Anime Boston

The place to share knowledge and, in general, talk about what we learned in preparation for and during this years con.

1: Don't be afraid to talk to people, because you'll be surprised what kind of friends you'll make.

2: Don't think about what others will say.

3: Tie. Your. Shoes. This one applies to any escalator. There was a boy in front of me at one point who's lace got caught in the escalator, which was packed with people who nearly knocked him over. Scary stuff.

The group you came with to the con won't always be doing the same things with you. Just plan out the stuff you want to do and go with whoever wants to do the same stuff with you. The less stress from freaking out over where your group members are, the better.

1. Michael Sinterniklaas is an awesome guest.

2. I need to increase my convention budget to set aside almost $100 for food.

3. After checking in at the Cambridge Marriott Boston(15 to 30 minutes from the Hynes by T) on Thursday, it is so much easier to use the E train to Prudential than the other Green Line stops. Exiting by the Cheesecake Factory is much better than having to hike up Boylston St.

4. My fellow Macross fans are great.

5. The Aniplex rep remembered me and my sister from last year. Nice.

6. Viz reps were pretty cool and nice. Hope they come back next year.

Use the Boylston Street entrance. It makes life easier.

1. Bring your own food into the con. I spent so much of my money on just food alone. Sometimes, I went too many hours without food because of the ridiculous lines to get into the con from the Pru.

2. If you want to make friends and socialize, you need to be the one to talk to people. I was too shy and nervous, but I should have known that people weren't gonna come to me, I had to come to them.

3. Sunday after the Closing Ceremonies makes a great time to have photoshoots. You get to pick wherever you want to take photos and there won't be any interruptions. As long as your group mates don't have anywhere else to be, this time really works.

4. Speaking of photoshoots, everyone this year liked to hold their big meetups at 2PM on Saturday for some reason. The third floor was absolutely chaotic and the poor RWBY group had to move outside, which ruined their big meetup. If you're going to organize a photoshoot, please have a variety of back up plans.

5. The LiSA concert was amazing, but the balcony seats were not so awesome. If you have to wait 3 hours in line for great front seats, do it.

6. It's okay to have a cosplay that's not as accurate (or finished) as you wished it could be. Just work it. People are really nice and will notice you even if you think your costume is crap.

staffers/security can actually be nice! make lots of friends on Security staff

eat dumb ass your going to be sad if you don't.

that being said, don't spend 20$ in cash on food if you can avoid it. (always use your card if when ordering food)

bring plenty of money on Sunday afternoon. You never know what you'll want when you find it.


don't forget your debit card.


DO GET IN CONCERT LINES EARLY (even if you have tickets it'll guarrentee you a front row seat)

move out of the way quickly during on chore after the consert, or leave if you know there will be one.

bring a water bottle. you will not regret that (fill it up as much as possible)

Get more than 2 hours of sleep next time. Lightheadedness and being dizzy for the first half of Saturday reaaally isn't worth it.

Use a good backpack. Mine was great in that it was very spacious, but...a little too spacious. I kept thinking I'd lost things because it's so big in there! I felt like Mary Poppins.

Ghost320 wrote:Get more than 2 hours of sleep next time. Lightheadedness and being dizzy for the first half of Saturday reaaally isn't worth it.

Use a good backpack. Mine was great in that it was very spacious, but...a little too spacious. I kept thinking I'd lost things because it's so big in there! I felt like Mary Poppins.

it also sounds like you didn't eat much during the con. That's what happens to me when I don't eat. ALWAYS EAT no matter how much it cost...

actually they're cool with bringing water bottles inside.

Spirit_Girl01 wrote:

Ghost320 wrote:Get more than 2 hours of sleep next time. Lightheadedness and being dizzy for the first half of Saturday reaaally isn't worth it.

Use a good backpack. Mine was great in that it was very spacious, but...a little too spacious. I kept thinking I'd lost things because it's so big in there! I felt like Mary Poppins.

it also sounds like you didn't eat much during the con. That's what happens to me when I don't eat. ALWAYS EAT no matter how much it cost...

actually they're cool with bringing water bottles inside.

You're probably right since I don't remember eating all that much >.< I made sure to keep drinks with me at all times, though Definitely no sleep and no food makes Jack a dull boy LOL

Next time I'll be sure to keep lil snacks inside D:

Take along a very clever wife who packs a bunch of (relatively) healthy snacks, much of which can be slipped into a pocket or handbag:

• Snack-size boxes of raisins and other dried fruits
  Snack bags of almonds
  Ritz crackers in prepackaged, 16-cracker stacks
  V-8 cans (8 oz.)
  Small water bottles you can suck down between the hotel room and the Hynes

We were never hungry or dehydrated, and easily got by with two sit-down meals a day with no loss of energy.

AnimeGunner wrote:Use the Boylston Street entrance. It makes life easier.

THIS. THIS. THIS.

Bring LED sticks for a better concert experience!

Mistakes happen. Fake it like a champ.

Lesson Learned - talk to fellow cosplayers on the T ride in the morning
.... you will suddenly become "the adult" who ends up leading the whole group of 'em to the correct Green Line train....

Buy food, and plenty of, Thursday night at Star Market across the street! (exit where California Pizza Kitchen is?)
You wallet & stomach will thank you ooooh so much thru the weekend

Manga Library is awesome go "preview" a series before proceeding to march & buy the whole thing in Dealers

Remember to plug in chargers before bedtime... so sad much of Streetpass lost 'cause 3DS died ;_;

don't type in caps if your trying to get your point across? I don't know why or how people think caps are rude go on twitter it's all people seem to be doing now a days. Espessily if you always seem to be missed and or ignored.

watch plenty of anime before you go so your not all "...?" about the stuff your about to see.

Learn how to use the automated train/subway ticket kiosks so you don't waste money.

i feel like i have to edit myself more then once. Sticking up for myself is key.

Either get industrial strength velcro, or sew on some snaps, because shoulder armor held on with normal velcro and fashion tape is not going to withstand the giant gust of wind when security forces you to go outside and all the way around for some stupid reason.

People will still appreciate your cosplay even if you are falling apart.

Putting time and effort into a cosplay instead of rushing to finish stuff last minute is totally worth it because you will feel really proud of it when people want your picture. Stop procrastinating on every other cosplay you do. Also you probably won't fall apart if you take the time to do it properly.

AnnaNeko wrote:Lesson Learned - talk to fellow cosplayers on the T ride in the morning
.... you will suddenly become "the adult" who ends up leading the whole group of 'em to the correct Green Line train....

Been there, done that!

Don't be afraid to meet new people and put yourself out there - You'll never know what you did (or didn't) miss out on!

The wifi in the game room is NOT your friend. Attempt to play MMOs with extreme caution.

Remember to get info on other local cons while you're there (sadly remembered this one on the train ride home...)

...you know, after going for so many years it's actually quite hard to find 'new' lessons, I almost have the whole planning process down to a science!

- It is definitely possible to buy stuff from the Dealer's Room with a modest $150 budget. LOL.

- The Swap Meet is a great place to pick up alot of gently used stuff ^_^

- Doing panels at Anime Boston is awesome.

- Not everyone goes home after Closing Ceremonies XD

Master of NERV wrote:

AnnaNeko wrote:Lesson Learned - talk to fellow cosplayers on the T ride in the morning
.... you will suddenly become "the adult" who ends up leading the whole group of 'em to the correct Green Line train....

Been there, done that!

Same here.

Thought I put my lessons learned. Anyway...

1. Make sure you charge your camera's battery every night. Took pictures all day Friday and Saturday, to find out by Saturday mid-afternoon, the battery was too low to take any more pictures. Ended up using my cell phone the rest of the day.

2. Bring a powerstrip just in case.

3. Don't go to the food room across from the dealers room. I found that to be too expensive and ended up going elsewhere. Still spent the same amount of money though but I got more food.

Ignore the people that comment on your "lovely, wonderful" cosplay, then bash others by saying that their cosplays are worse...and are getting more worse each year. Not only did that person creep me out, I wanted to snap at him about his own cosplay but bit my tongue. I attend AB (as my only/hometown con) to have my fangirl-moment weekend before going back to normal daily life for another year...I don't want to listen to people like that.

Focusing more on Merch than Art this year helped my walls. I'm running out of space for frames, but I've got shelf space left! {Sorry artists, but at least I drop by to admire your lovely works!} ^.^*

Try to remember to ask for Monday off as well if needed...it's been a long week of work/play/workagain with no break. XD

ChibiSprite wrote:Try to remember to ask for Monday off as well if needed...it's been a long week of work/play/workagain with no break. XD

That's been part of my routine every year since '06!

~Bring a back up charger..you know..those power blocks..that are portable. Not being one of the people stuck sitting by an outlet is nice. It'll be a well spent 20$.

~Don't be a dumb, get/give your contact info from/to photographers who take photos/film of you.. ; ~ ;


Think that sums up my AB15 lessons.

-Leave the drama at home...
-If drama insists on coming to the con, leave drama in the hotel room
-If drama is in the hotel room, avoid the hotel room
-Don't let the drama get you down
-Don't stay in your hotel room, you're at a convention!

1. If you're going to be on stage at any time during the convention, double check that you haven't suddenly and unexpectedly lost a bunch of weight. Otherwise your skirt will fall down at...inopportune times.
2. If you are wearing giant wings, the Back Bay wind WILL try to carry you off.
3. STRESS TEST THE WINGS STRESS TEST THE WINGS STRESS TEST THE WINGS

Doing what I want is the best way to go about the con. Even if that means going to a panel or workshop alone! I had some great conversations when I went to the panels I wanted

CoriExodus wrote:~Bring a back up charger..you know..those power blocks..that are portable. Not being one of the people stuck sitting by an outlet is nice. It'll be a well spent 20$.

I never thought I would need one! I got one as a Christmas gift (small one that can charge a phone up once very quickly) and decided to bring it. VERY HANDY. I just bought a bigger one on amazon so I can tote my little tablet around too as this summer I'm hitting up a lot of cons.

I never needed an outlet at AB. I used my phone to my heart's content and by the late evening when I was down to ~20% I plugged it into my battery and was up to 100% very quickly. That would more than hold me over until I got back to my hotel.

RapaxGuardian wrote:-Leave the drama at home...
-If drama insists on coming to the con, leave drama in the hotel room
-If drama is in the hotel room, avoid the hotel room
-Don't let the drama get you down
-Don't stay in your hotel room, you're at a convention!

i'm sorry you had drama dear... it sucks when people you go with, who you think will get along with each other won't...I hope you didn't dwell to much on it ._.; because drama during cons suck (Trust me i should know)

always charge your phone the night before! ALWAYS don't give anyone (including yourself) an excuse.

try to meet up with everyone as much as possible (if you can find them) if you can't find them, remember, it's not your fault.

enjoy the convention. you've been waiting since July for this! Don't let teenagers let you down! Don't let line shovers let you down. Don't let anyone let you down. You had fun and that's all that counts!


Remember it's ok to say No to something!

Master of NERV wrote:

ChibiSprite wrote:Try to remember to ask for Monday off as well if needed...it's been a long week of work/play/workagain with no break. XD

That's been part of my routine every year since '06!

Seeing as I commute from Vermont, I asked for Tuesday off as well, since driving back home on Monday is hardly restful. Best idea ever. Always schedule a buffer day for yourself to detox!

1.) Pockets are Zeus' way of saying he loves us.
2.) Don't lose the camera's charger.
3.) If you need yellow shoes, buy yellow shoes.
Cont.) Don't spray paint old shoes. They will only look good for a few minutes before flaking off.
4.) Just because you can sustain yourself on nothing but crackers and applesauce, doesn't mean you should.
5.) Don't fear the contact lenses. They are life. They are love.
6.) One of the biggest points of wearing a cosplay and bringing a camera, is to get photos WITH other cosplayers. Don't be afraid to ask them for a minute of their time.
7.) Don't wonder the convention alone. It sucks out half the fun of the experience, and you don't have a person to take photos for you, so you have to ask a random guy walking by to take the shot instead.

Wear a mask! I got sick immediately on Sunday morning, and I've been laid up ever since, going from horrible sore throat to ridiculously stuffed nose to wet cough, which I am currently fighting back as I type. If I get to attend in the future, I'm definitely wearing a mask to hopefully keep this from happening again.

Friday I carried only my phone and wallet in my pockets but Saturday I had my younger brother and young cousin with me and we were going to be there from early morning until after the masq, so I packed lunch and dinner for the day, it is a good way to save money and avoid unhealthy foods, I only packed two sandwiches per person, juice and fruit snacks.

My tips:
-Plan accordingly so to avoid having to leave the convention area too much if you don't want to wait in line
-Pack a lunch for yourself (and others if you have people with you)
-Keep a water bottle on you, I noticed that they put water stations in most of the rooms which was really wonderful and convenient
-Keep hand sanitizer with you, although you might stay clean all weekend, others do not
-Think last minute cosplay ideas out thoroughly...and test them out!

take more pictures: just because you can remember most of the conventions you went to, doesn't mean you should. You'll get a huge headache and maybe almost passout/ie get sick...

i took photos but i made the mistake of trying to do a crossover photoshoot (didn't go over so well on the crossover part since none of us knew what we were doing on the other side)

1. Hot glue does not hold clay pieces together.

2. Don't forget your camera, you'll regret it.

3. Don't forget to take your scissors out of your bag before going into the con. There is a 50% chance you'll never see them again.

My first time at AB:

• 1. Don't try to drive all the way to your hotel (good chance you'll get lost, more than once)
  2. Park at a subway station and pay for overnight parking there instead of your hotel (subway parking five days = $35 compared to almost $50 per NIGHT at the hotel).
  3. Eat at the grocery store across from your hotel as much as possible (It's sooooo much cheaper and faster than any restaurant).
  4. Take more time when taking photos so there's less editing needed. (It took me two weeks to edit all 1,400+ photos I took).
  5. Actually STOP taking photos and enjoy the convention (as in actually go to some panels you wanted to see).
  6. Wear comfortable shoes.
  7. Batteries, batteries batteries (Walgreens across the street had a sale on AA's).
  8. Pockets
  9. Make sure you have business cards (Mine didn't show up in time).
  10. Make sure you have ENOUGH business cards (They're relatively cheap. I had 500 printed but would have needed A LOT more if I had actually received them in time).
  11. Take off Thursday through Monday from work.
  12. When uploading photos; upload in 100 photo increments instead of all the photos for one day. People are more likely to browse through 100 at a time instead of 500+ at a time, and the photos get posted faster.
  13. Have fun!
  14. actually spend time to see the WHOLE con. I never saw anything in the Sheraton the whole weekend.

- Either stock food ahead of time, or plan on cheating all weekend on whatever diet you may otherwise adhere to.
- Spray paint does not adhere to rubber boots.
- Even if it is a mecha theme, you may still be the only Char Aznable cosplayer at the con.
- Learn to sew pockets.

to the crazy glue (or what ever you used) for me that saved this convention. My yuyos didn't fall apart at all (they were being bitchy during saturday night) but they didn't fall apart

also remember to bring food (if you work at a grocery pre made food....your in boston not Hartford, no one's going to take your food away from you)

for the sizors person, put the sizors in a box (if you need them for back up) that's how we packed them. I may have to do that for the up coming cons if i decide to stick to this cosplay.


practious using your props for the convention. You may think, oh it worked fine in the hotel room, there will be no problems. But you never know when your props will decide to have a mind of their own and be a bitch to the people around you >.>;


edit: bring a cell phone charger if your not staying at the convention. There will always be a two prong plug near by. Your best friend won't always be there for you to kidnap her cell phone charger >.> (had this happen at another con not this one) but still good to know

Biggest lesson learned at AB was entirely my fault

at AB15 I cosplayed kaworu nagisa, now I am a very large-chested woman and binding is always an issue, and if you're squeemish let me just say DO NOT BIND FOR A REALLY LONG TIME BC YOU WILL REGRET IT

I changed into my Kaworu cosplay around 2ish and ended up going back to my hotel room at around 2AM, now my chest binding had gotten a little uncomfortable but it didn't really hurt too much so at the time I wasn't all that concerned. When I was getting out of cosplay back at my hotel I noticed my under-shirt was sticking to my chest, and by the time i got down to my ace bandage it was entirely scabbed to my breasts. It had chafed so much it rubbed off chunks of my skin in certain places. So, in my hotel room bathroom I was trying to stay quiet while peeling off my chest binding while having a minor panic attack because all my friends had already gone to sleep and I didn't want to wake them up. Now, almost 4 months later I still have scars on my breasts and I dont think they'll go away.

be careful while binding....

Bag Checks lines, especially this year have been unpredictable. Strategize on how to bring belongings with you. I understand some people don't have the option of not bringing a bag with them into the con, but those who do, know that you can make pockets into your cosplay. Or Stuff cards, and money, your phone, chapstick, make-up, and other small items into small belt packs, or in your shoes or whatever convenient compartment you can creatively think of on your person.

Pack food if you can.

Be courteous of stopping and standing in the middle of the halls. People, are constantly on the move. Move out of people's way if you can.

Bring your phone charger with you.

wooooops, totally meant to reply with quote and not hit the edit comment button hehe

anywho, wanted to let you know that you can still save those $2. Having the slip really makes the process faster, no doubt, but if you ever lose the email or slip, you can still give the reg department your name and they'll still be able to pull up your badge

Oh wonderful, great to know!

As con is approaching, my friends have reminded me of a few more things that I learned.

1. If you are a strict scheduler, loosen up and be able to go eat or shop or just walk around. Don't be bound to the clock.

2. Hotel rooms, when you and friends try to get one as a group, can and will change on the drop of a hat. If one friend has another group offering cheaper prices, they will jump ship, but if you're smart, you will too.

3. If you've never worn your cosplay for more than 10 minutes, you don't know what might happen. Three different parts broke due to stress, but that's not abnormal for me.

4. Don't be the one who'll get the room if you're under 21, unless your parents are willing to get your room for you. Not sure if this one will hit me this year, as I only found out about it recently. Don't risk it if you don't have a back up.

madman1502 wrote:
4. Don't be the one who'll get the room if you're under 21, unless your parents are willing to get your room for you. Not sure if this one will hit me this year, as I only found out about it recently. Don't risk it if you don't have a back up.

I could be wrong, but if you're under 18 and don't have a drivers lisense you can't book a room yourself, you HAVE to have a willing adult do it for you and be there at the time of check in and check out even if they're not in the room themselves. i could be wrong about this, (Because i haven't been under age in a while) but it seems logical to me ._.;

Old_School_Anime_Lover02 wrote:

madman1502 wrote:
4. Don't be the one who'll get the room if you're under 21, unless your parents are willing to get your room for you. Not sure if this one will hit me this year, as I only found out about it recently. Don't risk it if you don't have a back up.

I could be wrong, but if you're under 18 and don't have a drivers lisense you can't book a room yourself, you HAVE to have a willing adult do it for you and be there at the time of check in and check out even if they're not in the room themselves. i could be wrong about this, (Because i haven't been under age in a while) but it seems logical to me ._.;

This rule was mostly for people between 18 and 20.