FanimeCon 2009 Report and Pictures
(skip to cosplayer pictures: part1 part 2)
The first stop for FanimeCon attendees is Registration. For those who
remember olden times when Registration was run by No-Name Anime and
used a table and a couple clip boards, it is amazing to see so many
staffers in the formal convention center booths. Also amazing was how
on Friday, a work day, the FanimeCon crowd dominated the blocks around
the convention center.
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For many of us, the most important thing to do at FanimeCon is to hang
out with other fans.
On Saturday, a half dozen of us went to the Local Bay Area Anime
Fans panel to intimidate
impress welcome the organizers
from the BayAnime.com fan community web
site. They did a great job of bringing together people wanting to
connect with other fans.
Saturday was also the day we met No-Name Anime regulars for our bonus "frequent viewer card" stamping. Next a group of us went to lunch at Original Joes.
On the last day of the con, cosplayer ININ (dressed as Haku from
Spirited Away) and Guest of Honor Jonathan Osborne hosted the Anime
Fans Over 30 panel. Most of the discussion centered on exploring
exactly why we liked anime. Our thanks to ININ for helping to promote
No-Name anime at the start of the panel.
We hope that we'll see some of the attendees of these two panels at
more activities in 2009. We'll be especially happy if they join us at
a No-Name Anime showing.
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At No-Name Anime meetings, we've shown Code-E and
Bottle Fairy so all attendees were at least minimally
aware of Guest of Honor Halko Momoi. But when CatsSpat (of Animephile web
site fame) told us that he'd 100% devote himself to Momoi's FanimeCon
appearance, we started to understand that Momoi was not just another
voice actress. We next learned about the "Calls" that her fans perform during her concert. So by the time of
her first FanimeCon panel, we were somewhat prepared. But the amount
of energy she brought to her first panel was amazing. Whether
answering questions at panels, signing tirelessly at autograph
sessions or circling the Civic Auditorium floor during one of concert
songs, she had amazing interaction with her fans. And she fit in
incredibly well with the other fans when joining other cosplayers for
photos and dancing at Stage Zero. We've collected more links and YouTube
videos about Halko Momoi at Fanime.
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For thoroughness we walked every aisle in Artist Alley and the Dealers
Room. Finally, every FanimeCon report needs to have cosplayer photos.
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