![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
So I haven't posted in a while, and I said that when that happened, I would try to post one of my old articles for Bay Area Anime. I'll start with the one I wrote about Fanime, since it was never published on the site.
Fanime: A First-Time Convention Experience
When I first arrived at the Santa Clara Convention Center, I immediately felt as if I was entering another world, a world filled with colorful people in wildly varied garb, talking excitedly and rushing exuberantly here and there. Although it was not my first time at a convention, it was my first time at an anime convention, and I was not sure what to expect. I had prepared as best I could; I had reviewed the schedule on the website, highlighting the panels and events I wanted to attend, I had looked at pictures from Fanime in the past as well as from other conventions, and I had thought about other conventions I had attended (mostly tabletop gaming conventions) and tried to imagine how Fanime might be similar and different. However, no matter how much one prepares, reality always challenges one's expectations.
There were so many things to see and do! There were several rooms of video programming, at least a couple of panels and workshops every hour, the dealers' room, video arcade, PC gaming, art show, live music, and, of course, the cosplayers. Oh yes, the cosplayers. I had seen photos online and been impressed, but the pictures don't really convey how many there are, or how incredibly intricate many of their costumes are. It made me feel almost as if I had stepped into an anime world.There were Vashes and Sailor Scouts, samurai and Kaonashis, and many, many catgirls and catboys, some very simple, consisting mainly of cat ears and gloves, and some extremely elaborate, with beautifully molded masks and full body suits. In addition to anime there were also video game and J-rock cosplayers.
To other convention first-timers, I recommend looking at the schedule ahead of time as I did, and highlighting the events and programs that seem interesting. You can always change your mind later, but a general plan of attack will make things easier and help keep you from feeling overwhelmed. There were panels and workshops on a great many topics, some presented by industry representatives and some presented by fans like ourselves. A few of the highlights for me were the panel on the history of Gainax, presented by some of their staff (with the assistance of a translator) and including a Q&A session, a panel on Japanese history and culture presented by local author Gilles Poitras and fan panel on the all-female Takarazuka Theatre group (who have done a variety of musicals, including Rose of Versailles, based on the manga). If you're interested in getting freebies, I recommend attending the industry panels and come prepared to ask questions - at the Pioneer panel I attended, the representative gave everyone who attended a pencil board and everyone who asked a question also received an additional anime goodie. I also recommend double-checking the schedule, as I ended up missing the Bandai panel because it was re-scheduled for an earlier time.
I didn't catch much of the video programming, mostly because I can watch most of it at home at another time and there were so many other things to do. There were always quite a few people watching whenever I did go, though, and it did make for nice break when I was feeling a bit tired or overwhelmed. I particularly appreciated the Asian Film Theater (I watched 'The Eye' and 'Inner Senses' two Hong Kong ghost films). I wish there had been some Jdorama programming, though, and I hope they consider adding it next year.
There were also some game shows and contests, most of which I missed, though at Der Cosplay (the cosplay event, where cosplayers display their costumes, usually in conjunction with a brief, entertaining skit) they showed the winners of the Anime Music Video contest and the AMV Iron Chef contest.
All in all, Fanime was a wonderful first-time anime convention experience, and I can't see any reason for anime fans in the Bay Area not to attend. Remember to prepare and and expect to have a lot of fun and meet some really interesting people.
If any of you more experienced convention-goers have any other advice, tips and tricks, or just want to discuss the con, please feel free to share them.
Fanime: A First-Time Convention Experience
When I first arrived at the Santa Clara Convention Center, I immediately felt as if I was entering another world, a world filled with colorful people in wildly varied garb, talking excitedly and rushing exuberantly here and there. Although it was not my first time at a convention, it was my first time at an anime convention, and I was not sure what to expect. I had prepared as best I could; I had reviewed the schedule on the website, highlighting the panels and events I wanted to attend, I had looked at pictures from Fanime in the past as well as from other conventions, and I had thought about other conventions I had attended (mostly tabletop gaming conventions) and tried to imagine how Fanime might be similar and different. However, no matter how much one prepares, reality always challenges one's expectations.
There were so many things to see and do! There were several rooms of video programming, at least a couple of panels and workshops every hour, the dealers' room, video arcade, PC gaming, art show, live music, and, of course, the cosplayers. Oh yes, the cosplayers. I had seen photos online and been impressed, but the pictures don't really convey how many there are, or how incredibly intricate many of their costumes are. It made me feel almost as if I had stepped into an anime world.There were Vashes and Sailor Scouts, samurai and Kaonashis, and many, many catgirls and catboys, some very simple, consisting mainly of cat ears and gloves, and some extremely elaborate, with beautifully molded masks and full body suits. In addition to anime there were also video game and J-rock cosplayers.
To other convention first-timers, I recommend looking at the schedule ahead of time as I did, and highlighting the events and programs that seem interesting. You can always change your mind later, but a general plan of attack will make things easier and help keep you from feeling overwhelmed. There were panels and workshops on a great many topics, some presented by industry representatives and some presented by fans like ourselves. A few of the highlights for me were the panel on the history of Gainax, presented by some of their staff (with the assistance of a translator) and including a Q&A session, a panel on Japanese history and culture presented by local author Gilles Poitras and fan panel on the all-female Takarazuka Theatre group (who have done a variety of musicals, including Rose of Versailles, based on the manga). If you're interested in getting freebies, I recommend attending the industry panels and come prepared to ask questions - at the Pioneer panel I attended, the representative gave everyone who attended a pencil board and everyone who asked a question also received an additional anime goodie. I also recommend double-checking the schedule, as I ended up missing the Bandai panel because it was re-scheduled for an earlier time.
I didn't catch much of the video programming, mostly because I can watch most of it at home at another time and there were so many other things to do. There were always quite a few people watching whenever I did go, though, and it did make for nice break when I was feeling a bit tired or overwhelmed. I particularly appreciated the Asian Film Theater (I watched 'The Eye' and 'Inner Senses' two Hong Kong ghost films). I wish there had been some Jdorama programming, though, and I hope they consider adding it next year.
There were also some game shows and contests, most of which I missed, though at Der Cosplay (the cosplay event, where cosplayers display their costumes, usually in conjunction with a brief, entertaining skit) they showed the winners of the Anime Music Video contest and the AMV Iron Chef contest.
All in all, Fanime was a wonderful first-time anime convention experience, and I can't see any reason for anime fans in the Bay Area not to attend. Remember to prepare and and expect to have a lot of fun and meet some really interesting people.
If any of you more experienced convention-goers have any other advice, tips and tricks, or just want to discuss the con, please feel free to share them.
