some sort that was not just on the website. It was a little difficult trying to find where things were and the autograph schedules. I will say though that there were a lot of people working the convention around to ask for help. They had a good variety of things to choose from food-wise, and are also right next door to North Market, which was nice. They had a good amount of vendors set up as well, and everything was pretty organized. This was a nice convention to experience! I had fun and it made the drive up to Columbus worth it. read more

Ohayocon is okay with friends but not so much by yourself unless you like making friends as you go. The dealers room is nice and the rave is always fun, be prepared for con drama. Oh and always pre-register! because if you don't you'll be waiting in a long confusing line of about 200 people. -.- and don't ask the staff where the line starts. They also do have a lot more rules but most people think its because of the hotel but I guess I could understand since more people at the con can be rude and leave trash everywhere. -.- Anyways I'll give it 4 stars because the con always gives me good memories and I get to see my friends. :D read more

Ohayocon - Ohayocon 2013 - Festivals Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

Disclaimer: I do not use "otaku" in a positive manner. Japanese classes taught me that while it does mean "nerd" or "geek," it's used as an insult in Japanese culture, especially when describing American anime/manga fanatics. My enjoyment of Ohayocon really hinges on the staff's level of organization. In 2010, they didn't have clear directions to panel rooms and autograph signings. 2011 wasn't too bad, but they promised projectors and never came through with that. In 2012, they changed their prop policies FRIDAY MORNING and didn't alert cosplayers with a post in the forums. Staff was up everybody's butt over stupid things and made it out to be our (the cosplayers') fault that we didn't know about the rules being changed. Oh, staff neither knew where events were, nor were they capable of keeping traffic moving. Several con-goers ended up doing their jobs for them on numerous occasions. Usually, I'm not directly impacted, but what affects a few affects the whole, and I have no idea what the heck Ohayocon staff is smoking when they come up with this stuff. Still, I usually manage to have fun. Everyone I know makes a point to go to Ohayocon every year. Sadly, this includes some people I'd rather never see ever again, but whatever. 2012's renewal was amazing; I met a cosplay idol (Voltz, the best Millions Knives cosplayer EVER), hung out with some great friends, and best of all, it was so big this year that I didn't see anyone I didn't want to see. Works for me! I'm not a huge fan of the little otaku that run around. Actually, I can't stand them. I haven't worn a male cosplay yet, so I haven't had anyone demand that I "yaoi" with anyone, but I have a lecture lined up for the first little otaku that's stupid enough to do so. Kids, just because two people are good-looking doesn't mean they should go at it like rabbits. I don't care what gender they are, or what their perceived sexuality might be. I'm not making out with some random person because you ship it. =_= I'm really, really picky with panels. I love Anime: Name That Tune, as well as the kimono panels. The more "adult content" panels tend to be pretty good (I believe you have to show ID to get into those). With everything else, I could honestly take it or leave it. I don't see the need for 10 Hetalia panels and really wish staff would be pickier when they approve stuff like that. Artists Alley and the dealer's room was moved in 2011 to spacier digs and it's been a hit. Pre-register. Just do it. Having a badge isn't required to get into the con, BUT you can't get into signings, certain events, Artist Alley, or the dealer's room without one. Technically you're not even allowed to go to panels without a badge, either, and while I don't condone sneaking in, I've done it and I've seen it done. I've never been to Colossalcon. I don't know their numbers. I do know for a fact, though, that Ohayocon is a BIG convention. It's the first major con of the year. A lot of cosplayers debut their new cosplays at this con, and a lot of big names in the anime/manga industries come here. It supports the local art scene (I'm acquainted with two of Artist Alley's regulars; friends of a friend, you might say). It's actually big enough to belong in the convention center. That said, because I really do enjoy the con and I'm able to forget about staff's retardation and the stupid little otaku that run around, it gets four stars. read more

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There's a lot of anime conventions in America, and for that matter, there's a lot in Columbus. Perhaps it is our central location that places so many of these gatherings in our hometown. And yet the best anime store is out on the fringes of the city- go figure. Ohayocon is held in the Hyatt Regency and the Columbus Convention Center downtown, an okay placement as it goes. But it's also always in January. Downtown. In Columbus, Ohio. A frosty wind tunnel if ever there was one! Ohayocon has always left me feeling a little underwhelmed. As big anime cons go, it's sort of small- or feels such since it is spread out over so much space, with a lot of dead corridors between. Ohayocon probably wants to be the premiere convention of the midwest, but it never quite keeps stride with Anime Central in Chicago. Maybe our town just can't quite muster much better- because Ohayocon is by far the best anime convention to attend in Columbus for my money. If you're in town and you like anime, this is basically a no brainer. It's not a great con by any means, but neither is it a dump of a convention, either. Take it or leave it! read more

I can also take it or leave it, on the one hand they have a great fanbase, large vendors room and decent programming, on the other hand it's usually a bit disorganized, has a lot of downtime, and at times can be underwhelming considering the ticket price. If I lived anywhere in Ohio I definitely would go. But I start to question this con for more than one state travel. read more

Disclaimer: I'm a gamer, not a huge anime fan, but I can appreciate it, and also a good Convention when I attend one. Pros: Lots of nice friendly people who obviously spend quite a bit of time on their Cosplay/Costumes. Wow. I was really impressed with many of the attendees. Did I mention there were quite a few people? However, this is not for young kids, just to warn you parents who want to bring the little ones. The adult day-care. They have a place reserved for adults who aren't really into the Con. I spent some time in there on the last day, as I didn't know it existed before then. I didn't look too hard before hand, as I did want to participate in some of the Con events. There was room to move. Even though on Saturday it was quite busy, and many people were everywhere, you could get around pretty well. That's because it is spread out on three floors. The bartenders. The "Bar on 2" is the only place to drink inside of the Con, and while it has some room, it was quite overwhelmed with the number of attendees and their parents. However, they all did a great job once you could get close to the bar. The even setup a side bar a little away from the main one to take some of the load off. All of the bartenders were very friendly. Middle of the Road Stuff: The Dealer room. Away from the main attendee areas, it wasn't open for very long and was quite crowded and hard to move around. Also, there aren't any real bargains, stuff is priced about the same as if you went into any store that carried the same items. Though the $20 stuffed Portal cube that was 4" across was one of the many over-priced items. Security: OK, this one was a mixed bag. They kept the place safe, that is what they are supposed to do. They also had some moments when some of the younger attendees were having problems or were going to get locked out of events where they very nicely helped them take care of those problems or made sure they were able to attend. The big negative was the yelling. OK - I know there are many idiots in crowds, that the more people you get together the dumber they get, but most everyone that was there were well behaved. They just yelled more than they needed to. Also, when you have a schedule change and some people end up waiting in line for 2+ hours through no fault or yours or theirs, it is OK to let them maybe sit down in a organized fashion and take a rest. I know it can lead to everyone all over the place, taking up too much room, but sometimes you have to bend a little bit. Maybe next time you have the lines all roped off for the larger events, and not for the smaller ones. The video game room: Best run place of the Con. A little hot and stuffy, and crowded, but OK nonetheless. The cost: $55 at the door for an all weekend pass. $18/day isn't too bad. But what you received for it? Depends on your point of view. If you just want to hangout, eat, drink, and meet the attendees and take photos, you don't really need a pass. If you want in the dealer's room, or to attend any of the panels or events, you do. Cons: The Panels: Unorganized, unprepared, or boring. You generally could assign 2 of those 3 descriptions for each of them (Some all 3). I went to 4 panels, which is not many, but I talked with many others who attended who spoke of the same experience. Some were very nice and apologetic, but seemed completely unprepared for what they were supposed to do, or how to do it. I went to one that was interesting, but it was just a couple of nice people sitting in the front of the room having general conversation with the crowd in attendance. WiFi: Only free in the food areas, which mean you congregated in those spots, but there wasn't many places to sit. In the other areas it didn't exist or was pay only. I'd say go for 1 day, Saturday, and maybe skip the rest - unless you are hanging out with a bunch of friends, then make it a good time to just get together and have some fun as well as Cosplay. read more