Concerning German Conventions…part 2

So, I don’t want to bore you with an unnecessary long introduction. Here is part two of my convention review. German cons from midsummer till winter. Hope someone enjoys.

AnimagiC

Page: https://animagic.animania.de

Date: End of July / Early August, 2017: 4.-6.8.

Size: about 15000

City: till 2016 Bonn, from 2017 Mannheim

Prize: rather expensive, about 67 Euro for the whole con (they also offer tickets combined with hotel rooms now for about 300 Euro)

Opening time: long, Friday: 14:00 – 1:00, Saturday: 10:30 – 1:00, Sunday: 11:00 – 18:30

Cloakroom:  I don’t think there is one.

Parking: Don’t know for the new location.

Location photos:

Not usefull cause of the change of location.

Another large German convention is AnimagiC. But in contrast to Dokomi and Connichi it’s (like MCC) a convention set up for profit organized by the German fanzine Animania.  To my mind you notice that clearly already in the more expensive ticket prizes *cough*. But there are also other reasons why some German fans are a bit fed up with AnimagiC. The biggest problem was the fence they set up some years ago to separate the con grounds from the outside area. And you had to pay a small fee even to get inside the fence which didn’t look nice and separated the best photo-location and ppl who didn’t want or couldn’t afford tickets from ppl who could. For this reason the number of attendees decreased quite a bit. But on the other hand Animagic usually always invites 1-2 Japanese mangaka, quite some J-game and anime producers, a musical act (although it has been Zwei for quite some years in a row o.O) and offer also other stuff like an anime cinema… I’m not sure about karaoke and workshops though.  But they have a stage of course and quite some competitions are held and showgroups taking part. To be honest I haven’t been inside since 2008 (long before the fence was implemented….) and wasn’t interested much back then in the program. Maybe cause it was my very first con and I was a bit overwhelmed anyway. Still… I know quite some ppl who love the program… so opinions are very polarized regarding AnimagiC.

About the location I can’t tell besides. In Bonn the Rhine was just great if you wanted to get the impression of the sea and beach. Or you could take photos with trees  or overgrown walls in the background or stroll to the city. As I know Bonn quite well we also shot at the university building once for example or there is a church at the market square. But regardless the con has just moved to Mannheim and although I tried to get an impression beforehand it’s not the same than having actually been there. So it’s rather a big surprise. The same goes for the organization of the con. If they have learned from their mistakes or not. I hope they have. But I possibly won’t be able to judge 2017 as there is another event taking place just at the same weekend which means quite a deal to me. So I will only participate if I have to cancel the other one.

AniNite

Page: https://2016.aninite.at

Date: Late August, 2017: 18.-20.8.

Size: about 20000

City: Schwechat  (part of Vienna)

Prize: reasonable, 35-40 Euro (depending on the date you buy)

Opening time: long, Friday: 10:00 – 22:30, Saturday: 10:00 – 22:30, Sunday: 10:00 - 18:30 (shopping area closes earlier at about 20:00)

Cloakroom:  Yes, for free.

Parking: There are quite some parking spaces, possibly for free even.

Location photos: https://ssl.animexx.de/fotos/event_74526/ 

Videos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdFy81ltQ6g (more focus on inside)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vWOKPRejAk (more focus on outside)

(Bonus if you find me in there xD)

Aninite is the biggest Austrian con and I have to say it differs quite a bit from all German cons I know although we share the same language (more or less cause they have quite some words for example for food which aren’t known in Germany and the other way round). Aninite is set in the middle of summer and the two times I have been there it has been really really hot. Luckily the building is air-conditioned though. The heart of Aninite is its very very big stages just in the middle with tons of seats all around. It’s just like in a pop concert. And they really put lots of effort into the program, showgroups, a Japanese musical act and the cosplay competitions are very great.  Plus there is also in the evening usually an AMV competition. The AMV just look georgeous on the big screens and I got into watching a bit even though I’m not particular into that stuff. Aside from this the also have a rather large food court where you can get some asian, some sweet and some fast-food snacks and drink tea together to relax. The shopping area is also not that small and they have a nice Bring&Buy. There is also an anime cinema, possibly a gamesroom and last year they showed a prepremiere of the Final Fantasy XV movie. Also the area where fan-made stuff is sold (also a part of every German con I forgot to tell about) is pretty large. In addition they have some other competitions for example a small photo challenge every year. And they also have a cosplay-repair station which does really great work (Ok, I might be biased cause I know the guy who runs it… and is a very great crafter). I have to admit I really love Aninite cause of the program. The location outside on the other hand isn’t great at all -.-‘’. We once shot in the carpark, outside on a field with some trees… and there is a small little park close by. Still nothing very great… So the focus really is on the inside. Except for one thing: If you want to get your food and drinks for a good prize there is a supermarket just next to the con. Really recommend buying something there especially as in Austria in contrast to Germany they have no deposit on bottles and cans. The other thing different about this con was that last years there weren’t really any weapon rules O.O. It was a bit strange but great. But as of this year they implemented some as well (basically the same as in Germany at less strict cons). Oh and besides I got the impression that Austrians seem to enjoy taking videos a bit more. It at least it seems to be a bit more common than in Germany.

So, I really recommend Aninite if you are interested in entertainment at cons and like to watch cosplay competitions or to take part yourself.

Connichi

Page: https://www.connichi.de

Date: September, 2017: 22.-24.9.

Size: about 26000

City: Kassel

Prize: rather expensive, 52-61 Euro (depending on when you buy)

Opening time: long, Friday: 14:00 – 0:30, Saturday: 10:00 – 0:30, Sunday: 10:00 - 17:00

Cloakroom:  No.

Parking: If you are early you can park near the con or in the carpark.

Location photos:

https://ssl.animexx.de/fotos/event_74294/

Video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krc0-2_bN74

For quite a long time Connichi was the biggest non-profit anime&manga convention in Germany. It is hosted by the animexx society. Still Connichi is a convention where most of the German cosplayers meet up once a year as it is located right in the middle of Germany. Connichi is located in the city hall of Kassel. So you have the building itself as a location, the rose garden right at the back with its nice flower beds and a bit woody green. Plus there is a huge lawn to picnic there. Other locations close by are a small historical church and the city itself. The location is also great as you can just go by tram a few stations and you’ll find quite a variety of small restaurants along the way. Otherwise the con also offers bubbletea, the usual fast food, some Japanese snacks (this year also this great stuff called crushed ice *-*) and the hotel just next to the city hall also is a place where you can eat if money is not an issue. The con also offers quite some program. There are tons of workshops usually, quite some showgroups and competitions, gamesroom, karaoke, a photo corner, bring&buy (although you have to wait quite long to get inside lately o.O’’) and last but not least they introduced a Japanese matsuri last year which became really great this year. You could try quite some Japanese games there  (like this one http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1198/527687480_cda28424fb.jpg just not with real fish of course ^^’’). And there was a ball pit and they even started a small fire work in the evening *-*. It was really really great and quite something new.

On the other hand the location is usually quite overcrowded. If the weather is good the park is full of cosplayers and you nearly don’t find a place to sit on the grass xD. Ok, a bit exaggerated, but still. So if you don’t like masses, I don’t recommend Connichi to you. But if you do and appreciate some program, it’s a place where you can make many new contacts and see quite many cosplayers on a rather small space. If you want to take photos further away from the con (but it really is time consuming!) there is also a very huge park which makes a great photo location.  Besides the ppl from Kassel usually already know about us and mostly are quite nice. The weather though isn’t always. It’s really a gamble in late summer if it is rainy and rather cold or summerly warm. Anyway I really recommend Connichi as well if you want to get in touch with the German scene.

FBM

Page: http://www.buchmesse.de/de/

Date: Mid-October, 2017: 14.-15.10.

Size: no data about cosplayers but rather midlevel

City: Frankfurt

Prize: don’t remember sorry, but rather inexpensive

Opening time: rather short, Saturday: 9:00 – 18:30, Sunday: 9:00 - 17:30

Cloakroom:  No.

Parking: It’s a fair, so there is no problem.

Location photos: https://ssl.animexx.de/fotos/event_69905/

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kc8an0hgvFU

The bookfair in Frankfurt is traditionally also a cosplay event or at least a part of it is. Afterall it hosts the finals of the German cosplay competition DCM. Aside from this you find quite some cosplayers in the inner patio of the con. It’s not that bad as a photo location in fact if you look for modern buildings (inside and out) or you can also at a certain spot get a quite oldfashioned background. One highlight often used is a window with an ornate golden grate in front or a gate with likewise ornate golden bars. Aside from this there is also a basin with water and some walls. FBM is Ok regarding it’s location but not the best ever to my mind. Still it’s convenient in October to be able to quickly go in- or outside due to the sometimes a bit cold weather. Aside from this there is also a small shopping area and a huge room with the stage where the finals are taking place. Otherwise it’s not really a cosplay convention and you really should be comfortable around usual visitors who sometimes tend to take pictures without asking. Various food you can get at the usual prizes at fairs (so not really cheap).  To my mind FBM is a convention one can attend, but not the most exciting one. But it is easy to get into contact and you can look for international books there and listen to some lectures of German authors.

MMC/Animaco

Page: https://animaco.de / https://www.mmc-berlin.com

Date: late October, 2017: 27. – 29.10.

Size: 7000-10000

City: Berlin

Prize: about 45 Euro (last Animaco) for the whole con

Opening time: rather short, Last Animaco: Friday: 12:00-20:00, Saturday: 8:00-20:00, Sunday: 8:30-13:00

Cloakroom:  ?

Parking: Don’t know. But possibly difficult.

Location photos: https://ssl.animexx.de/fotos/event_74610/

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4BJXzTdeA4 (rather focused on the con inside)

First off I have to admit that I have only been to Animaco once in 2010, so my info is not the most up to date and not really profound. But I can at least keep you from getting confused: In Berlin there are two conventions which take turns. One year it’s Animaco, in the following the MMC takes place. I’m not sure about their difference though. Anyway the location is the same and I don’t have bad memories about the con. Back in 2010 they offered a nice variety of food, there was a park close by where you could take photos with the  falling autumn leaves and there are also quite some supermarkets close by. So you can get everything you need also last minute. The location itself is OK. But I can’t say anything about the program cause it was so lang ago. Just that the have a stage of course I know for sure and I remember the shopping area. The con itself is midlevel in size although I don’t think ppl from very far away attend. It’s rather Berlin and Eastern Germany mainly. Sorry if this wasn’t that helpful, but it’s all I know.

Epiccon

Page: http://epiccon.de

Date: Dezember, 2016: 9.-11.12.

Size: I guess middle, no data available yet

City: Frankfurt

Prize: about 50 Euro for the whole con (but last times you could also get tickets later for 50% or even for free as they tried to promote the con)

Opening time: rather short, 10:00-18:00

Cloakroom:  Yes for a fee per item of luggage.

Parking: It’s taking place at the fair, so no problem at all.

Location photos: https://ssl.animexx.de/fotos/event_77342/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHd3IQbETHc (focused on gamecosplays )

Epiccon was a new con this year and I have to say for a first they did rather well. They had quite a huge shopping area (with sellers I hadn’t seen at other cons before so new merch *-*), a small matsuri just inside though and not as big as the one at Connichi. Two stages were of course also included. Lasertag, bullrides and other nice activities were a great new addition to the usual con program. They also invited quite some special guests like some famous cosplayers, a more or less famous crafter at youtube … and offered some nice workshops as well. The foam crafting one with Evil Ted was so entertaining and usefull *-*. I instantaneously became quite the fan xD. There were also some photobackgrounds (although rather star wars  based or on other series with real actors) and they invited I think also some ppl from the German star wars legion which made for a great view when entering on Saturday when they were lined up right and left at the entrance. Oh and I forgot about the maid café where you could get sweets, cake and tea for free and if you won against the maids you even could win lots for a small tombola :). So all in all quite a good idea and program. Plus outside the location of the bookfair in Frankfurt was rather empty, great for photos ^-^ although the winter in Germany can be rather frosty. On the other hand though…. nearly everything was located in one big hall of the fair and it was very loud… and rather not well lighted… This really squandered a good part of the atmosphere -.-‘’’.Especially the maid café wasn’t an area to chill out as it should have been. There were also some organizational misshaps… for example the signposting outside wasn’t well done, the way by car online was plainly wrong (!) and you got stamps on your hand after showing your tickets just to show your tickets again next time regardless of the stamp? O.o Still, to my mind nothing that couldn’t be improved next time. So, I’d rather recommend this still developing con :). In the future it might become quite big if they learn from their mistakes.

So, now finally these two entries are done and I can go back to focusing on my progress again :). But the toppic wasn't entirely wrong as I attended very many conventions this year. Namely:

Ticon, LBM, Animuc, Dokomi, Hanami, Animagic, Aninite, Connichi, FBM, Epiccon. 

Namely:OMG, really it were 10? Guess that might be a new record. So, no wonder that I got less new cosplays done. But I think you have to decide: More cons or new cosplays... Next blog will contain my review of the year and then I might show a bit about Mystras Leoxses, the cosplay I'm currently working on a bit for Ticon in early March.