Anime Central 2010: A Review

There are many conventions that have high reputation within the central region of the United States, but none so large as Chicago’s own Anime Central, which just this year managed to break its attendance record with nearly 20,000 attendees. As one of the biggest anime conventions in the central region, let alone the United States, it was a privilege to attend this year.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kylepoint/4633658109/in/set-72157624123030492/ Dagger and Kuja (Final Fantasy IX)

As it was my first year at ACen, I was unsure what to expect. While the schedule I had glimpsed over gave a vague overview of what I would be seeing, I was definitely unprepared for the massive crowds that greeted my sights with upon arrival on Friday the 14th. Even going through the front Hyatt entrance to the basement area to get my pass was a journey in itself; I met a good chunk of cosplayers who I ended up doing small shoots for later on in the weekend, and even got a few added items through Pokéwalker connections with others.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kylepoint/4633659085/in/set-72157624123030492/ Pickles the Drummer (Metalocalypse)

One thing I couldn’t help but notice was the massive amount of people in cyber/rave clothing, and the underwhelming number of good cosplayers. While the attendance certainly was large, the number of people in decent costumes was relatively small. Perhaps I simply wasn’t looking hard enough, or maybe I was being a bit too judgmental in regards to cosplay. Regardless, there were still a good amount of gems, and in a crowd of ~20,000, it may have just been difficult to see them all– especially in only three days.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kylepoint/4633660621/in/set-72157624123030492/ Songstress Lulu (Final Fantasy X-2 Inspired), Summoner Yuna, Shiva (Final Fantasy X)

The dealer’s room, much like the rest of the convention, was immense. Organizations, staff for other conventions, companies, clothing dealers, and Independent artists alike all shared the area, and it made for a very diverse (and intriguing) selection of merchandise for anyone who had the intrigue and pocket change.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kylepoint/4634264078/in/set-72157624123030492/ (Vic Mignogna)

Friday’s surveying went well, and while it did hold an interesting interview with Vic Mignogna, Saturday was the big event day for any attendee (with a few notable niceties for press). The day started off (for me, at least) with a shadowcast performance of Repo! The Genetic Opera, courtesy of the 90 Day Delinquents. While their efforts did show through,  the expression and gestures of some of the cast were slightly lacking in drama or enthusiasm sometimes. Small qualms aside, it was a good performance that did the hit movie justice.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kylepoint/4634328642/in/set-72157623998877391/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kylepoint/4633737417/in/set-72157623998877391/

Immediately following the Repo! performance was the Khaotic Koulture fashion show, showcasing a variety of outfits and styles; Visual Kei, Steampunk, Cyber/Rave, Gothic, and the multitudes of variations on the lolita style all had their part in this show. Pretty people in pretty clothing is always a good thing, and they were more than happy to give brand names, advice, tips, or encouragement to anyone who asked during the Q&A session immediately after the catwalk bit of the show.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kylepoint/4634289152/in/set-72157624123095392/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kylepoint/4634302820/in/set-72157624123095392/

The masquerade– the highlight of Saturday’s events, in my humble option –featured the usual antics. Cosplayers upon cosplayers marched onstage, showcasing their costumes, along with the work and dedication they put into making them.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kylepoint/4633670719/in/set-72157624123030492/ Low-polygon Cloud Strife (Final Fantasy VII)

However, before the skits were to be exhibited, none other than X Japan’s Yoshiki took an appearance for an on-screen webcast to talk about X Japan’s history, along with future tour dates and events. After a dramatic video recap of the band’s past (touching on a few points that greatly affected Yoshiki’s presence, of course), the webcast had some issues and was cut off…and so, Yoshiki showed up in person on stage instead! An unexpected surprise to many, he was more than happy enough to answer questions of the press and give further detail about X Japan’s future.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kylepoint/4634269280/in/set-72157624123030492/ Yoshiki of X Japan

After he left and the audience calmed down, reclaiming their seats after jumping out of them to rush forward to the stage, the skits were carried out. Unfortunately, due to time constraints, the awards ceremony was rushed so that the Soap Ball Rave setup could commence on time.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kylepoint/4634268750/in/set-72157624123030492/ Bahamut (Final Fantasy series)

As with any convention, things died down on the last day (Sunday the 16th, in this case). Sporting my Portal Tie, all there was to do was attend one press interview with Aural Vampire (which unfortunately had a no-recording policy). That aside, my time was mainly spent taking photos of cosplayers and conversing and relaxing with other attendees. All in all, definitely a good weekend, certainly living up to the biggest convention in the central States. I anticipate attending next year, and dealing with what will most likely be an exponentially larger attendance than the crowds that I encountered this ACen the Thirteenth.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kylepoint/4633673471/in/set-72157624123030492/ Bug Catcher (Pokémon series)

There are many conventions that have high reputation within the central region of the United States, but none so large as Chicago’s own Anime Central, which just this year managed to break its attendance record with nearly 20,000 attendees. As one of the biggest anime conventions in the central region, let alone the United States, it was a privilege to attend this year.

As it was my first year at ACen, I was unsure what to expect. While the schedule I had glimpsed over gave a vague overview of what I would be seeing, I was definitely unprepared for the massive crowds that greeted my sights with upon arrival on Friday the 14th. Even going through the front Hyatt entrance to the basement area to get my pass was a journey in itself; I met a good chunk of cosplayers who I ended up doing small shoots for later on in the weekend, and even got a few added items through Pokéwalker connections with others.

One thing I couldn’t help but notice was the massive amount of people in cyber/rave clothing, and the underwhelming number of good cosplayers. While the attendance certainly was large, the number of people in decent costumes was relatively small. Perhaps I simply wasn’t looking hard enough, or maybe I was being a bit too judgmental in regards to cosplay. Regardless, there were still a good amount of gems, and in a crowd of ~20,000, it may have just been difficult to see them all– especially in only three days.

The dealer’s room, much like the rest of the convention, was immense. Organizations, staff for other conventions, companies, clothing dealers, and Independent artists alike all shared the area, and it made for a very diverse (and intriguing) selection of merchandise for anyone who had the intrigue and pocket change.

Friday’s surveying went well, and while it did hold an interesting interview with Vic Mignogna, Saturday was the big event day for any attendee (with a few notable niceties for press). The day started off (for me, at least) with a shadowcast performance of Repo! The Genetic Opera, courtesy of the 90 Day Delinquents. While their efforts did show through,  the expression and gestures of some of the cast were slightly lacking in drama or enthusiasm sometimes. Small qualms aside, it was a good performance that did the hit movie justice.

Immediately following the Repo! performance was the Khaotic Koulture fashion show, showcasing a variety of outfits and styles; Visual Kei, Steampunk, Cyber/Rave, Gothic, and the multitudes of variations on the lolita style all had their part in this show. Pretty people in pretty clothing is always a good thing, and they were more than happy to give brand names, advice, tips, or encouragement to anyone who asked during the Q&A session immediately after the catwalk bit of the show.

The masquerade– the highlight of Saturday’s events, in my humble option –featured the usual antics. Cosplayers upon cosplayers marched onstage, showcasing their costumes, along with the work and dedication they put into making them.

However, before the skits were to be exhibited, none other than X Japan’s Yoshiki took an appearance for an on-screen webcast to talk about X Japan’s history, along with future tour dates and events. After a dramatic video recap of the band’s past (touching on a few points that greatly affected Yoshiki’s presence, of course), the webcast had some issues and was cut off…and so, Yoshiki showed up in person on stage instead! An unexpected surprise to many, he was more than happy enough to answer questions of the press and give further detail about X Japan’s future.

After he left and the audience calmed down, reclaiming their seats after jumping out of them to rush forward to the stage, the skits were carried out. Unfortunately, due to time constraints, the awards ceremony was rushed so that the Soap Ball Rave setup could commence on time.

As with any convention, things died down on the last day (Sunday the 16th, in this case), and all there was to do was attend one press interview with Aural Vampire (which unfortunately had a no-recording policy). That aside, my time was mainly spent taking photos of cosplayers and conversing and relaxing with other attendees. All in all, definitely a good weekend, certainly living up to the biggest convention in the central States. I anticipate attending next year, and dealing with what will most likely be an exponentially larger attendance than the crowds that I encountered this ACen the Thirteenth.

Full photoset for the ACen 2010 cosplayers can be found here.

Full photoset for the Khaotic Kouture Fashion Show can be found here.

Full photoset for the 90 Day Delinquents performance of Repo! The Genetic Opera can be found here.