Comments from Dark_Laharl: Anime Conventions have a tendency to bring out all manner of Anime fans, think of any type and you will probably see them at a con. Wasabi Animeland, Wasabi for short, is no different than any other Anime con I’ve been to. They have an Artist alley, Special guests, Panels run by some of the guests and any one who wants to run a panel, and some rooms will show Anime shows if you want to discover something new to watch.

I have been going to Wasabi for about 4 years now but this is the first year I have personally covered the con for press purposes. Sadly, this con has a bad reputation that it does not deserve, every time I have gone I have had a blast. You might get a few people who will disagree but you will probably seem them there again the following year.

Wasabi continues to offer the same things that they have always offered, what might be failing today might be the community, if they aren’t out there promoting it to others and spreading the word then how can we expect a big turnout for the con? Of course, it isn’t entirely community the organizers also need to put the word out and get the hype going.

Regardless of the imperfections that exist, there are some people that are still dedicated to Wasabi. There were plenty of people just hanging out and watching Anime, plenty of people who use conventions as an excuse to party with like minded people (not a bad thing). The people you talk to will probably tell you at first that they aren’t having fun, this is likely during the day time; many don’t start having fun till after dark.

Comments from Stellar.ice: I have been attending Wasabi for six years.  When I first started attending cons, Wasabi was always my second favorite. Of course, there were only a few cons in the Denver area at the time.  It wasn’t until 2015 that I saw a drastic decline in activities. From bouncy castles to hallway con, Wasabi has certainly seen a decline in activities.

However, I never really enjoyed Wasabi for the array of panels or guests.  What I have always enjoyed was the intimate atmosphere created by every attendee.  Before 2015, Wasabi always exhibited some of the best cosplay I have seen at a con.  Not only that, the con-goers were extremely friendly and inviting, welcoming you into panels and just hanging out in the hallway. My real question is what has happened to the communal atmosphere of the con? How does the community come back to Wasabi?

I think Wasabi has definitely stepped up compared the famed “hallway con”, in terms of space,  all it was missing this year was the people.  Even the rave for Saturday night was a blast playing a variety of dance music to keep your body moving.

What do you think makes a successful con? What do you look for when you decided to attend an anime convention? Let us know in the comments!