The Kansas City area is about to play host to a gathering of colorful characters and pop culture aficionados as the 13th annual Naka-Kon takes over the Overland Park Convention Center.
Naka-Kon is the region's largest convention focusing on anime, video games, and Japanese pop culture. The convention puts a special emphasis on cosplay (short for "costume play"), the art of dressing as a favorite character, typically with a hand-made costume.
Naka-Kon will take place across this weekend. Feature events include multiple cosplay competitions, a dance party, and fan-organized panels ranging from the comedic to the educational. The convention will also feature several industry guests, such as Japanese musician Tanimoto Takiyashi and veteran voice actors Steve Blum and Wendy Powell. One of the main attractions for visitors will be the "artists’ alley", where fans can purchase art, DVDs, and merchandise from sources both professional and amateur.
Even in the digital age, anime conventions are still vital in allowing fans to meet each other, as well as the people whose voices they have long been listening to. Conventions range from large gatherings with five-figure attendances, like Los Angeles' Anime Expo, to smaller events like Naka-Kon, which sometimes use tools like poster printing and flyer printing to get the word out.
The event gets started at 1:00 pm tomorrow, and tickets are available from Eventbrite.
