UlasanAnime.com – The Animazement 2012 convention has concluded, and this article provides a comprehensive wrap-up of the event, covering attendance, accommodation experiences, photographic endeavors, cosplay observations, travel details, dining highlights, and the highly anticipated musical performances and guest panels.
As is customary, significant details are highlighted with bold text for easy navigation.
Details
Attendance for Animazement 2012 was estimated at around 7,600 individuals, maintaining its reputation as a premier convention. The event took place in Raleigh, NC, from May 24th to May 28th, 2012. While programming began on Thursday evening, the convention primarily functioned as a weekend event, with Saturday seeing the largest influx of attendees.
The official website for the convention is Animazement.org.
Hotel
The hotel experience was less than ideal due to the absence of in-room Wi-Fi and a malfunctioning ethernet port. This prevented timely updates and uploads. Time was instead spent catching up on seasonal anime and attempting to upload cosplay photos. Despite these issues, the hotel was noted for its affordability.
A scam call was also received in the room, serving as a reminder to exercise caution when sharing credit card information over the phone in a hotel.
Camera Crap
A new Sigma 30mm 2.8f E-mount lens was tested and proved to be excellent for hall cosplay and group photography due to its sharpness. The lack of zoom capability was a minor drawback for panel shots, but the presence of fellow photographers with full-frame DSLRs and extensive lenses meant that those photos might be available later. The author also considered the need for a wider pancake lens for future convention photography, acknowledging a learning curve in optimizing equipment choices.
Cosplay
Cosplay at Animazement 2012 featured a variety of popular characters, with a notable presence of “Panties” characters, as predicted. There was also an observed increase in cute female character cosplays compared to previous years.
The Way Down
The journey to the convention involved carpooling with fellow attendees, including “Paranda,” who was described as cool and quiet. The travel experience was collectively summarized by the phrase “I95SUX,” referencing a license plate seen during the trip.
The Eats
Dining experiences ranged from a sports pub on Thursday night offering English brews and food, to a Korean restaurant on Friday night. The Korean establishment, Seoul Garden, was praised for its family-style BBQ and flavorful dishes, particularly the mandoo and kimchi jae yook bokum. Saturday night’s dinner was at Poole’s Diner, known for its mac & cheese. The author also enjoyed a unique Danish “breakfast” brew and a seafood entree with exceptional flavors, despite a small portion size.
Dessert at Poole’s included a coffee-flavored flan and a dark chocolate pudding with sea salt, both highly lauded for their complex and satisfying taste profiles. The author noted how these desserts complemented each other without being overwhelmingly sweet. A Waffle House dinner on the third day was also enjoyed, highlighting American cuisine’s quality across different price points.
KOTOKO Concert
The highlight for many attendees, including the author, was the KOTOKO concert. Her live performances are consistently enjoyed, and her appearance at Animazement was a major draw. The concert experience was immersive, with the author securing a front-row spot and enthusiastically participating. Despite a challenging footing on a sloping dance floor and being surrounded by taller individuals, the overall experience was highly enjoyable.
A detailed account of the concert can be found in a separate post. Following the concert, attendees had the opportunity to get autographs and purchase merchandise. The author managed to attend these post-concert activities after a quick trip back to the hotel to prepare.
KOTOKO Panel, Others
The KOTOKO panel provided an engaging experience, featuring marketing material, tour photos, and a Q&A session. A notable moment was the inclusion of an eroge-related question, which elicited an amusing reaction from KOTOKO. The author plans to review the audio recording for further insights.
Due to a delay in receiving her donations, KOTOKO’s merchandise was not available at the charity auction. However, her items were later featured in the art auction. This also led to the observation that Ichiro Itano’s sketch would be auctioned the following day.
Ichiro Itano
Ichiro Itano was described as a friendly and approachable individual. His panel conveyed a sense of someone who, through circumstance and opportunity, has achieved significant success. The presence of a stand-up photo of Ishiguro further underscored his connections within the industry.
The author expressed regret over scheduling conflicts that prevented attendance at Itano’s memorial event for Ishiguro and Maruyama’s panel, recognizing the valuable insights these industry veterans offer. Recordings of Itano’s panel are intended for a future write-up, promising interesting details about his work, including Tsuritama and Urobuchi. The author also noted playfully tagging Itano’s 3DS.
Fumiko Orikasa
Fumiko Orikasa was perceived as more prim and proper than initially expected, possessing a refined demeanor. While she participated in three panels, the author was only able to attend one main panel due to scheduling conflicts. The panel featured insightful questions from attendees, and the author asked about the Koikaze OP, receiving a “it’s a secret” response.
Despite the limited direct engagement, the author acknowledged that Orikasa shared a wealth of information about her various roles. The author lamented the challenging scheduling that forced difficult choices between attending multiple guest panels simultaneously.
Toshio Furukawa
Toshio Furukawa, a veteran voice actor, exhibited the same enthusiasm and passion for his work as observed at previous events. His panel included his figure collection and his wife’s presence, documenting the event. The author was pleased to finally obtain an autograph from Furukawa, having missed the opportunity at a prior convention, despite having had a brief conversation with him.
The presence of Hiroshi Nagahama at Furukawa’s panel suggested a collaborative spirit among the guests, with attendees circulating to show support.
Hiroshi Nagahama
Hiroshi Nagahama’s Sunday panel was characterized by a relaxed atmosphere where he shared personal stories. Having attended multiple conventions, he appeared to be a seasoned guest. The author arrived late to the panel and had to move to the front row to hear clearly due to the interpreter’s fatigue and ambient noise. The author plans to write a detailed account of this panel, along with Itano’s.
Loot and Charity Auction
(The image does not include the Kotoko tour shirts.)
Acquired merchandise included a sketch from Nagahama and a figure of Koromo. The author noted that KOTOKO could have offered a wider variety of merchandise. The Charity Auction featured a diverse range of items, including autographed merchandise from Funimation voice actors and unique pieces donated by guests.
Nagahama donated a DMC t-shirt and two shikishi boards, one of which the author purchased. Fumiko Orikasa contributed autographed stickers and the hat she wore to the US, which fetched a notable price. Ichiro Itano donated various items, including a Macross poster-book and Blassreiter posters.
An interesting aspect was the inclusion of one of Itano’s sketches in the Sunday Art Auction, typically reserved for Artist Alley items. KOTOKO’s merchandise, including a band t-shirt with autographs and an encore t-shirt, was also sold at competitive prices. The author observed that this charity auction was notably less competitive than others previously attended.
Random Bits
The author missed Taka’s panel and Maruyama’s entirety, expressing a desire to discuss MAPPA with the latter. Efforts are underway to refine interchangeable lens camera setups for future conventions. A broken Streetlight MultiX was attributed to the intense experience at KOTOKO’s concert.
A striking anime-style t-shirt vendor was noted, though the $25 price point for their original artwork was considered a gamble. The vendor was located at the end of the Animazement artist alley.
You might also be interested in : Animazement 2012: Day 3
The author extended gratitude to friends met at the convention, anticipating future encounters. The new looks of Misuzu and LOAE were also positively remarked upon.
