Small conventions tend to fall into one of two categories: relaxed and terrible. Anime California was in the relaxed category. The relaxed type small convention tends to be very weak in the programming department, but very strong on the social side of things. This year it was a textbook example of how to do a relaxed convention. While the relaxed convention might not appeal to everyone it is the kind of experience that everyone should try at least once.

Anime California was held in the Long Beach Convention Center which is generally easy to get to from the greater LA/OC area. There is abundant parking and it isn't nearly as expensive as parking at other convention centers. There was plenty of space for all attendees and there are many great photoshoot locations around the convention center. The panel rooms are large enough for the smaller audiences of a relaxed con and the second floor provided plenty of room for different events and panels. There are also plenty of restaurants in the area and food trucks arrived each day for a closer option.

The programming was spread amongst several rooms on the second floor. The lineup was mixed with some interesting panels, but also a fair amount of your typical small con basic panels, but I cannot give examples as the schedule was never posted online (or if it was it is very difficult to find). The guests were about what one would expect for a convention this small. They were mostly made up of local 'voice acotrs' and a few cosplayers. Most of the guests hosted panels which added some variety to the lineup. However, it did seem like most people were making their own fun at the convention. Impromptu dancing, video gaming, and card games at several of the tables seemed to be the order of the day.

The dealer hall was made up of nearly all other parts of the convention. The hall had a decent set of dealers that featured mostly clothing, figures, and random merch. The artist alley section had your usual mix of artist alley wares, but that isn't a bad thing. The hall also featured the gaming area. This was made up of both table top and electronic gaming. Most of the table top area was made up of pick up games, but the addition of various board games added a nice option for those who don't play children's card games. The electronic section had a good selection of games and it never felt too crowded, but the non-stop blasting from the big screen could be distracting. It was very easy to just hit this hall and ignore everything else as tends to be the case for many people at relaxed conventions.

The biggest factor in determining if something is boring or relaxed comes from the attendees themselves. This year everyone was there to have fun and there was no attitude or rude behavior. While there may have been one or two bad apples they did not cause any problem that could be easily noticed. People were engaged at panels and were also running about trying to have as much fun as possible while not ruinning anyone else's experience. Even the con suite was laid back and it was not a chaotic mess like the con suite at some other conventions. This had one of the best vibes of any convention I hit this year.

Overall this was a good convention. It wasn't anything special, but it was the kind of event that you could attend and just clear your head. It did not feel like there was much to do at the con, but that didn't matter because there were always people to meet and fun to be had. My big curiosity was the night life at the convention as I left around seven or so each day and I don't know if things got crazy after dark. I would recommend this convention, but be aware that it is not a wild party or a nonstop programming run. It is a long deep breath after a long hot summer and sometimes that's exactly what you need.

I was able to just kick back and relax at Anime California despite running four panels. However, that was partially due to several people. Thus thanks are due to: the Scarlet Rhapsody team, the Anime California staff, the tech assist person, the people I played cards with, the nice waitress at Rock Bottom, the fleet week sailors, Bart, Richie, Craig, the con suite people, and everyone (except one person) who attended our panels. Finally, before I go I will leave you with my list and remind you to give my love to the boats.

The List

1. Four panels
2. Someone shut him up
3. Perfect timing on the Hulk Hogan joke
4. A/V issues
5. Needed more game time
6. No outside foods!
7. Tea time
8. I want to get back into that life
9. My back is sore
10. An audience?
11. RE 10: Take note other SoCal conventions
12. Sometimes you just want to sit
13. Goldenboy?
14. Snack time is a good time
15. Gems
16. Boats
17. Note to self: Stay cool and collected
18. Stairs, so many stairs
19. Never bored
20. Meeting the NorCal crew
21. Next Cosplay: Something-something Disney
22. Good times had by all
23. Summer is over, but still so much to do

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