Anime Boston 2016 is all said and done. I normally praise Anime Boston for having outstanding programming and theming. I really do feel tha Anime Boston is one of the best anime cons out there. It's fan run and fan focused. It respects the anime industry as well as the attendees who keep coming back. It's no wonder that Anime Boston has close to 27,000 attendees each year. The event keeps getting bigger and bigger. However, taking that number of attendees and dealing with security theater and stormy weather is not the best combination.

Prior to Anime Boston, the Pokemon World Championships was taking place at the Hynes Convention Center. Long story short, local police thwarted a terror attack. Law enforcement caught suspects that were planning a mass shooting during the Pokemon World Championships. Hence, MCCA were on their toes. Anime Boston was one of the first events during 2016 to be dealing with the all new, all different security theatre. Attendees waited in line for enhanced security check - bags had to be opened, weapons had to be checked, any metal items had to be declared (even buttons on clothes). This was different from your typical Red Sox type of security or any previous years at Anime Boston. Security was super anal about checks - TSA metal detectors were brought in. I appreciated that MCCA wanted people to be safe. However, Anime Boston was the first event of it's kind in Boston to have this treatment post-Pokemon World Championships. Events such as PAX East and Boston Comic Con have had better and less restrictive bag checks post-Anime Boston 2016.

This was one of Anime Boston's weaker years. After discussing this year's vibe with my colleague, Pocky Princess Darcy, it really brought the morale down. One of the best aspects of Anime Boston are the fans - the fans want to be here and are happy to be here. However, the security theater worsened the mood for a lot of attendees. While there were great things to say about Anime Boston, the attendees weren't in the best of moods. I get that Boston tends to have a reputation for having snarky people, but every Anime Boston I attend, people are generally friend and it doesn't feel isolating. Of course, this is something staff cannot control, but a result of a necessary evil.

I thought this year's theme was weak. I liked the idea. Sports anime is very popular. However, in contrast with Yokai, Kaiju vs. Mecha, and Magical Academy, it did not live up to expectations. I did the sets scattered throughout the con. I did like aspects of the CosPlot throughout various events. However, the waiting time videos and the media surrounding the theme was very lacking. I used to find myself laughing to them, watching them on repeat after the con, etc. For a Field Day Festival, it was lacking spirit. Anime Boston felt like that school that was pushing school spirit in a sea of jaded students. I really did think this did have potential. I just think slogans such as "Senpai Bowl" could have been really taken advantage of, especially for a city known for many sports titles in different sportballs.

However, I did have a ton of fun at Anime Boston. I'm the type of fan that likes to make their own fun to make up for the doldrums. I enjoyed being in the Love Live New Year's group. Coincidentally, our photographer ended up joining us for our post-con after party at the Pour House. I also enjoyed the Haikyuu photoshoot on Friday. While I just got out of a red eye flight, the group was very welcoming and I appreciated many a hug from a Noya (or two...or three...). Also, I'm very happy that cosplay staff is taking over cosplay meetups since they were getting out of control last year.

I also love how Anime Boston has engaging cosplay events. It gives attendees the opportunity to have fun in character. Again, I forgot to sign up this year. I was going to be Utena for Cosplay Chess, but the costume had some hiccups getting done prior to the deadline for submission. However, anytime I watch any of the cosplay events, it's very inspiring. It reminds me of what cosplay is all about - having fun in costume without a care in the world.

Anime Boston still continues to have some of the best programming and is still well run. Even with the dampered mood, people still stayed for closing ceremonies. I will still continue to support Anime Boston. I look forward to next year's Retro theme. Even when Anime Boston ended, we were already planning on what to wear for cosplay events next year. We want to participate more in cosplay events and we really want to continue our support for one of the country's best cons. Hopefully, next year, security will resolve itself. Given that PAX East and Boston Comic Con, both events run by MCCA, have had smoother security processes, here's hoping that 2017 will be smooth sailing. Until next time, we'll be working on some Fushigi Yuugi cosplays.

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