Not that many people were in costumes on the first day. Still, stepping off the rail and into the convention center was a pretty overwhelming experience. At times, it was almost impossible not to smirk, but there were some genuinely impressive stuff. Here's a girl dressed up as the character I-No from the game Guilty Gear XX. You gotta love how people intrude into backgrounds at the most inconvenient moments.

Regardless of how ridiculous some of these people looked, though, they get my respect because they went out anyway to celebrate their collective dorkiness. That's pretty awesome (if a bit off-putting at first). Even the gaming room wasn't that bad -- even if there was a sign reminding people about the importance of hygiene.

Speaking of games, my friends freaking owned at the convention at some of the most popular gaming booths. I couldn't help but feel vicariously awesome knowing them.

I think I might work on putting together a gallery of sorts for the event. I feel like I came away with enough pictures that I'm happy with for something like that, which is a good feeling.

Updated: Otakon 2005 gallery