Page 8
The good, bad and ugly of Anime conventions
ANIME, continued
from Page 5
such group is, of course, the hy-
peractive fans. These scream-
ing, shrieking, sugar-fueled
human missiles have a tenden-
cy to deviate from normal, so-
cially-accepted behavior at a
convention sometimes. This is
somewhat understandable,
since accessible Anime conven-
tions don’t occur that often,
and going to an Anime conven-
tion is a cool experience.
What’s not cool, however, is
tackle-hugging (or glomping)
fellow costumed attendees
(who probably spent a good
few months crafting their cos-
tume(s) with their own blood,
sweat, and tears) full force and
ruining parts of their costume
in the process; nor is randomly
screaming out the name of a
character or series or character
pairing, etc. at a decibel count
that would ordinarily be count-
ed as noise pollution. Keep a
lid on it, kiddies, and don’t
come to a convention if you
can’t calm down.
Then, of course, there’s
‘Ninja’ photography. This is
typically defined as someone
casually taking a picture of
someone else (usually in cos-
tume) without warning and
then disappearing without a
trace, leaving the subject of the
photo wondering where that
camera flash came from. This is
a very annoying practice, and
not only can it be embarrassing,
but this is something of an inva-
sion of privacy, if not at the
very least, a rude thing to do.
Let’s just say it’s not the most
flattering thing in the world to
find a picture of oneself on the
internet caught in the act of
say, stuffing your face with
food, or picking your nose, or
generally looking rather hag-
gard. There is a thing called
etiquette, and it’s a common
courtesy, even an unspoken
rule, to ask cosplayers if you
can take their picture. This
gives them some notice and lets
them decide whether or not to
fix themselves up for a picture.
ECHO l Thursday, June 4, 2009
Cosplayers work hard on their
costumes, so the least you can
do is help them look their best.
The Ugly
You meet all sorts of people
at an anime convention: hard-
core fans, dedicated cosplay-
ers, homeless people (yes, the
homeless sometimes hang
around big anime conven-
tions), and those who are so-
cially awkward. The people you
want to avoid most, however,
are the inevitable (and hope-
fully few) creepers and perverts
that lurk in the crowds of a con-
vention. Many horror stories
have been told (mainly by fe-
male con-goers, though some
guys share their stories as well)
of cosplayers being stalked,
inappropriately touched, or
having their personal space vio-
lated by some truly frightening
scumbags. The best defense
against this, of course, is to
travel in groups and have a
close friend watch your back.
And if something happens,
contact con security immedi-
ately.
Believe it or not, anime cons
are also frequent scenes of
theft. Large crowds make a
good hiding place for thieves,
and the Dealer’s room is not
immune to shoplifters, either.
That said, keep valuables
somewhere secure, and keep
items like cameras and cell
phones close to you at all times.
Check to make sure these items
are still in their right place peri-
odically.
A recent trend in anime con-
ventions are, of course, the
ubiquitous ‘paddles’, with
words like ‘Yaoi’, ‘Yuri’ ‘Seme’
and ‘Uke’ written on them. No
one truly knows why these
exist, but quite a few people
have had the poor fortune to be
on the business end of these
weapons of mass irritation,
wielded by hyperactive fangirls
who run around smacking the
derrieres of unsuspecting cos-
tumed victims. In a legal con-
text, this can easily be consider-
ed aggravated assault, and be-
cause of this, conventions have
taken to banning these items
outright from being sold or
used within the convention
center. A good move on their
part, really.
Probably the biggest bane of
anime conventions is the
dreaded ‘Con Funk’. Found
mainly at the most massive
conventions, this massive at-
mosphere of stink emanates
from the sweat and body odor
of the more socially-inept at-
tendees who seem to forget
showering and basic human hy-
giene in their excitement to at-
tend the convention. It’s really
hard to enjoy a convention
when the air inside carries a
scent that is the ungodly love-
child of stale pizza, smelly
socks, farts, and used jock-
straps (Ugh!). Word of advice:
follow the rules of human
cleanliness, use deodorant and
apply it frequently, bathe with
soap, and you will be a-okay.
So while going to an anime
convention is an exciting pros-
pect, it is best to plan ahead be-
fore rushing into the fray, and
utilize common sense and cau-
tion during your trip. Doing so
will help you spend more time
having fun at the con.