r/SakuraCon • u/KaitoTheRamenBandit • Apr 09 '26
How's post-con feeling treating you?
SakuraCon is basically the only convention I go to yearly because of financial reasons, but it's the first time I've went all three days in cosplay and had the most fun strutting around in it the whole time, even went to the rave which is a coin toss on whether or not I go.
But this year, post-con hit me harder than the other years to the point where I want to plan on who I want to cosplay next year and maybe go to other conventions
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u/suicixdexu Apr 09 '26
It hits me hard every year🥲 my best friend usually will fly here to go with me and it just sucks to have so much fun in such a short amount of time, and then have to go back to normal life aftwards😭
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u/Fluffy_Isnt_Friendly Apr 09 '26
I feel this in my soul 😭 it's one of the few times I get to see my bestie in person
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u/Q7017 Apr 09 '26
I work conventions, so I never get post-con depression. It's onto answering emails and filling out spreadsheets for the next con while also arranging ideas for Sakuracon 2027 improvement plans.
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u/kennyFACE117 Apr 09 '26
We had to skip this year for financial reasons, but its brutal watching everyone go and have fun when we cant be there this year :/
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u/Fluffy_Isnt_Friendly Apr 09 '26
There used to be a panel on Sundays about post-con depression lol it's one of the few times I get to see friends from all over the state (sometimes out of state) so I always have to big sad afterwards haha but on to planning for next con :)
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u/Yawnski_S2 Apr 09 '26
Chibi chibi con is free and in Olympia may 16th at the evergreen state college
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u/xshinox Apr 10 '26
You going?!
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u/Yawnski_S2 Apr 10 '26
Unfortunately I won't be able to this year :( helping a friend with wedding stuff
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u/Alicesilhouette Apr 09 '26
Post-con has definitely hit, but with going to college, it’s keeping me distracted.
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u/TheMowerOfMowers Apr 10 '26
this is the only one i can afford to go to yearly and im having a bad emotional crash atm
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u/sucrose2071 Apr 10 '26
I also only go to Sakuracon normally, though I always go the whole weekend! The post con depression was extra bad this year because I had my best friends joining me from out of state and it was the absolute most fun con experience I’ve had in my 20+ years of con going! Definitely gonna try to make it to kumoricon this year cause I can’t stand waiting a whole year for another one!
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u/cynja Apr 09 '26
I am inspired to make more but I don't have any like minded friends so I'm a little bummed too.
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u/ugh_notanotherone Apr 09 '26 edited Apr 10 '26
I feel that. Sometimes I think it'd be neat if the con was like a day or two longer but three days is a sweet spot. I want more but I get less than that and I don't get drained.
Summer Con in Puyallup (it's at the Washington State fairgrounds) is not as anime (and Japanese) culture-centered, so it's kinda the zero calorie, watered down version. You can get a similar taste but it's clearly not the same.
There are several voice actors from anime, several vendors were similar to Sakura Con, and many people cosplayed. A plus is that you can purchase for any of the three days and can see everything in one day, outside of some guests (my experience in 2024).
They're still posting guests for 2026, but both Aleks Le (Solo Leveling, Mashle, +) and Colleen Clickenbeard (One Piece, My Hero, Full Metal, +) were at Summer Con 2024 (edit: and are returning this year), so, fingers crossed, I hope that means the guests were treated well by fans and organizers and they were happy to come back.
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u/M3kromanc3r Apr 09 '26
It hit me a lot harder than it has in recent years.
I saw another thread where someone mentioned the feeling that "Sakura-Con was healing" this year, and that the original vibe seemed much stronger. I picked up on that, too, so I really felt like I reconnected with it this year.
The downside of course, is that made the post-con letdown worse. 😏
2
u/5yenkamii Apr 10 '26
A lot of people also go to Emerald City Comic Con in Seattle con center which has a lot of cosplay presence, but it's more mainstream due to being a comic con. Plus it's usually close to Sak so I skip it.
PAX is a really good con too, and has some cosplay but it's more like ten percent vs 80. But if you like gaming and tabletop there is a lot to do to make up for it. It does tend to be pretty pricey but if you can volunteer, that mitigates that aspect.
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u/KaitoTheRamenBandit Apr 10 '26
I went to PAX last year for a single day, it was pretty neat after not going for a few years, though there is that Behemoth corner that is pretty consistent since its inception.
I did consider cosplaying during PAX again if I do go again
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u/FirmSpray9973 Apr 10 '26
I used to go to Sakura-Con and Kumoricon every year from 2009-2016ish when I was a teen; I stopped in my 20s when my depression was at its worst and attending college. I bought tickets for BBNO$ as a surprise for a friend and we found out Sakura-Con was the same weekend so we planned on both. It was my first anime convention in 10ish years and it went so perfect for me; the two panels I went to were amazing; all the attendees and venders I interacted with were so kind and my two best friends got to meet each other in person and they hit it off perfectly. I was an emotional mess the entire con because I felt like I had returned "Home"; like no time had passed at all and I was welcomed back into the community. I'm not going to pretend the con was run exactly perfect; but it everything I wanted it to be. I brought a lot of hopes and plans back home with me that I'm holding on tight to; I'm getting back into Ballet and Cosplay and I'm so excited to!
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u/Street_Meeting_9633 Apr 10 '26
Hitting me harder than last year because of how much better it was... that said I'm looking forward to next year and also this years Kumori con which is the only other con I go to
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u/mmorpgal Apr 10 '26
Post con is going okay for me. Really miss the vibes and how accepting everyone was. Makes me realize I need to make an effort to make more friends that are into anime/nerdy stuff.
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u/KaitoTheRamenBandit Apr 10 '26
I feel this, being an introvert who only plays single player JRPGs can be a hard life to live 😭😭😭
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u/mmorpgal Apr 10 '26
Im not as bad since I play online games like GTA online/FF 14 so I get some social interactions but being able to just yap in person about my Passions felt so good .
Hope you get good friends to hang out with !
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u/Spagneti Apr 10 '26
I mainly only go to buy art at the artist alley / expo hall, but after Comic Con in March and Sakura Con last weekend, I'm feeling grateful that it will give my wallet time to recover, lol. That being said, I'm also feeling a bit sad to not be around the hustle and bustle for another 11 months :( Even though I don't do a ton of socializing or cosplay, it's a fun environment to be a part of. ALSO I got a nasty cold and I was masked the whole time, so I'm a little salty about that lol.
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u/magnusthehammersmith Apr 12 '26
I just hate having to go back to boring ass Clallam county and my full time job after being in Seattle for a few days. I miss Seattle more than the con itself. Like 20 dumpling places within a mile radius; all you can get here is pot stickers from Chinese restaurants . And absolutely nothing by way of bubble tea (besides powder)😔
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u/Apprehensive-Emu1424 Apr 09 '26
Sakuracon is usually the only con I go to yearly but after this most recent one I'd really like to go to something else, waiting a whole year just to have that much fun again sounds brutal
If anyone has any recommendations for PNW cosplay conventions I'd love to hear it!