Canada’s largest fan-run convention for fans of Japanese animation, comics and culture will return this month for its twenty-second installment.
Anime North will feature its usual assortment of events, including panels, vendors, screenings, contests, concerts and dances. Last year’s convention attracted over 34,000 people, spread across multiple hotels. The colourful costumes worn by fans often stand out amid the otherwise business-like clientele of these locations, as in 2017 when the convention shared space with a political leadership election.
This year’s conference will once again feature guests from both sides of the Pacific, including English and Japanese voice actors, artists, writers, and musicians. For many, the highlight of the convention is the Saturday night ‘Masquerade’, or costumed dance party. Anime North will also feature a diverse array of competitions and performances ranging from Japanese taiko drumming to ‘Cosplay Chess’. These events are designed to highlight both Japanese culture such as anime and manga, and the Western fan culture that has emerged from it.
Run by fans on a nonprofit basis, Anime North has weathered the peaks and valleys of anime’s popularity over the last 20 years. It’s a special event for fans living in Toronto and surrounding cities like Mississauga and Milton, but also draws attendees from across North America. While anime and manga are much more readily available than in decades past, collectors still value conventions for the chance to pick up rare merchandise like out-of-Print comics, Promotional Products, toys, Banners and wall scrolls.
Anime North will take place from May 24 to 26 at the Toronto Congress Centre, Delta Airport Hotel and Sheraton Hotel, with a few other hotels hosting tie-in events.
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