/cgl/ - Cosplay & EGL

AX
Only fun if you have a largish group to suffer the lines with, escort your cripple friend, or if you're a cripple.
That is, if you're going in order to get exclusive fig releases, photograph sweaty weebs, and can manage to trick the staff into letting you into the panels.
It's annoying that they don't clear rooms, and counterproductive that there is notone volunteer that actually knows anything about what's going on.
I had fun, due to aforementioned friends, but last year I barely spent any time at the con itself.

Anime Central
Absolute shitfire, but I still go every year. Unorganized, stale, chaotic at night. Fun with friends. Perfect if you're a partier.

Thinking of going to Colossalcon instead just for a change of pace and scenery. What's it like, besides just another party con.

bumping because I like this idea

>>9749686
Go for the waterpark, stay for the substances and loose morals.

Con Alt Delete
>Run by an accused rapist
>No high profile guests besides YouTubers
>Game room was literally 3 arcade machines

Anime Weekend Atlanta is fun as shit and their fashion track gets top-notch guests and is always run so smoothly

>>9749686
Fun as hell. Good booze on site, beautiful location, and everyone wears new and colorful summer cosplays. My personal favorite.

Yama-con in Pigeon Forge, TN was one of the weirder ones I went to. That con tended toward broader variety of cosplays - Godzilla and Michael Jackson, among others, but a TON of entry-level ones like Pokemon grunts.

It was very chaotic and the programming was scattershot, tending toward normie fare. Though, admittedly, we went to that one when Tennessee was on fire and the day before, it was used to house homeless people whose houses were destroyed that same weekend. And the local liquor store also burned down.

Anime Boston
>Fantastic Panels
>Needs more guest variety
>Great dealer's room
>Acts on criticism, like speeding up the security check
>All around fun time. I just wish they'd have more variety in their guests.

Tokyo in Tulsa (Tulsa, OK)
>Event staff is extremely poor with communication
>Whole con is run in a messy, disorganized way
>Extremely overpriced--charges as much as some of the biggest conventions in the country despite being a pretty small convention itself. Biggest one in Oklahoma, sure, but Oklahoma's not exactly teeming with people
>Lack of variety in panels
>Lines are poorly managed
>Literally the worst run trainwreck of a convention I've ever been to. Don't even bother

>>9749799
that sucks, I remember hearing something about it but never ended up going

>>9749806
Honestly, it's good that you didn't. I don't have a single good thing to say about TnT from the last few years.
Worst of all, they don't seem to pay attention to criticism since a lot of those problems (EX: Lack of panel variety, overcharging, poor line management) are extremely common complaints and have been for years, but they never seem to do anything about it.

>>9749686
Colossal kicks ass. The waterpark is great and if you get the night passes it fucking rules for parties

One of the best game rooms in the midwest besides Youmacon as well. All the latest fighting games, plus old arcade cabinets with SFII Turbo, Capcom Vs. SNK 2 and more

>>9749666
Thanks anon, I've been wanting to start a thread like this for a while now but kept putting it off.

MAGfest
My only big complaint is getting a room can be a hassle. It's a great con if you love video and/or tabletop gaming, with a great arcade, a good console space, and a library of board games for you to check out. It also seems pretty party friendly if that's your thing.

Has anyone here been to Tekko? How is it content-wise? I'm in NE Ohio and I'd appreciate a closer decent-sized con.

Anyone here ever been to AAC or PortCon? Thinking about going to either or--maybe both--this year, but I don't know too much about either.

I do artist alley and all reviews will be from the latest year unless noted otherwise

Kami-con: My favorite convention. The con is the perfect size, not so big that it is super crowded always, but definitely not dead. They always have fun story events going on and lots of interactions so you feel like you are part of the event unlike most cons where you just go and kinda walk around and go to random panels. Has more internet guests than most cons which is a huge plus for me. Just generally love it. Also my most profitable con.

Annicon: a small one day con in Alabama. It is a small, local one day con done right.

Momo-con: Hosted in a huge convention center, so there is so much open space. Lots of panels and great guests. If not for the god awful artist alley organization, it would maybe be my favorite. They had me rearrange my table 10 minutes before the doors open to the public. Anger.

Hama-con: A great strictly anime con with a local feel. Has a big focus on interacting with attendees similar to kamicon. Not always too much going on and the guests aren't the greatest, but if you live nearby, I 100% recommend it.

AWA (2016): eh. It is ok. Nothing special about it at all to be honest. I barely made money at that con.

yama-con: Something about this con I really like. It is located in Pigeon Forge/dollywood so its a great spot to just walk around outside of the con and do stuff. The con itself is slightly above average. I recommend going up there a day early to walk around the local stores and such.

Seishun-con: eh... I really didn't like this con. The artist alley room was shoved in a room that most people didn't even know existed. It was a very tiny con, yet still crowded. Do not travel far to go to this con.

>>9749831
AAC
You’ll see the same 50 people for three days, one of the only cons I know of that still has a manga library, good if you’re in it more for quietly weebing out and possibly making a new friend. Actually interesting dealers room/artist alley. Don’t look for quality cosplay

>>9749670
I feel kinda different on AX

AX is like a 3/5
Pro's
>stupid large vendor hall with lots of stuff
>lounge 21 is pretty chill and really nice way to segment off from the rest of the con
>cosplay is really great
>usually some great concerns and good times
Con's
>Expensive to go by yourself to for a room
>Vendor hall while huge also has a huge markup on everything
>line con is stupid you HAVE to get there day 0
>Getting food is hard
>con staff/gophers are morons and feel like they are running a con for the first time of 200 people
>Panels are often very bleh usually middle of the road shit you've heard before or can find out in a few minutes online

Momocon:
Mid sized con, but rapidly growing. Great paneling, they respond quickly to new trends, new media, etc.. Lots of my favorite Youtubers come and actually get big rooms to present in, which is nice. Huge game and vendors room. Only negatives are that it's not 24/7, it is 'family friendly'. Though this is my favorite con kind of for those reasons, because it's the least party/drinking heavy con. I would say this is worth coming out to if you're within reasonable driving distance, hotels aren't too bad either.

Dragoncon:

Huge con, crazy 24/7 experience, nearly NYCC size without the corporate feel. Paneling sucks hard for the most part, they don't keep up with new trends at all. I'm not a party/drinking person so it's not my favorite con, but I go every year as I'm a local. Definitely worth coming out once your con career even if you're a flight out, I have never met someone that regret it, hotels can be extremely pricey though.

AWA:

Mid sized con, I feel like this has stagnant paneling, but it's not too bad. Nice cozy feel compared to Dragoncon. Not a great con for me either since it is very party/drinking focused, but I go every year since I'm local.


Seishun Con:
Small con, really only worth if you're local. It's w\e, something to goof around at for a weekend.


>>9749859
were you the guy selling tails at Seishun con?

Otakon Vegas 2/5
Not worth the price. Panels are terrible. Dealers room is alright. Staff gives 0 shits and you can walk right by them. Only entertaining thing to do is laugh at how fat momokun is getting.

>>9749921
>Panels are terrible
Elaborate

>>9749927
Mostly just unorganized and run by first time teenagers. But we all have to start somewhere I guess.

>>9749921
If you live near it, is it worth going just to cosplay drink and buy a fig or two? I wouldn't mind going but I don't want to end up going to a con with bunch of people moping around and no one to drink with in vegas

>>9749915
>Momocon:
>Mid sized con
>AWA:
>Mid sized con

mid sized? uhh, awa is the 5th largest anime convention in the US and momo has the same attendance numbers. Both are in at least the top 15 in biggest geek conventions in the US.

>were you the guy selling tails at Seishun con?
yep. I didn't mention that I didn't even break even at that con.
It genuinely felt like a 1st year con, but it wasn't.

>>9749935
Are you going with friends? If so it can be worth it.
Have you been before? If you’re trying to find people to drink with don’t bother. Like most Vegas cons it seems to be a lot of underaged kids. You can get to the artist alley for free but dealers is locked behind a badge. Literally the only thing I enjoyed was the dealers because I actually managed to find some rare stuff that I Havnt been able to find at any other con. But I feel like most of the same dealers would be at lvlupexpo too and that’s a much better con IMO

>>9749941
>Have you been before? If you’re trying to find people to drink with don’t bother. Like most Vegas cons it seems to be a lot of underaged kids.

Not to the vegas one but another vegas con and that's what I was afraid of. Closest other one would be the one in flagstaff, was kinda looking for another in that area but not much to go off of. Oh well greyhound tickets round trip are like 30 bucks

>>9749945
Another sucky part about otakon is that it’s in planet Hollywood upstairs by the brittney Spears theatre. You have to walk through either the miracle mile shops or most of the casino to get to it. And trust me you get a looooot of weird looks doing that.

Any opinions on KumoriCon in Portland?
I live in California and want to branch out to more cons, and want to know if it's worth flying out to, since it's looking like I won't be able to attend SakuraCon this year and none of my friends will go to AX with me.

>>9749820
>My only big complaint is getting a room can be a hassle.
Cons of all stripes are getting more popular and older millennials are starting to come into money so its no surprise that rooms are getting harder to come by at cons now.

NYCC:
>Mult-hour line wait required for everything from panels to guests to a promotional item
>Full of normies and children who don't know how to move through the dealers' halls without stopping in the middle of the isle
>Great industry panels but it's physically impossible to go to more than a few per day due to the line queue

>>9749748
To add on to this.

Anime Zap
>run by the same accused rapist
>there’s literally no effort
>dealers hall gets worse every year.
>gaming room is great though.
>apparently Ryan only runs it so he could use it as an excuse to party
Anime Midwest
>same accused rapist
>his best con, and it’s super obvious that it’s where all the money goes
>super cozy, has the right amount of people
>only kopf con id recommend

>>9749978
Any comments on Sakuracon?

>>9750265
I really liked it actually, I went in 2015 and I thought it was really well put together.
>large con, but not super crowded because the con center is huge
>interesting panels and guests
>good place for cosplay
>seems to be well run, except badge pickup got a little long

I've only gone once so I might not have the best judgement, but it was really good compared to local cons here. They had some industry guests and the panels seemed diverse.
My only gripes with the con itself would be the long line that I mentioned, and the fact that while spacious, the con center is kind of confusing to navigate. Lots of floors and the layout in general was just kind of confusing, but maybe they've fixed that since I've been there.

If I could go to one con in Ohio which should it be?

CONvergence- Good guests, excellent game rooms (table top and video), good panels
Honestly It's the more mature version of Anime Detour but with WAY better RoomParties. Biblo's hobbit hole is a recurring room party and is very much a con favorite. A pretty relaxed atmosphere, DESU. My favorite con.

>>9750834
If you like to party and water park, colossalcon.
More laid back , smaller Ohayocon but run better - matsuri.

Western Canadafag here so haven't been out too much but I'll give some reviews:

CCEE:
Pros:
>Good dealers' room and AA. Both are together in the same space. There were additional dealers last year in another building >Good for finding rare vidya or comics
>Pretty far from normies for the most part so normies shouldn't bother you during the day
>Cosplayers who go tend to be chill people
Cons:
>Nowhere to fucking sit down. Staff force you up even if there's plenty of space in the hall for people to walk. You can sit outside but if the weather is bad (which it often is) you're fucked
>No real panels of interest
>Kind of corporate
>Guests are alright but tend to not be for things I'm interested in (mostly from comics and TV)
It's mostly a con I frequent to go to dealers, honestly.

Otafest
Pros:
>Easy location to get to, right in the middle of downtown. Surrounded by places to eat
>Gaming room isn't bad for a small con, lots of place to sit
>Okay Artist's Alley
>Bag check no longer mandatory

Cons:
>Right in the middle of downtown on a holiday weekend = drunk normies bothering cosplayers
>Panels are shit tier, don't waste your time
>Con head refuses to ban known con creeps
>Guests are meh tier

Animethon
Pros:
>Chill atmosphere
>Relatively good Dealer's Room
>Small but fun parties
>Fun tabletop atmosphere
>Decent Masquerade Ball (when it wasn't held on Friday)

Cons:
>AA in a poorly lit location
>Staff are fuckwits and get drunk during con hours
>Nowhere to sit down except outside
>Not a lot of food options nearby
>Some panels good others awful
>Same meh tier guests as Otafest

Can someone post some more reviews about colossalcon and colossalcon east. Im hopefully going to colossalcon this year and would like some feedback from how it was last year.

>>9750862
Worth noting that Animethon is moving to the Shaw this year (where Taste is) so a lot of the issues regarding the venue (AA/dealers, seating, etc) itself are solved since it's now in a proper convention centre. Same with the food situation since it's right on Jasper and there's a pedway straight to the food court in Canada Place. Downside is the potential for more normies/creeps due to the proximity to 97th but it'll be no worse than the area behind MacEwan imo.

kotoricon:

pros
>small local con, nice atmosphere where you feel like you know everyone or can know everyone at somepoint
>nice and fun panels most of the time
>the larp danger room is fun
>+2 comedy dating game is a great con ender
>free photo shoots
cons
>mostly in winter, worst times when it snows
>small con where sometimes you can see everything to see
>a personal gripe, no rave/dance party
>voice actor guests can be hit or miss
>game room is separate from the rest of the buildings

Camden comic con:

pros:
>free
>great con to introduce kids to conventions
>good for buying comics
>family friendly
>good comic panels
cons:
>pretty small
>panels can be more geared towards kids
>more family friendly oriented

animenext:

pros:
>huge convention center
>fun atmosphere
>the people attending the con are great and pretty easy to make new friends
>beach shore adventures can be fun
>great panels
>rave is fun as hell

cons:
>its in Atlantic City
>beggars everywhere
>have to stay by the commercial area from ballys to the convention center for safety
>normies everywhere
>rave is only 2 days so Sunday feels a bit off

j1con (this is only going by my recent visit to their makeshift venue before they moved to Atlantic City)

pros:
>very small and very intimate
>you can easily Make friends with a lot of people due to how small the venue was
>the convention owner is very 1 on 1 with the con and very willing to interact with the convention attendees
>the convention owner feels like one of us instead of a suit
>con staff are very helpful and very down to earth
>despite the small venue the panels were alright
>dance party was amazing, very local feel to it

cons:
>very small emergency venue, like you could walk to the game room, artist alley/merch area and the one panel area in 5 seconds
>the general smallness to the venue

nycc:

pros:
>great opportunities to get good pictures of cosplays
>big convention center
>good for general comic or cartoon activities

>>9751531

cont.
pro(cont)
>good panels and guests

cons:
>the place is too big and too crowded
>long lines everywhere
>due to long lines you have to pick and choose what your really want to do
>may end up only going to 3 or least panels
>lines fill up quickly
>the atmosphere doesn't feel as friendly as other cons

Random Summer, hosted by Jigoku Producciones, in Argentina. I'll be nicer since the only other mention I found for them on this board was quite negative

Pros:
>free entry
>auditorium on the second floor where we saw some trailers and some anime on a projector (it's an event for casuals, but hey, I didn't mind), they also had some contests with drawings and cosplay, I dunno, they were cute, I guess
>very nice people attended, this fucking board made me worry too much in that photographer thread - no one minded me asking to take their pics
>also, free hugs are a meme that somehow came to my country - I didn't even know this was a meme until someone explained it to me, and it's apparently from a 2006 campaign involving a music video. I dunno, but I appreciated the free hugs, as corny as the idea may be
>lots of stands

Cons:
>veeeeeery crowded, they would have actually helped themselves if they charged for entry because damn
>long lines for food (I didn't get anything other than water, I'm on a diet)
>the gamer section, jesus fuck, okay, I don't really mind the amount of games (would have preferred a bit more but whatever), they had good choices, but goddamn that room was a SAUNA - so hot and the fans on the roof didn't do shit for the heat, get some fucking AC in that room, please. It felt like I was in the Bolivian mountains when I was in that room.

I'm more positive than the few argies that post here. I think it's nice that there are so many people into this stuff. It's nice that there's a place for anime/manga fans (casuals or not) to hang out and be as geeky as we want. I know some people might think

>oh, but there are no major guests for most of these, the venues are mediocre, muh bootlegs, etc.
Great, where's the money going to come from? Guests and venues don't pay for themselves, as the people behind Monstercon and Animate learned. And getting legit merch is a bitch due to customs. C'est la vie.

>>9749686
Seconding this. But I've stopped paying for it. Panels are all tumblr galore along with panels that are the same thing every year. All I want is to get into the dealer's hall and poke around the gaming room which has at least stepped up. Still can't touch Colossal's though.

Most guests are the same English VA's over and over like Vic Mgnugget. The rave is the worst of midwestern fat kids getting high and thrashing against each other and the one time I went to the formal dance, it was like some sort of offspring of someone's most boring high school prom.

Finally, the real guests worth visiting for are such a breath of fresh air good luck seeing them unless you arrive 2 hours early to beat linecon. Because even after the several years that I've gone, the lines are still atrocious everywhere sanctioned by the con itself. Having a badge mailed is the best favor you can do for yourself.

Just go for the parties and pray someone doesn't pull the fire alarm. Which always happens.

>>9749670
>>9749911
I plan on going just to soak in the dealer's hall, cosplay, and meet up with friends. Will I suffer linecon (extreme) if I don't have any plans to see the guests? I'll be at a hotel in Longbeach 2 days before the con anyway, so the hotel isn't an issue, just the time it'll take to get to the con center if I take the shuttle.

>>9749753
Really? While they do get new guest. That tea party was awful. $60 for the smallest plate of only sweets? They need to do better.

Setsucon, a tiny con from my area (PA). All of the other ones that I've been to have been posted so

PROS:
>Relatively small but growing
>Good Dealers Room/AA
>Cheap
>No attendance cap this year

CONS:
>Pretty family friendly in recent years
>Bad location (Altoona is a shithole)
>Panels are meh
>Creepy and/or unexperienced staff

It's something fun and small if you're in the area, and they've been having a rough run the last few years. I only really go for merch at this point.

>>9749666
Anime Detour
>pretty good con, but seems to have dropped in quality a little bit over the years
>decent dealers room but packed
>panels can be hit or miss, but there are still a decent number of good panels
>this con always has a large number of "fandom" types (Hetalia, homestuck)
>slowly, it seems as though more and more political panels are added over time.

Animinneapolis
>unlike Detour which is kind of on the side of the road, this one is right smack down downtown
>decent rave, and concerts (steam powered giraffe)
>a pretty big dealers room, lots of free space to avoid too much crowding
>panels seem to be more or less the same every year, but it's a fun convention none the less

>>9750841
Never been to CONvergence, might try it sometime. Although I don't really go to cons anymore these days. Used to go to at least detour and animinny every year. I kind of miss cons, but they're not as fun when you're alone due to old friends moving away to other states. Now I'm feeling all nostalgic, and I can remember the layouts of all those hotels. Ah, good memories.

>Anime Expo
pros:
-biggest event, usually good musical guests
-good exhibit hall/AA
-industry focused
-good cosplays

cons:
-linecon
-expensive
-hotels are a pain to book
-parking $$$
-tends to announce the really hype stuff last minute

I still go every year but I probably wouldn't recommend it if you're flying cross-country desu... But I'm getting pretty tired of cons in general and am settling more into the "I'd rather travel to Japan for eventing" lifestyle lol.

>Anime Los Angeles
pros:
-mid size con
-lots of friends go, so it's chill to hang out/drink
-AA is usually good
-parking is free or low cost
-ok options for food but have to walk/drive, at least it's better than Denny's

cons:
-it's in ontario and not even in LA lmao
-boring if you want to go for the actual event stuff
-staff is a shitshow

not worth going unless you're local-ish (socal) or have a TON of friends going

>Sakuracon
disclaimer: last time I went was in 2015/2016.
pros:
-Seattle is great, good location
-Pretty well organized
-AA on point (except they moved it apparently, rip)
-Decent industry guests

cons:
-It's over easter weekend so sometimes flight prices are not the best
-hasn't got any noteworthy guests in a while imo (seiyuu/music artists etc)
-expensive if you're from out of state

Would go if they had a guest I really want to see.

>Fanime
disclaimer: last time I went was in 2016 iirc.
pros:
-downtown San Jose, great options for food
-AA on point
-weather is usually great at that time of year
-good cosplays
-fun and chill to hang out with friends
-sometimes has good guests

cons:
-hotel is a bloodbath to book; need to purchase pass right on time if you want to stay
-linecon
-announces stuff pretty last minute
-not really industry focused so people who go for that sort of ambiance might find it lacking

Haven't been back in recent years due to hotel being a pain and it's pretty expensive/far due to me being socal person.

>>9749799
I volunteered for Tokyo in Tulsa for a couple years, and this is pretty spot on. Most of the people in the higher ranks I interacted with were stubborn and unpleasant, people acted like you had to walk on eggshells around those in charge lest they jump down your throat, and they kept bringing back the same old guests and panels. It's been a few years since I've been there, but I heard they made a lot of changes last year that made most of their staff unhappy, many enough to abandon ship, and have heard mostly complaints from the few people I know who went or volunteered. I can't help but hope it was a painful lesson for the people in charge enough for them to make some changes. I was appalled by last year's badge prices when someone told me what they were. They absolutely do not offer enough to merit such a high charge.

>>9749978
pros:
>Medium size, still has the slight comfort of a small con but big enough to have decent entertainment
>There's lots to do that weekend around town since it's halloween and Portland is just fun in general
cons:
>young age range, lots of high schoolers
>not as many interesting guests as bigger cons

Anyone got something for katsucon? Going my first time this year and people usually say it's the best con ever. But are there any down sides about? Most I can assume is tons of drunk people.

TXfag here

Ikkicon
-has become a total shitshow, attendance is declining, always some sort of drama, extremely disorganized, staff/volunteers never know anything, panels and guests are lackluster, full of neckbeards, autists, and annoying drunks = 1/5

A-kon
-pretty big con, can easily become linecon, good con to spend with friends due to lines and to hang out with, decent panels and guests, despite it being a big con you can get bored and run out of things to do, have been improving with fashion and other j-related things, dealers room/artists alley has a pretty good variety, attracts lots of autists = 3.5/5

San Japan
-growing every year but still feels right, pretty well run and organized, tend to get good guests and panels, lots to do, dealers room and artists alley is decent, surprisingly attracts good and decent people, food options around the con are great = 5/5

Dallas Comic Con (Fan Days and Fan Expo)
-pretty big cons, can become linecon, really good guests but meh panels, people are pretty friendly and more on the mature side, have a variety of things (they do try to include anime/cosplay), organization is hit or miss every year = 4/5

Comicpalooza
-bigger con, linecon for sure, decent guests/panels, a bit disorganized, people are hit or miss, good dealers room/artists alley, not many food options around, off the highway so makes it easy to explore the city/leave for food, decent cosplayers show up, not much anime related stuff as of late despite claiming variety = 3/5

Wizard World Austin
-medium sized con, not much to do, panels are lackluster, sometimes will get a good guest or 2, people are friendly, dealers room lacks variety, not many cosplays, but can explore downtown Austin = 2/5

Pax South
-medium to large con, linecon depending on what you're doing, more indie game and tabletop centered, decent panels and guests, good food options around, very friendly people, good cosplay turn out, always something to do/check out, lots of places to rest = 4/5

>>9754617
Never went, not even in the same country, but I found this from 2016

http://www.nerdandtie.com/2016/02/16/dear-congoers-of-america-please-dont-trash-con-hotels/

Kawaii Kon
>pros:
-You're in Hawaii
-right next to ala moana shopping center and a bit of a walk from waikiki so hotels and food options arent limited
-lots of japanese guests
-usually have at least one jfashion brand or model, normally lolita, hosting a tea event and shop front
-lines for autographs usually arent too bad
-recently expanded to ground floor, less chance of sharing convention area now
-great lighting because there's a lot of open air and glass ceiling/wall spaces.
-variety of panels; lolita panels are almost only run by lolita mod whos been running it for 10 years, lolita guests or AP SF.
-white guys screaming "yaoi" and "yuri" in the whitest way to get you to look at their doujins
-Good selection of AA stuff from OC to fan art prints to steampunk merch, etc

>Cons
-Its humid af and its basically an open air convention. It always seems to fall on incredibly humid weekends
-hawaii is expensive for everything because its a tourist destination
-Sometimes lands on holiday weekends like easter and usually on spring break (hotels get booked up faster for tourists and flights are more expensive)
-less and less cosplayers every year
-kinda pricey but not much of a chance of selling out
-sometimes panels are hosted at ala moana hotel next door which can be annoying on a tight schedule/only wanting to check it out. I think its only at night and for 18+ panels though.
-bootlegs and overpriced taobao kawaii merch in dealers alley but some legit stuff

>>9754653
wow that's pretty fucking bad

>>9749978
I go to kumori-con almost every year since I'm close to it. it's usually pretty good and last year they had a really good tea party

>>9754617
Lots of drunk people, the guests and panels suck, it's always cold as balls. The only good thing about it is the cosplay because people always bring their A game but good luck wading through all the stuck up ones

Cons in Oklahoma:

>Tokyo in Tulsa
see >>9749799 it's horrible.Poorly run, attendees are mostly young autists, and charges way too much considering their size. 1/10

>Izumicon
Izumicon's changed so much over the past few years it's hard to say much about it. Last year it had a lot of problems, but they weren't necessarily the con's fault--it was because of the sudden dramatic weather. But that aside, it's been my favorite con in the state. Good guests, fair selection of artists/vendors, decent panels, etc. My only major complaint is how inconsistent they've been in their timing/venue, but now that they're under new ownership that could change. 7/10

>Soonercon
Needs better guests/dealers/panels. I generally show up just to see friends and talk cosplay, but we run out of things to do pretty quick. I couldn't imagine having to spend more than 2 or 3 hours there. If I didn't have friends there, I probably wouldn't go at all. I hear the tabletop gaming scene is pretty good though. 5/10

>New World Comic Con
After a few more years of growth could be pretty fun. Really needs to start putting focus on panels/events because right now it just feels like a marketplace. That said, if you're in the market to shop, it's pretty decent. Hard to be mad considering how little they charge you to get in.Just don't expect to stay there too long, after an hour I'd seen every booth. 6/10

norcal fag here

Fanime
pros:
>great for parties and hanging with friends
>AA is one of the best i've ever been to, despite how poorly the staff seem to handle the reg, etc for it.
>really awesome cosplays everywhere
>lots of different meetups for cosplay groups
>downtown SJ has great and varied food options
>weather is usually great

cons
>hell to get a hotel room
>underwhelming guests, and they haven't had a decent musicfest headliner in years
>reg can either be super fast or linecon....and you never know which it's gonna be until you get to the con
>costume contest is poorly run and a hot hot mess
>not a lot of variety for photo shoot backdrops, and most of the photogs seem standoffish or just set up in front of a concrete wall for the weekend
>can be cliquey if you're new to the cosplay scene around here

did anyone go to the new cons that popped up in santa clara this past summer? i was out of town, but it would be nice to have a few more decent local cons that aren't fanime huge to attend. if anyone has thoughts on that, i'm all ears.

also has anyone ever been to costume con? i actually thought about skipping fanime this year for it since it'll be in san diego, but fanime ends up being cheaper and closer.

>>9749820
Seconding, any opinions on Tekko?

>>9749686
Agreed with pretty much everything said here. Acen is a shitshow for the most part, but it's usually got a pretty good AA/dealers hall and their game room last year was actually decent. The guests are pretty mediocre, even when they opened for guest suggestions. I have trouble believing that there were that many requests for the same handful of VAs that they always have (especially Vic Mcnuggies, holy SHIT). Still, I usually go with a group and we have a good time regardless.

>>9750244
Midwest is definitely a step above Acen, regardless of being run by a shitbag. There's a decent AA/Dealers hall, the guests are typically pretty good outside of the 5 or 6 that are at EVERY kopf con. Also free ramen and soda in the Hyatt is pretty nice, even if it's just cup noodles. I'd definitely recommend it as a nice, chill con.

I haven't been to Katsu, but based on friends' experiences, it's a big party con. The dealers hall and AA seem mediocre, and people go for the cosplay & photoshoot opportunities because the hotel is so pretty and has nice lighting from the white marble flooring. So basically a glorified cosplay gathering and also, big risk of getting snowed in. One of my friends said he preferred Magfest over Katsucon (same hotel, but different dates, and it's focused on games instead). I'm sure it'll be a decent time if you're cosplaying or taking photos?

Does anybody have past experiences on these cons:
>Crunchyroll Expo
>EVO (Las Vegas)
>TitanCon (small con in SoCal at CSU Fullerton)
>Ronin Expo (Ninjacon I think it used to be called?)

Particularly on the artist alley if possible

>>9750862
Holy shit this Otafest past was so head-smashing bad on Canada day
Everything was tolerable until about 7pm when all the drunk normies started wandering about. I had to get awkwardly confrontational when some drunk guy walked past my girlfriend and started making really inappropriate comments.

On the bright side, having it switched to may long this year will be a plus. I've been helping organize the games room (At least, the video game side) and it'll be fun to see if we can get bigger tournaments going this year (Maybe even sponsors for the after party. Jaegarbombs please)

>>9749820
>>9755215
I didn't go last year due to a scheduling conflict but I went the two years before that and it's a pretty solid con. It's a lot smaller attendance wise than what I usually go to (ACen, Otakon, etc.) and desu the venue they use is a bit too big for their current level but I like going because for me they always seem to knock it out of the park with their musical guest. I'm so amped about them having LM.C this year. Their dealer's room is pretty much standard fare, maybe a bit bigger than you'd expect for a con this size. Game room is pretty cool, it's run by Tokyo Attack and I've never seen them disappoint. There are a few cool photoshoot locations around the center if you're into that, and food is pretty accessible.

I went to Crunchyroll Expo and from what I remember it wasn't that bad. There where somethings that I didn't like about the con one was that my brother and his friend manage to walk right into the con without paying for a pass or anything. He managed to get into a few panels and into the dealers hall. I got annoyed that that he go in with paying. The other was the three taco trucks parked outside, they ended running out of ingredients to make their foods. Most of the restaurants were located far from the convention center.

>>9749748
Wasn't CAD the tumblr con? Or was that Emoticon or some bullshit?

Can I request more reviews for katsu? This is my first year going and I don't know what to expect.

>>9755600
there's a katsu thread up if you want to go find it.couple people already asked that question.
tl;dr lots of cosplaying but very crowded for all the good spots, people get drunk and party a lot.
easy to ghost since the only areas you need a badge is the AA/dealers and the gazebo iirc.

Went to Youmacon last year and had fun, the game room was awesome and met a lot of cool people but the panels were pretty shit. I'd still go again though. Not even going to bother talking about ShutoCon. Anyone recommend any Cons in Michigan area?

>>9749666
NC here
Animazement
Pros
>mid size con
>plenty of hotels near downtown
>free autographs
>raves Fri and Sat. Sunday has a surprise guest or event. Year before last we got NC symphony performing Space Bros. Ost
>dealers room and artist alley separated and have nice variety.
>game rooms open until 2 or 3 am. Other rooms open all night.

Cons
>karaoke room barely updates song selection. Jojos 1st and 3rd op there but not 2nd...
>panels themselves are good but tend to have conflicting time with one another.

Yea its one of my fav cons and have been going since 2008

>>9755491
Nah, that was Dashcon. CAD is just a tiny Chicago con

>>9751015
I can only comment on East. The actual convention aspect was...pretty mediocre. The convention space was small, the AA and Dealers were combined with a lack of high quality or unique things, the game room had maybe 3 arcade machines and a couple of consoles (looked like mostly fighting games), and the panels were meh.
The only food options are within the Kalahari, unless you want to drive to the middle of nowhere CVS/McDonalds. The prices weren’t as outrageous as I expected though.
Also, it was cold in the mountains so the outdoor portion of the water park was closed.

On the positive, the flea market on Sunday was great. I found way more interesting things and managed to unload a lot of old merch as well.
The watermark is fun as hell and it’s great for partying.
The size was good, and cosplay meet ups were enjoyable.

Looking back, being able to have a mini vacation with my friends, surrounded by like-minded people, was the reason I enjoyed East. I probably should have just shared a badge with someone rather than paying full price.

>>9755974
motor city is over crowded but good guests & dealers room. grand rapids comic con is ok, a less crowded motor city. I enjoy shutocon personally. youmacon is really the only big good con in my opinion.

come to cosplay beach party in the summer, its really fun.

>>9749911
>Getting food is hard
That's absolutely why I stopped going to AX. Along with few other incidents, trying to find food with low blood sugar didn't quite work out well. The convention's too big to handle with this condition, even with snacks on hand.

Wizard World (Nashville)

Super-normie corporate con, BUT with really high profile guests. Met Stan Lee and Kevin Conroy, plus commissioned some Disney artists.

(Separating posts because they're too long)

Katsucon, mid Feb (pictured)
>excellent cosplay. Not a lot of place to photograph (inside crowded, cold weather outside)
>good mix of panels. A lot of Japanese culture. Most don't go because the focus is on cosplay.
>huge crowd and most party. club upstairs is free
>AA and dealers are great
>there is a CVS and other eateries nearby
>bundle up and be careful if you go outside. The weather is typically 30F and below (last year was an anomaly.)
>hotels ~$250-300/night

Anime Boston, late March/early April or May
>good/mediocre cosplay. It has a younger crowd due to the con's accessibility.
>not a lot of places to photograph. Likely will need to go outside or travel elsewhere if you don't want crowds or bland setting.
>great programming. I enjoy the closing ceremonies in addition to the variety of panels
>guests, AA, and dealers are good
>a lot of places to eat and nearby stores for last minute things
>constantly check the weather and hope for a gorgeous day
>hotels ~$200-250/night

>>9757676
PortCon Maine, end of June (pictured)
>mediocre cosplay. A small family friendly con, so there are a lot of youngins that do flavor of the month
>panels/programming: okay. Depends each year on who submits interesting material for a panel
>they have a rave Saturday night. Take that as you will.
>18+ auction is hilarious to watch
>older crowd drinks/parties
>game room is console. Maybe a few arcade machines. Tabletop is there too
>weather is typically nice. Sometimes it rains.
>variety of food and other amenities nearby
>AA and dealers are mediocre since it's a smaller con. Might be able to find a gem.
>hotels ~$100-170/night

ColossalCon East, early Sept
>good to mediocre cosplay
>panels/programming: lacking. I think many were focused on cosplay/partying
>party crowd
>indoor water park is a lot of fun. Outdoor was closed due to the weather/being off season
>AA and dealers were good. I loved the purikura booth they had set up
>food is pricey at the resort. You need a car for something else or other items.
>weather is chilly
>game room was small, a few console and arcade machines.
>Flea market was awesome. I want to try selling when I go again.
>hotel ~$250-300/night

>>9749820
>>9755215
>>9755366

They apparently just announced BtSSB and ALICE and the PIRATES as guests too so that's something

>>9749978
I went for the first time this last year, and I was kind of underwhelmed. What part of California are you from?

Whats the best rated convention for;
>good, informative panels
>a good shake at peripheral Japanese culture
>actually Japanese staff/volunteers
>not an obnoxious party scene
>a con you could take your granny to

>>9759516
That sounds more like what you would get at a festival. Look for local Japanese festivals in your area.

>>9759516
what the other anon said, festivals would be up your alley
I have a local place called Morikami Gardens in south FL that holds multiple yearly festivals. you might have somethin like that wherever you might be.

I have never been to a con before and I have no friends, but it sounds like fun. what should I do?

>>9760991
go to a con in cosplay and make friends. It is easy to make friends when in cosplay

Britfag here

LSCC

>was good in 2016 but 2017 was an absolute shit show
>no good guests
>shitty un-airconditioned location
>fucking used to be a well rounded con but it's now JUST comics

London mcm

>way crowded like I hope you enjoy standing around and not moving cause there are so many people
>definitely not worth coming to if you're in America like seriously you guys have better cons don't do it.
>linecon
>there's a lot of vendors which is nice but it's honestly not that big of a con and you end up getting bored after one day
>if you exit the building you have to completely walk around to the other side to enter again. (It's a huge fucking building)

Any con run by Anime League

>stay the absolute fuck away seriously do not.

Ooh, fun thread. I'm a con goer that likes cosplaying, meeting people, and partying. Not too big on panels and dealers, so my recommendations reflect that.

MAGfest: Great way to kick off the year. 24 hour video games, concerts, and drinking. There's something for everyone. The hotel situation can be a mess, but the Gaylord Hotel in National Harbor, MD is an amazing venue. Gorgeous place to take photos.

Katsucon: This one is also at the Gaylord, usually taking place on Valentine's Day weekend. Cosplaying is so fun here. No matter how obscure your cosplay is, someone will notice you and love it. The creativity is off the charts.

Colossalcon: A summer con that also takes place at a water park resort in Ohio. It's even MORE fun than you'd expect! Hot tub bar, water slides, bikini and speedo cosplays galore. Very easy to meet people. Whenever you feel overwhelmed, you can just leave and jump in the wave pool. If you like the beach, don't miss this con.

Colossal East: Pennsylvania con that is almost a carbon copy of the Ohio facility. It's in September, so it gets chilly. This one's more focused on the night life. I recommend it if you have friends going and want a taste of the Ohio version, but the cosplay game is still in its nascent stages. Expect it to balloon in popularity in the next few years. "The Grotto" will become a household name.

Anime Weekend Atlanta: 2017 was my first time going, and it was a such an enthusiastic crowd. The fans there have a lot of passion. Quality artist alley and guests. What really won me over was the rave. Huge air conditioners on blast to keep the temperature nice, carpeted floors to dance on, and movie theater style seating in the back if you wanted to sit down and rest. There were rumors on Friday that the musical guests Teddyloid and Daoko might be there raving. Lo and behold, Saturday night swings around and they both walk ON stage, playing their set all the way until closing. The hype was unreal.

>>9750265
>Sakuracon
I've gone every year since 2008. They're a big con, and actually well run for the size with staff that's organized and know what they're doing.
Lines aren't too terrible, they enforce a 30-minute line up limit and room flush, if you get there 45min before you're pretty much guaranteed a great spot. Have some great repeat fanpanelists and cull most of the lame panels like Q&As. Guests vary depending on the year, but they always have some relevant Japanese guests and a slew of popular american VAs.

Lines for gaming are hell long during rush periods, though, and the cosplay contest isn't worth the wait. Series photoshoots are too crowded to get any decent photos, but fun for socializing. They don't enforce any bootleg bans in the dealers hall, be careful there. Downtown Seattle is expensive for hotels and transportation.

Wow, I wish I knew you folks. I love partying at cons and am always cosplaying or in Lolita. Makes me miss Ohio, a wonderland for intimate and fun cons.

Cos-losseum was a total shit show.

Tiny dealers room you could navigate in 1 minute. Lame guests and the two panels I went to see....the panelists didn't even show.

Total waste of $30
DO NOT go to this con.

https://www.cos-losseumcon.com/

>>9761634
What is going on with anime league?

Anyone have anything for Otakuthon?

>>9750862
Animethon tends to get much better musical guests than Otafest, so I personally find that a huge positive.

>>9751019
Any food places nearby you'd recommend? I basically only go to up Edmonton for Animethon so I'm completely unfamiliar with it.

>>9762732
The new location...closest to the con there's only the food court attached to Canada Place -- which is attached to Shaw centre through the underground parkade.
Otherwise you'll have to walk to City Centre mall etc. since the restaurants close to Shaw are expensive AF.

Taste of Athon was boring AF this year... not really a lot of interesting guests or panels. Guess they're saving it all for the main con in August.

>>9753016
Pre reg, then on day 1 opening, don't listen to staff for shit, don't get caught in the noobie linee that wrap the sides of the building.
Be a dick and you won't get heat stroke.

>>9755422
You are awful at giving reviews. Just thought you should know.

>>9755356
Is there going to be anything Splatoon 2 related happening? I just want to play Salmon Run with some people locally but none of my friends own a Switch ;_; I was considering running a panel but I don't know how it would work.

Lucca Comics(Italy, Lucca)

Place:
One word: Big.
Let me explain. The whole old town is dedicated to the con. And i mean everywhere inside the old town walls.
And since it's such a large place the entrance is free, you pay only for dedicated stands like JapanTown, various comics brands and entrance to a bunch of beautiful churches dedicated to events from e-sports to fanbase meetings. Also you have to walk a bit if you want to see everything. Been there two days and visited less than half the town.

Cosplays:
There are a lot of them. And a lot of good ones.
You get to see a lot of cosplays (like 50% of the people there) surrounded by medieval style buildings, churches, fountains.

Organization:
Since most of the place is not dedicated to the con, the only concern is security. Every wall's gate is converted into a police checkpoint and the entrance to the paid stands is controlled via a plastic bracelet system.

Conclusions:
Not a "traditional" con but sure a great one. I know most of you are americans, but if you have the possibility go for it!

I'ma give this a go. For the past few years I mostly go to cons to hang out with friends, cosplay, and do weeb shit. I'm also Ontario/Canada based.

Anime North
Pros:
>Pre-Reg lines for badges move faster every year
>amazing panels
>great guests
>dealers room and AA are both amazing
>lots of other attractions to keep you busy like video games and photoshoots
>cosplay is 10/10
>most hotels are within walking distance of the con
>good nightlife if your into raves/clubbing
>fast food is everywhere

Cons:
>Dealer room is without a doubt the most cramped you'll ever feel
>fast food is available if your willing to line up for ages
>grabbing a hotel is a nightmare because even Anime North doesn't understand when the fuck the blocks open up
>if you see something you really want on the first day from the DH or AA, you better buy it now because 100% it'll be gone the next hour

ConBravo
Pros:
>guest line up sometimes rivals Anime North's
>AA and Dealers Hall kinda meshed into 1 place so it's easy to find stuff
>food is available inside the con
>hotel connects to con via skybridge which is super convenient
>photoshoots take place outside on the roofs of the con
>hotels are cheap and generally like a 10min walk from con (if you didn't get the one across from the con itself)
>cosplay is great
>smaller con makes for a better time

Cons:
>Located in DOWNTOWN Hamilton, ON. you're gonna get some looks
>LOTS OF DOWNTIME. Even if you are going to tons of panels, it'll still feel like your doing nothing
>lack of entertainment like video games (they had this giant ass room and used maybe less than a quarter of it)
>to add to that, you need to walk a distance to play arcade games with your badge

>SacAnime
Pros:
>Always decent experience, usually not terrible but usually not mind-blowing; very casual and low-pressure event
>Has the advantage of being in a location that other anime cons don't really cover (Sacramento area) so it serves as the con for anyone who's not able to afford or isn't ready to commit to Fanime or AX.
>Feels more cozy, like the most massive living room hangout party.

Cons:
>Doesn't get super-exciting headliners. Panels are often underwhelming, but sometimes the more small scale "cozy" environment allows for more heart felt fan-guest interactions during the panels.
>It is a safe con that's pretty enclosed in a small area; so parents do drop off minors for the day there. This might be a plus if you're an old fart that wants to see the wee weebs discover this subculture, but it can also get annoying.
>There are Lolitas here and they do want to hang out; but you're better off contacting the comm through facebook instead of expecting the "lolita teaparty" to be enough. (I do hope this event gets better overtime)

>>9749859
How did you do at Seishuncon? I didn't get in last year, but still checked it out since I'm local and was so surprised how small the artist alley was. Idk if there was another room, but it just looked like it was a only a couple of tables surrounding the arcade games.

>>9755356
I spent quite a bit of the con playing Blazblue, thanks for organizing that. Might I request someone brings Puyo Puyo Tetris in? I do have my own copy I could pop in a PS4 but I'm a little leery about risking my own copy at a con.

>Banzaicon in SC
Surprisingly fun for a small con. The dealer's room was tiny but the programming was fun enough that I didn't want to leave the venue even to see the stuff going on in the fairly big city around it. I loved the Otaku Flea Market Sunday morning.

>Anime Day Atlanta
Fun to spend a couple of hours at.

>>9761772
Seconded. God what a shit show. I seriously regret getting a hotel and staying for the whole weekend. All the panels were run by the same 5 people, and all the guests were washed up Super Sentai actors from 30 year old shows. The Saturday night dance was the only thing worth going to, and only because it cost $5 for non-attendees to enter (iirc) and a few non-attendees showed up. However, if you have an outstanding cosplay and feel like getting asspats, you're pretty much guaranteed a prize in the costume contest.

>>9749666
I live about 9 hours from Vancouver, is it worth making the trip up for anime revolution?
I also just want to visit Canada so it wouldn't be a wasted trip either way, but I am curious what gulls think of the convention

>>9759516
In Los Angeles, there's an event called Nissei Week that's more focused on culture. Cosplayers do appear but it's not the main focus. I doubt there are panels but plenty of museums if that's your thing.

>>9749666
>Ohayocon
Panels suck since that Sucre guy and his cute assistant left. This weekend has been shit

>>9749859
>HAMA-con
I'm always anxious as fuck to see my con anywhere near this board, but I'm glad you enjoyed it!
When did you go? We've had some major director changes in the past 2 years and now we are also a gaming con apparently

Any Tennessee anons been to Hypericon? Mtac has been to overcrowded at the Sheraton. And akaicon was dashcon tier last year and how knows what's going on with GMX. So I'm looking for something new but I've never heard much about it.

Digital Overload 2009

I stepped on a nail.

>>9752836
Fuck it, let me go over a few more

Jigoku Market
Pros:
>nice people, made new friends
>got some cool pics of cosplay

Cons:
>unlike the last event, this wasn't free, you paid for a very watered down event in comparison to the one that was free
>barely anything to do, you basically paid to get into a bunch of stands and if you got there long before the cosplay contest it just SUUUUCKED
>there were only two games to play as far as gaming was concerned, guitar hero and just dance
>the just dance game had to be played in the corner of food court because there was no room elsewhere
>Jigoku Random Summer had a second floor available, this only had one floor

Good thing I met people who were also basically bored as fuck, and chatted with them.

>>9772583
Anicomix Kawaii
Pros:
>good gaming section, seems to be a big reason people were there
>decent stands
>host was cool
>had actual photographers there, which is cool if you are a cosplayer, but, well...

Cons:
>barely any cosplay even though there was a cosplay contest - 5 cosplayers, I think
>they invited a few people and these didn't turn out well
>one was a cosplayer who sang some songs, but had mic issues - she also hosted some kind of trivia contest about Sakura card captor, which I didn't pay much attention to. It seemed to be awkward with contestants being casual fans.
>the mic problems weren't limited to that, the karaoke part was a hot mess, with the tracks being played too loudly and the mics being too quiet
>this didn't get fixed until the sound guy was called out, and had to be pointed out repeatedly
>then it was time for a YouTuber to get on stage and do his thing
I went over this part in the feels thread
>>9768373
I checked the guy's accounts. Just over 30k YouTube subscribers, 1.3k Instagram followers, 225 Twitter followers. He is a nobody. I really hope they didn't waste a lot of money getting these guests.

And I was okay with that since I was having fun with the games...but most people weren't very social. It wasn't until the depressing cosplay contest that I gave up. There were people who tried, but seeing so few of them disappointed me.

There were very few artists so they didn't even have a proper artists' alley. That's sadly standard stuff here, and I notice that most of the time, they are ignored.

So, that's what I got. I only started going to events in Argentina since late 2017 and boy, it has been some learning experience.

Basically
>only go to Jigoku events with more than one floor, with an actual gaming section
>only go to Anicomix events if they are near Plaza Once
>be a few hours late, stop going early, dumbass

>>9749817
I'm talking my friends into going. What I wouldn't give to meet all the cosplayers in swimsuits.

>>9749799
>>9749809
>>9754836
Oh hey, I have never actually seen anyone else talk about TnT on this board. I've only been twice (full weekend) and that was back before they updated their website and supposedly "improved" their staff. Sounds like it's still the same shit. I haven't been back again but I've looked through friends' con photos and I still recognize the same shitty people that make it a cringefest. And it's really easy too since most of them wear the same outdated cosplays every year, you think that people could be assed to stay trendy.

It's really treated more like a normie capeshit comic book convention with some anime rather than a real anime con. It's the kind of con where autism and obesity is rampant, normies go in Halloween superhero costumes, lowkey weird degenerate kink shit in public, air is constantly hot with wafts of grease and BO, bad cosplays everywhere, and decent cosplayers get overlooked or mistreated. The best guest they've ever had was Todd Haberkorn, and other than that they reinvite the same boring people every fucking year. The lolita comm is nearly nonexistant and I've never seen photos of the Sakura Club tea party so I can't tell you if it's legit or not, I would assume it's not any good either.

As for actual complaints, there are at least 2 different vendors that sell bootleg shit every year and neither have been banned. I assume it's because they both make too much money to be kicked and local weebs are too retarded to know they're being charged out the ass for bootlegs. They also dedicate an entire floor to commercial bullshit no one cares about. I really don't understand the giant NERF gun wall.
TnT really stands for Trash in Tulsa.

Izumi is where it's at honestly. Better people, average con. Not that great compared to bigger cons but still okay.

Never been to Soonercon or NWCC, might try them out sometime.

>>9753016
Badges will be mailed. So here's the thing, people only saw the main entrances, south and west hall. But the side entrances on pico street were all empty. So entering is easy, but lining up for panels isnt. its best if you line up 2 panels ahead since they dont clear.

>>9764803
That sounds fucking amazing.

AX:
Pro:
> Big name guests
> Plenty of cosplayers
> Good game room, this year it's better organized now they put the arcade in the hotel
> Fist of the North Star in the arcade = instant win in my book
> plenty of places to eat and explore, just make sure you don't accidentally walk into the ghetto areas
Cons:
> It's getting bloated with no solution in sight
> could barely get into panels due to size
> expensive
> poor indoor lighting especially the exhibition halls
> traffic is dumb. Who's the idiot that designed these roads?

ALA
My first year.
Pros:
> ample space, I can actually walk through crowds again
> decent indoor lighting
Cons:
> limited game room
> had difficult time finding a parking garage

>>9756211
People were bitching about last year. even to the point of stating that they were going to Momo this year.

>>9749831
>>9749900
Agreed for AAC. It's a fun little con if you're in it for the good times. Don't go expecting epic-ness, go expecting to have fun with your friends and make good memories.

The attendees are decent folks, when you see someone in a costume it's because they actually like the show. The staff genuinely wants you to have a good time and all seem to be having fun when you interact with them. Somewhat decent artist alley/vendor hall (Though selection can often be lacking), and in a good location for food nearby.

7/10 I go every year.

RICC

What. A. Shitshow. I go for guests but every year they find some new way to make the convention an utter mess, whether it be:

1. Overselling (Fire Marshall Con, RIP IN PEACE SHATNER PHOTO OPS)

2. Mismanaging the flow between the Dunks and the Con Center (yep, every time I want to get back to the arena I want to go outside into the freezing cold to make a full LOOP AROUND THE BUILDING) Or if I just want to go straight to the RICC, I have to still... GO OUTSIDE AND LOOP AROUND THE BUILDING AND THEN LOOP AROUND THE DUNKS FUCK.

3. Guest management - They somehow manage to put one top tier guest in the RICC every year despite knowing they should be in the Dunks with better line management. Justin Roiland should NEVER have been in the RICC this past year, it was utterly retarded they didn't anticipate his line to be as shitbox as it was. I waited three hours on Sunday after showing up at 4:00 PM on Saturday and being told the line was cut for the night (the con closed at 7)

4. THE CON CLOSED AT 7 ON SATURDAY WHAT THE FRESH HELL.


Me and my friends go for certain guests but starting next year we're driving down Friday, getting our shit, hitting the food court and getting the fuck out.

>>9765402
Had a great fucking time at Winter '18. Took pictures of cosplayers (one like it so much she posted it on her profile) Plus the panels I went to were awesome (Dameon Clarke is my fucking hero)

>>9757723
Tekko is pretty good. I've been going 10 yrs now, worked the last 2, and again this year.
I don't go to panels, mostly I wander around and shop. They have a good dealers' room and artist alley.
Getting food in the con center is difficult (long line) and expensive (unless you're on staff and get access to staff Green room). The ctr is right next to the cultural district, so there's a ton of $10-20+ restaurants right outside.
The main con hotel is 10min walk from the ctr. They provide a shuttle in the form of a school bus, but I recommend staying at the attached hotel. They finally started having a block there again... There were damages by con attendees that forced the block out of it for years.
Staff perks are.A+, btw. Work 20hrs total from Thurs to Sun, and I get a free badge for my bf plus plenty of snacks from the staff green rm. They'll also let you attend a Sunday night concert by the band in case you missed it- I don't because I'm not that into music but my friends like it.

>>9749666
Yeti con will become the best con in ontario. 3 days at a ski resort getting drunk in cosplay is a blast. The rave is actually fun and the 24 hour on call shuttle service is useful as fuck. It's just a bit small right now

>>9780154
I went last year and it wasn't all that great desu. It's okay, but the content is really lacking. It's best thought of as a vacation that kind of has a con nearby, but the con itself is only so-so.

>>9749792
TN cons are weird as fuck. As a local, here’s the rundown.

>yama-con: super normie which can be great if youre tired of anime of the month. Pretty location and lots else to do in the area, meh everything else.

>MTAC: the main one, this con is always managing to fuck up somehow but I keep coming back. It’s in two hotels with a shuttle. One year a tornado swept by so they herded everyone into a dealers room like THAT was a good idea. 6/10 con

>Anime Blues: crossbreed between yama and mtac, chill.

>Akaicon: a more cozy convention but for the size they deliver on games, panels, some actual guests, and cosplay.

>con nooga: slightly more put together MTAC from what I saw

The rest is usually universities and small clubs hosting small or short events.

>>9768132
>>9780195
Fuck forgot about GMX, did they die?

And akai 14 and 15 were dope, 16 was fine. Did they really fuck up 17?

>>9772336
Holy shit man.

>>9749666
Guess I'll do my reviews of New Zealand cons

Auckgeddon
>Crowded as fuck, to the point where cosplay can become a serious hindrance to walking through the halls
>Has become very mainstream. Expect to see many families with young kids
>Guest quality has gone up, but it's still nowhere near overseas quality
>If you're into Esports or wrestling, you're in luck I guess
>They say no bootlegs are allowed, but that's what you're gonna find. Proceed with caution
>Has become a lot more focused on comics and other western media than it used to be. If you wanted an anime-specific con, this is not the one you are looking for
>Expensive... but it IS comprehensive and has a fair bit going on

Any Armageddon other than Auckgeddon
>Empty
>Not worth the price
>Basically just an excuse to cosplay/comp
>Always some kind of post-con drama somehow

Overload
>Best con in the country right now desu
>Always busy but never overcrowded
>Usually has better guests and events than any of the geddons
>More focused on anime, but western media is rising here too
>Great for cosplay
>Everyone knows everyone else
>Amount of bootlegs unfortunately rising
>For the love of God, the Tumblr art trend needs to be nipped in the bud. If I wanted Love Live art I'd get something with cute girls, not fat monstrosities with skin five to ten shades darker than canon

Akiba Con
>Was surprisingly very good
>I found the merch selection and guests to be high points
>I wish it had been better run behind the scenes so that it could have continued

Last Anime Weekend Atlanta my husband and I had to bring our 3 month old daughter because she was a little too young to leave with a babysitter for a weekend yet. I honestly expected not to spend too much time at the con with her except for at night when I could get my siblings to watch her for us while we did our panels. Well Anime Weekend Atlanta ended up being surprisingly baby friendly as funny as it sounds. Turns out they had a "baby lounge" where I could duck out of the con with her when she got overwhelmed by the crowds to feed her and change her and let her take a break in a nice quiet room. Everyone running the room were really nice and accommodating. They even had snacks for the little toddlers. Thanks to this room I was able to spend all day at the con without my daughter getting overwhelmed and having a complete meltdown! Now if I had the choice I wouldn't have brought her because I was not able to really go to any panels because I was scared of her crying during them and didn't want to be rude but I was still able to wander the halls with my friends and go to the game rooms and such.
TLDR- AWA is weirdly baby friendly. If you want to take a baby or toddler to it find the baby lounge
>inb4 crotchgoblin, why would you bring a baby to a con, ew babies

>>9762668
Otakuthon is alright
It keeps improving by the year as opposed to AN

>>9762668
I like it. Good photoshoot locations, so consequently people bring their A game for cosplay. Frequently has decent to good guests. The venue is close to Chinatown/downtown, which means you're not stuck overpaying for food and have a good variety to choose from. Downside is hotel prices can be on the pricier side (2017 was painful). It's not that much of a party con, and the dances are kind of sad. Panels and game room are average. Artist alley and dealer's room are more or less a repeat of Anime North's except smaller.

>>9749666
Fanime

Pros
>party con, if you like to cosplay during the day and get fucked up at night, this con will work for you
>great location, downtown san jose so plenty of places to eat, public transit/uber/lyft, many hotel choices
>24 hour programming, including game room, hentai, anime, etc...
>Most people are super friendly, easy to make friends
>24 hour shuttle runs a circuit hitting all fanime hotels to the convention center

Cons
>getting a hotel room through fanime housing is a shit show
>not a lot of big headliners for a con of its size
>parking near the convention center is a bitch
>hotel employees can be shitty to attendees due to fanime being such a party scene and they've had to deal with a lot of BS

Shutocon:
Used to be a solid 7/10. A really good, mid-size con. Big enough that there was plenty to do all three days, but not big enough that going was stressful/overwhelming. Stuff to do until about 2am. Really friendly, interactive crowd. Artist alley and dealers hall was a nice size and had good variety. The only downfalls of pre-2017 Shuto were that the food in the convention center isn't great, and after the Raddisson fills up, the overflow hotels are a 10+ minute drive away.

2017 was a dumpster fire, 2/10 con at best. There was some serious miscommunication between Shutocon staff, Shutocon "volunteers", and the outside security company that they hired. This resulted in attendees getting screamed at or kicked out trivial things and unclear "rules" that were made up on the spot. Press was treated like shit, photographers were treated like shit, and panelists were treated like shit. Attendees are mostly teenage autists and tumblr sjws now. The panels cater to those groups, so there were times when I felt like there was nothing to do. The con dies down after 9 or 10. The rave has turned into a middle-school dance and I left after 10 minutes. Artist alley/dealers hall was still fun, and they added a purikura booth to the game room which was fun.

2018 Shuto looks like an impending dumpster fire and I'm probably going to avoid it. I'm looking for a different spring con in Michigan or Northern Ohio/Illinois to replace it. Any recommendations?

Jigoku Style

pros:
>4 floors - granted, 3rd floor just had a VIP room where you got to hang out with this youtuber, I guess (never knew about this person before today)
>invited guests were all youtubers that were known to the crowd (I only knew 2 of the 4), and were mostly pleasant people from what I gathered
>4th floor was based, lots of space, nice performances
>and holy fucking shit, people recognized my wrestling shirt - it's not a WWE shirt, which makes it even more surprising
>as always, people are nice...and there was a decent amount of cosplayers, so I took pics, unlike the last Anicomix event I went to, which was kinda depressing with the low amount of cosplay

cons:
>holy fucking shit, the to get in was long
>if you've been to a few of these, the stands are all familiar now, you'll get bored unless you like what was offered on the 4th floor (and I did, so there you go)
>cosplay contests are still cringe, just have them parade around a bit on the stage, don't make people do embarrassing performances
>also, fuck the way they deal with food, they need more clerks, way more, I was waiting like 7 minutes to get a fucking bottle of water
>gamer section in second floor was too full, didn't get to touch the games
>the youtuber on the second floor that got invited (kalatras or whatever the fuck his name is, I never knew him before today) is a dumbass - basically, there was a long as fuck line to meet him, and get him to sign your shit. And the guy took for fucking ever chit chatting with his fans, so the other poor fuckers waiting were now waiting longer. Eventually, time ran out and over 100 people had to be told that he won't be signing anymore shit. Another one of the invitees (a female) called him a dumbass for this, after being asked about him by her fans, pointing out that fans are often just happy to see youtubers in person.

>>9783346
*nice performances on a stage

>>9783346
*the line to get in

>>9749797
I wish they had more guest variety too but I can't complain otherwise.
As much as I like Greg Ayres I don't need to see him for the 27th time

Didn't go to the con, but I was in Schaumburg when Dashcon happened and I saw two obese sisters bitching loudly about it in a Taco Bell near the con center. Then they got into a fight and one slapped the other on the back of the neck.

>>9780195
I’m a local who was thinking about checking out MTAC this year since it’s right down the road. I’ve never been to a con and am curious. Also want to pick up some tchotchkes or art, maybe a book or two. Will there actually be neat stuff to buy there or will it just be a bunch of donut steel fanart and cheap plastic trinkets? Not a huge anime fan, but I watch the odd show now and again. When do they usually announce the program schedule for these things?