Just this past weekend, the Gaylord hotel opened it’s doors to the largest & wildest horde of geeks, nerds, otaku, weebs, and even metalheads to ever congregate on the east cost of the United States! Ravenous for art, merch, and reuniting with one another, we all came and conquered the hotel & convention center for a few days to celebrate what makes us happy, and to escape the horrors of the world for a little bit. Did it meets my standards like the last 2 times I’ve gone? Well, let’s not waste anymore time, and take a look at my review for Katsucon 2023!
Good Points
Like I said last year, the first good point about Katsu would be the strict entry requirements. You gotta have your COVID card with you, and you gotta wear a mask throughout the whole event. The card part of the entry was enforced pretty strictly, while the mask wearing aspect.....well, I got a thing or two to say about that a little later. Regardless, I like the fact that this was still in place for 2023, as while COVID is definitely shrinking away, it’s still around in enough places & at enough frequency that some form of safety should be implemented.
Another good point in Katsu’s favor would be it’s space. Like I said in the past 2 reviews, the Gaylord is an absolute behemoth of a venue. In addition to great rooms, you got a lot of amenities practically in arm’s reach. There’s restaurants, a couple bars, some souvenir shops, and a spot or two so you can grab a snack. I must admit I found the pricing to be a bit silly this year as opposed to the past 2 times I came, but if you buy things only once in a while, it’s not incredibly draining on your wallet! **
The 3rd good point, and I don’t think I’ve talked about this in my last 2 review, would be the absolute party atmosphere that Katsucon provides. I admit I’ve never partaken in any of the raves, room parties, or absolutely absurd orgies many Katsu goers say take place (I’d like to think they happen in their own weird way), as I’m nearly 36 & probably don’t have the energy unlike those that are younger than me. That being said, see a bunch of geeky people having the time of their lives just brings a giant smile to my face. Seeing everybody dancing & such just adds to the positive energy and good vibes to the entire convention. Hell, even after the con was done this year, there was still some partying in the main area where the gazebo was, and that made me smile more!
To round things out, the last good point would be all of the cosplay & stuff to purchase. As usual, the sheer amount of costumes I see at Katsu is just jawdropping! From low-end yet charming simple cosplay, to the most elaborate getups that probably took months to make, there is no end to the creativity of all of the cosplayers that roam the halls of the Gaylord. As for the swag to get, Katsu always delivers! The Dealers Room is always filled from top to bottom with a wide variety of stuff, and the Artist Alley always has talented artists & craftsman showing off. I do not regret my purchases from the stalls I stopped at, and I definitely won’t next year.
(Tiny good point: no high school class was scheduled to stay at the Gaylord this year! Woo!)
Okay Points
Strangely enough, I can’t really think of anything to put in this section of the review. Perhaps the only thing I could think of would be the mask mandate, but even then with COVID still being around at smaller rates (Pandemic is apparently going to end in May from what I’ve heard, but I could be wrong with that), it’s easy to see why the staff of Katsucon & the Gaylord wanted to make sure that everyone was safe in that regard. However.....
Bad Points
The enforcement of the mask mandate throughout the weekend was god awful! There were plenty of people that had one on, but there were far more that didn’t. Throughout the con, I only heard about 4 to 6 staffers says anything about con-goers keeping their masks on (A lot of the staff didn’t have masks on to be honest), and most of the others didn’t seem to care! To play devil’s advocate, Katsucon has a horde of people come in, so perhaps it wasn’t strictly enforced because of the sheer volume of numbers (Something that oddly wasn’t an issue in 2022). Even so, it’s absolutely pathetic that the mask mandate wasn’t implemented as strongly as it was in the past year, and if by chance there is one next year.....I hope it is enforced to the letter.
A second black spot would be the odd aggressiveness of some of the staff. Not exactly with the con staff, but more along the lines of the hotel & security staff. I confess I’m simply assuming more in this regard, cause I don’t always engage with the late night parties & such. Still, I’m surprised at the early closings of the Gazebo, along with hearing/seeing some con-goers leave pictures & comments in the Katsucon 21+ Facebook page. If anyone (Including any con or hotel staff) has more clear information on this, please leave a comment so I can correct this portion of the review.
A 3rd point of complaint would be the odd lack of voice actors & recognizable guests. Outside of one (The narrator for Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure, who’s name escapes me as I type this), there was only a small selection that came this year. It’s absolutely baffling, and outside of potential COVID scares & such, I can’t think of any other reason why Katsucon wouldn’t invite a bunch of voice acting guests to come. If there’s any con staff (Or con goers in the know) that have any answers, then please let me know.
Finally, and this isn’t a knock on the convention itself, but the time it takes to get to Katsucon is insane. Like I said in my 2022 review, I live in Upstate New York, and it takes a good chunk of the day to come down to Maryland/Washington DC. I said last year it took 7 to 8 hours to get to the convention, and I think it took the same amount of time for 2023's. That does include stops, although my group did stop for dinner on the way back, and so coming home was definitely longer.
Final Thoughts & Rating
Katsucon 2023 was a step backwards from the previous 2 times I’ve gone. Make no mistake: I had a hell of a time, I took in the sights, and I will definitely be coming back (If I’m able to) in 2024. That being said, the things it had going against it in 2023 were definitely damaging to the overall experience. Perhaps I’m complaining a bit too much, but I hope that things get fixed for next time, cause if this happens a few more times, then I’m out. Still, Katsucon 2023 was a lot of fun, and I’ll definitely be talking to my friends about it for a bit!
Katsucon 2023 gets a 7.5 to 8 out of 10.
And that was my review of Katsucon 2023. A step backwards compared to the prior 2 I went to, but at the same time there was still fun to be had, and I bet a bunch of you has a blast also. So, with my look at this nerdy bastion behind me, I got my last look at Anthem for the end of the month......and it’s possibly some of their best work of their entire career. See you soon!
**
I actually stayed at the Wyndham hotel not too far away from the Gaylord (Couldn’t fit in with the group that brought me down), and the room I was in was huge!
***
If you’d like to read my review of last year’s Katsucon, click on the link below:
Convention Review: Katsucon 2022
Also, here’s where I stopped for dinner coming home. Absolutely phenomenal, and worth the trip & price!
https://www.mtfujirestaurants.com/
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