We arrived Friday afternoon at just after 2:00. Immediately we noticed the con had begun and there were cosplayers everywhere. During our stay we'd meet and make friends with many people, and start building our desire to come back for Tekkoshocon 2005.

Toshda and I packed our stuff into the hotel room and went down to examine the wonder that was a well organized but small convention.

The con's artist alley was small, but noticeable. The artists were good. There were one or two artists which totally stood out above all the others. Some really great art was had and auctioned off, and some really great wooden pieces were there as well.

Cosplay, cosplay everywhere. We saw some fabulous outfits. The con was small though. We only managed about 25 pictures. some didn't come out well enough to post.

The Funk was strong too. Unfortunately it was overpoweringly strong. The only thing the con could have done better in this, it's second year, would have been to rearrange the game rooms to somewhere that wasn't on the direct path to the hotel rooms. If they would have done this I think everyone's experience points at this con would have gone up to level 3 for a return next year.

I'll be returning. Let me tell you why though.

The people who run this con, do it well. It was much more organized than Sugoicon which enters it's 5th year in 2004. So much so, that I feel that sugoicon could use a revamp in staff. Or maybe just some people in Cincinnati that are willing to help other people out.

The AMV contest at this show was out of this world. It took forever, but it was worth it, there were sooo many entries to go through, and most of them were really really good. To the point that I wish cons offered a CD or DVD of the AMV contests they hold every year.

The Cosplay at this con, I missed. Though my travel companion and fellow A-S staffer/A-S server dweeb Toshda said that the cosplay was downright hilarious at parts. From the looks of most of the outfits, and the temperment of most of the attendees I'm looking forward to a return in 2005.

The food. Here's the fun part. The food at this con was sparse. The hotel's restaurant overcharged for mediocre food, they didn't make you wait long for it though. Perhaps some more preparation time would help in the taste.

For this, Toshda and I went a traveling. Just down the street we found Pennsylvania's largest dedicated Asian buffet. I must admit, it was HUGE. Though I've seen more food at places in Ohio, this was pretty darned big. The food was tasty as well.

After food we went back to the con for a bit. This was our exposure to the beauty of the Dealer's room at Tekkoshocon. Small rom. Big wins. Good prices, even on JPOP CD's. I bought some wall scrolls, and a few other small things. Toshda bought a friggin sword.

On to the dance. Here is where Toshda normally forbids himself. However, I wasn't having any of it this time around. In towards the darkness we went. I bought some glow sticks and LED wrist strips and we raved. We raved ike there was nothing else in the world but raving. Or was that just me. Toshda tires out too quickly. We met some friends, Bri and Jenn here. Sorry we don't have pics of them, but they were loads of fun in our brief encounters of entertaining each other while raving.

Until 2005 Pittsburgh. Until 2005.