Authors: Chris Taylor and Daisy Evans Official Site: fanime.com Fanime is one of the largest anime conventions in North America. Held in San Jose, CA during Memorial Day weekend, Fanime is a very fan centered convention and features many fan-run panels and events, as well as some notable guests of honor. The Japanese band FLOW was particularly popular. We heard people talking about their concert all weekend. The dealer’s hall and artist alley were both quite sizable and offered a large assortment of wares. Fanime included many panels for all types of fans. Panels topics ranged from cosplay to manga and music to instructional sessions and the increasingly popular steampunk genre. There was even a dojo, where convention goers could attend workshops on various martial arts topics ranging from basic self defense to specific weapons. The game room was another very large area with all sorts of video games, as well as board games and some live action gaming. Our favorite highlight from the game room was a live action game called Ninja. Players must tag one another’s hands while performing an array of ninja-like moves and protecting their own hands from being tagged. An entire crowd of players began each game in a circle, and as each game progressed, the fluid-like movements of the ninjas became more and more intense until only two remained for a final showdown. Cosplayers were all around, and they brought out their best costumes for Fanime. Saturday and Sunday were the biggest days for cosplay. We were excited to see such a large range of fandoms represented by so many excited fans. The masquerade on Sunday highlighted some very talented cosplayers by showing off their wonderful costumes and skit performances. Saturday and Sunday were the busiest days of the convention. Friday had a more casual environment, while Monday slowed down as everyone cleared out of the convention and headed home. On Saturday, the busiest day of all, the at-the-door registration line was pretty massive. The hallways were very crowded, filled with a vibrant atmosphere and lots of people who were ready to have a fun weekend. It seems like everyone did have a great time, and the overall convention environment was very inviting.

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For more information on FanimeCon 2011 please see the earlier coverage here on SciFi Japan:

• FanimeCon Returns to San Jose, May 27-30
• FanimeCon 2011 Updates
• FanimeCon 2011 this Weekend in San Jose, CA