First off, it's nice that the video rooms were at least a little closer to the convention this year! They were unfortunately still far enough away it's hard to just drop in to one for a break from the busy other areas of the con though, so having them actually in the convention center again would be really great.
I was mostly just at the con on Saturday, so my feedback is mostly about that day. I'm also working off the assumption that most people (like myself and everyone I talked to about it at the con and after) would rarely want to start watching a new show in the middle of it.
Schedule: The schedule of the two video rooms were both synced showing 2-hour blocks starting at the same time, which meant that during the entire day, there were only 4 moments in the day when I could, potentially, go and watch some anime. Compared to many years back, when basically every half-hour there was something showing, at any time you could ask "want to sit down a bit and watch something?" Now, you've gotta schedule a "sit and watch some anime break" up to 2 hours in advance, which means, of course, that it's generally not even worth considering when wondering what to do next. Just offsetting the two rooms so they're not starting new shows at the same time would instantly double the accessibility (would at least get closer to what it was in, I think, 2019ish, where basically "on the hour" one knew there was always something to watch starting).
Specific Episodes: I first went by to watch Urusei Yatsura. I (and the others there I talked to) figured it was going to be the new remake, as that would be relevant and interesting, but it was the old one. That alone was fine, as watching old anime can be fun. However it was starting on... episode 191?! Huh? Since the room next door was showing a Dub, which is not my preference, but I can respect the choice, I gave Urusei Yastura a chance anyway, and it was exactly what we expected - a whole bunch of characters no one in the room knew anything about making for very unentertaining/confusing watching. It's fine to screen old shows (I loved the "nostalgia room" that used to play old stuff all day), but they need to start at the beginning. Sure, there will be a few people who drop in having already seen the show, but most people at a con are there to discover new things (or, get dragged by a friend to see something they wouldn't otherwise watch), and if it doesn't start at the beginning most people won't even enjoy an episode. I came back later at the next block to check out The Dangers in My Heart, which I'd heard good things about, so wanted to know if it was worth tracking down and watching for me. That one... was starting on episode 12.5?! Huh? Knowing it's a show that I might watch all of (if I liked the first episode), I just walked right out of that room to avoid spoilers, still not sure if I should watch it.
Conclusion: All in all, I spent more time walking to and from the video rooms than I did sitting and watching anime, and I ended up seeing effectively zero new things. Unsurprisingly, there were only a couple people in each video room any time I was there. Since it was still a bunch of work to get to, it also wasn't particularly effective for a break either (which would be very valuable for someone who quickly gets exhausted being around so many people).
Recommendations: Follow the pattern of years back when the video rooms were was highly utilized:
I was mostly just at the con on Saturday, so my feedback is mostly about that day. I'm also working off the assumption that most people (like myself and everyone I talked to about it at the con and after) would rarely want to start watching a new show in the middle of it.
Schedule: The schedule of the two video rooms were both synced showing 2-hour blocks starting at the same time, which meant that during the entire day, there were only 4 moments in the day when I could, potentially, go and watch some anime. Compared to many years back, when basically every half-hour there was something showing, at any time you could ask "want to sit down a bit and watch something?" Now, you've gotta schedule a "sit and watch some anime break" up to 2 hours in advance, which means, of course, that it's generally not even worth considering when wondering what to do next. Just offsetting the two rooms so they're not starting new shows at the same time would instantly double the accessibility (would at least get closer to what it was in, I think, 2019ish, where basically "on the hour" one knew there was always something to watch starting).
Specific Episodes: I first went by to watch Urusei Yatsura. I (and the others there I talked to) figured it was going to be the new remake, as that would be relevant and interesting, but it was the old one. That alone was fine, as watching old anime can be fun. However it was starting on... episode 191?! Huh? Since the room next door was showing a Dub, which is not my preference, but I can respect the choice, I gave Urusei Yastura a chance anyway, and it was exactly what we expected - a whole bunch of characters no one in the room knew anything about making for very unentertaining/confusing watching. It's fine to screen old shows (I loved the "nostalgia room" that used to play old stuff all day), but they need to start at the beginning. Sure, there will be a few people who drop in having already seen the show, but most people at a con are there to discover new things (or, get dragged by a friend to see something they wouldn't otherwise watch), and if it doesn't start at the beginning most people won't even enjoy an episode. I came back later at the next block to check out The Dangers in My Heart, which I'd heard good things about, so wanted to know if it was worth tracking down and watching for me. That one... was starting on episode 12.5?! Huh? Knowing it's a show that I might watch all of (if I liked the first episode), I just walked right out of that room to avoid spoilers, still not sure if I should watch it.
Conclusion: All in all, I spent more time walking to and from the video rooms than I did sitting and watching anime, and I ended up seeing effectively zero new things. Unsurprisingly, there were only a couple people in each video room any time I was there. Since it was still a bunch of work to get to, it also wasn't particularly effective for a break either (which would be very valuable for someone who quickly gets exhausted being around so many people).
Recommendations: Follow the pattern of years back when the video rooms were was highly utilized:
- Make it accessible: in the convention center or one of the immediately attached hotels. "Let's watch some anime" should be a feasible suggestion with a lower barrier to entry at an "anime convention"
- Start at the beginning: whether someone's dragging their friends along to watch an old favorite or someone's dropping in to see something new, start with episode 1, anything else (for most anime) is just, at best, confusing, or at worst, spoils the show
- Smaller, offset blocks: the perfect schedule (during the main part of the day) for me would be mostly 1-hour blocks (the first 3 episodes of a show), with two rooms offset (one generally starting on the hour, the other on the half hour), so there's always something to see (and it's dozens of shows people could choose from in a day, not just a few). The old "marathon room" was good for watching entire shows (and, though I'm not young enough to be able to do this anymore, there's nothing quite like the experience that only Cons can offer, of staying up all night watching a show from start to finish with a bunch of strangers turned new friends), but admittedly it was, I think, not as well attended as the other rooms in the past