08/18/2025
An era has come to an end. Arianne and Joseph are stepping down from MC'ing shows at Otakuthon, most notably the Opening and Closing Ceremonies (hereafter the OPC & CLC).
Ari and Joe announced their retirement from their Masters of Ceremonies positions at the Otakuthon 2025 CLC, causing many people to shed tears upon hearing this news. 😢 I gasped when I heard it, and tried hard not to cry. The couple cried, as they received a standing ovation from both the audience and fellow con Staffers on stage.
Ari and Joe remained on stage following the conclusion of the CLC, meeting and reminiscing with fellow Attendees and Staffers, who surrounded the couple to personally thank them for the decade of successful and memorable MC'ing at Otakuthon. Me and Dave also went to meet Ari and Joe to thank them directly and give them a group hug.
Namely, we thanked Ari and Joe for their years of dedicated service, for both their professionalism and sense of humor, and for making the Otakuthon OPC and CLC ones of a kind. It is very remarkable that the couple and their whole team spent countless hours each year designing, writing and scripting each show from start to finish, and each presentation leaves a deep and memorable impression on every convention-goer who attended the OPCs and CLCs.
Ari and Joe's directing and MC'ing of these shows have raised their recognition, and the 2 Ceremonies have been "cannot-miss" events at Otakuthon for the past decade. The entertainment provided certainly left a deep impression on at least hundreds of con-goers, who all cried in unity during the 2 MCs retirement announcement. 😭
We will all miss them from the stage, but not from the convention! Ari and Joe will still attend Otakuthon, walking amongst the crowds, trying to blend in.
Which would be a difficult goal, since their near-celebrity status makes them near-instantly recognizable by majorities of people. 🤣 Still, me and Dave will look forward randomly crossing paths with the couple at next editions of Otakuthon!
We wish the convention will find the right MCs to replace Ari and Joe! They left an unerasable mark in the minds and hearts of everyone at Otakuthon who attended the OPCs and CLCs. They will be hard to replace, but I'm confident the Events Staff will find the right people to continue the Greatness that Ari and Joe have started and maintained when they started MC'ing a decade ago.
Good luck to Otakuthon, and all our blessings for Arianne and Joseph. ❤️
