If you’ve ever been to an anime convention… this post is for you. Top 10 Annoying Things about anime conventions packed into a convenient gift set. Enjoy the ride!
1. “How do I get into voice acting?”
We’ve all had that one person in the audience who asks the notorious question to voice actors. “How do I get into voice acting?” even after they cover it prior in their speeches and despite the notorious YouTube responses that answer this question. Most panelists will be kind and answer anyway, or some will be short and sweet with the “honest hard work” approach. No matter how bad someone needs this question answered, please, spare the audience and ask in private. I groan every time I hear it asked or hear the common spiel that is replied.
2. “Ew…” Bad Hygiene (AKA Con Funk)
If you’ve never been an anime convention, then you’ve never experienced the pure vile smell of a fresh “I’ve slept in my car without a shower all weekend” on Sunday morning. It’s usually the greasy faced person sitting next to you with a disaster wig on. Perhaps it was someone more fortunate, but impotently lazy as they have ruined the experience for their entire hotel room and not touched a sink all weekend or showered off their make-up. To be blunt, when one raves all night on Saturday… please take a shower. No one wants to smell you, or the Febreze ninja’s that lurk within the con HQ might attack.
3. “I only have $20”
Even my own personal friends have been guilty of this notion, only bringing the minimal amount to con.
For example, I had an old friend who would spend Sunday gathering change out of their car just to get more fan gear from the Artist Alley, but expected me to pay for their food? Quick to say, we arn’t friends anymore. Sometimes, it’s best to be adult about these things.
Even though your favorite all-time voice actor is going, or your senpai or friends, if you can’t afford it… sometimes it’s best to stay home and earn some of that cold hard cash for the next con you can attend. It’s only sensible and I’m not imagining this, right?
4. When someone comes to con with absolutely no plan, whatsoever.
Understandably, mistakes can happen during con: your car can break down, you get injured, your hotel makes a huge mistake, or you didn’t bring your wig. However, there are some con-goers and even sellers who come to con without any plan… whatsoever. No hotel. No transportation. No money. No food. Can you not?
Seriously, if you have friends nearby that are going… this puts them in an awkward care-giving position—where they just look at you in disbelief. If you don’t have any friends yet at the convention, you might have the possibility of being suspended or kicked out. Please, please,… just plan. Just a little, even.
5. “Do not touch” applies to props, too.
I cannot tell you how many times my props have been touched or stolen (as a prank) when in cosplay. Whether it’s a giant pipe or a small pokéball, it’s like people think they are able to touch and bend anything that isn’t theirs.
Most of the time, this is the younger con-goers who haven’t earned their maturity badge yet, but sometimes, yes, even real grown adults do this.
One of the first times I cosplayed Russia, I had a smaller Hetalia cosplayer run off with my pipe that I worked many hours on. I proceeded to chase after them, and when I retrieved my pipe they proceeded to jerk and pull it away from me.
My eyes grew wide while I simply said, “Please, please, it’s so fragile! It’s just a prop!” worried that all my hard work might be done for.
In the end, it took me being in near tears to gain my pipe back and since then, I’ve been very careful about letting someone who is non-staff touch my props.
There are many stories that could be filled in this space, whether it’s wigs, clothes, props, or even “cosplay is not consent,”but it boils down to pure respect. If you want to see someone’s hard work…. Ask permission first.
6. The Cosplay Elite (AKA The Snob Elite)
A state of delusion in which one (The elitist) believes oneself – and a small group with whom one associates – to be less incompetent or more useful than the rest of society.
7. We’re not real characters, we are human beings.
This goes along with “cosplay is not consent” and generally us not being the actual characters. Now, we cosplay these characters because we feel connected to them in some sort of fashion; however, this does not mean we are open to being harassed just because we are a villain or hero costume.
Countless times I’ve seen people “take hold” of a character, making it appear as if they are the only one who can cosplay said character.
For example, someone that is famous for cosplaying Naruto shouldn’t try to “take hold” of Naruto. #1, the character is not your’s to begin with, he’s copyrighted. #2, you are a human being, there’s no way you can actually “be” Naruto, so don’t make it difficult for others, and #3, instead, the cosplayer should give encouragement to those who want to cosplay a character that is close to them. Share your headcanons and talk, it’s good to be able to relate on the subject.
8. Unprepared Panels
Have you ever sat there and been tortured over and over, gouged in the eye, or had to sit through an unprepared panelists panel?
Again, mistakes happen where PowerPoints cease to work, technical difficulties with mics or speakers, or even an audience member accidentally tripping on a chord.
However, this section is specifically for those who have absolutely no plan but just a “Q&A” or a “Well, time to ask us questions.” To where there is no planning concerning the seating chart, game rules, or anything applicable. Please, if you want people to enjoy your panel… not everything has to be planned out to a “T,” but it does need some structure.
9. Let’s have a photo shoot in the middle of _____!”
One picture or two is fine, but do you ever have those annoying photoshoots that seem to be at the worst place at the worst time? Yeah. Move.
10. “Where’s your mom?”
Example 1: When you’re rooming in a hotel room with a minor and they have no way of transportation, no common sense, and you have to literally teach them to survive a few days without mommy and daddy. (remind them you need to sleep before 5 a.m. and for them to please take a shower.)
Example 2: When you’re walking down a hallway and get tackled (aka, glomped) by a small fan,… except they’re not that small. You are grateful for the praise, but your back and props have you worried out of your mind.
Example 3: When you see a teen crying in the hallway, you see their friends comforting them and you wonder…. Where are there parents/guardians?
Bonus: Post-Con Blues
Monday hits you like a brick.
Sewing Senpai Cosplay 
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