#animecon 2015

[frameobsessions]

Animecon! Hetkinen, mikä niistä?

Linkitän tässä tekstissä usein Twitteriin tai Facebookiin, mutta olen pyrkinyt parhaani mukaan etsimään muitakin lähteitä. Esimerkiksi useat vanhat nettisivut on jo lakanneet toimimasta, joka teki lähteiden löytämisestä haastavaa. Kore wa saatana no työmaa.

Vanhemmalle harrastajalle Animeconin historia voi olla tuttua, joten kerrataan! Mitä uudistuneelta Animeconilta voisi odottaa? Onko coneista blogaaminen vielä kiinnostavaa?

Kipinän tähän pohdintaan sai alkunsa aivan kesäkuun lopussa somekanaviin ilmestynyt “täysin uudistettu ja uudella porukalla tehty Animecon” joka järjestetään ensi kesänä Jyväskylän Paviljongissa. Instagramissa ihmettelin heti alkuun miten conilla voi olla jo yli 900 seuraajaa, kun Twitterissä seuraajia on vain muutama. Asiaa selittää pienellä päättelyllä se että kyseessä onkin hiljattain lopettaneen Urumin Helsingin liikkeen sivu, profiili on vain uusittu. Kai näinkin voi tehdä?

                                       Urumihan se siellä.

Conin nimi herätti jonkin verran keskustelua, sillä Animecon ei ole mitenkään erityisen omaperäinen ja nimeen liittyy paljon negatiivisia mielleyhtymiä. Nettisivujen y-tunnusta tutkimalla saa selville, että tapahtuman takana onkin varsin tuore Animecon World Oy.

Animeconin historiasta

Tähän mennessä olleet Animeconit voisi jakaa kolmeen osaan: Finnconin kyljessä olleeseen sivutapahtumaan, Nekocon Ry:n järjestämiin ja Suomen Con-Tapahtumat Oy:n järjestämiin coneihin. Animeconin historia juontaa vuoteen 1999, jolloin se järjestettiin ensimmäisen kerran Finnconin yhteydessä. Animecon ja Finncon kiersivät paikkakuntia, lisäksi Aconia järjestävä porukka vaihtui joka vuosi. Nimen omisti pitkään Turun Animeseura. Lopulta tapahtuma irtaantui Finnconista ja järjestäjätaho vaihtui kokonaan. Nekocon Ry:n Animecon järjestettiin vuosina 2012-15 Kuopion Musiikkikeskuksella ja 2016 Jyväskylän Paviljongissa. Nekocon Ry on edelleen aktiivinen ja järjestää tällä hetkellä Kuopiossa Nekoconia. Suomen Con-Tapahtumat Oy eli SCT pyörähti eloon vuonna 2016. Ensimmäinen SCT:n Animecon pidettiin Kuopiossa 2017 ja seuraavan kerran 2018 Helsingin Messukeskuksella. SCT ehti järjestämään myös Umiconin Turussa (linkki 1, linkki 2) vuoden 2018 helmikuussa. Conikavalkadiin kuului myös muotipainotteinen Puricon, joka oli tarkoitus järjestää ensin 2017, mutta se lykkääntyi ja siirtyi vuodelle 2018. Lopulta Puricon peruttiin kokonaan alhaisen kysynnän vuoksi. Animeconin taival SCT:n alla loppuikin toukokuussa 2019, kun ilmoitettiin ettei tapahtumaa järjestetä seuraavaan kahteen vuoteen. Yrityksen toiminta on sittemmin kaatunut konkurssiin tapahtumasta syntyneiden velkojen vuoksi. Kuoppaiset kaksi vuotta

Taisin käydä Animeconissa kesällä 2015, Acon oli tuohon aikaan harrastajien keskuudessa pidetty. Coneista löytyi vielä tietynlaista kotikutoisuutta ja rentoa henkeä, tai ehkä kierin jo nostalgiassa. :D Joka tapauksessa suomalaiset conit on pitkään ja hyvin perinteisesti järjestetty aina voittoa tavoittelemattomien yhdistysten kautta ja SCThen suhtauduttiin ehkä aluksi uteliaisuudella, mutta varauksella. Nämä oli omat fiilikseni aikanaan. Kuten Aino tviitissään totesi, ongelma oli pohjimmiltaan se että SCT hankki itselleen pidetyn conin nimen ja järjestivät lopulta jokaisen tapahtuman huonosti. Coneihin myytiin myös super/VIP-lippuja (linkki Ylilaudalle) ja niiden hintaa pidettiin jo tuolloin kalliina; 34,90 euroa viikonlopusta ennakkoon, lauantaista 30 e, sunnuntaista 25 e ja 45 euroa superlipusta. Vertailun vuoksi esimerkiksi Traconin lippu vuosina 2017-18 oli 28 euroa, edustuspöydältä 30 e ja Desuconin lippu 29 euroa, vähän pienempien tapahtumien hinnat liikkuivat siinä 20-25 euron pakeilla. Superlippuja ei ole sen kummemmin coneissa nähty, mutta niihin kuului puoli tuntia aiempi sisäänpääsy, VIP-osio katsomossa, erillinen VIP-tila vesipisteineen ja konsoleineen, etuoikeus nimikirjoitusjonoon ja hieno badge.

Animecon sai paljon kritiikkiä huonosta ja ontuvasta viestinnästä, sekä siitä että tapahtumat koettiin laadullisesti huonoina lippuhintaan nähden. Toki joukosta löytyy myös jonkin verran positiivisia kokemuksia, mutta pääasiassa SCT kirvoitti paljon keskustelua ja erilaisia kannanottoja (linkki 1, linkki 2), joiden sisältö ei ole mielestäni kauheasti vanhentunut. Ehkä osa harrastajista kävi tapahtumassa tietämättä tai välittämättä Animeconin voittoa tavoittelevasta taustasta, kunniavieraat oli tarpeeksi nimekkäitä ja houkuttelevia, tai ehkä haluttiin vain kokea kaikkien puhuma kamala con. Eniten harmittaa vänkärit eli vapaaehtoiset, joille olisi kuulunut rahallinen korvaus tehdystä työstä.

Toki SCT:n coneihin saatiin nimekkäitä vieraita, kuten Arina Tanemura Umiconiin, mutta yhdyn edelleen siihen että toivottavasti kunniavieraille ei jäänyt huonoa kuvaa suomalaisista coneista järjestelyjen vuoksi. Ei ole mikään ihme, että SCT:n tie loppui lyhyeen ja Animeconin nimi vedettiin viemäriin samalla. Kunnianhimoiset mutta epärealistiset tavoitteet kariutui konkurssiin ja harrastajien suolaan. Animecon_World

Tykkään pohtia conien viestintään liittyviä asioita, joten se että uuden Aconin ensimmäinen postaus on muumimeemi, huvittaa. 

Desuconin jälkeen eetteriin ilmestyi uusi con, Kotae Expo, joka on tässä hyvä vertailukohde. Kotaelta löytyy nettisivuiltaan perustietoja kuten sähköpostit ja ennen kaikkea tapahtuman logo, jota uudella Aconilta ei vielä edes ole. Visuaalisilla elementeillä, viestinnän sävyllä ja ylipäätään nettisivujen sisällöllä on iso merkitys siinä, kokeeko mahdollinen kävijä tapahtuman luotettavaksi ja ajan arvoiseksi tapahtumaksi vierailla. Animecon on ilmoittanut päivämääräkseen myös sen viikonlopun, jolloin Nekocon yleensä pidetään (heinäkuun toinen viikonloppu). Conien kirjoittamaton kohteliaisuussääntö on, ettei oltaisi toisten päällä. Ihmettelin asiaa IGn kommenteissa ja sain vastauksen että Nekocon väistäisi. Nähtäväksi jää, mitä päivämäärien kanssa lopulta käy. Kotaelle siis pisteitä vahvasta aloituksesta ja vähemmän piisamirotan himoitsemia keksejä Aconille.

                                         Instagramien vertailua Ensimmäisessa postauksessa kirjoitetaan “täysin uudistettu ja uudella porukalla tehty Animecon saapuu Paviljonkiin 13.-14.7.2024!” Kysyin parilta ystävältä mitä “täysin uudistettu” voisi tarkoittaa. Mainittiin parempi tilojenkäyttö, uudenlainen ohjelma ja perinteisten tapojen ravistelu. Sain myös hyvän pointin siitä, että se voisi olla sisäisten organisointitapojen kehittämistä, vaikka tapahtuma olisi muutoin ns. perinteinen con. Uusi porukka tulee varmasti osittain siitä, että Urumi haki kevättalvella työntekijöitä conia varten. Työpaikkailmoitus ei ole enää niin kattava haun sulkeuduttua, mutta tärkeimpien vastaavien palkka olisi noin 1800-2000 euroa ja muiden vastaavien 50-200 euroa. Kävin keskustelua työpaikkailmoituksesta sähköpostitse helmikuussa, koska hausta ei tullut mm. selville sitä onko kyseessä osa-aikainen vai kokoaikainen työ. Pääasiassa kyse oli osa-aikaisesta työstä, lähempänä tapahtumaa taas oli mahdollisuus kokoaikaiseen työhön. “Palkasta noin 60% on provisiota, mutta se riippuu tietysti tapahtuman lopullisesta koosta. Provisio on laskettu 2000 hengen tapahtumaan.” Palkat olivat myös joustavia. Conin tekemiseen menee vuoden aikana niin paljon tunteja, että vaikka palkat voivat aluksi kuulostaa kohtuullisilta, eivät ne todellisuudessa sitä ole. Mukaan on kysytty myös jo muita coneja tekeviä henkilöitä. Kauppalehden yritysrekisteristä voi huomata että Animecon World Oy linkittyy Urumiin, joka on myös Oy-taustainen. Urumin ja uuden Animeconin omistaa siis sama henkilö. Urumi on aiemmin järjestänyt Chibiconia joka järjestettiin useasti Oulussa, lisäksi oli paikkakuntia kiertävä mini-Chibicon. Chibicon oli myös kaupallinen con, vaikkakin pieni sellainen. Myös Urumiconina tunnetussa tapahtumassa oli usein myyjänä vain Urumi itse ja viestintä usein hidasta ja ontuvaa. Kävin myös selaamassa Chibiconin Instagramia, jonne oli jaettu Duunitorin työnhakuilmoitusta. Ensimmäisessa postauksessa puhutaan Chibiconin paluusta, seuraavissa siitä että con “etsii järjestäjiä uudistuneeseen tapahtumaan.”

Haluaisin tietää ajatuksenjuoksun siihen että miten Animeconin on päätetty olevan hyvä nimi. :D Miksi juuri tämä con haluttiin kaivaa henkiin?  Nimi aiheuttaa kävijöiden suunnalta paineita ja huonoja mielikuvia (eikä “World” muuta asiaa) ja uudesta tekijäporukasta huolimatta: jos con järjestetään yhtä huonosti kuin SCT:n aikaan, siitä varmasti saa kuulla. Ja vaikka se järjestettäisiin paremmin, on kritiikki silti höllemmässä. 

Jos haluat keskustella tekstistä tai conista, käytä hashtagia #AnimeconFi, jos laitat minulle viestiä olethan asiallinen! Päivitän tekstiä, jos siitä löytyy asiavirheitä. Tämä kirjoitus on kirjoitettu yksityishenkilönä eikä edusta muiden edustamieni tahojen kantaa. Lähteet: Linkit haettu 1.-6.7.2023 välillä Abracadabra Cosplayn blogi Helsingin Aconista Ainon tviitti Animecon 2015-nettisivut Animecon World Oy kauppalehti.fi Animecon.World -nettisivu AnimeconFIn Facebook-sivu chibi.fi Desucon 2018 ja 2017 JaMen uutinen Puriconin lykkääntymisestä 24.8.2017 Japsun Tumblr-teksti SCTstä Japsun tviitit yksi ja kaksi Jussi Karin teksti Animeconista Kotae Expo -nettisivu Nekohistoria, nekocon.fi Oma teksti Chibiconista 2017 ja 2018 Puriconin Facebook-sivu Savon Sanomien uutinen Kuopion Animeconista 15.7.2021 Suomen Con-Tapahtumat Oy kauppalehti.fi Sähköpostikeskustelu 5.-9.2.2023 Tracon 2018 ja 2017 Urumin työpaikkailmoitus Duunitorissa Umiconin Facebook-sivu Wikipedia-artikkeli Animeconista Ylen uutinen Helsingin Animeconista 15.7.2018 Ylilaudan kuva hintavertailusta (sisältövaroitus ketjun lukemiseen) edit 6.7.: korjattu vuoden 2016 Aconin sijainti edit 7.7.: korjattu viikonlopun ennakkohinta ja Tanemuran vierailema con

[otakon]

AWR Music Productions, LLC is proud to present the official symphony concert world-tour Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY. Launched in conjunction with the twentieth anniversary of FINAL FANTASY, this concert tour features the music of Japanese video game composer Nobuo Uematsu and is conducted by Grammy award-winner Arnie Roth. This multimedia experience combines stirring screen images to match the soaring emotions of a symphony orchestra performing music from SQUARE ENIX’S world-renowned FINAL FANTASY video game series.

[sunnetrolls]

HEY EVERYONE I SPENT LIKE 2 AND A HALF HOURS REORGANIZING ALL THE PINS I OWN PLEASE LOOK AT THEM

Hehe :)

I've been collecting enamel pins, keychains, and brooches for over 6 years now!!! And I have!!! A lot!!! Which I decided to completely reorganize like 2 hours ago. :D

Below readmore is what each one is/where it's from, mostly for me but also fun to read probably

1. Main (Disney Tsum Tsum) lanyard- what I keep with me at school bc it has my student ID, room key, etc.

Alolan vulpix from Animecon like 3 years ago

Cosmog from ^

Solgaleo from ^

@.hoppip pin

I <3 brunch from NOLA

Ralsei, Susie, & Kris pins

Antifa Nyanbinary Division pin from @.normal-horoscopes maybe??? It's been a while but I remember them promoting it and having a part in its creation

Gay pin from Hot Topic: one of the oldest ones I own 😳

Covid vaxxed ✔ pin

Sea Fairy Cookie pin

Cookie Run Ovenbreak pin from the soundtrack CD release

Cookie Run Kingdom pin from the artbook release

OwOloo pin from that same Animecon

Dog and bird icecream pin from a local icecream shop here

Dream & Sapnap keychains

Purpled keychain

2. Decorative (Norwegian cruise line) lanyard- stays on my shelf, but is frequently admired & what I pull from when I want to change up what's on my usual lanyard

Positively ancient Twenty One Pilots button

Jaguar/cheetah (?) brooch from a NOLA antique shop

I don't remember what college the eagle pin is from but I sure did visit it on a school trip,

Lizard brooch also from NOLA antique shop

UofA pin (I don't go there but I've visited a handful of times)

Handmade fleur de lis pin from a nice old lady in NOLA

Cat pin from ??? maybe my grandma? I don't know? I just have it. Some family member gave it to me

Emory college pin

Butterfly brooch I got by the same mystery method as the cat

Turks and Caicos pin I got last summer on that vacation

City Museum pin from one of the Many Many Times I've been to St. Louis

Hollywood Studios pin from Disney obv (fun fact! I started collecting pins during this trip to Disney!)

👌 Gottem pin from Hot Topic sometime in mid-high school

Vegas keychain (I have not been there. I don't know how I got this)

Keychain from Gulf Shores Alabama (I also don't know how I got it)

Tootsie roll keychain from a bowling alley here

3. Old highschool lanyard- for pins that are broken, missing backs, or I just don't have anywhere else for them to go

Fleur de lis from the first time I went to NOLA, back fell off

Growlithe button from Animecon

Hard Rock Cafe pin from some St. Louis trip years and years ago that just takes up so much room

Pidgeot pin from Animecon

2015 Destination Imagination competition pin (ok that's actually the oldest one I own but I wasn't collecting at that point)

Minnie Mouse shoe pin

Disney soccer pin??? I don't know why I bought this

Lucario button from Animecon

Horse fan pin from Disney- one of the backs is bent

BUT WAIT! THERE'S MORE! I also have pins on my backpack and the mask I usually wear around at school!!!!!!

4. Mask: I scribbled out the logo for my college so I don't yknow, doxx myself!

Pronoun button so nobody can say they didn't know

Vaxxed pin.......2!!!!

Jevil keychain :D

5. Backpack: WHERE EVERYTHING ELSE GOES!

Crab keychain from either Hawaii or the Turks (unsure)

Coke pin keychain from Atlanta

Magnolia keychain from Atlanta also

Not one, not two, but THREE Beanie Baby keychains: the dragon, owl, and the little stripey cat :)

Glaive keychain (banger music, check him out)

Lucky voodoo doll from NOLA

Anchor keychain from antique shop in NOLA (can you guys tell I really like New Orleans yet)

LMAO emoji keychain I've had for fucking ages idk

Dumpling keychain some of my stepfamily in Taiwan sent a couple years ago

The rest of the other two Deltarune pin sets, EXCEPT Jevil which I gave to my roommate since I have a Jevil keychain (pictured on the mask)

Crying cat button from Animecon

Whale shark pin from the Atlanta aquarium

Elvis Stitch pin from Disney

Krabby rainbow pin from Animecon

Black kitty pin from Disney (?) (It has a Disney back..??)

Timekeeper Cookie pin from same set as Moonlight and Sea Fairy

Millennial Tree, Dark Enchantress, & Wind Archer Cookie(s) pin ^

Melanistic moth pin from a run @.pangur-and-grim did vaguely recently

Noodle dragon pin from Animecon

Pusheen pin from I actually have no idea. Somewhere

NOT PICTURED: the keychains I keep (interchangeably) on my phone (I have a little sticky keychain ring on my phone case)

Banana cat keychain from Atlanta (?)

Light-up and annoying noise making ghost keychain a friend got me in like 10th grade

Knit onigiri plush keychain I bought on Etsy I think?

AND THATS FUCKING ALL...... jesus christ!

[kettutitaani]

Q&A extra from Ludwig!

Rules are like this: Both me and @ludwig-the-viking sent each other 10 questions. We have simply answer them correctly! 1. What is my new full name? - Easy! Ludwig Isak (Voitto????) Karlsson ❤️ 2. What did my dad use to work as? (where you thought I was just making it up) - Swedish CIA! XD 3. What is my favourite sweet? - Chocolate~ 4. Who is my favourite author? - ..... *sweats* Fuck... this one I don't know... 5. How did I confess to you? - 6th of December 2015. So it was time after Animecon. You confessed by text, "I like like you. I'm in live with you". And yes, there was that typo. 6. What did you say right before our first kiss? - "We should kiss". Gosh, embarrassing... 7. What was the first necklace I gave you? - A moon one! It had blue in it. 8. What was the first nickname I gave you? - Wifie. Because we got married at the internet. 9. Who is my best friend? (apart from you) - Melanie! Easy to remember. 10. Which show is our show? - Is it Modern Family? Because I love Modern Family. So much. And you do, too.

[sarady]

distractorsaurus-rex replied to your photoset: vuorikettu: Animecon 2015, Finland Photographer:...

Wow! You look awesome in these pictures, the cosplay is perfect :D Did you make the quinque yourself too? I’ve seen people make it themselves but most of the time the shape geta messed up a little (someone’s a LOT) GIRL YOU FREAKING NAILED IT IM SO PROUD OF YOU FOR PUTTING IN SO MUCH EFFORT AND NAILING THIS COSPLAY :’D

Aww, thank you so much dear! c: And yes, I made the quinque myself (my dad helped a little bit). I should make a new one tho because that one is made from wood board and it’s pretty heavy :’D All my friends and other people who have wanted to hold it are always like “OMG ITS SO HEAVY HOW CAN YOU CARRY THIS” :’‘D

[saetorimedia]

Last June Satsuki gave a special concert at Animecon, Rotterdam. Sadly we weren’t able to go on this day and couldn’t review the live but we managed to have an email interview with the artist instead. We introduced and reviewed him before and because of that we were really curious about his works. After his tour he took time to answer these questions, in which he tells us about his close bond with his fans and his step towards trap music and who or what inspires him.

For photos of the event go to our good friend Arlequin Photography

Q1: We already introduced Satsuki to our readers but could you introduce yourself in your own words? I am the vocalist. Singing is essential to me like breathing. I need to sing in order to express my deepest inner feeling.

Q2: You have been an artist for quite a long time, when and what was the reason you wanted to become one? When I was a kid, I was in the choir group. From this time onwards, I loved to sing and dreamt about becoming a singer in future.

Q3: After RENTRER EN SOI you kept developing and changing your style as an artist, what is your favorite style so far? Each era has concept. Each era is myself and connected to my life. I love all styles I expressed so far, there isn’t actually a favorite one.

Q5: With REBOOT you incorporated trap in you music, which seems seems like a big step from rock, can you tell us why you wanted to take this step? Since the Epocalipse Tour in 2015, I was on stage without support musicians. I started to become more interested in solo artist styles. As vocalist, I try to find more logical way to be alone on stage. These new sounds are very comfortable for me at the given time to express my emotions on stage.

Q6: Who inspires you? Not person though, actually. It’s basically moonlight that always inspires me a lot.

Q7: Who are you favorite artists? Kurt Cobain.

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  Q8: Besides from singing and composing music you started the fashion brand S.T.K.M and started painting, can you tell us something about both of these projects? I wanted to wear unique accessories I created myself during my performances on stage as well as in my everyday life. My thought was that if I can wear my own creation on stage, it will boost my energy more strongly. This means S.T.K.M is also strongly connected to my music.

Q9: What’s the best piece of advice you have ever received? I often do things self taught. Satsuki giving advice would be: „Just the way you are!“ Trust your inner voice. Trust your seven senses.

Q10: What does Satsuki hope for in the future? Be myself. Not to lie to myself. Stay positive.

Q11: Going to your live show, what can people expect? You can enjoy my music.

Q12: With your European tour ending, what’s your favorite memory of this tour? Talking with the Feathers members, my fanclub members. We could talk in a very good mood. They gave me a lot of energy. I feel so appreciated and respect them very much.

Q13: If our readers are interested in finding your music, where can they find it online? How/where can they buy your music and art? This is the address of my official online shop: https://celestialfeathersi.wixsite.com/satsuki-stkm But you can find my music also on digital platforms like iTunes, Google play,  Spotify, etc.

Optional Q14: Is there anything you want to tell our readers? Thank you for reading this interview. I hope you can be touched by my art. See you somewhere!

  Big thanks to: Satsuki EN.CORE rocks Arlequin Photography

@Satsuki.rociel came to Animecon in Rotterdam last June and after his tour he took time to answer some interesting questions, in which he tells us about his close bond with his fans, his step towards trap music and his inspiration. #satsuki #interview Last June Satsuki gave a special concert at Animecon, Rotterdam. Sadly we weren't able to go on this day and couldn't review the live but we managed to have an email interview with the artist instead.

[kogaracon]

It's always such a pleasure for our Cosplay Contest Judges to hand out the certificates and awards to our contestants every year. We wanted to relive some fond memories and share a throwback post to our Kogaracon 2015 Cosplay Contest with you all today. Who else is excited for our 2018 contest? We can't wait to see what you all have in store for our judges! We will be releasing sign up information as well as the rules and regulations on our Facebook page, so be sure to stay tuned! 😊 Photography is by @spufflez! #Kogaracon #Kogaracon2015 #AnimeCon #AnimeConvention #Cosplay #Cosplayer #Coaplayers #CoaplayContest (at Rutgers University - Cook Campus)

[reimahowaido]

So yeah, Animecon was this weekend~ And what do you know, we snapped like a 1000 pictures during it xD First day probably had better pictures, but I’m still in the middle of checking them all, these are just two that I already fixed up

Was fun~ Warm but not a deadly hot melting kind, of course the air inside panel rooms and such was a tad unpleasant, but we survived~ And overall, just happened to visit outside a lot more than other years. Maybe it’s just me, but the Con felt a little smaller than the one in..... 2015? Regardless, it was a good time and might be just me feeling this way because this year has gone so suuuuper fast x2

But yeah~~ It was fun :D Managed to drag one of my life long friends in there too and it was her first Conevencion, so that’s all good and great~

Oh, and if you haven’t noticed, I was Toffi xD Trying to be at least~ Would be kinda interesting to someday have like a fursuit head to go with it, but for now, all I have is that hand-sown tail (that still lacks the heart details) and hand-sown ears. It’s all good though! Just not the wig. My god xD That thing is the dad of me!

Ohhhh, and it was neat seeing Aki and Joey, just that the pic I drew was rushed and the quality of it was.... Crap xD I’ll be putting it up when I find it, but it was horrible! You guys deserve better I’m so So sorry!

[ihaveabs--olutelynothing-blog]

Animecon 2015 http://xn--80aapluetq5f.xn--p1acf/2017/03/01/animecon-2015/

[hairstylesformediumhair-blog]

Animecon 2015 http://xn--80aapluetq5f.xn--p1acf/2017/03/01/animecon-2015/

[granny-goes-wild-blog]

Animecon 2015 http://xn--80aapluetq5f.xn--p1acf/2017/03/01/animecon-2015/

[otakon]

"It wouldn't be Otakon if we only had one musical performance! For the first time ever, Otakon is proud to host "A New World: Intimate Music from Final Fantasy" as our Sunday concert! Just like Friday's concert, admission is included with your membership.

[cosmetictuna-blog]

Animecon 2015 http://xn--80aapluetq5f.xn--p1acf

[fancons]

Largest North American Anime Conventions of 2016

Every January, AnimeCons.com looks back at the last year of anime conventions to figure out which were the largest in North America. This isn't meant to be a list of the "best" anime cons, but merely the largest. By looking for any attendance trends among the largest cons, it may indicate any overall trends affecting the entire anime convention industry or perhaps fan conventions as a whole.

Before we present the list, we first need to explain the different ways that a convention can count its attendance:

The most common method, but one that is very misleading, is used by most non-anime conventions and trade shows. A "turnstile" attendance count method counts people multiple times for every day of the convention that they attend. For example, if there are 1,000 people at a three day convention each day, they would report their attendance as 3,000...as if each of those 1,000 people passed through a turnstile once per day. Although some anime conventions report turnstile numbers, they are often offered in addition to one of the following two counting methods. Although this site considers turnstile counts to be misleading and disingenuous, we've recently started listing them in order to be able to help people distinguish the difference and be able to compare attendance numbers more fairly.

Another method is to count each person who was issued a badge. This is often referred to as "total attendance" or a "warm body count". This will include attendees, staff, press, vendors, guests, and anyone else who was wearing a convention badge. If they attended multiple days, they just get counted once. It does not include people without a badge such as hotel employees or convention center employees.

The final method commonly used to report attendance is a paid attendance count. This simply counts the number of people who paid for a badge. Unlike the warm body count, it doesn't include staff, guests, press, or others with a badge...unless they paid for it. This method also only counts people once even if they're attending multiple days.

All the attendance figures we present in this report and on AnimeCons.com have been provided by convention staffs themselves. They have been announced on the convention's own web sites, on the convention's social media, reported directly to this site, or one of our site's staff have reported back a number officially announced at the convention. None of these numbers are guesses by AnimeCons.com staff and none have been pulled from anonymous sources such as unsourced Wikipedia entries. Where attendance is marked as "approximately" signifies that the number reported by the convention is likely rounded and not an exact count.

Our annual list also only consists of conventions with a primary focus on anime. This means that multi-genre conventions are not included. We also do not include conventions such as comic cons or sci-fi cons that have anime programming. To include those in this list would be impossible due to the number of those conventions in existence, the unavailability of attendance numbers for many of them, and the vast differences in counting methods. Anime conventions that share admission with non-anime conventions (such as comic or steampunk conventions) are also not included on this list because it is impossible to tell how many are attending the anime half of the convention.

Eleven Largest North American Anime Conventions of 2016:

Anime Expo - approximately 100,420 warm bodies (up 10.96%)

A-Kon - 32,639 warm bodies (up 11.08%)

Anime Central - 31,469 warm bodies (up 1.14%)

Anime North - 29,973 paid attendees (down 0.78%)

Otakon - 29,113 paid attendees (up 8.32%)

Anime Weekend Atlanta - 28,781 paid attendees

Anime Matsuri - 30,215 warm bodies, 28,270 paid attendees (up 24.2%)

Anime Boston - 26,975 warm bodies (down 0.64%)

Sakura-Con - approximately 23,000 paid attendees

Youmacon - 21,036 paid attendees (up 9.56%)

Otakuthon - 21,315 warm bodies (up 5.47%)

Anime Expo's top ranking should surprise exactly nobody. They've been the largest anime convention in North America for 13 straight years. This is their first time with an attendance of over 100,000 people and they're the first anime convention to hit that mark after adding nearly 10,000 additional attendees in 2016. Anime Expo will likely continue to grow as it is often cited by attendees as the most common convention that they'd like to visit someday. However, AX's own growth has often been the source of problems as overcrowding is often cited by its attendees as one of the biggest issues at the convention.

Climbing to the #2 spot from #4 last year is A-Kon in Dallas which had consistent growth (at about 11%) from the previous year. Starting in 1990, A-Kon is the longest continuously running anime convention in North America and this is the first time the convention has moved above the #3 spot for as long as we've been publishing our annual list.

Chicago's Anime Central holds on to the #3 spot for the seventh straight year. They only reported an increase of 356 warm bodies (about 1% growth). Following some years of significant growth, this is their third year of growth under 5%.

Anime North in Toronto reported 29,973 paid attendees in 2016. This is down 237 people from 2015, but still enough to come in at the #4 spot.

Once considered a lock for the #2 spot, Otakon dropped down to #5 last year with the largest attendance drop we've ever seen by any convention. They hold onto that spot for 2016 and seem to be back on track and added 2,236 additional paid attendees for their final year at the Baltimore Convention Center. It will be interesting to see how their move to Washington, DC affects attendance for the next couple years.

Moving up to the #6 spot is Anime Weekend Atlanta with a very respectable growth rate. With 2016's attendance being reported as a warm body count and 2015 as a paid attendance count, we're unable to provide an accurate growth rate.

Continuing with yet another year of exceptional growth, Anime Matsuri in Houston has moved into the #7 spot for 2016 with an additional 5,887 people in 2016. They've seen growth rates of 44%, 30%, 25%, and now 24%, but as was said last year, the Houston market is only so large and faces competition from Dallas, Austin, and San Antonio. It seems likely that these attendance increases will have to normalize eventually. A growth rate of over 20% cannot continue forever.

Anime Boston has moved from its rather consistent location in the #6 spot to #8 this year with a drop of 175 attendees. However, the convention seems to have attracted more single-day attendees as the convention reported a higher turnstile attendance count of 78,661 in 2016 over their count of 78,008 in 2015. Boston's anime convention is still feeling the effects of increased convention center security as a result of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing a block away from the Hynes Convention Center and guns that were seized during a 2015 Pokemon Championship at the venue. The increased security has resulted in longer lines as attendees try to enter the facility. The staff has been working with the venue to try and resolve security checkpoint issues for 2017.

Sakura-Con in Seattle reported "member attendance" for 2016, which we're interpreting as paid attendance, was "over 23,000 individuals". This is obviously a rounded estimate, but we have been unable to obtain a more specific attendance figure with which to compare to last year's warm body attendance count.

With 10% growth and 1,836 additional paid attendees, Youmacon makes their first appearance in the #10 slot since they last appeared on the list in 2011. They're closely followed by Otakuthon in Montreal which actually reported a number 279 people larger, but that was a warm body count compared to Youmacon's paid attendance count. However, we're including them both in the list because they're both so close and over 20,000 people.

It's worth noting that there is a difference of less than 2,500 people between the second and sixth conventions on the list. This just about puts these five conventions in a five-way tie. Furthermore, the difference between the second convention and the seventh is less than 4,000 people.

View graph with linear scale - View graph with logarithmic scale

As always, we remind you that these are merely the largest conventions and are not necessarily the best. If past history is any indication, this list is bound to be copied and used as some other site's "Best Anime Cons" list. That's a shame because there are some absolutely wonderful conventions out there that are not mentioned on this list. You can have a lot of fun at smaller events and we strongly urge you to find the conventions near you and try them out.

If you want to compare the growth of conventions over the last ten years, here are some links to our annual reports (either written or as reported in our AnimeCons TV podcast): 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003

To start planning your 2017 conventions, our AnimeCons.com and FanCons.com sites are an excellent resource to find lists of conventions in your area or around the world. We've also recently re-launched VideoGameCons.com, FurryCons.com, and SteampunkCons.com for some more niche interests. For Amazon Echo or Alexa device owners, we also have free Flash Briefing skills for FanCons.com and AnimeCons.com which can audibly tell you what conventions are coming up in the next week.

Patrick Delahanty is the creator of AnimeCons.com and executive producer of AnimeCons TV. He is the host of Anime Unscripted and is one of the founders of both Anime Boston and Providence Anime Conference. Patrick has attended 160 conventions, cosplaying at most of them.

from FanCons.com

[ginucosplay]

Mystery twins! 

[kialnax]

Today I got a notification saying there were new photos of my Verka Serduchka cosplay. I LOVE THE FIERCENESS IN THE LAST ONE!