Every Spring in Middle Tennessee, there is a certain event in late March or early April that brings together nerds and geeks from multiple backgrounds and walks of life. They all gather to share their love and admiration for a single cause: an anime convention. Despite the title, Japanese animation isn't the only thing the fans get together in large, crowded hotels to appreciate. The convention holds everything from gaming merchandise, to books, to homemade clothing and jewelry. Everything your regular MTAC goer may ever dream of wanting is just a painfully long dealer room line away. Waiting in line is just one con of a con. Listed in this article are a handful of ups and down of attending.
1. Lines.
Lines for panels. Lines for dealer rooms. Lines for food. Lines. You and your friends always feel accomplished when you make it through the wait, though.
2. Cosplay photoshoots.
Although there always seems to be a surplus of the main character, something only plausible in the world of, say, Naruto.
3. Claustrophobia.
Not to mention the body heat that comes with being packed into the venue like a bunch of weeaboo sardines. A large part of why I can't stand drifting through the crowd for too long.
4. Panels.
I've only been to a couple of panels and none of them were led by anyone particularly famous in the anime scene, but I have watched enough of them on YouTube to realize how more avid fans than me love them when they are managed by someone like Vic Mignogna.
5. Costs.
Convention merchandise can be a bit pricey unless it is something like used manga, but, ideally, the expense is worth the experience as a whole.
6. Dealer rooms.
The entire time you are waiting to enter one, you wonder if it'll be worth
7. Parking.
Even if you plan to stay at one of the two hotels that comprise MTAC's event site, this has been and will continue to be an issue because of location and attendance. Just be prepared to walk and take shuttles.
8. Being proud of your cosplay.
The great thing about a good community of cosplayers is that they will not judge anyone primarily on their size or cosplaying expertise. Even if the majority did criticize them, it wouldn't stop them. Anyone can and will show up in a two piece, and I mean anyone...
9. Being jealous of someone with a more bad-ass cosplay.
Especially when you find out that theirs was homemade or just thrown together.
10. Convention snacks.
Sweet bread and Pocky for days...
....FOR DAYS!
