I have been going to Fanime for a few years now. I think my review from before generally still stands. I'll give it four stars because it's still one of my favorite conventions to go to for cosplay which I've leaned heavily into the last few years. This con is really good for two things IMO: 1) cosplay gatherings 2) Artist Alley The cosplay gatherings are pretty organized every year. I'm impressed that they can get so many groups together. The best spot is the pit right in front of the entrance where there's like Coliseum style seating. I feel like these gatherings here have the most hype so if you're attending a gathering I hope you have that spot! I like how organized the gatherings are with regards to pictures. It is usually not just standing around. There is usually someone directing the crowd with what category they're shooting for at that moment. For example if it's a video game franchise they usually go down the list of all the games from that franchise, classes of characters (e.g. swords people!) etc. I haven't really seen this level of organization at any other convention. (Or mass cosplay gatherings in general). I have a lot of fun at these gatherings even if the fandom is small! The Artist Alley is always a pleasure and I spend way too much money on charms, stickers, and prints. There is generally a good spread of anime and video games that I buy merch of here. I love Fire Emblem and Final Fantasy XIV and I usually see a lot of merch from these franchises here! There's also a pretty fun game hall here where you can try out all these (mostly Japanese) arcade games. They're pretty silly and it's all free! read more

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It's gone downhill over the years, not gonna lie, especially post-pandemic. Pre-registration and hotel registration has become a joke. There was a huge exodus of volunteer staff quitting last year, and the crowds have gotten ridiculous. Though I will say, over the past decade of attending Fanime every year (except during Covid), I have made many beautiful memories competing in the cosplay masquerade, walking the Fanime Lolita Fashion Shows, hosting and attending cosplay gatherings, attending panels, taking part in photoshoots, shopping in artist alley and vendors' hall, making friends with people who I'm still friends with to this day...Fanime has been a blessing in my life, and I am forever grateful for what it was. read more

Aside from Anime Impulse (for non anime reasons), Fanime is historically my favorite con. I love its location in downtown San Jose with proximity to great places to take pictures at as well as walkable eateries and boba places. The con itself is a nice fun breath of fresh air in terms of the programming they have and the crowds here since it's a big part of the community as well (seeing that NorCal itself doesn't have as many anime conventions, pop up events, gatherings, etc.). There's the Black and White Ball which has formal dance lessons throughout the weekend and the fan stage with various performances and interactive fan events. Out of all the conventions I've gone to in SoCal, Fanime definitely has THE BEST swap meet. Just the sheer amount of people vending their second hand goods and the crazy deals and finds here make it the highlight of every Fanime that I go to. It also only costs $40 for a spot too and can easily be made up quickly depending on what you're selling. Their vendor's hall mixes in some small industry booths and their artist alley does have some artists who do the PNW chain of cons or Canada, but never venture into SoCal convention areas so it's great to scope out the artists here too. If you love people watching, the area in front of the con is great for that since that's where people do photoshoots, wear their big, eye catching cosplays, bring their cosplaying animals (which I know the con doesn't allow, but staff got lax later in the con and some years there's been a tortoise and there was the cosplaying duck - RIP), have random dances, etc. Fanime also has their 18+ area called Silver Island which is hilariously quarantined 3 miles away from the con itself, but you can take a free shuttle there. Silver Island has its own panels, video room, and artist alley. Across the street from the con itself, they also have extra panel rooms and the J fashion panel and vendor room. So it's great that Fanime is expanding that sense but it would be even better if, at least Silver Island, was moved a bit closer. Due to COVID and lack of funding and staffing a lot of things have taken a hit at Fanime such as the 24/7 panels and activities. I felt like that was what made Fanime so fun in the past since at any point, if you feel like enough of a menace, you can take a step out to the con hall and there would be people and something to do. I believe that's largely been replaced with the unofficial Park Con across the street. A lot of their programming and other events have been scaled back as well and you can really feel the lines now when in the past they've had more volunteers and staff to get things going. Another aside is that due to the rising cost of vendor spaces, I noticed this year there were a lot of same face vendors from SoCal that I literally see at every event and pop up and less of the unique, smaller vendors that I'm more accustomed to seeing. I feel that this is going to be an increasing trend as, unfortunately, inflation is fisting everything. I believe the costs may also be what is affecting Fanime's list of guests too, with not many overseas ones attending recently and one of the few overseas ones having to cancel (much to many attendees dismay who have purchased tickets solely to see him). The experience I've had recently made Fanime more of a 4.5 con for me but here's hoping that it can be restored to its former glory! read more

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Unable to transfer tickets, get returns, or defer to a future year. Pretty shitty policy for a supposed non-profit...

"This organization do not have integrity. They will NOT return your refund EVEN THOUGH THEY SAID there is a Refund Process. I contacted several months and they gave my the run around that they will refund you until they give you to cold treatment. They are not trustworthy and cannot be trusted with money. Beware!" -With a one star Stated from my previous review from last year, as of yesterday (9/14/24). Fanime sent out mass emails, NOW taking care of refunds, 2 years later. This con went under fire for not only keeping their promise of giving people back their money, but as well as, their disorganization and keeping perverts in their staff lineup, dismissing attendee complaints, and even getting sued over not filing for taxes or so. They had until mid-June to file and there was no new information regarding this. This is a little step forward, but they have a lot to take care of. read more

Pros.Its fun.Lots to do.Old friends to see.New friends to make.Good food to eat at nearby restaurants.Love the deal room, cosplay ,Art room.Wonderful costumes Cons.Too crowded . I would give Fanamie a try despite being too crowded read more

FanimeCon - Festivals Near Me - San Jose, California

So it looks like someone from Famine staff wrote me back: "Although our POTUS took down covid restrictions, businesses, which includes conventions, have that golden rule of "we reserve the right to refuse service to anyone." Also, if you read the website clearly under the "Info" tab and click "COVID-19 Vaccination Policy" before you left home, the rules strictly state, "Everyone attending FanimeCon 2023 must be fully vaccinated AND BOOSTED* prior to Thursday, May 25, 2023." You didn't have the booster, which is why you were not allowed access. If you choose not to get the booster, that is your prerogative. No one should fault you for that, but this event required EVERYONE (attendees, staff, volunteers, dealers, artists, and special guests) to be fully vaccinated AND boosted. Those are their rules, period." My response: Editing my last response because I realized lady was not staff. " I just thought I should had gotten my money back at the event. That's all I wanted. My credit card company luckily got it back for me. I was treated like I didn't know what I was doing, and that's not really good customer service, I missed the fine print. There was a total lack of customer service by the staff they hired. I was told to get the vaccine that day and that I should come back the next day. Shot isn't supposed to work that fast. Either way it was my personal choice not to get the booster. I thought Famine should had taken people's temperature or had Covid test for people who didn't have booster. It is what is is. They had no plan B. No refunds. Get get your booster and come back tomorrow. But no real plan B. Plan B should had been taking people's temperatures, even if you got the vaccine. People with the vaccine have also gotten Covid, got sick and died. Give people a Covid test as an alternative. Ultimately, all I asked was for my money back. I was refused a refund. Hopefully Famine has learned their lesson about this whole Pandemic thing and I think they should offer people who couldn't get in, especially the people who flew from far distances and booked a hotel, an apology AND a refund. Take Care. read more

I was unable to provide a government-backed digital proof of booster (but was able to provide proof of 2 vaccine doses) but they still would not allow me entry after waiting for ~1 hour in line. The do not accept pictures as proof. They would not give me a refund as well even though I showed up but wasn't allowed to attend FanimeCon 2023. I will not be returning. read more

Beware of purchasing a badge from FanimeCon! I purchased a FanimeCon 2020 badge. They delayed the con for 2 years. In May 2022, their policy said that people could request refunds. I e-mailed a request to get a refund. They finally wrote back in January 2023 to acknowledge a refund but it is now September 2023 and I still have not received it yet. I checked online and many people have not received refunds either. Apparently, FanimeCon is ghosting everyone who contacts them to follow up on refunds. I tried to contact the bank for help but FanimeCon's delaying and ghosting all led to it being far too long ago to get a chargeback. It is horrifying to see FanimeCon keep advertising their next 2024 convention knowing what they have done to me and other people. I have now filed a Consumer Complaint with the CA Attorney General. I truly hope that others do so too. The more complaints, the more likely the Attorney General will investigate FanimeCon. Link to File a Consumer Complaint with the CA Attorney General:  https://oag.ca.gov/contact/consumer-complaint-against-business-or-company read more

FanimeCon - Screenshot of Refund Request Update E-mail (FYI, 9 months later, still no refund) - Festivals Near Me - San Jose, California

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Alright so this is a first at least for someone I can assume is an entity of the event, a fan and/troll of the event to imply my experience was caused purely by me when the other many events I attended that same year hadn't asked for my vaccination card or inquired about my health status so this event had to be put on a spotlight highlighting that, Like it's a mistake or an actually experience I wanted to sign up to roll a badge 2 times, get PTO for a weekend, and book a hotel room to only be told leave and get a booster? By this point, I already have the booster but hospitals and care facilities/elderly homes I've had to visit in these past few months don't ask me of that now. I've worked at amusement parks that don't already bar you at the turn style because a card/app says I don't have a certain shot and those tickets WILL cost more than a weekend badge, I don't want to be told "it's on me" in a conversation after I posted a review. In summary: I already wasn't going to come back however was I was going to be convinced it got better but surely because I didn't do diligence when nothing else in California and neighboring states would do something as not let someone in because of their health status. Not the kind where they were visibly and audibly being sick, but the mask was on and an authentic card was turned to a security person and they tell us to leave. I already placed a complaint to the attorney general of California regarding the lack of refund after I submitted for with my information because this organization still hasn't given more one after one event has already passed. I don't even talk about this event anymore to any friends or co-workers but if things like this have to show up, I just prefer not having to make another review. I had my fun when I did with this event back in 2017, I for sure didn't in 2022. read more

FanimeCon - Festivals Near Me - San Jose, California

After going to various anime conventions, I can say that FanimeCon is one of the worst anime conventions in the west coast. To vendors selling illegal merchandise with bad attitudes, consistent price increases of badges, and sketchy business practices from staff (I.E board, chair, etc), FanimeCon has been going down the tubes more and more since 2014. What makes FanimeCon so bad? Let's find out. To give context, I started going to FanimeCon in 2015 and have gone every single year, I have plenty of experience at other conventions as well such as Anime Impulse, Sac Anime, Crunchyroll Expo and more. Please keep this in mind from someone who has been going to conventions for years. For starters, I want to talk about badge prices. These prices have been hiking up throughout the years with no added benefits to justify the price. These price increases started in 2017 and never stopped going up. Even during the pandemic with 2021's "Digital Fanime" digital badges were still being sold for ten bucks with no noteworthy exceptional benefits. Digital Fanime was an event online only for those wanting to partake in various events that were already free, if not offered elsewhere for better prices. For those who bought badges for 2020 were in luck as their badges were transferred over to 2022's physical convention as well as free digital badges for 2021. Problem is if you miss out on 2022's convention, it will not transfer over and those who wanted a refund got screwed over by not just the board, but chair team as well. I will be blunt about this and say 2021 FanimeCon was an absolute scam. Given the circumstances that convention should not have taken place digitally and it would have been more worth it to wait till 2022. To continue, the "guests of honor" are not what we see anymore. There is no more variety in the guests, and it has been repeats of previous guests for years. This also includes various functions as well, areas such as Dealer's Hall and Artist's Alley have been crumbling in quality. And giving respect where it is due to the artists and vendors, they have done nothing wrong in this. This is based off of FanimeCon's poor choices that has resulted in the low quality seen today. Next vendors, and boy this one is spicy. FanimeCon at this very moment is opened to a lot of lawsuits right now due to their unprofessional practices. This practice is having vendors like Jones Bones, a company that mainly deals in movie equipment rentals is selling various merchandise at an anime convention? Interesting, only that they have been selling illegal foam firearms and other dangerous weapons not needing an ID to check for purchase. This isn't even going into licensing for their company and why FanimeCon is LIABLE FOR A LAWSUIT. They have sold foam firearms from the video game series "Destiny". Bungie has a strict policy on reselling bootleg goods and has never given out the Destiny IP for merchandise. This is from Bungie's website on the policy and I quote, "Bungie opposes the creation and sale of 1:1 weapon replicas based on our game assets and will take action to have listings of this kind removed regardless of whether they have been commercialized." In summary? FanimeCon is open to lawsuits and liable with Jones Bones, and keep this in mind, they have been doing this for years. This vendor has been known to sell ninja stars, knives, shock tasers, and more. Let's also take into account that the main person behind Jones Bones is incredibly racist, vulgar, and aggressive not just yelling and crap remark, but physically towards staff and con goers. I have seen this guy, the head man, throw product at his employees for doing something so miniscule and FanimeCon thinks this is ethical. Why is FanimeCon defending this horrible, illegal, and dangerous company? There is no reason for FanimeCon to be defending this company and if they want to avoid a lawsuit, GET. THEM. OUT. Another vendor a manga seller during 2022 FanimeCon was kicked out due to him and an employee of his not being vaccinated, putting everyone at risk. His space was shutdown 3 days in the convention's life. It makes no sense where FanimeCon's choices are coming from. To ugly attitudes and potential COVID outbreaks, FanimeCon has pretty mediocre to low-end dealers. But this all goes into the sketchy staff. Finally, the sketchy nature of FanimeCon staff. This is focusing more on the board and chair. Going into how the chairs and board stole money through their refund policy. When COVID came and refunds were being requested, lots of con goers got the cold shoulder and never received their refunds. Even though they have emails from chairs and board that they will be getting refund. Buy a ticket at your own risk. This also includes the "failedbyfanime" controversy which I encourage you to read. It gives context to multiple issues. SOURCES https://help.bungie.net/hc/en-us/articles/360049201911-Intellectual-Property-and-Trademarks https://failedbyfanime.com/ read more

FanimeCon - Festivals Near Me - San Jose, California

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Came on the last day of FanimeCon. Figured try to volunteer to get a reimbursement on the tickets we got....didn't happen. Went to the Registration booth and the lady there said that they already have enough volunteers so first let down... We still paid the tickets since it was our first FanimeCon and we would like to experience it (see...I am not that parsimonious) Went to the volunteer booth (coz I have trust issues on know-it all's) and they said that they still need volunteers but can only offer two hours...another let down but that's OK...hey we wanted to help but two ours of just looking at people and handing out programs is super boring!!! So we moved on. Enjoyed it as much as a mom accompanying an anime enthusiast could enjoy it. The kiddo was all smiles, blabbering on how she wants this and that, her plans and call every character she can name whenever she sees a cosplayer, a poster or a merchandise. It was fun but in the middle of all that walking around in circles, I was dizzy AF. We rested and then found the stall where they sell takoyaki....so we gorged into that while continued walking around. She was able to buy the stuff she wanted and snagged a free ticket for another convention in Santa Clara. I got free stuff like button pins and swedish fish candy. We got to try out the old school video games and got to see cosplay vs geeks try their dance skills in the dance dance revolution games. Oh and the cosplay pictures were fun. Before leaving we went to watch an anime show in one of the theater's downstairs. Overall it was an experience. read more

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"In general, costumes are the first thing in life that let other people know who we are. They indicate who the person is without saying anything."―Molly Parker FanimeCon (FC) is the annual Memorial Day Weekend celebration of all things Anime and Japanese culture here in the Bay Area for the past 22 years. Starting out at a mere 200 people in attendance at the 1994 inaugural event, at Cal State Hayward, to the now over 30,000 people in its new mainstay of the McEnery Convention Center. Ordinarily I'm not much of an Anime fan―or a fan of festivals in general―but I managed to score some free tickets through a Yelp giveaway, and decided to invite my picture buddy so we could practice our portrait taking. The one thing I knew for a fact was there would be tons of cosplayers and great picture opportunities, and as a photography junkie this was hard to pass up. Here's my take on the FC with another rendition of the Good, the Bad and the Ugly! Good: -Cosplayers were all really friendly and very receptive to getting their pictures taken. One would assume that they would be, but you'd be surprised. -Awesome costumes and lots of very creative people abound. It really gets my juices going when I'm inspired by what I see and there was tons of talent and imagination to go around. -The ticket check-in process was really simple and fast for the Yelp tickets; it took less than five minutes. Thanks Yelp! -I love the Downtown SJ location because it's right by a VTA Light Rail Station to avoid parking hassles and within walking distance to lots of great eats. Bad: -I didn't like the way the booths were setup in the Artist's Gallery and the Seller's area. Everything was mashed together and caused major congestion in the walkways. The Artist area was particularly bad as it was front-loaded and the back area was almost empty―anyone ever hear of spreading out???? -Gaming Hall was mostly empty and could've used some more Arcade machines, or something, to fill it up. Ugly -Fortunately I didn't have to deal with this, but all the gripes about the registration line just to get your ticket were legit! It almost seemed to have no beginning and no end... Why can't they just mail people their badges, I don't understand???? -I saw several other reviewers mention a BO issue, but isn't that SOP for a room full of nerds?! I had a good time and would consider coming back if I knew I wouldn't have to stand in a two hour long line. Honestly, I think I would've had fun just hanging outside the event and inside the entrance, but I wasn't looking for anything beyond some good pictures. Obviously, I'm not your typical FC goer, so take my review with a grain of salt. read more

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I was lucky enough to attend FanimeCon with the help of Yelp (Thanks Yelp!). So that's the disclaimer. Now onto the review. I've been to Fanime Con only one other time a long time ago back when I was either in Senior year of high school or freshman year of college. Either way, I don't recall anything about it! So upon getting tickets, I looked at what it was all about. Basically for ~ $75 (if you pay in advance and attend all days), you get 4 full days worth of anime culture explosion. You can pretty much live in the San Jose Convention Center 24/4 as there's either shows you can watch with other fellow anime fans and/or you can play games all night/morning. If you did that, then you're definitely hard core. It's probably one of the largest fan run cons which is awesome and it's really fun seeing San Jose filled with cosplayers. P A R K I N G I would suggest parking a little further away in one of the garages and then eat at a place that validates and you'll basically have free parking for the rest of the day (well at least on the weekend). That's what we did. We parked at the garage for Flame's and ate there, got validated, and walked less than half a mile to the convention center. There are other parking garages, but this was the easiest and Flames has large cake. I like cake. E V E N T So basically there's a bunch of things you can do. You can watch what's on center stage which changes every hour or so. I saw maids dancing as well as a Street Fighter championship. There's an area for artists where they sell their art work as well as crafts. There's a whole gigantic area for vendors who sell art, toys, shirts, etc. This is also where there's some food options. There's another spot for dances, another for speed dating, another for all day anime series binging (like multiple rooms with different shows), masquerade event, photo area, meet-ups...there's something happening at any given moment at every spot. The one thing that isn't so great is most people go on Saturday. The lines for picking up your badge was horrendous. My luck is that due to Yelp, I got my badge in a jiffy. Others waited in lines for 3 hours. So tip is...pick up your badge on Friday or get there early on Saturday otherwise you'll spend most of your day in line watching folks from line. There wasn't really anything in terms of talks we were interested in so we mainly people watched and went through all the artist alley and merchandise. We also attended Sunday just in the late afternoon/evening to make our final purchases on some art we wanted and watch the masquerade which was a bit of a let down. There were so many people who had much better costumes that could win. I think it was just not very well advertised. I had to tweet to ask when it was...but no one answered :( One thing about a con like this...there's a lot of people...in not well ventilated areas...so you need to have a bit of odor tolerance while walking up and down the aisles. Otherwise, stay in the main hallways, near the edges of the rooms, or just outside. Another tip is make sure you ask permission to take photos of people in costumes as well as honor the signs in the artist alley when it says "no photos." Don't be a creeper, though I did kind of creep a few times. Folks work pretty hard on the cosplay outfits and they'd like to pose for you to ensure you capture the essence of the character. Another tip...cash. A lot of places accept only cash payments, so load up if you're going to buy anything. Also work a deal. You can always talk an artist or vendor down from their price. We did that for a pair of images we bought and saved $10. O V E R A L L If you're really into anime, this is a pretty good deal in terms of cost for a con. 4 days for $75? not too shabby. Was there a lot to do for me? Not really as I don't game a lot, nor do I need to watch anime with other people, nor do I need to buy anime merch. But I did like seeing all the different art and revitalized my excitement for anime. You can also get away with just sitting outside and watching all the people in their cosplay outfits which is free! I don't think I'll go again unless given free tickets, I wish they brought WonderCon back to the bay as that was much more worth going to...but if you're an anime fan, this is a great con to be with others who live and breath it. read more

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REGISTRATION - The pre-registration line was horrendous. When we arrived to the convention center Friday, there was nothing but confusion going on outside. There were literally 3 different lines, merging into one big line to go into the convention center. 0___o? PANELS - All of the panels were held outside from the convention center, in hotel ballrooms at the Fairmont. I was not a fan of this either because cosplaying is hot and now you want me to go walk outside in the sun to a hotel? Just kill me already x__x ARTIST ALLEY - I always like the artist alley at convention centers. I love seeing the creativity that other people have. I really envy them! DEALERS ROOM - Wow so much merchandise! It was seriously endless rows of plush dolls and action figures. One thing I noticed was a lot of venders were selling a lot of the same things. So you could pretty much walk around and check which place is selling which items at the best price. GAME ROOM - My friend said the year she came (I believe 2 years ago) they had a purikura machine to take pictures in. I was sad to find they did not have it this year. The had a decent selection of arcade games and even board games to play. MOVIE ROOMS - They had 7 rooms showing all kinds of stuff! I was shocked on the variety they were showing here! I was definitely a fan of the cutting edge anime room. They showed a ton of good stuff in there! OVERALL - This was my first time coming to Fanime in San Jose. Honestly I was not too impressed. I don't really see myself making such an effort to come all the way back here from Hawaii again. read more

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Poor Ticketing System My review is basically how sorry the online ticket system is and I'm still quite bitter about it. Been here are few times in the past before Covid and was fine. And this year I was a bit relax about going, plan to go one the last day. I knew the Only Way to buy tickets is Only by Buying On the Day of Attending. Meaning if I want to go Sunday, Sunday ticket purchase is only available that morning of Sunday, Not Saturday (the day before) or even Friday. So Sunday morning I purchased 3 tickets for me and my two daughters (3 x $60, $180+ total) around 11am after we have breakfast and getting ready and all. Went to the Convention center to pickup our ticket entry badge and found out the pick up area was closed as of 11am?? So tracing back, found out not only you buy your tickets the day of attending, There is Only a Specific Time for picking up your entry badge (your tickets). And that time was 10 to 11am??? I Bought my Tickets at 11 Am??? Wtf. So why the hell tickets are still Open to Purchase Online at 11am if you practically close the ticket doors at 11am. So even if I end up going to lunch and wanted to do just a last minute quick stop at Faniame and ended up purchasing tickets attending as a last minute plan at 3pm, I Bet the online ticket is still open to purchase knowing you will not be Allowed entry. For such a big anime event, they missed to update you on such restrictions. Oh but they are really good at warning that the tickets are Non Cancellable and Non Returnable though..?? I think I seen the posted on a few pages. I advise you have a better system in place at check out time or at least a count down, time limit to your pick up time. Who would have known. The sad part is my daughters looked forward to it for months and we have talked about it a few times only to find out we missed out. $180 for nothing. Email them at Feedback@, hear nothing. Apparently it's still NCNR. Sad case. On the brightside, Crunchyroll's online system is much easier to navigate and they even mail you your badge to your home if you buy online by their specific date. I'll be looking forward to that. Thanks Crunchyroll. read more

I've been to fanime a few times and had an "eh" experience. This is honestly 3 years too late, but I know I'm not the only one and need to let others know they are not alone. I purchased tickets for myself and friend for 2021...Covid policy prevented us from going. Got an email saying I can do a rollover or refund. I chose refund...This was back in 2021! It is 2024 and I still haven't gotten my money and have since decided with my friends to never attend again as this is ridiculous. I've messaged multiple times and have not gotten a response back over the years about this. It's horrendous that this convention that "by fans" has done this to the community. read more

2022 a total failure. Their covid requirements don't match the County requirements. Many spent thousands on airfare and hotels. Tickets . Made their own costumes. Unable to get in due to fanime covid rules. Totally wrong. They won't be back. County rules 2022 For indoor events with 1,000 or more people, CDPH strongly recommends that venue and event operators require attendees age 2 and older to provide proof that they:  Are vaccinated, or Have received a negative COVID-19 test. read more

I've been to a bunch of different affinity conventions over the years, but this was my very first anime convention (to my memory), and I was very excited to attend. I heard that there were twenty-five thousand attendees, and that is certainly my experience trying to drive those final two blocks to the Marriott for parking! One of the best things is the diversity of cosplay, which you can see tons of both inside and outside the buildings, and is an inspiration to my own costume creativity. Thursday night was a complete zoo, because one of the servers went down; it was central to the creation and printing of badges, and LineCon was born. Reasonable attempts were made to assist folks with disabilities, which I (one of those people) really appreciated. Because of miscommunication, I ended up in the wrong line, but Yelp really came through with the two Industry passes they gave me - thank you so much, Yelp! Compared to what others went through, I had an easy experience. FanimeCon tried to keep people updated about line/time caps and other woes via Twitter and Facebook, which wasn't going to reach everyone, but was a decent effort. I think a far better effort would have been to mail badges in advance, because the "shower early, shower often" signs were not kidding. Thursday was long and ripe. I guess from what others are saying, Friday was, too. Parking was $1.00 per 20 minutes, and you could prepay for one or more days at a reduced rate. I appreciated that! There was definitely a cliquishness among certain areas of cosplayers (many of the cosplayers in the courtyard and their groupies), but it was still fun to watch Pikachu, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney (the "Objection!" meme guy), and Louise Belcher posing for photos outside. I love that there was an explicitly age-sixty-and-over cosplayers meet! And I also love that the official policy requires a conversation to happen before someone even takes a photograph, expressed as "cosplay does not equal consent." (That applies to other things, too.) My date and I felt at home in our conceptual costumes. Sad that the vendor space closed at 7PM and only ran Friday through Sunday. That seems like a lot of missed revenue and opportunity. Certainly they missed mine! I couldn't get into the Da-iCE concert, because twenty-four thousand, nine hundred and ninety-eight other people were trying to get in, but luckily, I could join other folks hanging around watching their music videos on YouTube. MusicFest was a very popular convention track. Outside of the Da-iCE concert, which was across the street in the civic center, there was a lull in programming from about 7PM to 9PM on Saturday, and the major things to do during this time were go watch anime in one of the screening rooms, watch folks battle it out on the second floor in a videogame tournament, and eat expensive hot dogs (would it kill them to provide an optional mealplan?). I spent a good deal of time in the Nostalgia Room, watching Berserk. One disappointment was that they let Angry Gamer Dude run a fan panel. He's just another disgusting internet misogynist, and it's frustrating that on the one hand, there are several panels about fighting cultural appropriation, creepers, and misogyny, yet there was also this celebrated perpetrator of the same behavior running a panel. It's not about "equality" and "showing both sides of the controversy." It's just inappropriate for a convention (especially one with the rules and bylaws this con has) to support such a hostile philosophy. Still wondering why all the dudes/masculine-of-center folks with "Pussy Slayer" shirts outnumber the women and femmes by a factor of twenty? read more

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Average convention. It did have many good costume and free contest/events outside the convention. You only need a badge if you want to go inside and buy merchandise. I tends to buy too much for my own good ... Overall good event to chill at if you're free for the weekend. Note: buy one day event ; you dont need all 3 days. Sat is prefer. read more

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Fanime 2019 was my 4th time attending and there definitely has been improvements made from years prior. I am glad that there is a local convention that is fairly big (one of the bigger ones) that I can go to this and Anime Expo. Organization definitely is better but there is yet more to improve with badge pick ups, communication with the convention's parking lot (looks like hotel parking has expanded), and more air regulation. The artist alley definitely has been great with so many different artists to check out. Every time though, there is always someone passing out due to dehydration or something in the artist alley. I don't know what else they can really do except for cranking up the AC in that room and probably adding more portable air regulators or something (that place needs help) as I always see the artists sweating after an hr or so. I know it has been years (2015 or 2016) but I still remember there was an incident that made me very salty about a volunteer. There was a line up area (registration?) that we were heading to but with no one at all in line, we just walked around up to the front. I'm not going to be walking in zig zags around the entire room when there's no one in front waiting. This guy (I'm tempted to say kid) screams "Don't you dare cut in line, I will get you kicked out!". Ok... there was NO one in line so why? We didn't want any trouble so we just power walked through the zig zagging line... but NOPE - the volunteer made us exit the line and walk back again at a slow walking pace. This guy was definitely power tripping and that actually made me skip the next year. I really hope that guy (that kid) got some reality check on power tripping. With safety issues and cutting in front of people, I get that those are issues... but there was NO ONE in line and people available instantly to assist the next person. As for this year, I am pleasantly surprised that volunteers were very professional and helpful. 1. From friends, we found out a well know harasser was identified quickly and told to leave. 2. A outburst happened in a women's bathroom and staff were all over it very quick. 3. When I had the issue with my badge being printed upside down by the machine, it was resolved in a few minutes. 4. Lines were quick for the swap meet and it was organized nicely. Also for autographs, it wasn't a giant mob of shoving and squishing like the previous years. We had a giant fanmade plush (40lb, 6ft long and needed 2 people to carry) that we brought for a Love Live meet up and the staff were very quick to help us. We thought we had to peacebond it but that was an interesting thing in itself. Since it is a plush just filled with stuffing, there's nothing hard or dangerous in it. It was a little bit of figuring out but it ended up for them to just tell us to be smart carrying that thing around and to stay out of the walkways when we set it down to relax. For the food vendors in the Dealer's hall, running out to the truck for orders and back in with the food definitely seems a bit much - props to their hard work. Lines were bound to happen but things were running along fairly quick. Shout out to Okamoto Kitchen for quick runners. Final Thoughts: Fanime definitely was fun to purchase loads of Japanese goodies and artist products (minus the snack booths in dealer's hall... most of those items you can just get from Daiso). I love people watching there to see all the different cosplays that people create and it's just fun being able to delve into another culture/world for a bit. Definitely will be back and if I ever encounter that volunteer again... well, let's hope I don't or it'd sour the entire con again. read more

For a few years, I attended as mainly a volunteer throughout Fanimecon convention. My brother originally asked me to volunteer with him. He has gone for years before me too as a volunteer. Back in those days volunteering enough hours credits you for full reimbursement of all weekend pass. However, the staff changed the rules and double hours do not count anymore. So, I won't have time to volunteer ever again. Fanimecon is family friendly and also children and teenagers attend too besides the copious flock of adults. Creativity extends throughout the attendees cosplaying or just having fun. Cosplay is a form or dressing up in costume of a particular character. Majority are anime. Some here and there are more comic and random ones you would see for Comic Con. Thank you Yelp for giveaway tickets last year May 2016 Fanimecon. A bonus was the Professional Registration to fast track picking up my passes (including +1). Thankfully, I noticed after the lines for regular people were extremely long in 2016. I got to finally have a chance to just have fun and relax almost the entire weekend. And without volunteering! Woo hoo! I actually finally cosplayed myself last year. Mio was my girl. It was fun having a custom fitted outfit. Only thing I had to find was teal opaque tights, mink eye lashes, and the matching heels. I rarely ever dress up, but it was all in cute fun. Many people dressed up. They looked so awesome, hot, or pretty! I asked a lot of people to take their pics. And random people asked for mine too. I loved moments especially attending with friends. That was a first too attending with new friends. I met my photographers from previous year's Fanimecon. They were the first guys who were sweet to kindly & shyly ask to take my picture. Awww, So cute! By 2016, my dear friend's photography skills were on point! He could finally suggest different poses and I loved how thoughtful and cool he was to bring a real deal prop. I love his Fender bass guitar. The colors are so vivid and beautiful!!! Pose this way. Angle this way...ahhh the Fender bass got heavy at some moments to keep the pose, but I made it through. Thank goodness! And helpers with moving my long hair and flash team. Fun experience and memories. There are many exhibits during Fanimecon that include Gaming Hall, Artists Alley, Dealers Hall (which are all located within ). Maid Café is located at The Fairmont hotel. Panels are classes or guest speakers and those panels are various times and locations (such as Marriot, Hilton, and the Fairmont. All in walkable distance! More cool events are located across the street at City National Civic (which is a pretty San Jose Theater). The Masquerade, which is a show of costumes and action stage performances, is typically what I attend every year. There's also a concert that's usually Japanese rock bands. Full on loud bass, drums, singers, and audience with lighted things. Sometimes people gather at Plaza de César Chávez and take pictures. There are also cosplay gatherings in front or on the side of San Jose McEnery Convention Center. Kids 10 and under are FREE with paid adult admission. Clockwork Alchemy is at Double Tree. Some people go there to obtain badges/passes and lanyard with schedule to avoid the long lines at Fanimecon registration. On to the next review afterwards (see the next to learn further details.) Definitely, go to that too. There's so much interesting things to see there. read more

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By far the WORST CONVENTION IVE BEEN TO. Not only was I not allowed access because of "digital" proof of vaccine, but the volunteers running and working the event were so rude to me! I flew all the way from the Midwest, paid for an expensive hotel, and then am told I can't get a refund at all. Shame on this con! Honestly, it's fine that I don't get a refund, the worse part is I'm emailing their support numerous times without a response. Terrible terrible terrible way to run a convention. I hope they get what's coming to them. read more

Do you like ANIME? Anything related to Japanese culture or animation? Think GAMES are the coolest things ever? Want to have fun going to workshops and perusing vendor booths for cool swag? You gotta check out FANIMECON! FanimeCon has flipped a 180 and progressed to an even better con. Don't listen to the old haters... :P Few Key Points: (1) REGISTRATION - the lines are no longer a problem, heck they are NON-existent. The most time an average attendee would have to wait would probably be 30 minutes tops. (2) Attendee Number EXPLOSION - I understand that FanimeCon staff and volunteers are expected to be professional and service-oriented-- I get it. But however with the growing number of attendees (explosion in this year's case), the staff and volunteers are strained trying to keep 30,000+ people in check. Everyone who staffs or volunteers does so FREELY! On their own time, effort, energy, etc. If there are a few exceptionally stubborn and rude staff/volunteers, please flag down another staffer and address your concerns. We can coexist together! (3) PANELS & EVENTS- There is plenty to do at FanimeCon and honestly many of the events run on volunteers dedicating their time to hosting/running panels as well. No one is getting paid to run the panels or cool fan events you see. Some fan-based departments such as Maid Cafe, Speed Dating, BW Ball, etc. started out small! Think you got a great idea? Step up! (4) DEALERS Hall and ARTIST Alley - Honestly my favorite part of con that leaves me broke haha. You can definitely get items in AA that you can't get anywhere else! At the same time, you're supporting local/traveling artists. Dealers Hall is where all the commercialized products are and there's always something for everyone! Overall, FanimeCon is an event that takes a whole year to plan with all the staff and volunteers having their hands on deck. You'll meet lots of weird people but you'll make long-lasting lifetime friends as well :) I've been going to FanimeCon since 2002 and every year, there's always something different that surprises me. Antique Cafe was one of the coolest concerts I've been to! It's one big funfest for 4 days that you don't want to miss out! read more

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ZERO STARS!!! Friends, Fanimecon has gone exponentially downhill since I first started attending 10 years ago. I didn't even go last year because it's gotten so bad. The people that run this convention are morons. Not your typical morons, I mean, these people are idiotic to an unprecendented degree. I'm not really sure how this convention still exists. Like other disappointed yelpers have mentioned, you basically pay $$$$ to wait and wait and wait and then wait some more. I wanted to give them another chance this year. I pre-registered for my badge and arrived at 8pm this evening to pick it up only to find myself at the end of a mile-long line running far out the entrance. It is now half-past midnight. It's dark, cold, and everyone is tired and frustrated and I still haven't made it inside the door yet. I've been told by an employee that they estimate my wait to be about another two hours. I've already been waiting for 4.5 hours. I feel like an idiot waiting as long as I have. I'm not going to wait another 2 hours for a total of 6.5+ hours to go to some shitty anime convention. They've drastically increased their admission prices since I first started going, and charge artists an arm and a leg to show their work in the Artist's Alley. It used to be $5 for a table, it's now $70. I don't even want to know what they're charging the vendors in the Dealer's Room. You'd think with the increase in income, they'd find a way to make the process more streamlined and, yet, the opposite has happened. Hey jackasses! Ever thought of MAILING out badges to people who have pre-registered? Afraid of counterfeiting? How about spending a little more money to laminate badges or printing plastic ones to decrease the possibility of that happening. Oh, here's another solution that you'll probably think is GENIUS. How about having multiple badge pickup dates and hiring more employees to make this shit run more efficiently. I mentioned this to the worker that told me I had 2 hours left to go and he acted like it was the most brilliant idea he'd ever heard. Cheap bastards. I heard that the kids that work the convention are mostly volunteers. Where exactly IS the money going anyway? SCREW YOU FanimeCon! Seriously, why do people even go anymore? Paying $$$$ to hang out in overcrowded, under-ventilated spaces and purchase overpriced merchandise you can buy on Amazon for a fraction of the cost. Oh, and did I mention that you have to pay through the nose for junk food that tastes worse than Taco Bell? FanimeCon? No thanks. read more

I'd like to give a 4/5 stars for Fanime 2019. It was an awesome con! The security went much faster that 2018 and I felt that it was kinda better overall! The only thing I didn't like was that they moved all the 18+ content to a different venue that was about 10-20 minutes away driving (due to traffic and all) Granted, they had shuttles going around to drive us there, but the whole venue was confusing. That venue also got closed down due to someone getting caught "shooting their goo" or that's what I heard from one of my friends that were there. Anyways, the shuttle schedule and location were confusing also. I had no idea where the shuttle was located until I just saw a group of people standing around. Also, in the dealer's hall, there were still some 18+ content? Like an artist selling 3d art of naked anime girls? I was confused on why they weren't sent to the other venue. Another thing I had a problem with was one of the hosts for one of the gatherings (not gonna name names). I don't know if they were just really passionate or not, but they were pretty rude. People would run into the picture and she would scream at them to take their badge off! "YOUR BADGE IS GONNA RUIN THE PICTURE!" Like...we're at a con...we have to wear badges. Calm tf down. And also the category they made for which group of characters should go up were just confusing and didn't seem professional at all! It really pissed me off to see her screaming at people! Other than those 2 things, the con went by smoothly and was pretty fun! Can't wait to come back for Fanime 2020! read more

My home convention, and the very first I ever attended. It started back in 1999 for me at the Wyndham Hotel in San Jose where I decided to volunteer myself to help out the con to be able to save myself some money. From there, everything else fell into place. Over the next couple of years, I found myself staffing, as well as visiting other conventions throughout the country doing the same thing. The people you meet at these types of events are people you don't tend to forget.. and I wouldn't expect to forget anytime. While even attending east coast conventions, I've made friends who I still keep in contact with. Also, you have other people from out of state that come to visit cons like this one as well.. So overall, it's like having another family. It's great. With different areas of the country, you experience differences in how cons are in size, organization.. as well as overall enjoyment. So sure, Fanime might be overshadowed by a con like AX whose attendance numbers multiply over Fanime's easily... but without a doubt.. this con holds a special place in my heart.. as they have always and will continue to hold to their motto: "By fans, for fans" So come on by this memorial day weekend.. and check it out yourself. read more

I love taking pictures of people in costumes and looking at cool art and gaming! I was so psyched Yelp decided to give me some nifty free tickets! I couldn't believe my luck. I have never been to an anime convention and this exceeded my expectations. I'd consider going again, even without the free tickets. Thanks Yelp! read more

Young to old, this is a great place to go with or without tickets. As long as you like cartoons, anime, comic books, and manga, you'll probably like this. I've gone without tickets in the past to see the various cosplays (people dressed up as their favorite characters) and am always amazed to see the levels of craftsmanship. This year, I was given tickets (through Yelp) and was able to see the various rooms of the convention. Things I thought were cool: Free dance lessons everyday varying from salsa to tango to the club two step (not the 50cent two step), the black and white ball (formal dance, hence the dance lessons), artist hall, very helpful guide book, anime running 24/7 in the rooms, and the people! Things I thought that could be better: It's still hard to figure out where everything is and due to the size of the convention, it spans out several buildings. I think some of the anime rooms running movies/anime could be better setup, ie summary/synopsis. anime meetups I highly recommend visiting without a ticket just to see everything before committing to buying a ticket. Come with your regular clothes or come with friends dressed up! Food: not many options for food inside or nearby unless you count the large number of bacon hotdog vendors outside. read more

I have went to this convention in the past and i have also volunteered here. Sadly i had to work the late night shift checking badges it was all worth it. There's a lot to do, they have panels with special guests, they have late night adult anime, they have a lot of seller booths, lot of people are dressing up in their favorite cosplay outfits.. it's awesome read more

I've been going to Fanime on and off for the last couple of years. Skipped last year because I had the chance to go check out Anime Expo in Socal. This year, Fanime 2016 I see that they're changing things up as usual. Trying to see what works and what doesn't. Decided to do just a Saturday only pass ($50 per adult) this year since I had other plans for the weekend. It was a major line-con. Arrived at noon to buy tickets at-con and it took 2 1/2 hours. We were patient, but some others not so much. I don't remember it being this bad. Was quite unhappy and hungry. I heard from the grapevine that they had to change up their whole registration system just a few days before the con. Is it true? I don't know. Not sure if they implemented this last year or this year, but they now badge you to go upstairs. They don't badge you at the entrance to dealer's hall, artist alley, game rooms, and etc. They badge you before you come up through the main entrance. I guess this allows better usage of volunteers elsewhere but I feel like it limits non-badge con goers' ability to roam and see cosplayers too. Pros and cons I guess. I love coming here just to see people dressed up in their characters. Roaming dealer's hall and Artist's alley for goods definitely kills time. I like to observe people in the game room too. It can get pretty intense in there! I remember a few years back they had a pika pika booth in there. I'd like to have that back! read more

FanimeCon - I usually don't buy anything, but this year I gave in and bought a few ghibli goods from dealer's hall. T-shirt, poster, and a cup. :) - Festivals Near Me - San Jose, California

In 2022 I went to several conventions. Stockton Con. Lodi Con. Sacanime. Santa Clara Toy Show. Etc and even Silicon Valley Comic Con (held in the same venue as Fanime.) Not ONCE. In the entire year, was I EVER asked to show my Booster nor my vaccine card. Hello? The pandemic was deemed OVER as of February! When speaking to a helper they basically stated that the contract they signed required booster verification from the venue itself. However i went to Silicon Valley in the same venue and they did not require any of the sort. So it made me believe that they oversold tickets and wanted to create a BS way to limit attendance. And not to offer people refunds despite spending all that money on a ticket allows them to profit from the event. This is theft and outright discrimination and a lot of horse crap. I will never be attending a Fanime convention ever again. It was once a place i enjoyed going to but it's gone so downhill that it's not worth it anymore. read more

This is my wife and I home convention and we love going here every year. If it wasn't for my wife I wouldn't know about this convention. We rent a hotel room threw them because it's cheaper. This is like our mini vacation every year. Some years are better than others, but I still have fun. I love to take photos of cosplayer and by the way I'm a photography. Other then that I hope FanimeCon stay in San José so my wife and I can keep going to the convention every year. read more

FanimeCon - Festivals Near Me - San Jose, California

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I thought this event was cool. Being a fan of the culture, I like to walk around and just people watch. - The McEnery Center renovation dampened the event because the space was cramped and weird - Pre-reg is crazy. Is there a reason why people have to wait 6 hours on line? I went on Friday and waited 12:15 to 3. I don't know the answer but what they have now is kind of insane. I would pay another $5 ro $10 if they mailed it to me. Ot perhaps open up a small office to pickup in the weeks before? + great crowd + great community event + spectacle + optimism read more

I've never been to Fanime because of cost but was one of the lucky ones to get free tickets via Yelp and had a great experience. After all these years, I might start going to Fanime because it was more popular than I thought. I'm a yearly attendee to Comic Con in San Diego and I know how hectic a comic convention can be but it was nice to go to one locally since I live by and helped save cost. There are lots and lots of people but not like the masses of San Diego. Parking is not cheap but if you don't mind the walk, there are some free parking close by. I went during the 3 day event, Friday thru Sunday. I can tell you that the busiest time is during Saturday. Parking is really tough on the weekend, but if you plan ahead and arrive early, parking is easy. There's so much to do from panels, games, cosplay, artist, movies, shows, and I can go on and on. It can be for a family event or just a event to go solo. I'm a photographer and there were plenty of cosplayers to take pictures of. From amateur to really super professional cosplayers the talent locally and from afar are awesome. read more

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This is my fiance's home convention and this is where I met him. He was my Head for my department. So basically was my boss. LOL! I have been going for three years now and no matter how I look at it more and more people show up. The staff people work there a$$ off to try and make the attendees happy. I know that there is always going to be little issues, but no matter what the staff and the attendees put on a good convention. I will always be a staff member and also an attendee to years to come. And who knows I might at the Chair to have a reception at Fanime???? read more

Oh you, Fanime... It was very fun staying here.... SO many cute cosplays and things to buy. They had some really good art works and collectible figures... I wish I had more time and money. The event is pretty much 24 hours. There is always something happening. They usually have Hentais and dance parties at night. P.s. It was $50 for Saturday I went, and $75 for WHOLE WEEKEND+ MONDAY :) read more

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The event has fallen from grace. I've been coming to this event for years on and off since 2010. I went this past Memorial Day weekend. They no longer have the abundance of rare anime and talanted artwork at the vendors like they did in prior years all the while being overcrowded with annoying nuisance mortals. A word of advice, a ticket to this event grants you entry to the Steamwork Alchemy Convention in the nearby Doubletree Hilton Hotel. Go there should the Fanime event make you lose interest so you get your money's worth. ~Much of the interesting booths and events *i.e. voice acting* only occur on Friday and Saturday, so persons who go on Memorial day itself will be sorely dissappointed hence the subtraction of one star. ~Second, they do not serve beer nor wine at the their rave hence the subtraction of another star. I will be coming back next year; however, I attend with comrades and friends not so much for the event since this year has really let me down. read more

I have been going to Fanime every year since 2005 and I can officially say, it is by far the worse convention I have ever attended. Why do I keep going you ask? It's simply because of friends and nostalgia. If it's your first time, Fanime will amaze you! It was like stepping into a whole new world with awesome cosplay, lots of anime merch, games, and finding people with similar interests to you. I have made a lot of friends through Fanime and continue to see visit them, even though it's only once a year. Reasons why Fanime is a horrible place: 1. Lines lines lines. Last year's line (2013) was by far the worst line I've ever experienced. First off, It was about 7 hours long. And on top of that, the line went from room to room. The hardest part was not knowing when the line was going to end. Just when you thought you were in the final line, you are led to a room with an even bigger line. It was horrific. 2. Unprofessionalism. The staff STILL consists of volunteers who are still teenagers without any social skills whatsoever. I heard that the people who run Fanime just pocket all the money and it shows. They don't pay any of their workers! And these workers are supposed to control a crowd of 10,000 people? Good luck with that. 3. No evolution at all. It's still the same convention since 2005. With $60 a head, and over 10,000 people in attendance, where the hell does the money go? The theater room is exactly the same for 9 years, still showing the same old anime and movies. The dealer's hall does not have any official sponsors that most conventions have (such as Funimation, Capcom, etc.) The special guests are usually people you've never heard of. Same can be said for the musical guests (it's hit or miss, few were great actually). 4. Creepy ass people. The freaks come out at night indeed. I don't wanna judge anyone, but this convention brings out the socially awkward people who have been living in a cave and never talked to a human being outside of the internet. WARNING TO PARENTS: Do NOT leave your teenager at this convention after hours. If I were a parent, I know I wouldn't. You'd be better off letting your kid walk home through a dark alley. Lots of creepy ass people here. Although I just ripped Fanime a new asshole. I still attend because of friends. I love hanging out with my same group of friends I've been hanging out with since 9 years ago. I still like seeing friends who work the dealer's hall or hanging around playing guitar in the hallways. Fanime has been the most anticipated time of the year for me. So my advice is, if it's your first time, you should go. Check it out. It's unique. Just keep what I said in mind, be careful, and have fun! read more

I have been taking my FaveRel and friends to FanimeCon for several years. It is a huge Anime convention in the San Jose Convention Center in DTSJ. Thousands attend this 3.5 day event. It is always held on Memorial Day Weekend, starting Friday, but careful, it ends at 3pm Monday, Memorial Day, and you can't buy day tix that day as registration is closed. This year I was fortunate enough to win some Tix from YELP South Bay! Thanks Candice G and Donna T! It is appreciated! This has all things Anime: Video showings, Panel discussions, Stage shows, Board and Card games, Cosplay events, Artists' row, Dealer merchandise, and of course hundreds if not thousands in Anime Costumed Fans. Probably some of the most popular Anime outfits are Sailor Moon (and other Sailor planets), Naruto, Goku, Lelouch, and more, and you can find multiple versions of these and so many more with the CosPlay enthusiasts at FanimeCon. FaveRel used to have her own creation character and outfit, which was half Wolf, half Anime, entitled the Dark Princess. But this year she again hand-made a new outfit based on the badass revolver toting Ginger, Magoichi Saika, from the popular Anime Game and series based on real historical characters (albeit modern and stylized appearances) from Sengoku Basura, based on the War Lord period in Japan, circe 1540s - 1610. read more