The Casual Otaku

Featured

15 Years of Cosplay, Questionable Wig Decisions, and Learning the Hard Way

Lost in the shuffle of planning Dragon Con and my upcoming Japan trip is a milestone that completely snuck up on me.

A special anniversary. No, not a relationship anniversary…well, not in the traditional sense anyway.

This year marks 15 years since I started cosplaying regularly, which is honestly wild to think about. Somehow a decade and a half has gone by since I decided to jump headfirst into one of the most fun, chaotic, and occasionally wallet-destroying hobbies out there.

Continue Reading →

Trading Traditions for New Adventures

For me, the Fourth of July has usually meant one thing: Anime Expo. With the exception of the pandemic years, I’ve attended every year since 2007. Some years were fantastic, some made me question why I kept coming back, yet somehow I always found myself buying another badge the following year.

It was tradition, after all, but this year is different.

Instead of braving the crowds at the Los Angeles Convention Center, I’m sitting at home attempting, and mostly failing, to make a dent in my never-ending anime backlog.

Fanime 2026: A Much-Needed Escape

There’s something about a convention providing a much-needed break from real life, and for me, this year’s Fanime was exactly that. Yeah, this recap is about a month late, but let’s just say life has been a little challenging lately…the details aren’t important.

After taking last year off, I returned to Fanime with a full schedule…who am I kidding? Much like most conventions these days, my plan was to wing it and see what looked fun. My main goal was to spend time with friends I don’t get to see often and maybe enjoy a few adult beverages (narrator: many adult beverages were consumed).

Zipangu Festival – A Day of Great Music and Sore Feet

When I first heard about Zipangu Festival, I thought the idea of a Japanese music festival at the Rose Bowl was pretty exciting. Actually attending, however, never felt like more than a possibility even though Man With a Mission, Atarashii Gakko and Ado had been on my concert bucket list for quite some time. What can I say? Money has been tight for the longest time with other priorities coming up (Dragon Con and Japan say hi). So you can understand that concert tickets wouldn’t exactly be the biggest priority for me.

Then one day, after a particularly bad day at work, I bought a ticket on impulse. Retail therapy at work, everyone!

Breaking the Streak: Why I’m Skipping Anime Expo This Year

Well, this is new.

After going back and forth on it longer than I should’ve, I made a tough call on something that actually means a lot to me as an anime fan: I’m skipping Anime Expo (AX) this year.

Typing that out still feels weird.

For the longest time, AX has been automatic. No debate, no overthinking—it just happened every summer.

15+ Years of Love Live – The Fandom I Almost Missed

There are some anime you fall in love with immediately, and some you just can’t get behind no matter how many times you try.

And then there are the ones you almost drop completely…only for them to come back later and completely take over your life.

The Love Live franchise was definitely the third one, because when I first watched Love Live! School Idol Project, I just didn’t get it.