I’m curious to know how many of you attend anime conventions and what your experiences have been like.
I’ve been to Anime North over here in Toronto. I first started going around a decade ago and haven’t missed the convention since then (except when it was cancelled for COVID). I normally just wander around the Vendors Hall and look at all the figurines that will break my wallet if I were to buy them.
Recently I started visiting panels which I generally have avoided in the past. You’ll get some good panels that are fun, but you’ll also get some absolutely awfully-run panels that makes you question how they even got to host those panels.
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I’ve been to a handful of conventions held in the D.C. area over the last 8 or so years. I originally did a bunch of panels the first few times I went but quickly found that the quality was extremely hit or miss so now I only go to maybe one if it’s really specific to an interest of mine. The AMV contests are enjoyable though, albeit a little long.
Otherwise I spend most of my time in the vendor hall or artist gallery, checking out the cosplayers, and occasionally play some of the arcade or touhou games in the gaming hall.
Really though I couldn’t see myself going more than once or twice a year, and when I do go it’s only for a single day and not the whole weekend. It’s certainly fun and I enjoy it but after a while I run out of things I want to do or see. It does feel nice being surrounded by like minded people especially having grown up not having anyone to talk to anime with and effectively hiding my interest in it. It’s just comforting in a way.
I used to attend a lot back in the day, along the eastern seaboard. (Starting with Anime East '95 and Katsucon and Otakon in the next years, down as far south as Animazement and as far north as Anime Boston.) Now it’s really just Otakon I’ve been maintaining a yearly with. Occasionally a real-close minor one, if able.
One trip to AX in 2018, but never again! 😝
Originally I was into gophering and staffing (starting with my first con) but got out of that in 2001, and anime in general. A friend brought me back in (to conning, not anime, because Haruhi had already done that) and I picked up steam again but this time for dealer’s room and art show purposes. Other than staffing originally, it was the art show/auction that I really loved participating in.
Eventually my reasons for conning turned just to random socializing, and now it’s that and panels, and the musical guests. (My first “live concert” was at an Otakon, for Naomi Tamura, a while back. That started my habit.)
Amusingly I kinda feel an obligation towards Otakon somehow? 😝 At any rate, it’s still fun, and I’m still going with the same friends. (Though they are artists/dealers so don’t see any of the con.)
I don’t attend them because the ones near me are all shit, and I don’t have the money nor the desire to travel very far for them.
Out of curiosity, what’s so shitty about the conventions near where you live?
The guests are just not worth going. The nearest convention I’d want to attend is either Crunchyroll Expo, Otakon, or Anime NYC, and both are at least a 3 hour flight away (probably closer to 4).
