Anime Boston 2013: The good, the bad, and the ugly

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tobiinpajamas
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Anime Boston 2013: The good, the bad, and the ugly

Post by tobiinpajamas »

So I thought I'd type up a little review post for my time at anime boston. I had a pretty enjoyable, but not stellar convention experience this year and I think maybe there are a few things that could be touched upon or changed--but overall most of it was pretty fun, and it went better than I had expected in all honesty.

The good:

-Bag checks went faster than anyone could have hoped. Even during peak on saturday there was no more than a 10 minute wait from what I saw to get in and out of the convention. Very well run.

-The video game room and artists' alley were both in well-situated spots. Artists' alley for once had ample space for everyone to move around without massive crowding, which has been a problem every single year but this one.

-The crowds in general were a lot more manageable. I don't know what caused this but it seemed like there were a lot less people about. My theory is either the lack of dance chased a lot of folks off or having more space open in the sheraton (there was more space, right? I don't remember us having the third floor last year) for live gaming and whatnot helped give the crowds a place to be.

-The formal was fantastic. I loved the dance lessons, I loved the music, I loved the fact that the ballroom demonstrations and lessons gave the older crowd something non-anime to enjoy. I saw quite a few parents at that event and I'm sure it was a plus for them.

-The game room was fantastically run by the wonderful folks over at NGA. I had a good time up there for the limited time I was up there and everything ran smoothly. I think the chairs to signify the line in front of the DDR machine (something that always draws a huge crowd) was brilliant.

-The live gaming room was impressively stocked and my boyfriend really enjoyed it.

The bad:

-Staff didn't seem to know what was going on. When asking when a panel would be opening, I got an 'I don't know' response from a staff member SITTING OUTSIDE THE PANEL ROOM. I realize that you guys got 60 new staffmembers this year and are beefing up your training but if the money for it exists staff need to have headsets and need to know what's happening when.

-Lots of confused-looking volunteers wandering around the convention center, wanting to break up crowds, and generally just doing a bad job of it. I think this was touched upon elsewhere but the volunteers, again, some of them seemed afraid of their own shadow.

-Confusion before the formal dance as to buses and start times. The bus drivers didn't seem to know where they were going or who was getting on the bus, and initially had tried to point us to the hilton across the street. When this was sorted out, several people were let into the formal early (which may or may not have been castle staff's fault, not AB's).

-convention goers crowding around outside the doors to the Hynes in large groups that make it confusing to tell where the hell the line for bag checks start. People shouldn't be allowed to congregate there IMO, but this is a minor beef.

The Ugly

-Staff deviated from the programming books and several didn't seem to know when things closed or where they were despite it being clearly printed. I had originally gone to the republic ballroom (the correct location) for formal dance lessons, upon which I was told by staff that they were actually in the grand ballroom. I was subsequently told by different people that they started at two, started at three, were in the republic, were in the grand ballroom, were in the castle, were in the republic again, and 'I don't know' before eventually being redirected by a wonderful member of the executive committee (I believe it was Tuan Pham) to the correct place and subsequently told to follow what's in the programming book despite what else I heard. (you are awesome by the way, dude, so when you see this, give yourself a pat on the back) This happened again with several other panels to a much lesser extent.

-People lined up for panels WAY before a half hour before they started. It meant I had to waste 1-3 hours in line for a few things. If I'm mistaken and this is not actually a rule, this was annoying but not actually a beef. If it is a rule, why were people allowed to line up far before the published time that it was okay to line up?

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So in general, AB was a good time, but there are definitely some improvements to be made. I may or may not be back next year. But overall I had an enjoyable weekend despite a few hiccups that can probably be fixed.
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Re: Anime Boston 2013: The good, the bad, and the ugly

Post by LegendaryBroli »

The good:

- The guests. Gotta say they were the nicest vas and general guests I have seen in a con.

- Bag checks were pretty painless.

- Large selection of stuff in dealers room.

- the game room was smooth fully ran.

- the sheraton staff were very friendly and helpful.

The bad:

- my experience seemed that staff and security had no idea had to deal with the lines. I know with the va round table panel for example, one staff seemed to tell me one spot to line up and another staffer would tell me to line up somewhere else.

- Also like above poster stated, there seemed some staff had no idea what was on the schedule and had to ask another staffer what was going on.

The ugly:

- Crowd control. I mean there were several times where congoers in front of me impeding traffic flow (mostly cosplayers)and no staffer or security when I was around made an effort to make them keep moving or get out of the way. I mean yes I know some people like to take pictures of cosplayers but really do they need to stop in the middle of traffic.

- some of the staff had no idea where things were at except the information booth and I guess some of the senior stuff. Some of the staff even tried to send me to wrong places for programming. I think staff should know where everything is at a con.
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Re: Anime Boston 2013: The good, the bad, and the ugly

Post by shezgottasmilez »

The Elevators...which I feel really bad for saying this because it's not the con fault nor can they do anything about it. But on Friday I believe when one of the stairs was broken it was just really bad trying to wait for one, and getting on.
One time the elevator was so packed that I was on, it stop at a floor for these two non con guest of hotel. After the crowd all shouted at them literally, that it was packed, and that they couldn't handle any more inside the elevator because they were squishing little children in process. That please don't get on... They kind of just stood their ignoring us despite how many people were telling them no don't come in, they still climbed inside.


It got much better later on con but small peak it was very troublesome...


That was my only bad I had at con that and weather, other then that it went great. Lines were easy the staff were super nice. They helped me founding things, helping me fix my broken costume. Great experience
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Re: Anime Boston 2013: The good, the bad, and the ugly

Post by Legato »

I don't have really any complaints this year. Didn't even hear Marco Polo often. Was nice. Even the lines and bag check were quick. Having the artist alley so wide open was Awesome. It was hard before being so tight with people in huge costumes. Now it was easy.

Favorite moment was honestly seeing a little maybe 8 to 10 year old kid dressed as Goku. I thought it was cute and asked for a pic. Instead of just standing he goes, "dad, hold this." Gives his dad his bag of goodies and his name tag and poses in the Kamehameha, like he is flaring. Me and my wife thought it was awesom. Even the dad smiled. It was great. So proud of the little one.
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Re: Anime Boston 2013: The good, the bad, and the ugly

Post by kiarrens »

Hey everyone, you might want to consider posting in the "official" recommendations thread if you have suggestions or comments for staff. :) We of course will be monitoring all of the feedback we get, but it's a bit easier for us if it is all located in one place.
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Re: Anime Boston 2013: The good, the bad, and the ugly

Post by Anna-neko »

The Good

... I'll never tire of saying this - Pre-reg is awesome and OMG you guys move fast!! Never change!

Also the bag/coats check-in corner in the Hynes. Finally!! Don't know why this wasn't had sooner. We could drop off heavy bag of swag newly bought and walk around some panels, and then grab our stuff later. This may have saved me a couple of pulled muscles


The Bad
at some peak hours, getting OUT of the Hynes was ... kinda ridiculous. We all bottlenecked thru the one available door pretty badly

Nothing ugly tho, yay! The security peeps checking my purse for the bazillionth time was starting to get kinda rude, but they've clearly been having a ridiculously long weekend, so can't hold it against them. And the T station Sunday evening-ish was packed beyond belief.. but thats just the Green Line eternally failing


eternally editing 'cause can't spell
Last edited by Anna-neko on Tue May 28, 2013 1:40 am, edited 3 times in total.
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Re: Anime Boston 2013: The good, the bad, and the ugly

Post by Aviflora »

The Good

Everything. This was by far the quietest AB I've ever experienced. I went the entire Friday without hearing "Marco Polo" or "What time is it?"! It was almost too good to be true! Almost every single person was very kind, and I never got a rude comment. <3

Another MASSIVE MASSIVE MASSIVE FANTASTIC was staff. I was accosted by an inebriated con-goer while I was alone, and though I managed to frighten him off (I can have a booming voice for a 5 foot tall young lass), staff was there trying to find him very shortly after. They were extremely kind and helpful, and very persistent on finding him. They also gave me many safety tips and urged me to bring the issue to higher powers. Also, in a separate incident, one of the hotel staff members was circling me much like a hawk does to its prey before going in for the kill. One AB staff apparently saw, and not only made the hotel staff guy go away, but also made sure that I knew what had happened and that he would be more than happy to bring the issue up with hotel management if I was at all uncomfortable. I cannot express how grateful I am to those AB staff members who made me feel very safe at this con. It is something I will certainly never forget, and I only wish I could thank them all one more time for their vigilance and dedication. <3

These incredibly positive experiences have by far outshone the "bad" and the "ugly". I have attended this convention for 8 years now, and this year has been the best year yet.

Thank you to all staff, volunteers, and security guards for all of your hard work and compassion for those of us who want to have a fun, safe weekend. <3
AB '07 - Myself <3
AB '08 - Orihime Inoue [Bleach]
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Re: Anime Boston 2013: The good, the bad, and the ugly

Post by coolforever »

THE GOOD:

The security, making this one of the best Anime Boston conventions as far as getting people organized and making sure that people were doing what they needed to do. BIG thumbs up to everyone.

The HOTEL!!! I stayed at the Hilton instead of the Sheraton, and to be honest, it was the best decision we have EVER made. No offense to the Sheraton hotel itself, cause I really like the hotel and everything, but as far as my stay at the Hilton, everything was PERFECT.

The Guests! Getting to meet Raj and Kari REALLY made me happy, especially since Wolf's Rain guests are quite rare these days at many conventions, ESPECIALLY Anime Boston.

I LOVED meeting people that recognized who I cosplayed as. I felt accomplished to have photos taken by people that stopped me as I was walking around the con.

Oh yeah, and finally, MY PANELS WENT PERFECTLY. No techincal issues, great crowds for both events, and I had a BLAST running them.

THE BAD:

No dance this year....(but then again, that was something that couldn't be helped. Not a huge deal in my opinion.)

Lots of staff not really knowing when or what events were going on, but again, not really a huge deal for me.

AUTOGRAPHS. This was the biggest gripe for me, and it's more of an opinion for me, because of the fact that I got to an autograph session nearly 30 minutes before it started and I was told in almost a rude way that we weren't guaranteed autographs. I DID end up getting Kari's autograph in the end, but still, it wasn't fun having to worry about if I could get her autograph in the first place. I guess that this isn't really a thing that can be fixed, but as far as personal experience, it was the only bad part of the con, although it DID turn out good in the end.)

THE UGLY

Nothing that I can think of. :)

So overall, I will say, this was definitely the BEST Anime Boston I can remember going to. BIG props to all the staff and crew that made this possible. YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME!! :D
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Previous Anime Boston Badge Names:

AB 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011: Kiba. AB 2007: Shin'ichi Kudo. AB 2012: Kiba the Eurobeat Lover.
AB 2013: Kaitou Kid the Eurobeat Lover. Anime Boston 2014: Kaitou Kid the 80's J-Pop Lover.
AB 2015: Kaitou Kid the Sonic Fan. AB 2016: Kaitou Kid the Wolfman. AB 2017: Kaitou Kid the Rocketeer.

Wolf's Rain will always be my #1 favorite Anime of all time. :)
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Re: Anime Boston 2013: The good, the bad, and the ugly

Post by ClockworkCat »

The good:

Quick, easy, smooth bag checks - I honestly thought it was going to take forever and I dreaded it, but it ended up being no big deal at all!

Everyone was very polite, I made quite a few new friends and asked for people who I'd only talked with a littlembit for their contact information.

The lines for the food court/any food vendor in general weren't at all bad or long.

I socialized with a few of the staff, security guards, and volunteers (not just the Hynes, but around the hotel and mall parts), and they were all very fun people. I like how well they were able to do their jobs, but at the same time I could talk to them like human beings on a normal level.

A few people who had no idea what was going on and what an anime convention was, asked my friends and I what it was. They were all SO polite and in no way rude; some people were interested, others were just curious. I really appreciated that since in the past, of course we've all had some people just pass cosplayers off for complete weirdos. Luckily I have not met any of those people at this year's con :3

The bad:

It's not really a big deal but as I was walking around a few non-con goers asked me for my picture, it made me feel a little uncomfortable because they didn't even know who I was, but I kinda jut shrugged it off.

Again, another non-big deal one but there was just one person who hurt my feelings. It doesn't matter because I'm overly sensitive and I take things from strangers to heart anyways, but it kind of bugged me for the first few hours on Saturday.

The ugly:

I can't think of anything, really. This year was awesome, and went really smooth, in my opinion! :D
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Re: Anime Boston 2013: The good, the bad, and the ugly

Post by Sayoria »

The good:

- The bag checks as said, were painless.
- Anime Name That Tune came back, and was pretty darn fun.
- The discount cards for stores around the prudential.
- The AMV contest was greatly improved. Adam went back again to the separate sheets, and the new idea of a video recap made things easier.

The bad:

- No Hyakunin Kuizu. Was very upset about this. ):
- Re-tagging every day. It wasn't really bad, but felt a little stupid to have to get it re-tagged every day.
- The discount cards weren't really advertised about. I found them late Saturday night, and could have used them Thursday - Saturday.

The ugly:

- Nothing.
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Re: Anime Boston 2013: The good, the bad, and the ugly

Post by HellspawnKittie »

The good:
Saturday as a whole was prob the best day by far

Gaming room, people were actually sharing, at the very least when i was there

the bag checks, a little shaky at some points, for there first time really checking bags, they did a wonderful job.

the staff as always performed pretty well despite of not necessarily knowing what is going on xD

The bad:
this was my 6th year here at AnimeBoston, and I've watched this change debatably for the better or worse.

The dealer room no longer had my favorite dealers, and a lot of stuff you can easily go to your local FYE, Walmart or game stop and buy with out an admission fee.

the admission fee each year will always seem to sneak up higher and higher
all my favorite panels were bumped... wt*

the crowd seemed not only marketed toward the younger folk, but the entire crowd seems to consist of the younger people more and more every year. and not all but most young people in this day in age seem to be steadily becoming more and more immature, which will change anything not just a conn.

the artist alley which always seems to be my personal favorite, didn't have much diversity, and the booths that did, didn't have much in the way of anything new from when i previously saw them, be it at AB2012 or another conn. I've recently been too.

The dealers room always seemed to me in previous years like a flee market, which i personally loved. this year how ever, no dealer in the dealer room wanted to haggle in the least sense, and quite a number of booths had terrible customer service and could care less on building a customer base

the general crowd of people seems to increase every year, which is fine, but with it come more and more people who are not willing to interact with complete and utter strangers.

finding people to play Pokemon with should not be a chore

the AMV's even compared to last year had something lacking. the Amv contest is always something i look forward too for peoples creativity and what not. this years were all about okay, certainly one or two stood out, but how is that a composition?

The Ugly:
The fury band wagon is ever growing

my question is, if your selling a product like... i dont know, maybe a wig, why do all of the dealers in said booth refuse to wear a wig?
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Re: Anime Boston 2013: The good, the bad, and the ugly

Post by animefan12 »

Good
Bag checks were done very well. Quick, professional and not all that troublesome.
Dealers room once again gave me the issue to stop buying things.
Great pannels (I Love 90s Shojo Edition was great).
The Stig was there! If you are on the forum thanks for taking a pic with my girlfriend and a solo one.
Saturday night concert was great.


Bad
One of the 18+ pannels was fun until one drunk guy was yelling so loud we ended up leaving early, we told him to quiet down but he just kept doing it.
Kind of thought the Raj/Origa concert would be more packed but I think it was half full.
In relation to the concert, the gf and I lined up at the reasonable time and thought it would be packed so we lined for the balcony. Staff was there and then up and left. As the concert got closer there was no one there. Pretty sure there was confusion but thankfully a Hynes security and AB onsite medic was there to help out.
Kind of thought some of the pannels (example Sailor Moon pannel on Sat.) were not in the right sized rooms. I know that pannel is popular and should have been in a bigger room.


Ugly
N/A



Thinking of doing my first ever pannel next year. I know what I want to do it on so hopefully I can work on that over the next ten months. Onwards to AB2014
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Re: Anime Boston 2013: The good, the bad, and the ugly

Post by jamesawolf@comcast.net »

The bag check went surprisingly well. Any complaints I have will be directed to the Tsarnev brothers. I do have one recommendation: especially on Saturday, There should have been an express line for those at the Pru entrance without bags to enter.
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Re: Anime Boston 2013: The good, the bad, and the ugly

Post by Faceman »

As this thread is more about constructive criticism aimed towards the Anime Boston Staff, I've moved it to the General Forum.
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Re: Anime Boston 2013: The good, the bad, and the ugly

Post by Syagria »

The Good: Layouts for the Dealer's Halls and Artists Alley were AWESOME. Delightfully spacious; it was wonderful to have so much manouverability. Raj was an great speaker, and his solo concert, along with Origa, were lovely.

The Bad: I'm curious as to what the attendance numbers were this year, as the con definitely seemed more crowded this year than last year. It was pretty crazy - but at least mostly controlled. I was amazed at how quickly panels filled up.

The Ugly: Parking was terrible. While I understand this is outside the control of the con/staff, I was downright flabbergasted at the difficulty I had parking. All of my off-the-beaten-track locations and garages were full or signed as "temporarily full," forcing me to park in the Pru lot all three days. I have NEVER had trouble parking there, and all three days, even Sunday, I spent at least 15-20 minutes trying to find a spot - to the point of having to follow pedestrians back to their cars to get their spots. I was truly stunned. I guess much of that was due to the three-days-in-a-row Red Sox games? Ugh, sports. :(
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Re: Anime Boston 2013: The good, the bad, and the ugly

Post by Xelor »

I can go straight to the bad and ugly on this one:

Table for Portcon. At least, I'm 90% sure it was the Portcon table.
The fat neckbeards on either side of the table were being obnoxious and heckling cosplayers as well as other congoers Friday evening as they passed by
My company at the time being one recipient of some obnoxious comments.

That's a great way to get people to go to your convention guys, show up at another (relatively) local convention and attack your target customer base.
Then again, this would probably explain why the con has been around for a number of years and it never grows.
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Re: Anime Boston 2013: The good, the bad, and the ugly

Post by Matism »

the good-
found a nice cheep hotel
the bag checks moved fast
met lots of wonderful cosplayers
my group had a over all wonderful time

the bad
clueless staff

the ulgly
the bouncer at the castle at the formal
my g/f any i entered with 2 sodas. he told us no out side drinks, the trash can was out side. we exited ,i couldn't remember if that was also the policy at the ab formal. so i went to say to my g/f that it might be an ab policy, but before the words left my mouth. he barreled out of the doors and yell "what the f did u just say". not going to lie i was a little lost since i didn't even speak yet. he repeated him self. i clearly said i said nothing but he was giving me such an attitude over complying with his demands. then pointed at me and told his security team "to keep an eye on me". after that we tried to have fun but ultimately couldn't.

he kinda killed the formal for myself and a few other people he harassed at the door in similar circumstances.
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Re: Anime Boston 2013: The good, the bad, and the ugly

Post by Miyu chan »

Matism wrote: the bouncer at the castle at the formal
my g/f any i entered with 2 sodas. he told us no out side drinks, the trash can was out side. we exited ,i couldn't remember if that was also the policy at the ab formal. so i went to say to my g/f that it might be an ab policy, but before the words left my mouth. he barreled out of the doors and yell "what the f did u just say". not going to lie i was a little lost since i didn't even speak yet. he repeated him self. i clearly said i said nothing but he was giving me such an attitude over complying with his demands. then pointed at me and told his security team "to keep an eye on me". after that we tried to have fun but ultimately couldn't.

he kinda killed the formal for myself and a few other people he harassed at the door in similar circumstances.
That sounds like the security guards for the castle itself, not AB staff, and I'm sorry that they soured your experience at the ball.
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Re: Anime Boston 2013: The good, the bad, and the ugly

Post by Saka »

Good:
- Lines to get into the con moved rather quickly thanks to the amount of people checking bags. Thank you for keeping us safe!
- The new location for the Artist Alley. It was in a bigger room and felt far less congested.
- The new location for the Video Game room. Definitely a more comfortable gaming atmosphere.

Bad:
- The staff/volunteers out in the hallways. Some seem very clueless as to what to do. Someone with "Line Ends Here" sign (or End of Line, whatever it says) should probably say what its for. As far as i can remember, i didn't see "Opening Ceremonies" on the sign, I Saw " Exhibition Hall D" or something. But i was directed to the end of THAT line. Some of us are the clueless, some of us take glimpses at the schedule who cant get it on their cell phone and don't bring it with us or lose it, thus we end up in a line for something completely different. ><

Ugly:
-People who don't ask to touch your costume. I was Cait Sith this year. My very first fur costume. People have wiggled and pinched my ears or pat my head a little too hard. I can only see through the mouth and i cant see it coming. My sister however, saw it happen, and i can feel it happening. She tries to tell people not to do that, but usually its a little too late. I get worried that things may break or fall apart. You don't know what everyone's fur costumes are made of. Please ask. Please be Gentle. We work hard on our cosplay. And i thank the many of you who DID ask first. <3

-I've heard stories about drunk people. I don't know how they even get past the entrance...
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Re: Anime Boston 2013: The good, the bad, and the ugly

Post by Fetch »

tobiinpajamas wrote: -People lined up for panels WAY before a half hour before they started. It meant I had to waste 1-3 hours in line for a few things. If I'm mistaken and this is not actually a rule, this was annoying but not actually a beef. If it is a rule, why were people allowed to line up far before the published time that it was okay to line up?

From page 69 of the AB 2013 program book:
general convention rules

5. Lining up is permitted no earlier than 2 hours prior to general events, and 30 minutes prior to autograph sessions. Documented disabled persons, staff, on-duty volunteers, guests of honor, and dealers are not required to stand in line for events.


That said... I think that there should be NO lining up for ANY event or panel more than 1 hour ahead. AB Security should make sure that all doorways are cleared and that everyone knows that they can't get in line until such-and-such time and to move along until then.
Also, since the Masquerade is ticketed, the ONLY reason for lining up is if you really want a seat near the front. And AB Security should keep going up and down the line asking to see the tickets to make sure people are in the right line.
Also, I think a mention about getting the ticket for Masquerade seating should be made during Opening Ceremonies, at the end of the Death Match, and at the end of both Dating Games. Though by the end of the Saturday one the tickets might already be gone.
I overheard a lot of people asking Security where to get the tickets while IN LINE for the Masquerade.
Last edited by Fetch on Thu May 30, 2013 5:36 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Anime Boston 2013: The good, the bad, and the ugly

Post by lexxifire1 »

~ The Good ~

~ Bag Check. Not only was it fast, but the people doing bag checks were very pleasant despite how crazy things were.
~ New location for Artist Alley was great. There was so much more space to move around!
~ Pre-Reg was very quick. I know last year the express pass kiosks didn't all work, but this year we were in an out in just a few minutes. Just how I like it!
~ Other attendees were very polite. Considering the huge crowds that popped up this year, I'd say I felt very safe and respected by other con goers this year!

~ The Bad ~

~ Food prices were a little crazy. It was great to see some food selection inside the con this year, but I bought a soda and a candy bar and spent almost 10 bucks...seems a little excessive. Plus, the tables and chairs in said area were absolutely filthy. I was happy for a place to sit for a bit, but I wouldn't have set my food on that table if you'd paid me.
~ Signs were either vague or misleading this year. We got wicked lost inside the Sheraton because signs either fell off their posts and had been haphazardly put back or weren't clear enough as to where things were. I'm terrible with maps so signs with arrows are my lifeline until they point me in a complete circle.
~ Artist Alley variety was very disappointing this year as was the Dealers Room. As a person who usually spends all their time shopping and buying, I left this year with 2 things as there was little to see in the way of products. Kind of wish there had been a better diversity of things to look at and buy.

~ The Ugly ~

~ Staff was a little rude now and then. I stopped for a few seconds in Pre-reg to put away my wallet and was half shoved to the side by a staff member because I was "blocking the path". A simple "please" would have worked too and this experience certainly didn't make me want to approach staff with questions.
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Re: Anime Boston 2013: The good, the bad, and the ugly

Post by MomoMiraculous »

Hey there! Here's my wrap up:
The Good: I like a lot of the changes that have been made. Moving things around worked out well. I liked how Artist Alley now had Hall C all to themselves. There was FINALLY enough room to move around comfortably in it. I liked also that they moved the eating area in the Hynes inside. That freed up even more floor space in the crowded main hall, so kudos to you guys for making those changes and helping traffic flow over all.
Bag check was also, relatively painless.

The Bad: The traffic flow outside in the Prudential still needs a little work, but I did notice AB officials telling people to clear the halls to avoid complete bottle necking. I only have a few complaints: 1. Because of bag check, the entrance out into the Prudential was sometimes hopelessly impassable. Because con goers without bags entered into the same door as the people trying to get out, it created blockage. This, however, became a non-issue when I was shown a super secret way out of the Hynes where there was no traffic. 1 1/2. There was one time when I went through bag check where the guy checking my bag asked "What's this?" and held up my bottle of Ibuprofen. I was already annoyed because he was taking longer than anyone else had and my other party member was waiting for me. I, however, remained cordial and responded with "Ibuprofen." He then went further and asked "Why do you have it?" I then started getting really annoyed since I was basically being harassed over something stupid like ibuprofen and said "For headaches!" He finally seemed satisfied with our game of 20 Questions and let me go. Why the HELL am I being harassed over something simple like ibuprofen? I tend to get headaches easily when there are 20,000+ people walking around. Call me crazy. I also carry allergy pills and other things in case I need them. Should I not bring them anymore or can this be addressed? Because this is ridiculous. 2. Because of additional function space in the Sheraton, Hynes and Park Plaza, I felt that some areas either had wasted amounts of usable space or some panels didn't have enough. I figure this is because so much stuff was moved around this year and this will probably get figured out better for next year.

The Ugly: Honestly, there was annoyances but nothing meriting an "ugly" category...yet.
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Re: Anime Boston 2013: The good, the bad, and the ugly

Post by Princessbankita »

The good!
♥Dealers Room had lots of awesome stuff. Way better than last years.
♥Great panels and events. Apples to Apples was probably one of my favorites! I didn't get to see Cosplay Chess but a lot of my friends did and said it was the best one they've seen.
♥Bag checks were really fast. I never waited more than five minutes
The bad...
♥Same thing about the staff that everyone was saying. They just seemed kind of lost...
♥Formal Ball was in another location, so I couldn't go, which sucks because I was really looking forward to going this year D:
The Ugly
♥Okay I seem to be the only one who thinks this, but I really do not like the Artists Alley being in Hall C. It just felt weird and empty. I get it, more space, but still...felt off...
♥CRAZY CROWDS. I didn't get to see a lot of booths in the dealer's room because of the massive huddles around them. On Saturday I had part of my wig knocked off by someone trying to push past me!
♥People lined up for events waaaaay too early *COUGH COUGH FAMILY FEUD COUGH COUGH*

In all, I think this year was a lot better than last year. This was my fifth con ever and I had a great time!~
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Re: Anime Boston 2013: The good, the bad, and the ugly

Post by Hopallee »

the ulgly
the bouncer at the castle at the formal
my g/f any i entered with 2 sodas. he told us no out side drinks, the trash can was out side. we exited ,i couldn't remember if that was also the policy at the ab formal. so i went to say to my g/f that it might be an ab policy, but before the words left my mouth. he barreled out of the doors and yell "what the f did u just say". not going to lie i was a little lost since i didn't even speak yet. he repeated him self. i clearly said i said nothing but he was giving me such an attitude over complying with his demands. then pointed at me and told his security team "to keep an eye on me". after that we tried to have fun but ultimately couldn't.
I'm really sorry that happened to you. This was a new venue and the hired security... left something to be desired. If something like that happens to you again please don't hesitate to go to AB staff. I may be a stickler about dress code but we put a lot of work and love into the formal and we really want everyone to have a great time.
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Re: Anime Boston 2013: The good, the bad, and the ugly

Post by Lapis_Lupus »

Goodness
-Did not run into any inebriated people, yay! Not like the drunk staff member that pounded on our door last year and accused us of dancing in the windows when we had gotten back from the informal dance not ten minutes before (the issue was already resolved, so please no one get worried about it).
-Last year we waited three hours for our hotel room to open after arriving sometime around two, until finally they shoved us in a random room to shut us up. This time we arrived Thursday, and got our room in the social block right away!
-Bag check went smoothly, at least for me, and I ended up not needing to check my giant puppet in with security.

Badness
-Even after I got my NJ driver's license adjusted early to the way it looks when one is over 21 years old, I STILL almost got denied service at Wagamama when I asked for sake! I turned 21 back in January, and the waitress still asked "Am I doing the math wrong?" This has nothing to do with AB itself, but it was still annoying.
-As much as I understand the pressing need for security, the bag check went a smidge overboard at times. A friend of mine both had her wallet searched and her water bottle sniffed by three different guards on separate occasions, and one man I talked to was asked to take the cast off of his arm even!
-To those who high-five on escalators: on Saturday I had a large puppet and couldn't use my hands, so I used the puppet's nose instead. Almost all people were gentle on it, but one dude just up and smacked it REALLY hard. It was alright after the incident, but please be considerate of other people's costumes!

Ugliness
-BULLYING. On Friday I received dirty looks and deliberate ignoring for wearing a Rainbow Dash hat and pegasus wings. I guess because I wasn't outright cosplaying that day I was just a "dirty brony," even to mlp cosplayers. One friend went to a Naruto photoshoot while in a Shadow Link cosplay to take pics of a friend who went as Kyuubi, and got asked why the hell she was there. And said Kyuubi friend was in a fursuit; as she passed some guy, she got "furfag" whispered in her ear. Not really something that can be controlled, but I felt it was something worth mentioning.
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Re: Anime Boston 2013: The good, the bad, and the ugly

Post by astromoth »

Good:

Bag check went very smooth. I felt safe this year, despite my constant lack of sleep the week before due to the complete and utter tragedy that happened this year that terrified me to the point of not wanting to go at some times.

Emergency responses were well handled. I don't know if the woman who suffered the seizure at the Chess Match is better now, but the security and staff handled it well and made sure no one in the Auditorium panicked during the ordeal.

Bad:

Volunteers didn't appear to know where certain events were held, even with the guide. Not exactly the AB staff's fault, but still.

Ugly:

Line control. While I was in line to get an autograph by Stephanie Sheh, which, by the way, was a long wait but incredibly worth it, the line was formed WAY before it needed to be. When the line was actually being formed, the staff at the Sheraton ordered the fans to form a straight single file line after breaking us all up into a large cluster of people packed in a hallway. This caused me to be packed rather tightly between a group of cosplayers who were just as irritated as I was that no one was forming a single line.

I started to overheat and almost passed out because of this, and the security and volunteers trying to move the line along were too occupied with forcing people back than to pay attention to the young girl overheating. Luckily a cosplayer in front of me gave me some soda to drink and another behind me happened to buy a fan and started to fan me. I offered to pay the generous two, but they refused, saying they just wanted to help, which was totally fine by me, since I had yet to get lunch for myself.
Last edited by astromoth on Tue May 28, 2013 10:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Anime Boston 2013: The good, the bad, and the ugly

Post by pulsedemon »

HellspawnKittie wrote:The dealer room no longer had my favorite dealers, and a lot of stuff you can easily go to your local FYE, Walmart or game stop and buy with out an admission fee.
This can be affected by what other events are happening the same weekend around the country and in Canada. If a show of similar size is happening closer to where an exhibitor lives, you can pretty easily see why someone might not make it here.
HellspawnKittie wrote:my question is, if your selling a product like... i dont know, maybe a wig, why do all of the dealers in said booth refuse to wear a wig?
They might be itchy?
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Re: Anime Boston 2013: The good, the bad, and the ugly

Post by Bowler4Ever »

Here's mine! :D

The good:
Bag checks were quick!
A lot of people complimenting me on my cosplay, as well as asking for pics ^_^
I went broke in the Dealer's Room! XD (I actually had to order something from one of the dealer's right after AB >.>)
Staff was very friendly and nice! (I actually knew a few of them, oddly!)
People wanted to hug Sasuke-kun!! ^^; (Of course they asked, and I gladly hugged back!)
Everyone helping me with my prop sword that kept falling through my rope belt! (How does Sasuke do it!? >___<)

The bad:
Food was expensive in the Food Court
People hogging the elevators at the Sheraton (happens too often, unfortunately...)
People hogging the Prudential Center T Stop on the way home! (Took me 95 minutes to get on the darn train, and missed my connecting commuter rail trip home by ONE MINUTE >___<)
No informal dance (not too big a deal for me)

The ugly:
The con wasn't long enough! xD
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Re: Anime Boston 2013: The good, the bad, and the ugly

Post by Anna-neko »

Bowler4Ever wrote: People hogging the Prudential Center T Stop on the way home! (Took me 95 minutes to get on the darn train, and missed my connecting commuter rail trip home by ONE MINUTE >___<)
Surprised nobody thought to just go to a different station... which I did after 5 minutes of waiting

The MBTA system is small enough for this trick to work. Either walk thru mall to Copley and take the green line there (instead of lone E-train, the other trains go thru the station too), or walk thru mall to Back Bay station (Orange Line, make switches at Downtown Crossing for either Green or Red and continue along)
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Re: Anime Boston 2013: The good, the bad, and the ugly

Post by Faceman »

Lapis_Lupus wrote:Ugliness
-BULLYING. On Friday I received dirty looks and deliberate ignoring for wearing a Rainbow Dash hat and pegasus wings. I guess because I wasn't outright cosplaying that day I was just a "dirty brony," even to mlp cosplayers. One friend went to a Naruto photoshoot while in a Shadow Link cosplay to take pics of a friend who went as Kyuubi, and got asked why the hell she was there. And said Kyuubi friend was in a fursuit; as she passed some guy, she got "furfag" whispered in her ear. Not really something that can be controlled, but I felt it was something worth mentioning.
If you run into any issues of harassment at the convention, please find an Anime Boston staff member. While we want to help you, it's harder to do anything once the convention is over.
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Re: Anime Boston 2013: The good, the bad, and the ugly

Post by Lapis_Lupus »

Faceman wrote:
Lapis_Lupus wrote:Ugliness
-BULLYING. On Friday I received dirty looks and deliberate ignoring for wearing a Rainbow Dash hat and pegasus wings. I guess because I wasn't outright cosplaying that day I was just a "dirty brony," even to mlp cosplayers. One friend went to a Naruto photoshoot while in a Shadow Link cosplay to take pics of a friend who went as Kyuubi, and got asked why the hell she was there. And said Kyuubi friend was in a fursuit; as she passed some guy, she got "furfag" whispered in her ear. Not really something that can be controlled, but I felt it was something worth mentioning.
If you run into any issues of harassment at the convention, please find an Anime Boston staff member. While we want to help you, it's harder to do anything once the convention is over.
My Shadow Link and Kyuubi friends were unable to catch the faces or badge names of their harassers, they only knew they were male so not much could be done. But I'll remind them of that. As to my case, heck it may or may not have been a product of my perception, and admittedly later on I bought a Big Macintosh plush and carried it around, possibly leading some to think I ship him with Rainbow Dash (which I don't). A girl on a panel line did tell me I was giving her terrible story ideas, but she said so jokingly. Doesn't explain what happened before I bought the plush, but it may have contributed. One can't prove a dirty look or a begrudging wave-back anyways.
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Re: Anime Boston 2013: The good, the bad, and the ugly

Post by AnimeAnthropologist »

Lapis_Lupus wrote:Goodness
-Even after I got my NJ driver's license adjusted early to the way it looks when one is over 21 years old, I STILL almost got denied service at Wagamama when I asked for sake! I turned 21 back in January, and the waitress still asked "Am I doing the math wrong?" This has nothing to do with AB itself, but it was still annoying.
That's a Massachusetts thing. A few years back, a manager at Shaws told me that the entire state is "harder on IDs than most foreign countries," and therefore only accepts passports and in-state IDs for alcohol, unless you're over 26. I watched as a guy in said Shaws railed against the same manager this year for essentially what you're describing, but state laws are state laws.
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Re: Anime Boston 2013: The good, the bad, and the ugly

Post by Nyxus »

Xelor wrote:I can go straight to the bad and ugly on this one:

Table for Portcon. At least, I'm 90% sure it was the Portcon table.
The fat neckbeards on either side of the table were being obnoxious and heckling cosplayers as well as other congoers Friday evening as they passed by
My company at the time being one recipient of some obnoxious comments.

That's a great way to get people to go to your convention guys, show up at another (relatively) local convention and attack your target customer base.
Then again, this would probably explain why the con has been around for a number of years and it never grows.
These are the people you want out promoting your convention? Stay classy, Maine.
Hey, I was at the Portcon Table a bunch this weekend in between events, and I'm not sure exactly what you are talking about, honestly...We didn't have any "fat neckbeards" working out table (none of them had beards....so....)

None of our staffers who were working the table would harass others, in cosplay or not. Our staffers took a bunch of pictures of cosplays they liked.

I'm sorry if you had someone harassing you, but I guarantee it wasn't anyone affiliated with Portcon.
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Re: Anime Boston 2013: The good, the bad, and the ugly

Post by basharoftheages »

AnimeAnthropologist wrote:
Lapis_Lupus wrote:Goodness
-Even after I got my NJ driver's license adjusted early to the way it looks when one is over 21 years old, I STILL almost got denied service at Wagamama when I asked for sake! I turned 21 back in January, and the waitress still asked "Am I doing the math wrong?" This has nothing to do with AB itself, but it was still annoying.
That's a Massachusetts thing. A few years back, a manager at Shaws told me that the entire state is "harder on IDs than most foreign countries," and therefore only accepts passports and in-state IDs for alcohol, unless you're over 26. I watched as a guy in said Shaws railed against the same manager this year for essentially what you're describing, but state laws are state laws.
I always wondered how those local rules mesh with the whole Article 4 Section 1 of the US Constitution, which, traditionally, is explained as issuing full rights and privileges to holders of out of state certificates, licenses, dues, etc. (even if they would not be given such rights in that state - for example, you are legally able to drive a car at the age of 14 / 15 in parts of the upper mid-west, and your license is still considered valid if you cross state lines into another state that doesn't give driving rights to individuals of that age).
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Re: Anime Boston 2013: The good, the bad, and the ugly

Post by Aidan2 »

BasharOfTheAges wrote: I always wondered how those local rules mesh with the whole Article 4 Section 1 of the US Constitution, which, traditionally, is explained as issuing full rights and privileges to holders of out of state certificates, licenses, dues, etc. (even if they would not be given such rights in that state - for example, you are legally able to drive a car at the age of 14 / 15 in parts of the upper mid-west, and your license is still considered valid if you cross state lines into another state that doesn't give driving rights to individuals of that age).
In regards to start and local officials yes this is true they must honor them for the sake of their given purpose. However most venues and establishments can set their own requirements as to what they will accept as proof of Age in regards to purchasing Alcohol as if their staff are not trained to recognize multiple forms of ID or have appropriate screening software, if they sell to a minor even with a fake id it will be them whom will have to deal with the police and such. It is the establishments prerogative as to which forms of ID they choose to accept.
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Re: Anime Boston 2013: The good, the bad, and the ugly

Post by basharoftheages »

Aidan2 wrote:
BasharOfTheAges wrote: I always wondered how those local rules mesh with the whole Article 4 Section 1 of the US Constitution, which, traditionally, is explained as issuing full rights and privileges to holders of out of state certificates, licenses, dues, etc. (even if they would not be given such rights in that state - for example, you are legally able to drive a car at the age of 14 / 15 in parts of the upper mid-west, and your license is still considered valid if you cross state lines into another state that doesn't give driving rights to individuals of that age).
In regards to start and local officials yes this is true they must honor them for the sake of their given purpose. However most venues and establishments can set their own requirements as to what they will accept as proof of Age in regards to purchasing Alcohol as if their staff are not trained to recognize multiple forms of ID or have appropriate screening software, if they sell to a minor even with a fake id it will be them whom will have to deal with the police and such. It is the establishments prerogative as to which forms of ID they choose to accept.
It sounds a lot like local cities and towns are leaning on the private establishments to discriminate in this way through local ordinance, though; That introduces an element of civil involvement (or even civil inducement?) to the whole thing.
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Re: Anime Boston 2013: The good, the bad, and the ugly

Post by pulsedemon »

At the same time, though, I'm sure you can understand how it would be difficult in the best of circumstances to have someone able to skillfully detect any and all problems with every state's IDs. Then again, you might very well be the world champion of Papers, Please. :P
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Re: Anime Boston 2013: The good, the bad, and the ugly

Post by Chocofreak13 »

good: -diversity. not as much as last year, but i saw a wide range of costumes from various series/franchises, which was really refreshing, especially after AB11' where EVERYONE WAS IN EGL. i got dirty looks that year for going as a preggers character, so much so that i didn't even go in cosplay on saturday or even go on sunday. ><;
we didn't top the jolly green giant cosplayer i saw last year, but at least i saw mr. pocky again.

-nicer crowd. i went as lum this year, whose outfit consists of a fur bikini and fur leggings. 2 years ago i'm sure i would have been booed out of the convention hall, but this year went so well that even some non-coners took my photo when i was in the sheraton lobby. :3

-diversity of panels. it's really cool to have multiple panels directed at lovers of older series like me, as well as panels about topics besides "ZOMG ISN'T MADOKA THE MOST BESTEST SERIES EVER!?!?!1"

-bag checks went much smoother than i first anticipated. i expected them to confiscate my food/drink on the way in. :0

-Artists' Alley. it was nice to be able to walk around in there without having to worry about bumping into every booth i go by. :3

-dealers' room. i had to get a refund for something i bought. i felt bad about it, and the woman was a little miffed at giving me back my 10 bucks, but she did, which was rather surprising. :0

-feedback. i couldn't make it for the feedback, but it's not 3 hours after closing anymore, which is nice. :3



bad: -overzealous staff. at the hentai dubbing, in desperation to get picked, i scribbled out a sign for my character (i was lum). a staffer noticed this and confiscated it, even after i said that i would put it away. i see people with signs all the time at the convention, and the folder i wrote on was a direct part of my cosplay earlier in the day (i was windows XP professional in the daytime). i managed to snap a pic before she took it from me, but i found it a bit mean to take it even when i said i would put it away. it's one of the best i've ever wrote, too.... ;^;
-related to this, also at the hentai dubbing, you ever notice how staff members pick on you more than other people? i know standing on seats isn't allowed, but all the same, other people did it a hell of a lot more than i did, and yet got picked on much less. and honestly, though it's a safety hazard, maybe we should look into getting some tip-proof chairs? we all know people are going to stand on them at some point, it's an inevitable fact...

-underknowledged staff. in line for the hentai dubbing and closing ceremonies, we had trouble figuring out which line went where, where the lines connected (since they were broken up for some reason), and even figuring out if we were in the correct line. agreeing with earlier posts that there needs to be some headset or walkie-talkie system in place. :\
also, if you could give volunteers more power, that'd be nice, since i went to a panel friday where a kid (late teens?) was disrupting the panel (getting in people's faces, calling everyone old (it was the Get Off Of My Lawn! panel, which was directed at older otaku), playing loud, obnoxious music and just otherwise being an arrogant prick) before it started. he was asked by the panel hoster multiple times to leave, as well as being shooed out by the other members of the panel, and eventually it took a light chop from me to the shoulder blades to get him to realize that we wanted him to leave. we applauded when he and his friend left. if a staff member had stepped in, it could have been avoided.

-unapprochable staff: that sign confiscation wasn't the first time that happened to me (happened also at the horror that was AB11' when a guy gave me a "free sign" (that literally said "free sign") just as i was about to leave the con. even after explaining this to the woman she took the sign anyway, leaving me to track the guy down to get another.), and it further distances you from your con goers. how can i approach you with a question or comment when i think i'm going to be yelled at, have my cosplay confiscated, or even be thrown out of the con?

-underanticipation of panel size. AB, every year your con gets bigger and bigger, and yet you think you can stick panels like Dubs That Time Forgot and Moon Prism Poptarts in rooms that would be better off housing a panel at a con like AAC. i missed out on both of these because the room was so full they had to turn people away due to the potential fire hazard.
btw, the swap meet was so crowded on saturday night that we had to wait in line to get in! it's always so crowded in there, can we PLEASE move it to a bigger room? ;^;

-manga library. it aggervated me to no end when you moved the manga library to some obscure corner of the sheraton last year. i didn't stay in a hotel this year so i had no reason to go there. what i remember last year was a crowded room in some far-flung corner of a confrence floor of the hotel that was difficult to find and get back from. the manga library used to be a great place to take a load off and just relax or meet up with friends. kind of defeats the purpose to rest with a book when you have to walk several city blocks' distance to get there. >>;

-bag checks. in the wake of the bombings, i know they're "nessecary", but they took a good amount of time (especially for people like me, who like to prepare for anything so we end up bringing everything and the kitchen sink). there was also no way to declare your bag already checked, which, since i met a lot of my friends out in the pru or dropped off stuff to the apartment i was staying in a few blocks away, meant i had to go through the checks at least 15 times. >>;


ugly: -ignorance of conditions. this sounds like a really broad term, but that's only because i don't know how to quantify this story into one sentence: after the swap meet, i was rushing around to find a friend who was in line for the dubbing, to snag something from him to swap for an item. while searching, i slipped on a wet floor (which wasn't marked, btw), did almost a full split (in my lum cosplay, ain't i graceful) and landed squarely on my left knee on the green marble floor. i was otherwise unhurt, and a staff member (the one who took my sign!) asked me several times if i was okay, offering to get me an ice pack and everything, but all the same that could have been A LOT worse. there's a big bruise over my kneecap, and i'm still having some difficulty keeping it bent (it was swollen for a few days, too), but otherwise i'm fine. my mum thinks i should have sued or something. since i'm okay, it's obviously a joke, but if i end up with permanent knee problems or something....well, AB, get yourself a lawyer.

a further suggestion might be to have a more elabourate map of the dealer's room? like, suggest what is where? i didn't learn about the booth with the vintage anime goods till sunday, had i known there were older goods about i'd have been all over that like ataru on shinobu.
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Re: Anime Boston 2013: The good, the bad, and the ugly

Post by AnimeAnthropologist »

Chocofreak, I saw your Lum, but couldn't get a picture (as I saw it from the stage in a panel I was hosting). You looked AWESOME. There was plenty of Urusei Yatsura love during my "50 Years" panel.
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Re: Anime Boston 2013: The good, the bad, and the ugly

Post by incandescentquill »

@Nyxus, Xelor: there were at least two heavyset, older guys promoting Boskone who might or might not have had facial hair, and who were at one point Saturday shouting at people, walking up to cosplayers, and trying to make attendees take flyers. Portcon was chill, and some Boston cons (Arisia, Anime Boston) are very chill. Boskone is...less chill.

@the rest of the con: Things were good, pretty much. I know making something on this scale happen requires a lot of work/effort and I appreciate that.
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Re: Anime Boston 2013: The good, the bad, and the ugly

Post by stonebandit »

Good:
-Artist alley. The new location, while the booths were far apart, being able to walk around and not have to maneuver through groups of people blocking the entire row is wonderful.
-Quick bag checks. The line moved, and if you had to wait for someone who had a bag it was painless.
Bad:
-I just want to know if this happened to anyone else.- I had the barrel and someone from security stopped me and was asking me if there was anything in it. After giving her a weird confused look and sputtering tired words of confusion she just let me go. (I was in the circular entrance room, heading up to go to a panel around 11 at night.)
-Elevators. They never are the best and little can be done about it. Maybe some organization, so people are not running up and jumping in ahead of people who have been waiting to go up.
-The badge around the neck thing. This is the first year I've seen people being yelled at for it. (It never really seemed to matter in the past as long as it was clearly displayed) I just happened to see it occur to someone in front of me. Let's just say she was not asked politely to put it around her neck.
Ugly:
Nothing that I can think of.
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Re: Anime Boston 2013: The good, the bad, and the ugly

Post by Chocofreak13 »

AnimeAnthropologist wrote:Chocofreak, I saw your Lum, but couldn't get a picture (as I saw it from the stage in a panel I was hosting). You looked AWESOME. There was plenty of Urusei Yatsura love during my "50 Years" panel.
oh god i was gonna go to that why didn't i go to that. are you hosting it next year? i really wanted to see it ;^;

i'm going as lum again next year, but in the event this happens again just approach me after or even call me out on it during the panel if that's okay (srsly, i'm honoured when people recognize me since i go as such obsure characters) and i'll be happy to oblige for pictures. ^^
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Re: Anime Boston 2013: The good, the bad, and the ugly

Post by AnimeAnthropologist »

Chocofreak13 wrote:
AnimeAnthropologist wrote:Chocofreak, I saw your Lum, but couldn't get a picture (as I saw it from the stage in a panel I was hosting). You looked AWESOME. There was plenty of Urusei Yatsura love during my "50 Years" panel.
oh god i was gonna go to that why didn't i go to that. are you hosting it next year? i really wanted to see it ;^;

i'm going as lum again next year, but in the event this happens again just approach me after or even call me out on it during the panel if that's okay (srsly, i'm honoured when people recognize me since i go as such obsure characters) and i'll be happy to oblige for pictures. ^^
I would have called out, but that would have required me running off the stage, across the panel room, into the hall, followed by a hoarse-voiced "LUM," which likely would have killed me.

I might do a follow up to "50 Years" for 2014. Dunno yet.
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Re: Anime Boston 2013: The good, the bad, and the ugly

Post by RayneDeanZ »

Good:

- Death Match. They definitely seemed to feed off the audience properly. They gave us what we wanted when they could, but withheld things when they had to. That was impressive to me.

- Staff. I didn't run into any staff who were... well, I did run into one... but most of the staff were very friendly and respectful.

- Artist Alley! Finally, I can breath while looking around in there!!!

Bad:

- There was a staff member outside Cosplay Chess who was trying to control the line. And boy, was she rude. And inconsiderate. And made my friend go all the way to the back because he had to pee. Nothing we can do about her, but it did aggravate me.

Ugly:

- Cosplayers being rude. I was dressed as a Support Reaper from The World Ends With You. Three people recognized me (that told me) but I got 8 differs people who told me I wasn't in Cosplay. I don't know if maybe I'm too sensitive, but it really hurt and upset me.
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Anime Boston 2017:
Mastermind!Chihiro Fujisaki (Dangan Ronpa)
Makoto Naegi (Dangan Ronpa)

Anime Boston 2018:
Shintaro Kisaragi (Kagerou Project)
Yasuke Matsuda (Dangan Ronpa)
Kiki (Kiki’s Delivery Service)

AB 2019:
Kiki (Kiki’s Delivery Service)
Axel (Kingdom Hearts)

AB 2022:
Kiki (Kiki’s Delivery Service)
Kazuichi Souda (Danganronpa)

AB 2023:
Kazuichi Souda (Danganronpa)
Kiki (Kiki’s Delivery Service)
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Re: Anime Boston 2013: The good, the bad, and the ugly

Post by President Aria »

Overall this was a great convention, other than the lousy weather. But it's not like anything can be done about that. Yet.

The Good:

- Bag check. While I'd love to see it gone next year, and I really hope it is, it went much better than I had thought it would. I was prepared for nightmare lines, but even on Saturday morning, with a line stretched back into the Sheraton, it took less than 10 minutes to get in. That was quite acceptable.

- Hynes security staff. In years prior, I, and I know others, had had problems with the security folks at the entrances being very rude and ignorant. Things like saying the convention was closed at 11 PM, when it obviously wasn't, and not letting me in through the street entrance. This year I never ran into that problem. I don't know if it's because there were just so many more security members at the entrances for bag checks or if they finally got the memo out to them that the convention was open well past midnight. Either way, less hassle is a good thing in my book

- I had a blast cosplaying on Saturday. I went as King Hippo, and I was pleasantly surprised that I was stopped within a minute of entering the Hynes for a photo. And then it was a steady stream all day long. I wouldn't be surprised if I had posed for 200 pictures on Saturday. Even better was when I went across the street to The Pour House for lunch and even though I had a shirt on at that point, there were still several people who asked for a picture there, including two ladies who weren't con goers and were in town for the Red Sox game. They were so happy that I took the time to answer their questions about what was going on at the Hynes and that I'd pose with them for pictures that they bought me a beer. Free beer always makes my day!

- I'd guess this was done in previous years, but I really liked that the information screens outside the video rooms specified whether the video being shown was subbed or dubbed. I still think the Con Chowder, or the Guidebook app should have that information too. A simple S or D by the anime title shouldn't be too hard to do I'd think. Dubbed anime has come a long way from when I was first getting into anime, but I still don't care to listen to it.

- Nabeshin. This man is hilarious and so incredibly friendly. It was great to see him just walking about the convention and he seemed like he was having just as much fun as the attendees. He was very approachable, and I was thrilled to no end that I could shake his hand. I may not have anything tangible like an autograph from him (some sacrifices had to be made to see other things!) but that's a memory that will last a lifetime.

The Bad:

- The staff presence felt a bit less than what it needed to be at times. Line control was virtually nonexistent in places that it probably should have been. On Friday for the opening of the dealer's room, there was nary a staff member to be seen, and so even though many of us had properly lined up waiting to get in, when they opened the doors all kinds of people who were just milling about and hadn't been there nearly as long as the rest of us just mobbed the entrance. Staff should know very well that there is always a bunch of people wanting to get in as soon as it opens, and so there ought to have been a presence there. I'm sure a bunch of staff were at the opening ceremonies, among other places, but with 400+ staff members, I don't believe for one second that a few people couldn't be spared to properly manage the line there.

- On the topic of staff, they really didn't seem very informed of things. I could ask two staffers the same simple question about the time and location of a panel and get two different answers. Luckily I don't try to rely on staff to inform me of very much, so it didn't become a major concern for me, but it still could have been annoying if I had been waiting in the wrong location for a panel while it filled up.

- This isn't really "bad" per se, but I was rather disappointed in the poor turnout for some of the Japanese guests. I mean, I realize everyone has their interests, I'm just a little saddened that so few people seem to really care about the people who actually make the stuff. I personally really appreciate that Anime Boston brings these guests over here, I'm sure at no small expense, and I'd hate to see their presence reduced due to lack of interest. This was the second time that I've got to see Nabeshin, and he was just as entertaining and engaging with the audience as ever. Perhaps it was because his and Tomohiko Ito's panels were on Friday, which is usually a slower day than Saturday, but for people of that caliber to have such small turnouts at their panels was a little bit of a downer to me. On the plus side, it did guarantee that I got to ask them questions, which was nice. Perhaps I should have tried going to Nabeshin's autograph session after all. Probably would have been able to get in.

All in all, great convention and I look forward to next year!
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Re: Anime Boston 2013: The good, the bad, and the ugly

Post by marahmarie »

The Good:
+My hotel: I stayed at the Midtown Hotel, which was a change from the Hotel Buckminster last year and the Courtyard Marriot (on the other side of Boston) the year before. I loved the staff, the hotel was great and really really close to the convention (About 2 minutes).

+The security: My friend was in a wheel chair and they would let her go past the bomb dog instead of having to wait in line, and they often checked me at the door with her so we could get in faster.

+The late night panel options: I loved the idea of staying up all night, although I was always too tired to make it past 11. TT_TT

The Bad:
+Scheduling: The timing of the formal dance and the masquerade didn't get enough time to enjoy both. I wanted to go to both and bought a dress before the schedule was released, hoping they'd have moved the masq. to a more reasonable time...they didn't. I picked the masq over the ball.

+The dealer's room: Oh gosh, I feel like there were 4 or 5 booths selling the same things, and anytime I asked if they had an anime I was looking for they all said no. :( I also wish the prices were a little more reasonable, given you don't have to pay for shipping since you're picking them up, I just thought that there would be better deals on items on Sunday since its the last day....I thought wrong.

+Weapons check: I still feel like they weren't very observant this year, although they were amazing, they barely checked my 9&1/2 ft. tall scythe, I lowered it for them and they just tagged it. I'm glad that I was out of there fast, but I wish that they had actually felt out the material I used, and made sure that if it fell nobody would get seriously hurt.

The Ugly:
+THE FOOD COURT! I could never find a seat, and people would take the chairs from other tables so they could sit with their friends, leaving the rest of us to be unable to sit with ours. With my friend in a wheelchair and she could only sit at the tabled that we could roll her up to, and we'd find an empty one with no chairs for me to sit. I just wish people had been a little more respectful in the food court of the rest of us dinning there.

+My mother and sister when they woke up on Sunday after being a party animals all weekend. XD
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Re: Anime Boston 2013: The good, the bad, and the ugly

Post by kiarrens »

madman1502 wrote: Bad:

- There was a staff member outside Cosplay Chess who was trying to control the line. And boy, was she rude. And inconsiderate. And made my friend go all the way to the back because he had to pee. Nothing we can do about her, but it did aggravate me.
Was this convention center security (wearing black) or AB staff (blue, red or orange t-shirt)? And did you happen to catch their name?
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Re: Anime Boston 2013: The good, the bad, and the ugly

Post by Sakura-chan »

marahmarie wrote:The Good:

+Scheduling: The timing of the formal dance and the masquerade didn't get enough time to enjoy both. I wanted to go to both and bought a dress before the schedule was released, hoping they'd have moved the masq. to a more reasonable time...they didn't. I picked the masq over the ball.
I agree with this one...It was kind of a bummer that I couldn't attend both, but like you, I had already gotten my outfit for the ball ready long in advance, so I didn't want to skip out on it. I am almost 100% sure that they had the formal ball on Friday night one year, and it worked out a lot better in my opinion (even though the ball wasn't held for as long, because there was the Friday informal dance right after it.) Assuming that AB's attendees haven't pissed off the Sheraton this year, AB will likely be able to host its informal dance again next year. From what I understand, they wanted to host one informal dance rather than two, so I'm hoping they stick with that plan for next year. I think it would be great if they could have the formal ball on Friday, with the informal dance taking place after it later at night, and then save Saturday evening for the masquerade and the concert(s). There would still be some scheduling conflicts, because those are bound to happen regardless, but at least that way, they wouldn't be placing two really popular events in the same time slot.
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