What’s up Zelda fans! One of the best things about being the Zelda News host is getting to attend conventions where I can check out the cosplays, go to panels, spend too much money in the dealer’s room, and even meet you guys in person. After two years, it was great to finally be back at Anime Weekend Atlanta, held at the Cobb Galleria and Renaissance Waverly Hotel. The convention took place October 28-31, and unique to this year’s event, the World Series was being played across the street (Go Braves!), so there were quite a few confused baseball fans caught up in the mix. Is there a magical girl baseball anime? If not, there needs to be!
Guests at this year’s convention that Nintendo fans may recognize included Cristina Vee who can be heard voicing Tulin, a young Rito in the new Age of Calamity DLC, Alejandro Saab (Yuri in Fire Emblem Three Houses), Faye Mata (Petra in Fire Emblem Three Houses), and Lisa Ortiz (director of Pokémon Journeys). They graciously signed autographs, took part in panels, and truly took the time to give the fans a fun and memorable experience.
Cosplayers were out in full force and everyone seemed so happy to be back on the convention scene. While the most popular cosplays were characters from Demon Slayer, there was no shortage of Nintendo cosplayers, including some from the Zelda series.
Like I do at every convention, I searched the Dealer’s Room and Artist Alley for a Prince Sidon body pillow, but once again, no such luck. I saw one a few years back and didn’t get it. Big mistake. I didn’t walk away empty handed though, because I have zero self-control when it comes to anime and gaming merch. I got a super cute Perler bead Link and Zelda picture frame from Pixelated Nerd Art. There was a good bit of Perler bead art for sale at the convention. The booth Unification created artwork with a level of depth and detail that I didn’t even know was possible with Perler beads.
For Zelda-inspired accessories, Hero Wares and Supplies was like visiting Beedle’s shop. They had rupee wallets in various sizes, a bomb bag, Korok purses that are perfect for adventuring with your Switch, Lon Lon Milk bottles, as well as items from other franchises such as Animal Crossing.
To my delight, Wild Bill’s Soda set up shop again this year. Not only do they make the most amazing soda on the planet, but their fountains are also set up to be like a western saloon, so it makes for a fun experience. There was always a crowd of congoers at their booth, refilling their mugs with delicious soda. I’m normally not much of a soda drinker, but I will make the exception for Wild Bill’s — I probably drank more soda during AWA alone than I have all year.
Taking part in large public events is still a concern for many due to COVID, and understandably so. Even before the pandemic, cons were a breeding ground for viruses. I know I’ve had my share of con crud over the years. That being said, Anime Weekend Atlanta staff did everything they could to keep everyone safe while still creating a fun event. Masks were worn indoors, and everyone had to show either a negative COVID test or proof of vaccination to receive their badge. The flow of traffic in and out of the convention center was one way, which made for less crowding. I’m thankful for the return of AWA. It has been a rough nearly two years for everyone, and it was nice to have some semblance of normalcy again.
