When people ask me how I felt about Anime Expo this year I have a difficult time answering. While there were some great moments there were many problems that should not occur at a 21 year old convention. When everything wrapped up I find that there was both good and bad at Anime Expo, but I still have trouble call this a good or bad convention.



One of the biggest problems with Anime Expo was the programming. The first problem is that there was too much non-anime or non-Japan oriented programming. I should not be seeing panels based on American cartoons or random internet memes at Anime Expo. There should have been a higher caliber of programming at America 's biggest anime convention. The second big issue with programming is that the programming guide had a different schedule than the wall schedule, which was also different than what was posted on the door of the different programming rooms. This made things difficult to deal with when you have no idea if the panel you want to go to is going on where and when you are told. One of my favorite things to do at Anime Expo is going panel hopping and while I did get to do that I missed out on a couple of panels I wanted to hit because of the messed up schedule.



I will applaud the quality of the arcade this year. The crane games made for some great spectator sports. The game line up was a good mix of rhythm, shooter, and racing. The return of the air hockey table was also a nice touch. There was plenty of room for table top gaming, but the area seemed to be mostly filled with pick up games with no real presence of game masters setting anything up. The console gaming area had plenty of seats and several systems to play. The competitions looked to be very organized, but I did not compete this year as there was nothing on the docket that fit my wheelhouse.



The dealer hall was a mixed bag this year. While there were plenty of booths and options for consumers, but in some respects there was a limited selection. Figure collectors had a very limited choice. While there were some hidden gems most of what was offered was subpar. It would have been nice to see a larger group of figure dealers to help collectors find those few gems. In addition, there was very little selection for manga or discount DVDs. I was hoping to find some great deals in the hall and for the most part there was not enough competition to allow for that. However, if you were interested in costuming, accessorizing, or fashion there were plenty of choices. Also it is nice to see various video game themed booths. I always love checking out the various game booths and I was even able to come home with a discount copy of BlazBlue and had fun chatting with the guys from Aksys Games.



One thing that was nice to see this year was a larger group of parents. While some are just older otaku others were the parents of young fans. Seeing families at Anime Expo was nice as I have not seen families show up en masse since the early 2000s. However, one thing that did bother me is how the anime culture is portrayed to those parents. This is not a fault of the convention so much as a fault of some companies. There were some booths that had objectionable material (including a stripper pole) and it reflects poorly on the anime community to the parents that might not "get" anime. I have always thought of Anime Expo as the leader that other conventions emulate and thus AX should be beyond allowing such things.



I had a few problems with convention staff. The door guards did not seem to be too sure what panels were going on in the room by which they were posted. However, all guards were very consistent on badge checks. The majority of the masquerade staff was on the ball with keeping masquerade moving smoothly. Yet there were audio problems that several groups had during the event. The people in the press room were next to useless. There was very little information they could give to support press staff and seemed to just be playing around on a computer or talking the whole time. On the good side the people at the information desk did a great job and helped me when I had problems. Finally, the tech staff for the panel rooms seemed to be doing their job very well keeping all tech issues under control. Despite the flaws, this was one of the better staff teams that Anime Expo has had in several years.



Anime Expo was a journey made up of high points and low points. While there are some things that I had a problem with at the convention and there were some great moments that will stay with me forever. I had high hopes for Anime Expo this year and my expectations were not met. There were far too many problems for a convention that is 21-years old. The programming could have been much better, scheduling should have been solid, and the guest list could have been much stronger. I wanted more than what I got and I expect more from the biggest and longest running anime convention.


I hope that Anime Expo will keep the good parts from this year and fix the problems so that 22 can be the best year yet. As I wrap up the report I would like to thank the following people: the Scarlet Rhapsody staff, the Anime Expo staff, the Aksys Games booth team, Diana, those who came to Moon Prism Poptarts, the MvC guys, Lounge 21 staff, George's Greek Food truck, the energy drink people, Gretel, Todd (one), and Ryo Horikawa. If you have any comments or questions feel free not to contact me (Jared-ata-Scarlet-rhapsody.com). Until next time I leave you with my prime list and remind you to give my love to Lounge 21.

The List

  1. The Silver Lining
  2. Keep it classy!
  3. No migraine this year
  4. Puppet Up!
  5. Nothing like classic Macross
  6. Happy 4th of July!!
  7. RE: 6- Wait, the convention didn't occur over the 4th
  8. How do I feel?
  9. PreCure Open My Heart!
  10. I survived
  11. The Wheel of Fate is Turning
  12. Prinny!
  13. Where are my discount DVDs?
  14. No Peeking
  15. FOOD TRUCKS!!!
  16. Shall we dance?
  17. Missed by an inch
  18. Missed by a mile
  19. Hey remember when…
  20. I still have too much work to deal with.
  21. Should have chased that white rabbit.
  22. Mugen Souls… fine take my money
  23. Next Cosplay: Josuke from Diamond is Unbreakable
  24. Seriously, I will get the video done
  25. I need a drink
  26. Someone remind me to follow George's Greek Truck
  27. So… hot…
  28. Distraction!!
  29. That is how I rolls… Royce
  30. Note to Self: Get back into JoJo
  31. Wheelchair cosplay you say?
  32. Holy Diver!
  33. I only got one figure this year
  34. RE: 33- A new record!
  35. Why did it take me this long to pick up BlazBlue?
  36. Masquerade, not bad
  37. Dance, Dance!!
  38. He sang the Lupin theme!!!
  39. No panels this year… except poptarts
  40. I want more of those little quesadilla things
  41. Waiting… waiting…
  42. Should I get back in the AMV game?
  43. That's it, Eastward bound!

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