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nice to attend a convention that was growing in size. Before this convention, I had predicted that
someday this convention would be larger than Ani-Magic, which has been around longer and had
set the standard for the small anime conventions in Southern California. In it's second year,
Anime LA is already larger than Ani-Magic. What has happened to this convention is truly
remarkable. The convention drew a little over 600 attendees in its first year. This year, attendance
was over 1,200 on the second night. No matter which way you look at it, that's phenomenal
growth.
This convention has a lot of things going for it. It comes at a time of the year when fans have no
other events to go to and its location makes it easier for people to attend for just one day if they
wish. Most of all, this convention tries very hard to keep the fans happy. Last year, attendees
wanted and asked for a game room and karaoke. This year, we got those things. We also got a
larger dealers room and more overall space. Judging by this year's growth, this convention will
need more space for 2007 and it will be interesting to see how this is dealt with.
For me, Anime LA is what conventions are all about. There's not a lot of glitz here. There are
fewer guests of honor. The exhibit hall doesn't have booths that are several stories high. The
video rooms aren't the size of movie theaters. Conventions are still about fans coming together
and having a good time being themselves and sharing their interests. For a convention to be
great, all it really needs is a helpful, honest staff and an enthusiastic group of fans. I've been to
many cons, large and small, but this is one of those cons where everybody is like family, and
that's something that you don't feel at many cons. That's why I go to conventions.
See you in 2007,
Nergene Arquelada
"Super No. 1"