Hey guys! This is our first post in almost a month, as our internet reliability has not been on our side. However we’re working hard to make sure we get some content up for you guys to enjoy on our social media pages. With Spring coming to an end and Summer right around the corner, convention season will be at an all-time high! That’s why the good duo from D&A Anime Blog is here to help!

For many of us who are just stepping into the anime world for the first time, there will come a point in your life as a fan that you’ll find yourself wanting to go to your first anime convention. Anime meetups are awesome, but an anime convention is like a family reunion for all types of anime fans from all walks of life. It’s almost like going to summer camp, but instead you’ll be paling around with other otaku just like you! As a newbie to the convention scene you have no idea what to expect upon your first visit, so that’s why we’re breakdown everything for you in this little post we’d like to call; The Newbie’s Guide To Anime Cons by us! D&A! 😉

The best place to look for a con, is right in your state!

With anime being a mainstream medium (now) there are tons of conventions happening every weekend all over North America as well as in third world countries. Some of them are big and may contain a six-figure attendance level, while others are a bit low key and less crowded. To figure out what type of convention suits you, do some research and look online for the type of anime convention you (and your friends, if they’re into anime) would like to go to. You’d be surprised at what kind of cons you can find in your own backyard, especially if you happen to live in Texas – the central hub of FUNimation. Once you found a con you want to go to, the next thing you’ll need is money. Why?

Because unless you own a bike, you’re gonna need two pairs of wheels!

Anime cons are awesome, but 99.9% of the time they’re not around the corner from your house. This means you’re gonna need a car, or call an uber or lyft if you plan on getting to your con. You’re also going to need money for your badge as well. Depending on the con itself, badges can range between $10-100 per person, and that money helps to pay for the AV equipment as well as the voice actors that you’re trying to see.

There are some conventions that are hotel-based; meaning that the con is inside of the hotel that the organization has paid for and booked. With that being the case you also need to make sure you have some money saved and stored away to take care of your hotel room (if you plan to stay the night). This is where having a couple of friends come in handy, because you’ll be able to split the cost of the room depending on how many people you bring with you to the con.

At an anime convention the biggest thing you’ll see, is cosplay! Cosplay is the holy grail of all things anime when it comes to anime conventions. Cosplay is for everybody; and no matter your size, ethnicity, or race, you can be any of the characters that you admire or even love. As a con newbie there will be so much for you to do and see while you’re there, which might be the reason why most cons are three days long. Also as a con newbie, convention safety is the con’s #1 priority. The biggest rule that you’ll most likely see is “Cosplay is NOT Consent!” which means that sexual harassment of a cosplayer is not allowed under any circumstances. If you see something or if it has happened to you, report it to the con staff as soon as possible.

The last thing you’ll probably experience as a con newbie would be what con veterans would call the “Post-con Blues”. It’s that sudden rush of depression right after a convention, where you’ve had so much fun and met so many awesome people, that once the convention is over, you’ll probably never see those people again until next year. That will bring any fan down, but the best way to combat against that would be to look for more conventions in your area, or if you’re looking to travel out of state, save your money and look for cons out of town.

Cons are awesome, and each one has a different experience for any and every fan of anime and manga, so you’ll probably have to go to as many of them as you can each year, to get a feel of the various experiences you’ll receive at any of the cons you go to. That will do it for this post as well as our newbie guide to anime cons. If you have any more questions or want more advice, you can hit us up on our Contact Us page or even check out our Anime Conventions & Cosplay Tips button on our main page.

Until next post, stay nerdy! 🙂