Anime Boston

Anime Boston
Status Active
Venue Hynes Convention Center and Sheraton Boston Hotel
Location(s) Boston, Massachusetts
Country United States
Inaugurated 2003
Attendance 26,475 in 2015
Organized by New England Anime Society
Website
http://www.animeboston.com/

Anime Boston is an annual three-day anime fan convention held in the spring in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. The convention is the 6th largest North American anime convention as of 2014.[1] Anime Boston was created and is run by the New England Anime Society, Inc., a Massachusetts-based non-profit organization.[2]

Programming

The convention features a number of events which include a masquerade, an anime music video contest, video programming rooms, an artists' alley and art show, karaoke, game shows, video games, RPGs, and a LARP.[3]

History

Cosplayers at Anime Boston 2004

The first Anime Boston was held in 2003 at the Boston Park Plaza Hotel, as was the 2004 convention.[4] By Anime Boston 2005, the convention had moved to the Hynes Convention Center and Sheraton Boston Hotel. Since then, the convention has continued to be held at the convention center and adjoining hotels with attendance seeing steady growth to 14,339 people (or 35,224 turnstile) in 2008. That year also saw Japanese rock stars The Pillows finish up the east coast leg of their American tour at Anime Boston. In 2009, the convention saw the attendance rise to over 15,000 people for the first time, and the attendees who got tickets at the convention for the concert got to see Kalafina for their first-ever North American performance.[5] Attendance jumped again to over 17,000 attendants in 2010. Nobuo Uematsu made an appearance at the convention, with the Video Game Orchestra, a Boston based 90-piece orchestra that performs video game music with an orchestra, choir, and rock band.

In 2011, the Boston Phoenix selected Anime Boston as the city's "Best Nerd Gathering", beating out contenders such as New England Comic Con and PAX East.[6] The convention won the award again in 2012.[7] In 2012, Anime Boston celebrated its tenth year.[8] In addition to its events, a museum of the convention's history was displayed; photographs and memorabilia from each of the past years created the museum's exhibits. Held on the same weekend as PAX East, its attendance reached a total of over 20,000 attendees.[9] An attendance cap was announced for weekend memberships for the 2015 convention due to overcrowding concerns, despite this AB plans on being at the Hynes Convention Center through 2020.[10]

Event history

Dates Location Atten. Guests
April 18–20, 2003 Boston Park Plaza Hotel & Towers
Boston, Massachusetts		4,110 John Barrett, Steve Bennett, Chris Beveridge, Jerry Chu, Tristen Citrine, Ted Cole, Emily DeJesus, Robert DeJesus, Tiffany Grant, Mark Hildreth, Hiroki Kanno, Mark C. MacKinnon, Jamie McGonnigal, Scott McNeil, Kirby Morrow, Kristen Nelson, Lorraine Savage, Brad Swaile, and David Williams.[11]
April 9–11, 2004 Boston Park Plaza Hotel & Towers
Boston, Massachusetts		3,656 Michael Coleman, Emily DeJesus, Robert DeJesus, Crispin Freeman, Lauren Goodnight, Hilary Haag, Carl Gustav Horn, Lex Lang, Monica Rial, David Williams, and Dave Wittenberg.[12]
April 29 – May 1, 2005 Hynes Convention Center
Boston, Massachusetts		7,500 Greg Ayres, Johnny Yong Bosch, Tim Buckley, Svetlana Chmakova, Emily DeJesus, Mohammad "Hawk" Haque, Dan Hess, Melissa Fahn, Yoko Ishida, David Kaye, Dave Lister, Cynthia Martinez, Scott McNeil, Daisuke Moriyama, Ananth Panagariya, Chris Patton, Monica Rial, Brianne Siddall, Michael "Mookie" Terracciano, and Dave Wittenberg.[13]
May 26–28, 2006 Hynes Convention Center
Boston, Massachusetts		9,354 Greg Ayres, Christopher Bevins, Steve Blum, Svetlana Chmakova, Emily DeJesus, Robert DeJesus, Richard Epcar, Shuzilow.HA, Clarine Harp, Mohammad "Hawk" Haque, Jonathan Klein, Mary Elizabeth McGlynn, Vic Mignogna, Ananth Panagariya, Carrie Savage, Sumi Shimamoto, Mike Sinterniklaas, Michael "Mookie" Terracciano, Kari Wahlgren, Tom Wayland, and David Williams.[14]
April 20–22, 2007 Hynes Convention Center
Boston, Massachusetts		11,500 Greg Ayres, Laura Bailey, Troy Baker, Christopher Bevins, Luci Christian, Colleen Clinkenbeard, Robert DeJesus, Emily DeJesus, Yasuhiro Imagawa, Hiroshi Iwata, Bettina M. Kurkoski, Mike McFarland, Grant Moran, Junji Nishimura, Brina Palencia, Mike Sinterniklaas, Kenji Terada, Tom Wayland, David Williams, and Travis Willingham.[15]
March 21–23, 2008 Hynes Convention Center
Boston, Massachusetts		14,339 Christopher Ayres, Greg Ayres, Colleen Clinkenbeard, Emily DeJesus, Robert DeJesus, Aaron Dismuke, Todd Haberkorn, Luv and Response, MC Frontalot, The Pillows, Monica Rial, Mike Sinterniklaas, Brad Swaile, Tokyo Pinsalocks, Tom Wayland, and David Williams.[16]
May 22–24, 2009 Hynes Convention Center
Boston, Massachusetts		15,438 Christopher Ayres, Greg Ayres, Laura Bailey, Troy Baker, Bespa Kumamero, Video Game Orchestra, Emily DeJesus, Robert DeJesus, Yuki Kajiura, Kalafina, Misako Rocks!, Veronica Taylor, Tom Wayland, David Williams, and Travis Willingham[17]
April 2–4, 2010 Hynes Convention Center
Boston, Massachusetts		17,236 Nobuo Uematsu, MyM, Carli Mosier, Chris Ayres, Chris Smith, Clarine Harp, Greg Ayres, J. Michael Tatum, Josh Grelle, Emily DeJesus, Robert DeJesus, Tom Wayland, Video Game Orchestra, Reni Mimura[18]
April 22–24, 2011 Hynes Convention Center
Boston, Massachusetts[19]		19,136 Mari Iijima, Girugamesh, STEREOPONY, Brina Palencia, Greg Ayres, Chris Ayres, J. Michael Tatum, Richard Epcar, Sean Schemmel, Spike Spencer, Trina Nishimura, Tom Wayland, MC Frontalot[20]
April 6–8, 2012 Hynes Convention Center
Boston, Massachusetts		22,065 Christopher Ayres, Greg Ayres, Caitlin Glass, Kanako Ito, Shotaro Kaizuka, MINT, Haruko Momoi, Carli Mosier, Tsutomu Narita, Takamasa Sakurai, Keith Silverstein, Michael Sinterniklaas, Chris Smith, Karen Strassman, Dethklan, Yoshitaka Suzuki, Kirk Thornton, Tom Wayland[21]
May 24–26, 2013 Hynes Convention Center
Boston, Massachusetts[22]		21,825 Christopher Ayres, Greg Ayres, Zach Bolton, Christopher Bevins, IBI, Tomohiko Ito, Shinichiro Kashiwada, Yasuhiro Koshi, Lauren Landa, Cherami Leigh, David Matranga, ORIGA, Bryce Papenbrook, Raj Ramayya, Dethklan, Monica Rial, Rachel Robinson, Stephanie Sheh, Micah Solusod, Yousei Teikoku, Kari Wahlgren, Shinichi Watanabe,[23] Tom Wayland
March 21–23, 2014 Hynes Convention Center
Boston, Massachusetts[24]		24,798 Yuu Asakawa, Greg Ayres, Linda Ballantyne, Josh Grelle, Kyle Hebert, Wendee Lee, Toby Proctor, JAM Project, Mike McFarland, Matthew Mercer, Dethklan, Yuko Minaguchi, Trina Nishimura, Dai Satō, Patrick Seitz, John Stocker, Cristina Vee, Tom Wayland
April 3–5, 2015 Hynes Convention Center
Boston, Massachusetts[25]		26,475 Greg Ayres, Christine Marie Cabanos, Richard Epcar, Kazuhiro Furuhashi, Lauren Landa, Cherami Leigh, LiSA, Manami Matsumae, Mona Marshall, Cassandra Morris, Haruo Nakajima, Yoko Shimomura, Michael Sinterniklaas, Ellyn Stern, Akira Takarada, Koki Uchiyama, Tom Wayland (Cancelled)[26]
March 25–27, 2016 Hynes Convention Center
Boston, Massachusetts[27]		TBA TBA

Mascots


The Mascots for Anime Boston are A-chan and B-kun. A-chan has long blue hair and she typically wears a dress. B-kun has orange hair and red eyes. Their outfits often change to match the convention's theme for the year.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Delahanty, Patrick (2015-01-05). "Ten Largest North American Anime Conventions of 2014". AnimeCons.com. Retrieved 2015-01-11.
  2. ↑ "New England Anime Society announces Anime Boston 2003" (Press release). The New England Anime Society, Inc. 2002-01-07. Retrieved 2007-01-03.
  3. ↑ "History of Anime Boston". Anime Boston. Archived from the original on 8 July 2007. Retrieved 2007-07-28.
  4. ↑ "Cartoon festival lures animated crowd". www.boston.com. Retrieved 2012-04-14.
  5. ↑ "Interview with Kalafina". j-popworld.com. Retrieved 2012-04-14.
  6. ↑ "Best Nerd Gathering: Anime Boston". Boston Phoenix. Retrieved 2011-05-06.
  7. ↑ "Best Nerd Gathering: Anime Boston". Boston Phoenix. Retrieved 2012-06-08.
  8. ↑ "10 years of anime Boston". tech.mit.edu. Retrieved 2012-04-14.
  9. ↑ "Anime Boston PAX East bring big bucks to the hub". www.metro.us/boston1. Retrieved 2012-04-14.
  10. ↑ "Registration Cap". www.animeboston.com. Retrieved 2015-03-27.
  11. ↑ "Anime Boston 2003 Information". AnimeCons.com. Retrieved 2008-04-10.
  12. ↑ "Anime Boston 2004 Information". AnimeCons.com. Retrieved 2008-04-10.
  13. ↑ "Anime Boston 2005 Information". AnimeCons.com. Retrieved 2008-04-10.
  14. ↑ "Anime Boston 2006 Information". AnimeCons.com. Retrieved 2008-04-10.
  15. ↑ "Anime Boston 2007 Information". AnimeCons.com. Retrieved 2008-04-10.
  16. ↑ "Anime Boston 2008 Information". AnimeCons.com. Retrieved 2008-06-13.
  17. ↑ "Anime Boston 2009 Information". AnimeCons.com. Retrieved 2009-04-06.
  18. ↑ "Anime Boston 2010 Information". AnimeCons.com. Retrieved 2008-04-10.
  19. ↑ "What’s Up This Weekend: April 22-24". boston.cbslocal.com. Retrieved 2012-04-15.
  20. ↑ "Anime Boston 2011 Information". AnimeCons.com. Retrieved 2010-05-26.
  21. ↑ "Anime Boston 2012 Information". AnimeCons.com. Retrieved 2011-04-27.
  22. ↑ "Anime Boston 2013 Information". AnimeCons.com. Retrieved 2012-04-13.
  23. ↑ "Excel Saga Director Shinichi Watanabe to Appear at Anime Boston". Anime News Network. 2013-04-09. Retrieved 2013-05-08.
  24. ↑ "Anime Boston 2014 Information". AnimeCons.com. Retrieved 2012-04-13.
  25. ↑ "Anime Boston 2015 Information". AnimeCons.com. Retrieved 2012-06-08.
  26. ↑ "Tom Wayland will not be able to attend Anime Boston 2015". www.animeboston.com. February 12, 2015. Retrieved February 15, 2015.
  27. ↑ "Anime Boston 2016 Information". AnimeCons.com. Retrieved 2015-04-06.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Anime Boston.