UlasanAnime.com – Attending Anime Central 2022 presented a unique experience, especially considering the ongoing global pandemic. The presence of Japan-based guests was a pleasant surprise, though setting realistic expectations was key. The complexities of international travel, including stringent re-entry policies in Japan and ever-changing travel restrictions, made securing guests and processing visas a significant challenge.
The visa process alone can take anywhere from six months to a year, and this must be balanced with the risk of COVID-19 exposure. With highly contagious variants like Omicron, ensuring a guest’s health and their ability to return to their regular work schedule in Japan is a considerable undertaking. This logistical hurdle might explain why some artists, like ASCA and Nano, were able to attend other conventions this spring, such as Boston and Hawaii, suggesting they may have had more flexibility in their schedules.
Other conventions also featured prominent Japanese guests, with ASCA appearing at both Boston and Hawaii, and Nano potentially at Hawaii. Blank Paper was also slated for Otakuthon, which seemed like a safer bet. Diana Garnet managed an overseas trip with relative ease, apparently without visa complications. Conventions also diversified their guest lists, inviting artists like DemonDice and DJs such as TeddyLoid and Moe Shop, who offer a different flavor of entertainment. Anime Central’s lineup also included two popular VTuber guests, raising the question of how to categorize these digital performers.
DemonDice, an indie hip-hop artist based in Japan, is an American artist striving for success in the Japanese music scene. She is also recognized as the persona behind Mori, Hololive EN’s first-generation hip-hop VTuber. DemonDice often performs at conventions, sometimes with Teddyloid accompanying her. While Mori’s music is well-received, DemonDice’s independent work is less familiar. Her performances typically occur in intimate venues, but at Anime Central, she commanded a stage in front of thousands.
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Anime Central maintained its reputation as a lively rave convention. The Saturday night rave featured impressive performances, with Moe Shop delivering hits like “Hyper Bass” and “Good Night Baby.” TeddyLoid surprised attendees with his Nijigasaki song, alongside remixes of popular anisongs released in previous years. Having recently attended the Bandai Namco Festival, the author was already in a receptive mood for music like Denonbu.
The long queues for DemonDice and HoloEN performances served as a tangible reminder of the massive fanbases supporting VTubers like Gawr Gura. The HoloEN panel, featuring Gawr Gura and Bae, was particularly enjoyable. The use of remotely controlled cameras to capture the audience’s reactions and the innovative method of crowd interaction through props and signs, rather than a traditional chat, were well-executed. This format was reportedly superior to the HoloEN panel at another convention, ANYC.
Beyond the scheduled events, Anime Central provided an opportunity to reconnect with friends and explore Chicago. The author took advantage of the visit to see a Cubs game and enjoy the city’s offerings, including its famous hot dogs. This experience was made all the more satisfying by the absence of any COVID-19 infection, despite the rising case numbers in the Midwest during mid-May 2022. Reasonable precautions, such as consistently wearing an N95 mask, were taken, especially in crowded areas like the convention center and hotel ballrooms.
Anime Central’s decision to relax its COVID-19 policy just a week before the event was met with some criticism, shifting from a mandatory vaccination and mask policy to a mask-optional approach in certain areas. While this change was handled poorly, the impact was perhaps mitigated by the prevalence of community spread and the fact that many attendees continued to wear masks voluntarily.
In conclusion, Anime Central 2022 was a necessary event that met the demand of its attendees, despite some missteps, particularly concerning its COVID-19 policy. Ultimately, the overall experience remained positive. The author plans to delve deeper into thoughts on COVID-19 and the current state of anime conventions in a future post. For those who can approach conventions with a relaxed mindset and incorporate personal interests, they can be highly enjoyable, especially with unexpected appearances like four members of Happiness and one from iScream, who brought JP-idol style performances to the event.
PS. Food and Loot:
Dinner at Gibson’s was a notable experience, culminating in catching Mocho’s stream. In retrospect, this dining experience might have posed the highest COVID-19 risk of the weekend, but fortunately, the author’s party remained unaffected.
A Friday dinner at Pequod’s proved the pizza to be as highly regarded as its reputation suggests. The deep-dish pan pizza, with its excellent crust and toppings, was a standout culinary experience.
Byron’s is a well-established institution, offering solid, albeit somewhat pricey, food. Chicago-style hot dogs, while delicious, are not always the most photogenic. During the trip, other noteworthy hot dogs and brats were sampled, including those from the bleacher-only Hot Doug’s, which were particularly exquisite.
The author spotted a familiar face at multiple restaurants, indicating a well-traveled individual.
Special thanks to artists @kawaiipony2 and @meidolethplush for their “horse girl” artwork purchased at the convention.
