Cosplayers, Gothic Lolitas, Harajuku Girls, and Otakus aplenty gathered at the Hilton Mesa on Friday, January 4, for the kickoff of Taiyou Con, the annual three-day extravaganza dedicated to anime, manga, video games, and Japanese pop culture. Colorful and wild ensembles were in abundance as participants donned costumes resembling their favorite characters from such videos, shows, and web-comics as Hetalia: Axis Powers, InuYasha, Dragon Ball Z, and Sgt. Frog.
Photos by Benjamin Leatherman