It’s been 12 years since the anime and horror convention known as Realms Con graced Corpus Christi, Texas with its nerdy presence, and judging by this year’s reception, there are more good times ahead for anime enthusiasts.
During the three-day weekend of September 30th – October 2nd, Realms Con once again made the American Bank Center its home in celebrating all things geek.
Things were a little different this year, as Realms Con had to share space with another high-profile event, the MAC Selena Event, which significantly altered the convention traditional layout. It was an unfortunate turn of event, as there was confusion on where and when certain panels were happening, and they newly debuted Realms Con app did little in rectifying any misinformation. As time went on it became clearer which rooms were housing certain events, but a stronger sense of direction was needed not just for longtime Realms Con attendees, but for first timers too.
Putting that aside, this year’s Realms Con was still a success. There were plenty of vendors and art dealers selling anime and gaming goodies for fans to splurge on. Local celebrity cosplayer, the Corpus Christi Joker, entertained the crowd throughout the weekend, while out-of-town cosplayers like Krystle Starr and Mika Nicole were saying “cheese” with fans eager for a photograph of their marvelous costumes. One moment that certainly stood out during this year’s convention was dance off among cosplayers on day three.
A strong second contender would be this costumed T-rex breakdancing.
The showstoppers this year included the American voice cast of the Dragon Ball Z series, such as Christopher R. Sabat (Vegeta, Piccolo), Monica Rial (Bulma), and Sean Schemmel (Goku).
Another monumental moment was the cast reunion of the original Sailor Moon dub with actresses like Susan Roman (Sailor Jupiter), Katie Griffin (Sailor Mars), and Linda Ballantyne as the Moon Princess herself. A Moon Kingdom Celestial Ball was even held on Friday night of the con.
Perhaps the most entertaining panel held this year was the Q&A panel featuring three former cast members of the Power Rangers series: David Yost (Original Blue Ranger Billy), Paul Schrier (Bulk), and Jason Narvy (Skull). It was impossible not to erupt in laughter as Schrier and Narvy upped each other in silliness, while Yost often played the straight man to their hilarious antics. It wasn’t all jokes, though, as attendees expressed their appreciation towards the cast for starring in the delightfully campy action show they grew up with as kids, with one guest thanking Yost for sticking with Power Rangers despite the harassment he faced for his sexuality.
They all appeared optimistic about the upcoming Power Rangers movie scheduled for next year and wish the new cast well.
One guest that took center stage at Realms Con with legendary cartoon voice actor Billy West, famous for his roles in Ren & Stimpy, Doug, Futurama, and so much more. His Q&A panel, while not really a Q&A until the last few minutes, was captivating as West went over his humble beginnings as a voice actor, spoke briefly on his troubled past, and teased a new role in an upcoming Netflix series by Simpsons creator Matt Groening.
Overall, Realm Con 2016 was a blast. There were a few rough bumps along the way, but everyone that came on opening day was left grinning after the closing ceremony.
Below are photographs taken during Realms Con 2016.
