Story

Anime North 2013

                We had gotten up early so as to get to the Toronto Congress Center in time to get our tickets. As we drove, I still couldn’t believe that I was getting to go to my first convention!  I was buzzing with excitement as I watched the countryside fly by and the sun rise. I was half expecting Courtney to say ‘no’ when I asked if I could go with her. She usually does things without me. As soon as we get within a couple of blocks of Anime North the atmosphere becomes apparent. You can see fans walking down the sidewalks in colorful, detailed and beautiful cosplay outfits. It was kind of magical, at least to me. It was like seeing characters walk right off the television screens or the pages of your favorite book. One saw everything from super heroes and anime characters to Doctors and various Disney princesses. They were just causally walking down the sidewalks. Courtney and I were acting like little kids, giggling and naming the characters walking by while we ignored dad’s pleas for help in trying to find a parking space.

                By the time we get to the center there is already a ticket line that seems a mile long snaking out of the main doors. To our surprise, there were more cosplayers than people in casual wear. While waiting in line it just couldn’t be boring. The characters made the cold morning colorful and creative. There were all different the types of cosplay around us, from the bought to the handmade.  Some were very realistic and others were just people starting to learn how to cosplay. A few memorable ones were the female Dead Pool, the very realistic Iron Man and a couple of anime characters.   It was a cold morning, but that didn’t last long when in the Center itself the amount of humans waking around in one area brings up the temperature and just walking around artist alley was like a trek through a sauna. It was so cool to see people just stop and pose for pictures with just a polite request. Anyway, after entering the actual building and getting passes, the hard part was navigating through the sea of people to where you wanted to go.

                I remember the artist alley where handmade art and prints of art were sold by fledgling artists. There were original pins, hair clips, stuffed animals and much more that were sold around this area. Next, because we were kind of lost, we found ourselves in the dealers’ room. This was the most memorable entrance as you have to get your pass checked by a convention staff as you walk by, and well, the staff was dressed as Jesus. I kid you not. He stood on a chair and checked our pass as we walked by. The dealers’ room was the biggest and busiest room. It was lined up and down with people selling everything a fan could ever want. That year there was a steam punk theme at the event so all the dealers were selling the old Victorian out fits with leather touch-ups and goggles.

                One of my favorite parts was the food. They had a lot of foreign fast food like pocky, soft drinks and so many other various food types you never see in Canada. As we exited the main building to search for real food  we met an army of ice cream and fast food trucks lined up for our convenience. I had never seen so many ever before; it was like a fast food invasion.

                All in all we had a great day and we vowed to return next year!  I knew that when we came the next time it would be even better than this time because we would be better organized and prepared.  I knew the next months would be worse than waiting for Christmas to arrive but I also knew that Courtney and I had work to do!!