Anime North 2015 Recap

With Anime North 2015 this past weekend, the convention season has officially been kicked off for Canadian nerds! For one weekend in May each year, the Pearson Airport area got overtaken by a band of nerds for the ever-popular convention Anime North.

Over the past few years the Greater Toronto Area has been bursting at the seams with conventions and nerd events, but what makes Anime North special is that every year, it’s like coming home. Established in 1997, it’s size and tenure makes it a staple for many cosplayers and fans in the local area.

Toronto’s Finest came by the con to keep an eye on the events and took quite a liking to the cosplayers!

This year the show had some growing pains, which the showrunners adapted to quite well. After years of occupying the Toronto Congress Centre, the venue finally allowed the con to use the (noticeably more fancy) Northern building for larger performance events such as the opening and closing ceremonies and the masquerade competition. A quick show of hands at the opening ceremonies also revealed just how many fans this year were first-time attendees of Anime North, going to show that a whole new generation of nerds is emerging, ready to embrace our traditions as well as start some of their own.

A packed crowd at the Otakubaloo outdoor rave. Because we take Spring SERIOUSLY once it finally gets here.

The con’s programming continues to provide a great chance for fans to make friends with each other and meet some of their heroes. With panels from cosplayers, actors and authors, presentations by professionals from the Japanese Fashion industry, dances, cosplay contests and concerts, there’s something for everyone to see and talk about.

A stylist from Arda Wigs Canada works her magic on a wig in the dealer’s room.

A note-worthy thing about this year’s Anime North is that the con is a recent inductee into the IOEA (International Otaku Expo Association). An organization that was born in March of this year, their aim is to connect otaku events from around the world in order to share in nerd culture as well as information on con-running. As the first Canadian con to join the association, there is promise that our cons can continue to grow and become better and better.

Now, if only someone had a way to help alleviate Post-Con Depression!