Featuring anime characters and comic superheroes, the 2007 Metrocon Anime Festival drew anime fans from around the US to Tampa, Florida for the weekend-long convention.
Several thousand fans, many dressed as their favorite characters, paraded inside the convention hall and through parts of downtown Tampa over the July 18 weekend in support of the annual event.
Started in 2003 as a forum to get fans of anime together, the event continues to grow every year due to its combination of bringing special guests together with a growing number of shows that incorporate fan participation.
Metrocon: A Place For Fans of Anime to Meet
“We did it mainly for fans to meet each other,” Harms said in an interview prior to the show. “Then we started getting kids flying in from around the country to attend.”
In keeping with the growth of anime’s popularity with American audiences in the last decade, the convention has grown a little more every year as anime titles become increasingly available. Harms said the convention founders saw the potential when the show Gundam Wing was broadcast on Cartoon Network in the spring of 2000.
“Prior to that show, if you wanted to watch anime you had to know someone who had it. You had to work for it,” Harms said.
What started as a social gathering has now become a year-round project for Harms and the other founders. While anime sales continue to hold steady in American markets, the convention has been able to lure larger personalities to the show every year. In 2006, renowned Japanese artist Yoshitaka Amano was the show’s guest of honor.
Anime Chess Match is a Show-Stopper
One large staple that Harms and the other producers take pride in is the annual anime chess match. A staged combat show using a similar format from renaissance festivals, the show features stunt actors performing as anime and video game characters in a stylized chess match. This year’s theme included a Light vs. Dark theme; in previous years they have used anime characters against video game icons like Mario and Luigi.
As the convention continues to grow in popularity, the entertainment has branched out to include other stunt shows using comic and video game characters. In addition to the chess match, this year the convention featured two additional fight shows, one featuring a Batman theme and another using characters from the television show “Avatar: The Last Airbender.”
With this year’s show over, producers have already started making plans for next year’s convention. To find out more, visit the organization’s website at www.metrocon.com to find out more.
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