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Last Saturday, the SacAnime Convention kicked off with the highest number of attendees in its five-year existence.

Anime, the pop culture term for animation that is distinctly Japanese, was celebrated by fans from all over northern California at the Radisson Hotel. Security official Peter Kraus said that in his four years working the convention, he has never seen a crowd this large.

"Last year we were at the Scottish Rite Center, and it moved to this location, which is significantly bigger. It's pretty incredible, the way it's grown each year," Kraus said. "I just asked the folks up front what the official number was. They said they are low-balling it at three and a half to four thousand."

Attendees, many of them decked out in full costume, walked shoulder-to-shoulder through the hallways to get to areas such as the main banquet room, where vendors and their tables were packed in selling items like original art, costumes, wigs and books on how to draw Manga.

Event-goers could access a video room through a black-curtained doorway in the vending room. A giant screen played anime films in a theater-like setting.

The outdoor pavilion featured live music from bands like Tanuki Suit Riot, which as part of its set covered popular video game tunes. Despite the 100 degree weather, fans peppered the area in front of the stage, waving their weapons the air, moving to the music.

The smaller banquet room featured a stage and seating that hosted a variety of panels as well as the cosplay masquerade, a choreographed spectacle that featured dance performances from anime fans dressed in detailed costume.

In the celebrity panel, voice actors Paul Mercier, Liam O'Brien, Roger Craig Smith and Alyson Court fielded questions about anime and manga, their favorite anime couples and how to break into the industry. More than 200 fans piled into the room to hear the established voice actors speak.

The vibe was interactive, and the actors teased and bantered with audience members. Fans with questions held everything from costume weaponry to stuffed animals to notepads up high in order to attract the panel's attention.

"No one's overcompensating for anything, are they?" asked Smith as he fielded a question from a young man waving a giant sword.

When asked if the panel members had crushes on any anime character, O'Brien started describing a certain female character, but he could not immediately recall her name. The audience was quick to help him out and reminded him almost unanimously that the animated girl in question was Rukia Kuchiki from the anime and manga series Bleach.

"That's it, Rukia," O'Brien sad. "She's a classic, girl's got spunk. Maybe a little young for me though."

The panel's anime and manga favorites were not the only subjects touched upon. Mercier spoke on the process of becoming a voice actor. He told the crowd how he got his beginnings in the theater and on shows ike Beverley Hills, 90210 and Melrose Place. Learning how to act, Mercier said, was the way to enter the voice industry.

The convention offered a slew of other activities such as console gaming featuring the latest games from different consoles as well as all-time favorites such as Guitar Hero and Halo 3. There was also a collectible card game tournament, and later in the evening, attendees could play anime bingo.

However, the most popular activity for those in attendance--being able to interact with other fans in costume--was not on the schedule. Hundreds of different characters gathered in small huddles to socialize, meet, take pictures and admire each other's getups.

One foursome, dressed as Decus, Wonderchef, Genis and Zelos from the video game Tales of Symphonia drove 45 minutes from Galt with a life-size, hand-crafted coffin prop in the back of a jeep. The cost of constructing the coffin alone was close to $300, said Derek England, dressed as Decus.

"It was about eight weeks of frustration and a definite group effort. This is our first time at one of these things, so we're starting off with a bang," England said.

England and his friends have been anime fans since childhood, he said. They respond to the fact that in terms of story-lines, anime doesn't have the same constraints as other entertainment industries.

"There's not the restriction of having to produce something that will make money," England said. "In anime, you can make a movie for the story's sake, and it's really imaginative and unique."

First-time convention goers Carlie and Kayla Guadagnolos said their time at the Radisson was one of the highlights of their year.

"We got stopped all the time! So many hugs from different people, everybody recognized us and wanted hugs," said younger sister Kayla.

"We've never been to anything like this before, like we watch this stuff on YouTube," said Carlie. "Best day of my life."


Photo Credit: anthonybento.com