Man I’m really feeling the shit now. I should be planning out my cosplay, contacting my friends and seeing who’s coming this year, and getting ready for the annual anime convention in my area that takes place in May. Obviously that bitch was cancelled into the next year thanks to coronavirus. Out of curiosity I wanted to make sure everyone else was suffering along with me (bitch move, I know) and checked a thorough list of all the popular anime conventions in the United States. Sure enough, pretty much all of them were postponed or cancelled. However, I then noticed an interesting pattern. The conventions seemed to be trying to do one of three options to deal with the virus. Each strategy has pros and cons and I wanted to see if you guys feel the same way I do.
Option 1: Just Give Up
Many conventions are just flat out cancelling everything and saying “catch us next year please”. The downside here is that, well, there’s no chance of recovery at all for the year 2020. I can’t blame them either though, I don’t know if you’ve ever tried to schedule a hangout with a bunch of friends but that shit can get annoying to organize real fast. Now take that and multiply the magnitude by 100, maybe even more as the con staff tries to organize businesses, guests, performances, and visitors. Simply handing out refunds and waiting for next year is the simplest and probably safest option.
Option 2: Reschedule Everything
Some conventions on the list were talking about moving back their start dates to later in the year. Personally I’m really down for this option. They offer refunds if you can’t attend the new dates, but don’t flat out cancel the entire thing in case you can make it. The big problems with this option rest more on the staff. Good luck trying to reschedule all of the guests and planned performances. Plus, as someone who’s been to an anime con, let me tell you that shit lives on cosplay and panels. If there aren’t many interesting events with prominent guests, it’s gonna get boring real quick to just stand around. I’m sure it’s hell for the organizers, but if they can manage to push it back while still salvaging the majority of planned events, I do think it’d be worth it.
Option 3: Go Virtual
The third option takes place where some cons, like Momocon for example (one of the biggest anime conventions in southeast America), are planning to go virtual and stream a lot of content. Panels, performances, cosplay contests, and merchandise from the con and artists will be available online. I have to respect them for doing everything they can to still have some sort of event during this coronavirus timeline… but god damn it I can’t be bothered. I don’t know about you guys, but anytime a big event is ruined, I’d personally rather just give it time to heal than attempt something that’s not as fun or engaging as the real thing. For example, if I was planning to go to Six Flags on my birthday and we show up and half the rides are closed down for maintenance, I’d rather just hop in the car and go home then come back later when it’s fully operational. Maybe that’s a personal preference and I’m a freak about things going according to plan, but you won’t see my ass attending any of this online convention stuff. It’ll just feel extra depressing to me and serve as a reminder of how shit this solution is by comparison.
This just ain't the con for me.
Personally Option 2 is a bitch for the organizers, but it’s definitely my favorite from a consumer standpoint. Which option do you think is the best for anime conventions? Are you attending a convention online? Is there an option that they haven’t been taking and isn’t listed here that they should try? Leave a comment below! (The fuck else is there to do?)
