Well it seems Waznotta will be going to Connecticon. I hope he leaves his wallet at home so he'll be able to keep his house. So here's a question for you. Why is it we go through such lengths to come together in these crowded centers, spending tons of money, dealing with traffic and hotels just to celebrate our love but not actually watching much anime all weekend?
Well, I can't speak on everyones behalf but I personally get burnt out on anime once in a while. It's sad but true. I watch about 75% of everything that comes out of Japan every season be it good or bad. Also, I have very few people around me watching this stuff, and as I get older I feel more and more alienated as I get deeper into the culture. Anime conventions essentially are a breath of fresh air. I go from one extreme to the other. Suddenly, I'm surrounded by like minded people. The culture is everywhere I look. I get to be around people who not only know about what I know about, but know more than I do. More or less, it recharges my otaku battery. For me, it gets me amped up and excited about the culture again. I feel Waznotta and Midori feel the same way, and Waznotta in particular who has been a fan for about three years had recently attended his first convention had his eyes opened to the fact that we are not alone.
So I wonder if it's the same for everyone else sometimes. Maybe this is the reason fans do crazy things at cons such as dress up in outrageous cosplay and walk three blocks in public to a convention. Or in the middle of a hallway throw down a "boom box" and break into a Carmel Dansen song and dance. Suddenly, we group together and are no longer the minority and are able to express ourselves publicly if only for one weekend.
Maybe I'm generalizing to much, but one thing no one can deny that conventions are a bit of phenomena. It almost seems that our regular culture that surrounds the convention building temporarily gets flipped on it's head. Most people who cosplay would never walk around in public in these crazy costumes when faced with the likely threat of public ridicule. However, with the convention atmosphere they are celebrated and complimented on doing so, and that in my opinion is a beautiful thing.
All in all, despite the condition of the anime industry (Japanese or American) fandom is still on the rise and it shows in the every growing attendance of these conventions. If you are an anime fan I feel you should treat yourself to at least one convention. It will, at the very least leave you with memories you would never trade for anything.
