Review: Nan Desu Kan 2017

Hey you guys! Yep! I’m here again with another con review! After returning from Comic Con Palm Springs, I was immediately thrown back into travel for the next weekend to an anime convention in Denver called Nan Desu Kan, also known by locals as NDK.

NDK was actually very similar to other anime cons I have attended, though the set-up was a little different. Much like Arizona’s largest anime convention, Saboten, NDK was held in a Sheraton, the Sheraton Downtown Denver, which actually had two hotel lobbies, and much like Phoenix Convention Center, actually had a skybridge over the main road of downtown to both check-in stations. The hotel itself was located at the front of an outdoor mall, so for those who wanted some fresh air, it was convenient to be able to walk outside to Krispy Kreme across the street or go shop at favorite chain stores.

From each lobby branched escalators, stairs and elevators to the levels above and below. When you got upstairs, you were met with an open terrace with tall pillars and windows to match, for those looking for their photography fix, and more rooms where they had board games, video games, arcade games, and a dealer hall you need to watch your wallet in. The basement floor below stretched under the street to each side of the hotel. Lined with conference rooms, and ballrooms, the foyer was the place to be to attend panels, walk artist alley, and hang out with, and see, cosplayers.

Speaking of cosplayers, I saw some pretty incredible ones here. Sailor Moon, Dragon Ball Z, Pokemon…the variety was endless and though I am still getting to know the cosplay community in the area, I was able to meet a few new friends in Inuyasha costumes while wearing my Sango cosplay! There was a surprisingly large amount of Inuyasha cosplayers here, something that I don’t see very often from other anime cons, and it was fun to see as well as bond with others over it!

Perhaps I am meeting a new pattern here, but I was very rarely bothered by con employees and staff. Even with walking around with my giant boomerang, everyone was kind! They even conveniently provided a section before the dealer hall where cosplayers and attendees could drop off props, purchases, or anything they didn’t want to carry inside so they could browse without worrying about knocking anything over, being able to carry more, or blocking anything or getting in anyone’s way. Inside the dealer hall, everyone was asked to keep photography to a low if at all so people could still shop without worrying about walking into someones photo or blocking the pathway. It was incredibly refreshing to be able to relax and shop and not have to worry about arm space, bumping into anything, or having to pose for photos.

At an affordable price like $45 per full event badge and at a hotel in Downtown near the 16th street mall, I only see this convention growing and would recommend it to anyone in Denver or the surrounding areas to attend and satisfy that anime itch. And with a big New Years Eve party plan in the works, with renting out an entire hotel and being in the center of Downtown Denver again, the NDK name is ever-growing! Add Nan Desu Kan to your list of future cons to attend!

Until next time, happy cosplaying!

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7.4

Staff

7.5/10

Guests

7.2/10

Vendors

7.6/10

Events

7.0/10

Location

7.5/10

Pros

• Intimate
• Unique Storage For Cosplayers
• Rules To Help Shoppers
• So Much Potential

Cons

• Very Humble
• Lack of Panel Diversity