I attended a session that discussed the changing face of the anime conference attendee. One thing was clear. There was no love for Naruto fans at this panel. They also derrided Bronys, which are males dressing up like My Little Pony. Weird.There is a growing sect of multi-fandom fans at the conferences. They just don't like anime. They love Doctor Who. They love Star Trek. Should conferences cater to these other interests? That raise the profits. It also alienates some anime purists. There was no clear answer. There was consensus that conference probably need to evolve.
I heard an interesting analysis on the difference between East and West coast conference goers. Each coast attendees are more hyperactive and crazy. West coast fans are more formal and laid back. They have a greater interest in the scholarly side of anime analysis. I was on the East coast for this conference. Strangely enough, we were discussing the trends in a scholarly fashuion People came to the talk.
