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. ... sonia Casey Kirk 2009-08-31T23:38:03Z 2009-08-31T23:38:03Z

When I was in college we were asked to spend a day in a situation we were completely uncomfortable in. I chose to write about an anime club because I had no understanding about why people were so fascinated with characters from comic books I, too, found myself oddly intrigued by the end of my research and finally understood why they had so much fun idolizing the characters.

Casey Kirk 2009-08-31T23:38:03Z papier 2009-08-31T22:08:39Z 2009-08-31T22:08:39Z

wonder if these guys have any thoughts on Disney purchasing Marvel? or i am i just being ignorant?

papier 2009-08-31T22:08:39Z Sonia Lucyga 2009-08-31T21:36:39Z 2009-08-31T21:36:39Z

As someone not very well-versed in anime, it was fascinating to see so many different sides. Anthony hit the nail on the head with the stranger's heaven comment; when you are surrounded by like 3,000 people in costume laughing, dancing and having an inordinate amount of fun, it really intrigues you. I totally did some research on anime after Saturday. I was kind of jealous when I couldn't recognize characters. I think the sword was made out of wood. It was massive, "Cloud" had to rest it on his shoulder to carry it, and when the hilt was on the ground it was taller than him. The costume weaponry was incredibly detailed. www.cosplay.com is an interesting site about anime costumes.

Sonia Lucyga 2009-08-31T21:36:39Z Greg Majewski 2009-08-31T21:06:18Z 2009-08-31T21:06:18Z

A Cloud costume. Nice! What was the sword made out of? You definitely gave a great account of the event. It must have been a memorable experience for someone who is not into that scene. Did the convention make you curious about anime and the culture? Also, your pictures are wonderful, Anthony. The colors are very vibrant and richly detailed. Did you put some more on Flickr?

Greg Majewski 2009-08-31T21:06:18Z Anthony Bento 2009-08-31T05:24:48Z 2009-08-31T05:24:48Z

Great story Sonia! You really did the event justice. I went to a Star Trek convention when I was in 5th grade, and it was NOTHING like this. Walking through the halls of the Radisson, I felt like I had died and awoken in a stranger's heaven. It was awesome and profoundly surreal. Oh, and the kid with the big sword was Cloud from Final Fantasy 7. It's great to see kids these days appreciate the classics.

Anthony Bento 2009-08-31T05:24:48Z