Anime Boston 2017: Fandom Above All

By: Aperture.ISOFor one of the smaller East Coast conventions, Anime Boston is one of my favorites. The fans are great, the size is great, and the cosplay scene has heart. This is something that is usually hard to come by in today’s convention scene. Walking the crowd, you get this overwhelming sense of community and support.The cosplayers at Anime Boston love their characters, and love each other’s characters. There is a connection built by people who may have never even met. But, because they see someone who may be dressed as their character’s love interest - or even their enemy - they will run to each other and hug…or strike a pose. It was very refreshing to see this kind of appreciation for somebody else’s effort.While Anime Boston may be an anime convention by name, there is a potpourri of different fandoms represented. The majority are dressed as anime characters; however, you can just as easily find Stormtroopers, Disney princesses, or even western superheroes. Anything goes and it is all appreciated by the fans.There were some prominent themes this year. With the winter anime season coming to a close and the hype of the spring the season starting, a few popular anime were in the forefront of everyone’s minds. Yuri on Ice and My Hero Academia were extra popular, with the former just ending its first season, and the latter making its second season debut during the convention. Classics such as One Piece and Pokémon were also very popular this year. The reboot of the classic Powerpuff Girls show also seemed to invigorate some fans; I saw different iterations of the colorful trio each day.Anime Boston felt like it was over as soon as it started. It was an amazingly fun convention to attend, and that is due to the attendees. Almost everyone you meet loves the otaku culture as much as the next. There is no better place to witness this love than within the cosplay community.[robo-gallery id="42196"]