The COMP Magazine ACEN: Anime Central Midwest 2016 Review

ACEN: Anime Central Midwest 2016 Review
The Midwest Anime & Manga Convention
Rosemont, Illinois
May 20, 2016 – May 22, 2016

There was a full-tilt playful naughtiness into the wee hours of the night as Naruto Uzumaki, Mirajane Strauss, Black Jack, Super Mario, Link, Monkey D. Luffy, Rias Gremory, Edward Elric, Akame and the rest of their rather motley lot descended upon the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont. Anime Central Midwest packed everything Japanese that the occident is obsessive for into a 24/7 three day extravaganza. The programming was wide ranging with aikido seminars, an artist’s alley filled with local talent, board and video gaming, dance parties, asian inspired books and wares for sale, K-pop concerts, Zen meditation, and a bounty of anime and manga panels and screenings.

ACEN: Anime Central Midwest 2016, Rosemont, Illinois, USA

Now in its 19th year, Anime Central Midwest has grown from a meager gathering of less than 2,000 hardcore fans in 1998 to servicing more than 30,000 attendees today. Touring the event this past weekend clearly indicated that this growth does not appear to be tapering off in the near future. The cosplay was on par (and on occasion better) with that found at C2E2 and Wizard World. This event reminds one that this is the cultural material that most certainly defines a large swath of the generation identified as Millennials.

ACEN: Anime Central Midwest 2016, Rosemont, IL, 2016

ACEN: Anime Central Midwest 2016, Rosemont, Illinois, USA

Anime video screenings ran from 11 a.m., Friday, 5/20/16 to 4 p.m., Sunday, 5/22/16. Covering classics genres (Ecchi, Mecha, Seinen, Shoujo, and Shounen) to obscure fan produced parodies and music videos to adult only late night Hentai. There was simply something for everyone.

Video Programming Highlights:

5 Centimeters per Second, 2007, directed by Makoto Shinkai – Presents a tale of a romantic friendship between Tono Takaki and Shinohara Akari and the effects of time and distance upon their fledgling relationship. This intimate account takes place between roughly 1990 and 2008, a time where cell phones and e-mail are yet to be widely in use. Takaki and Akari attempt to maintain their burgeoning romance via letter writing, yet life’s various twists offers little support as their lives drift ever further apart. Awarded Best Animated Feature Film at the 2007 the Asian Pacific Screen Awards, this thoughtful meditation has been hailed as an adult themed testament akin to the dreamy mindscapes of Miyazaki.

Mobile Suit Gundam (079), 2000-2003, story by Kazuhisa Kondo – Adapted from Kondo’s managa series for television, Mobile Suit Gundam provides a didactic understanding of tenets central to the Mecha genre. Set in the Principality of Zeon in the year 2079, the series revolutionary storyline mirrors our ongoing development of sacrifice and power struggles.

Time of Eve, 2008-2009, directed by Yasuhiro Yoshiura – Set in the near future, the series Time of Eve examines the relationships between humans and androids through the protagonist, Rikuo Sakisaka and his android Sammy. This work presents a curious connection to Isaac Asimov’s Three Laws of Robotics through intertwining narratives that examine the inception of independent actions and thought of androids, how utilize that independence within the bounds of the three laws, and their motivations. The series (and movie) was widely viewed in 2010-2011, and received the prestigious 2010 Original Video Animation Category Excellence Award at the Tokyo International Anime Fair.

ACEN: Anime Central Midwest 2016; Rosemont; IL by Chester Alamo-Costello; 2016

ACEN: Anime Central Midwest 2016, Rosemont, Illinois, USA

There were numerous panels worthy of note for those interested in deeper analysis and conversation focused upon anime, manga, and Japanese culture. The content and scheduling was somewhat uneven. There appeared to be some confusion on location and timings due in part to the varied venues. The one panel I found most rewarding was The History and Meaning of Evangelion presented by Chris and Jim Pyke (at the curious time of 9 a.m. on Sunday). Presenting comparative materials by way of a post-modern framework, Pyke outlined the religious themes, popular culture references, and their impact upon society in Hideaki Anno’s seminal work in a voice that was deliberately contemplative and remarkably entertaining.

ACEN: Anime Central Midwest 2016, Rosemont, Illinois, USA

Beyond being reflective of our growing connection and interest in a more global dialogue and outlook, Anime Central Midwest has developed into a platform beyond merely introducing anime, manga and Japanese culture. This year’s festival reaffirms the paradigm shift occurring culturally due to broader accessibility to the contemporary artistic practices, complex philosophies, innovative technologies, and provocative stories that stem from an Asian perspective. This year’s iteration was briskly upwardly mobile, and the 2017 edition will most certainly offer fresh experiences for past attendees and certainly be welcoming to those newly interested parties.