Why I’m Not Going to Anime Expo This Year
- C.T. Russell
- May 27, 2018
- 6 min read
Hey everyone! Thank you for checking out my blog. Today I’m going to tell you my reasons for not attending Anime Expo this year.
I’ve been to AX every year from the time I was 16 to turning 26. That’s a decade old tradition. So why break it now? Well I have a few reasons.
Anime Expo has a nickname, ‘line con.’ I wish I could say that it wasn’t a truthful nickname. But, I have spent hours upon hours in line waiting to pick up my badge, and for panels that never happened. There always seemed to be something wrong with badge pick up. Sometimes it was the computers, other times it was the printers, and every time it was over crowded because the people that run the convention don’t believe in capping attendance. The longest time I waited was 4 hours to pick up my badge, but I heard of people waiting 6 hours or more.
Granted the management has stated that they are planning on mailing out at least some of the badges this year, but given the poor history, I am not sure it will be enough. The problem has gotten progressively worse every year. Management always says they will be better next year, but they are constantly underestimating the needs of the convention. Attendance has grown every year, but they act like its a big surprise every time. It’s an excuse to be understaffed.
There was a time where at least a few of the lines were inside. Due to the immense growth, it has become a fire hazard to wait inside. So instead, even the lines for the panels are outside. Only a few of those lines have some kind of protection from the sun. Get there at the wrong time or wait for the wrong panel and you are s**t out of luck. Hope you brought sunblock because the sun in Southern California is not kind. I have seen people being taken away by paramedics due to heatstroke. The worst thing is that I have had times where I waited an hour or more in line for a panel only to have the panel be cancelled.
Honestly, this is something to keep in mind if you are planning to cosplay at AX. I remember seeing a couple in a full beauty and the beast cosplay and I felt so bad for both of them. Big ball gowns can get really hot. I’m not sure how the man in the beast costume survived. I can only imagine how hot it was inside the suit itself. Make sure you have plenty of water. It’s easy to over heat quickly in the LA sun.
It has become nearly impossible to get into panels at Anime Expo. If you aren’t lucky enough to get your hands on the premium pass, then you need to get to the line at least an hour before most low to mid level panels and two hours for any major panel. I’m honestly still salty from last year when I waited in line for two hours for the RWBY panel hoping for a trailer for the new season when all we got was the first episode in Japanese. I don’t think I would have been as salty if the panelist hadn’t gone on about how they were saving the trailer to premier at a different convention.
I had become so used to this being the norm that I was confused when I went to Wondercon and was able to get into the majority of panels with ease. This is probably because the people running Wondercon put a cap on attendance. They actually sell out. Anime Expo just continues to sell tickets. Not caring for the experience of their attendees.
The management made too much use of volunteers. Most conventions I have gone to utilize Staff Pro, which has its pros and cons in and of itself. Staff Pro members often aren’t ready for the level of nerd they encounter at conventions. But at least the Staff Pro staff are paid to care and have some sort of training and experience. Whereas the volunteers are not only unpaid, but in my honest opinion taken advantage of. I have known people that decided to volunteer in exchange for free badges into the con, and they weren’t able to do anything. One friend spent a couple of AX’s stuck in a video room with only a single hour to run around the exhibit hall. She even asked my sister and I to scout out what booths she should visit beforehand. Poor thing spent that hour running around trying to fit in as much of the con as possible and she was so tired.
Parking has become an expensive annoyance. It’s even more expensive than other conventions at the same convention center. This is probably because part of the parking lot has been dedicated to Artist Alley. There are other parking areas, but it can be a walk. Depending on how late you are planning on staying at the con it might be worth the extra money. In order to get a parking space you also have to get there early.
Artist Alley being in the parking lot has lead to its own problems. It still manages to be overly crowded. I am glad AX is trying to fit as many artists as possible, but there's still barely enough space to walk around. Plus since it is technically in the parking lot, the air conditioning does not work very well. All those bodies in an already hot space spells trouble. I heard of artists fainting at their booths. Again, California is hot, be careful.
Maybe it’s the long lines, maybe it’s the heat, but I find myself running into far more rude people at AX than any other convention I have been too. There are a lot more people that will take photos of cosplayers without their consent. There was even a huge problem with a man taking photos up girls skirts. Yeah… Creepy. Speaking of creepy, there is honestly an over abundance of hentai. When I first went to AX, all the hentai was kept in one area, and you needed to prove you were over 18 years old to get in. 16 year old me was curious. 18 yeah old me was over it because it was literally everywhere. It is all over the exhibit hall, across multiple booths. I’d be looking at sailor moon DVD’s and manga when I’d come across a DVD with stickers covering what looks like 12 year old anime girls' nipples. I know it’s a drawing but it still creeps me out, it’s still pedophilia. It’s not something I want to see when walking around. I miss the hentai booth.
I’m going to assume this is at least partly to do with the heat, but there is a definite smell. It’s packed and crowded and I definitely get a good whiff of some of the people. It is not pleasant. PSA, shower once a day. You’ll be doing yourself and everyone else around you a favor.
Another thing people need to remember to do is eat. I have seen people faint particularly at AX. The heat is a huge factor, but I also think there's an issue with getting food. No matter where you go to get food it’s going to be a long wait. Inside the convention center the food is, well, convention food. Not great and expensive: a poor combination, but pretty typical for cons. Just outside the center tends to be a few food trucks. Expensive, but at least most tend to be tasty. But you also have to deal with waiting in the sun. Speaking of the sun there are even more food trucks if you manage to make it across the street. The food truck area is always packed. The hot sun combined with the hot running trucks, just plan sucks. I have seen people actually start fighting each other because of disputes in line. It’s just too cramped and uncomfortable.
There are a few things the con management could start doing to make attendance worth the badge prices in my personal opinion. 1. Hire professional staff members. 2. Cap attendance. 3. Move to an even larger convention center (Anaheim is bigger). 4. Provide more shade.
Until at least my concerns regarding basic safety is addressed, I won’t be attending Anime Expo. If any of you attend this year, please let me know your thoughts regarding these concerns and if any of them were addressed.
For a look inside some of my con experiences go check out the video I posted to my channel:
Thanks guys, I’ll see you later.
Comments