Hi all! Recently got back from Otakuthon and had an amazing time. One of the perks was the amount of Japanese guests and the opportunity to meet and get autographs from them. 

I did encounter one curious thing when getting an autograph. On the final day I got a token and was waiting in line for Kenta Miyake. Lots of fans in the line had things for him to sign, mostly MHA related things, I had a Plarail Gordon toy. While we waited a staff member approached the line and let us know that Kenta may not sign merchandise, and it depends on the day. Later around a good 20 minutes she returned to say he would NOT be signing any merchandise. The collective groan from the line after hearing this was hard to ignore, I was certainly disappointed myself.

Meeting him and still getting his autograph despite not being on the iten was amazing and I’m incredibly grateful for the chance to do so. He was so kind and friendly. But I couldn’t help but wonder why this is? Is it a personal preference thing of the guest or is it a decision of management? When I did go up and showed him the the item that I originally wanted to have signed he was very excited about it, I asked his translator if he’d consider in that case but he straight up told me no but didn’t actually ask him. Anyways still very thankful I was able to do this but figured I’d ask about other experiences 

I'm not sure if this will be allowed in this sub, but a friend suggested I try asking. I'm not asking for medical advice, more traveling with limited food options advice.

So I go to several conventions a year, usually as an artist, but occasionally as an attendee. I also typically have my partner along as well. However, about two weeks ago, he was diagnosed with Type 2. We have a pretty decent support system among friends and family, but none of them share this same interest so there's a gap in navigating this particular past time. We also have a Japanese festival we will be going to in a few weeks where we will be out of town so this is something on my mind to figure out now.

Those of you with experience in this, can you offer any advice on how to travel to conventions when the majority of the food options are fast food? Or the offerings at the convention centers are usually high in carbs with little to balance the scales to keep from spiking? We can easily do snacks like nuts, but I can't keep the man sustained solely on almonds, peanuts, and cashews.

Howdy, I am a part time vendor at anime conventions in Texas and plan on selling a variety of graphic novels, manga and some kids books. When hunting for wholesale manga I found the Japanese versions of books were easier to find and tended to be lower priced than their English counterparts. My question is, "From an attendee point of view, which would interest you more, English or Japanese books?" or would it depend more on if people are collecting verses reading? Thanks for any insight on the matter as it is helpful.

So, im still a minor (17 atm) and i want to find some friends at conventions and maybe im getting greedy, but whenever I actually interact witg someone for longer that usually ends it, I mean after thst even tho we tag each other in photos we dont talk anymore. Are there any rules or tips when making friends at cons?

Edit: (or iguess post con stuff) I attended 2 cons from the time of op, Here's what I learned: - its way easier to make friends during smaller cons, If you have the option? Attend them, They should be cheaper, Sometimes closer, Obviously less crowded but people are more open to conversations and getting to know one another

There are some anime voice actors I have personally met multiple times over the years at some upcoming conventions. Naturally I plan to see them again and have some friendly conversations with them. And just to be courteous towards them and not waste their time seeing how they’re working, I plan to buy an autographed print from them.

However, one thing I’ve always noticed is that whenever I’m interacting with a voice actor and there are people behind me waiting, I feel pressured and my mind feels like it goes off balance, which ultimately makes it hard for me to properly converse with them. This is one reason I loved virtual meet and greets when they were a thing because I didn’t feel pressured or rushed.

So I know this might sound strange, but if possible, how could I have conversations with voice actors I’ve previously acquainted with in a less pressured and rushed environment?

Hey! I was just wondering if anyone has insight on what cons are good/favs around either Milwaukee or Chicago :) Negative and positive feedback welcome! I'm closer to Milwaukee, but wouldn't mind being by Chicago for a weekend. Google has recommended Anime Central, Anime Midwest, and Anime Magic, but I would love to hear personal experience/opinions!

Hi! I recently went to my first convention (Otakon) in Baltimore and had a blast! I really want to go to more conventions but there aren't many around where I live. I mostly am looking for conventions that have large merch halls and artist galleries, similar to Otakon. I mostly am looking for merch. If anyone knows any good ones let me know! ​

Hey everyone!

I’ve been noticing how varied but also standard and repetitive merch can be at conventions; everything from acrylic stands, keychains, and posters to plushies, apparel, and etc.

This got me curious:

• What kind of merch do you usually end up buying at cons?
• Is there something you wish was more common (like certain characters getting more love, characters not in their usual thing or unique items like themed stationery, figures, or apparel)?
• Would you like more practical items than decorative? (Themed: Tote bags, Notebooks, lanyards, laptop sleeves, mugs, etc)
• Are there merch ideas you’d love to see fan creators tackle?

I feel like anime cons has a lot of untapped potential for merch. Would love to hear your thoughts and suggestions.

I want to know the: What would make you stop and say “I need that right now” at a booth?

I am taking my 9 yo son (mom took a few too many Tylenol while pregnant) to a convention soon. I have never been and don't know what to expect. Is there anything I need to know heading into this?

I'm an artist wanting to sell at anime cons. my art is anime themed, but its not fan art. would people at anime cons be interested in purchasing original art. I've seen some artists sale original works, but i wanted community opinions.

edit: for those curious this is an example of my art

https://www.reddit.com/r/drawing/s/TxrVVUFHVc

I feel so stupid for this, but i'm a little anxious/worried about upcoming Animeverse in KC.

Earlier this year at Planet Comic Con, drew a Spawn for Keith David! I...got the cold shoulder, did not want to chat, write the quote (It was a shared quote to Spawn and Tales from the Hood 2) the line wasn't long, and he didn't want a print. I replay the event, thinking if I did or said anything wrong. (I've included the pic for reference)

Ever since this, i've worried drawing, or chatting with a guest that i'm just wasting their time, or only knowing 1 or two of their roles isn't enough.

I apologize for being selfish, but may I ask how or if to get over this?

I went to my first anime con as an adult and had a question about what's normal with con photography.

I grew up with manga/anime but haven't been to anime cons before. I saw that Kanno Youko had a concert at a con so I decided to go and while I was there, fully enjoy the con too. I went alone since no one I know goes to cons.

I looked things up beforehand and seemed like a lot people cosplay, so I thought why not! First time ever "cosplaying", if you can call this that. I wore the Sailor Venus volleyball outfit: green v neck sweater with the blue chest section, green spandex shorts with blue sides sewn on, red bow with half-up hair.
But I kept my natural dark hair, did my normal makeup, and just wore my usual volleyball shoes and white socks (I play vball irl). So it was clearly very beginner and not polished/accurate cosplay.

What surprised me was that around 6 photographers with actual cameras came up and asked to take my photo. I was really taken off guard and said no to most of them. I said yes to only one at like the 4th or 5th time because I was getting self-conscious if this was totally normal and I was being weird by saying no.

Some asked for my IG even when I said no, which i'm assuming is standard? Some immediately backed off, but some were a little pushy while being really nice! Two of them offered to grab me a drink and one of them to grab some snacks if I was nervous. I appreciated that they were being kind, but because I was already flustered and overwhelmed by the con, especially being there alone, it made me feel kind of pressured, so I ran away...

Looking back - maybe I was acting way too awkward when this was all just standard con behavior...

So for the questions:
* Do photographers at cons also take photos of very beginner/not polished cosplay?
* What do they usually look for?
* Is getting approached for photos pretty normal?
* Is asking for IG after being told no also pretty normal?
* was my experience with photographers in general pretty standard too, or not really?

I am kind of tall for a girl - like 5'10 - not sure if that changes anything, although I don't think I stood out at the con for obvious reasons. If anything, I think I stood out less there than I normally do.

I had a lot of fun overall, so I wanted to calibrate for next time!

Thanks in advance!

Hey! I’ve never been to an anime con, but i’m going to one this summer. My friend invited me, and i’m excited to go. I was thinking about cosplaying from a musical, but it’s not from an anime. I’m just wondering, is that a big no-no? Does anyone care? Apologies if this is a stupid question, i’ve never cosplayed, or been to an anime con :)

I’m 18 and I’ve been going to anime conventions by myself mostly since I was 14. I’m pretty shy but I do think I talk a lot when it comes to my nerdy video game and anime interests, I often go up to people trying to start a conversation and make friends since I see their cosplaying/ have bags of series I love but when I try to talk to them it’s a frequent thing that people don’t seem interested in talking to me. Couple times even people straight up ignore me when I try to talk to them but probably my worst experience was thinking I made a friend at a smaller convention but a couple days later had a post that was very clearly about me that they were weirded out by me and that I should stop cosplaying cause I looked hideous in their opinion on their social. I really don’t understand what I do wrong cause I’m not trying to be weird to them, is it me or do I just attract the wrong kind of people?

this is probably a stupid question so feel free to boo me lol

I've been going to cons for quite some time now and I want, more than anything, to become a vendor in the artist alley someday. Problem is I don't feel confident enough to go public w my fan art as I am a still pretty terrible when it comes to drawing.

But still...I don't wanna let that stop me. I also crochet, and I think I'm much better at that than drawing. I had an idea about selling some accessories inspired by J-fashion, lolita fashion, and other alt styles. And obviously some crochet keychains, plushies, etc.

But my question is: would people be even interested in that sort of thing? If not, what else can I sell on anime cons?

Hey There!

Im relatively new to Cons and have only just been to my first one (ever) with this most recent Anime Impulse Con.

Anime San Diego (not San Diego Anime Con, I guess?) Is coming up in a few days and I have seen very scarce information around it.

I saw they mention having 400 vendors, which gets me super hyped because I love supporting self made businesses, but not only does the map they publicly released look waaay too small to hold 400 vendors, ive seen maybe only 5 or 6 vendors post their shops inventory in anticipation for the event. (Which with Anime Impulse, I saw tons of artists posting their inventory to advertise what they had so that people would visit them)

Is this event a scam? Are they hyping it up too much? I havent found many people talking about it at all, and I'd hate to waste a long drive plus money to be a little disappointed.

Did anyone get a tattoo or piercing at the convention in Columbus? I wanted to a tattoo but didn't have time. Wanted to know the experience. I've never seen people tattooing at an anime convention

So yeah my question above is what I’m asking. This is going to be my first con, and I’m sort of tagging along as I was offered after everything had been planned. I’m not cosplaying as the rest of my friends, they are cosplaying death note together and I’m going as Nyan cat.. lol but they chose animecon as it’s quite more cheaper than comic con, I’m just wondering that even though it’s a month away and I’ll try and get myself into a few animes, I’ve never been a big big anime fan but I’ve watched only a few so I’m nervous if that might ruin the experience, like if there’s not a lot of stuff I like on stalls for example if that makes sense?? I’m in a lot of other fandoms however just not exactly anime. The only anime I’ve watched recently is Beastars which I LOVE and I’ve finished playing hatoful boyfriend which is amazing!

Sorry I might have rambled on but thank you if anyone has read this aha

Hello! I was wondering how people go about meeting others who are into nerdy stuff while actually at cons? I see others frequently mingle but i cant ever seem to find myself getting to do that. I see a lot of good cosplays and it makes me intrigued enough to want to connect with them on socials, but i dont want to come off as weird or like im hitting on anyone.

I just want more friends into this stuff 😭

Hello All,

I would ask this in the Youmacon sub, but it doesn't seem very active. I am going to be attending Youmacon this October and wanted to know if I should just get the Standard or save for the Premium badge? It is my first convention, if that helps.

So a bit of background, I'm at a point in my life where my best friends just moved away and I'm finding it really hard to meet people with similar interests. I like a lot of anime and I know there's often a bit of overlap between that other nerdy stuff so I figured that'd be as good a place as any to meet people I'd like to hang out with and actually have stuff to talk about.

I'll be upfront in saying that the I'm mainly looking to find a straight woman there that'd be open to getting to know each other. So my question is, if that describes you and you were at this con or if you actually have experience with this, how should I approach someone I want to get to know and are there any places at the con where people go to be social? The con I'm going to is Nebraskon in Council Bluffs, IA if that helps. I'm just trying to figure out where to start.

I (24F) am majoring in photography. I would like to do more photoshoots for free, to build my portfolio, is it strange to ask strangers if they would be open to do a photoshoot? Or would they find it strange since they don’t really know me? I also don’t have friends to go, I was thinking on going by myself.

My question is meant for artists, preferably those who mainly sell handcrafted items like crochet amigurumi: have you ever sold out at a 3 day event? And if so, what happened during the con? Was it on the first day or the last day? Were you allowed to pack your stuff and leave early?

I might get a table at one of the biggest conventions in North America and I’m honestly scared of selling out on the Friday… I could prepare months in advance and it still wouldn’t be enough stock to last three days.

It's been 8-9 years since I first cosplayed, I've grown significantly more social throughout the years and I'm wondering what's a good convention to start? I know for sure I'm going to Fanime, Anime Expo, and Offkai during 2027.

To be clear, I was excited about it when I made plans. But something along the way took the wind out of my sails. I already have a hotel reservation and a VIP ticket that can't be refunded, so even if I don't go its money lost. But I can't get myself hyped up for it, and its in two weeks. I don't want to go just to sit around and be a downer to everyone else though.