Daku Con may have been back in November, but I am still thinking about it all this time later. As a life long convention goer, I can honestly say it is one of the most unique experiences that a patron can have with your fellow nerds in the Denver, CO area. If you seek asylum in a very open, very sex, identity, and sexuality positive environment, then look no further than Daku Con!
While not the biggest convention in this area, Daku Con certainly has things going for it that no other convention shares. The 18 plus entry is something they utilize to the fullest.
Walking around The Radisson Hotel Denver Southeast with drinks in hand was a lot of fun. The encouragement to let loose, be yourself, and have a good time just feels dialed up here. Only the hardcore convention goers are tapped in to the know about this convention, and with a good word of mouth from the attendees, this experience will be much bigger as the years go on. The crowd is everything, and they just have great attendees there.
The staff was also extremely helpful and in plentiful amount. I found a helpful staff member in almost every area of the convention and that made finding rooms and asking questions extremely easy. You want to be able to easily navigate a convention and ensure you can see everything you set out to experience, and Daku Con makes that very simple. Schedules are in plentiful amount and the attractions they have really learn into the 18 plus portion of the convention’s identity.
Sit down and experience some Yaou X-Mas Songs, panels on relationships, talks on hentai, panels on sex-positive living, or have a nice interactive discussion on waifus/hubandos. 18 plus means no kids underfoot as well, so crafters can get away with quite a bit more in the cosplay realm. It was not uncommon to see attendees running around in themed underwear or banana hammocks, so keeping the kids out of this experience is a no brainer.
The dealer rooms are filled with phallic shaped objects and sex toys. The sexual jokes and inappropriate but hilarious antics run wild in this den of debauchery. Thankfully, the tenants of consent and ensuring everybody is comfortable kept negative experiences at bay. Daku Con staff went out of their way to create a safe and accepting space. The registration table had free gender identifying buttons so you did not have to worry about pronouns all night.
The Raddison itself seemed newly renovated with a very accepting staff. The interior was nice, and the rooms were great, but as this con grows, it will surely have to move to a bigger venue. However this year, the Raddison was perfect for the amount of attendees and attractions that occupied the building. The amount of con goers end up working in the convention’s favor, because you keep running into the same friendly faces which creates a much more intimate experience.
The acceptance of drinking hotel wide was quite the treat. Everybody respected the hotel and the rules, and in turn the staff members gave us plenty of freedom to have fun. Wristbands would allow you to drink while walking around and there was never a moment of hassle or explaining. It all worked out quite well!
There was a lot of great cosplay this year but My Hero Academia truly was the most represented. Persona 5 and Final Fantasy XV was also in plentiful amount but the variety was still great! The best parts of a con is dressing us as Kazuma Kiru from Yakuza and Todoroki from My Hero, and running into Guts from Berserk, and Chie from Persona. You wont get an experience like that anywhere else…and throw in an adult crowd and a few drinks and you have endless possibilities of fun!
Daku Con offers plenty of ways to spend time, from the arcade with free games, to the plentiful amount of workshops and panels. You’ll be hard pressed to find a boring moment. The real star of the con was Yokubou Lounge, an 18+ host club that cosplays. The girls and guys there hosted some very memorable panels with plenty of audience interaction, and hosted a game night that was just a real highlight of the whole weekend. Hope you are not easily embarrassed by things such as lubed dildo tug-of-war, and hentai based trivia games!
Friday night they held a wizard ball, like a Harry Potter themed type of affair. It is always interesting getting a bunch of nerdy folk together, but it is the only place a room filled with some of your favorite characters from anime and games belt out Seal’s Kiss From a Rose at 100%. Dancing, drinking, singing, and all costumed up, it was quite the Friday night. Saturday night had the Not-Rave, so there was plenty of opportunities to bust your moves.
Saturday was the cosplay contest, and there were some great entries. A real stand out for me was BB Wolf from The Wolf Among Us. As we awaited the winner of the contest, the contestants called for music and gave us a bit of a dance party to help us through the wait. Everybody was always stepping up to start some fun, and you could find that in every corner of Daku Con.
I highly suggest hitting up Daku Con in 2019. It is something we will surely return to visit, and its something we hope to see more people at. It is an experience worth sharing, and it is easily the most unique and accepting convention in the Denver area.
Don’t forget to check out our photo coverage of the event!
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Daku Con 2018 Photo Gallery
PAX South 2019: Splitgate Arena Warfare, World of Horror, JackQuest, and Disjunction
PAX South 2019: Jump Force, Skellboy, A Fold Apart
PAX South 2019: Devil May Cry 5, Young Souls, Magequit
Nan Desu Kan 2018 Photo Gallery
Labor Day weekend 2018 marked Sub Cultured’s third year at Nan Desu Kan (or NDK, as the locals lovingly refer to it as), an anime-centered convention in Denver, Colorado. This time around, my partner-in-crime, stream buddy, and fellow SC content creator, Kyle, wasn’t able to join me, but it was still a great time attending this event solo nonetheless. This convention never disappoints with the plethora of events that are lined up throughout the weekend, ranging from early in the morning to the wee hours of the night – enough to keep pretty much any anime/video game fan entertained.
I arrived Friday evening and settled into my hotel room, which due to the last-minute nature of planning for the convention, was shared with other random con-goers. One thing to keep in mind for staying at the hotel where the convention is at – always make sure to reserve your room early, or they’ll be booked up by the time the convention weekend rolls around (which might put you in a situation similar to mine). Luckily, the people attending these type of events are generally very friendly and welcoming, so I had no issue finding a room to stay in for the weekend.
The rest of Friday evening was fairly relaxed. I spend a good amount of time at these conventions just scoping out the cosplayers, because to me, they’re the main event (especially the ones that take the time and effort to craft their costumes from scratch). The chunk of my cosplay-watching was done on Saturday, but I did manage to get a couple of shots of some familiar faces from other local conventions, and some new faces as well.
bleachkeki as Yumeko Jabami (Kakegurui)
Eyarii Cosplay as 2B (NieR: Automata)
Peachy Sweet Cosplay as Major Motoko Kusanagi
Pocahontas serenading us with “Colors of the Wind”
After a bit of wandering around, I attended the Pink Unicorn Karaoke Lounge, where I watched some familiar characters belt out their favorite songs. There’s just something special about seeing Pocahontas singing “Colors of the Wind”, a knight getting down on some Tool, or Trunks getting brutal with some screamo.
The cosplay-watching resumed around Saturday afternoon. Most of the mid-hours of the day were spent wandering around some more, mingling with some old friends and new, and checking out the various shops filled with great excuses to empty your wallet, such as the Dealer’s Room.
Late Saturday afternoon, I attended the Costume and Cosplay Contest. This is where cosplayers sign up to flaunt their projects that they’ve worked on for days, weeks, maybe even months, and compete with fellow cosplayers to see who takes the gauntlet for the best cosplay of them all. The contest was divided into different classes, such as beginner, intermediate, and advanced – contestants were able to sign up for any class that they felt their cosplay belonged in. I’m always extremely impressed by the amount of work and attention to detail that these contestants bring to the table.
Of course, with all the great cosplays, come the great cosplay team-ups.
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- The Persona 5 crew
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- Legendof Cosplay as Deku and Quillness as Allmight (My Hero Academia)
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- 80’s gym style Sailor Venus and Sailor Moon
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- Vegeta SSJ Blue and Trunks
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- Soldier 76 and Zarya (Overwatch)
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- delphicosplay as Maya and Lilith (Borderlands/Borderlands 2)
Another notable event on this day was the Q&A panel with voice actress, Cherami Leigh. One might recognize her name from animes such as Pop Team Epic and My Hero Academia, but to me, she’s the badass android, A2, from NieR: Automata. Sadly, I didn’t end up attending this panel. Let’s just say that the nature of how I make plans at conventions is a bit… whimsical.
The MasqueRAVE
Saturday evening ended with the MasqueRAVE. If you’re familiar with anime conventions, you know that this is when the real party animals come out to play. Given that your costume wasn’t too hot to dance in (or your amount of dedication), you were out on the dance floor, letting loose with some characters from your favorite games/animes/movies to colorful light shows and bass-heavy music.
Sunday at any anime convention is con-Z day. Everybody is walking around in a zombie-like state, drained from the activities from the past two days, and winding down into the end of the convention. I took this time to wind down as well, hanging out with new and old friends, and made my way to the Japanese Arcade to test my rhythm skills with Taiko Master and Jubeat.
I also made a last-ditch effort to get some more pictures of cosplayers (and with) before everyone headed home.
All in all, I’d consider 2018 another extremely successful year at Nan Desu Kan. As I’m becoming more of a regular at the local Denver area anime conventions, I also feel a developing sense of family among my fellow con-goers. It’s a pretty nice feeling walking into a con and being recognized by people you had met previously, whether from last year’s convention, or another local convention.
Until next year, NDK.
Don’t forget to check out our Nan Desu Kan 2018 Photo Gallery or find additional convention coverage here! Let us know what you think on Facebook or Twitter @SubCultured, and join in the conversation on our Discord channel!
Daku Con 2018 Photo Gallery
Daku Con 2018 Convention Recap!
PAX South 2019: Splitgate Arena Warfare, World of Horror, JackQuest, and Disjunction
PAX South 2019: Jump Force, Skellboy, A Fold Apart
PAX South 2019: Devil May Cry 5, Young Souls, Magequit
Nan Desu Kan 2018 Photo Gallery
Sunday, March 25th wrapped up the Colorado Anime Fest in Denver. Sub Cultured was there all weekend, taking in the amazing cosplay, interacting with the incredible staff, and partying the only way nerds know how to! It was a successful weekend for staff and attendees alike as over 2,950 anime lovers came to the Renaissance Denver Stapleton Hotel, so read on to find our breakdown of the event!
Friday kicked off with an opening ceremony, where One World Taiko played some traditional Japanese drums as well as more contemporary Taiko songs that were belted out to much amusement. Kieran Strange, the event host, broke down the weekend’s events and introduced all of the guests. After leaving the Main Hall, I felt very prepared for what the weekend had in store. The AMV contest took place Friday evening, and it is always great to see how creative the contenders are!
As is the norm with most conventions, Saturday was the busiest day by far, with the cream of the crop in panels and activities taking place all day. One stand out panel was by the Alamo Drafthouse, as they discussed the mainstream acceptance of anime and the influence eastern culture has on Hollywood. It was a very engaging discussion where the whole room was involved. The moderators really knew their stuff and shined a lot of light on the topic at hand. You will find this top tier quality in any of the panel rooms you will find yourself walking into, and their is a fit for everyone as there were plenty of diverse topics. You’d be hard pressed not to find a topic that interested you!
The arcade was filled with amazing games that you can only find at conventions, or across the seas… and of course some DDR and Pump It Up cabinets. It was always busy inside, which made the atmosphere feel like a real arcade. People were kind with their time, and moved on and didn’t linger on the machines for too long, which is easy to do because all games were free! We were able to fully complete House of the Dead, a feat I have not accomplished since my early teenage years. Consoles were on the ready for people who wanted to play Super Smash Bros, as well as plenty of other rhythm based games like Taiko: Drum Master.
Cuban Pete from The Mask
There is a certain magical element to a convention. While not special to any one con, but alive in all of them, you will find the stars aligning on a lot of fun moments, These are unplanned, random happenings that just fall into place and create much entertainment. The lobby of the hotel here at Colorado Anime Fest becomes a nexus of interactions and impromptu shows. Only at a convention will you find somebody dressed as Cuban Pete from Jim Carrey’s The Mask, only to have a completely random person have the actual song, “Cuban Pete,” on their device, as well as have a portable and loud speaker so the entire lobby can enjoy a one for one dance scene of the Cuban Pete conga. That’s the magic of a convention.
The cosplay contest took place Saturday, and saying that it was filled with amazing costumes is an understatement. From beginners to professionals, the audience got to see the whole spectrum of cosplay. We were so happy to sit up front where we could really get a good look at the craftsmanship. I am not much of a cosplayer myself, (I buy my costumes because I am not creative in that way), but boy, I would be lying to you all if I said I was not inspired more than once by these amazing contenders. Seeing a great, handmade cosplay is truly humbling!
The Saturday evening rave stretched into the wee hours of the night, and the artists played a variety of bleep bloops and synthy tech tunes, some of which were steeping in nerdom. Hearing the Jurassic Park theme blaring over loud speakers really had the room cheering. As with all good things, the rave had to end, but that did not mean that the fun had to. The staff at the Renaissance were very nice and allowed convention attendees to keep the part going outside of offical convention programming. No security guards requested people to move along from the lobby in the wee hours of the night, and no hallway edition games of Cards Against Humanity were disturbed. The relaxed atmosphere allowed attendees to spread out on the floor and just allowed the space to be ours, which was very refreshing.
There’s no getting around it, Sunday is the day of the dead at conventions. Attendees everywhere are running on fumes, broke from the spending at their favorite vendor booths, sleep deprived, and possibly hungover. A bittersweetness engulfs the final moments of the con. We’re all sad it is ending, but at the same time, we are all longing to sleep in our own beds.
Plenty was still going on panel wise on Sunday, and the floors were full until the later afternoon with most of the floor still rocking their costumes and nerd apparel. By the end of the event, Colorado Anime Fest had helped raise over $9000 dollars for a charity group called Youth On Record! One World Taiko preformed the closing ceremony, just as they opened it, and we were all sadly relinquished from our fun-filled weekend.
Colorado Anime Fest continues to grow in size and it seems they will be at a new venue next year, moving to the Denver Tech Center Marriot on April 19th – 21st, 2019! If anime conventions are your thing, and you are a Denver local or close to the surrounding areas/states, then you should absolutely check it out. While not as big as some of the southern cons like A-Kon, it is also not as crazy and chaotic. Everything felt in control, and manageable, all without sacrificing any of the fun. The staff working the con really did a great job, and there are faces that I cannot wait to see again next year!
Want to see more from our time at Colorado Anime Fest? Head over to our Facebook page to find tons of photos from the weekend, and be sure to tag yourself and your friends! Sub Cultured will be there for sure next year and we hope to see a bunch of you there as well! Want to know where we’re headed next? Check out our Convention Schedule or follow us on Twitter! We continuously update with what conventions we’re covering, panels that we plan to do, and guests we are going to interview!
Here are some pictures from the Floor of the convention:
Here are pictures form the costume contest on Saturday:
Viz Media Announces Free Streaming Anime!
Sub Cultured is Headed to Colorado Anime Fest!
Aniplex of America to Stream New Slice of Life Comedy, Slow Start, on Crunchyroll in January 2018
Nan Desu Kan 2016 – Recapping Rocky Mountain’s Biggest Anime Convention!
BOO-It-Yourself Halloween Costumes – Misa Amane
BOO-It-Yourself Halloween Costumes – L from Death Note!
The Denver, Colorado area is not short on conventions, and this month the Colorado Anime Fest will be at the Renaissance Denver Stapleton Hotel from Friday, March 23rd through Sunday, March 25th!
Colorado Anime Fest is a convention goer’s dream, with a dealer’s room for all of your nerdy purchasing needs, a cosplay competition for the crafty, AMV competiton, an artist alley, a schedule packed full of panels, video game rooms, tabletop rooms, manga and anime library, a maid café, and an anime themed bar, and a rave on Saturday night! One thing is for sure, you won’t be without something to do!
Cassandra Lee (voice of Persona 5’s Morgana) Will Be There!
A convention would not be half as fun without its guests, and over that weekend at Colorado Anime Fest you can expect to see: Amanda C. Miller (voice actor), Cassandra Lee Morris (voice actor, Morgana from Persona 5), Erica Lindbeck (voice actor), David Vincent (voice actor), Joel McDonald (voice actor and ADR director with Funimation), Samurai Dan and Jillian (sword based entertainment/comedy show), and Greg Wicker (anime themed game show host). Many more are planning to be there as they put the final touches on their roster before opening weekend! Pay attention to the site for further developments!
Be sure to ensure your cosplay, props, and access badge are all up to code by checking up on the Rules and Policies that are detailed and on their site. There are no strange or out of the ordinary rules, they are setting up a fun event, in a fun location, and that is paramount.
Outside Picture of the Hotel
Hotel rooms are still available at the Renaissance Denver Stapleton Hotel, so if you are planning to party all weekend, it’s time to jump on a room reservation! Half the fun of a convention is that the fun never has to end if you have a room there. There will always be a gaggle of like minded people to sit down with or something in the hotel to explore. Late night hours of walking around the hotel and running into your favorite costumed characters is always a treat, and a great way to meet new friends! Rooms are currently running for $134 a night, with Single King Sized rooms left, so hurry up and head on over to their Hotel Information page for everything you need to know to get booked!
Our team from Sub Cultured will be at the convention first thing on Friday, and we will be staying on location for the entirety of the weekend. We hope to see a bunch of you there, and for those who cannot make it we will take pictures of as many costumes and moments as we can, and share them throughout the week following the event. This will be our first time attending Colorado Anime Fest, and we could not be more excited to experience it on March 23!
As of now the maps and hours are set, but further updates may be added. Head on over to their Convention Hours & Maps page and start planning out your weekend. Many more things are still being announced as the convention draws near, so keep an eye on Sub Cultured for all the details! And don’t forget to come up to us and say hi!
Colorado Anime Fest Wrap Up
Viz Media Announces Free Streaming Anime!
Aniplex of America to Stream New Slice of Life Comedy, Slow Start, on Crunchyroll in January 2018
Nan Desu Kan 2016 – Recapping Rocky Mountain’s Biggest Anime Convention!
BOO-It-Yourself Halloween Costumes – Misa Amane
BOO-It-Yourself Halloween Costumes – L from Death Note!
Nan desu ka in Japanese means, “what is it?” which is a very appropriate name for an anime convention. Anime conventions harbor some of the most ambitious cosplay, attracts the most interesting people, and is a place where passion comes out to play. From standing in line for panels, to making jokes in the back row of the viewing rooms where anime plays 24/7, there are plenty of social opportunities at conventions and events like Nan Desu Kan.
Like most anime conventions, Nan Desu Kan will have a cornucopia of activities to see and do. Every corner of the nerd world is on display at Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel, the home for Nan Desu Kan. With a myriad of activities and guest to keep you entertained, I would be surprised to find someone nose deep in their phone – unless you’re playing Pokemon Go.
This year, Nan Desu Kan is celebrating its 20th anniversary and is taking place on September 2-4th, 2016 in Denver, Colorado. The Nan Desu Kan staff and coordinators have a petty good lineup of guests that will be appearing here. Chris Bevans, (voice actor for hits like Sengoku Basara, .hack//Quantum, Samurai 7). Also there will be Johnny Yong Bosch (played the Black Ranger on Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, as well as a voice actor for Kaneda in Akira, Renton in Eureka Seven, Albert in The Count of Monte Cristo, and Kiba in Wolf’s Rain). As well as Richard Epcar (voice of Batou in Ghost in the Shell) among many other voice actors and industry types.
Are you an AV type? Well they have an anime music video contest. I used to watch those things nonstop in the days of LimeWire and Kaza peer to peer sharing applications. You fancy yourself an artistic type? Well enter in some work into a contest, auction off some of your work or just come in and gaze! You want to know more about specific things in the industry? Well, check out the assortment of culture and industry panels. You will also have game rooms for designer board games and video games. Along with, workshops, and the before mentioned anime viewing rooms. Musical guests and dance parties are present if you’d like to get your groove on. Finally, there are the dealers rooms where you will learn to hate your wallet and all of its contents within.
With over 7,500 attendees last year, Nan Desu Kan will be a much smaller con than I am used to. I originate from Dallas, Texas where we have Project A-Kon. In 2016 its attendance was over 32,000 super fans. A smaller event than what I am used to actually has me very excited. While A-Kon is mega fun, it is too crowded, and becomes a beacon for unsavory types alongside the nerd crews I seem to get along with more.
If visiting with voice actors isn’t your bag and you have the incurable need to dance, don’t forget to attend the multiple concerts that will be occurring. Eyeshine, an American edge rock band from West Hills, will be the musical talent for a show as well will be there running a panel. DJ Bullock will be handling the Saturday night rave, and Onemadcow will be setting the tunes for the J-Pop dance party on Friday night.
I recently moved to Denver, Colorado, a beacon of outdoors activity. Being a huge fan of all things nerd culture, it’s easy to become worried about how the scene is here. I have lived a lifetime indoors digesting media and evading the sun. Living with no regrets, I still knew wanted a bit more. Combining some old passions with the new in a nice juggling act I like to call, “My Life.” So how does one jump into the nerd scene here in Denver? I could try awkwardly meeting people out in the wild like some insane person. Maybe instead I could seek a location where I know my kin will be located. So I decide on Nan Desu Kan, the Rocky Mountain region’s largest anime convention.
I have a peculiar relationship with Japanese animation. Loving anime was easy growing up as a kid in the 90s and early 2000s. However, slowly I fell off the boat as the newer stuff did not resonate with me. Reminiscing about anime has me realizing that I grew up in the golden age of Japanese animation. That late 80s to early 2000s was just a special time for the medium. Anime was different back then, and to me it was just better. All of that aside, I still very much enjoy the culture. Going to conventions like Nan Desu Kan allows me to live and breathe for 3 solid days with other like-minded individuals as we geek out about all things Japan. After all, anime conventions are hardly ever just about the anime, it’s about nerd culture in general.
With my time at Nan Desu Kan you can expect tons of pictures of cosplay. Also some quick reviews of anime I pop in and watch in the viewing areas. You can also expect some coverage over useless purchases made. Expect a couple more articles chronicling my experience at the con.
Nan Desu Kan takes place on September 2nd to the 4th at the Sheraton Denver Downtown. You can get all the information at the official website, and there is still time to pre-register for the event as well! Sub Cultured will be on hand to cover every aspect of the convention in real time on Twitter and Facebook, but you can also visit right back here at Sub-Cultured to read up on my review surrounded by a culture and people I just love. More to come on Nan Desu Kan!
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