This past weekend was Katsucon, the yearly anime convention in the DC area. I missed the past few years, but I headed back this time, and not just because Katsucon Gazebo owns my soul. (Though that’s definitely a part of it. /ConJoke)

There’s tons of reasons why spending a ton of money for your badge and parking/hotel rooms is a good thing. Mostly? You get to spend Valentine’s Day weekend surrounded by other fannish folks. Dancing, chatting, even arguing; it’s a heckuva lot more fun when you’re with Your People.

Then there’s the Cosplay. AKA “dressing in costume”, it becomes more than that at an anime convention. Yes, Comic-Con does too, but while that’s fun and I’ve done it…anime cosplay is not only a chance to show your mad creative skillz, but a way to bond with others. It’s…well, it’s awesome, and you’ve gotta see it (or do it yourself) to understand. Here’s a few of my favorites from this year’s con….

(Read more after the jump!)

Notice something? Yeah, not all of these guys are doing anime cos. Ergo? You wanna cosplay, you do you.

* Making new friends, anywhere and everywhere: you don’t need to sit down over a cup of tea or a beer in order to make friends at a con. Just get in line for something. Or ride the elevator. Or wait for a delayed panel to begin. Tada – before you know it, you’re chatting with whomever is nearby, and because you’re here and they’re here, you’ll have tons to talk about. Favorite anime, best cosplay you’ve seen so far…even how long the line is. Bonus? Those folks you’ve talked to will instantly be your Con-Buddy, and saying hi with a hug whenever you see them/they see you is part of the deal. Hooray!

Bestest squee of the con? When my wonderfully talented line-buddy was stopped by a fan that loves her YouTube channel! She was verklempt. So was I, to be honest. (But the fan was right: check out her great dance covers at susansayshello!)

* Con-tact high: that great feeling of happiness that you get from being surrounded by like-minded folks. It’ll spill over for days afterwards, and it’s fantastic. Example: shopping with a friend at Trader Joe’s, the overly sappy Against All Odds was playing. I was still riding high from the con…so I began to sing & interpretive dance, ala Sing-Along. He may have thought I was nuts, but I had a blast. And also, tiger hat. With attached scarf. And mittens.

So see y’all next year? Or perhaps at Otakon? Because an anime convention I can walk to = yes please.