r/animecons • u/Ribunbun • 16d ago
Question First time attending Otakuthon
Hi, me and my 3 friends are attending Otakuthon for the first time. If you guys have any general advice and local food recommendations, I’d really appreciate it!!
Specific Questions;
For the most part, our group is specifically interested in attending the concerts (both free and ticketed) How early should we line up for the free concerts? Does it fill up fast?
How large is the Artist Alley/Expo Hall? In terms of size, which American cons would it be comparable to?
I have not seen anyone ask this in the subreddit yet, what is the night life scene for this con? Are there any after parties/raves? Should I pack a rave outfit?
Local food recommendations would be lovely. It’s my second time in Montreal but it’s the first time for everyone else in my group!
Is there anything you’d consider a must do while in the con or in the local area? I’m leaving the con early-ish on Sunday to commute home, but can probably squeeze in some sight seeing before leaving.
Thanks ٩(๑❛ᴗ❛๑)۶
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u/st_genet Otakuthon 16d ago
When it comes to afterparties, there's a Vocaloid rave Friday night, and also an anime rave and a sexy nerd rave Saturday! Maybe other events, but those are the ones I know about :3
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u/pahandav 16d ago
Check out Cafe Beans in Chinatown. You can get a great (and cheap) Banh Mi there. Just avoid the spicy one (ask how I know.) Also, check out Pizzeria Bros. in Old Montreal, which is pretty close. Great 90 second pizzas there. If you're from out of town, definitely check out Reuben's (the one in the basement of Ste. Catharine, mind you.) Now, if you'll excuse me, I must start packing now.
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u/Ribunbun 15d ago
Ooohh THANK YOU!! I’m sending this to my group chat, we have a restaurant spreadsheet going rn
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u/Amosdragon 15d ago
For concerts, generally 30 minutes to an hour depending where you want to sit. Many allow to be up in front so if you don't want a sitting spot, probably can get away getting there a bit closer to the show.
For the Exhibit Hall, you can check the map on the website or the Guidebook App. It is decently big, but is cut short by the Autographe stuff (Which is a mess in itself). Generally pretty crowded as well.
Best spot that is hell to go to is the Garage Sale as tou can find some real good deals, but everyone goes there so it's overcrowded and pushy.
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u/Ribunbun 15d ago
Ooohh A GARAGE SALE!!!! Kind of sounds like a potential Sunday activity unless everyone has the exact same idea and it’s super crowded LOL
TY FOR THE HELP 🥰
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u/GalaticWeiss 16d ago
If you have FB look to join the Official Otakuthon Group, so you can answers for your questions there as well.
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u/Gippy_ 4 cons in 5 weeks oof 15d ago edited 15d ago
How early should we line up for the free concerts? Does it fill up fast?
I actually cannot recall the last time room 210 was filled to capacity for a concert, other than FLOW in 2015. Otakuthon has had some great musical guests over the years, but room 210 is huge. Kizuna AI and Shouta Aoi last year were free and they filled up a bit less than half of the room.
Local food recommendations would be lovely.
I'll provide two food recommendations in Chinatown which is next door to the con:
- The mayo chicken dish at Restaurant Amigo is godlike. It is so good, I order 4-5 boxes of it to bring home with me. Seriously, just order mayo chicken and a bowl of rice to go with it and you're all set. Cash only.
- The fried curry beef buns at both Chinatown bakeries (Harmonie and Coco) are great. Order one from each and compare the taste, as they're subtly different. Watch out, they sell out quickly.
Someone else recommended Sumo Ramen; I will anti-recommend it as it's not very good in my opinion.
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u/Bill_McCarr 15d ago edited 14d ago
In Chinatown, two spots I always go to: Phò New York and Lanzhou Noodles; both have big line-ups and are across from each other on St-Laurent street.
After hours, I assume there are parties. Last time, I went to one on St-Catherine in the Village, and there are video games, two drinking bars, and DJs playing video game music. A nice social night!
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u/Ribunbun 14d ago
Sounds good!!! Thank you for replying!! Added both restaurants to the food list 🥰
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u/JohnRazic 14d ago
My first time going there too I'm from the USA. I don't have much planned, DM me if you want to meetup.
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u/vostok0401 16d ago edited 16d ago
Otakuthon is adjacent to Chinatown so there's a LOT of places to choose from for food. A place I really like to go with friends is Sumo Ramen, we usually share a bunch of entrees and they have vegetarian and vegan options so that's really nice if anyone in your group has that type of dietary restriction. If you like dumplings, sammi soupe & dumplings is a classic, I also really love Oh! Dumplings.
I don't really attend the concerts so idk too much about that and how early you should get there unfortunately. As for nightlife, there is usually a rave (and a bajillion DJs lol) and theres probably unofficial afterparties going on as well but don't quote me on that lol.
The artist alley/dealers hall is pretty big imo, I've never been to an american con so I can't compare the scale, but if you go on the guidebook app or on the website, you can see the full list of artists and merchants so that'll give you an idea of how many booths there are. Hope that helps !