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Animanga took over the Fairplex Expo Hall #4 this weekend from August 3rd-5th. The theme is in the name itself; the convention aims to celebrate Anime, Manga, and Japanese pop culture.
Badges
Standard badges were priced at $10 a day or $15 for the weekend. Premium badges were $40 a day or $60 for the weekend. Premium badges included perks of a standard badge but also access to the VIP lounge and preferred seating. They could be purchased online or at the gate.
Parking
Parking was $12 a day on the Fairplex grounds. Although the pass stated that there was no re-entry to the gate for the same day, we didn’t have any issue getting back in. The parking was generally about a 5 minute walk to the expo hall. If you parked further you could also take a shuttle closer to the front.
Food
Food was available in and outside of the expo hall. There were concession stands where you could buy yourself a corn dog or a beer. Outside there were a few food trucks like Okamoto Kitchen.
Panels / Events
Animanga hosted panels each day although differently than one might be accustomed to experiencing. The panels were held openly on a stage. Seats for events and panels were open seating. When seats were taken up, attendees were allowed to sit or stand on the side to watch.
The panels included Youtubers like Caleb Hyles and Lost Pause, musicians such as Midnight Shinigami and Kohei & TiA, and even events for attendees to participate in such as the Cosplay Contest and Otaku Trivia.
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Guests
Guests for the convention weren’t just limited to panelists. Prominent voice actors like Max Mittelman and Kyle McCarley were there for photo ops and autographs. There were also popular cosplayers like Ashlynn Dae, and Angi Viper who set up booths for guests to take pictures and discuss their work.Â
Exhibitors & Artist Alley
The convention brought a number of vendors and artists to showcase their products and provide goodies for purchasing. Most products for sale related to the convention’s theme.Â
Itasha
The Itasha are cars that are wrapped and/or decorated with Japanese style characters from movies, anime, or video games. Owners generally take their Itasha cars to anime themed conventions to showcase their style and there was no shortage at Animanga. A portion of the hall was set up to display several vehicles stylized with different anime characters.
Gaming Tournaments
In the middle of the expo hall was where the gaming tournament was set up for visitors to battle it out. A schedule was set up for different games each day. Games included in the tournament were Mariokart 8, Street Fighter, and Dragon Ball Z. There were also rows of computers set up for attendees to participate in other games such as Fort Nite. Although not tied to the Gaming Tournament, there a row of old school arcade games was set up.
Overall
Animanga is a great convention if you’re looking for something casual and more intimate. The entire convention is featured in one expo hall, which allows you to peruse all the vendors and exhibits in one day. There was a lot of less stress in making sure that we saw everything and we felt like there was a lot of emphasis on attendee activities and interaction. At $10 a day, it is a great price point for the value. We’re excited to see this convention grow and look forward to attending Animanga in the future!
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