Pop Culture Reflections '24: Post Covid
After a 4-year hiatus, I am happy to announce my return to RGN99. While I would love to tell all of you what I've been doing during that 4-year period, that is a story for another time. However, I will say that Covid-19 caused me to re-evaluate a lot of things in my life, including what exactly was my purpose with the world shutting down.
The 2020 lockdown was a difficult time for all of us, with businesses and other social activities temporarily shut down. Like many people, I ended up falling back on a lot of things, including my personal and professional relationships and hobbies. Looking back, I remember entering a state of depression because I felt life was over and nothing would ever be the same again. In a way, I was right, but not to the extent I had anticipated, and I am thankful for that.
Probably the most depressing realization I experienced during the Covid-19 pandemic was that I would never be able to enjoy the prospect of attending conventions again. Now, I'm well aware that conventions were still taking place in the form of virtual cons, but it just wasn’t for me. Despite the availability of virtual conventions, the appeal of attending conventions in person, with its energetic atmosphere and direct interactions, seemed irreplaceable. Additionally, while physical comic cons still existed, they were subject to strict Covid restrictions that made me question my safety. Despite my desire to experience the lively atmosphere and direct interactions, I found myself hesitant to attend due to concerns about potential health risks.
However, as I reflected on the various reasons why people attend conventions—building personal and professional relationships, promoting their careers and products, gaining insight into the latest trends, and networking with others such as voice actors, storytellers, musicians, and cosplayers from around the world— I began to appreciate the nature of these live events even more.
At 24, I attended a Comic Con (NYCC) for the first time, and I was blown away by what I saw. It was like entering a completely new world. I got to experience the joy of waiting to get into a panel, had firsthand experience with some of the latest video games coming out that year, saw amazing cosplayers in full display, and was able to see their work up close in detail. Additionally, I got to shake hands with several notable figures in the world of pop culture, including voice actor David Wald, known for roles such as Gajeel Redfox from Fairy Tail, Vetto from Black Clover, Bulat from Akame Ga Kill, and many more, as well as Steve Cardenas, known as Rocky from the Power Rangers franchise.
Covid-19 caused me to lose interest in many things, but after four years and with the world finally returning to normal, I plan to return to the world of anime, manga, video games, and pop culture.
In the beginning of this article, I mentioned that I was uncertain about the future. With the help and much-needed guidance from friends and family (Thank You So Much), I am now more optimistic than ever. I hope that anyone who is still recovering from the aftermath of Covid-19 can use this as a way to find closure and guidance for them in whatever endeavors they are currently facing
We made it.
