4 Awesome Things to Come Out of NexCon 2

What a difference a year makes!

Last year's NexCon was fun if not a bit small-ish, but just like modern comic books, the ultimate celebration of science fiction and fantasy in the Philippines took everything it did right, added more things to do right, and turned it up all the way to 11 this 2015, resulting in NexCon 2: Heroes Rising!

I was there for both days and let me tell you, I don't think I'll be going to any other con any time soon (and it's not just because I'm out of money). NexCon 2 was the proverbial breath of fresh air the local convention scene needed, and it resulted in some of the best con-going moments this geek has ever had.

Here are four of the awesome things to come out of arguably one of the best conventions of the year.

THE COSPLAY

There were more cosplayers in this year's NexCon. Way more, as Reskiy's video above shows (my girlfriend and I even get some good screen time in!), which made the con much more fun to roam around in. From Game of Thrones to Marvel and DC, Star Wars to Supernatural, Big Hero 6 to Doctor Who, NexCon had them all in spades and droves!

What's even better is that online chatter about the cosplay environment in NexCon 2 has been overwhelmingly positive, so kudos to NexCon 2 for making the convention not just fun but also safe for cosplayers.

THE LIP SYNC KOMBAT

NexCon 2 did its own version of the wildly popular Lip Sync Battle, this time made even better because it had pop culture characters performing some of the cheesiest hits known to man!

Some of NexCon 2's most memorable moments came from the Lip Sync Kombat, with match ups like Iron Man vs. Captain America and Asuka Langley vs Castiel from Supernatural (seen above) chewing scenery and trying to one-up the other in over-the-top displays of lip-synching mastery! And the fun part? Everyone was singing along with them.

THE "TAGALIZED" DOCTOR WHO

Unbeknownst to many, there's a secret battle raging on about whether Doctor Who should be aired as is or "Tagalized" (dubbed in Filipino, our national language). Enter Noel Urbano and Louie Paraboles, Filipino voice acting veterans and panelists of NexCon's Tagalize This! panel. After talking about their experiences in the Philippine dubbing industry, they gave us a treat we won't soon forget: a live dub-over of a scene from the Doctor Who episode Day of the Doctor!

At that point, no one has heard Doctor Who being translated to Filipino before, much less dubbed over in it, but thanks to Urbano, Paraboles, panel moderator Cyrus the Virus (who is an accomplished radio personality and singer himself), and two of my Whovian friends (hi Janir and Kat!), we were given a "Tagalized" Doctor Who that is both faithful and tastefully done. We now have definitive proof that Doctor Who can be "Tagalized", and it can be done well!

THE MOMENTS WE WILL REMEMBER

Photo courtesy of Happy Hariography.

Some of us don't think about it too much when we shell out Php250 for a con entrance. Maybe you'd think "I'm here to look at stuff, maybe buy a trinket or two, and then leave."

Not in NexCon 2.

The main thing that separates NexCon from every other local con is the people. As one friend of mine put it best, "It actually feels like one big geek party at someone's house. If not everyone is your friend, they become one." It's like everyone is on the same wavelength, all of you are there to celebrate your fandom. Two cosplayers dressed as the same Doctor Who character? They won't just high-five each other, they could end up being great friends after!

 Photo courtesy of Jin (behindinfinity)

And the quality of the crowd lead to some memorable moments I haven't seen from any other convention since. Ben Affleck's Batman hugged Man of Steel's Superman on stage, Budjette Tan had his pic taken with Trese herself, and popular cosplayer Jin Joson invited the crowd to help her re-enact the microbots scene from Big Hero 6 (as seen above)!

These are just some of the awesome things to come out of NexCon 2: Heroes Rising. If you weren't there, you missed out big time, but hopefully next year we'll see you and we'll party together, yeah?

Got any more interesting and awesome moments to share from NexCon 2? Leave a comment below and let's spaz about it like the fanboys/fangirls that we are! Thanks for reading!