Hi Everyone! I'm new to the forums but not to Chat where you can find me most of the time. I wanted to do something crazy and came up with this idea:

Christmas is here which means Spring is around the corner. Anyone planning on some Spring trips to anime conventions? Here is a thread to tell about your favorite anime conventions, the worst ones, or anything else you might want to discuss about anime fan "get-togethers!"

Let me be the first one to start:

I'm fairly new to Anime cons and my first was at Animazement in Durham, NC...this was a fair size convention(over 5000 people)and well worth going to!I do plan on returning in 2009 as well as start looking for other cons to go to! If I hear a lot of people comment about going to Animazement...I'm going to talk with the staff and see if maybe we can have a "Dokuga Panel" where we can all meet and discuss our favorite fanfics as well as maybe do something special!

Please have fun and share some crazy stories....or even if you have never been to one, share what you would like to see at conventions!

Last year's Anime Boston was my first con, and I definately plan to go again. Absolute blast. Everyone is nice as can be, and there's definately a 'community' feel to it all--we're all crazy obsessive fans there to have a good time. If you're going to go to a con, you need to go in cosplay, or at the very least put on a pair of cat ears. Bring a camera and go hunting among the cosplayers for your favorite characters. XD Even the lines for events are fun, as people will sing songs, pass memes back and forth, and pass the manga around to pass the time.

Be warned: Anime Boston is a big convention. I'd preregister, and then pick up your tickets early. Last year, some people waited in line 10 hours to get in...I waited 45 minutes. Bahahahaha!

I went to JACON a few years ago in Orlando, and it was pretty cool. Met three really nice guys since the person I went with took off with a bunch of her friends that lived in that area. Dated all three of them eventually, but that is a story for another time. It wasn't as fun as I had hoped, as there weren't any events that really caught my eye or guests that I was determined to see, but I did get to meet a lot of really nice people. I even managed to meet one of my favorite Deviantart artists, and bought a print from him. I dressed up for the first day but no one knew who I was, so I wore street clothes for the next two. I even got a job offer to work Otakucon in Miami, as well as travel for the Sandals corporation. That was cool.

From that experience I managed to attend a few Otakucon pre-events in Miami (with one of the guys I met at JACON), and met the photographer Mabaroshi. He's a really sweet guy, and an excellent photographer. I had a great time talking shop with him since, at the time, I was considering going to school for photography.

I had planned on going to a con two years ago in Tampa, since Monkey Punch (the guy behind Lupin III) was going to be there. In the end he had a family emergency and had to cancel, so I cancelled my plans as well.

If there are any decent ones going down in 09 here in SoFl I might make the attempt to go, but I'm not sure. It all depends on who is going to be there.

Goodness! People are scattered all over. |D I try to make it to at least one California convention per year - in 07, it was Fanime. 08, I managed to get to Anime Expo, which was absolutely fantastic. I'm going to try for Anime Expo again in 09, though hitting up Fanime again might be fun, too.

Fanime 07 wasn't much fun for me, because my dad took me and a few friends and he really doesn't much care for conventions. We only spent a few hours there, and didn't get to go to any panels or do any cosplaying at all.

AX 08 was much better. I didn't take any friends along, but I had an absolute blast. I got to meet Shokotan and go to her concert (!!!), cosplay, buy some stuff, meet some amazing artists from dA, etc. I think I'd have had more fun if I'd been able to meet up with friends, though. And karaoke. Why oh why didn't I go karaoke? Dx

How do you find out about where these things are? I've never been to one, but I've always wanted to go.

I found out through friends that live in those areas, but I'm sure you could run a google search like 'anime conventions in [insert area here]', or search for anime clubs in your area. Usually the anime club sites will have links to cons throughout the year, as well as other related events that might be of interest.

Thanks, Momo! As google happy as I am, I should have thought of that! Thankfully I have people like you to help me through my blonde moments (no offense to any blondes!).

I figured it out because I was super bored near a computer. Never a good thing. The anime clubs were only linking cons in central FL, and I'm actually closer to SoFl so I got to googlin'. There is one website that lists all of the cons state by state, and if I ever find it again I'll send you a link. It covers anime cons, sci-fi, comicons, and other fandom shindigs.

www.animecons.com/

They have most of the major cons listed, and some of the minor ones too.

you can search by state, month, year, etc...

I've already checked it out and favored it for later. Thanks!

I've never been to one, but I'd love to go! I hear they're really great, and just reading all of this has really made me anxious to go to one!

I usually go to at least two or three cons a year. Though it´s only been maybe 4 or 5 years since I dicoverd Cons. I go to the Barcelona Expomanga (in Spain) and the Madrid Expomanga (also in Spain). Occasionally, like this year, I´ll also go to the Madrid Expocomic. They´re small cons (the Madrid ones especially), with the Barcelona one getting bigger every year (already medium-sized). I enjoy cosplaying, but usually only cosplay to the Barcelona Con.

Oh, I also make sure that, when I visit the US in summer, I go to one Con: the San Diego Comicon. I´ve been going since...oh, 2004. I have cosplayed the past three years: ChiChiri, Sesshoumaru (yep, HIM. I also had a friend coming along as Inuyasha) and Meroko Yui.

It´s a lot of fun, whether you´re more interested in cosplay, comics, manga, merchandising or movies, cons are lots of fun. Especially when you go with your friends.

Cosplay.com also has a listing of conventions (from all over the world).

I've always wanted to go to an anime or cosplay convention,(and actually was right nest to one this year and couldn't go.) , but my best friend ( a.k.a my wifey) told me she draws the line at cosplay and will 'divorce' me if I go to a convention. So i convinced her that halloween is my exception and am planning for next year.

I've never actually been to one before, but my brother and I are trying to go to ACon in Dallas, Tx this year. I really can't wait to go! They all sound like so much fun!

Lucky people! The conventions here in Hawaii are crap. Odd too, if one considers that our largest tourist base is Japan. *shrugs* Tried to go to one in SoCal, but I found out too late and tickets were gone. Didn't want to fly over and not get in, lol. Bah, story of my life, I have yet to buy Blizzcon tickets in time before sellout as well. Lucky, lucky, lucky! Heh.

<3 L

Wow I just realized that it has been almost two years since I went to my last con. Sigh, I really need to fix that some time this year. My friends and I usually go to AWA. (Anime weekend Atlanta)since its right in my back yard. It is all ways epic and more fun than I have for the rest of the year, until Christmas at least.

Smoke Goddess wrote:
Lucky people! The conventions here in Hawaii are crap. Odd too, if one considers that our largest tourist base is Japan. *shrugs* Tried to go to one in SoCal, but I found out too late and tickets were gone. Didn't want to fly over and not get in, lol. Bah, story of my life, I have yet to buy Blizzcon tickets in time before sellout as well. Lucky, lucky, lucky! Heh.

<3 L

Omg! My sis and I just made plans to go to AWA in 2009! This will be our first time going to this con so I hope we see you there!