Countdown to Dragon Con!

(New logo!)

With Dragon Con just about a week away (ahh, I can almost hear the panicked screams from here), I thought I'd remind you guys of two potentially helpful mailbag posts:

Dragon Con Survival Tips

and 

How to Manage Crowd Anxiety at a Con

That second one wasn't written specifically for DC, though, so let me also add:

- Know the hotel layouts, so you can find the exits quickly

DC crowds can be suffocating at times, so unless you're on stilts you probably won't be able to see very far ahead, making it surprisingly easy to get lost. There are maps on the official DC app - which I highly recommend downloading now - so take the time to study them and get the lay of the land, as it were. Knowing where you are - and how to get out - will go a long way towards alleviating panic.

Also, there are far fewer crowd-free halls and rooms at DC, so it may be harder to find a quiet recovery area than at other cons. Try to plan accordingly, and don't push yourself too far, anxiety-wise. If you feel uneasy, take a break. Don't be afraid to sit on the floor - provided it's out of the walkway - and keep an eye out for out-of-the-way nooks and crannies in the hotels you can come back to, if necessary.

Speaking of which, if you're able to reach the Hyatt, the lowest floor there is usually a quiet respite from the madness. Keep taking escalators down until you reach it, and you should be able to find a spot to sit on the floor in one of the hallways. (We've even taken our lunch down there before.)


K, I think I covered most everything else in those two posts up there, so be sure to check 'em out if you're new to DC this year, or even if you just want a refresher.

Lookin' forward to seeing lots of you in Atlanta next weekend! Watch my Twitter for sporadic updates on where I am, and as always, don't be afraid to tweet at me for a meet up! John and I tend to be constantly moving targets, but we always do our best to find you guys to say hi. (And as always, I'll have free pins!)

Oh, and as for costumes, watch for John as Dreamfinder on Friday, Lady Vadore Saturday night, and Death Eaters Sunday night. During the day I'll just be the shortie in a cap & two ponytails with a camera glued to my face. :D

Now, ONWARD TO DRAGON CON!!

My First Anime: Attack On Titan

So I just finished binge-watching the first season of Attack On Titan last week, and I have thoughts.

Yes, it's shockingly gory for an animated show, and gut-wrenching, and the subtitles can be hard to keep up with during some of the action sequences, and everyone just. keeps. DYING!

...but you should totally watch it. 

via

 

The premise of the show is as compelling as it is crazy: all of humanity now resides inside a single enormous walled city, hoping to defend itself against the scores of human-eating giants outside called Titans. The soldiers who fight the Titans use a funky harness-and-cable system around their waists to zip around like Spider-Man, hacking at the giants with swords. This makes for some super fun fight sequences that almost feel like a virtual roller coaster.

Attack on Titan is one continuous narrative, so don't expect any resolution from episode to episode; you'll just get more cliff-hangers. The mystery of the Titans is addictive, though, and even now I cannot WAIT to see what happens in season 2. Plus, at only 22 minutes per episode, you could find yourself binging on 5 or 6 a night like I did. (There are 23 episodes in the season.)

The three main characters -  two boys and a girl - are childhood friends who enroll in the academy to become Titan-killing soldiers. They each have tragic pasts and buried secrets, but their loyalty to each other is what really ties the whole series together.

And I've gotta say, I especially appreciate the women in Attack On Titan. They fight alongside the men as equals, wear the same uniforms, have realistic anatomy (no comic book boobs here), and demonstrate equal amounts of eminent bad-assery. And while only one of the main characters is female, there are plenty more in the ensemble cast.

Mikasa here is also the best fighter in their class, and routinely kicks Titan butt.

Be prepared for a truckload of heart-wrenching awfulness in the first episode, but if you can make it through that, you can make it through the season. Also don't expect many light-hearted moments, though there are a few. It's mostly death and war and striving to survive. 

And yet, threaded through all that, there is friendship, and loyalty, and strength against impossible odds. You'll find yourself cheering for the team, and desperate to see what happens next.

You can watch season 1 of Attack On Titan on Netflix streaming, but be warned there's no English dub available there, so you're stuck with subtitles. (I know most anime purists say you should only watch with subtitles, but I find a lot of the original voice actors a little... over the top. Plus it's hard to appreciate some of the stunning fight sequences when there's so much text flying by.)

English dubs of the episodes just started airing in May on Cartoon Network, so if subtitles are a deal-breaker for you, check there or elsewhere online. Or just wait, since I'd guess (and hope!) the dubs will eventually be on Netflix, too.


So what do you think, guys? Anyone out there willing to give Attack on Titan a try? Anyone already watching it? If so, tell me what you think, and maybe how it compares to other popular animes, too,  since this is my first.