ConnectiCon is an underrated comic-con nationally but for anyone in the Tri-State Region knows this event is known for having a good time. The 2018 edition of the convention was not a letdown as it appealed to anime fans and western media fans alike. Though this event skews towards the Eastern market with this year’s main guests being the cast of Sailor Moon it also featured Steven Universe and Star Wars Rebels heavily.  Thousands gathered at Hartford’s Adrian’s Landing partaking in the various activities ranging from panels, meet and greets, and a wide array of arcade games.

One of the best features that the convention added this was the incorporation of Downtown Hartford. While the event is usually confined to the riverside of Hartford this year featured more of the region. On the first night of the convention, there was a film festival featuring both western and eastern films at the Dunkin Donuts Park home of the AA Yard Goats. While the attendance for this event was a bit sparse those in attendance enjoyed the event being able to watch The Princess Bride and a “surprise Ghibli film” which turned out to be Spirited Away.

One of the main reason people go to cons is to either see the cosplay or participate as their favorite character. ConnectiCon had a large number of cosplayers which had outstanding designs.  There were a larger number of anime cosplayers with the favored design being Deku from My Hero Academia…So many Dekus. The level of participation knows no age discrimination as there was a wide array of ages of the cosplayers. This led to the energy over the weekend being exuberance as everyone was having a great time taking in the essence of the con. Check out more pictures of the cosplay through this article.

Panels filled the majority of the event with there being a wide selection for all ages and all fandoms. There was a frequent  voice acting Q&As which had voice actors from anime, video games, and more. The convention also features heavily on famous YouTubers with last year being TeamFourStar and this year featuring Channel Awesome and Nostalgia Critic. Through the week I will drop some articles on the event’s panels, including an interview I had with Star Wars Rebels‘ Vanessa Marshall.

One of the best features of this event every year is the arcade which has a vast selection of options to choose from. There were a lot of Japanese arcade games ranging from music/beat themed to the prevalent mech options. Testing out this year’s selection was a fun experience with half the time zero clue of what I was doing save the occasionally “good job” in a heavy Japanese accent.

The timing of the event was well organized as it coincided with a nearby food truck fest and fireworks from the town’s Independence Day celebration. Seeing the people who are unaware of the culture seeing the mass of cosplayers in the area was a funny interaction with most having a puzzled look on their faces.  Though it was nice to see the children react to seeing the cosplayers with many taking pictures with their favorite characters.

ConnectiCon was a fun event for all ages and fandoms once again with an accepting environment. It seemed to fly by this year though they say that is the sign of having a good time. Now the post-convention slump begins though there is some reprieve as San Diego Comic Con is this week. As Coolio says, “Ain’t no party like a west coast party. ‘Cause a west coast party don’t stop.”

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