What do gamers do when they don’t play games? Once a year they let loose at the all-out geek fest that is Anime Central, the Midwest Anime and Manga Convention in Rosemont, Ill. A three-day convention where gamers, anime and manga fans, artists, voice actors and celebrities unite to celebrate their passion for this Japanese-influenced art form, this year marked the 15th Anniversary. The great thing about Anime Central is that it’s so diverse and multi-faceted that everybody can find something for themselves. Here’s a look at some of major parts that shape this event.
Cosplayers
One of the most exciting parts of ACen are the cosplayers – people who dress up as their favorite characters. Cosplayers dressed as Master Chief from Halo, Dante from Devil May Cry, Lightning, Cloud, Yuna from the Final Fantasy games, Ezio from Assassin’s Creed and countless others regularly walk the convention area, ranging from recognizable and impressive to mistakable and laughable. There were over 146 photoshoots schedules for representatives of various anime shows and video games. For my part, I cosplayed for the first time as the Companion Cube from Portal. Not to boast, but I was probably asked to have my picture taken close to a hundred times.
Stars
The guests of honor are also Anime Central highlights. Some names are known among the nerd-inclined that make them as recognizable as Angelina Jolie. The most exciting part is that most of them have their own panels and fans have opportunities to get merchandise signed, take a picture and exchange a few words. Some notables include: Cristina Vee, who voices Noel in the Blazblue series and helped direct the new fighting game Skullgirls, Johnny Yong Bosch, who voiced many anime and video game characters (also known for playing the Green Power Ranger) and Travis Willingham, best known for Colonel Mustang from the hit anime series Fullmetal Alchemist.
The Panels
A major feature of ACen are panels, presentations and other interactive amusements on all kinds of topics. You can find one for almost every special guest and some educational ones, such as “How to Run an Anime Club,” “Making Webcomics!” and more. I went to a “Competitive Fighting Game” panel, which explained the nuances of today’s tournament options and gave eclectic tips. Another big highlight was “Video Game Orchestra,” a “rockestral” synthesis of rock and orchestral music from famous games, which notably included Final Fantasy XIII composer Masashi Hamauzu. They played the iconic “One-Winged Angel,” “Snake Eater” from Metal Gear Solid 3 and more. This was definitely the highlight of the convention for me.
The Goods and Games
Other than organized events, the vendor and exhibition halls are always open. Over 150 artists present their goods: artwork showcasing various characters, hats, figures, buttons and other crafts. The other half of stores are merchandise: everything from posters and wall scrolls, authentic swords and weapons to Japanese video game imports. I saw a vendor selling Suikoden, so I inquired whether he had the more elusive Suikoden II, which he did – but sold the previous day for $220.
Another important part is the dedicated gaming area, which was pretty impressive this year. It was split into three areas: old school arcades, tabletop/card games and console games – mostly fighting games, but there were a few music games. I spent a lot of time playing Blazblue: Continuum Shift Extend even though the community is pretty small compared to Marvel vs Capcom 3’s popularity.
Overall, I highly recommend ACen to anyone who’s at least a little interested in any aspect of this geeky culture. The great thing about ACen is its inclusiveness: Everyone feels welcome and recognized no matter how obscure their interests may be. Whether you’re there just because you like some video games and art or just want to dress up, whether you’re an old-school Evangelion fan or hardcore Halo player, you can find your place there. I felt empowered and reaffirmed in my nerdiness, a quality that I often wish would be a little more prevalent among Northwestern students.