Ohayocon 2022

Written by Z Skarupa

The largest anime convention in the state of Ohio took place the weekend of February 11th, pulling fans from all over the Midwest and legendary voice actors and guests from around the country. Ohayocon draws over twelve thousand people annually and attendance couldn’t have been better after COVID-19 shutdown the con scene. For those of you who don’t know, anime is a Japanese cartoon. From titles such as Sailor Moon to Naruto and everything in between, anime spans many genres and fans all over the world. These conventions celebrate all things animated from Anime to Disney to Video Games and so much more. Cosplayers, those who dress as characters (some who compete with costume making and acting skills), littered the halls of the floor including myself. Ohayocon takes place at the Greater Columbus Convention Center during the winter and certainly draws crowds.

Some of those in attendance featured the likes of Jason Marsden (known especially as the voices of Kovu, Max Goof, and Binx the Cat), John Swasey (the voice of many famous anime villains including the horrid All For One from My Hero Academia) and many others. Things to do around the con include panels, some of which feature the special guests, others ran by fellow con-goers over a range of topics including martial arts of anime, how to make armor, and one of my faves, Bob After Dark who talks about all sorts of things that go bump in the night. You can go watch the Cosplay Expo, where cosplayers and performers of all levels compete for prizes. Or take the time to visit the dealers hall and artist alley, a great place to support small businesses or pick up some awesome merchandise from your favorite shows. Cons are also a great place to merely people-watch if you enjoy that sort of thing, you can always find some very interesting people at a con. I got the opportunity to spend the entire 3 day weekend at the convention center and I was blown away this year, both by the cosplayers who’ve had this entire pandemic to hone their skills and produce mind-blowing cosplays and from the amazing people who helped create the convention this year. It’s been a long and bumpy road, but it’s great to see the community come together once again, even though some friends we will never see again, and thrive after everything the world has thrown at us. I’ll see you guys next year, Ohayocon. Until then work hard and let’s make 2023 a great year for a Con!