Holy Shit, Animé Los Angeles 2017 Was Amazing(Review)
Holy Shit, Animé Los Angeles Was Amazing(Review)
This year I was faced with the impossible decision of attending either PAX South or Animé Los Angeles. While attending both convention is something that I absolutely would have done, they both took place on the same weekend. However, an overwhelming amount of friend recommended Animé Los Angeles hands down. I was surprised by the amount of praise it received despite looking at their website which looked a bit outdated and their guest list was impressive but not jaw dropping for me. I decided to trust my friends and then booked the trip!
Little did I know that I would walk into one of the best conventions I have ever gone to in my life. Let’s find out why!
Location
Animé Los Angeles took place in Ontario, California, and yes I too thought Ontario was only in Canada. Ontario is a sweet, sleepy area that offers so much yet asks for so little in return. Every morning I woke up to a snow covered mountain and marveled in its beauty every single time I stepped outside or even just ate lunch. The people in the area were so kind that it made me feel like I was in a safe area and could walk around without my head being on a swivel which is a unique experience after being so accustomed to Downtown LA or Downtown Phoenix.
The Ontario convention center offered a great amount of space for almost everything the staff and attendees needed. Aside from panel rooms, and an exhibitor hall, they offered a room for exhausted parents to go and relax, a press room for folks to recuperate, a charging station filled with tables and outlets, a changing room for cosplayers, and so much more. They really put time and effort to make their attendees feel comfortable.
Food
I was blown away by the food served by the food trucks at Animé Los Angeles. Every day there were various trucks that would come and service hungry con goers. While there I was able to try the pork sliders at Belly Bombz, the half and half Wacos at Lobos Truck, and so much more! Granted the prices ranged from $4 desserts to $14 meals but they are incredible and so worth it. Nothing beats the feeling of having a great time on the convention floor and then walking right outside to enjoy a great meal while starring out at snow covered mountains. It was phenomenal.
Staff
The staff of Animé Los Angeles were always so kind and so hardworking to ensure everyone was having a fantastic time. I saw the same staff every single day and for the entire duration of the day and every single one of them maintained not even just a level of professionalism but actually went beyond that and looked like they were able to have a blast while working. They chatted casually with attendees as though they were life long friends and geeked out about their shared interests and when it was time to work, they politely commanded the crowds.
I also want to give a huge shout out to the staff stationed in the press room, I believe their names were Corey, Trinity, and Andy? I have a terrible memory so forgive if I got them wrong! These three people worked so hard to make sure the press had whatever information they needed for the event. But the aspect I appreciated the most were those small pockets of times before or between events when we would all just chat with one another about anything and everything. They made me feel welcomed the entire time and I am just blown away by how wonderful their staff and volunteers were!
Cosplay
Toxic Waste Child, Momokun, Vampette, and another coslayer.
Oh man, the cosplayers at Animé Los Angeles were so talented and creative! Everyone from the Momokun who went in her Mei costume to Khainsaw in her Ragyo cosplay looked fantastic! However there were two cosplayers that I thought did a great job this weekend, one of them I am completely and openly bias. His name on Instagram is Hardboiled Pompadour and he only cosplays characters who have pompadours, that is already a 10/10. The other one was the certain of a bit of post con drama unfortunately but the silver lining of that drama is that I found out about them!
Their name is Toxic Waste Child and HE, that is right, he did the most kawaii cosplay of Lille from Pokemon Sun/Moon! I saw him walk around all weekend with Momokun and Vampette and was like ‘Wow! She is really adorable!’ and then after the con it was revealed that it was Toxic Waste Child! Super kudos to him for doing such a stellar job on his cosplay!
Vendors
The vendors at Animé Los Angeles were a mix of familiarity and new items. The artist alley featured such great works of art, various businesses sold figurines, wall scrolls, and so many other common items you see often at conventions. The more unique vendors were Kinfold, Anime Trash Swag, Arsenic + Cyanide and Cosplay Deviants were out and about.
The first three I listed were such unique clothing brands that focus on bringing fashion and Anime together for fans to enjoy. These were not items you could find in any sort of normal shop, these were exclusive and original to their own online stores that many of them work hard to design everything themselves. Although the price might be higher than common stores, it is worth every cent.
Cosplay Deviants was the other booth I was surprised to see. If you are not familiar with the brand, they welcome the sex appeal of cosplay and run with it. Many refer to them as the Suicide Girls of the cosplay world and that actually isn’t too far from the truth! They were super kind to everyone that came by and offered their new calendar and volumes of various photography.
Overall
Animé Los Angeles was incredible in so many ways. I highly recommend that folks check it out! I was told that the years previous were held at a hotel and even with that limited space, it was still a great experience, I can only imagine just how much better this convention will become with time!
Animé Los Angeles
Pros
- Great Culture
- Awesome Staff
- Tons of Cosplayers
- Fun Panels
- Food Trucks
Cons
- N/A
Chicano | Fighting/Writing for Diversity | DM since 08 | Anime Lover | Site: https://www.thegeeklyfe.com | info@thegeeklyfe.com | http://twitch.tv/that_deangelo | https://linktr.ee/deangelomurillo
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