Anime Boston

What are some of the explanations you gave (or wanted to give) to non con-goers that asked you what was going one? What are some of the questions that they asked you? And what are some of the inside jokes you've made with people over to con?

This year only one person asked what was going on, but they kinda guessed it right before I got to say anything. (he asked "is there some sort of convention going on?')
I've always wanted to say something funny to people who ask what's going on. Like "What are you talking about? Everything looks normal to me. Nope, don't see anything strange at all," or "this is the way we people in Boston dress all the time (to tourists)" And someone I volunteered to help with a cooking class came up with "I'm from the Boston School of Animation, and the whole school is here on a field trip. These costumes are a part of our dress code,"
Didn't come up with many inside jokes. Other than "I'm not Kira....what are you talking about?" me and my friends didn't come up with many funny jokes, (at least none that won't cause me to make a wall of text explaining...maybe later)

4 people asked me outside when i had my cigarette.

"Hey, can you tell me what is going on in this building?"

most all questions were like that.

I was only answering like:
"Anime Festival sir, once a year =)"
"Yearly anime festival"
"Anime.. yes.. Japanese cartoon guys.."

I know I should:
"I'll lend you my badge for 10 bucks for 30 minutes, you'll go inside and check it by yourself.. deal?"

[quote=Stovila]
I know I should:
"I'll lend you my badge for 10 bucks for 30 minutes, you'll go inside and check it by yourself.. deal?"[/quote]

And that is when you will lose your badge, and have to pay an extra 40 dollars to cover over, as well as wait in line all over again. After this year, I think anyone would take you up on that offer and ditch you. Not a good idea, "Normie" or not.

"let me hold your license while i'm waiting for you here.."

i usually just say "uhmm its a weekend for us all to get together, watch anime, play vid games, eat food, and party...all while in costume...its a good time" :}

i didn't say this one but i heard a story where my friend told some normie that it was a wedding. i died laughing when i heard that one.

[quote=Robin291]i didn't say this one but i heard a story where my friend told some normie that it was a wedding. i died laughing when i heard that one. [/quote]
ROTFLMAO! :laugh:

I actually have a friend whos planning a cosplay wedding.
She's in the process of making Ashe's wedding dress from FF XII, her husband is having his Prince Rasler costume made by a professional tailor.
It's all pretty cool, really. I'm determined to get a flat tummy so I can be a viera for it. ^^

[color:blue]I actually had a really good explanation of what was going on during AB...

A guy asked to take a picture of us (Me, my Kyon and Mikuru, I was Suzumiya Haruhi) after the photo was taken, he asked us what was going on. I told him there was an anime convention and he made some remark like "Oh, like pokemon" then he asked how many people were gathered here. I thought for a second...

I said "Oh...over 9000...I think" (I'm sure a lot of people get this...over used meme is over used)
He stared at me for a sec and said "Wow, thats a lot." It took all my will power to not laugh after saying that. Mikuru burst out laughing after he walked away and Kyon just face palmed.[/color]

at the rate the con is growing, it could be that, in 2010, we'll be able to say:
It's over 9000! Double!

I had a conversation I found amusing. It started with the normal "What kind of event's going on here," but when I told them it was an anime convention, and then explained that animes were shows, they asked "So, are you the people who made the shows?" I explained that no, we're the fans.

...wow.

I didn't have too many come up to me this year, just one and he was some guy from that talent agency thing that took our hotel. He seemed a bit snooty to me, he's like, "How's your conference going?"

I decided to kill him, with kindness, so I said. "Oh, it's an Anime Convention and it's great."

"What do you guys do?"

"Well, we have actors (Real ones.), Anime screenings, different panels and workshops,
concerts, cosplay, and more fun stuff."

Then he told me that was nice and I decided to
take the next elevator.

When I got downstairs, I saw stage mothers having
fits over the long line at Dunkin' Donuts and they
were blaming all the "freaks" for it.

I am talking to my freind (normy) and i was using all sorts of anime lingo and when i realised he had no idea what i was talking about his face looked like a mixture of :-/

I was part of the Ouran group from AB07 and while we were waiting for a bus to go to Boston, a lady came out from a nearby hair salon and asked us what we were doing. She said that one of her clients told her that we were war protestors. Yep.

[quote=My_Wayward_Son] She said that one of her clients told her that we were war protestors. Yep.[/quote]

Who was it that said anime was a [color:red]WIDE SPREAD CULTURAL PHENOMENOM?[/color]

Some of the best advice i could give is;


1.Get a pictuer of you and Totoro

2.If you are about to interact with a person, make sure you know what gender they are....... :-/

Nevermind....

Few people from school ask me what it was about- even though they could've asked the anime club at school they asked me.
"sheer awesomness *shows pictures*"
what they said..."Tell me when they start selling tickets."
;D
Another time some dudes came up and were like "Is there a convention going on?"
What I've always wanted to say was, "Noooo I dress like this everyday... *holds anime convention bag* READ!! READ WITH THE EYES THAT ALLOW YOU TO SEE FOOL!"
dudes: o.o;

on friday night I was cosplaying Hotaru from Gakuen Alice and no one knew who Iwas but pretty much I was in a school uniform with a flyswater. and I was on my way back to the hotel when these two little old ladies came up to me and asked what was with all the people in costumes. I knew immedietly why they asked me even tho I was so far away and they walked all the way over tyo ask me. the reason I was the least suspicious person in the area. me a little school girl in a uniform with a flyswatter people around us bleach cosplayers with giant swords and other people all with giant swords it was kinda funny

Oh man....one of THE MOST awkward moments in my life.

I was sitting on a bench outside the convention center waiting for a Naruto photo shoot. This little old woman (who seemed a bit senile and/or very confused) was sitting next to me on said bench. I was checking my make up, and when I finished, she asked me what was going on. I told her, "It's an anime convention." She asked what anime was, so I explained. Then she asked why I was dressed up, and so I explained. Then she asked me what anime was again.....-_-U
Then she mentioned that she liked my jacket.

well my friend who will be coming with me for the first time for AnimeBoston 2009 didn't really know what this was all about. So I explained to her its an anime fantasy come true and its a three day party to celebrate anime and everything about it

[quote=Inuyasha1618]well my friend who will be coming with me for the first time for AnimeBoston 2009 didn't really know what this was all about. So I explained to her its an anime fantasy come true and its a three day party to celebrate anime and everything about it[/quote]

I hope your friend has been to other cons before. Otherwise, you're throwing your friend into the deep end from 10,000 feet up.

Man, I wished I could talk to normies about the con, its just that people start judging me when I do. I mean I don't care how people judge me, but its that they don't have the right to until they know me.

It's going to be my first con this year, but i have 'normal' friends if thats what you want to call it, its more they just dont get it yet XD I'm working on all that but i've still got 5 of them going at least one day next year ^^ good people

Last year for about 6 months before Anime Boston 2008 I kept asking my friend in history class what Anime Boston was like, cause it was my first year and I had no clue what to expect. I think I drove her nuts...

I just say "It's a big get together for all the fans of Japanese comics and cartoons". That usually works...

Then if they start questioning you...respond with this statement: "Don't judge me."

how should i explain the con to my family. i had a hard time for 08 becuase the are


[color:red]MEGA NORMIES[/color]

Aha. My friends and I were heading back for the dance, we just went out to our hotel to change into better suiting clothes and while we were walking through that long hallway before the con, this group of two guys that couldn't be older than their early twenties stopped us and asked us if we were a part of the convention that was going on. We said yes, and then it basically went like this;


(Them): "Oh, cool.. cool. So.. what do you do there, dress up?"
(Us): "Pretty much. There's also tons of events to go to, we're heading to the dance right now."
(Them): "Cool, cool.. how much does it cost?"
(Us): "50 for all three days, but we registered late; you can get in for cheaper if you just go for one day/register earlier."
(Them): "Cool.. have fun, alright?"
(Us): o.o
(Them): -walks by and leaves-

It was pretty strange. I have no idea where they even came from when the mall was closed, I think, at the time.

And, for '09, I'm a bit worried because this year we have two new friends coming with us who won't be cosplaying, and it's their very first con.. heheh. We'll have to keep them under ropes.

make sure that they ralize the number 1 rule:


[color:red]WHAT HAPPENS AT A.B. STAYS AT A.B.[/color]

[quote=Anime Freak 1234]make sure that they ralize the number 1 rule:


[color:red]WHAT HAPPENS AT A.B. STAYS AT A.B.[/color][/quote]

Until it hits Youtube :laugh:

THEN THE VIDEO GET KICKED OFF OF YOUTUBE

Heh. Anime boston was such a fun time.

"Hey, Sasuke, I put your name in the Death Note." XD

Basically, a lot of Itachi's attacked me...an L screamed at me, calling me a traitor...it was fun.

A lady in Au Bon Pain asked for my picture because I was her son's favorite character.

^_^ Cannot wait for next year... XD

i don't think any of my friends from school know i like anime its like my huge secret like maybe my brother and my cousin know about my anime stuff but thats it and i'm going with my cousin this year its gonna be ill its our first year

[quote=Anime Freak 1234]


[color:red]WHAT HAPPENS AT A.B. STAYS AT A.B.[/color][/quote]

LOL, not entirely true! A friend of mine met her husband and the father of her child at A.B!

lol, I havn't had anyone "normie" ask me or my friends yet when we go lol.
Instead we get a whole bunch of stares lol. It's hilarious. This old lady was looking at my friend with a confused look lol, she laughed.

if anyone did ask i would say, "It's like a starwars convention but with anime" lol >.<

Maybe it is just me.....but does anyone else notice normies asking typical normie questions about the con when you go to the food court for lunch?

[quote=Destro]Maybe it is just me.....but does anyone else notice normies asking typical normie questions about the con when you go to the food court for lunch?[/quote]

Necropost-y?

But "normies asking typical normie questions" sounds a little discriminatory. Anime and anime conventions should be about friendships and community. And some of the people that ask these questions do in fact know about anime, but AB is something new to them. On a recent trip abroad, a local mall had a Naruto lookalike contest (seriously) and I asked "normie" questions...but I'm certainly not a normie.

Besides, who knows? If someone asks you questions it means their interested or at least curious...you could have some converts!

And to whoever posted about "what happens in AB stays at AB"...not always true. I met my boyfriend at AB when he was in full cosplay.

Haha I forget where I was or what the circumstances were, but I was explaining anime conventions to this old man, it was probably at AB last year, and once I mentioned that it was cartoons from Japan he immediately got angry, saying Japan attacked us in WWII.

the only things i dont like about japan are pearl harbor and the whaling they do in antartica other than that i wish the rest of the world was like them. Any country that can create international animated shows that do better that that countries shows is a winner in my book.

[quote=Anime Freak 1234]Any country that can create international animated shows that do better that that countries shows is a winner in my book.[/quote]

A lot of American cartoons are more child oriented, whereas Japanese cartoons range from children's shows to more adult-oriented programming. It might not be "better," but they cater to a greater variety of tastes. I'm sure if you look around on the board here there are a lot of Avatar: The Last Airbender fans and I've actually become a really big fan of the Canadian "teen" cartoons. (Think 'Total Drama Island' on Cartoon Network.)

Japan also just doesn't have cartoons...they have amazing technology, and I'm also a big fan of the Harajuku fashions. (Not the Gwen Stefani clothing line, but from the actual Harajuku district.)

[quote=BlackSunRising][quote=Anime Freak 1234]Any country that can create international animated shows that do better that that countries shows is a winner in my book.[/quote]

A lot of American cartoons are more child oriented, whereas Japanese cartoons range from children's shows to more adult-oriented programming. It might not be "better," but they cater to a greater variety of tastes. I'm sure if you look around on the board here there are a lot of Avatar: The Last Airbender fans and I've actually become a really big fan of the Canadian "teen" cartoons. (Think 'Total Drama Island' on Cartoon Network.)

Japan also just doesn't have cartoons...they have amazing technology, and I'm also a big fan of the Harajuku fashions. (Not the Gwen Stefani clothing line, but from the actual Harajuku district.)[/quote]
I agree. It kinda bothers me that a lot (I think the majority) of people in American society assume that just because something is animated means it is targeted at children.

As an artist I tend to look at everything as a piece of some type of art but I try to keep an open min to all varieties of art. It bothers me when people jump to negative assumptions about thing really quickly.

[quote=Destro]
I agree. It kinda bothers me that a lot (I think the majority) of people in American society assume that just because something is animated means it is targeted at children.

As an artist I tend to look at everything as a piece of some type of art but I try to keep an open min to all varieties of art. It bothers me when people jump to negative assumptions about thing really quickly.[/quote]

Your key words there were "American Society." As a culture, we're mainly led to believe that cartoons are for children. Even in America, anime is for children...look at Pokemon, DBZ, Yu-Gi-Oh, and Sailor Moon. The most mainstream animes in America are edited versions meant for children. And "adult" cartoons are silly unserious parodies like South Park and Aqua Teen Hunger Force.

I'm not going to lie...I DO watch children's cartoons. It's actually become a little more mainstream for adults to watch kids' shows, as made obvious by shows like "Foster's Home For Imaginary Friends" and "Invader Zim."

Anime already IS a trend, anyway. Does anyone remember the big buttondown shirts for men with Ed Elric or Son Goku? The calendars and action figures? Hot Topic, while not exactly the most fashion-forward store, used to feature a wide assortment of anime paraphernalia. Maybe people's general knowledge of anime doesn't extend to cosplay and manga and the whole shebang, but most people have a general working knowledge of what anime is.

Based only on my own personal observations

Society as a whole has been a bit more open minded toward the world of anime and manga. I still see a lot of people who do not think of animated features the same. Some people still make the false assumption that if it is animated it is meant for kids and kids only. Thankfully the number of people with this type of attitude has been decreasing lately.

I find it funny that in this day and age there are a lot of cartoon shows and movied that are obviously targeted at kids but do have a little peices of content in them that include jokes of adult content in a way that the kids do not notice. I have a theory of my own as to why the writers do this. Back in my day as a kid the older generation of the family hated being the one two take the younger generation to the movies. In order to create a positive feeling about going to things like this some little things were put in to make the older generation laugh as well.

[quote=BlackSunRising]I'm not going to lie...I DO watch children's cartoons. It's actually become a little more mainstream for adults to watch kids' shows, as made obvious by shows like "Foster's Home For Imaginary Friends" and "Invader Zim."
[/quote]
I agree with you. Invader Zim is a great example. Im facinated with that show and I can not watch it without cracking up beyond all belief. Obviously it is targeted at kids but it still makes me laugh. If you want to use nickelodian as an example I must add I feel the same way about Rugrats and Angry Beavers.

those are some of my favorites but probably my two most favorites are scooby doo and that old show wild thornberrys

I pretty much told them it was an anime convention and if they didn't understand, i'd explain, but once a makeup artist said "THEY'RE NOT WEARING ENOUGH MAKE UP!" and i somewho ended up getting a free makeup job...

You should have called her shallow minded and said that hardly anyone at an anime con is goth, and are probably more social than anyone that closed up crotchety old lady has ever met.

now now be nice to the unsensitively ignorant people

Sadly, we live in an age where the ratio of ignorant and/or insensitive people to intelligent and/or kind people is about 20 to 1.

You think explaining an anime con to the norms is hard? Try explaining a multicon sometime.

[quote=Destro]Maybe it is just me.....but does anyone else notice normies asking typical normie questions about the con when you go to the food court for lunch?[/quote]
Yes, it's happened to me before.

Back in '07, an old lady asked me what was going on.

I told her it was an anime convention. I said it was something like Star Trek conventions but for Japanese animation.

She wasn't rude about it or anything. She actually complimented me on my costume.

What I get a kick out of is seeing the wide-eyed children in the food court. XD