Anime Boston, the largest fan convention for Japanese animation and comics, has released the preliminary schedule for it's 2010 event. The schedule includes all of the anime conventions main events, like the Masquerade and AMV contest, as well as video showings, industry panels and panels put on by other anime fans. There is also a schedule listed for anime screenings that will go on throughout the convention. Anime Boston advises on their website that this is a preliminary schedule that can change right up to the day of an event. Anime Boston 2010 will be held from April 2 until April 4 at the Hynes Convention Center and Sheraton Hotel in Boston, Massachusetts.
Main Events
Events put on specifically by the convention in one of the main events rooms are considered main events of the convention. This year at Anime Boston these include Anime Unscripted, in which anime voice actors conduct improve on stage, the AMV (anime music video) contest, where fan-made videos edited to music are showcased and voted on by viewers, and a concert.
As always there is a Masquerade, where fans dress in homemade costumes of their favorite characters (called cosplaying) and perform skits. Because the line to get into the Masquerade is so long, Anime Boston announced on their homepage that they are implementing a new method for viewers to get to their seats. Con-goers can pick up a free ticket on Saturday, April 3 starting at 10:00 am for one of three areas--Main Events Floor, Main Events Balcony, or the Simulcast Room. Tickets will be available until time runs out, and anime fans can start lining up for the show at 4:00.
Anime Industry Panels
Members of the anime and manga industry take anime conventions as an opportunity to showcase their new series to potential buyers. This year the anime distributor FUNimation Entertainment will be having a Sneak Peak panel on Friday, as well as a full industry panel on Saturday.
Guest Panels
Anime Boston, like any anime convention, gives opportunities to see and meet the guests. Nobuo Uematsu, the composer for the Final Fantasy RPG video games, will be having his panel on Saturday, and Japanese singer MYM will have her panel on Friday.
There is also opportunity for anime fans to see their favorite English voice actors. All of the voice actor guests (Carli Mosier, Chris Ayres, Greg Ayres, Chris Smith, Clarine Harp, J. Michael Tatum and Josh Grelle) will have their own panels at which they can talk about their work. Fans will also have the opportunity to ask them questions.
Anime Fan Panels
There are also a number of panels put on by fans or people who don't work directly within the anime industry. These panels can explore aspects of specific anime, like Gurren Lagann, or of anime and manga in general, and there can be panels on the art of story writing. There are also plenty of lighthearted panels as well, like the Bad Anime, Bad panel that pokes fun at some particularly bad anime.
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