4 Cosplay Conventions in Ankara
İdil Tufan & Jülide Oyat / 4 Cosplay Conventions in Ankara / COMD 357 Multimedia Journalism İlkbahar 2022-2023 Listeleme Projesi Welcome to Cosplay! We have some really nice wigs!
A cosplay convention will include an amazing variety of costumes, from simple and casual to detailed. Cosplayers pour their hearts and souls into their costumes, cautiously crafting every detail to bring their favorite characters to life. The level of craftsmanship and attention to detail in cosplay is truly amazing, from carefully constructed armor and weapons to delicately stitched clothing and accessories. But just like the costumes, the organization has an important impact as well. We went to different cosplay conventions in Ankara and chose four conventions for you that have games, dances, costume competitions, and vendors for buying merchandise. Every single convention has different entry fees, usually varying from 20-30 Turkish liras (except Falcon was 100 Turkish liras for a combined ticket), and provides different experiences. Now, let’s take a look at cosplay conventions in Ankara. 1) HUCON Hacettepe University organizes conventions under the name HUCON every year between April and June. The members of Hacettepe University’s Electronic Sports Community, Sci-fi and Fantasy Community, and Anime-Manga Community are in charge of organizing the event, which will take place for the seventh time this year. With its garden, the event area has a large spread, which is an important attribute in crowded conventions. The event provides the necessary eating helping with a buffet, and it is possible to sit down and watch the cosplay competition on stage. The event includes other activities too such as Just Dance, RPG (Role Play Game), and board game area. The event even included an area where you can try archery. For us, what was the most fun part was being able to meet with other cosplayers, and the joy we get when we see our favorite characters.
You can reach HUCON’s social media page here: HUCON Instagram Page 2) TEDUCONTED University’s Electronic Sports Club organized its first cosplay convention last year in their school building. The building was close to the subway and it was easy to reach the event area. They gave free food and water to the cosplayers and we had plenty of chances to sit down and rest a little bit. Every attendant was excited to be there and kind enough to stop and take photos. The organizers were concerned about our opinions; they asked whether we liked their convention and if we had any problems. Just like HUCON, there was also board game playing tables in TEDUCON as well. The cosplay contest was intended to happen outside of the building but that day, it rained. However, the organizers were quick enough to re-plan the contest and we did not have any problems with watching it. We are hoping that they organize another cosplay convention this year as well.
You can reach TEDUCON’s social media page here: TED University E-Sports Club Instagram Page 3) METUCONAfter going to HUCON and TEDUCON, we did not like METUCON, which is a convention that happens at Middle East Technical University, but our first-timer friend enjoyed it very much. The first time we attended METUCON, it was hard to find where the event took place. Next year, it was better but still had some problems with the organization. Even though we did not like last year’s convention, our friend explained that people were super kind to her, they were ready to become friends and talkative about what they liked and even though there wasn’t much activity in the event, she still had a great time with friends. We still think that we’ll go to METUCON this year, it was not a bad experience but we still think that there can be some improvements.
You can reach METUCON’s social media page here: METU Sci-fi and Fantasy Community Instagram Page 4) FALCONLast but not least on this list is the Falcon Convention. Unlike the others, this event is not hosted by university clubs but instead by the event organization with the same name. The event was hosted in Grand Park Eryaman this year, and Musa Göçmen Salonu, Çayyolu last year. They have had 2 conventions so far. They also had stands, a costume competition, and an open space to play “Just Dance”. Moreover, they had dance performances. There was a buffet to buy snacks and you could also buy chicken sandwiches. They used both the parking lot and inside the building. The organization provided security as well. However, some logistic problems included an airless interior, no chairs to watch the cosplay competition, the music was too loud to hear anyone and the dance shows made the area too crowded, and in our opinion, may not be necessary for a cosplay convention, although the dancers were great. We think that this affected the overall atmosphere and the mood of the people, and decreased the enthusiasm of the people, so we could not get the joy that we got from others.
You can reach FALCON’s social media page here: Falcon Venue |