5th Annual London AnimeCon

• 2nd Jul 2012

A rousing performance from Kelsey (pictured) couldn’t perk up this damp squib of a con. An amateur attempt at a convention is let down by some very fundamental flaws.

The con was kicked off by her of KimonoTime fame. Dwarfed on a stage peppered with cheap, crepe paper bows, the performance was undermined by a poor sound system and lacked backstage support. I felt genuinely sorry for Kelsey, a performer with a lot of heart and talent who’s obviously invested a lot of time into her routines, only for them to come across as awkward in this setting. With only a handful of spectators, it was the first of a series of ill-timed performances.

We arrived bang on time at 12pm to find stalls empty and the crowd thin. Shows ran late and were let down by amateur compères.  I would have invested some money in getting a more confident and organised pair to really bring some energy to the event.

All of the flaws that I pointed out in my last review are exacerbated and there are some additional problems. The highlights of AnimeCon for me last time round were the abundance of artists selling their original work. This was conspicuously absent and it seemed more like a marketplace for some very run-of-the-mill goods.

Asking around for some opinions, the first six people I spoke to all said that this was their first time at any convention. I think that is reflected in the price, it’s almost a piggy back to bigger cons – a chance to see if conventions are for you.

All in all, it’s as if you’re friends decided to put together a con in a couple of weeks and it’s all very half-arsed. I think AnimeCon need to think about a smaller venue as it just seems very sparse. The also need to do more in terms of decoration – my fellow reviewer likened it to school hall that had been decorated, ouch. It just needs to be more kitsch. I also think that if their market is generally people who are coming to cons for the first time, they need to reflect that in their shows. Finally, invest in a separate room for the screenings that should be cinema-style, not placed in a room with gamers making it utterly pointless and frustrating.

AnimeCon has a long way to go in terms of competing with the bigger cons. They scored some coups in getting ILYA at the event, they should extend and take their programme of talks more seriously and if they should hire or at least audition some better presenters. Having been twice, I really wouldn’t go again unless they really reviewed their event and took it a bit more seriously. Also fundamentally, I think there is a complete lack of representation of anime as an expression of Japanese gaming and culture. Unprofessional, haphazard and lazy.

Maliha Bassak