Nan Desu Kan

Have fun at Starfest!

Submitted by Jinnie on April 19, 2012 at 9:21 PM

It's time for Denver's biggest science fiction convention! Starfest 2012 is this weekend at the DTC Marriott, Hilton and Hyatt.

Guests include Jonathan Frakes, J. G. Hertzler, John Noble, Robert O’Reilly, David Prowse, Jed Rowen, Jewel Staite, Guy Vardaman and Dee Wallace, as well as numerous other VIPs. See their website for the complete list.

Join us in supporting our friends at Starland and their multi-venue Starfest, ComicFest, DigiFest, GameFest, HorrorFest and RoboFest.

Have fun!

(RMAA/NDK and Starland/Starfest are separate organizations, this is a courtesy post to support a friend.)

Watch Redline with NDK at the Denver Film Center!

Submitted by Jinnie on March 20, 2012 at 6:58 PM

The Denver Film Society is showing the anime film Redline at the Denver Film Center (just off Colfax, downtown Denver) on March 31 at 10pm.

Join NDK's Jeremy at the Saturday showing at 9pm and find our table for a free gift. Cosplaying? You'll also get an additional bonus NDK keychain!

Redline is the directorial debut of Takeshi Koike (key animator: Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust, Trigun: Badlands Rumble, Iron Man). The 2009 science fiction auto racing anime film was produced by groundbreaking Japanese studio Madhouse.

Buy your tickets ($7) in advance at the Denver Film Society's website.

Redline is also being shown March 30 (Friday) at 10pm. We'll be at the Saturday showing only. The film is in Japanese, with English subtitles.

Hope to see you there! You can also invite your friends to our official Facebook Event.

Signups now available; farewell to Greg

Submitted by Jinnie on March 4, 2012 at 8:56 PM

Panels, Artists Alley and Press Signup Info

It's time to sign up! Read below to learn how to sign up for press, panels and Artists Alley.

Panel signups will go through 10 p.m. on July 15, 2012. Just like last year, it's a two-step process. We heard last year that panelists wanted more time to submit their ideas, so this gives everyone more than four months to get your panels in. We will not accept any submissions after July 15.

Submit your panel here. Have questions? Post on the forums before submitting your ideas.

Artists Alley submissions end at 6 p.m. on March 18, 2012. If you can't get everything together right away, don't worry. You have 2 weeks! Artist Alley submissions are not first-come first-served.

Submit your application here. You can also see the rules and FAQ for further information. Post any questions there as well.

Are you a member of the media? Press registration is now available, through August 1. See the Press Policy for more information and a link to Press registration.

And finally, we also have updated rules for both the Cosplay Costume Contest and the Atrium Balcony Decorating Contest.

Looking for Cosplay or AMV signups? Cosplay applications will begin August 18. AMV signups begin later this Spring.

Goodbye, Greg Hines

With regret, we announce the departure of Greg Hines from the Board of Directors. Greg’s invaluable contributions to NDK began almost a decade ago. In his 8-year staff tenure, Greg rose rapidly up the ranks from a volunteer to President of the Board of Directors. He leaves with a legacy of tremendous accomplishments with the website and a variety of special projects.

We will miss him dearly and wish him the very best in his future.

The Marriott has sold out, here's our official overflow hotel

Submitted by Jinnie on January 30, 2012 at 1:04 AM

The Marriott has been completely booked in just three days, our fastest record ever! It truly makes our day to see everyone's excitement.

We've partnered with the Hyatt Regency Denver Tech Center as our official overflow hotel for NDK's Sweet 16 (Sept. 14-16, 2012). In addition to offering NDK attendees exclusive discounts on room rates (some rooms even include breakfast and Internet!), they will also be donating a portion of their proceeds to our charity of choice for the year.

Reserve your room using their PassKey link. Do not call the Hyatt directly. If you do, you won't be guaranteed our discounted rates.

The Hyatt is the area's only AAA Four Diamond awardee. Hotel guests also have access to free parking (Marriott guests will pay a discounted rate of $5 per day), a free shuttle within a 5 mile radius, refrigerators in every room, multiple restaurants and pools and more. According to Google, the Hyatt is a 12-minute walk from the Marriott (.7 miles).

There are other hotels in the area, but the Hyatt is the only official overflow for NDK 2012. Of course, the convention is still 8 months away, and we may still make other arrangements. We'll let you know if we do.

Atrium and standard rooms sold out, outer balcony still available

Submitted by Jinnie on January 26, 2012 at 2:01 PM

And we have a new record! You can still book the rest of the hotel for the nights of the con, but inner atrium rooms and standard rooms are gone. Outer balcony rooms are still available.

Because the convention is so far away, cancellations are still possible. If so, PassKey will open options back up. Check back with it every now and then. (We will, too.) We'll also post information about our official overflow hotels soon.

We're hearing feedback from a lot of you on our technical difficulties today, and we're really sorry. This is the first year we've announced a time in advance (by request) and we'll definitely look into ways of improving the process for next year. As of now, atrium is sold out but the rest of the hotel is still available for the dates of the con.

As an apology, we will be entering every non-atrium room into a drawing. The winning room will be free for the nights of the con. We'll have more details closer to the convention.

It's time to book your room!

Submitted by Jinnie on January 26, 2012 at 1:08 PM

Here's the link to reserve a room at our home hotel, the Marriott DTC, for NDK's Sweet 16: Sept. 14-16, 2012.

Do not call the Marriott to reserve a hotel room. If you do, your room reservation may not be guaranteed. Room reservations are handled through a third-party booking service (PassKey), so you should only use the link provided above for reserving your room.

We highly recommend you reserve a room as soon as possible. It's free of charge to do so, and you can cancel it at anytime if need be. You will need to enter credit card info to secure the reservation, but your card won't be charged. (You'll be asked to show that card at the hotel to verify your reservation.)

Have questions about booking and need a fast answer? Try the Hotel FAQ first.

Good luck!

Stay tuned! Hotel link imminent

Submitted by Jinnie on January 23, 2012 at 2:08 PM

As requested last year, here's your advance notice/warning: we will release the link to book hotel rooms at the Marriott DTC this Thursday, Jan. 26, at 12pm sharp (MT).

The link will be posted here on our front page and under Location, on the forums, our Facebook Page and Twitter channel.

Last year, Atrium rooms sold out in 36 minutes and the entire hotel was booked in a matter of weeks, months before con. Be ready!

And if this is still a little early for you, there will still be options later on in the year. After the Marriott sells out, we'll release info for our official overflow hotels.

NDK NYE 2011 Pretty-Big Update

Submitted by Jinnie on December 29, 2011 at 6:54 PM

It's finally time for our third annual NDK NYE! Joining us at our Costume Ball to welcome the Year of the Dragon? Here's what you need to know.

New Location

NDK NYE has moved across town to the Renaissance Denver Hotel. We won't be sharing the new hotel with anyone!

Parking is free, even for overnight. A coat check and prop check will also be available.

How to Get In

On-site admission and pre-registration will both open at 6:00 p.m. in the main lobby. On-site registration is just $20, cash or credit cards accepted. If you pre-registered, please have your ID ready in order to pick up your wristband. NDK NYE is one of the few, if not only, late-night New Year's events in the Denver Metro area to welcome all ages.

Registration will close at 10:00 p.m. sharp, so don't be too late! You'll still be able to pick up your wristband if you pre-registered, but you won't be able to purchase wristbands after that time.

Dance Lessons

We'll be providing complimentary dance lessons from 5:00 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. in the ballroom. You don't need a wristband to attend the dance lessons. Nor will the dress code be enforced during this time.

Food and Drinks

The Renaissance will be recreating the special Asian menu originally provided by the Marriott for sale inside the ballroom. No single item will be over $6. Additionally, the new hotel has 3 restaurants and room service from 6 a.m. to midnight. (there's also an early morning McDonald's, Del Taco and Sonic 5-10 minutes away).

Please note that all food/soda sales in the ballroom are cash only. We recommend bringing cash with you to the hotel, but there's also an ATM upstairs in the lobby if you need it. The hotel will have alcoholic drinks for purchase upstairs as well, and plenty of cool-down seating for waiting parents. They will be checking IDs prior to purchase.

Charity Games

We're proud to be working with voice actress Stephanie Sheh's We Heart Japan aid group this year. We'll be donating all charity proceeds to their charity of choice, JCIE and their Japan NGO Earthquake Relief and Recovery Fund. JCIE/USA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization operating in the United States.

Try your luck at kingyo-sukui (fake goldfish scooping) or wanage (ring toss). Write your own omikuji (fortunes) with an NDK twist: tie it to the Tree of Luck. Each attempt will be $1 (or three tries at each game/three fortunes for $5). The charity booth opens at 6:00 p.m.

Charity Casino

Try your hand at poker, blackjack or roulette! The Casino is open 7-11 p.m. Not sure how to play? We'll teach you, beginning at 6 p.m. The casino is free to play, though (generous) donations for JCIE are happily accepted. We'll also accept online credit card donations for them.

Skilled? Double your chips for a free raffle ticket (1 raffle ticket per every 500 points) and win fabulous prizes, including a free weekend pass to NDK 2012. Winners will be announced after the balloon drop (approx. 12:15 a.m.).

Photo Booth

CG Photography will be on hand for exclusive, professional photos to commemorate the occasion, beginning at 7 p.m. Digital photos are only $10! Please visit the forums for more information.

Costume Contest

Entering the Ball Royalty contest? All entrants must personally visit Katie at the contest booth between 7:30-8:30 p.m. Entrants must also be in the ballroom at 10:30 p.m. when the winners are announced. We'll select an Emperor and Empress, Prince and Princess and a Royal Court (a group of 2-6). Want to learn what you could win?

Dress Code

Once again, we'd like to remind you about the dress code requirements for this event. This is a semi-formal event and we'll be strictly enforcing the dress code. If your clothes or costume don't adhere to the dress code requirements, you'll be turned away at the door and refunded your ticket price. If you're not sure whether what you're wearing meets the dress code requirements, you may want to read through this thread to see answers to questions others may have. (We won't be able to answer any further questions, however. Sorry.)

Weather and Driving

The weather forecast looks great! Aside from possible winds, it should be a nice, mild weekend. See you at the Ball!

Dance, Casino and more! NDK NYE pre-reg deadline: 12/20

Submitted by Jinnie on December 19, 2011 at 12:22 AM

Save $5 and pre-register for NDK NYE! Pre-registration ends at 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 20.

Want to wait until after Christmas to register? It'll be $20 at the door, cash and credit cards accepted.

In addition to the new hotel (we won't be sharing this new hotel with any other large event), free parking, new charity fortunes and the popular (fake) goldfish scooping charity games, we'll be debuting something new: the charity casino. Try your luck with poker, blackjack or roulette! It's free to play, but donations are gladly accepted.

By the way, we're working with former guests Stephanie Sheh and Steve Yun for this year's NYE charity beneficiary. In association with their aid group, We Heart Japan, we'll be donating all charity proceeds to their organization of choice, the Japan Center for International Exchange (JCIE) and their Japan NGO Earthquake Relief and Recovery Fund. JCIE/USA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization operating in the United States.

Don't miss the NYE hotel deadline!

Submitted by Jinnie on November 29, 2011 at 1:01 AM

This Wednesday, Nov. 30, is the last day to book your room for NDK NYE! Our new location, the Renaissance Denver Hotel is offering a special starting rate of just $79 for up to four people.

To make reservations for NDK NYE, please call 1-800-468-3571 and say you are with "NDK NYE" or "Nan Desu Kan" to get the room rate. If you don't say that, you won't get our rate!

Do not call the hotel's local number. If you do, your room reservation is not guaranteed.

This year, NDK NYE will be moving across town to the Renaissance Denver Hotel. The 3.5-star hotel features free wireless Internet, free parking, three restaurants, 24-hour room service, an extensive plug-in panel for game consoles, laptops, etc. inside each room, as well as a free shuttle for DIA and nearby shopping areas (Quebec Square and Northfield Stapleton).

NDK NYE will not be sharing the new hotel with any other event.

Have dress code questions?
We know there are a lot of questions about dress code and we're here to help. We've updated our dress code rules to be clearer and more specific. Feel free to post any on the forums.