Otakuthon: a Dazzling Excursion

Once again, the Montreal Otakuthon has knocked it out of the park. This year I got to appreciate some classic events such as the masquerade and anime screenings, and found a few new ways to occupy my time, like stamp rallies.

Stamp Rallies

For the experienced artists’ alley-goers seeking a new challenge, I highly recommend trying out a stamp rally or two. In these rallies, a group of artists will band together over a shared theme and offer prizes to those who can complete a stamp card. Each artist has their own stamp, so attendees hoping to get a prize must visit each table on the list and perform a small task, like writing down your OTP or an anime recommendation, to obtain a stamp. Typical rallies feature three to eight tables, making them a great way to explore the massive artist’s alley in a more focused manner. All of the rallies I joined this year were completely free, and the prizes were lovely packets with a piece of art from each participating artist.

The themes of these rallies range from broad concepts like “yuri” and “GL” (which were two separate rallies), to fandoms—such as Trigun or Project Hail Mary—to individual characters. Even the comic book character Red Hood got his own rally! It all depends on the artists, and as such, the themes of rallies (outside of ever-popular franchises such as Genshin Impact) change each year.

The only challenge these rallies pose is that getting to the convention early is a must. Given the limited number of stamp cards and prizes for each rally and the fact that the only way to join many rallies is to stumble upon them at a table, it can be easy for more popular ones to run out before noon. However, don’t let that discourage you; I joined a stamp rally on Sunday afternoon and was still able to complete it. I loved completing these rallies. They were a great chance for me to find artists I knew would cater to my interests, and nothing beats the triumph of getting gorgeous art for free.

Screenings

While there are many good places to sit down at Otakuthon, one of my enduring favourites is the screening rooms. Be it AMV contests or actual show episodes, I can almost always find something intriguing in one of the rooms. The dark room serves as a welcome break from some of the more intense parts of the convention, and watching as a group is much more fun, especially for comedies.

A highlight this year was the English dub of Ghost Stories, notorious for its deviations from the original show and many inappropriate jokes. It was screened on Saturday evening as part of the late-night Otakuthon, and the energy in the room was incredible. Quite a few people knew the voice actors’ best improvisations by heart, and perfectly understood the references to celebrities of the early 2000s. This dub is hysterical, and watching it with about a hundred strangers only made it better.

Quizzes

There has been a recent rise in quiz and game show panels at Otakuthon, which offers a novel–if slightly intense–way to enjoy yourself at the con. In these, the panel attendees compete for prizes by testing their knowledge in various forms.

The BL Anime Kahoot, another late-night offering on the 18+ side of things, was a riot despite some chaos. Only 100 spaces were available in each Kahoot, and at least double that number of people were in the audience, which meant attendees had to form teams based on who actually accessed each quiz.

Those who didn’t make it into the first round found some solace, at least. Multiple rounds of 15-question Kahoots were organized, which meant several prize draws throughout the hour-long panel. The questions spanned old and newer BL, including both wholesome and not-safe-for-work ones (a highlight: “How much did (character) sell (protagonist) for?” A: $10). However, as someone further away in the room, I noticed two drawbacks to the format: the overhead lighting meant the screen where the questions were displayed was hard to see, and the length of some anime titles and the limited seconds to answer meant that it wasn’t uncommon to hear swearing after attendees failed to finish reading their options in time. It was also (unsurprisingly) quite loud, making it difficult to hear announcements from the panel organizers.

This quiz panel was overwhelming in some ways, which may not appeal to those wishing for a more relaxing experience at the end of a long day. However, I can certainly see the appeal for those who know their BL and those walking away with new potential friendships forged by the pressure of the quiz. Hopefully, these technical issues will be resolved next year. Given the popularity of the event, I have a feeling it will almost certainly return. 

The Masquerade

No article on Otakuthon would be complete without mentioning the Masquerade. 50 entries, four categories for adults, two charismatic hosts, and a troupe of Stage Ninjas make for an unforgettable time.

This year’s contestants solidly performed in both “aww” and “awe” categories, including a small child cosplaying Princess Tutu and doing a dance routine with her mother, and an elaborate Mario mascot suit with the blocky texture of a retro video game, which won a special prize from the Consulate General of Japan in Montreal.

I was really happy to see a continued representation of independent projects among cosplayers, including The Amazing Digital Circus and Epic: The Musical making it onstage, as well as franchises that I personally love, like The Apothecary Diaries. It’s nice to see indies beginning to get the recognition they deserve, and one of the best parts of the masquerade is that no matter how obscure your fandom is, there’s a decent chance you’ll see it represented at the Masquerade.

Each year, the Ninjas cause a brief intermission as part of the Masquerade, and 2026’s was even better than I expected. After a stage manager was “kidnapped” and one of the hosts went to help, an animated Pokémon battle between the host and the ninjas was played on the massive television screens on either side of the stage. The 2D animation was clearly handmade and very well drawn to match the style of the original Pokémon TV show, and the battle drew cheers and boos at an epic scale from the audience.

Attendee cosplay gallery:

The only thing I was somewhat disappointed by this year was the time slots assigned to the Yurithon. Aside from one panel at 6 pm, all their gatherings took place at 10:30 pm or later, in spite of a G or T rating. Placing these panels aimed at general audiences at the same time as Otakuthon’s late-night programming, such as the 18+ BL Anime Kahoot, means lower attendance and fewer opportunities for newer fans to come and show their support. I hope that next year there is a better mix, and later time slots are reserved for 16+ and 18+ panels.

In 2026, a staggering 36,936 attendees swept through the Palais des Congrès for Otakuthon. With more people, there’s an even better chance of meeting someone who shares your exact interests regardless of how niche they may be, and an even greater variety of events on offer. I look forward to basking in the fluorescent hum as I weave my way through the artists’ alley again next year.