When Otakon first started in 1994, some 350 guests showed up to the Days Inn at State College in Pennsylvania.
This weekend, organizers expect 80,000 lovers of East Asian pop culture at the Baltimore Convention Center, to help celebrate Otakon's 20th anniversary — and 15th in Baltimore.
"It exploded," said Otakon co-organizer Victor Albisharat. "At one point, we actually had to cap our attendance."
Since the convention can't grow any larger in Baltimore, Albisharat said, Otakon will be adding a sister convention with Otakon Vegas next year.
Otakon 2013 will look back at the history of the popular convention, but also boasts plenty of new activities, old favorites and a few surprises. In no particular order, here are 20 highlights of the convention, which starts Friday and runs through Sunday at the convention center.
1
Otakon 2013 Masquerade Contest
A staple of Otakon, this year's Masquerade will feature participants presenting their costumes and performing skits at 1st Mariner Arena (201 W. Baltimore St.) Saturday night. Best in Show winners receive free Otakon memberships for 2014.
2
Artist Alley
Browse or even purchase the work of talented artists at Otakon. The works will be displayed all weekend long at the convention center.
3
Otaku Idol
This ... is Otaku Idol. Ten music acts will compete on Friday, and the competition will be narrowed down to two. The final two will perform during the halftime show at the Masquerade on Saturday, where a winner will be chosen by the fans.
4
Yoko Kanno
Making her first appearance at Otakon since the first Baltimore convention in 1999, Kanno, a composer and musician known for her work in anime, headlines the Sunday concert with her newest project "PIANO ME."
5
T.M. Revolution
Returning to Otakon for the first time in 10 years, electro artist T.M. Revolution, known for his electrifying live performances, takes the stage at the convention's Saturday concert. "We're bringing back a lot of former guests," Albisharat said.
6
Home Make Kazoku
This Japanese hip-hop trio has three performances at Otakon — the Saturday concert, 1st Marinera Arena and also a joint show with T.M. Revolution.
7
OtaMuseum
Take a look back at Otakon history as the convention celebrates 20 years of history. The museum, which has taken input from fans, will additionally sell commemorative Otakon gifts.
8
Cosplay
Crazy costumes are routine at any convention, but the outfits worn by Otakon guests — inspired by Japanese pop culture — are a big reason to come out and enjoy the festivities.
9
Otakurave
Get your late night groove on during Otakon weekend — Friday and Saturday night will feature local DJs spinning remixed pop songs and anime remixes from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. each night.
10
Otacafe
What would a Japanese-inspired convention be without karaoke? The Otacafe is the ideal hangout spot at Otakon for eating, mingling and getting up on stage for some crowd favorites (and probably cringe-worthy) karaoke.
11
Panels
Otakon's motto is "for fans by fans," and that applies to the panels as well. A huge hit in past years, fans suggest ideas and use their talents to put on popular panels like "how to get by in Japan on 40 yen a day" or "how to drive a giant robot you just found buried in your backyard."
12
Special Premiere Showings
Otakon is rife with premieres of various film projects, from anime to live action. This year's titles include "Evangelion 3.0: You Can (not) Redo," "Idol is Dead" and "Wolf Children," among others.
13
Live Action Role Playing
Better known by its fans as LARP, this "make believe with rules" activity, which has been a part of Otakon since 1995, is played within the boundaries of the entire convention center.
14
Hall Costume Contest
Judged in four categories — youth, novice, journeyman and craftsman — this contest looks at the quality and workmanship of costumes at the convention. The winners will be announced at the Masquerade Saturday night.
15
Gundamn Model Contest
The popular anime series Mobile Suit Gundam comes to Otakon with a qualifying round for the 2013 GunPla Builders World Cup, where participants showcase their skills in building Gundam models.
16
Art Show
Comprised of a silent and live auction, the Otakon art show allows fans to express their creativity and sell their work. If a piece of artwork gets enough bids at the silent auction, it will automatically get entered in the live auction.
17
Giving Back
To raise funds for tsunami relief in Japan, Otakon, in a partnership with Aniplex of America, will be offering a limited edition poster featuring Sword Art Online for a minimum donation of $5.
18
Guests
"We have some really huge guests this year," said Albisharat. From animators to voice actors, the convention visitors, including Shingo Adachi, Masayuki Ozaki and Crispin Freeman, are top notch this year.
19
Crisis Heart Brawlers: Clash at Otakon!
Announced at Otakon 2012, the Kickstater-produced computer game will be made available at this year's convention. The exciting beat 'em up game resembles popular video games like "Final Fight" or "River City Ransom."
20
Photo Suite
Why take selfies when Otakon has professional photographers on hand? The convention is offering professional lighting, photography and backgrounds for costumers to show off their best cosplay looks.
Otakon milestones:
1994: The first Otakon took place at Penn State in 1994 with only 350 fans in attendance. 20 years later, 100 times as many people are expected at this year's convention.
1999: Otakon moved to Baltimore to respond to the growing popularity of the convention.
2003: For the 10th anniversary of Otakon, Japanese singer T.M. Revolution performed for fans. 10 years later, T.M.R. returns to the stage at Otakon.
2012: Otakon became the first convention in the world to have a Korean pop group perform when VIXX came to Baltimore, according to co-organizer Victor Albisharat.
If you go
Otakon runs 8:30 a.m.-2 a.m. Friday and Saturday aug10 and 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday at the Baltimore Convention Center, 1 W. Pratt St. Registration, which covers the entire weekend (there are no day passes) is $80. Go to otakon.com.