Nan Desu Kan has been my #1 anime convention since 2005. Last year, I only went for a few hours Friday night. This year, though, I made it Friday and Saturday and wow has it changed.

This year, the con was abuzz with many people. There was a line to get into the dealers room, everywhere you turned there were people; bright eyed and in costume. 

Friday was slightly more calm. A lot of friends were there, so I got to spent the day with Mattie and a bunch of our pals. Walking around, checking out the dealers room, and I even stuck my head in a few panels/video showing rooms...all before hitting the bar even!

Saturday I started my day there a little later. There were a lot more people to be had at the con. That was when they started a line into the dealers room. Which, I have to say, was kind of nice. While there were a ton of people, the con still had the same, energetic, fun-family feel it always had. 

Bright friendly faces, who were willing to get their pictures taken. Everyone was nice, friendly, and welcoming. And while I hadn't been there in a few years, the parts I like the most about this convention never really changed, just a ton more people than I remember. And of course, I can't leave out the best part of NDK, Garcia's, the mexican restaurant right across the street from the Marriott Tech Center. Where they have an amazing strawberry margarita; and they don't question the costumes! 

It was there we made a new friend, who was kind enough to join us for dinner and share her own zany con stories.

Because that's what cons are really about. Making friends.

There's been a central theme that I have hinted at in covering Nan Desu Kan 2013 and that theme is that this is a convention unlike any other.  I stand by that for a reason and because Sunday at the convention continued to prove this theory right.  

The Anime theme that accompanies this convention however, is not what I find to be that ultra unique piece.  That's just a bonus to be honest.  No, the surprise of Nan Desu Kan is that it is a convention of limitless energy.  Think about it for a second.  

Conventions have their own special structure for all of us and well, we feed off of its energy. They are always three days of joy but the energy level changes day to day.  We always arrive at the convention on Friday ready and raring to go and once we get settled in Saturday has arrived and every con goer I know goes hog wild on this day.  Doing everything and anything they can. 

There's entertainment galore on the Saturday of a con, and plenty of late night fun as well and that's what seems to make Sunday a little more of a challenge.  Sunday is usually the day where the energy level is down, and the air is heavy with the end of the convention hanging over everyone's head.  Not at NDK my friends.  Sunday was something else.  

I mean come on, there was a rave that lasted until two in the morning the night before and as I walked the floor and talked to some of the staff they told me the line stretched on for ages just to get into the party so naturally one would think that Sunday should include those long faces of fatigue.  

Oh no, Sunday was Saturday II at NDK and I was utterly impressed at the wealth of energy that poured out of the crowd.  There were still lines a mile long to get into panels, main events and the vendor room.  I only saw a handful of people in the lobby checking their luggage to make sure they had everything with them before going home.  It was amazing.  

In fact the floor was still a sea of human beings and the hang out spots that I noticed on Saturday were still in heavy use.  I honestly have never seen anything like this.  I mentioned the lines at main events and I wasn't kidding.  I took a moment to stand there and watch the line grow and grow, heading for the main lobby as everyone waited patiently to enter the World Cosplay Summit Event.  I truly get the feeling after witnessing this that I will never see such sights at any other convention outside of NDK.  

Nan Desu Kan is the con that simply won't quit, and I firmly believe that had there not been a schedule or a Monday looming...this con would keep on rolling until the energy finally runs out, and I think we all know that would take a very long time.  

Sometimes it seems like the whole world is against a con.  That despite the joy we all take in wandering the halls, there are forces out there conspiring to ruin that good time.  Such was the case on Saturday at Nan Desu Kan.  

For as the convention reached its peak hours, the always unsettling noise of a fire alarm forced a break in the action, if only for a little while.  But it didn't take much time after that for mother nature to settle in and flex her muscles to the crowd when a Tornado Watch arrived along with ominous clouds.  

But did that stop this hearty crowd from enjoying their annual dose of Anime?  Absolutely not.  

Instead of letting a false fire alarm and weather get the better of the event, the halls of NDK remained packed for hours on end.  It was in fact a sea of human beings that was a challenge and thrill to navigate.  I was not able to find any place in the hotel that could provide peace and quiet and that's not necessarily a bad thing.  

After all, we come to a con for the thrill, and there is no greater thrill than seeing a convention filled to the brim with people.  It was exhausting in the right kind of way.  In fact I saw something that I honestly don't see at other conventions, groups of people finding whatever corner they could and simply taking a little time to relax and chill and hang out.  

But despite the wild events and need for relaxation and rest while at the convention.  There is one great event that towers over all conventions on a Saturday...the costume contest.  NDK handles their contest in two phases, individual and group and we here at Girls of Geek managed to hang around for the first half of the contest. 

I have to say, that NDK's costume contest feels different than any other convention I've ever attended.  I would tell you it was related to the crowd since main events was filled to capacity, but I think a sold out crowd is the minimum expectation for a costume contest.  

No, what caught me by surprise was how damn good the costumes were through and through. This con splits their contestants into Beginner, Intermediate and Master like so many other conventions, but the quality of each skill level was well...above and beyond.  I saw beginners that should have been in the master category and master costumes that should be filmed. It was pretty awesome to say the least.  

But the costume contest is always bittersweet, for it signals the beginning of the end.  Once we all leave Main Events to settle in for either evening activities or head to our rooms or home, we know that tomorrow is the last day of the con and well, I don't know anyone who is happy about that.  

There are only a handful of things in this world that I wake up full of anticipation for and one of those things is a convention.  I love it when my alarm goes off and I can start counting down the hours until I get the opportunity to step through the doors of a con and enjoy an experience like no other.  

In fact there is no greater moment than those first precious seconds that you enter a hotel or convention center for one simple reason.  It truly is stepping into another world.  So imagine my joy today as I stepped through the doors of the Denver Marriott to enter the world of Nan Desu Kan.

Just like last year, the only simple word that one can associate with NDK is...busy.  Yet that word will never do this con justice, only because every minute we were there, waves upon waves of people continued to roam through the halls of the hotel, it truly is a sight to see. 

As we always do the first night of a con, the Girls of Geek team simply went out to get the lay of the land.  We wandered through the packed atrium.  We roamed the halls with everyone else, simply taking in the convention in all its glory before Michelle and I made the decision to check out something I know I missed last year, the vendor room.  

It certainly did not disappoint.  It too was packed wall to wall with con goers, and every booth was filled to capacity as people were snatching up every collectible they could find.  I cannot count how many people I saw with both arms filled with goods that were stacked as high as they could safely carry. 

Of course it isn't just about the floor.  There were panels and costumes galore to be seen, and as you can see from this picture and the one above, everyone is already bringing their A game when it comes to cosplay and that should make for an even more incredible showing come Saturday.  

As for the panels, we tried to sample everything we could.  We took the time to pop our heads in and out of as many panel rooms as possible, but as always there is simply just too many panels to cover.

Either way, it felt good to step back into the world of the convention, and I cannot wait to see what NDK has in store for us tomorrow.  Until then my friends.  

It's been too long since a convention warmed our hearts.  Let's be honest, we've all been dying to step through the doors of a convention center, or a hotel and take in the vast amounts of energy of people in costume all geared toward the goal of celebrating a genre.  So we have all patiently waited for the next one to come our way.  

The good news is, the wait is over.  Nan Desu Kan begins tomorrow.  

In fact, if you cannot wait until tomorrow, there's good news for all.  NDK begins pre registration tonight at the Denver Marriott from 7p-10p giving everyone their chance to see incredible costumes, reunite with old convention friends and more importantly, get the fix we so badly need.   But be ready, NDK is a ridiculously popular convention here in the Mile High City and if pre registration is anything like it was last year, expect a bit of a wait.  Last year we here at Girls of Geek were witness to a line that extended the length of the hotel just so folks could get their badges.  

If that kind of a line isn't your thing, that's okay.  Pre registration continues tomorrow at 11 a.m. , and of course, the convention itself kicks off.  Programming gets underway around 2 p.m. and the vendor room opens its doors at 3.  If you're not sure what to do or what to see and you happen to have a smartphone, download the Guidebook app right away and get your official NDK schedule and maps all in one handy little place.  

If you have any concerns about the weather this weekend forcing any changes in programming or threatening the convention, don't.  Nan Desu Kan is going to happen regardless of what the weather looks like because we have all looked forward to this con for a long time and we here at Girls of Geek will see all of you tomorrow when NDK officially gets under way.  

While may are gearing up for this weekend's awesome anime convention, Nan Desu Kan, I'm eagerly awaiting the week to be over. With all my costumes done, it's a horribly slow week until the Con can start, and the fun begins.

NDK was the first convention I went to in Colorado, back in 2005. While my attendance hasn't been annual due to life, I've tried to go as often as possible. And this year, I get to go with my best friend, partner in crime, and roommate, Mattie. 

This years costumes offer some promise, but not going to lie, I just go to hang out with friends and check out the voice actors/actors/awesome guests and have a good time. While I have friends who do participate in the costume contests, that is not for me.

Speaking of costumes, that's probably the funnest part of cons. I love making the costumes. This year, Mattie and I went all out and for a while our apartment looked like a really weird crime scene. With clay, fabric, gloves, paint, and fake blood every where, it's a surprise we didn't have anyone calling the cops after seeing the place.  But, with costumes at the ready, all there is to do is final touch ups, and we're all good to go! Which is fantastic, since normally, costumes aren't being finished until the last second with me!

The thing I love most about NDK is it's become an all encompassing con. While it is an Anime convention you can find all walks of life there. Video gamers, sci-fi fans; you name it, it's at this con. And while the crowd can be a bit younger, there are people who have been going to NDK since it started and then some. Age doesn't seem to matter. It's the fact that, like many cons, anyone who goes is part of the 'con family' and thus, instantly welcome.

Of course, being of age and knowing there's a bar there, does not hurt my desire to go to NDK one bit. Just makes it more fun. 

Can't wait for NDK this year! It starts Friday the 13th (my favorite and lucky day) this year and you better believe, we'll be there the second it starts! So if you're going, come find us and say hi!

Man, do I love the conventions we have here in Denver.  I mean, take your pick of whatever genre you like, and you'll find a con for it here in the Mile High City. But there is one con that took me by surprise last year and I fully expect them to do it again this year. I'm talking of course about Nan Desu Kan.  


This Anime convention is about as epic as they come, and that's what surprised me about last year, because I will be honest with you, my exposure to Anime as a whole is no where near as extensive as my favorite genre, horror.  It's not a bad thing, I've watched my share of it and as a whole, Anime is a gorgeous work of art.  What I was unprepared for, and perhaps that's dumb on me, is how much passion and energy the crowd would display at NDK.  I mean wow, the first night I was there, there was already a line of thousands just to finish registering for the convention.  This line was so long in fact that it stretched into the atrium of the Denver Marriott, and well into the hallway past the Main Events Stage.  

But that was only a sample of the dedication and passion from these fans.  Covering the event the next day I saw more ridiculous lines waiting for panels or the vendor room.  It was just plain amazing, as were the costumes.  I got the impression that not suiting up in your finest costume was a party foul whereas at other conventions it's no big deal if you throw on a Broncos jersey and head on in.  You can tell there are unspoken rules to this con, and the biggest one is having a blast and judging from the wild eyes and cheshire cat quality grins I saw, plenty were abiding by that rule. 

The whole convention was an impressive sight to see, and as we get ready to head to it again this weekend, I'm looking forward to not only enjoying a convention once again, but to share in the passion and wonder of the incredible fans that Nan Desu Kan brings to the table.  See you all there this weekend!