Anime/pony Conventions

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I honestly did not know where to put this, but since this has somewhat to do with TV/film, I will put it here. Mods, if you feel otherwise, feel free to move it to someplace appropriate.
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I have been attending various anime conventions along the west coast of the United States since 2006. They've been exclusively anime-themed; but I may expand my repertoire in the future.

Among some of the conventions I have been to are SakuraCon (Seattle, my mother con), Anime Expo (Los Angeles, CA), KumoriCon (Vancouver, WA/Portland, OR), FanimeCon (San Jose, CA0 to name a few.

Each one is a surprise to me, every year I go there. It's like a big sporting event to me; so much excitement, and so many stars to see (whether it be the guests of honor or the cosplayers themselves).

I have cosplayed; and I will probably make a thread about it in the near-future. It's more of an on-the-side thing for me; I am not that much of a serious one, but I do do it out of love for the fandom.

Tell me about you and con-going here!

I posted this in the MLP general thread, but as I said, It's far too expensive for me to spent more than $1,000 just to go to a con for several days. I don't know anypony IRL who is into MLP either, so there's also that.

I've been going to a huge local anime con for years. I used to go because I was crazy for anime, but nowadays I go because I'm an artist and I sell in the artist alley. I'm trying to expand my horizons by going to new cons this and next year. Finally! I've only been selling for like 4 years.

The con I go to has expanded with its fanbase and now offers a lot of other things besides anime. When I stopped liking anime that much, I started going for the music and fashion. Now, I mostly just go to sell my art. I like older anime and manga, and I don't like dubs, so there is virtually never any guest or star who I really want to see anymore. In the past, they used to get actual Japanese artists and voice actors, but nowadays I guess dubs and North American productions are more popular with the current fans. Either that, or they're just cheaper to invite.

I've always wanted to cosplay--I wish I'd done it when I was younger and had more time to learn how to sew, and when everyone else was just starting out and cons weren't so full of cosplay elitists. There is a lot of elitism at my local con for pretty much every fandom or hobby. That's the only big downside of it.

I went to Anime Expo this year. Had a terrific time, got Monica Rial's autograph. Can't wait to go next year.

As for the MLP conventions, all I can say is, I'm not a Brony, and I think the Spill Crew said it best about this sort of thing on their podcasts. (I won't quote, so if you're into Spill.com like I am, just listen to the more recent ACOCO or Let's Do This.)

I'm a brony, went to my first con last week (BUCK) had a great time! my friend, who's not a brony (but he watches a lot of anime) went along to take photos and film the event, he said he enjoyed it because it had a similar vibe to an anime con.

I do like some anime and Manga (Dragon Ball/DBZ, One Piece, Gundam, Akira, Doctor Slump, Studio Ghibli) I'd like to go to an anime con sometime, even though i don't know a great deal about the anime fandom i still find it interesting.

I have another con to attend do later this week: KumoriCon in Vancouver, WA, near Portland, OR.

was at Manifest (Melbourne Anime Festival) 2012 recently. It was really fun. I have a Totoro jumpsuit which I wore to the con

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ew3_ZRfxcPM
This song was playing a lot

My Little Pony is very popular along with Adventure Time.

Next convention is Armageddon Melbourne 2012 which is in October.

I had been to a few when I was in high school and college, anime conventions. Sakura-con used to be in a different location around the Seattle area every year back then. They also had a couple off beat anime cons around here back then as well that never seemed to return after the first or second one, please excuse me if I can't remember their names. There was a Robot Con here awhile back I have no idea if it continues or not. Then theres the ever ubiquitous Norwescon if you have a penchant for anything that most consider bazaar from anime fetishism and Furries to excuses for transgenders to run around openly in public wearing either as little as possible or outfits meant to accentuate their idea of their ideal fashion (not that I have a specific problem with this, just be prepared for it if you ever attend, I wasn't the first time I went).....

For the most part I can't say Ive ever been that enamored of conventions. Too many people I guess not really spending enough time IMHO on the things they proclaim to love, always rushing from one pre-planned event to the next. I kinda feel like conventions end up being more an excuse to, metaphorically "Rub up against people that are more likely to have a shared interest with you" then it is to actually do much else. Theres only so much analyzation, discussion, or outpouring of support you can give to something before it just seems to become superfluous to me.....

I have NEVER understood the celebrity thing.... To me, once an actor lends their body or voice to a character, for the duration of that performance they ARE that character, and they can either do the character justice or not. Representing that Character to its fullest (With acceptance of different interpretations of different characters by different people) is the least they can do, and failing that just means the production should never be reproduced (I realize Im probably pretty harsh in my views compared to most, but then i don't pay $20 a pop to go see movies in theaters, believing it to be an enormous self-perpetuating rip-off too).

All that said, some of the events can be ok, particularly if they're centered around group constructivity (Team play on video games for instance, Cosplay though Ive only watched never participated, Model building/discussion, etc etc). The vendor rooms are always worth a visit, if only for the novelty of seeing how much people will pay for a lump of plastic (Im all for encouraging artists and fan-dom(up to a point), and what not, but honestly some of the prices people want to charge for things at these conventions is ludicrous).

I think mostly my issues with fan-dom stem from the difference between being a Fan and being obsessed. That when I like something, I want to experience what it is, and thats it. I dont want to create (or attend really) an echo chamber for it and proclaim how awesome I think it is to the approval of everyone else in the room/building with little or no further experience of the object or initial experience in and of itself..... When I like an anime, or a Manga, or a Manhwa (Sp), or a book/movie/Story/videogame etc etc, I want to focus on it, and only it, until Im done with it. Afterwards Ill think about it for up to days or weeks or even months and assimilate the experience I had with it and whatever conclusions I took from it into my conciousness and emotional state.... Then I pretty much want to move on and do something else if I can. I generally only return to things if two conditions are met A:I REALLY enjoyed it the first time B:Im REALLY Bored, or REALLY curious about something Ive been thinking about in regards to it (Usually the previous, not the latter). The only real exception to this is if I can actually go live out whatever it was and Im interested enough, and/or able, to do it.

Trains as a random example, I can go see, and even take rides around in the cab, or if I really wanted to pursue it go work for a railroad (If I could put up with the working conditions). Magical Girls and Giant Mecha robots? I've looked, there is no way to actually live either of those atm, though M.I.T was working on a carbon composite that could have actually led to a material that could have actuated giant robots.... Regardless, at this point in time no body is capable of waving a magic wand and defeating thousands of demons, or speaking into a mic to summon a giant metamorphosing cat robot of awesomeness, etc etc etc etc ad nauseaum. If anyone is, I beg you to PM me with contact information and we can arrange a viewing and I might be interested. Be ready to prove it though, unless you want to pay for my airline tickets and vacation......

Ta,
Aldran

So I went to KumoriCon this past weekend..... lots of fun, what can I say?

Thought I'd post some con pics I have taken this year:

SakuraCon 2012 (my home con, Seattle, WA): https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set ... 3f9f6280fa
FanimeCon 2012 (San Jose, CA): https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set ... 6164b16bd2

I love anime conventions mlp not my thing though. Im an Otaku but not a brony.

For more info on anime cons near you, I suggest animecons.com.

Oh; I have pics of the other cons I have gone to in the past, if you want them, just ask me.

Haven't been to Manifest for ages but I attend Armageddon Expo every year. I love going to cons just for people watching (cosplay) and meeting genre actors and stuff not to mention shopping. For some strange reason I find it easy to just strike up a conversation with random people at these events than any other time. Guess because we are all there for the same thing I guess.

I'd like to go to one. Soon, maybe, at least before mid 2013.

I have never been to a normal comic-oriented con, but those would be nice to visit.....