Forum - View topicNEWS: Registration Opens at N. America's Only 21+ Anime Con
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n0stranger
Posts: 3 |
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Honestly I think it's a great idea for all the same reasons mentioned here. Mainly so folks of the older variety, who probably got into anime around the same time, can discuss and have a much better time than at a normal con with a bunch of kids.
That's not to say it won't turn into a huge boozefest WITH a ton of 21-26 year olds, as well as a bunch of elitist punks who "knew everything before everyone else". But hey, at least there won't be kids, and that's enough to make me want to go if I was in the area, which I won't be. |
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Serafuku
Posts: 18 |
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YES! My wishes have been granted! Thank you Providence Anime Conference! I hope you succeed! |
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RMC
 Posts: 101 Location: Waco, TX |
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Depending upon the general age group of the audience that arrives, I can see this being a phenomenal success or a phenomenal failure.
If the age group consists primarily of 21-26 year olds as mentioned before, it's more likely that they'll have boozefests and chuckle over how much anime they know about. They'll still be a degree more mature than your teenage kids (been there, done that), but college-age anime fans can be a pretty strange crowd in their own right (still in the middle of doing that). If the group is overshadowed by I'd say at least as many people from the 27+ age group, then I imagine the event will take a much more mature turn. People ages 21-26 have a tendency to act more mature or "more their age" when surrounded by people much older than them (as most of us do, but the early to mid-twenties are more "susceptible" to it). Assuming the older generations provide that sort of grounding, then it will set a tone for the reporting staff in their reviews and provide the general context for how the show will be/should be run next time. In other words, people remember first impressions. If it's a mature one, it's more likely to be mature next time around. If it's less mature, then expect the next one to follow suit. I like the idea as a whole, though. Knowing that someone is trying to appeal to people who might not be quite as familiar with anime as the teenage generation is can be a very positive experience. There are a fair number of people in their 30s+ who would like to know about anime and become more informed about it, without having to deal with the immaturity and fast-paced frenetics of teenagers. Parents in particular I can see coming to this if their kids enjoy anime and they want to know what the heck this stuff is. |
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Arcwave
 Posts: 246 Location: Seattle |
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This is ridiculous. Why not 18+? Will there be alcohol or something? Failure.
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tygerchickchibi
 Posts: 1448 |
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I knew all that. I was saying that it could possibly help people who may have a general interest but may not know that much and want to. I've already bypassed the whole 21+ thing, that wasn't a concern to me in the first place. And the whole "Is there anything I can't sell in the Dealers Room" has a vague answer. Heh, guess they haven't completed an answer for that question yet. |
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malik_chan
 Posts: 134 |
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Remember kids! You're still considered a kid until you hit that magical age of 21! You may be able to die for your country (something many don't want to do) at 18 but you can't go to an anime convention geared towards adults!
I don't like the age limit, it's too high. It should at least 18 because legally, you are an adult. But it seems like you must have to be able to legally drink to do something adult oriented. |
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tasogarenootome
 Posts: 593 |
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Wow, even with the 21+ limitation, I'm still hearing ageism and disdain from "mature" fans. Though it's not all un-warranted (we college/graduate-aged anime fans dwell in some bizarre grey-area between teenagers and that 25+ getting-life-into-place adulthood marker), but it's disappointing to think the convention may diminish into a gathering of hostile elitists.
The more academic panels definitely seem inviting and I think this definitely could be interesting. Last edited by tasogarenootome on Sun Apr 06, 2008 2:36 am; edited 1 time in total |
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OneHotAlchemist
Posts: 85 |
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Yes, because cosplay is totally immature... </sarcasm> If someone didn't run a con with unproven ideas we wouldn't have had the first anime convention in the first place. |
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RMC
Posts: 101 Location: Waco, TX |
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It isn't disdain and ageism. I'm 22 myself and I'm a part of the college-age crowd. I was just recently a teenager and I work with teenagers quite often in my line of work. I love the teenagers I work with and wouldn't trade them for the world, but I acknowledge that on average (there are always exceptions to everything), they are not as mature as someone who is age 30 and has children of their own. It's simply an acknowledgment of something that tends to be true, not something intended to be offensive. 
I seriously doubt it would degenerate into a gathering of hostile elitists. More likely it'll be a combination of people but I'm hoping a lot of parents show up to it. It may be a pretty simple concept for most of us here, but I know a lot of parents who haven't made the distinction that anime is a medium, not a genre. My own parents think that I'm watching kids' shows when they see me watching anime.. They're still used to the Bugs Bunny and Mickey Mouse generation where cartoons = slapstick child-oriented comedy. So again, I was not intending to sound elitist so I apologize if it seemed that way. |
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SalarymanJoe
 Posts: 468 Location: Atlanta, GA, USA |
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I really wish I were able to attend this year but with too many uncertainties I'll have in October this year, I'm afraid a vacation up to Rhode Island for a weekend is still out of the question. If things settle over the summer, it might be a different story and if registration is still open, I might be able to swing it. Either way, I wish them much success and will have to plan next year for it. It's good to see this isn't just another con springing up but an event with an specific fanbase and demographic in mind.
Lies. No cosplay skit is every high quality.
Yeah, I think it kinda is, especially at a conference which is supposed to be geared at a more professional/academic audience. I agree with marcyu on this. Though, if I were going, I'd just avoid those events. It's a personal opinion I have and I'm not out to ruin anyone's day over it.
In a way, I kinda agree. I'd like to see a very good, representative balance between major age groups. I think where some of the disconnect in the "cries of ageism" may stem from are in part of the generalities of age but also in the "old school fan" and "internet meme convention" type of fan; those really aren't restricted to age but more when someone got into fandom and how they were exposed to it.
BAW. I can't play with the big kids. /sarchasm Actually, if I were still 18, I'd probably harbor a smidgen of those feelings. There's a big difference between 18 and 21, and a big difference between 21 and 25, and I bet I'll go through more changes between 25 and 30. 18 is bright-eyed, bushy-tailed, and ready for anything; 21 was a little more reserved but still ready to take on the world and 25 has become planning for being in this for the long haul. That's not just a perspective on anime, but life in general. I think having a representative group would work best - a 25-30+ crowd to get the old "interactive fandom" days back for at least a weekend and a 21-25 crowd to remind all of us that having a few drinks late into the night isn't a bad thing. And yes, I'm sure that 21+ might be for alcohol restriction, but not because I think every panel is going to be like every fraternity party I went to, but more to give people the freedom to not have to worry about having people out or up for drinks if they are so inclined.
As Goodpenguin already addressed the specific organization's possible reasoning for escalating pricing, I'd say that this pricing scheme is in line with other professional events I've attended. Our last Metro Atlanta Information Systems Security Association Conference was more expensive for an 8-5 conference on a Wednesday, and that was even after qualifying for student discounts. I'd pay it to see if it was worth it and I'd keep paying it so long as it was. Perhaps with registration caps and a higher price tag means that there will be a higher chance of success for what the organizers have in mind, rather than the conference being polluted with barely-21s who ust want to drink at an anime con. Also, I don't like the way you used "work for a living", implying that those of us who aren't alarmed at the price don't. I'm sure it's quite the opposite. It is for me, at least. As RMC said, there's potential for each extreme - success or failure. And lot depends on the events and the attendees. I want it to succeed because I'm one of those whose been going to conventions for ten-plus years and I've seen things change, both for good and bad. I think this type of convention is more suited to my tastes and I want it to succeed this year so they can have one next year and I can more assuredly participate. And we won't know the answer to any of that until October, so everyone will just have to keep their eyes open and wait until then. |
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belisarius
Posts: 203 Location: Concord, NC |
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I'd be more interested in how the panel folks conduct themselves than how the attendees do. I went to Otakon 06 and one of the biggest disappointments for me was that I felt like most of the industry people were engaged in permanent marketing double speak. When asked what lead to ADV's decision to purchase the rights to Pani Poni Dash, one ADV panelist's response was basically "OMG Buddy, we're totally hardcore anime fans too dude, and like, this is totally a hardcore anime fan's show so we like, had to have it!" Needless to say, I found that reasoning somewhat lacking (or maybe it really was their thinking and that partially explains the situation they're in now). The one panel where I felt like the audience was spoken to like adults was Anime Nation's and even there we got rushed out of the room because the Kingdom Hearts panel was following and the 14 year olds in their horrible costumes would not be denied.
It is of course a two sided coin. During the same ADV panel I mentioned above, they announced Utawarerumono and at that point they were still considering calling it Shadow Warrior Chronicles or whatever it was. Having suggested this, one young man lept out of his seat and suggested to the two ADV reps that they call it Underwater Ray Ramano, because that's what everyone on the internet was calling it. When faced with that kind of audience, it's hard to blame ADV or anyone else for approaching it like they do. Bottom line is though, unless the industry folks speak to the audience like adults, it scarcely matters whether the audience actually is or not. I'd be curious to know how many of them are genuinely interested in doing so. |
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CorneredAngel
 Posts: 854 Location: New York, NY |
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If you've ever been to a professional conference where there is *any* chance of the media for that profession being present, you know that the only thing that changes is the kind of words that are being used. Nobody in a professional position will be fully frank when speaking on the record. |
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Leebo
 Posts: 660 Location: Somerville, MA |
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Were you really going to fly across the country for this? |
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Arcwave
Posts: 246 Location: Seattle |
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No, definitely not. I just think it's a little absurd about the age restriction. Yes, I am 19, and I wouldn't be able to go... but still, I think something like age shouldn't limit someone from attended an event that they harbor most precious to them. Now, alcohol and drugs are another story... but anime? Common people! Is their going to be hentai? Heh (wait.. you can be 18 to watch that, wtf?) |
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Leebo
Posts: 660 Location: Somerville, MA |
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I don't know if you're being facetious or not, but that kind of self-entitlement seems a little over-the-top. No one is required to let everyone attend a privately organized event. |
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