Should Anime Conventions Evolve?

Anime conventions have always been gatherings celebrated by the nerd counterculture. Anime conventions originated some decades ago as meetings specifically geared toward that which can trace its origins to the island nation of Japan is facing a great expansion in these more recent times. As nerds expand and cross over into different fandoms, the anime convention circuit may be changing faces. Television, gaming, and comics both on paper and on the web from all over the world are making more and more appearances at these conventions. Whovians, Browncoats, and Homestickers are becoming commonplace in the crowds. With new interest comes new demand and new demand brings, hopefully, new supply to accommodate.

Many smaller conventions already embrace the change. Anime Nebraskon and PortconMaine already allow multi-national content in their programming, more than happy to embrace every type of nerd who goes to a convention seeking one of their own. Be it Naruto, Doctor Who, Resident Evil, or Captain America, there is a certain policy of No-Nerd-Left-Behind that is being embraced with these changes. In an age where there is a growing pressure to prevent suicides and bullying among the younger generations especially, it is imperative that those who belong to the nerd niches, those who likely do not fit their school life’s perfectionism, have even one haven to go one weekend of the year to find people like them. No fandom of any kind should ever be discriminated against. It is the blending of anime, video games, webcomics, and television among so many other medias that has made the nerd subculture into the colorful world it is known to be.

Founded on the principle of bringing together anime fans and educating the public on anime’s Japanese origin, Anime Boston is one of many cons that are facing the challenge of this expansion. When their choice to not accommodate multi-national programming was questioned, one of the assistants of their con chair explained that AB faces many requests for paneling and workshop that must be fit into a mere three days. Given a little under 72 hours, it would be impossible to fit in programming to satisfy everyone and they do their best to maintain their mission statement of being a Japanese-based convention. However, they do notice that their clientele is changing and has said that, should the demand reach a suitable peak, they may start including different things in their weekend activities. This is a definite change documenting the shifting interest in the nerd culture, how what was once a niche audience is becoming a more flourishing sub-culture ripe with new material to bring to the table.

These changes should be embraced with open arms. There are already attendees who don costumes from things that are beyond Japanese origin, who go to meet their own fandoms. The Doctor Whos, the Malcolm Reynolds, the trolls and god tiers, every snowflake of the convention circuit lays the big white blanket what we all fall under and work so hard to get to. Certainly there are specialty cons for things such as Star Wars and other immensely popular shows that are not of Japanese origin but for many, these events are far too costly to attend or too far beyond their own backyard to travel to. The anime convention offers a local venue for all to celebrate their nerdiness at and thus it should be. Incorporating fandoms beyond those of the classic animes is no harm done to what is already present among the masses. Rather, revenues and attendance numbers would probably increase. While they may no longer be considered ‘anime’ conventions in years to come, there is no reason Haruhi Suzimiya and XXXholic cannot exist within the same boundaries as Captain America and No More Heroes. All nerds should be treated equally, especially when they may have no where else to go that allows them to be.