My AR Academia - Anime Revolution 2019
written by Justin Prince (@prince_justin)
Making our way back to Anime Revolution in Vancouver BC, a con we’re happy to say was one of our staples and steady favorites for years. We’ve made a lot of friends up in Canada and Lifted Geek has been a part of this con since damn near the very beginning of it. It’s weird to think how long it’s been since our first AR and with the years continuing, I wonder how much more this con can really do.
As far as programming goes, Anime Revolution hasn’t changed much. The staples were still there, the Swimsuit Contest and Anime Dating Game have always been crowd pleasers with events like the Walk Off and Cosplay Contest consistently getting rooms filled. But aside from those, there has been a slight disconnect between the programming from these heavy hitters and the programming from everything else.
At the end of it, Anime Revolution for us ended up being a fairly consumer heavy show. We spent a good amount of our time shopping for merch, checking out the artist’s alley, hitting up the vendors, and just hanging out with our friends. As a social con, Anime Revolution still hits a steady high with this being one of the only Anime Cons in Vancouver BC, I wonder to myself if they grew complacent because of the lack of competition? I mean, Vancouver gets events like Fan Expo and the like, the comic and media heavy shows meant more to bring people out of the woodwork to nab a picture with their favorite celeb. I guess one major point of criticism I need to make about AR as a whole is to step up their game and really improve the programming. While a good chunk of my convention experience has me spending it in a vendor hall, especially the artist alley, I do want to be able to distract myself with interesting panels and events.
As for the cosplayers, since Anime cons are always great for the cosplay crowd. Everything from Pokémon to Boku No Hero. I do enjoy this con as a cosplay show. Some talented folks show off pieces they were working on for months, all to grab a few shots from con photographers and fans alike. This does remind me though why I miss AR’s old location. I don’t know if it was just me, if I am getting older, or if I am just chronically lethargic but I found myself so tired during this show. The lack of natural lighting in the exhibitor’s hall made it feel less like I was enjoying a con and more like I am navigating a dungeon. The fluorescent lights were blinding but in a bad way, and this perfectly sums up why I miss the old hall. I would gladly trade it back if I could.
At the end of the day, what I need to ask myself is if the trip was worth it. Did this show deliver and do I recommend it? Honestly, I’ve noticed a decline in this convention’s quality and this year was no exception. I’d love it if it could recapture the glow it once had, sure the convention space was smaller and panel rooms were more cramp… but it had a certain charm to it that doesn’t seem to exist at the moment.
I know there was some controversy regarding a certain individual that should have been removed from the premises, honestly you can google it if you really want to find out since I won’t lay it out for you here… but I feel like the con handled the situation poorly and I hope this could be a learning experience for the show going forward. I’d love to come back, I love visiting beautiful British Columbia and this con gave me an excuse to do it… please don’t make me have to hike the Grouse Grind every time I need an excuse to go north of the border.
