Dramacon

    (Tokyopop, 2005)
™ and © 2005 Svetlana Chmakova

It’s fan-writer Christie’s first anime con with her first boyfriend who’s also her artistic partner on her first comic, but nothing goes as planned, as she deals with his flirtations and her own insecurities. Then, she meets Matt, the dark cosplaying stranger with a tragic past who’s understanding and sympathetic, yet irritates her so much it’s obvious love must be waiting in the wings for them.

Dramacon does a good job of detailing joys and pitfalls of a con experience—including gross traveling companions, buying too much stuff, and meeting a pro who gives you feedback on your work. This material may be a little too “inside” for a mass audience but it’s likely to be rich wish-fulfillment for readers who are dreaming of going to their first con.

The first half is pleasant enough, but there’s a turn of events that’ll leave you emotionally raw, capturing perfectly the universal feeling of being young and trying to find your way. Genuinely heartfelt, it’s also beautifully drawn and skillfully told.

— S. A. Bennett

From the Publisher: When Christie settles in the Artist Alley of her first ever anime convention, she only sees it as an opportunity to promote the comic she had started with her boyfriend. But conventions are never what you expect and soon the whirlwind of events sweeps Christie off her feet and changes her life. Who is the mysterious cosplayer that won't even take off his sunglasses indoors? What do you do when you fall in love with a guy who is going to be miles away from you in just a couple of days?
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