When most people hear the word “convention” they think of over-weight, un-bathed geeks leaving their mother’s basement once a year to dress up like Spock and argue about the logistics of sci-fi shows. Well prepare to edit your mental dictionary, because Anime Oasis is a breed of its own.
This Mecca for Idaho-residing otaku (anime nerds) reappears every year for one glorious weekend in mid-March at the Airport Holiday Inn. During A.O. (Anime Oasis) weekend, the activity never stops. From opening to closing ceremonies, con-goers are always up to something, whether it’s chatting in the lobby, watching anime in one of two 24-hour screening rooms or hosting a party in their hotel rooms.
One of the biggest attractions is the game room. From arcade games to imports, from NES to Xbox 360, and three hi-def TVs devoted entirely to Halo 2. The convention staff organized tournaments for Guitar Hero 2 and Halo. If you’re a gamer, think 72-hour lan-party. If that has you drooling, then throw the eyegasm of “Gears of War” into the mix and it’s amazing the hotel staff wasn’t mopping a river of saliva running down the stairs and into the main lobby the whole time.
If you aren’t a gamer, but you’ve got wads of cash burning a hole in your pockets, check out the dealers’ room. For the right ( and sometimes homicidally insane) price, you can get a hold of just about anything anime; everything from wallets to tee-shirts to imported Japanese soda and even 5-foot long replica swords, not to mention literally thousands of manga and anime DVDs.
Perhaps the most interactive attraction, however were the guests. Professional voice actors, or seiyu, like Spike Spencer, most famous for his role as Shinji Ikari from the 1995 anime classic “Neon Genesis Evangelion”, Michael Coleman, who worked on “Hamtaro” and Darrel Guilbeau, who supplied some of the talent for “Overman King Gainer”. Other guests include the anime performance group Kageshien and cosplay group Ichidan.
Next year, the event is extending for four days. Entering its seventh year, Anime Oasis is continuing to grow, but if you feel you can’t wait until next spring, in August comes Fandemonium, a cross genre convention for all things nerd.
Another event in the Northwest is SakuraCon in Seattle, Washington, which took place the weekend of April 4.
Tickets for both Anime Oasis Nana (nana means seven in Japanese) and Fandemonium are on sale now.
Go ahead and indulge your inner otaku (we all have one) and buy your tickets.