Did this years con feel a little off?

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Did this years con feel a little off?

Post by dstnyskr »

I've been going to AB since '06 and I kinda felt like there was something missing about the con this year I just cant put my finger on it.
Some of my hypothesis are that perhaps since Pax East was going on at the same time that maybe we lost that part of the gaming/anime crowd?
Am I the only one that felt this while at the con? thoughts & ideas anyone?
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Re: Did this years con feel a little off?

Post by GameXplayer »

Pax East being on the same weekend may have been related in the crowd/cosplay and programs this year. I noticed the live gaming area was a lot smaller than I thought. I had fun last year where the room had a lot of board games and activities, learned Go, and people filling up the area. I'm not part of the programming staff so I don't know how they went about it this year but otherwise, it's still a fun weekend.
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Re: Did this years con feel a little off?

Post by eidna »

I think it's very much a YMMV thing - I've seen a ton of people talking about how this year was better than ever.
I personally felt it was a little off, but I think that could just be my own view of it. I think part of it, also, was that there seemed to be an inordinate amount of pony/homestuck/doctor who cosplayers and so it seemed less like an anime convention. (not that those other fandoms are bad, I like MLP and DW). It seemed like there were less anime cosplayers around but I could have just missed a lot of the awesome ones.

PAX East may have had a bit to do about it...I know a lot of people were torn between the two. This may also be why I felt a little old at the con this year - a lot of people my age opted to go to PAX instead of AB since gaming is their primary interest.
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Re: Did this years con feel a little off?

Post by konoha123 »

yeah Id definately agree this year was not the best, or my best at least. I feel like the panels were lack-luster this year, the I missed the Masquerade (damn tickets...) and I found myself bored at some times and just aimlessly roaming the dealers room/artist alley. I might give AB one more try next year but after that I don't know if I'll be back. Don't get me wrong AB is something I look forward to months in advance, but this year...it just wasn't...great.
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Re: Did this years con feel a little off?

Post by AnimeAnthropologist »

I had a better time this year than I did last year, but it still lagged a bit behind AB 2007-2010 in overall awesomeness. Not the fault of the con, though.

My biggest criticism of the entire weekend were the cosplay shoots blocking the panel rooms. I had to literally shove my way through a gigantic Homestuck shoot just to leave my last panel of the weekend.
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Re: Did this years con feel a little off?

Post by Firefly Rhapsody »

I definitely felt like something was missing. To me it feels like Anime Boston was going off track...I remember going to AB two years ago and it was filled with lots of anime cosplayers and the whole convention felt lively and energetic. But this year? I don't know what it was. It felt like people were loosing sight of anime. I noticed a lot of Homestuck, Doctor Who, My Little Pony, and other cosplays of shows or things that weren't Japanese anime. I used to think that anime conventions were for Japanese Anime, not just what ever, and I feel like some conventions are loosing sight of that. It's not that I don't like Homestuck, My Little Pony, or any of the other things I saw cosplayed, it's just that I don't feel like those belong..like there could be a whole other type of convention for them but not in an anime convention. I'm not sure. I might not be making sense but this is what I felt. Maybe anime conventions are meant for any type of anime, but I had always thought they were for Japanese Anime. Correct me if I'm wrong.
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Re: Did this years con feel a little off?

Post by Chrissii »

I think I agree with the saturation of non-anime folks and lazy cosplay contributing to a downfall in overall vibe/liveliness. No offense to Homestucks, but they tended to act like this was THEIR convention... the other non-anime fandoms, I never got that vibe from, but them I definitely did. Of course there are individuals who are fine and not like that, but on the whole I thought the Homestuck community was kind of self-involved and acted better-than-thou towards other groups. I don't know if it's because there were so much more of them or what... x.x
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Re: Did this years con feel a little off?

Post by redseedsprofile »

I completely share the sentiment that there was too much non-anime cosplay. I think it reflects a declining interest in Japanese stuff from a lot of fans these days as Ponies/Homestuck/Doctor Who/Minecraft/TF2/Skyrim hog more and more of the spotlight. For me, anime isn't a novelty or a fad, but I feel a lot of people see it differently. It doesn't help that most of the juggernaut franchises like Naruto and Bleach are finally dying off.

There were some good panels, but there just weren't enough of them. Takamasa Sakurai really shouldn't have been here--his job is to introduce Japanese culture to people in far-flung nations who've never heard about it. I think we already know what "kawaii" and "kimono" mean, thanks.

The game room was sparsely populated, likely due to PAX East, and didn't have many of the obscure and quirky games I look forward to seeing there.

Next year should be better if it doesn't have to share a weekend with PAX.
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Re: Did this years con feel a little off?

Post by VideoGameStupid »

I've only been to AB 2011 and this one but personally i thought 2012 was much better than 2011. I also attended Pax as well but i actually didn't enjoy Pax as much as AB. Pax seemed way too commercial and everybody seemed to be more interested in waiting 2 hours in line for Max Payne 3 or Bordelands 2 rather than actually hang-out or socialize. Not many cosplayers at Pax either. IMO i think the merger only helped AB to a degree. I am also a non-anime cosplayer so maybe my two cents don't matter.
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Re: Did this years con feel a little off?

Post by Write knight »

I think one of the problems was that there weren't any really Big anime hits the past year, and if there were, they got completely overshadowed by my little pony. Usually I can figure out the newest mainstream series by gauging cosplayers, but that didn't really work this time. I decided to jump back a decade for cosplay, and I saw quite a few other people do the same thing. There was a bit of a surge of throwbacks, and childhood memory cosplays. Last year the only zoids were Liger zero and Nightwise, this year, we had liger, nightwise, Konig wolf, command wolf, shield liger, bit cloud, and berserk fury. The Fox-Box stood out as a unique cosplay. There was a little micro-swelling of .hack cosplay (Elk, Tsukasa, Kite, Alkaid, Ovan.) making 5, compared to the usual 2-3. I had Silver knight to possibly make 6, but I decided to not stay long enough on Sunday to make it practical.

So all in all, that "Huge surge of new hot anime" costumes was overshadowed by MLP, and by cosplayers taking a step back and doubling up on older favorite series' rather than doing newer ones.
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Re: Did this years con feel a little off?

Post by striker923 »

VideoGameStupid wrote:I've only been to AB 2011 and this one but personally i thought 2012 was much better than 2011. I also attended Pax as well but i actually didn't enjoy Pax as much as AB. Pax seemed way too commercial and everybody seemed to be more interested in waiting 2 hours in line for Max Payne 3 or Bordelands 2 rather than actually hang-out or socialize. Not many cosplayers at Pax either. IMO i think the merger only helped AB to a degree. I am also a non-anime cosplayer so maybe my two cents don't matter.
I thought this year was better than last year too! It definitely didn't feel "off" at all in my opinion. The Masquerade, Cosplay Chess, AMV winners, and Extreme Geek were top notch! It seemed like there were a lot more guests as well. I'm definitely planning on coming for 2013.
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Re: Did this years con feel a little off?

Post by heyyouthere »

Yes, yes! For me two things come up; my anime experience is limited, and I also use this con to dress up because I can not afford to attend Comic-Con. I am the person who will dress in a well-known character if it is not Japanese based, but I don't agree with what I believe to be fad characters like Homestuck. A lot of the bigger shows and manga are coming to an end and their precedence is known. Now, I feel as though people are trying to rush and be part of the next big thing and losing focus of what genre they are getting into. Maybe people want to dress up as characters they love, but only feel secure at a con with other passionate people? I am by no means trying to get into a new series so I can have a Japanese based character to cosplay as, so I may feel safe dressing up as some other well-known 90's character next year? The Japanese culture is what brought us all here in the first place, so maybe there is just something missing? I just hope that it does not become too overwhelming for the die-hards, because without you all, I will just enjoy my outfits around a bunch of strangers.
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Re: Did this years con feel a little off?

Post by Princess Becky »

This was my third Anime Boston, I'm still a baby compared to a lot of you guys, but it did seem different. And, as you guys seem to be saying, I think it's due to the large non-anime fandoms. I played Pony No Punchbacks and terribly bruised my friend's arm. Too many Adventure Time people (I think I saw about 20 Fionas on Saturday morning alone, and she was in ONE episode. First two were cute, next 18 were irritating). AND ALL THE FRIGGIN HOMESTUCK. Sorry, it's just so annoying to see a troll every few feet. It was like an illness that just spread constantly throughout the con. I must sound so awful right now, but really, I've seen more homestuck this weekend than I've ever wanted to see in my life. It's called ANIME Boston for a reason.

Sorry for the rant people...
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Re: Did this years con feel a little off?

Post by Atree »

Write knight wrote:I think one of the problems was that there weren't any really Big anime hits the past year, and if there were, they got completely overshadowed by my little pony. Usually I can figure out the newest mainstream series by gauging cosplayers, but that didn't really work this time. I decided to jump back a decade for cosplay, and I saw quite a few other people do the same thing. There was a bit of a surge of throwbacks, and childhood memory cosplays. ... So all in all, that "Huge surge of new hot anime" costumes was overshadowed by MLP, and by cosplayers taking a step back and doubling up on older favorite series' rather than doing newer ones.
Good to see I'm not the only one who noticed this.
I admit, I'm guilty of non-anime/video game/Japanese/etc. cosplays too, but I always try to have at least one anime cosplay thrown into the mix. Though having seen the huge Disney and Harry Potter presence this year, I don't think I could go back to those cosplays of mine (at least for AB) without feeling a bit guilty inside.

I think my problem with the con this year was that I dislike Homestuck and Adventure Time, and I have never seen MLP (though even I admit there was a little too much BBC/Supernatural presence as well), so there were very few cosplays that piqued my interest. No offense to the Homestucks/Bronies/etc., and I apologize for being selfish like this, but I really hope this passes over soon; I don't know if I can handle another anime con where the vast majority of cosplays are from a series I dislike or don't care for.

---

EDIT: I'd like to emphasize that I acknowledge that my desire for this to pass is selfish, and that everyone should do what they want regardless of what one person like myself thinks. As for Taurosgrl - I'm really sorry to hear that you and your cosplays were maltreated. I can assure you that despite how I may come off, I would never damage someone else's cosplay or intentionally act rudely towards them. Also, if this sounded like a rant, I'm sorry about that too - I didn't intend for it to sound like anything more than someone respectfully voicing their opinion.
Last edited by Atree on Wed Apr 11, 2012 6:05 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Did this years con feel a little off?

Post by Taurosgrl »

I just wanted to mention something: there was a triangular banner over the entrance of Hynes convention center at the Prudential center, reading "Anime Boston, an Anime, Manga, and Pop Culture Convention". Pop Culture is a key phrase here.

I can honestly say that the entire weekend, I didn't cosplay a single anime character. Nope. I was Blind Mag on Friday and Sunday, and Dolorosa, a very detailed Homestuck troll on Saturday. I have to admit here and now that this is only my second Anime Boston, the first being way back in 2009. Yes, this was one of my favorite cons so far out of the several that I've attended in the past 4 years. But two things worried me.
First, as Dolorosa, I was met with severe animosity by other congoers who seemed to forget the "Pop Culture" piece of the convention. They had no problem when I was Mag, but I was verbally and physically harassed occasionally while donning my Homestuck cosplay. As it is, I need to make repairs to my armorpiece, belt, a layer of my dress, and both my horns before I can even think about cosplaying the costume I put 65 hours into making again.
Second, on here, I see nothing but complaining about how media like MLP, Sherlock, Doctor Who, Homestuck, Adventure Time, and other non-anime characters were all over the convention. Granted, I'm not a huge fan of a number of these myself, but I respect the right for the Doctor to be put on the stand in cosplay court and Rarity to serve as one of the Bailiffs. Limit our fandoms to only anime, and the con would be short of the aforementioned fandoms, along with Lorax, Vocaloid, Disney, trollfaces, Avatar, Batman and other superheros, commerical mascots (I saw an awesome jolly green giant running around), cult classics (Rocky Horror, Repo, Labyrinth, etc) and so much more. Hell, this might even include the video games, like Square Enix games, Touhou Project, and other Japanese titles (and definitely American titles, say goodbye to any Master Chiefs and Team Fortress 2 characters running around).

My point? If you have a problem with the fandoms, then maybe conventions for the time being are not right for you. These fandoms WILL be there, no matter how many times you yell offensive things in their face or rant about them on the internet. it's out of your control, mine, and any one congoer. Perhaps wait a couple of years before your next Anime Boston when the cycle of fandoms shifts yet again, as it naturally does.

As for me? Besides a couple of awful Bleach shinigami crazy weeaboos, discrimination, and some angry haters at the con, Anime Boston didn't seem really all that off to me. I would have loved some better panels and a little bit of tech aid at the cosplay family feud, but those are minor complaints. I loved the con this year.
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Re: Did this years con feel a little off?

Post by VirtualPlay »

I wasn't originally going to post, but I feel I have to respond with Taurosgrl's post. What really killed it for me was the sheer amount of horribly low-work cosplays that seemed to overwhelm the con this year. I am sorry to say, but the main culprit was the massive amount of Homestuck (although there were a few "ponies" around that also had no effort).

Now don't get me wrong, I am not bashing Homestuck for Homestuck. I have not read the series, so I have no right to say anything about it as a series. (I will admit to being turned off initially due to it being another MS Paint Adventure as I never cared for the others.) My main concern is that it seemed most people chose to cosplay from it because it was basically a 10-minute job. As I told a friend of mine the 3-word reason I think it was too popular a cosplay: "Shirt. Wig. Accessory." I mean, some of the 'trolls' didn't even bother graying their bodies. In this respect, I compare it to the Naturo outbreak from 6-8 years ago, where people would half-a** an actual costume, put on a headband, and call it a cosplay.

This is NOT to say that all Homestuck cosplayers were like this. One of my best friends did Feferi (I think that's how it's spelled), and she found and modified some goggles, added her ear-flaps (whatever they're called), spent much time on her skirt, and put a lot of effort into her 7-foot staff. I also saw other Homestuckers that I could tell actually put in the full effort in making the costume look good (even that female version of Dave that made their own shirt from scratch).

I feel the negative connotations associated with Homestuck are mostly the fault of the large portion of its followers that are obnoxious about it and the majority of others that haven't even read it and are feeding off of others' hate of it (hence why I won't speak ill of it). I am sorry to those of you who have an honest following of the series that it has received such disgrace due to non-readers and other fellow readers alike, especially those of you (like Taurosgrl and my friend) who put a lot of effort into your costume only to be shunned because of its origin.

--

As for the actual strait-up topic, aside from the larger amount of less-effort cosplays this year, only the Dealer's Room (which felt kinda empty) really made this year any worse than previous years. In all other respects it was at least as good as previous years.
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Re: Did this years con feel a little off?

Post by Chrissii »

I just want to concur with VirtualPlay. I have nothing against Homestuck itself or the fans - I've read the first 2 chapters or so and have enjoyed it somewhat. I think a lot of the hostility the Homestucks garner is because of how barely-cosplay MOST of them were, and yet they are getting more attention and taking up more space than the ANIME cosplayers at an ANIME convention. Yes, Anime Boston has "pop culture" in the banner... the implied preface of "JAPANESE Anime, JAPANESE Manga, and JAPANESE Pop Culture" is the defining point that you seem to have missed, though.

And for what it's worth, none of the other non-anime fandoms seemed imposing, attitude-ish or whathaveyou... I got those vibes/looks/impressions only from the Homestucks.
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Re: Did this years con feel a little off?

Post by RolanMcDolan »

I dunno, it was half and half. On one hand, PAX definitely did make the con feel smaller, but this was a good thing in my eyes - it made everything much more manageable. On the other hand, there was definitely a ton of presence for fads like Homestuck and My Little Pony - they were much more numerous than even crazy-popular anime from 2011 like Madoka and Tiger & Bunny. I'm guessing that Homestuck/MLP is just the new Hetalia. Not that I have anything against either franchise, but it's an anime con, y'know?

And this was only a minor change, but I love how much more efficiently-organized the Dealer's Room was this year - putting figure-based sellers on one side and plush/shirt/other-stuff-based sellers on the other was a genius move.
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Re: Did this years con feel a little off?

Post by Painted_Outlaw »

In regards to the Homestuck stuff; it didn't bother me but, I did feel a lil bad when I saw once what looked like a Tavros cosplayer being pushed around on a makeshift wheelchair. Being current with the title, I got the reference immediately but, I couldn't help but think of how bad I'd feel if something were to happen, y'know?

On the flip side, I do wish I got a picture of the Ms. Paint cosplayer with the little Nepeta and.. I think it was either a Salamander or a Nakadile. It was really cute.
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Re: Did this years con feel a little off?

Post by KowalaTaco »

THE ONLY REASON IT FELT OFF TO ME WAS BECAUSE EVERY YEAR I GET A FABULOUS PIC WITH THE BEAUTIFUL MANSTY!! (((the one that blows kisses and hes sassy and he carries gigant plush pokeball)))
Dx wasnt the same without him *cries in a corner* his charisma flooded the co nevery year he was here
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Re: Did this years con feel a little off?

Post by Mirotic »

I thought Friday was awesome~

But once it got to Saturday, something was off. I have to agree with everyone else when they say there weren't enough anime/anime related cosplays.
I mean, if anime cosplays are ice cream, non anime cosplays are sprinkles.
Pretty much everyone loves a random Captain Jack, Batman or G-Dragon.
...but this year the sprinkles drowned out the ice cream.

Other than that, pretty much everything flowed smoothly and I personally had no problems with any staff or attendees. ^ ^ Everyone was very kind and polite.
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Re: Did this years con feel a little off?

Post by dstnyskr »

KowalaTaco wrote:THE ONLY REASON IT FELT OFF TO ME WAS BECAUSE EVERY YEAR I GET A FABULOUS PIC WITH THE BEAUTIFUL MANSTY!! (((the one that blows kisses and hes sassy and he carries gigant plush pokeball)))
Dx wasnt the same without him *cries in a corner* his charisma flooded the co nevery year he was here
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Re: Did this years con feel a little off?

Post by dstnyskr »

AzureElf wrote:I thought Friday was awesome~

But once it got to Saturday, something was off. I have to agree with everyone else when they say there weren't enough anime/anime related cosplays.
I mean, if anime cosplays are ice cream, non anime cosplays are sprinkles.
Pretty much everyone loves a random Captain Jack, Batman or G-Dragon.
...but this year the sprinkles drowned out the ice cream.

Other than that, pretty much everything flowed smoothly and I personally had no problems with any staff or attendees. ^ ^ Everyone was very kind and polite.
I loved your use of symbolism there and I completely agree.
I felt friday was the most energy filled fun day out of the weekend (which in most cases its saturday that is the most energy filled imo).
I suppose Im just used to seeing more anime cosplayers than pop culture/main stream outfits....I mean there always is the large amount of video game characters, waldos, furries, jesus, and such perhaps this year it was drowned out in to many sprinkles.

now i want ice cream........
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Re: Did this years con feel a little off?

Post by President Aria »

I've never heard of Homestuck, and I've never watched any MLP nor have I seen Doctor Who since probably before a good portion of the Doctor Who cosplayers were born. So, I can't say that those costumes bothered me because they didn't even get a second glance from me. My eyes just kind of glazed over until I saw a costume that was interesting. I was mildly disappointed that there weren't more Madoka cosplays. I saw a few Madokas and a smattering of Mamis, but I only managed to see one Sayaka, one or two Kyokos, and probably that many Homuras. Plus very few of them actually had weapons. I like cosplayers that go the extra mile and get every detail right with the costume. I don't mean it has to be flawless, but I mean the things like having Madoka's bow, or Mami's flintlock, ect. Anyways, that's really the same at Anime Boston every year. There are a few great costumes that are new and fresh, or at least haven't been around in a long time so they're a refreshing change of pace, and then there's everyone else who aren't my cup of tea. So, really the con felt the same as it always has. There's always been the non-anime costumes around, and as long as people know what Star Wars is, or who Batman is, there will always be people dressing up as characters from there.
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Re: Did this years con feel a little off?

Post by eidna »

VirtualPlay wrote:I wasn't originally going to post, but I feel I have to respond with Taurosgrl's post. What really killed it for me was the sheer amount of horribly low-work cosplays that seemed to overwhelm the con this year. I am sorry to say, but the main culprit was the massive amount of Homestuck (although there were a few "ponies" around that also had no effort).

Now don't get me wrong, I am not bashing Homestuck for Homestuck. I have not read the series, so I have no right to say anything about it as a series. (I will admit to being turned off initially due to it being another MS Paint Adventure as I never cared for the others.) My main concern is that it seemed most people chose to cosplay from it because it was basically a 10-minute job. As I told a friend of mine the 3-word reason I think it was too popular a cosplay: "Shirt. Wig. Accessory." I mean, some of the 'trolls' didn't even bother graying their bodies. In this respect, I compare it to the Naturo outbreak from 6-8 years ago, where people would half-a** an actual costume, put on a headband, and call it a cosplay.

This is NOT to say that all Homestuck cosplayers were like this. One of my best friends did Feferi (I think that's how it's spelled), and she found and modified some goggles, added her ear-flaps (whatever they're called), spent much time on her skirt, and put a lot of effort into her 7-foot staff. I also saw other Homestuckers that I could tell actually put in the full effort in making the costume look good (even that female version of Dave that made their own shirt from scratch).

I feel the negative connotations associated with Homestuck are mostly the fault of the large portion of its followers that are obnoxious about it and the majority of others that haven't even read it and are feeding off of others' hate of it (hence why I won't speak ill of it). I am sorry to those of you who have an honest following of the series that it has received such disgrace due to non-readers and other fellow readers alike, especially those of you (like Taurosgrl and my friend) who put a lot of effort into your costume only to be shunned because of its origin.

--

As for the actual strait-up topic, aside from the larger amount of less-effort cosplays this year, only the Dealer's Room (which felt kinda empty) really made this year any worse than previous years. In all other respects it was at least as good as previous years.
Cop-out reply here, but I agree with everything said above. It's not Homestuck itself, or any other non-anime fandom (Hell, I LOVE Doctor Who and I'm developing a growing interest in MLP: FiM). I mean, there's always been non-anime cosplay and historically they have always been some of my favorites to see around - especially the fun "random" ones like the Super Grover I came across.
It's absolutely the same as the Bleach/Naruto craze a few years back, and that made me feel just the same, really.

I also agree about the Dealer's room. It felt like the same three booths repeated over and over, kinda :\
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Re: Did this years con feel a little off?

Post by eidna »

eidna wrote:
VirtualPlay wrote:I wasn't originally going to post, but I feel I have to respond with Taurosgrl's post. What really killed it for me was the sheer amount of horribly low-work cosplays that seemed to overwhelm the con this year. I am sorry to say, but the main culprit was the massive amount of Homestuck (although there were a few "ponies" around that also had no effort).

Now don't get me wrong, I am not bashing Homestuck for Homestuck. I have not read the series, so I have no right to say anything about it as a series. (I will admit to being turned off initially due to it being another MS Paint Adventure as I never cared for the others.) My main concern is that it seemed most people chose to cosplay from it because it was basically a 10-minute job. As I told a friend of mine the 3-word reason I think it was too popular a cosplay: "Shirt. Wig. Accessory." I mean, some of the 'trolls' didn't even bother graying their bodies. In this respect, I compare it to the Naturo outbreak from 6-8 years ago, where people would half-a** an actual costume, put on a headband, and call it a cosplay.

This is NOT to say that all Homestuck cosplayers were like this. One of my best friends did Feferi (I think that's how it's spelled), and she found and modified some goggles, added her ear-flaps (whatever they're called), spent much time on her skirt, and put a lot of effort into her 7-foot staff. I also saw other Homestuckers that I could tell actually put in the full effort in making the costume look good (even that female version of Dave that made their own shirt from scratch).

I feel the negative connotations associated with Homestuck are mostly the fault of the large portion of its followers that are obnoxious about it and the majority of others that haven't even read it and are feeding off of others' hate of it (hence why I won't speak ill of it). I am sorry to those of you who have an honest following of the series that it has received such disgrace due to non-readers and other fellow readers alike, especially those of you (like Taurosgrl and my friend) who put a lot of effort into your costume only to be shunned because of its origin.

--

As for the actual strait-up topic, aside from the larger amount of less-effort cosplays this year, only the Dealer's Room (which felt kinda empty) really made this year any worse than previous years. In all other respects it was at least as good as previous years.
Cop-out reply here, but I agree with everything said above. It's not Homestuck itself, or any other non-anime fandom (Hell, I LOVE Doctor Who and I'm developing a growing interest in MLP: FiM). I mean, there's always been non-anime cosplay and historically they have always been some of my favorites to see around - especially the fun "random" ones like the Super Grover I came across. And the few Sherlocks I saw and wanted to follow home *cough*
It's absolutely the same as the Bleach/Naruto craze a few years back, and that made me feel just the same, really.

I also agree about the Dealer's room. It felt like the same three booths repeated over and over, kinda :\
Last edited by eidna on Wed Apr 11, 2012 12:15 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Did this years con feel a little off?

Post by Neshota »

I agree it felt a bit off but it was always the best AB for me so far. I think (like everyone else has said) it was all the non anime cosplays like Homestuck, Doctor who, etc. I think I saw more Homestuck cosplays and stuff than anime, and it was kind of eh, because it is called ANIME Boston. That and for some reason the game room was PACKED, I remember last year when the informal dances would go on the game room would empty out and it was easy to sit around and play games, but this year it was packed even during the dance which made it feel weird lol.
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Re: Did this years con feel a little off?

Post by Kyla_Ewens »

Hmm, the only thing I noticed was a sort of..."serious" vibe. I found more cosplayers who seemed annoyed to get their pic taken. If you don't want attention, don't dress up? Maybe it was my imagination.

However, despite attending no actual events except for the Masq, I had a great time. There were some very memorable moments, and some brilliant costumes. Who was that guy dressed as Dr. Gero? That was amazing!
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Re: Did this years con feel a little off?

Post by LoviPanda »

As someone who two of her costumes were homestuck, I can safely say that wasn't the reason for me. It was still off, and I saw no difference in the influx of Homestucks compared to the influx of Hetalians last year. People move through fandoms, it's honestly nothing new.
It seemed a lot shorter this year, like it was the same length but the time just flew by and Friday and Sunday felt like the same day.
I don't know, maybe it was the lack of panels that interested me. It was off still, even to a homestuck.
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Re: Did this years con feel a little off?

Post by Qu-ko »

Re: Homestuck, the only thing that really downright annoyed me about the massive amount of cosplayers from it was the fact that they chose a terrible location to hold their Saturday photoshoot.

And by "terrible", I actually mean "the whole 100+ person group was crammed in a corner of the hallway and was blocking doors to panel rooms by being so huge". For a smaller shoot, this wouldn't have been a problem, but I can't imagine whoever chose that location DIDN'T expect a Homestuck shoot to be huge. Putting it in a hallway near panels, even just the very end of the hallway, still managed to block the door to a panel I wanted to attend. I had to take a very brief pause in-between people shooting pictures of one group and weave my way quickly through the mass of people just to get to the door.

They were still there by the time I got out of the panel. I was really tempted to complain to security or SOMEONE about it, because it astounded me that they weren't shooing them out of there for the very reason I had encountered, but I didn't. I regret it, though.

So, I guess PSA to all Homestuckers for next year: please hold your photoshoots somewhere bigger and more open next year, where you won't be obstructing access to panels, walkways, or anywhere people might need to walk. There are a lot of you; it's unreasonable to be cramming all of you in a small area, for both your group and other people.
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Re: Did this years con feel a little off?

Post by Kristi »

My friend asked me after the con ended if I felt this way and we both agreed. Glad to see we're not the only ones. Now, obviously, it wasn't a terrible con. I will always have an amazing time at Anime Boston, and I enjoyed this year a lot. But like others have said, I felt that the non-anime cosplays seemed to have taken over. Not to say non-anime cosplays are a bad thing at all - I think the main thing that is making people fed up is many of them were all the same, or not as well done as they could've been. It's fine if 500 people are cosplaying MLP: FiM. It's getting a little boring if 300 of those people cosplay Pinkie Pie. It's even worse when some of those 300 put on a pink wig, pink cami, and pink shorts, and say they're cosplaying Pinkie Pie. Once again, nothing wrong with those types of cosplays, but it gets just plain boring after while. Even with all the BBC cosplays - it was kind of cool at first, but I got bored after I walked by 10 people cosplaying the SAME Doctor, or going past 5 people cosplaying similar Sherlock outfits. It gets boring when you show up to a con and there's 300 people and 200 of them are all Kagome from Inuyasha. I enjoy Adventure Time but I got sick seeing Finn for the 23rd time. Trying to re-iterate my point: I don't think it was the pop-culture/non-anime cosplays that made people bored/upset/whatever, and wasn't even some of the half-assed one. It was the utter freakin' repetitiveness of it all.

There's not really any way you can control the quality or type of cosplays people will do at a con. I think the popularity of these things have rised so rapidly due to a number of factors. Some people haven't been following anime that much, some of the most popular series have ended/are/ending/popularity is dying down, there doesn't seem to be a whole lot of new anime out there that people are super excited about, and I think even social factors such as things like tumblr. Tumblr is a mecca for homestuck, MLP, BBC shows, etc. I'm hoping that by the time the next con rolls around, things will be a little bit different and there will be less of the same minute cosplays (those being ones that are easily slapped together, i.e. Marshall Lee from Adventure Time.) repeated over and over.

I think it would be interesting to see if things went similarly (lots of 'easy' non-anime cosplaying) at cons in other parts of the country.
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Re: Did this years con feel a little off?

Post by Halloween Kitsune »

I actually agree to something being a little off. This year, my boyfriend and I really wanted to get involved in panels and events and all that. But the panels...NOTHING grabbed our attention, in the least. We went to Cosplay Chess and had an amazing time at that but that was on Sunday. We spent Friday and Saturday wandering. The dealer's room was...Meh. I got some good stuff but I remember my first year there there were so many cool things! (2009). He and I did way more that year too. It feels like this was a year of wandering from floor to floor, not really doing much of anything. And the costumes...while a lot were really good, there were a lot that were...either lack luster or non-existent. I don't know if it has to do with the economy being in the poopy...and people putting their money to getting into the con and into getting stuff at the con. I know that was my issue...and was happy I managed to scrape together a good costume through sewing skills. Hopefully next year will pick back up!
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Re: Did this years con feel a little off?

Post by Viran »

I only went to Anime Boston in 2011. Therefore, this year was my second year. To be quite honest, I enjoyed last year better. There were more anime cosplayers rather than non-anime. For friend it was her first year, so she quite enjoyed it. Last year I didn't really go to any panels, so I can't really help you with that. I went to a few this year; it was really fun~ The Vocaloid photoshoot was really small this year. It was kinda disappointing because last year, there was a lot and it was so much fun. The Masquerade lightened up my mood though. Roadie was a great mc hehe. I hope next year will be better but all in all, it was an enjoyable experience. :)
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Re: Did this years con feel a little off?

Post by AshSkye »

I felt they lacked panels. I mean I know they had just as many as last year but idk I know the other years I went they were tons of panels I wanted to check out but this year I spent more time in the dealers room then rushing off to panels. I feel they should of made it more epic since it was the 10th year and all. Idk...
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Re: Did this years con feel a little off?

Post by megmo »

The con did seem off. Wouldn't completely sure if it was due to the non anime cosplayers. I personally have no issue with non anime cosplays, though it was a bit disappointing to see a lack in variety of cosplays (best way I can word it). I've never been an anime expert, but I was sad to not recolonize as many costumes as I did in the past years. That and the dealers room seemed to also lack variety in stuff. Nothing seemed to jump out at me this year. In past years I've had to seriously hold back from buying stuff, this year? I managed to leave to con Sunday with like 98% of the money I came with (not that I don't like having money saved, but I was looking forward to getting some nice merch).
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Re: Did this years con feel a little off?

Post by Painted_Outlaw »

Hanako wrote:it was all the non anime cosplays like Homestuck, Doctor who, etc. I think I saw more Homestuck cosplays and stuff than anime, and it was kind of eh, because it is called ANIME Boston.
I find it a lil ironic that you say that while using a Zelda avy. :P
I kid I kid
Kristi wrote:Some people haven't been following anime that much, some of the most popular series have ended/are/ending/popularity is dying down, there doesn't seem to be a whole lot of new anime out there that people are super excited about,
Also, or maybe it's just me, a lot of the newer stuff being nothing more than "fanservice junk" doesn't help things much if at all. :V
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Re: Did this years con feel a little off?

Post by hg revolution »

Sunny Clouds wrote:
Hanako wrote:it was all the non anime cosplays like Homestuck, Doctor who, etc. I think I saw more Homestuck cosplays and stuff than anime, and it was kind of eh, because it is called ANIME Boston.
I find it a lil ironic that you say that while using a Zelda avy. :P
I kid I kid
Zelda's a Japanese video game. It fits the convention. Thus why there was a Zelda panel, but Homestuck, Doctor Who, MLP, etc. panels were all rejected.
Sunny Clouds wrote:
Kristi wrote:Some people haven't been following anime that much, some of the most popular series have ended/are/ending/popularity is dying down, there doesn't seem to be a whole lot of new anime out there that people are super excited about,
Also, or maybe it's just me, a lot of the newer stuff being nothing more than "fanservice junk" doesn't help things much if at all. :V
You're not looking at the right anime then. Redline, Summer Wars, Arrietty, Madoka Magica, Tiger and Bunny, Panty and Stocking, Durarara, Moretsu Pirates, most of the Noitamina shows, all good and not "fanservice junk."
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Re: Did this years con feel a little off?

Post by Painted_Outlaw »

HG Revolution wrote:You're not looking at the right anime then. Redline, Summer Wars, Arrietty, Madoka Magica, Tiger and Bunny, Panty and Stocking, Durarara, Moretsu Pirates, most of the Noitamina shows, all good and not "fanservice junk."
Yeah, I've seen some of those (Those being Arrietty, Panty and stocking... Madoka - I love so much, Summer Wars I bought at last AB) and I've liked or heard good things about those. I was mostly just being poking fun at how, for a good while, we got a ton of 18+ hentai-ish stuff; (ie. "fanservice junk") and I can see it being a cause as to why people wouldn't be following the newest titles as much.
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Re: Did this years con feel a little off?

Post by AshSkye »

I'm shocked nobody touched Eden of the East,Sekirei or Darker then Black. I feel there pretty popular. I was happy to see the DRRR people though. Girls make epic Izayas XD
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Re: Did this years con feel a little off?

Post by Chrissii »

I want to addendum that despite the feeling of the vibe being off from all the non-anime/non-cosplays, and the Dealer's Room having nothing noteworthy/no variety, and there not really being any interesting panels aside from the comedic/game show ones... that somehow I still enjoyed this year more than I can recall enjoying it in the past? I guess I felt like people were more approachable/willing to approach others, friendly and open, and such. I don't know. I didn't want people to get the impression that I didn't have a good time. ^^
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Re: Did this years con feel a little off?

Post by Master of NERV »

I really have to say "no" to this question. Sure, there was the usual annoying memes and the like, but I find something new to do every year. For example, I went to Cosplay Chess for the first time this year and had a blast--the marriage proposal on stage was priceless! "Bad Anime, Bad" was a hoot as always, and I made my own fun at the "Evangelion WTF?" panel with a little impromptu role-play in cosplay: me as Commander Ikari, and some young man as Shinji, in on the joke and willing to play my "victim". I've learned from ten ABs that fun is where you find it--or make it! ;)
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Re: Did this years con feel a little off?

Post by ModifierMR »

As someone who is a newbie (my first year attending) I will say I saw alot of re-occuring themes (like homstuck) but to me, I found it amusing and educational. I thought seeing hoards of adventure time characters running around screaming was hilarious. While the homestuck confused me at first and kinda gave me the creeps, It was still cool to see so many people dedicated to one series, and all the different ways of cosplaying it. To me, the fact there was so many of them just proves how popular it is right now. Next year it may be something else. The "regular japanese anime" cosplayers still far outnumbered the "non-anime" type.

Things are always changing in our community and because we are all anime fans we also have people in a ranks who are big into internet memes and pop-culture and of course the two cultures are going to blend at some point. And as time goes on and more and more people pick up anime they are going to bring what they love to the convention too.

As my first convention ever it was a blast, I still tell my fiance how it ended too soon. We are already making big plans for next year.
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Re: Did this years con feel a little off?

Post by Ficus »

So, are people complaining about this year's cos-plague? In the past, we had the wear orange and a headband and call yourself Naruto, then the jeans and a shirt Ls, followed by casual Hetalias that arent even recognizable anymore... Homestuck (and MLP) are just this year's new thing. People have complained in the past, but it's just a fad, it goes away and the simple cosplayers move on to the next popular thing. Does it really matter if the fail comes from a Japanese or an American source?
And yes, I have seen many great cosplays from these series done over the years. I know a few really good homestuck and pony cosplayers personally who put a lot of time and effort into their costumes. But there will always be the people that hopon the fandom train and do something simple for whatever reasons.
How good was your first cosplay? Ya gotta start somewhere.
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Re: Did this years con feel a little off?

Post by LusciousGrapes »

KowalaTaco wrote:THE ONLY REASON IT FELT OFF TO ME WAS BECAUSE EVERY YEAR I GET A FABULOUS PIC WITH THE BEAUTIFUL MANSTY!! (((the one that blows kisses and hes sassy and he carries gigant plush pokeball)))
Dx wasnt the same without him *cries in a corner* his charisma flooded the co nevery year he was here
THIS ABSOLUTELY THIS. WHERE WAS MANSTY?! -silently cries and rocks back and forth in a virtual corner-

But honestly, I feel like this con just kinda snuck up on me? I always procrastinate with my costumes (literally finished my Homestuck cosplay Friday afternoon and wore it that night. Its a terrible habit) but this year was kinda like "Oh poopy it's here!?" Maybe its because I just got a new job like three weeks ago, but idk. I feel like last year was better (but nothing can trump last year honestly) but I still had a good time? That's all that really counts, right? If you can look back and ignore what you didn't like and think of the positive?

Yeah.
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Re: Did this years con feel a little off?

Post by Archimer »

I think non-anime costumes are great. Anime fandom is a very complex thing, given how multi-genre the whole affair is. I think it's great to see people expressing their non-anime hobbies. Anime is a great common thread for everybody attending-- It's assumed that everybody at Anime Boston appreciates anime. A non-anime costume is a great way to find folks who have even more in common with you.

There's a lot of great reciprocity going on between Japanese animation culture and American animation culture. Stating the obvious, we have American animated series like "Avatar: The Last Airbender" that have very clearly been influenced by anime. On the other hand: Has anybody taken a moment to consider the effect of Japanese "cute" culture on new Western smash hits like "My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic"?

Going further back, American mega-franchises like "Star Wars" have a heavy influence from Akira Kurosawa and other heroes of Japanese cinema. A manga series written about the original films brought this full-circle. The exchange between Japan and America within "Star Wars" continues today.

2012 was a great convention. I have been attending since 2003, and I am always looking forward to next year. :)
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Re: Did this years con feel a little off?

Post by mnemeth17 »

I must say I have the same feeling as you OP...I hypothesize it's because I just ran around too much this convention going to photoshoots either to take pictures or to get photos taken. I've learned a big lesson on planning more time for moving around when wearing a more popular and recognizable cosplay than usual. I think the panels that I haven't gone to before weren't just as interesting either. I only made it to two panels the whole weekend, and one I was modeling in a fashion show for and the other spent a ridiculous amount of time arguing about the definition of transgender vs. transexual instead of crossplay tips (which is why I came to the panel, to learn tips!)

But, I DID make it to 18+ Dating and Cosplay Chess for the first time, and I'm super glad I did. I'll be sure to see them again next year. So that was a big plus for an otherwise unspectacular year...but I'll definitely go again next year. Hopefully there will be a bigger showing of higher level cosplays, as I really just didn't see too much that blew me away this year. I attribute that to the economy/huge religious holidays/other cons the same weekend though :/

And I must say, while sometimes the plague of non-anime groups got annoying since I was seeing so many of the same thing, there were definitely some amazing well-made costumes that made my day. Mr. T was also the best thing I saw all weekend.

TL;DR: AB 2012: Good, but looking forward to a better year next time!
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Re: Did this years con feel a little off?

Post by AlassinAddams »

This is my second year attending and my very first post on this forum. I found it on my Tumblr that someone got their costume destroyed and was harassed for her choice of cosplay. I went as "Lilly the Puppet" (chick version of Billy the Puppet) from the SAW film franchise. I feel terribly for her and that her work was destroyed because of some childish behaviour. I know that SAW isn't anime, but it was a Japanese film short to begin with, so I figured that it was okay. No one gave me hassle and lots of people asked me for pictures. I love the sense of community that AB has and experienced my very first post-con depression this year. I find myself planning for next year, which is almost 400 days away. I was introduced to the anime genere last year at AB and was just overwhelmed by all of the costumes and props and artistry that went into the majority of the cosplays. I'm just sorry to hear that things got ugly for people who are fans of a particular anime. I will be attending next year, as always working with MERESpace in Artists Alley and I certainly hope that what happened isn't a sign of worse things to come because honestly, I'd hate to see AB dissolve because of hatred and ugly behaviour.
Thank you to all who made these past two conventions such a welcome and entertaining place to be.

*a*
"Yuki Cross" - AB 2011
"Lilly the Puppet" - AB 2012.
Raven_Night
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Re: Did this years con feel a little off?

Post by Raven_Night »

Okay I joined just to say something about TaurosGrl and how you guys have been responding.

It's not okay to have someone gang upped on and their cosplay destroyed. If this was an anime cosplay, you'd be flipping out.

Just because it wasn't an anime cosplay does not give you the right to victim blame and say "Oh well Homestuckers were doing this and doing that, so you deserved it." (Note: I'm not saying this what was said, but it is the definite attitude of the posts.)

It's like if a group ganged up on a Bleach cosplayer and broke their sword and ripped their costume very badly. Then, when looking for the comfort of others, all they got was "Oh a Bleach cosplayer looked at me funny once, so that must be the attitude of all Bleach cosplayers. NO OFFENSE."

It's not cool. Cosplay is cosplay. I don't care if you spent a couple of days on it or two months. If you put your heart and soul into your cosplay and someone just screwed you over and ruined it on purpose, it's NOT COOL.

I think you all need to self-evaluate and realize SHE WAS ATTACKED AND IT'S NOT OKAY. Learn some sympathy instead of pointing the blame at the fandom, which had nothing to do with the fact that this woman was assaulted.
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AlassinAddams
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Re: Did this years con feel a little off?

Post by AlassinAddams »

I'm very disappointed at the people that watched this happen, gosh knows with that many attendees there had to be witnesses, and did nothing to stop it.
This shouldn't happen to anyone, no matter what they are wearing or a fan of. There should be zero tolerance for this kind of behaviour.
"Yuki Cross" - AB 2011
"Lilly the Puppet" - AB 2012.
Rappak
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Joined: Thu Mar 22, 2007 4:55 pm

Re: Did this years con feel a little off?

Post by Rappak »

That is the first I've heard of this. What they did IS NOT OK. People who do this have been kicked out in the past. If you see something like this, PLEASE let a staff member know. If we know, we can do something about it.
Richard Pakpreo

Volunteer 2006-2007
Junior Volunteer Wrangler 2008-2009
Senior Volunteer Wrangler 2010-2015
Treasury Staff 2016-2019
Director of Treasury 2020-2024
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