PDN reporter Chloe Babauta talks about the Japanese art of anime. Chloe B. Babauta/PDN
Anime fans gathered at the Holiday Inn on Executive Park Drive Saturday to take part in a one-day anime marketplace and convention called Knoxville Anime Day.
Saturday’s event marks the convention’s fifth year at the West Knoxville hotel, according to organizer John Lo, and marks the 80th Anime Day that Lo has orchestrated in various cities across the Southeast.
Lo, who brings his traveling anime marketplace to cities like Nashville, Orlando, Tampa and Jacksonville, runs the operation from his headquarters in Atlanta. He estimated Saturday’s convention brought between 700 and 800 visitors to the hotel, which he said was pretty typical.
Part of the draw for the traveling event, which ran from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., is its affordability, Lo said. Tickets were on sale for $5 at the door, and visitors were encouraged to trade in their used anime comic books for a dollar off the cost of admission. That makes the convention that much more appealing to families with kids, Lo said.
“My show, because it’s small, is affordable,” he said. “If my kid came to me and said, ‘Dad, there’s a comic book convention downtown, and it’s huge, and it costs $50 to get in. Can we go?’ There’s no way.”
“But for $5?” he continued, “Yeah, I’ll go.”
The show’s combination of marketplace, show discussions, costume contest and video game tournament also helps it draw a wide audience. Lo explained that kids often spent their whole day at the convention and only left when their parents returned to pick them up at the end.
“For kids, it’s fun because they get to dress up, and they get to hang out with their friends,” he said. “For parents, it’s cheap entertainment. A lot of them just drop the kids off during the day and then pick them up at the end, but the thing is, it’s safe.”
“At the bigger shows, you get some creepy people, but this is safe,” he added. “I’ve been doing this a long time and have had no problems whatsoever.”
Many of Knoxville Anime Day’s attendees were teenagers dressed as their favorite anime characters in elaborate costumes. Lo, who has his own teenage children at home, sees the convention as a way to help teens connect traditionally instead of online. Making friends in person is a big part of enjoying the event, he said, and connecting people who share an enthusiastic interest in anime is a major reason for its success.