This was my third Anime Boston, and sadly, my worst. I had some issues with my first time at the con, but it wasn’t a bad year and my second year was great. However, this year just didn’t feel right and apparently I wasn’t the only person who felt that way. The theme was weak, the morale was down, and the guests seemed a little lackluster. Yet, despite all that, I did have a good time (mostly) and there was still plenty of fun to be had at the convention.
The location is still the same from the previous yers, but things around the Hynes have changed. There is some construction in the connected mall which removes the food court and cuts away at walking space. Security has also been beefed up with new metal detectors, which is no different than entering a stadium or court house. Finally, the attendance numbers have gone up making the very comfortable space into a very tight space in some locations. These numbers also made lines a little hectic, but for the most part they flowed at a decent pace. While nothing can be done about the security, hopefully next year the construction will be done and that might help with some issues.
Panels were a highlight as they usually are. While there was one panel that I did not enjoy (and I’ve heard stories about a couple other bad panels) the majority of the panels were the type of high quality that one would expect from a larger con like Anime Boston. I had a good time running my two panels, but I had some minor issues due to my laptop lacking an HDMI port. However, the staff did everything they could to help me and everything worked out fine. The American guests were handled well, but they were not firing up the excitement for most attendees. However, the Japanese guests were notable and the bands were excellent. Overall, programming is one of the strongest parts of the convention even if some of the guests aren’t all that great.
Beyond panels there was still plenty to do like the concerts, cosplay events, and gatherings. I missed the concerts, but I did hit cosplay chess which was great. I also had the chance to hit the Jojo cosplay gathering and it was a bit of a crowded mess. I ended up leaving after posing with the Part 3 group because it was just too crowded in the Hynes hallway. It’s become more apparent that they need a specific room or outside location for gatherings because there are too many people and the halls are just too small. With all the room in the Hynes it seems foolish to have cosplay gatherings in the halls crowded the walkways and likely causes a fire hazard.
The biggest problem with the convention this year was the vibe of the event. Whether it was the security, the bland theme, or just the changing state of the convention scene it is hard to tell. The security was a bit stricter this year, but most people I spoke with had very little trouble with them. If you did what you were told and explained about metal on a costume they were very accommodating. The theme of Field Day was pretty weak. While sports anime is getting popular again it doesn’t work well for a theme when you have an all in door convention and it’s raining outside. There were some nice props set up, but it just felt like the heart wasn’t in it this year. No matter the cause, people were significantly less friendly this year. That negativity rubbed off on me and I even found myself almost spreading the jerk disease. Hopefully this was a onetime thing, I don’t want one of my favorite events to get beaten down by people throwing around attitude and treating other attendees like trash.
This is a hard year to quantify. I loved being back in Boston, I call it my adopted home and it will never lose that position in my heart no matter where I live. However, on Saturday night the attitude of several people I came across put me in a bad space and I found myself wanting to leave and skip Sunday. I didn’t skip Sunday and I am glad that I went because it was a great ending to the convention. My experience was a rollercoaster of highs and lows. Sadly, the lows do paint my memory more than the highs. It makes it difficult to write about as the totality of my trip was amazing, but it’s hard to forget how angry and unhappy I got during some parts of the convention. Anime Boston is a very good convention that had a very weak year. It wasn’t a failure of structure or quality, it was a weakness of the people and that can break a convention in my book. Despite everything, I will be back if only to bask in the new theme of ‘retro’ and to see my old Boston crew.
While this may not have been that great of an event this year there are several people who helped me have a good time anyway. Special thanks go out to: the awesome staff in the public gardens, the twins, Evan, Eri the idol, Eri the boss, flirty stewardess, the Lupin guys, pub food, the AB staff, the cool Jojo people, that Dante cosplayer, Trader Joe’s, Craig, and everyone who wasn’t a jerk. As always if you have questions or comments feel free to not contact me. Until next time I leave you with my list and ask that you give my love to bean town (wait a second...only tourists call it that).
The List
- Home Again!
- Rain, rain, rain
- Green haired bitch
- Pose like you mean it
- Joe Joe’s
- Pub food
- Kongo desu!
- Detours
- What do you mean the shuttle stops there?!
- That street pass feeling
- Next Cosplay: something-something retro
- Mike’s Pastries!
- RE: 12 – But, no Dunkin
- Bad vibes, man
- We like sports and we don’t care who knows
- Vacation!!
- Note to self: hand out more cards
- Everybody’s got a dark side
- Blame it on the beer
- I don’t want to go, I don’t want to go…
- There’s a voice that is my savior
- Sexy dominatrix
- Pose off!
- Finally had Boston Baked Beans in Boston
- Chowdah!
- Maid Game
- Lost in the dark
- So many stairs…
- Tea time
- Too many people
- Quality AMVs, nice
- Did I mention food?
- This is farewell, but not goodbye
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