Okay guys/gals. this is my first time goin to an anime convention. I am not new to anime since I usually watch it from time to time when I can. Ive heard lots of good and bad rumors but Im expecting the best outta this. What great things can I expect from this convention? what should I look out for? How friendly are the people here?
I was asked to come with a friend and take pictures since its what I usually do.
sorry if I sound too noobish. Help a noob out!
A lot of idiocy.
Many people think an anime convention is an excuse to act however they want. What little social graces they had are thrown out the window, and they will run around idiotically, screaming random Japanese that they don't understand, and the what not.
Avoid these people.
There are quite a bit of 'normal' people at conventions as well, so yeah.
There's lots to do according to what you feel like doing. Panels on lots of different subjects, video rooms to check out shows/movies you've never seen before or are interested in seeing again. A dealers hall, artists alley to buy shit, a game room to play games if you're winding down or bored. And a lot of people.
What to expect? A convention.
n00bs unite!
Quote from: PyronIkari on May 12, 2008, 02:55:45 PM
A lot of idiocy.
Many people think an anime convention is an excuse to act however they want. What little social graces they had are thrown out the window, and they will run around idiotically, screaming random Japanese that they don't understand, and the what not.
Avoid these people.
Can I watch these people for entertainment?
well it is really just a bunch of people interested in anime/manga/japanese stuff
coming together for fun you know.
just enjoy yourself be carefree and just have fun
just dont get into any trouble
People are generally pretty friendly... on occasion you might meet the jackass or jerk, but for the most part, con goers are pretty chill. If you really want, take lots of pictures... and I mean like, lots; as many as you possibly can. I don't know if you're like me, but I'm the type of person who regrets not taking enough pictures.
Expect expensive food (I'd suggest bringing your own if you can), people sleeping in the halls, interesting cosplays, and late night movie marathons. (:
There probably will be a schedule on the website in a few days, so try to look at that and read the information on certain events. If you have nothing to do, and seriously like, nothing at all, I'd suggest to volunteer and help out, but I doubt you'll have to resort to volunteering. There's always something going on, and you can always try to amuse yourself at the arcade. (:
Expect Fun, Lots and lots and lots of it
Expect little sleep
Quick meals
You won't want to leave
At the end of your First con, you'll wish it never ended
That's how I felt at mine at least
Also expect a lot of cosplayers! (people dressed up as their favorite anime/manga/etc characters). If you are into contests, there is the karaoke contest, amv contest and masquerade [where cosplayers perform skits or just do walk-ons]. The dealers room is always a huge attraction. If you want to buy a bunch of stuff, that is where you will do it, so be sure to bring money ^^.
There are a lot of things to do, so be sure to look through the schedule when you pick up your badge. If you want to know if there will be anything specific just ask!
My first time at a con was one of the best times I ever had. I dove right in and was on staff my very first con and I met a lot of people that way that are good friends of mine now. (run on sentence!), so you can always volunteer if you wish to meet new people. But just wandering around the con asking cosplayers for pictures, viewing video rooms, etc is a great way to meet people :)
Just keep an open mind and enjoy yourself! Most people are generally nice, but there are always those select individuals who aren't. It's changed over the years, but I still have a great time and I'm one of the "older" ones with kids ^^ I'm bringing mine for the first time this year and I'm looking forward to it!
thanks for the positive feedback guys. I was kinda gettin scared of gettin noob bashed on these forums for some reason.
As for takin plenty of pictures, I do more than eough of that because I do side jobs for business' and small companys.
I was hopin to get a press badge but I dont work for any specific anime magazine or company =(
I hope to meet lots of you guys there. Im lookin more forward to this now.
It'll be fun! Hope to see you there!
Can anyone list the special events?
Last year I missed the rock concert -_-;
SO there's B&W ball, Karoke contest, Masquerade ball...?
There's the rave/dance, Music Fest... :0
You will get touched by random people, not all of them attractive.
For the most part, have fun. but have a rough idea or plan at the same time.
Check out the venue (SJCC), and wear comfortable shoes you WILL walk... ALOT. there is ALOT to do mind you. Videos, Events, Panels, Cosplayers etc...
Trust your group of friends or make new ones. Just be careful, some get more attached or touchy than others so 'to each is own' kinda thing.
usual things like eat, drink, bathe and keep an eye on personal items.
Most people technically wander and absorb, grow the size of friends, ideas, anime knowledge and of course good times and good memories.
Just dont wear a "fanime noob" shirt or sign or something. That would be all bad.
Things to do and know,
-surround yourself with people you know you can spend a weekend with.
-Keep your wits about you, it's a fun time had by all, but by no means does that include a rule free weekend.
-Know when to say no, if there's things you don't wanna do, don't do it (typical peer pressure)
-Look for people like me, and others, just get to know those con go'ers that have some veterancy and are rather extroverted fun having individuals.
-Just have fun and don't sit back and let things happen, GET IN THERE! Mix things up, be involved, I can't tell you how boring it is to be a spectator and not a participant.
Quote from: hugmeimnerdy on May 13, 2008, 07:54:29 PM
Can anyone list the special events?
Last year I missed the rock concert -_-;
SO there's B&W ball, Karoke contest, Masquerade ball...?
Fanime's Extravaganzas Division includes MusicFest, Black & White Ball, the Cosplay Spectacular, and FaniMaid Cafe.
There is a Dance held at the J from Friday through Sunday nights. There are also some exciting things going on with Live Programming in addition to the really cool Panels.
thanks for the great info guys, sadly.....I might be goin alone =( since my friend might bail on me.....wich i hope not...
If he does, hang out with me! I got tons of people so far! go to http://forums.fanime.com/index.php/topic,9533.0.html
Quote from: Nick Zebra on May 14, 2008, 07:01:27 PM
If he does, hang out with me! I got tons of people so far! go to http://forums.fanime.com/index.php/topic,9533.0.html
whoa, a square like me being invited to hang out with the cool kids? Im all in XD
Im always up for a good and if anyone see's a cameraman with an expensive camera, smile and let me take a photo =D
All pictures I take will be posted on these forums and I will be there for Friday nite, All Day Saturday and Im leaving Sunday afternoon.
Cameramen are welcomed at FanimeCon, especially around cosplayers. Be sure to check out the Cosplay Gatherings list (they'll have them at info booths around the floor).
Before you go, check the weather and bring lots and lots of water. Much like Disneyland, things are expensive; $3 bottles of water are common. Also, I don't recommend buying anything in the convention that you can buy outside for cheaper (i.e. a lot of the asian foods they sell at some Dealer's Hall booths. Ranch 99, anyone?)
Since you're new, take this chance to observe a lot of the happenings during convention time. Anime conventions are generally similar in content, so this can open up interests in other conventions around the country.
Always go with friends. Obviously, it's more fun to enjoy the con with people you know. You'll probably meet a lot of people and make lots of friends, so it'll be handy to have something to record email add's and what have you.
Since you're going all day on Saturday, be sure to check out the Masquerade Show. People line up quickly, so if you want to get good seats, you'd have to get there 2 or 3 hours before the show... (Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think it's back at the Civic Auditorium this year? That's right across the street from the con center)
Quote from: Taka86 on May 14, 2008, 07:17:47 PM
Quote from: Nick Zebra on May 14, 2008, 07:01:27 PM
If he does, hang out with me! I got tons of people so far! go to http://forums.fanime.com/index.php/topic,9533.0.html
whoa, a square like me being invited to hang out with the cool kids? Im all in XD
Im always up for a good and if anyone see's a cameraman with an expensive camera, smile and let me take a photo =D
All pictures I take will be posted on these forums and I will be there for Friday nite, All Day Saturday and Im leaving Sunday afternoon.
Cool another person to hang out with!
my forces grow steadily. I kid, I kid, in all reality, I am enthused to have another person coming along with me. Look forward to seeing all of you!
The great thing about cons are your fellow geeks.
The worst- absolute worst- thing about cons are your fellow geeks.
This is not a contradiction.
What you are about to experience, noob, is what happens when you take people that are passionate about the same thing and cram them into the same room. You'll have the "normals," folks that are interested in anime, interested in the scene, and are just here for the fun and games. You'll have the "batshit insane," who will hurt you if you diss their favorite character, series, voice actor/actress, flavor of Pocky, ect. You'll also have the most interesting part of the convention- the folks that waver somewhere in between, who are quirky, who are eccentric, who may be like me and consumed about fifteen different forms of stimulants in an effort to stay up long enough to really get into the vibes of this here scene.
It's a convention. It's a gathering of vaguely likeminded individuals- or not likeminded at all, except in this sharing of a common subcultural identity. It's the kinda geeky, the supergeeky, and the just plain weird. There will be games. There will be shows. There will be absolute lunacy. There'll also be a lot of scantily clad girls around, most of which will be painfully underaged.
In other words, it'll be fun.
Enjoy.
Quote from: Kaura117 on May 15, 2008, 10:24:51 PM
the kinda geeky, the supergeeky, and the just plain weird.
I think I'm all three...
Expect a lot of walking around, so plan to wear comfortable clothing and shoes. In previous years, I got very painful blisters on my feet from all walking back and forth from event to event. The San Jose Convention Center is HUGE, and it's a long way from the video rooms at Marriott end to the panels at the Hilton end, and then there's the Masquerade all the way across the street. Also, bring a backpack. It's useful carry supplies and such (food, water, sewing kit for cosplay, any merchandise you might buy or win) because it seems like such a waste of time to keep visiting the hotel room (because the elevators get crowded and slow). Who knows, you might even suddenly win goodies that you'll want to keep safe. One year, I scored three DVDs, two T-shirts, several posters, and a strip of film from Daichi! All for FREE! (I still can't believe he just took a roll of anime film and cut pieces up and hand strips to each and every attendee during his panel.) Years ago, the industry panels used to be very good for giveaways. These days, it's been more miss than hit.
Also, no matter how hard you try, expect to not be prepared. Expect to not have enough energy. No matter how much I try to prepare ahead of time, there's always stuff I miss and wish I went to. I've come to accept that the con just has too much to do, and I'm just always going to miss stuff no matter how hard I try.
But that's what makes it so much fun!
this thread has been very helpfull as it will be my first time as well so all the feedback that has been posted here has made me looking foward to this quite a lot
wow, the Fanime community is a real friendly and helpful community! had it been any other forum, I would have been eatin alive. THanks for all the info and invites guys/gals. I hope that I do get to meet some of you in person.
Quote from: Taka86 on May 16, 2008, 11:59:02 AM
wow, the Fanime community is a real friendly and helpful community! had it been any other forum, I would have been eatin alive. THanks for all the info and invites guys/gals. I hope that I do get to meet some of you in person.
No we aren't.
Were just acting nice so we you get FanimeCon, you'll be unsuspecting of are true goals (stealing your soul, feasting on your bone marrow, etc).
But don't worry, you won't feel a thing...
Actually the only unfriendly forum is ... well... I can't say it's name aloud but it has something to do with stairs (member of this place) anyways, of course we're friendly! and I look forward to hanging out with you on Friday!
Quote from: Taka86 on May 12, 2008, 07:53:23 PM
thanks for the positive feedback guys. I was kinda gettin scared of gettin noob bashed on these forums for some reason.
We'd never do that! The more the merrier. Besides, we were all n00bs once. The three things you will almost always experience at a Con are:
1. Leaving broke. (this always happens to me)
2. Sleep Deprivation (the self-imposed, and if your lucky, mind-altering kind)
3. Having the time of your life!
I've never regretted attending Fanime and I've been going for some time. Just remember to have fun, enjoy the company of the people you are with and try not to overload your schedule. Pick the events and programs that you'd most like to see and prioritize from there. I hope to see you there. I will be dressed as Suiseiseki from Rozen Maiden (aka my Avatar) and will have a blue tote bag! Say hi if you happen to see me. I would like to impart one more important bit of wisdom that has been passed down from fan to fan, convention to convention, all the world over.
BATHE- I know this seems like a no-brainer, but you'd be surprised.
Oh, yeah, has anyone mentioned rapid screaming fangirls? They can be scary.
Quote from: Edward Elric on May 17, 2008, 08:26:31 PM
Oh, yeah, has anyone mentioned rapid screaming fangirls? They can be scary.
I got tackled by a few when I went as Sagara Sannosuke one year. ._.; One of them even stole my headband for a while! She was a friend, though, so I got it back- eventually. >_>
Quote from: Haruka on May 17, 2008, 08:16:57 PM
Quote from: Taka86 on May 12, 2008, 07:53:23 PM
thanks for the positive feedback guys. I was kinda gettin scared of gettin noob bashed on these forums for some reason.
We'd never do that! The more the merrier. Besides, we were all n00bs once. The three things you will almost always experience at a Con are:
1. Leaving broke. (this always happens to me)
2. Sleep Deprivation (the self-imposed, and if your lucky, mind-altering kind)
3. Having the time of your life!
I've never regretted attending Fanime and I've been going for some time. Just remember to have fun, enjoy the company of the people you are with and try not to overload your schedule. Pick the events and programs that you'd most like to see and prioritize from there. I hope to see you there. I will be dressed as Suiseiseki from Rozen Maiden (aka my Avatar) and will have a blue tote bag! Say hi if you happen to see me. I would like to impart one more important bit of wisdom that has been passed down from fan to fan, convention to convention, all the world over.
BATHE- I know this seems like a no-brainer, but you'd be surprised.
I think the bathing part isnt a problem for me LOL. I'll def keep an eye out for ya and snap a few pics.
Quote from: Kaura117 on May 17, 2008, 11:32:11 PM
I got tackled by a few when I went as Sagara Sannosuke one year. ._.; One of them even stole my headband for a while! She was a friend, though, so I got it back- eventually. >_>
I only have been fangirled once at Fanime before, back in 05. Ever since then, I don't think I've met any fangirls.
One time, while cosplaying as SÅsuke Aizen a gaggle of girls attacked me, and managed to steal my sash, and my glasses, which weren't part of the costume... I needed those, I eventually got them back, but man what an annoyance. Usually I don't mind girls trouncing me... but.. hey if you're taking my stuff, go bother a rock star.
Quote from: Kaura117 on May 15, 2008, 10:24:51 PM
The great thing about cons are your fellow geeks.
The worst- absolute worst- thing about cons are your fellow geeks.
This is not a contradiction.
What you are about to experience, noob, is what happens when you take people that are passionate about the same thing and cram them into the same room. You'll have the "normals," folks that are interested in anime, interested in the scene, and are just here for the fun and games. You'll have the "batshit insane," who will hurt you if you diss their favorite character, series, voice actor/actress, flavor of Pocky, ect. You'll also have the most interesting part of the convention- the folks that waver somewhere in between, who are quirky, who are eccentric, who may be like me and consumed about fifteen different forms of stimulants in an effort to stay up long enough to really get into the vibes of this here scene.
It's a convention. It's a gathering of vaguely likeminded individuals- or not likeminded at all, except in this sharing of a common subcultural identity. It's the kinda geeky, the supergeeky, and the just plain weird. There will be games. There will be shows. There will be absolute lunacy. There'll also be a lot of scantily clad girls around, most of which will be painfully underaged.
In other words, it'll be fun.
Enjoy.
This needs to go on a con wiki. Best response in this thread.Also, beware of glomps. I got glomped 10 times just walking into the con my first year in my first seconds.
This will only be my third Fanime (seventeenth convention/gathering!) so I'm not as experienced as the other people giving you advice on this thread, but I'll still give my two cents.
Group > Individual. I can't emphasize this enough; at least for me, the experience is SO much funner when you've got friends and other people to hang out with. I've never attended a convention without bringing at least three of my friends, almost always more. And fun aside, it's just safer--occasionally I roam around conventions alone while my friends are elsewhere, and I immediately start getting hit on by guys. I couldn't have said it any better than Kaura117--yes, there are "batshit insane" folks at conventions, which include stalkers and just plain creeps. I don't know what age/gender you are, but if you're a teenage Asian girl like me, you should definitely watch out for that kind of thing! (It's admittingly flattering at first but it gets old and annoying. Really quickly.)
That being said, conventions, especially Fanime, have generally family-friendly atmospheres; you'll find that almost everyone is really nice and all that! Yes, it's an anime-centric event that revolves around geekery, but Fanime is kind of amazing. I haven't met anyone who's regretted attending. xD
Oh and ALSO, Fanime's like the sixth biggest convention in North America or something; it's really, really big. So brace yourself for that. Cx
Have fun! <333