Last summer in Los Angeles was the 20th anniversary of Anime Expo – the #1 convention in North America. It was a 4-day bonanza of Japanese culture. I’ve attended various cons and events in Canada and Japan, including Anime North in Toronto and the famed Comiket in Tokyo, but AX2011 was my first event in the USA. Straight off the bat, I could say that the scale was quite impressive, not as large as…..
READ MORE
We arrived at the first AM² event ever with high hopes and even higher expectations. Heading toward the Anaheim Convention Center brought back a flood of memories. The first anime convention/event that I ever attended was here, and now that original event was elsewhere. But I was back and this time it was a new beginning.
READ MORE
Sakura Con 2011 was quite the experience. It takes place in Seattle, WA, and is the largest anime con in the Northwest. With a massive crowd in the tens of thousands, it pulls out all the stops, almost being overwhelming at times. However, that leaves you with plenty to do and plan for, and it is definitely worth it.
READ MORE
Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA. April 22 – April 24, 2011. Reporter(s): Chyanime I received the OK for my first Anime
READ MORE
When convention organizers Jon Russo and Peter Bares announced at the opening ceremonies of MechaCon V that they would be relocating from Lafayette, LA to New Orleans, LA, I must admit that I was skeptical. This wasn’t just a move from one facility to another in the same city but rather a move from one city to another, two hours east. On the surface this seemed like a brilliant move; New Orleans is no doubt bigger…….
READ MORE
Kumoricon is a convention like any other, but it holds a special place in my heart. Set right in the heart of downtown Portland, it’s the biggest anime con in Oregon and one of the largest in the Northwest, second only to the well-known Sakuracon in Seattle. Kumoricon is special to me because it’s everything I love right in the city of my birth, so it feels like home.
READ MORE
My last time at Katsucon, it was my first time attending a convention on the East Coast; I didn’t know anyone who was going to be there, and I was already tired out from a 12 hour bus ride to get there. Even so, the convention managed to exceed my expectations, and I had a great time. This year saw Katsucon (nicknamed KatSNOWcon by many, due to the fact that it took place during the snowpocalypse of…..
READ MORE
There’s a certain level of expectation that arises from attending a convention that is self-titled as “colossal”: impressive events, engaging panels, astounding cosplay, big-name guests, and a venue to match. This being my first time to both Colossalcon and the Kalahari Resort in Sandusky, Ohio where the con took place, I was expecting something on par with the size of Ohayocon, in both physical con space and attendance numbers.
READ MORE
Once you’ve been to about two or three anime conventions, bets are you know what to expect before you arrive on the scene. However, this was not true for Cosplay Day Out 2010, an outdoor picnic event held in Humble, Texas for cosplayers to have a day of fun. Why might this be, you ask? Simply put, there are not many major cosplay picnic events of significant size out there, and not many people really ever mention their experiences at one. In fact, a quick Google search brings up a handful of cosplay picnic events, and most of those are not in America, or are small and intended for local anime clubs. So what compelled me to make the four hour drive from Lafayette, Louisiana to Humble, Texas to check out Cosplay Day Out?
READ MORE
This year marked my eighth Anime Expo, the ninth anniversary of the first year I attended, and my eleventh con overall. In these eight years, I have attended and graduated high school and college, worked full-time and supported myself, and most recently, started preparing for a new career as an English teacher in Japan. My anime fandom has waxed and waned several times over, as has my participation in the online community.
READ MORE