So…how do ya’ll wanna do this?
I don’t think there’s a lot to say about this topic that hasn’t already been said before. If you’re an anime fan, you’ve probably been to a few of them. If you’re a casual fan, you might have heard about them from a friend, and attended at least one of them. If you’re a non-anime fan, then this won’t be of any interest to you. What am I getting at you ask? It’s simple—anime conventions!
Anime conventions have been a part of anime culture since…anime became popular. It’s basically Disneyland for geeks and nerds who fell in love with the medium. They were also a place where you can meet new friends, talk about your favorite shows, have silly debates, and engage in fandom activities that were created by the fans themselves. To a lot of OG fans and con attendees, that’s what’s missing from a lot of modern anime conventions. Back in the 2000s the con scene was much different compared to how it is now; from your Yoai paddles and glomping complete strangers, to shouting out dead memes and the occasional “Butt-scratcher”. It was the ‘Wild West’ in terms of what was deemed appropriate, and acceptable.
Now those days are gone, and have been replaced with a more modern ‘Family-Friendly’ atmosphere, in terms of how anime conventions are marketed towards a broader audience. There’s even been one convention that tried to ban cosplay. You heard me—BAN COSPLAY!! Image going to an anime convention, and you can’t even cosplay ANY of your favorite characters (even if they aren’t wearing any skimpy clothing). What is the point?! I got a lot more to say about conventions; from how they used to be when I first started going, to how they are now. So check it! Classic vs. Modern Anime cons!
For this post I’m gonna break down what I mean by ‘classic’ and ‘modern’ anime conventions. I’ll be comparing both of them on these attributes; Structure, Programming, Nightlife, Budget, and Sense of Community. Let’s kick it off with the first one.
[STRUCTURE: Classic vs. Modern Anime Cons]
A lot of us don’t think about it but the way an anime convention is structured, determines its longevity in the convention circuit. This boils down to the location of where its held, how accessible it is, what amenities are available, and the cost of badges. Being an anime convention organizer, these are the logistics that you have to take into account; on top of promoting, marketing, and advertising your convention to the public.
With classic anime conventions, the only places you had that wouldn’t break the bank, were hotels. Hotel-based anime conventions are how ALL anime conventions started out as. You rent out a large ballroom and 2 or 3 side rooms for panels and games, then work out a contract with the general manager where they would give you a room block deal, for attendees who wanted to stay the night. The cost of a weekend badge was probably $50 or less, and the amenities were pretty good…if the con was at a really good hotel. OG fans and attendees loved this type of structure, because the con experience felt more personable and intimate.
As anime got bigger and popular, so did anime conventions. Now they take on a more modern structure, where they still have to make sure they keep track of the logistics I talked about earlier. Some modern conventions do use the classic structure, while others are ran from large convention centers. Depending on the convention some of the aminities they have are actually pretty good, as with a bigger venue comes better programming (sometimes). Marketing and advertising are pushed to the max (which is usually the result of a larger budget), and the convention experience is dependent on the attendee themselves. Of course in terms of money, you’ll spend 10x less at a classic anime convention, than a modern one.
[PROGRAMMING: Classic vs. Modern Anime Cons]
If the structure of an anime convention is its foundation, then the programming is the bones and muscle. The program itinerary is an important part of the convention experience, next to the lifeblood which is the attendees themselves. Back in the 90s and 2000s the programming for anime conventions, was facilitated by anime fans themselves. Because it was more fan-driven, it lead to a lot of creative programming for fans; such as AMV contests, karaoke sessions, VHS/DVD anime screenings, LARP sessions, and club meetups. Also keep in mind that no one under the age of 18 even went to anime conventions back then, which is why there was a lot more 18+ programming to be found at classic conventions.
Programming for modern cons is much different because a lot of it is industry-driven. While its cool to see some promotional trailers for the latest anime at your favorite convention by FUNimation and dem’, I feel like fan-driven content from fan-driven panels have become less common around these parts. Its even effected the amount of 18+ content and panels you see at modern anime conventions; where its become either less numerous and sanitized, or pushed out due to the ‘Family-friendly’ model that modern anime conventions have moved towards.
As a DJ, this has even effected how I look at the nightlife aspect of classic and modern anime conventions. Which, is what I’m gonna talk about!
[NIGHTLIFE: Classic vs. Modern Anime Cons]
I know this is an aspect that some nerds don’t care about too much, but if you’re among the group that likes to party, there was a COMPLETE difference between classic and modern anime conventions! For this segment I’m going to go by conventions of the mid 2000s and early 2010s.
Anime convention nightlife of the mid 2000s was something special. Many nerds weren’t old enough to go clubbing, so what did classic anime conventions do? They turned either a ballroom, or a main hallway into a classic 90s-style nightclub. This was also when the ravers came to anime conventions; you wouldn’t find them anywhere near the con, until the sun went down. This was also when rave parties started being incorporated into anime conventions. Also, they didn’t let just anybody into the rave, they actually had staff act as bouncers, and they checked your ID (not your badge) before you could enter the function. Classic anime convention raves were basically a kid-free zone, where party animals and controlled degeneracy ruled the dancefloor.
Modern conventions have this too, however some of their in-house raves don’t hit the same. What do I mean by this? I’ve been to a modern anime convention rave a few years ago in PA, and saw nobody in my age group there. In fact the only people that were there, had to be no older than twelve! (Who let’s middle schoolers in an 18+ rave?!) They were mostly girls, in the tightest of shorts, throwing ass on each other! I wasn’t on EDP timing, so I had to dip! (I’ve gone to other 18+ modern con rave parties and had ass thrown on me from cosplay and rave girls, plus we were of age and they were one-off twerks.)
Some anime conventions don’t even have in-house raves at all, in fact they outsource to local third party promotions in their area. For AnimeNYC and other Midwest conventions; they got SonicBoomBox, Sexy Nerds, Otakus With Attitude, and more. All I can say for classic and modern anime cons in terms of the nightlife is…just be careful. These areas are usually where anime fans and weebs get drunk, and when that happens, a lot of bad things (can) happen. I could go on about this, but I’d rather move on.
[BUDGET: Classic vs. Modern Anime Cons]
While structure and programming are vital to the foundation of an anime convention, revenue is what truly keeps it alive. Anime conventions are expensive enough as it is when you’re an attendee, now image if you had to throw one of your own…?
Everything I sad in the structure part of the post costs money; the hotel block, the venue, the guests, and the entertainment. Back in the 90s and 2000s you could throw a decent 2 or 3-day convention at a hotel for about $15-20K. You’d have basically all the local amenities and good programming, plus a couple of dub voice actors as well for meet-n-greets and autographs. (This is also when I said a weekend pass was $50 or less for cons back then.)
If you look at how much a modern anime convention badge costs now, especially in 2025, you’d probably question if that anime convention is even worth the hype to go. There’s no way a weekend badge at a modern convention, should cost that same price as a pair of Jordans, or Beyonce tickets! Badge prices shot up after Covid because of two years of lost revenue for anime conventions. Even so, some nerds will still pay it! (Plus a lot of modern anime conventions have a 7 or 8-figure budget, so they can bring out big name voice actors, and Japanese bands.)
All of these things are important, but the one that really brings this all home, is this…
[SENSE OF COMMUNITY: Classic vs. Modern Anime Cons]
Let’s not beat around the bush here. Out of the four attributes that I spoke about when it comes to classic, and modern anime conventions, this one is the MOST important! This is the one that can make or break the overall anime convention experience. If I were to be 100% honest on this one, I’d say that classic anime conventions did it better!
Back then there was a greater sense of community within the anime community. It was easy to make friends who loved anime as much as you did. Everyone loved each other and didn’t bicker about common nonsense debates; such as powerscaling, waifu wars, etc. It felt more tightly knit as well as organic and real, plus if you were a cosplayer, it felt like fun and not a competition. It was more than just fans coming together because of their love and passion for anime, it felt like family.
All of that changed when anime became mainstream. Modern anime conventions (especially the BIG ones) do not have that same sense of community, like they did 20 years ago when they were grass-roots cons. It’s not to say it isn’t there, it just…doesn’t hit the same. Now that anime conventions have become more industry-driven, and have taken the Family-Friendly approach to become more marketable to big sponsors, the original sense of community they once had…becomes irrelevant.
In the past 15 years that I’ve gone to anime conventions; I’ve seen them grow, and I’ve seen them go. Some organizers are passionate about the community, while others are in it for the money. These are the attributes and aspects of anime conventions that can either make them famous for the right reasons, or infamous for the wrong ones. Right now I no longer go to large anime conventions anymore; even if they may have more to offer in terms of programming, guests, and entertainment. It’s probably why I stay local, and if you’re a local anime fan, be sure to support your local anime convention.
For older fans like myself we were there when anime was an underground niche. The same could be said for anime conventions, as they were birthed from the small local anime clubs that they started. As anime grew so did anime cons, and though they’re no longer the small niche nerd spaces they once were, there will always be small cons that carry classic vibes.
OG Founder
Out!
