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Answerman - How Have Anime Conventions Changed Over Time?


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Key
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Joined: 03 Nov 2003
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Location: Indianapolis, IN (formerly Mimiho Valley)
PostPosted: Wed Jul 17, 2019 4:52 pm Reply with quote
maximilianjenus wrote:
Before the internet conventions were the only place to get new anime-related material, legal or otherwise. Internet killed the conventions because it made it so anybody could download/share anime related media.

And despite that, anime convention attendance is the highest that it has ever been, with the biggest regional anime conventions hitting the high 20k or even into the 30k range on attendance on regular basis.

I've been attending anime 'cons on and off for at least 15 years and, beyond them getting bigger, haven't noticed a big change beyond what's been noted by Justin and others about the evolution of merch available in dealer's rooms and the deprioritization of viewing rooms. Granted, I'm not familiar with the infamous party scenes, but nearly everything else that was going on this year at Anime Central was also happening 10 years ago. Maybe the only other significant change that I've noticed is that some practices that were more rule of thumb in the past - like the spirit of inclusiveness - have become more formalized and mandated.
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Mune



Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 374
Location: Minnesota
PostPosted: Wed Jul 17, 2019 5:04 pm Reply with quote
Every con I've been to have similar structures, and honestly, it is what is causing issues. If they are all the same, as in panels, programming, and sometimes even vendors, then going to one is enough. I feel like missing isn't that important, as I always went with friends. My friends got older, moved far away from each other, and stopped going.

It's not just that though. Cons have changed in their motives to draw attendees. It used to be the place to see the newest anime, games, and THE PLACE to get our viewing pleasure, typically in the form of VHS/DVD/Blu-rays. Now, we have trailers and streaming, the need for cons have changed.

For many fans, social anxiety, awkwardness, and shyness are a part of their lives. This plays in who actually attends. Cons are typically welcoming, but with the more recent fear mongering, fans may decide it's just not worth attending, and parents of fans less likely to let them attend if underage.

Despite these though, the fanbase is growing, and attendance at cons is still growing. Many cons are trying to get larger venues, with all of the same perks as they already enjoy.

I, for one, would love to see cons continue to expand and be welcoming to everyone. However, growth and controversies have proven quite challenging.
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jdnation



Joined: 15 May 2007
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PostPosted: Wed Jul 17, 2019 6:04 pm Reply with quote
I miss the days of AMVs and Screenings.

Of course this was during a time when high speed internet was not so available, and threfore also long before downloading/streaming/Amazon shopping. So this was one of the only way to enjoy discovering new things, and it was double the fun with an enthusiast audience. Especially great when a big event film was being screened! Such good times that made them exciting for me!

Nowadays at the biggest conventions near me, that has pretty much disappeared outside of the rare big film screening, and this is incredibly rare.

Also there aren't as many guest panels with directors/creators from Japan.

The majority are now basically panels dedicated to common stuff you've seen before that they have annually, or a rise in Youtube celebrities that I'm not personally interested in doing stuff, and last year practically half the panels were yaoi or LGBT-related. Like... Half!

So really the only other thing to do is shop as you get vendors in that you don't normally find. But once you've been to a couple of these cons, you've been to them all.

So technically, the con scene is kind of passe for me now. Sure it's fun if you're just hanging out with friends, or if you're big on cosplay, then this is your rare time of year to go all out, or there are fan artists selling stuff. DVDs/Blu-Ray of anime that were once only available at cons are easier to get with more outlets offering anime selection or just from online. And people can price-match with their phones. So the draw will be hard to find import items or old stuff you can't get anymore.

I'm sure the really big ones in the States do well thanks to major panels for announcements and celebrities, but the dedicated anime convention scene is not that interesting for me anymore, and I prefer the cons where there is a mix of everything with anime/comics/games/movies/tv etc.

At the very least I managed to fill out my 3DS streetpass panels and games thanks to cons! Razz And it was always fun coming across a Nintendo rep or Japanese or foreign person to fill in the globe regions.

But yeah, overall, after awhile, it feels same-y. But there's always newer people discovering anime, and going for the first time, and that's always something special, but it's no longer what it used to be with the times.
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revolutionotaku



Joined: 19 May 2011
Posts: 881
PostPosted: Wed Jul 17, 2019 6:56 pm Reply with quote
Quote:
the infamous yaoi paddles (which were often used to "playfully" assault people).

Yaoi paddles were fun while they lasted.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=oYG6J_iaMXQ
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#hiros7039



Joined: 09 Feb 2017
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PostPosted: Wed Jul 17, 2019 7:46 pm Reply with quote
Same thing with comic book conventions over the years.
Many comic cons have the same network decay as anime cons marketing towards as the in-name-only general multi-genre geek convention attracting multiple audience and casuals. From comic books to Hollywood movie adaptations and shows. Anime cons not as bad in comparison in general.
Comic cons always have a higher age demographic having mainstream mass media attention. Not just adult nerds who go, but parents bringing their kids turning into family events.
Convention culture becoming mainstream from what was a special yearly occasion to something occurring every weekend within a day road trip and being social gatherings than industry promotions. Wizard World is a case having spawned in many cities striking while it's hot with geek culture and celebrity trade shows.


Last edited by #hiros7039 on Wed Jul 17, 2019 8:05 pm; edited 1 time in total
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GSAttack



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PostPosted: Wed Jul 17, 2019 7:47 pm Reply with quote
I have attended Otakon every year since 2004 and I've been attending Katsucon for several straight years now. In my early days I spent most of my time in the video rooms watching Anime I hadn't seen yet. Now I watch it streaming as it airs in Japan so there is nothing left for me at the conventions. In my early days most attendees appeared during the late hours for the raves and other night events. Now I see more couples with their children during the daytime hours. I remember when you wanted to be one of the first to get into the dealers room for the free swag. I was always looking for DVD's I couldn't find anywhere else. Now you can pick up posters and postcards at booths through the convention and the only DVD/Blu-rays available are the ones you can buy anywhere online cheaper.

Cosplay and panels are about the only thing that hasn't really changed. I am seeing more comic cosplay at conventions these days but the fans are still putting in as much thought and hard work into their costumes as they have done in the past. I am still able to learn new things at the panels which is where I spend most of my time now.

Attending conventions is just part of being a fan and I will continue to attend as long as they are around.
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Tempest
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PostPosted: Wed Jul 17, 2019 8:54 pm Reply with quote
Probably the biggest difference I've seen from early, pre-2000 cons are screening rooms. With the exception of film premieres, or "not yet available" screenings, screening rooms are mostly empty, or have been removed from most events. Pre-2000 were one of the biggest draws, and still significant up-until about 2005, screening rooms. People would go to conventions just to watch anime.

This drop-off is very similar to the drop off in anime clubs, which were mostly just weekly screening sessions.

From my point of view, as a journalist covering these events and going to them to get news, the industry panels are the other big change. ANN used to go to conventions mostly for the industry panels. It was where we would get all the licensing news. Companies would compete to see who could announce the most licenses at Anime Expo and Otakon every year. Now that everything is simulcast, the importance of those announcements at conventions is severely diminished.

Recognizing the above, companies have started getting creative with their panels and programming. Funimation for example now runs several panels at most cons, and the focus on these panels is entertainment, not information. Obviously they're still marketing, but in a very different way.
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The History Follower



Joined: 09 Apr 2012
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PostPosted: Wed Jul 17, 2019 9:19 pm Reply with quote
How about changes in fan run panels?

It could just be me, but I remember fan panels being more informative about a series, or creator, or some aspect of Japanese culture. Those still exists but are being replace by more entertainment panels. Especially the "in person" cosplay panels where people dress as characters from a series to answer questions. Mostly done by randomly asking people online to join your panel.

But there are other panels that are really just made so the people running can get the attention they want.
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Cutiebunny



Joined: 18 Apr 2010
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PostPosted: Wed Jul 17, 2019 10:19 pm Reply with quote
Quote:
You'd actually be surprised by how little has changed for anime conventions over the years.


I really disagree with this statement.

Larger conventions are entirely commercial affairs. They are no longer fan events like they were in the 2000s (and even earlier). They're controlled by large companies, most of which have some sort of agreement with the convention to bring in Japanese guests in exchange for premium booth space. Large companies are able to dictate what they want because conventions realize that these companies bring in attendees either by just their presence and/or through the guest(s) they bring. And if a convention or company doesn't like what an attendee says about them on social media, they can (and do) ban them from attending future events.

Older conventions felt more attendee oriented. They were welcoming. Companies would hand out pins and whatever rando merchandise they had to anyone who showed up at their booth. You could ask guests any question you wanted, and while there were the occasional super inappropriate questions asked, these panels were far more insightful than the scripted panels that most of them have become. Guests, perhaps with the most noticeable exception being CLAMP, really wanted to see their US fans. They would often want to be included in events outside of their panels and autograph sessions. Conventions gave the guest the freedom to interact with attendees, so it was not uncommon to take pictures with guests, give gifts, receive a quick sketch, etc. You don't really see that now because the companies that brought these guests control them now. Conventions also regularly asked for attendee feedback (other than at the closing panels that very few attend), and while they often ignored what many attendees wanted, at least it felt like someone cared. Now, at least with larger conventions like AX, no one cares if you don't like it. Your $100 attendee fee will easily be replaced by 10 more individuals that all are willing to pay to attend in your place.
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Lord Geo



Joined: 18 Sep 2005
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PostPosted: Wed Jul 17, 2019 10:34 pm Reply with quote
The History Follower wrote:
How about changes in fan run panels?

It could just be me, but I remember fan panels being more informative about a series, or creator, or some aspect of Japanese culture. Those still exists but are being replace by more entertainment panels. Especially the "in person" cosplay panels where people dress as characters from a series to answer questions. Mostly done by randomly asking people online to join your panel.

But there are other panels that are really just made so the people running can get the attention they want.


I don't know what cons you're going to, but the ones I know of & go to have effectively killed off "Ask a Character" panels, & have instead focused more on educational panels. Sure, there are more "fluffy" panels, but I "Ask a Character" panels haven't really been a major focus for most cons for a good while now.
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FinalVentCard
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PostPosted: Wed Jul 17, 2019 11:33 pm Reply with quote
Puerto Rico, where I'm from, doesn't have many big anime-exclusive conventions (there's Anime-Matsuri, but I'm not even sure it's still running). So the conventions on the island are all general "Geek Culture", from the DCC (a seasonal get-together at a YMCA from an ex-comic shop owner where nerd junk is sold); Kaisen (a yearly con that doesn't have much of an identity to itself), and Puerto Rico ComiCon (which is easily the biggest con on the island).

Bootlegs are a massive issue on the island; pick up a DVD in any dealer hall, nine times outta ten it's a bootleg. Same with OSTs, Nendroids, or any plushies. It's easier to get away with, the studios don't pay as close attention in PR (and the convention itself doesn't seem to care either). Anime's a bit harder to get in PR, so fans just take what they can get.


Last edited by FinalVentCard on Wed Jul 17, 2019 11:37 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Vanadise



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PostPosted: Wed Jul 17, 2019 11:34 pm Reply with quote
Cutiebunny wrote:
Larger conventions are entirely commercial affairs.

While that's definitely true of the largest conventions -- and by "largest" I mostly mean AX, even the next few under it pale in comparison -- there are still a lot of smaller, fan-driven conventions out there. I'd say there's more than ever before, really, given how much more popular anime is nowadays and how much easier communication has gotten. AseliaCon (which only draws a few hundred people) is one of my favorites because of how easy it is to just hang out and chat with the guests.
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Triltaison



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PostPosted: Wed Jul 17, 2019 11:40 pm Reply with quote
Lord Geo wrote:
The History Follower wrote:
How about changes in fan run panels?

It could just be me, but I remember fan panels being more informative about a series, or creator, or some aspect of Japanese culture. Those still exists but are being replace by more entertainment panels. Especially the "in person" cosplay panels where people dress as characters from a series to answer questions. Mostly done by randomly asking people online to join your panel.

But there are other panels that are really just made so the people running can get the attention they want.


I don't know what cons you're going to, but the ones I know of & go to have effectively killed off "Ask a Character" panels, & have instead focused more on educational panels. Sure, there are more "fluffy" panels, but I "Ask a Character" panels haven't really been a major focus for most cons for a good while now.


Totally agree with Lord Geo. A fan panel is only as good as the people running it, but the convention can only select its programming from those submitted. I've been to so many conventions where people complain about there not being a panel about whatever subject, only for the organizers to say no one offered to do one. If you feel like your cons are being filled up with fluff, History Follower, try offering up your own informational panel. You might increase the whole con's grade if it's a hit panel.
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Sakagami Tomoyo



Joined: 06 Dec 2008
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Location: Melbourne, VIC, Australia
PostPosted: Thu Jul 18, 2019 12:09 am Reply with quote
The Article wrote:
Strangely, some of this experimentation fueled the boom in maid cafés. First popularized as a variation on a hostess club in Japan, the unique costumes and idealized, friendly persona led quite a few female fans to see them as something potentially empowering, and many created their own versions at conventions.

How people find empowerment in dressing like a servant and serving people is a mystery to me. Good for them if they do, but it's something I don't "get".
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finlands-beret



Joined: 31 Oct 2011
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Location: UK
PostPosted: Thu Jul 18, 2019 2:11 am Reply with quote
At my local convention -MCM Manchester- things have changed in small areas; there's now a bigger Comic Village (for indie comic artists), and there's more emphasis on stalls and booths. I remember one MCM about ten years ago that had DDR and a couple of other arcade machines, but nowadays there seems to be less about videogames.
There are also more guests coming over, though that only really started when they revamped the convention centre several years ago.
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