All good ideas have to start somewhere. Media, regardless of its origin, tends to find its basis in real-world events that mold the story. Media gives us the power to ask "what if?", to protest, to bring awareness, and explore beyond what we know. Join us as we take a look at anime, manga, and movies that work to showcase some of the greatest political issues surrounding Japan.

Come join us and our guests for a quick overview of the weekend's events!

Talking about the various cultural differences between Japan and the US,I am currently writing a book about my experience growing up in Japan,as well as some of my "culture shock episodes” I have experienced since moving to the US. In this panel, I talk about that, and also have a Q&A for the audience to ask any kind of questions about Japan, its culture, etc.

Is NGE really a postmodernist retelling of the Genesis creation myth; and why are all nuns in anime gun-toting eye candy? Japan’s history with Christianity is an interesting, if sordid, affair. We’ll explore how it all began, and how it turned from the West’s sacred religious imagery to vampires, demon killing teenage priests, and Jesus living with Gautama Buddha.

Join Mary Elizabeth McGlynn for a Question and Answer Session. Ask all your burning questions: Do you like Directing or Acting better? How has the industry changed since you started? What's it like being so talented - writer, actor, director, and singer? When do you have time for it all? Answers to these and other questions can be found when you join us for her Q&A Panel!

Three contestants compete in three rounds where the answers are given first and they must supply the questions. Example: "It is held once a year in West Virginia and is known as the convention with wings." If you said, "What is Tsubasacon?", then you are correct! Let's play!

Discussion and art reveal of Jason Queen's officially licensed Netflix Stranger Things artwork from the book "Visions from the upside down" which releases October 15, 2019 from De Rey publishing and edited by Printed In Blood. There will be a short discussion of our mutual love of the stranger things series and what makes this series so amazing followed by a reveal of the limited edition officially licensed Netflix art. I'll also be selling and signing these limited edition prints.

Join Morgan Berry for a Question and Answer Session. Ask about everything you've ever wanted to know: How has the industry changed since you started? What's your favorite anime? What's it like being a triplet? Answers to these and other questions can be found when you join us for her Q&A Panel!

Oyajicons rejoice! If you like your anime men to be a bit more on the mature side, maybe with a beard or a bit of scruffy stubble, then you’re not alone! Come join Vitamin H for this hour-long collection of the best ossans anime has to offer, including some you might not’ve met before.

Indiana Jones may have found some cool lost treasures, but he hasn’t found these! From buried Shogun gold and missing samurai swords to sunken ships and early hominid fossils, Japan has no shortage of incredible lost treasures. Who knows where these might be? After all, these belong in a museum!

Are you interested in Voice Acting? Barry Yandell has some techniques to share with you! Join Barry as he breaks down these audition techniques to get you started on the right foot!

While male homosexuality has been well-documented in Japan since samurai days, love between women, well, hasn’t. Yuri – lesbian manga and literature – has a relatively recent history in Japan, owing largely to Japan’s strict gender roles and conservative culture. Vitamin H documents the history of this genre, which most certainly extends past the blushing fanservice seen in today’s anime.​

For more than 50 years, we've been enchanted by the frilly pink badasses known as magical girls. But beneath their elegant exterior lies a complex and captivating history that's filled with all kinds of surprises. Join Vitamin H as we explore the universe of magical girls, from the early inspirations in American TV to the modern, ultra-slick shows that captivate audiences throughout the world.

A panel about geikomi, yaoi's older, beefier brother. Written by and for gay Japanese men, these stories feature guys who're bold, brash, bodacious and decidedly burly. If you're looking for an LGBT History panel with a heaping helping of gratuitous male nudity, you're sure to love this panel!

Join our Musical Guests for a discussion on how to make instruments from the Victorian period!

Ask all! Hetalia, DBZ, Yu Yu, Soul Eater, Shin Chan, Sgt. Frog, etc...

Love going to panels? Want to run your own? Vitamin H (along with special guest star Becky Miyamoto from Paniponi Dash) is here to help you make them great! Covering everything from choosing a topic, the process that goes into planning, pitching your panel, and public speaking tips to getting feedback and staying in contact with your fans. We'll help you make your audience as excited about your topic as you are!

26 cases containing prize values of up to $50! Pick a case, eliminate the others and increase the supposed value of what's in the case. Will you continue on to the end or will you accept a deal that's just too good to pass up! Find out on Deal or No Deal!

Mako Gems Productions and special guest Ace are getting political! Final Fantasy VII holds a special status in the video game world as a much beloved classic JRPG. It’s got everything you could ask for in a game: propaganda, climate change, eco-terrorism, war, corporate greed, and much more! As Cid would say: sit down, shut up, and drink your @#$&*% tea as we dissect one of our favorite games.

Have you ever wondered what it takes to break in to show business? Specifically the voice acting industry? Learn from FUNimation voice actress Morgan Berry and learn the "do's and don'ts" of the voice-over world!

For over thirty years, Studio Ghibli was a maelstrom of creativity, inspiring countless other franchises. But behind their cutesy art and gorgeous animation lies a story more complex and dramatic than you might expect...

Come join me as I tell my survival story and how voice acting assisted in my healing.

Vitamin H explores the weird, wild, world of yokai, Japan's traditional monster-spirits. Creature facts, famous stories, and even some tips on how to survive YOUR next encounter with these strange creatures!​

This is the perfect panel for people who are planning or wanting to plan a trip to Japan. Tokyo is going to be the host of the 2020 Olympics, so there have been all kinds of changes in the past couple years- and many of the changes have made it cheaper AND easier to visit Japan. So in this panel I use a powerpoint and explore some of those changes as well as give the audience many of my recommendations for planning a trip, etc.

A look at the darker side of anime, showcasing everything from gothic gloom to high-octane thrillers, traditional yokai to unspeakable Lovecraftian beasts. Whether you're a seasoned horror fan who's looking for new nightmare fuel or just a regular otaku who'd like to try something different, there'll be something here for you to love.

The Best Anime You’ve (Probably) Never Seen is back with a show that will make you think, question all you know about good versus evil, and ask what it means to be human. Mystery and intrigue abound in the limbo between life and death, set to a killer soundtrack. Trust us, it’ll be the time of your life!

Epic battles! Giant swords! Morbidly obese fantasy chickens! Vitamin H skewers the quirks of the Final Fantasy franchise and schools you on why Your Favorite Final Fantasy Sucks. (Audience interaction is mandatory, as ordered by the Shinra Corporation.)

Join your fellow congoers for drinks and a casual, communal art session. Supplies will be limited, so plan on bringing your own if you can! Drink and draw responsibly!

Experience the world of outrageously over-the-top adult anime dubbing. Whether it's bizarre lines, contrived plots, insane innuendos, or just plain bad acting, you're sure to laugh out loud as we bask in the madness of some of the best(?) English-dubbed scenes from adult anime.

Come, sit around our campfire. After all, it’s October; the time to tell of all the ghosts, yokai, and urban legends Japan has to offer. You’ll be safe here with us--or will you?

National Novel Writing Month is a long-running challenge where people from all over the world spend November attempting to complete a creative project. Join a previous NaNoWriMo winner as they discuss the history of the challenge, it's advantages and disadvantages, and hopefully convince you to get signed up!

All the Voice Actors in the Same Place! Come ask questions, hear stories, and enjoy the last day of the con with some of your favorite voices from your favorite anime and games!

America has been importing Those Weird Asian Cartoons for longer than most of us have been alive, and the journey from animation cel to your television or computer has been longer and more storied than you might think. Join Vitamin H as we explore the history of anime as seen from this side of the Pacific, from black-and-white television shows of the 1960s through the rise of Toonami and the fall of Geneon and ADV.

26 cases containing prize values of up to $50! Pick a case, eliminate the others and increase the supposed value of what's in the case. Will you continue on to the end or will you accept a deal that's just too good to pass up! Find out on Deal or No Deal!

Think you're a fan of Tenchi Muyo? Well, the Tenchi Multiverse is even vaster than you think, and it goes WAY beyond what you may have seen on Toonami, stretching across more than half a dozen anime, and that’s not including the countless spinoffs, re-tellings, alternate continuities and an endless supply of supplemental material. Join Vitamin H as we chart a course through the OVAs, TV shows, the games, and more.