Other conventions you recommend

Started by citrus, April 11, 2015, 10:09:23 PM

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citrus

So, after spending countless posts of nothing but constant complaining, it's clear that the con or staff is not registering my concerns. So instead of spending my energy on complaining, instead I decide to make a thread about what other conventions you guys recommend. If any of you guys do have any recommendations or alternatives I would greatly appreciate it if you post.

Dracil

#1
I enjoyed Lantis Vegas this year, my friends who go to AFA every year also find it pretty hype, J-Pop Summit also gets good music guests and I enjoyed Miku Expo last year as well.  PAX and BGG are also great if you like games.  Or just go to a proper Japanese live like Love Live/IM@S/animelo etc. which is how a lot of my extended group of con friends met each other and became lifelong friends.  Oh, funny how none of these are American anime cons. ;)

But I'm only half-joking. American anime con quality as a whole seems to be getting worse as high-quality Japanese guests gets replaced by cheap local dub and cosplay guests.  If those were my interests, I only need to go to one con a year since the same guests (*cough*vic*cough*) show up every damn place so there's really no value.  But if I really wanted to meet American actors I'd just go for Comic Con instead anyway instead of this wish-washy mish-mash anime cons here are slowly becoming (AX still takes the cake for this downward spiral).

echoshadow

In-state wise, Anime L.A., Anime Conji, Sacanime, and WonderCon. And Anime Expo, which is very closely sliding downhill, feels more like a Comic-con wanta-be, but with out a hight budget, and poor management (in some departments)

Besides those I haven't been to any others so I can't speak of them.  In those I say Sacanime and Anime LA are hang out cons, since they have the same amount of guests and programing as Fanime.
The major issue I had with Sacanime was the wrist bands you have wear for 3 days. But I get it.  There are more cheap skates and slackers up there, enough so they adopted that policy.
Not your typical anime junkie.
MAL:Echoshadow's Anime List

cutiebunny

Since you just go for the guests, citrus, I'd recommend sticking with the smaller, "less than 25K" cons.  25K is my cut-off for most cons; After that, it just becomes a massive gathering and any goals you had at the con become next to impossible unless you're willing to line up hours before an event.  Or, like AX, you pay extra for a ticket that gives you expedited entry (the 'Premier Pass'...which is largely useless..)  With a lot of cons, money does talk and you get expedited service if you're willing to spend that extra buck.

Cons like Animazement, SacAnime, SakuraCon, YaoiCon (fun con..), PMX, Anime Detour would all be venues I would look at.  I've yet to attend a Midwest con, but Wikipedia shows that they do get large numbers.  IMO, the smaller the con, the better it is.  You get to have a lot more quality experiences with the guest as opposed to being lined up like cattle for panels and autographs. The downside is that, if you're traveling to go to these cons, you're paying more to meet each guest and for the experience.