The post Fanime 2025: A Festival of Anime Fandom appeared first on G33K-HQ.
]]>So, let’s take a look at Fanime 2025 and explore what the convention had to offer…
Convention Overview
FanimeCon was held from May 23-26, 2025, located in the San Jose Convention Center. This was Fanime’s 31st year, give or take the years it had to skip due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so there were attendees who have been going for literal decades. This year, Fanime had a festival/matsuri theme, with decorations and badges featuring fireworks, yukatas, and festivities.
Badge pickup was at its fastest yet this year, with attendees breezing through the lines to get their badges and go. For a convention that was once regarded as a LineCon where attendees waited for several hours, the speed and efficiency this year were remarkable, so credit must be given there.
As the convention’s motto is “for fans, by fans,” you could ask any of the staff or volunteers and see that they’re fans who love anime, and you’ll be hard-pressed to find anyone who wasn’t a Fanime attendee before they joined the staff. This also came through in the schedule, with fan panels taking up a good portion of the programming.
This extended throughout the convention, from fan artists in the artist alley to the J-Fashion show to game shows and music. Even just walking around outside, attendees could see cosplayers posing for photos, musicians performing, and friends reuniting for the first time in a year.
(Notably absent were the “danger dog” vendors, who normally sold bacon-wrapped hotdogs on the sidewalk throughout the weekend, due to multiple factors. Unfortunately still present were religious demonstrators who decided that yelling at anime fans from a megaphone to call them sinners would be a good way to spend the weekend.)
Inside the convention center, attendees could walk around to get photos, go to any of the main halls (Dealers Hall, Artist Alley, and the Game Room), find the karaoke room, stop by the cosplay lounge, or grab some overpriced convention center food to eat. In the middle of it all stood Stage Zero, where attendees could sit to watch performances, see the guests, play games, or enjoy whichever show was on stage.
Guests
Anime cons are known for bringing in guests from across the industry, and Fanime is no exception. This year’s guests included voice actors, musicians, cosplayers, and more.
On the voice actor front, Fanime had Japanese actors Tsubasa Yonaga and Atsushi Abe, along with American voice actors Jessie James Grelle, Dorothy Elias-Fahn, and Tom Fahn. (Daman Mills was set to attend, but had to cancel at the last minute due to personal circumstances.)
Fanime also brought singer-songwriter VK Blanka (known for singing the Black Clover opening “Black Catcher,” among others), J-Fashion Guest of Honor cyber.grl, and cosplay guests Onecuppacoffee and VampyBitMe. Longtime attendees will also recognize returning guest Gilles Poitras, author of The Anime Companion, Tokyo Stroll, and several other books on anime.
VTuber Dokibird made virtual appearances, meeting with fans over video and hosting panels. While VTuber guests have become more common at conventions as of late (due in large part to their massive popularity and the lack of need to provide transportation, room, and food to virtual guests), Dokibird is still a big name in the VTuber space.
Shopping
No matter what brings attendees to a convention, there’s one thing almost all of them do: shop. Fanime had several opportunities for attendees to spend their money on anime goods and merch, as the bustling halls could confirm.
Of course, there was a Dealer’s Hall, packed with booths selling figurines, manga, props, plushies, and all sorts of other merchandise. While it was packed, the back of the Dealer’s Hall also had food booths set up, so attendees could rest their feet and enjoy some taiyaki or drinks before resuming shopping. Attendees interested in fashion could also cross the street to the Signia, where designers were selling J-Fashion-inspired designs and outfits of their creation.
Right across from the Dealer’s Hall stood the Artist Alley, where fan artists sold their works throughout the weekend. This went beyond illustrations and prints (although there were plenty of those) and extended to yarn plushies, acrylic standees, metal keychains, and more, all lovingly crafted by fans. Each year, there are a few series that stand out among the most popular (alongside some always popular ones, of course), and this year there was plenty of art for series and games including Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, Marvel Rivals, and Hazbin Hotel, to name a few.
On Thursday and Friday nights, attendees could also sell their wares and collections at the swap meet. This crowded event allowed attendees to either offload the old merch they no longer wanted or find great deals on secondhand goods (or both, in many cases).
Cosplay
If there’s one thing anime congoers are known for, it’s cosplay, and as always, Fanime drew in swathes of excellent cosplayers dressed in their best. Like with the artwork, certain series tend to stand out each year, with shows like Frieren and games like Marvel Rivals well-represented, but that was just the start.
Attendees cosplayed as characters from across anime, gaming, and more from across history (as showcased at the Old School Cosplay Gathering). Cosplayers displayed their love of everything from Spongebob Squarepants to Spirited Away, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, Final Fantasy, Pokemon, and more.
Naturally, there were gatherings for showcasing these cosplays as well. While the Cosplay Gatherings Department was trying to rebuild, attendees were still eager to host gatherings for their favorite series. This included gatherings for Bleach, Baldur’s Gate 3, tokusatsu series, Marvel and DC comics alike, and more, with fans congregating to take photos and pose for pics.
Of course, the masquerade was also a big draw, as competitors broke out their best cosplays to showcase their work. As always, the masquerade was a combination of excellent crafting and performing, making it one of the biggest events of the con.
Panels
With that said, a few panels could compete with the masquerade for that title. Fanime hosted several panels over the weekend, including guest, industry, and fan-run panels.
Guest panels included Q&A sessions, advice for aspiring voice actors, and cosplay workshops, to name a few. While there were fewer industry panels, they covered topics like publishing manga, developing anime mobile games, and even a retrospective on the old days of conventions and cosplay (hosted by The Fangirl Diaries author Erica Espejo).
But the majority of the panel schedule went to fan panels, which covered the widest range of topics. There were game shows like “Vintage Anime – Name That Year” and “Waifu Wars,” informational panels covering everything from “A Therapist’s Guide to Anime” to “Trans & Posthumanism in Anime,” J-Fashion panels, music panels, and so much more.
At night, the convention hosted 18+ panels, like “Bad Hentai,” “Exploring Eroge,” and “Your Guide to Kinky Video Games.” (See more about the 18+ side of Fanime in Glitch’s convention coverage.)
One of the biggest panels was the Cosplay Wrestling Federation (CWF). This was a two-night event where cosplaying performers cut promos against each other to compete for the audience’s cheers or boos, with intense back-and-forth verbal brawling. Night 1 featured exhibition matches, including a Fatal Four-Way with four Arthurs (three kings and the one from PBS) battling it out to be the “one true Arthur,” the tag team title match, a musical match, and a battle for the BLKOUT Belt. Night 2 was the main Fanimania show, where over a dozen cosplayers competed to win the heavyweight title from reigning champion Shadow the Hedgehog. Neither event was a night to miss, despite the occasional technical hiccup.
(Full disclosure: this writer a member of CWF and participated in both shows.)
Games
One can’t forget the Gaming Hall. This featured multiple gaming areas, including an arcade, tabletop gaming, and consoles. The arcade held several cabinets, including rhythm games, shooting games, and fighting games, which were available for free play throughout the weekend. Players could also borrow tabletop games from the game library, or bring their own games to enjoy.
The Gaming Hall hosted multiple events throughout the weekend, including tabletop and video game tournaments. The gaming stage also showcased the final rounds for the tournaments, along with large interactive games with VTubers or playing Jackbox with the crowd.
RPG players could also enjoy scheduled games, including D&D one-shots inspired by Delicious in Dungeon and One Piece, and even miniature painting on Friday. For card gamers, there were tournaments for Yu-Gi-Oh, Magic: The Gathering, Lorcana, and more, including an “MTG Commander with FaniMaids” event.
Night Life
As night fell, attendees stayed out to make every last hour count. The Fanime nightlife may have changed over the years, but you could still find attendees playing games of “Ninja” in the light of the convention center, getting nighttime photoshoots, or playing games into the late hours.
However, the nights were far from quiet. Across the street, ParkCon raged on, filled with food, performers, and very loud music. Note that ParkCon is not part of Fanime, but was independently organized to provide some late-night activities. Other attendees went a bit further to Miniboss, where they could enjoy drinks and arcade games, or to Guildhall for more gaming and food.
Attendees looking for more adult-oriented entertainment could take a shuttle to the DoubleTree, where the Oasis (formerly known as Silver Island) hosted nighttime programming, including Hentai Nights, adult gaming, and a Night Market. The 18+ rule was heavily enforced, as attendees needed to show a valid ID to enter.
And More
While those were some of the biggest aspects of Fanime, they were far from the only ones. Fanime also hosted:
- The Fanimaid cafe, where attendees could buy snacks and enjoy the company of maids
- A manga library, where attendees could sit and rent some manga to read or donate old pieces of their collections
- A car show, featuring itasha cars decorated with large anime decals
- Karaoke, including contests, singalongs, and the Dumpster Fire Talent Show
- The Black & White Ball, a formal dance where cosplay is acceptable attire
- MusicFest, featuring musical acts and concerts
- Speed Dating, where attendees could try to find romance
- A stamp rally that sent attendees searching for stamp stations across the convention
- J-Fashion shows
In short, there was no shortage of events and activities for fans of every sort. Each Fanime weekend, no matter how long, always feels like it’s over so soon, but as tired attendees returned to their homes, there was no doubt it was time well spent. Fanime continues to be a major player in the NorCal convention scene, and many an attendee left the 2025 event looking forward to 2026.
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]]>The post KublaCon Rolls Out its Fall Convention appeared first on G33K-HQ.
]]>While this was technically the first KublaCon Fall, it comes from a team of experienced staff and organizers. So, with that in mind, how was the convention?
Tabletop Gaming
Naturally, the biggest draw for KublaCon Fall was the tabletop gaming, and it had plenty to offer. The biggest gaming room was dedicated to open gaming, with a large library of games for players to peruse and table upon table filled with attendees. There was also a smaller (but still packed) room across the hall and a hallway filled with tables.
There were also rooms set up for specific kinds of games. The miniatures wargaming room, for instance, had large tables covered in detailed dioramas, where players participated in massive battles and skirmishes (covering fantasy, science fiction, and historical wargames). This included a Star Wars: Legion tournament, featuring set pieces from across the Star Wars galaxy.
Game designers also had a chance to show off their works in progress in the Protospiel room. Here, players could sit down to playtest upcoming games and provide direct feedback to the designers. Thus, the designers received valuable feedback, while the players got to enjoy and help shape new games.
Tabletop RPG fans had a few options as well. Several smaller rooms were set aside for scheduled RPG sessions, run by volunteer GMs who wanted to run an adventure. This covered several different systems, including Monster of the Week, Dreamland, Mork Borg, Dungeon Crawl Classics, and much more.
TTRPG players looking for organized play had two fine options as well: Dungeons & Dragons Adventurers League and Pathfinder Society. Both rooms had games running throughout the weekend, whether traveling across Faerun and Planescape or exploring the world of Golarion. While some tables didn’t get a Dungeon Master until the last minute, the organizers worked hard to ensure that no player was left without a game.
While scheduled games typically allowed for drop-in players if there was room, most games were scheduled in advance. Attendees could buy tickets to create their schedules well in advance and reserve a spot for games they wanted to play (although Adventurers League and Pathfinder Society players are used to using Warhorn.net, so the new system caused a bit of a hiccup).
Shopping
People don’t just go to gaming conventions to play games — they go there to buy games too. KublaCon Fall did have some options, although they were somewhat limited.
The Dealer’s Hall was connected to the largest open play room, but consisted of a handful of booths at the far end. With that said, there were some fine options, including both local gaming shops and game designers, as well as a good selection of discounted gaming goods and merchandise.
Outside the Dealer’s Hall was a row of vendors selling their art and other handmade goods. This included pins, paintings, and even perfumes inspired by board games and franchises like Baldur’s Gate 3.
Additionally, a card collector show happened to be in the same convention center that weekend, and KublaCon attendees were allowed free admission. This room was packed with collectors and sellers, although they primarily sold sports trading cards and Pokemon cards. The offerings ranged from reasonably priced low-rarity bulk to graded and sealed high-rarity cards being sold for well above their market value. So it was targeted at collectors willing to spend a pretty penny for a mint condition card their collection needs.
KublaCon also had a flea market on Friday night, allowing attendees to sell their well-loved games, books, and miniatures. While it was only for one night, there was a good selection available to those willing to search and haggle.
While the shopping selection wasn’t the greatest, it’s worth remembering that this is still a first-year convention, KublaCon-adjacent or not. There’s little doubt that as the convention grows, it will attract more vendors and artists.
Food & Venue
KublaCon Fall was held at the Santa Clara Hyatt Regency (connected to but not using the convention center). The location had plentiful parking, and the parking garage was free for convention attendees, in addition to public transit and rideshare options.
(Amusingly, the hotel was just down the street from the Santa Clara Marriott, where conventions like DunDraCon and PacifiCon are regularly held — at least a few attendees remarked on how they almost went to the wrong hotel purely on muscle memory.)
As for food options, the hotel had a restaurant, a cafe, and a snack bar, with a decent assortment of options and varying quality (the restaurant food was great, while the snack bar was mostly edible). Of course, they all had hotel prices, so anyone looking for a cheap meal would have to check elsewhere.
There were several food options within driving distance, and possibly walking distance for those who wanted to get their steps in. The biggest obstacle was finding the time to get a proper and affordable meal between games (or paying for delivery, which was certainly an option too).
What Else?
Attendees who came to KublaCon looking for games to play were not disappointed. There was no shortage of open gaming tables, demos, and RPGs to play. It was somewhat lacking in scheduling outside of that — but that’s not to say it didn’t have anything else.
There were a handful of LARPs for those looking for live action roleplaying games. Similarly, there were eight seminars during the con, including advice for job seekers, a look at the game industry, and a Q&A with the KublaCon Fall team.
The schedule also included events like a Veteran Appreciation Gathering (as is appropriate for Veteran’s Day weekend), giant-sized games, and trading card game drafts, casual play, and learn-to-play events. With that said, the scheduling was absolutely board game and RPG-focused.
Overall, though, KublaCon Fall is off to a strong start. Those who came looking for four days of games did not leave disappointed, and the convention’s turnout and enthusiasm made it clear that the convention is only going to keep growing. So in the years to come, attendees can look forward to more games, activities, and roleplaying.
The post KublaCon Rolls Out its Fall Convention appeared first on G33K-HQ.
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