Fanime 2015: A Fan Favorite
(Ed. Note: Cosplayer ImaginEeri went to Fanime a couple weekends ago and wrote this impression of the convention for us.)
Memorial Day weekend sees people in costumes take over the streets of San Jose, Calif., around the convention center. Every restaurant is full of people in colourful wigs, placing orders; the lobbies of hotels are thronging with people checking in carrying swords and staffs; at the corners local food vendors set up to cater to the large crowd; and you can’t forget the –now few –protesters setting up to condemn the cosplayers excited for the weekend.
FanimeCon has officially begun.
The newly updated convention center is filled with people. “Line Con” of 2013 has been defeated, and for the last two years the line for pre-reg is just a formality and con-goers are in and out in a matter of five minutes badges hanging around their necks. The con hasn’t quite begun on Day Zero, but cosplayers are already out in droves and the photographers are ready with their cameras out. Fanime attendees meet up with friends, many from out of town excited to be reunited with people they haven’t seen since last year.
Since 2008, I’ve been attending FanimeCon. Even when I moved to Boston in 2010, nothing could come between me and my home convention. Fanime was the very first con I ever attended, it’s what got me into cosplay, got me into sewing, and got me into school for costume design. Fanime is my home, and I go back every year to reunite with my friends and enjoy a four-day convention, and I love watching Fanime grow. Since 2008, Fanime has changed so much — the convention’s popularity has increased, the con center has expanded, the dealer’s hall is bigger than ever, but the heart of Fanime hasn’t changed. It’s still a convention by fans for fans, and every time I go back it seems like it’s better than the last time.
This year’s Fanime didn’t disappoint. The cosplays this year were amazing — from the adorably creative Punk AU cosplays to the amazingly detailed Disney princesses, every cosplayer there showed up looking amazing! And the photographers were ready in their usual spot outside of the con center in that corner by the Marriot under the shade of the trees. Inside the convention center, the con is just as exciting as panels start up and people eagerly away for the dealer’s hall and artist alley to open on the first day. The artists who come to Fanime are a wildly talented bunch, making artist alley alive with activity every year; the dealer’s hall, since the remodel now takes up two rooms, spreading out the vendors throughout a much larger space. And let’s not forget the gaming room, with the super-sized Jenga, countless video games, and my personal favorite, the purikura booths provided by PikaPika from San Francisco’s Japantown.
Once the con’s in full swing, it never really stops. The con hotels are all close enough that the con center is never without someone hanging out — maybe going to the rave or maybe showing off dance moves down on the first floor while others cheer them on. Even when you’re tired and ready for bed, it’s hard to go back to the hotel at the end of the night when there’s still so much activity down at the con center. It lasts for three nights, and come Monday, Day Four, the con winds down slowly as people trickle out of San Jose, not ready to say good-bye. Even after closing ceremonies, you can still find con-goers relaxing with friends, trying to make the most of those last few precious hours before they have to say good-bye until next year.
As someone who’s been living on the east coast for the last five years, most of the cons I go to aren’t on the west coast because overall, it’s just not worth it for me to spend that much money on traveling all over for cons when I’m living off a barista’s paycheck. However, Fanime is worth it. The atmosphere, the location, the activities, the people –everything about Fanime makes it not only an exciting time, but also one of the most memorable and worthwhile conventions I’ve ever been to. Much as I enjoy all the other conventions I attend, Fanime has a very special place in my heart and I hope that as the years go on it continues to hold to its motto and deliver one of the best convention experiences for all of its attendees.
