Do Anime Cons Feel Different Nowadays?
I’m wondering if this is just a problem with the con I went to, or if anime cons in general have changed a lot over the years?
The overall atmosphere when I went felt really different. It used to feel more like a community hangout for “nerdy” people who genuinely shared the same interests, but now it feels way more influencer/clout-focused with nonstop TikTok dances, people recording everything, constant photo shoots, and everyone kind of performing for social media the whole time. There’s also just way more loud theatre-kid energy now too 😭
It also feels like lately every year is the exact same mainstream cosplays over and over too (Genshin, HSR, Uma Musume, or whatever the trending anime of the year is).
Most of the vendor area just felt like overpriced figures you could order from Japan for way cheaper even after shipping, plus a ton of scalped Pokémon card booths.
Maybe I’m just getting older lol, but does anyone else notice this shift too? Or is it mainly specific cons that feel this way now?