AX2004 is actually the first American anime-con I've been to (just like this is the very first time I'm posting an entry on the front page). Quite an interesting experience overall, and a very different one from the other cons I've been to. Perhaps it was because I didn't know what to expect, or perhaps I just didn't have any expectations at all, but I think I'll definitely go again, hopefully better prepared.

So what's different? Well, it'd probably be easier to start off explaining how the cons I've been to in Asia were like. I mostly went to comic/doujinshi conventions, and they're much more like what you see in animes like Comic Party; relatively small and focused cons dominated by small booths with artists/stores/groups hawking goods with a few large publishers taking up strategic locations in the con area. Most of the cosplaying happens outside, and the ratio of people cosplaying vs people just buying things are pretty low. The large booths are typically there to pimp their latest series, give out free goods, and just do promotional work. There are also some con-only specials (in Hong Kong, these would typically be limited-edition swords and posters), and plenty of people doing autographs.

Anime Expo in contrast seemed to be a huge conglomeration of all things Japanese... or rather, appreciation of all things Japanese. Yes, anime was a predominant theme at AX, but videogames, comics, and other Japanese things weren't out of place at AX. I was somewhat annoyed at the several rather popular booths selling fake (but sharp) katanas, oriental-looking weapons, and low-quality bokkens and shinais, but I suppose many people don't have other opportunities to get these mostly ornamental pieces, let alone better and authentic ones.

In comparison, the number of booths at the Exhibit Hall (Dealer's Room, whatever) was rather low, and mostly dominated by several large booths (Geneon, ADV, Vid, etc) and most of these were just selling their regular goods (DVDs, translated manga, posters). There were panels and autograph sessions, but there didn't seem to be as many guests of honor as there were in the other cons I went to. Perhaps it was because AX seemed less focused and had to cater to more genres. Interestingly enough, I felt that AX wasn't all that crowded, but that's probably because of the huge area the entire con covered.

There were videogaming rooms, karaoke contests, concerts, and videoshowings which I've never seen at a con before (at least, not all at the same time), and half the time I couldn't decide where I wanted to go. That said, I wasn't interested in many of the events on Saturday (the day I went), so I just ended up walking around the main convention area taking pics.

That leads me to one of the biggest differences I noticed at AX: the huge number of cosplayers. Most of the con-goers seemed to be in some sort of costume (mostly from Naruto, but given the popularity of the series, this shouldn't be a suprise). Sure, most of the costumes weren't correct, well-made, or even complete, but everyone made an effort to show off their favorite series. Perhaps that's what AX is; a cosplay gathering with related activities.

Link to pics I took that day: Click Here

Posted by KellysCappuccino at July 4, 2004 02:32 PM