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First I would like to thank the editors for fixing my login problems. Next I would like to apologize because I know this question has to have been asked before.

What is the best anime convention in america? I'm sort of new to the whole con thing and have only looked into it for less than a year. Originally I heard Otakon was the best but then I heard Sakuracon was good, then I heard about the Big Apple Anime Fest. I want my first convention experience to be great but I don't know where to go. Here are some specifics on what I'm looking for.

Anything with video games is a plus for me.
I want guests that I can easily relate to: someone like Koshi Rikdo (i wouldn't be that lucky) or anybody (artist, director, voice actor, american or japanese) that I can tie to something I like would be great.
I know Fred Galagher (piro) goes to a lot of cons and I would like to meet him.

Cosplaying is a given at every Con, but I don't know who to go as. I don't want to have the same costume as everyone else but I want to be easily recognizable. I was thinking Watanabe from Excel Saga. What do you guys think?

Thanks
Dragonglove

Well....I've only been to 2 cons (both more than once): Otakon & Katsucon. Otakon is pretty good, but HUGE Shocked

there is quite a bit to do & you could never possibly do everything. You really have to carefully pick what you want to see & do and pay attention for any last-minute schedule changes. This year, they finally posted their schedule online but I didn't get the chance to go. Sad

The couple times I went to Katsucon, I really enjoyed myself. Not nearly as big & easier to see/do more. The major drawback - the location!! Crystal City, VA is a pain in the rear to get to if you drive & once there you can easily get run over by cars trying to get food (IMO, the hotel food is the pits & not worth bothering with). It's a very busy 4 lane, divided hwy w/very short crosswalk signals - imagine you're living the game Frogger.... The year they had it in baltimore was great, but some idiots graffitied in the elevator of the brand new hotel & screwed up the whole thing. Mad

The hotel was quite ticked off!

But, they are both great cons. I will hopefully be helping out with Kosaikon next year & would like to try to get to at least one other con, but that may have to wait until the following year. HTH a little. I'm sure you'll find one you enjoy - there are lots to choose from!

The hotel wouldn't let them back anyway. The management was not happy with an event such as an anime con going on in their 4-star hotel, and before the con even started stated they would not be coming back. Basically failure in the chain of communication at the hotel.

I rather enjoyed AWA. But that's the only con I've ever been to. I'm personally interested in seeing where it ranks among anime cons in America, myself.

I've been to Big Apple Anime Fest twice (2002 and 2003). Both times I greatly enjoyed myself. There was plenty to do, including a Video Game Room, a Cards Room, lots of screenings, and a great dealer room. The location is right in the middle of Times Square so there's plenty to do around you and its easily accessible. BAAF takes place in the Marriot Marquis so if you can get a room you're right there. The hotel was also good in diverting the non-otaku public away fron the Con, so there was never a HUGE croud. For more info check out this website...

http://www.bigappleanimefest.com/index.cfm

Come up with a list of things you want to experience at a convention, and then go to the various conventions websites to see if they match. I'm happy to see my convention I'm a part of recommended to you(Sakura-Con). I'd recommend going to a convention that is geographically close to you. If you have the disposable income to travel to the convention of your choosing, it then depends on what your interests are. The amount of choices out there is fantastic.

I've been to Otakon & Katsukon in 2000, Acen in 2001 and AX this year. The bigr conventions are more industry oriented. They have more panels by anime companies like Bandai and Pioneer (and therefore you are more likley to hear liscensing announcements and such). The big cons also have huge dealer rooms where you can get almost anything anime/manga related that you can think of.

While there is way more stuff to do at these large conventions, the lines can be insane. You might find yourself waiting inline for an hour or 2 just to get a good seat at a panel or anime preview.

I'd say Animazement because they get the best guests. *whimper* I want to meet Watase and Chika!

I've only been to Otakon 3 times and Anime Boston once. Both had their pros and cons

Anime Boston was smaller and thus more personnal. Also this year they were fortunate enough to have some really cool guests. It wasn't just about the work that the guests did, they were all generally cool people. I also found the panels offered a lot more interesting (I attended a bunch). The downside I'd have to say was the dealer's room was smaller so there wasn't as much competition between sellers (a lot of expensive stuff and very few sales). Also, between the big events, there wasn't much to do. During those 1-2 hours between things, we ended up standing around and there really wasn't any place to step back and rest for a minute. Also, they only played recently released anime (as in the from the last few years).

Otakon, on the other hand, is big. In the past I've never really taken much interest in their guests and panels though. They play fansubbed stuff and fan parodies which I love. The dealer's room is HUGE and I can always find good deals there. Also, because of it's size, I tend to know more people that go there.

I'd probably pick Otakon over the two, though I've enjoyed myself at both events.

I've only been to Anime Boston, so I'm kind of biased at the moment. I attend many other cons, but they aren't anime cons (although they do have anime departments).
I thought AB had a good program this year, but I agree it all depends on what you want to do. The only panel I attended was the ImaginasionTV panel (new cable channel coming out in August). Between the video game room, the non-video game rooms, AMVs, and the dealers room (uh, how can you say it was smaller than last year? It was packed but it was a lot bigger, too), I stayed pretty busy.
The smallness of AB is both a problem and a blessing. It is great because you can actually get close to the guests and its easier to get into an event or even to get picked for a game show. It's a problem in that they've been packing in 4000 people in a very tiny space. It's also a problem in that, due to the small space, lines form 2 hours or so before an event, making it impossible for older fans who are used to checking out the rest of the con to get into a big event.
Next year, they move to the Hynes, which gets rid of small room and hallway problems. The arena holds just under 4200 people (as opposed to the 1000 people the main room in the Park Plaza can hold), the hallways are huge, and the exhibit hall is big enough to hold 2 or 3 things (I'm talking dealers room, art show, artists alley, etc.) at one time. If you are interested in what's going to happen, fans are already posting ideas for 2005 on the AB forums.
Just don't get lost in the mall it's connected to.
It's a nice con. It's still on a personal level. The GOHs love it (Lex came to the con feedback panel and couldn't say enough good things about the staff and the guests).
I haven't been to any other anime cons, though, so I can't really judge it against anything. The other cons I do go to are in another class and don't go by the same rules. I can say that AB is the biggest annual convention in Boston, though. It beats Arisia (which is held in the same hotel) and next year it will get even bigger.

It's a pointless argument. The "best" anime convention is whichever one serves your needs the most. If you're into AMV's and nothing else, obviously you'll vote AWA; if you want parties, and lots of them, Katsucon or ACen, if you're going for a nice quiet time, you'll go "Ota-*what*?" and stick to a small local or regional event. It's sort of like comparing colleges - sure, Harvard ranks number one...but there are plenty of people out there who not only dislike it, but in fact, for them, going to Harvard will be a waste of time and money.

CorneredAngel wrote:

If you're into AMV's and nothing else, obviously you'll vote AWA

I thought there seemed like a curiously large amount of those going around.

Really, there is no 'best' anime convention. I've been to about 15 different ones at this point, mainly in the midwest/northeast.... and they're all different.

If I had to name my very favorite, it would be sugoicon in kentucky. Small, really friendly, very casual. The downside? really small, so you won't see a huge selection of dealers/video games/guests. Ohayocon is a LOT of fun, Otakon/Katsucon are always great...

in the end you go to different cons for different things. The smaller midwest cons I go to to hang out (Ikasucon, Sugoicon, Ohayocon, Colossalcon). The bigger capitol area cons I go to for the guests/dealers room (Katsucon, Otakon).

Now, I can't really speak for all conventions, but to me, it seems the only real difference is size. You have your big cons, your not-so-big cons, and the small cons. I'eeve bn to 3 different conventions recently. Anime Expo (big), Fanime (not-so-big), and Anime Overdose (small). Well, technically I also went to the now defunct Anime America, but that was a long time ago.

At the big cons, you will most likely, but not necessarily, get the higher profile guests. The dealer room will most likely have more big name vendors. There will be more industry representatives, which means more announcements and more premiers. There will be many, many people.

The small cons will not have those, but it will feel much more like a club event. Usually these events tap more of the community resources, and have a more personal feel.

The not-so-big cons lie somewhere in the middle. I think of these as your "commuter cons" for people who want to go to a fairly big event, but don't live near one and don't want to travel very far.

All will have some, or all, of the following:

- Guests of Honor
- Dealer Room
- Anime Screenings
- Industry Panels
- Special interest Panels/Workshops
- Anime Music Videos
- Masquerade
- Cosplayers
- Dance
- Arcade Games/Console Games/Table Top Games
- Poor Organization
- Long Lines
(okay, that last two were jokes, but can you deny it?!?)

In my experience, no matter what the con, you end up doing basically the same thing. The difference is in the quantity and in some cases the quality. What I would do is research the con you are interested in attending to see if it is offering what you are interested in. If this you first con, you might just want to go to one that is local to you so you can get a feel for what a con is all about.

As for me, I like AX just because it is so huge. Going to Expo is very much an event for my friends and I. I like Fanime just because it's nearby and I can do almost as much there as at Expo. I don't think either is better than the other.

Quote:

Poor Organization
- Long Lines
(okay, that last two were jokes, but can you deny it?!?)

Yes

People constantly bitch about poor organization with cons, and yes, some of them are poorly organized.

But you hardly ever find anyone who has actually run an event for thousands of people with anything approaching the complexity of your average anime con complaining about it. Why? Because they know that shit happens, and sometimes things go wrong that you never could have forseen. Try staffing a decent size con and see if you come back seeing things the same way.

Long lines are a unavoidable at huge events.

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