Forum - View topicAnswerman - Has Convention Culture Affected The Anime Business?
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nobahn
 Subscriber Posts: 5158 |
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One of these days (or years) I'm going to have to go to a convention to see just what all of the "fuss" is about.
 (I'm afraid, however, that I'd stick out like a sore thumb -- just how many bald men are there at a convention, anyway?)
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Hoppy800
 Posts: 3331 |
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I go to conventions to buy stuff (and I usually drop over $500 on figures and other official merchandise) and rarely stick around for long. However Comiket is still better because of the quality, exclusive merchandise you can get their or off an auction site.
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mgosdin
 Posts: 1302 Location: Kissimmee, Florida, USA |
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Far more than you can imagine, bald, near bald, grey hair & grey beards. No few grey haired ladies dragging their Grandkids around, too.
I've been going to our local con ( Orlando MegaCon ) for the past 8 years. It was not really much of an Anime con to begin with, but it would be noticeably less without the Anime component now. Mark Gosdin |
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SaitoHajime101
 Posts: 285 |
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The main convention I've gone to over the years is Sakura-con and I've seen some impressive pushes at these conventions for shows. The biggest push in recent years was the SAO push when they brought in Reki Kawahara a couple years ago and the singers for the first season. Second season had the VAs for both Japanese and English Kirito make an apperance along with the Director of the show.
Making a splash at these conventions is the best way to get word out on the street about something big. Its a gathering (at some of the biggest cons) 10s of thousands and more of people all looking for the next big thing. If you have that next big thing, cons are the place to share it as it will spread like wildfire. |
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Mohawk52
 Posts: 8202 Location: England, UK |
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I always felt it was the fluid that kept it afloat both inside and therefore outside of Japan. But I also feel it has also hindered it because when producers and studios look at it as a presure point to feel the pulse of the industry it is not getting the complete picture and making narrow minded diecisions as to what genre to create and invest in by just what it sees at conventions then wonder why thoses decisions sometimes fall flat of expectations.
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Hyperdrve
 Posts: 276 |
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This answerman's question is a very good one. Being a person who dislikes San Diego Comic Con culture, I'd prefer it if the corresponding anime cons have little to no effect on the anime industry, nor for anime cons to be a measure of how popular or unpopular anime is in the West. They should stay just as glorified hobby shops and not to become like, for example, what E3 is for the gaming industry.
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omiya
 Posts: 1854 Location: Adelaide, South Australia |
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My convention attendance count is still 2:
SMASH 2011 - http://www.smash.org.au - mainly to see Eminence Live and also good to hear from composer Kenji Ito https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenji_Ito AVCon 2012 - http://www.avcon.org.au - good local convention - mainly for Crispin Freeman and Cassandra Lee Morris Trips to Japan... about to go on trip 10. |
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H. Guderian
Posts: 1255 |
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With you on that. My local major con (Anime Boston) I think is still fan-run and one of the largest in the country, 6th largest I believe. This leads to a problem of them re-inviting their friend-guests, but otherwise they do a nice job. I prefer the fan/hobby atmosphere there much more than the larger Otakon, though still attend both. |
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itachi06103570
Posts: 200 |
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Dude you're not the only one, I was planning on going to one even as far back as 6 years ago like when I was 20 but I still intend to go.The only thing that probably would stick out about me would be my high top hair other than that I really don't have the time to go through making a costume I'll go as I am and be content to take pictures of my time there. 
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belvadeer
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Haven't been to AX in like five years now (counting this year). Damn, I've likely missed out on quite a bit.
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relyat08
 Posts: 4125 Location: Northern Virginia |
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It's pretty hard to stick out at a convention. There are insane cosplays, parents, grandparents, babies. At least at katsucon, there is no shortage of adults. You should give one a shot. In my opinion, getting to socialize with fellow fans face to face, as well as getting up close and personal with industry professionals, is a very rewarding experience. |
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mgosdin
Posts: 1302 Location: Kissimmee, Florida, USA |
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I've enjoyed rubbing shoulders with all manner of fans & getting to talk to various professionals. Twice I've had Vic Mignogna literally stand on my feet and yell at people holding a panel. ( I'm 6' 4" and tend to wear colorful character T-Shirts and / or Jackets, I also like to stand in the far back of panels because I'm not easy to see over and Vic appears to like to find someone to contrast himself with. ) All in all it has been worth the effort to go. Mark Gosdin |
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PurpleWarrior13
 Posts: 2035 |
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I've never been to a con of any kind. Would love to go though! There just isn't one local to me, and I've never really traveled for something like this. I might go to Otakon when it moves to DC. We'll see. I watch a lot of voice actor panels on YouTube, and I've even stumbled upon some from the 80s/90s when Robotech was big. They haven't changed at all!
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Cutiebunny
 Posts: 1770 |
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I would say it's the reverse - the anime business has affected convention culture. Most of the longer running conventions have become more corporate, especially in the last 10-15 years. Most conventions allot free booth space and panels to those companies that bring in guests as long as the convention can bill those guests. Conventions that do not cater to the industry are left with guests who either have not hit their prime or are years from it. As many attendees select conventions based on the guest list and with so many conventions with equally impressive guest lists, it's become a competition of sorts to see who can attract the most attendees by getting the latest and greatest in Japanese guests. The conventions that have grown the most in the last decade are those that are thoroughly in bed with the industry, not to mention their several well heeled backers.
What this has all done is made it so that there's a hierarchy at many cons, one where those companies and attedees that can pay the most are awarded the most favors. The days of a large convention truly being run by and for fans are long over, and any convention that tries to tell you otherwise is pulling the wool over your eyes. You don't get well known Japanese guests without connections, and you don't get those guests by without catering to at least one industry player. |
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invalidname
 Contributor Posts: 2485 Location: Grand Rapids, MI |
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Well for starters, there's me, long since bald and rocking the Muv-Luv Alternative cosplay: https://twitter.com/invalidname/status/594328963444412416 |
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