Fanime 2007

[jlazar]

So, anyone going?

Doesn't look like they have a Fanfiction panel that I can crash (not that I've written anything recently).

Video rooms... well, I don't really need to see anything there these days.

Dealer's room is usually worth some time. May find something I didn't in Japan. Although I'd be pissed if I found the ChokoSis pillow case there after what i went through to finally get it. :neko:

Not much industry stuff.

I'll probably go on Sunday and catch the Masquerade (missed it last year, since I only went Sat).


But, what's this... Fantimaid? Sat and Sun 2-6? English speaking (unless they imported them from Japan :) ) maids! :neko: You can find me there on Sunday from 2 to 6. :)



Any one else going?


It's a shame this con has never grown bigger. It's kind of nice to not be too big (AX is so big, I don't bother with it any more), but would be nice to have a bigger local con.

[lostnomad84]

I will attend Saturday along with the Play! concert later that evening.

So, anyone going?

Doesn't look like they have a Fanfiction panel that I can crash (not that I've written anything recently).

Video rooms... well, I don't really need to see anything there these days.

Dealer's room is usually worth some time. May find something I didn't in Japan. Although I'd be pissed if I found the ChokoSis pillow case there after what i went through to finally get it. :neko:

Not much industry stuff.

I'll probably go on Sunday and catch the Masquerade (missed it last year, since I only went Sat).


But, what's this... Fantimaid? Sat and Sun 2-6? English speaking (unless they imported them from Japan :) ) maids! :neko: You can find me there on Sunday from 2 to 6. :)



Any one else going?


It's a shame this con has never grown bigger. It's kind of nice to not be too big (AX is so big, I don't bother with it any more), but would be nice to have a bigger local con.



There is almost nothing at Fanime I want to see or go to this year at all. I know a lot of people on the staff and upper staff of the con and I can tell you exactly why the con has not "grown" and it isn't the desire to be a small con. In fact, they want to have as big of an attendance as possible. The problem is that they want to keep it ideally a fan-based con with as little industry support as possible. As a result, over the years the industry has basically come to avoid the con, so you have no industry support, aside from sending dvd screeners. The upper staff seems to believe that they can distinguish and attract a lot of people through their main concert and bring a lot of japanese bands over. True, it does draw a crowd, but there is no money left over for guests and usually guests are obtained thanks to Gainax and their support of the con. Oh, as for dealers, the room has also gone down hill over the years as well and I could never figure out exactly why, until a year ago. I asked a dealer at AX exactly why they don't go to Fanime and their reaction back to me was laughter. Why should we go to Fanime when they charge us more than any other con and make little to no money? As a result, I've seen the dealers room turn into almost a monogamous room with each dealer almost selling identical merchandise, aside from a couple of vendors. As to the maid thing, basically they are basically trying to recreate a maid cafe and I have no idea how it is going to turn out since this is the first time they are trying it and as I said before I am no longer on staff.

It really, really pains me to say what I did above because I know a great deal of people who work for the con. They love working for the con and devoting a lot of hours to it, however at the same time many, many people are also frustrated with the overall different ideas the higher ups have for the con, that in my opinion and others, are making it less and less of an anime con.

So why am I going then? Well I have a day to kill time, I know a lot of people there, and I would like to hang out. However, going doesn't necessarily mean I'll be buying a pass since the pass is what you can use to get into the dealers room, panels, and the gaming room. Video rooms are free to the general public and you can roam the rest of the con without paying for a badge, so I might just do that.

[catsspat]

The problem is that they want to keep it ideally a fan-based con with as little industry support as possible.


That's all good, but what kind of FANS are they talking about?


The upper staff seems to believe that they can distinguish and attract a lot of people through their main concert and bring a lot of japanese bands over.


Bands that have little to nothing to do with anime. Great idea.... What was this con for again? F-an-ime? Fan+Anime? Yeah, right.


...and usually guests are obtained thanks to Gainax and their support of the con.


Thank goodness for that. What other reason is there for me to even bother with this year's con if it weren't for Sanada-san coming again. Come to think of it, I have to question why Yamada-san even bothers with Fanimecon any more. I highly doubt he or Gainax gains anything from it. Not that I'm complaining.


...however at the same time many, many people are also frustrated with the overall different ideas the higher ups have for the con, that in my opinion and others, are making it less and less of an anime con.


Good thing somebody is aware of it. :sigh:


Video rooms are free to the general public and you can roam the rest of the con without paying for a badge, so I might just do that.


Wow, I didn't know that.

[Vapors]

Video rooms are free to the general public and you can roam the rest of the con without paying for a badge, so I might just do that.


Wow, I didn't know that.


Wait...what? I was planning on buying a pass, if nothing else to check up on the panels and kill off a lot of time in the video rooms. While I still would like to listen in on a handful of panels, it almost makes the amount of money spent on a pass seem excessive if they are open to the public. Really? No one would stop me if I just waltzed right in?

[lostnomad84]

Video rooms are free to the general public and you can roam the rest of the con without paying for a badge, so I might just do that.


Wow, I didn't know that.


Wait...what? I was planning on buying a pass, if nothing else to check up on the panels and kill off a lot of time in the video rooms. While I still would like to listen in on a handful of panels, it almost makes the amount of money spent on a pass seem excessive if they are open to the public. Really? No one would stop me if I just waltzed right in?

Correct. From my experience with any convention they will NOT stop you from going around the facilities if you do or do not have a badge and there are multiple entrances, so you don't have to worry about that. As for the video rooms, the con can NOT charge when it comes to the video rooms. The reasons are simple 1)companies WANT dvd screeners to be seen by as many people as possible so they request cons to screen them for free, 2)legally the con can NOT charge people to view material they obtained for free (ie. the DVD screeners and fansubs). The only thing the staff does in the video rooms is supervises the room to make sure everyone's conduct is proper, make sure the equipment is working, and to change the disks. They are all told to let anyone in, badge or no badge.

As for the rest of the con, YOU WILL NEED A BADGE. So just remember, this policy is ONLY for the video room. If you want to go to a panel, you need a badge; If you want to go the dealers room, you need a badge; etc....

[Vapors]

Thanks for the answer lostnomad84. Now I have to debate whether or not I want to pony up for the four day pass or maybe just take in one day and see how it all plays out. Now that I live up in the bay area, I can finally check out an fully dedicated anime con. I've only gone to the San Diego Comic Con for the past 7+ years and have always wondered how an anime con would compare. I'm just afraid that with the limited dealers room you were talking about (I wasn't really gonna buy a lot, but still) and the lack of japanese GOH they have, I'm afraid I may lose interest pretty quickly. Honestly, I would have paid for the pass just to view all the anime they were gonna show, but now I'm left to wonder if it really is worth my full time or just one day. Anything else about the con I should know about? How are the fans? They skew older? Younger? Is prereg gonna be a hassle? How are the panels in general? Any insights about this con would be appreciated.

[lostnomad84]

Thanks for the answer lostnomad84. Now I have to debate whether or not I want to pony up for the four day pass or maybe just take in one day and see how it all plays out. Now that I live up in the bay area, I can finally check out an fully dedicated anime con. I've only gone to the San Diego Comic Con for the past 7+ years and have always wondered how an anime con would compare. I'm just afraid that with the limited dealers room you were talking about (I wasn't really gonna buy a lot, but still) and the lack of japanese GOH they have, I'm afraid I may lose interest pretty quickly. Honestly, I would have paid for the pass just to view all the anime they were gonna show, but now I'm left to wonder if it really is worth my full time or just one day. Anything else about the con I should know about? How are the fans? They skew older? Younger? Is prereg gonna be a hassle? How are the panels in general? Any insights about this con would be appreciated.

The con is roughly 9,000 in size, so compared to the San Diego Comic Con, it is dramatically smaller; Expect little to no industry presence, so no real freebies; I haven't been to panels in a while but they are fan-based, so expect more of an open-forum atmosphere; prereg process should be closed now, but registration isn't much of a hassle; as for fans, a lot of people that attend are skewed towards the older high school crowd, any fans who are older tend to be real otaku and honestly most of the people I've associated with at Fanime are great people.

Overall, Fanime is NOT a bad con, since the people who do attend are great people. What is a shame about the con is exactly what I posted above, they have over the years shifted their focusing of priorities in making an anime con, an anime con. I doubt it was done with the intention to make it less of an anime con, but to try to make it distinguish itself from other cons and try to come up with new ideas. However, when in the end you alienate the industry's presence, charge a high fee that deters dealers from attending, invest in a concert with little money left for guests, the result is currently how Fanime stands as a con. But, as long as decent people attend, I say the con is worthwhile to just check out. But, I've been to the con now so many years and I've seen it go from good times to the way the con is today, that I couldn't care either way if I attend or not.

[Vapors]

The con is roughly 9,000 in size, so compared to the San Diego Comic Con, it is dramatically smaller; Expect little to no industry presence, so no real freebies; I haven't been to panels in a while but they are fan-based, so expect more of an open-forum atmosphere; prereg process should be closed now, but registration isn't much of a hassle; as for fans, a lot of people that attend are skewed towards the older high school crowd, any fans who are older tend to be real otaku and honestly most of the people I've associated with at Fanime are great people.

I don't mind the drop in numbers as long as there are events going on that I may be curious about. With Comic Con as big as it is (I think last year's topped out at roughly 114K, not counting exhibitors or staff apparrently) its almost like running a gauntlent in football but with costumed superheros rather than pads. So lower numbers will actually be refreshing for me and my friends.

Hoping the few industry panels and GOH ones are good, as those are typically that I go to normally. I don't mind sitting through a panel talking about fansubbing or webcomics since I don't normally hear about those in depth. Guess our group will be in the "senior citizens" category (early to mid 20's). :sigh:

While I don't mind checking out the J-rock groups coming out, it sorta blunts the interest if I can't understand immediately what they are singing about. Here's hoping in the future they consider getting some industry sponsorships and more Japanese GOH.

Thanks for all the info.