I don’t think this would be relatable to too many people, but watching The Boy and the Heron last night, I was hit with a really strong sensory memory.

When Otakon was based in Baltimore, they’d use some of the bigger panel halls as “Video 1”, and it’s where they’d show movies, sometimes even on 35mm. Understandably, I’d go there a lot. I got to see Seven Samurai and My Neighbor Totoro this way.

You’d walk in to this cavernous room and wait for the movie to start. Sure, there maybe was a packed audience, but all was quiet. The only noise was the air conditioning kicking in. The lights were low, and the air was cold.

You’d come out 2 hours later, to a warm, loud convention hall, people laughing, people having a great time. It was such a juxtaposition, you truly felt like you came out from underground to a new world.

…I kinda miss that.