Now in it's 15th year of bringing anime, manga and Asian pop culture mayhem to the Bay Area, FanimeCon attracted fans from far and near to take in over 72 straight hours of programming, and of course, to see and be seen amidst some very cool cosplay and Harajuku-inspired Gothic and Lolita fashion.
Get a peek at some of the happenings at Northern California's largest anime-themed event in the FanimeCon 2009 Photo Gallery. I have several pics up now, and will be adding more in the next day or so. What's up already? Well, some pretty astonishing Naruto cosplay, including a Konan cosplayer who made gigantic paper wings. There's also a shot of Dark Horse manga editor Carl Horn and GAINAX executive director Hiroyuki Yamaga.
I haven't gotten confirmation on final attendance numbers, but a FanimeCon rep mentioned that Saturday attracted over 11,000 attendees, which is pretty astonishing considering that the total attendance for Fanime 2008 was around 14,000. Several reports mentioned that standing in the registration line on Saturday was a long and arduous process, which is a shame, but this is a problem that most cons seem to struggle with, so it's not purely a Fanime phenomenon.
Other special guests included Halko Momoi, Japanese voice actress, singer and the "Queen of Akihabara," voice actor Reuben Langdon and Asian film expert Ric Meyers. Another special feature was the world premiere of the Gurren Lagann documentary, which featured a behind-the-scenes look at the making of this popular action-adventure anime series.
For the most part, FanimeCon is a well-run show. There's always something to see and do, the dealers' room is pretty large and well-stocked, the concert (as I hear it) was full of energy, the maid cafe attracted many appreciative patrons, and there's always lots of creative cosplay to gawk at. I was a little disturbed at the vast array of lonely souls lined up along 'desperation alley' (a.k.a. the main walkway of the convention center) begging for free hugs but well, at least they weren't glomping each other... I think?
However, with so many other major events happening on the same weekend across the U.S. (Anime Boston, Anime North to name just two) and budget cuts at most companies, there was only Media Blasters on hand to represent the manga and anime publishing companies in the Dealers Room. Dark Horse was represented by Horn, who didn't have much to offer by way of new license announcements, but hinted that DH would have something to say about the long-awaited CLAMP mangettes project next week at Book Expo America in New York City. Vee shall see....
I survived a few days of FanimeCon -- did you check it out too? Add your comments and reactions below and share the love (or the annoyance) you experienced at this annual anime festival.
Image credit: © Deb Aoki
Comments
better to buy advance tickets online (before Oct I think) and you get a discount. Plus the Pre-reg line is a lot shorter. buying tickets the day of the event guarantees you a LONG wait time. first year I chaperoned, second year I browsed, 3rd year I was out buying stuff! Have fun – this is a MUST ATTEND event for anime, manga and cosplay!