AnimeNext is one of the largest Anime Conventions in the tri-state area and this year the con was held from June 12th-14th at the Garden State Exhibit Center in Somerset, New Jersey. [hidepost] I attended this year’s con as any other Otaku (anime/manga/video game obsessed person) would, extremely excited and ready to dress up with my friends. Lara, Melanie and Christina from the AMIN staff were among the people to join me for the fun that weekend.
Being an attendee of AnimeNext for the past 5 years you can bet that I will be bluntly honest about this review. Unfortunately, Greg Aryes was unable to attend the con as advertised. Many were really looking forward to seeing the panels that this awesome voice actor was going to be on even though the con did have a lot more to offer. There was a concert by the Japanese rock band FAKE?, an Anime Music Video Contest, an open mic karaoke and a ton of other activities to keep anyone entertained for the whole weekend.
There did seemed to be a lack of notable guests this year though. 
However, I’m pretty sure that downfall was quickly covered up by the inconvenience of the new location in Somerset. The Garden State Exhibition center did provide a slightly larger venue but, the hotels surrounding it were not easy to walk to. Also, if you didn’t have a car there was virtually no way to get to any food establishments and the choices were very limited.
Aside from the long walks from the hotel to the convention center, there were plenty of people in cosplay (costume play) to witness the long and exstensive commute on the road as even I had to walk with 4 inch stiletto heels. As a cosplayer myself entering the Masquerade this year, I was very impressed by all of the unique costumes. You could really tell that these fans have a passion for Anime, video games and Japanese pop culture by the hard work that is put into their appearances at this event.
Despite the noted ups and downs of this year’s convention, I do plan to return. I really hope to see some improvement for next year’s AnimeNext.
Take a look at our photo gallery of AnimeNext 2009!
Check out the masquerade skit that won first place in performance!
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