Momocon is an event I’ve attended several times before, and often because it has someone I really want to see. This year was no different, as it featured the cast of Critical Role, and Matt Mercer was someone I really wanted to sign my Fire Emblem poster. The main difference in this trip was that I decided to go for three of the four days, as they run from Thursday to Sunday. My goal wasn’t just to get autographs but to take advantage of doing fewer conventions to see what would happen if I went with a plan to do as much as I possibly could before returning home.

Starting with the guests, it’s hard to beat a guest list that includes talent as well-known as Critical Role. Then you have a wide array of additional voice actors, comic book writers, artists, a producer behind the legendary Tekken series, Studio Orange, and the list goes on and on. Most guests stayed at their tables for most of the weekend, and you could walk up and meet them. There was a lot of space given for them, and it was easy to meet everyone I wanted to see.

The cast of Critical Role operated on a reservation system, and only people with QR codes could line up at all. This is due to the high demand for the cast and to keep the crowd as manageable as possible. Each member had multiple time slots throughout the day, but that ended up being thrown out the window as autographs weren’t done before the next time slot began. Especially for those meeting multiple members of the cast around the same time. So it became more of a lineup when you could, as long as you could show you bought the autograph. Visually, it was a chaotic mess, and I was often asking questions about where I needed to be. In execution, it was surprisingly organized. Staff constantly made sure everyone was where they needed to be. They frequently checked on everyone and did what they could to keep the lines moving. It was still a massive undertaking to meet them, but a less devoted staff would have resulted in it being an absolute disaster, and that did not happen thanks to them.

The convention featured an incredible array of panels and special events spanning buildings B and C of the Georgia World Congress Center. You had a lot of panels and workshops, concerts, and a maid cafe. I ended up going to the Super Thrash Brothers concert and tried out Mirai Mirai maid cafe, which featured a concert performed by the Vtuber Chikafuji Lisa. I spurgled for the meet and greet and had a fun time meeting her. During my time enjoyed the food, the company of the people at my table, and had a relaxing time. My only complaint is that the mobile app noted the event was 45 minutes, and where it actually ran longer, I had to rush for the concert I had shortly after. Personally, I don’t think Maid Cafes are for me, but I did enjoy the music a lot.

I also tried out Momocon Night at the Aquarium, where fans could attend after hours and enjoy special collaborations with a DJ and a company that offers vodka. Now I’ve been to the Georgia Aquarium before, but this was an entirely different vibe. I walked around with a nice drink, listened to a DJ play “Sexyback” by Justin Timberlake, and took photos of fish and cosplayers. There were these amazing performances going on near the entrance that were always fun to sit down and watch. Plus, it was way less crowded, so it was far easier to walk around than on a normal day.

The vendors are what surprised me the most. I came into this event knowing they had a lot of vendors, but this felt significantly larger than any previous year. They had over 30 rows of vendors featuring an exclusive comic cover, indie games you could try out, and an overwhelming amount of merch and art. I wish I had brought a bigger suitcase, as I splurged heavily. Then you had an entirely separate hall full of games, both console and tabletop. Within this hall was a place called Hikari Plaza, which is where fans could meet all kinds of Vtuber talent throughout the weekend. I even ended up meeting someone I wrote about a while back. I spent a lot of time here meeting all kinds of new people and spent even more money on merch.

Overall, this was a very organized event, even during times when it wouldn’t look like it. There was so much to do that I barely spent any time off my feet throughout my time here. I set a goal to do as much as possible, and because Momocon had no shortage of things to do, the only limit was my own stamina, which ended up running out by the end of my time there. My legs are absolutely feeling the results of all of my walking, even as I write this. I actually planned on doing a bit more, but was just too tired to do so. This was such a massive upgrade to my experiences in previous years that I’m considering planning a trip here in 2027 and doing so early enough to get the host hotel to make things a lot easier.