Nan Desu Kan just hosted a welcome back event in all its glory. The vibe was amazing. It was filled with joy, smiles, and oh yes…anime! This past Labor Day Weekend anime fans soaked up Japanese culture, cosplay, gaming, interesting and informative panels, a model show, an art show, a cabaret and a burlesque show, and of course, a merch room filled with just about everything. The venue, Gaylord Rockies, was nothing short of fabulous. The hallways were wonderfully wide and the panel rooms were spacious. The panels were very well-attended, and the lines were quite organized.
A nice bonus this year was an outdoor area called the NDK Cafeteria on the Green. Under the Colorado sun, it had delicious food trucks, cornhole games, giant Jenga, and plenty of artificial grass to chill out on. The majority of the attendees were young and how wonderful it was to see such enthusiasm and creativity.
Friday kicked off with Major Attaway’s Magical Cabaret – Genie’s Jukebox and entertained the crowd in the main events room. Billy Kametz put on a fun Q&A talking about his journey from musical theatre to voiceovers. Another fun Friday event was called Drawing Pokemon From Memory. It was a non-stop adventure from morning until late in the evening. There was a Stop AAPI Hate panel which was the official charity for NDK 2021. People had fun learning about Amabie, Pipo-kun and Friends and learned about the cute and creepy characters out of Japanese folklore.
Saturday showcased the most amazing cosplay. The talent, passion, and love that went into these costumes were nothing short of stunning. The details that must have been painstakingly put together were rewarded by photo op after photo op. The hallways were basically works of art.
Some of the main panel fun included Kyudo being demonstrated, Mamiko Ikeda taught the art of Japanese Calligraphy, Josh held a Dungeon Master Class pane, and fans of Ultraman were given a history lesson. Later Saturday afternoon there was the well-known Anime Music Video Contest (AMV), followed by a Costume & Cosplay Contest.
Sunny Sunday morning started out with panels on Kingdom Hearts and even a make your own Totoro Plush. The AMV finalists were given a re-showing, followed by more Q&As with voice actors. Dr. Alisa Freedman discussed some of the most powerful women in Japanese pop culture, a charity auction benefiting Stop AAPI Hate was held and winners were left with rare art and anime memorabilia for a good cause. Attendees also had the look at some amazing pieces in the model room and a cool car show outside. The programming was filled from morning until midnight with activity after activity.
The pandemic failed to stop this favorite annual convention that has been going on since 1995. The weekend closed out with attendees looking forward to next year. It was good to be back.
Written by Colleen Bement
Hi, I’m Lynn, and I Make.
Props, Cosplay, Scale Models, Home Projects, and just about anything else that involves me Making.
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