What is Fanime?/Is Fanime right for me?

[Kikkoman]

 ???If I go to Fanime this would be my first time, but before that I have a few questions:

1) What is Fanime about?(obviously anime, but what other stuff?) I browsed around the forums and it appears there's cosplay, panels, movie/episode showings, gaming and dealers. However I would like more detailed explanations(like are there different areas for that or is it a giant mix).

2) Is volunteering worth it? The cost of early registration is $45 which is a bit expensive for me, but I researched that volunteering could lead to a free entry(after refund/certain number of hours). This idea appealed to me and I wondering if the benefits of volunteering: meeting new people, hanging out in volunteer room, working long hours[jk] were worth it as opposed to the cons: having 4-6 hours everyday taken up, not being able to go where you want. Input on how fun volunteering is would be appreciated.

3) I watch some anime(gundam 00, code geass, afro samurai, soul eater are recent ones), and used to build model kits(a handful in middle/high school). The main reasons Fanime draws me in is because it is related to anime, and that I heard there will be people selling model kits there(from Japan?/hard to get?). The question I have is that will Fanime be enough to keep me entertained or will I be generally bored there because of the vast amount of anime that I don't know(I'm more of a casual anime watcher than an avid one). Are there model kits the expensive?($40+).

I would like to thank everyone for their responses. ;D

[LordKefka]

???If I go to Fanime this would be my first time, but before that I have a few questions:

1) What is Fanime about?(obviously anime, but what other stuff?) I browsed around the forums and it appears there's cosplay, panels, movie/episode showings, gaming and dealers. However I would like more detailed explanations(like are there different areas for that or is it a giant mix).

2) Is volunteering worth it? The cost of early registration is $45 which is a bit expensive for me, but I researched that volunteering could lead to a free entry(after refund/certain number of hours). This idea appealed to me and I wondering if the benefits of volunteering: meeting new people, hanging out in volunteer room, working long hours[jk] were worth it as opposed to the cons: having 4-6 hours everyday taken up, not being able to go where you want. Input on how fun volunteering is would be appreciated.

3) I watch some anime(gundam 00, code geass, afro samurai, soul eater are recent ones), and used to build model kits(a handful in middle/high school). The main reasons Fanime draws me in is because it is related to anime, and that I heard there will be people selling model kits there(from Japan?/hard to get?). The question I have is that will Fanime be enough to keep me entertained or will I be generally bored there because of the vast amount of anime that I don't know(I'm more of a casual anime watcher than an avid one). Are there model kits there expensive?($40+).

I would like to thank everyone for their responses. ;D

1.)

Well, Fanime is really what you want it to be depending on what you want to focus on when you attend. You might want to wait until the site gets updated with 2009's events.

2.)

It's worth it if you enjoy it I guess. Try it and pace yourself. I thought it was fun back in 2004 when I did it for the 1st time.

3.)

You'll be entertained but unless you're rich or want to support certain dealers, you'll be mainly doing window shopping on their "fancy" stuff or buying a few small things here and there. I personally think it's fun just being there even if I don't buy anything (or not too much). It's as good as you can get with window shopping...  I guess =\

ps. Oh, and I don't know what your knowledge of what's out there extends to but even if you don't know it, it shouldn't be boring. I mean, you get bored with things you don't know? Hell, I would be curious and find out if anything. You are at an anime con after all...

[SOawesomeness]

iVolunteering is pretty cool from what I hear. You'll get jobs that are... eh, not as fun as staff IMO, but it's still fun if you stick with a department and make friends with the staff there. Volunteering is worth it if you don't know what you're going to be spending your time at the con with and are either alone, or can't find anything to do though it does depend on the actual person.

Volunteering is at-con (for almost all departments), so you'd still have a lot of time to wait for more information on what Fanime is offering in terms of activities and scheduling and it'd allow you to get a better understanding of what Fanime is. (:

[Shi_Musouka]

???If I go to Fanime this would be my first time, but before that I have a few questions:

1) What is Fanime about?(obviously anime, but what other stuff?) I browsed around the forums and it appears there's cosplay, panels, movie/episode showings, gaming and dealers. However I would like more detailed explanations(like are there different areas for that or is it a giant mix).

I think it's just your standard anime convention with showings, cosplay, dealers/artists, gaming, j-pop/j-rock/j-whatever concerts, dances, panels, gatherings, and the like. From what I've heard, it's actually one of the more popular cons in NorCal. The staff is right now revving up the details as they get the programming more organized so you might have to wait a little bit until the stuff is ready.

2) Is volunteering worth it? The cost of early registration is $45 which is a bit expensive for me, but I researched that volunteering could lead to a free entry(after refund/certain number of hours). This idea appealed to me and I wondering if the benefits of volunteering: meeting new people, hanging out in volunteer room, working long hours[jk] were worth it as opposed to the cons: having 4-6 hours everyday taken up, not being able to go where you want. Input on how fun volunteering is would be appreciated.

Volunteers require a dedication of 20 hours throughout the whole con weekend to get the refund. It's definitely a more flexible way of helping the con and enjoying the con more. You have a bigger variety of tasks to choose from as opposed to staff where you're working for a specific department. I was a volunteer before I was on staff and I found it pretty fun, because I got to meet a lot of people and got to know the con a bit better. Personally I would recommend that most people who have never attended an anime con before go as an attendee before they volunteer or staff because they get a much better feel for con life, but since volunteering isn't as demanding as staff, I suppose volunteering would give somewhat of a good feel for con life.

3) I watch some anime(gundam 00, code geass, afro samurai, soul eater are recent ones), and used to build model kits(a handful in middle/high school). The main reasons Fanime draws me in is because it is related to anime, and that I heard there will be people selling model kits there(from Japan?/hard to get?). The question I have is that will Fanime be enough to keep me entertained or will I be generally bored there because of the vast amount of anime that I don't know(I'm more of a casual anime watcher than an avid one). Are there model kits the expensive?($40+).

A lot of people in general will say "Fanime is what you make out of it", which is true for the most part. Even though there are usually a lot of events going on at the same time, it's up to you as to which ones you want to go to, if any at all. I think casual anime is actually pretty common everywhere so I doubt there should be too many that you don't know about. I haven't really seen too much of the lesser known anime merchandise around, but that's just me.

I think that's all I have to say for now...

[PyronIkari]

Ugh, to be honest ignore the other two posts. You guys realize, that he has probably never been to a convention by the way he talks and what not right? He has no clue what the convention is like/about or anything like that. Your short little answers assume that he knows what a convention is like already, so they really don't help him at all.

???If I go to Fanime this would be my first time, but before that I have a few questions:

1) What is Fanime about?(obviously anime, but what other stuff?) I browsed around the forums and it appears there's cosplay, panels, movie/episode showings, gaming and dealers. However I would like more detailed explanations(like are there different areas for that or is it a giant mix).

Fanime is a convention where people gather up together for a similar fandom. These fandoms range pretty wildly beyond just "anime", but it could be seen more as a Japanese culture convention, that specializes in fandoms over just lifestyles. These JP fandoms are things like, music, cartoons, comics, dance, movies and cinema in general, and beyond. Admittedly many of these fandoms are incredibly stupid(like how much people love instant ramen or certain snacks).

Within the convention there are generally 5 major appeals.

The dealers room- A place to buy merchandise not easily found in other stores. Different dealers from across the country buy space and set up booth to sell goods. DVD's, comics, figures/models, clothing and costumes, and other types of goods can be found.

Panels- Mostly fan run, there are a few professional panels where guests talk general about whatever they want. An example of a professional panel would be the staff(most of them) of Gainax talking about different things they've done, has happened, and whatever the audience would like to ask them. A fan panel would be something like a group of cosplayers talking about finer details in costume making and tips/tricks to achieve the look you want for little effort and little money.

Major Events- Major events vary according to what you are looking for. Fanime offers dances, the Masq and Musicfest(along with many other smaller ones). The dance is self-explanitory. Masquerade is a show casing of skits and costumes performed by attendees. Attendees sign up and compete against each other for prizes and to a smaller extent honor. They put on skits regarding to anything their little minds and conceive. You can think of it as a talent show, with costumes. Musicfest is a musical concert performed by whatever musical guest(s) are being invited by the convention that year. It's a chance to see a JP musical group that you may not ever have the chance to see live. Some big names are often brought to the states for this.

Many of the more minor events are things like the AMV contest which is a showcasing of fan talent splicing and creating music videos for existing songs using clips from different things. Feel free to youtube or google AMV to learn more.

Video Rooms- Video rooms are constantly showing different shows. They range from Live Action drama series to full fledged SE Asian movies from HK/China/Korea/Japan+, to your normal anime, to even adult anime. They have a program guide to show what is showing when and where, so if you feel like watching something, or trying something out, they are there for you to do so.

Lastly, there is the general con experience- Being able to gather with 15,000 fans of similar fandoms to meet and talk to. To see the wide range of people in different costumes displaying their fandom with others. In general there's a lot to do whether or not you're doing anything specifically with the con. There are thousands of people to meet and friendships to be made(though to be honest, I'd be weary about making friends with a lot of people at cons... they're weirdos).

2) Is volunteering worth it? The cost of early registration is $45 which is a bit expensive for me, but I researched that volunteering could lead to a free entry(after refund/certain number of hours). This idea appealed to me and I wondering if the benefits of volunteering: meeting new people, hanging out in volunteer room, working long hours[jk] were worth it as opposed to the cons: having 4-6 hours everyday taken up, not being able to go where you want. Input on how fun volunteering is would be appreciated.

Volunteering gives you a free entry for 20-21 hours iirc. This doesn't have to be AT the con, and there are certain hours that are worth double. Fanime sometimes does small things outside of the main convention that your hours can go towards. Things like setup and tear down before and after con are usually worth double hours.

IMO, volunteering is not worth it. But many others will disagree. I prefer to spend the money and have the entire weekend to do whatever I choose. As a volunteer you do get to meet a lot of people, and your admission is free. So it's basically up to you to decide. I think paying the money is more worth my time.

3) I watch some anime(gundam 00, code geass, afro samurai, soul eater are recent ones), and used to build model kits(a handful in middle/high school). The main reasons Fanime draws me in is because it is related to anime, and that I heard there will be people selling model kits there(from Japan?/hard to get?). The question I have is that will Fanime be enough to keep me entertained or will I be generally bored there because of the vast amount of anime that I don't know(I'm more of a casual anime watcher than an avid one). Are there model kits the expensive?($40+).

Yes and no. You are in the boat of most people. In general you have a decent understanding because you watch slightly more than what is released to the general public in the US. Basically, if you know what's on Adult Swim, you are on par with the majority of anime convention go'ers. I.E. most people would not know what Soul Eater is. There are people like me though, who are way beyond that fandom and pretty much know everything that's going on currently and in the past of the industry. You don't have to so much worry about that at all though. You'll fit in fine, and if anything already have a leg up over the majority of people. Fanime really caters towards casual(much like most conventions actually) than avid ones. Reason being, if you appeal to avid watchers, you push away the casual ones, who are your biggest audience after all.

Prices for goods at conventions are generally reasonably priced. I say this because they're cheaper than most stores you can buy things at(like in Japan Town in SF), but are more expensive if you really shop for things. Shopping online, and knowing different companies and things about shipping and whatnot, or even shopping Yahoo Auctions Japan maybe even Ebay, you can find things cheaper, it just takes more work to do so and you have to wait for shipping. So most people find the convenience of buying it at a con well worth it. Many people go to conventions ONLY to go to the dealers room to shop.




Hopefully that answers anything you needed to know. There's a million things not covered, and a million more things to do at conventions of course, but hopefully that gave you the general idea.

[Kikkoman]

Thanks a lot every and especially PyronIkari for explaining it so in depth. I think I'll be going this year :D and since I will probably go all 4 days I think I'll get some volunteering in.(still have to decide though, among my friends and such) Haha, and to clarify I have been to one convention before, that's NVISION 08 just a few months ago, although I bet that is totally different from Fanime. This makes me pretty excited for it even though it's still in May ._.

P.S. Anyone in the San Jose area looking to go together I'm up for it!