It’s that time of year again and another edition of Anime North!
I think the first time I went to Anime North was back around 1997 or 1998, when the event first started up. I can’t believe how many years it’s been already – I never thought about this till just now. I think I only went to it 3 or 4 times though, mostly due to other engagements during the AN weekend or that I forget the event date and don’t remember till the week after! Yeah, d’oh! But I think it may also be the fact that not many of my friends are into the anime stuff so no one reminds me.
This year is different though, I actually remember it’s next weekend and I don’t really have much to do. I’m seriously considering going this year since I haven’t gone in a few years, but I’m still somewhat on the fence.
I think it’s all different for me now as I have drifted away from the anime scene quite a lot, it also doesn’t help when I feel like I’m getting too old for AN. Then again, I’ve started collecting anime figures so I really shouldn’t be saying anything about being too old! ^_^
Thinking about AN really brings back some long lost memories, although I can’t remember my first visit, I do recall tidbits from subsequent visits. I remember my friends doing a skit during the Masquerade and I think they won best fight choreography or something like that. I also remember always bumping into a friend of a friend, Annie, who always dressed up as Final Fantasy characters with her sister and her friends – they usually draw quite a crowd. There was also the time when one of my friends yelled out “Yo, check out that chick’s legs!! She’s pretty hot!” so we all turn and look and laughed out hysterically as that girl turned out to be a guy. :D
That reminds me, there was also the time when AN was hosting a cosplay fashion show or something like that and there were a few visitors from Japan that decided to go up on stage too. They were just wearing typical Asian fashion, but the crowd seemed to have really liked them, especially when two of the girls kissed. I think I have that photo somewhere in my archives.
One thing that turned me off about Anime North was the vendors in the market place; the prices they set on their items are usually jacked up to an insane number yet we still chomp on them like mindless zombies. But then again, that was a number of years ago, back when Internet shopping was still not all that common. So I might actually go check it out this year to see how things have changed.
Another reason for my going is that I wanted to do a mini-coverage of the event for this blog / review, but since I don’t have time to do all three days I’ll just pick a random day to go take some pics. It should be interesting nevertheless!
This entry is a little boring without pictures, but since those old photos are in one of my archives, I’m too lazy to dig them up at the moment.
note: the modified title image is grabbed off the Anime North website so credits go out to their designer!
If I recall correctly from last year, the figure prices tend hover around what one would pay online. Figmas and Nendos are another story, though, as they are more popular among the “sucker” crowd. Personally, I was disappointed by the dismal prices of the models present — they were marked up wayyyy higher than the internet prices. The worst thing is, after paying around 35 bucks to get in, I’m usually compelled to buy something, as if wasting money is the obligatory thing to do. Oh well, I’ll probably spend the dough to catch up with the few manga series I’m collecting.
I’ll be going on the Sunday, so who knows — maybe we’ll bump into each other without knowing!
I rarely trust the prices at these events – it’s a great time for vendors to up the price and make some extra $$$.
Yep – I might go on Sunday too, so who knows! lol I’ll most likely be carrying around my Canon 5D MKII. =D
So far away from here =.=
i wouldnt mind going.
sounds fun.
The vendor rooms was pretty much all jacked up prices this year, for figures anyway. Got some good deals on manga though, but I really only go for the figures. >_>
Last year was my first time going and it was a little better, with more deals on figures, my friend tells me the year before there were a lot of good deals. I guess the prices have been going back up though ;(
Oh, and holy hell, there were a lot of bootleg Nendos, I don’t know if I even saw a single legit one the whole weekend.