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Toronto's Anime North 2019 brings thousands of fans together
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May 31, 2019
Original URL: https://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Toronto%27s_Anime_North_2019_brings_thousands_of_fans_together
right|250px|thumb|Canadian singer and cosplay model Jillea as Charizard.
right|250px|thumb|Aerialist performance from Illuminair Entertainment.
right|250px|thumb|Voice actor Alexis Tipton.
Many thousands of anime and manga fans descended on the Toronto Congress
Centre for Anime North, a fan-run convention launched in 1997. Spread
between four venues over three days, May 24 to 26, the event featured
J-pop maid idols, voice actors, writers, and more. ''Wikinews''
attended.
Despite the ample indoor spaces, the parking lot of the Centre is also a
hub of activity, with cosplayers posing for photos. Attendees were sent
running for cover on Saturday, as heavy rains and a severe thunderstorm
warning put a damper on festivities.
The event is organized by a massive team of volunteers, and known for
its specialized programming for fans, by fans. On the night of May 25,
for example, attendees could catch "Pokemon Biology", "Kimono Obi
Tying", and "Underappreciated Sports Anime/Manga."
US voice actor Alexis Tipton marveled at the growth of the anime
industry in the last decade. "Back when I was going as a fan, there
wasn't as much anime, so it was easier to know about everything," Tipton
observed during a question and answer session. "I'm so overwhelmed by
how much there is."
Tipton held a panel on her career, dubbing anime for US distribution
company Funimation Entertainment. While many anime voice actors weren't
fans going into the industry, Tipton recalled going to anime conventions
with her friends during middle school and high school. Once she was an
invited guest, Tipton recalls realizing "oh, I'm not here to just have
fun, I'm here to work; I have a set schedule and I can't just, like, you
know, go do what I want."
Early in her career, Tipton was cast as a voice for ''My Bride is a
Mermaid'', a role that required singing. Then just 19 years old, she
looked at the role as a "chance to face my demons," having questioned
her abilities for years. "I was in an extremely competitive [singing
musical theatre] program in high school. I had started working at
Funimation when I was 19, so I was just barely in college. And so those
scars were still like, really fresh. I had a lot of competition and
people would find what your perceived weakness was, or what your actual
weakness was in the program, and they would take advantage of it. And so
I had people trying to make me feel like I couldn't sing my way out of a
paper bag, and then I would get so nervous when I would sing that I
couldn't support my notes, and so it would just prove them right."
Tipton was devastated when she got a sinus infection, the week of the
audition. "This director doesn't know me, I haven't worked with him,
he's going to think that this is what I sound like," she recalls
thinking. "I don't know if I had a shot to begin with, but now I really
don't have a shot." She was thrilled when she was cast.
Another voice actor, Lauren Landa, would list Sailor Neptune and Sailor
Uranus as dream roles, when asked at conventions. She was given a chance
to audition for the characters years later, when Vizmedia dubbed the
first two seasons of Sailor Moon. When she was cast, "I swear to you, I
was speechless," she told an audience at her Q&A session.
Cosplay model and professional singer Jillea attended the Saturday of
the convention dressed as Pokemon species Charizard. ''Wikinews'' spoke
with her by email, after the event:
What got you into cosplay modelling?
:'''Jillea''': My love for cosplay started with the community, what
started as a fun hobby I would do periodically quickly became a huge
part of my life, and the reason for that being how amazing the cosplay
community embraced me and my work. I've always been a creative person,
so getting to make my costumes and have people say 'oh my gosh, I love
that character!!' got me hooked right away. They're just my people, what
can I say, they really make me feel welcomed and I love them for it.
How did you choose Charizard?
:'''J''': I'm a 90's baby so you could say I’m a bit of a Pokémon ! I
had a Game Boy as a kid and my very first purchase was Pokémon Red,
solely based on how cool Charizard looked on the cover. Charizard has
always been my favourite Pokémon and I can’t resist a challenging
cosplay... and the nostalgia!
What was your favourite part of Anime North?
:'''J''': This was my very first time attending Anime North and I was
blown away! The booths were incredible and unique, every time I turned
around I was seeing something different I've never seen at a convention
before. Everything was easy to access and I even made use of the Cosplay
Recharge station that literally saved the day with their hot glue!
Extremely friendly environment it will not be my last time back for
sure.
''Wikinews''' Nick Moreau photographed the event.
file:Anime North 2019 E IMG_0342.jpg|''Fate'' series cosplay photoshoot
file:Anime North 2019 E IMG_0464.jpg|Voice actor Lauren Landa
file:Anime North 2019 E IMG_0469.jpg|You Tuber Lovely Lor
file:Anime North 2019 E IMG_0476.jpg|Pokeball sculptures
file:Anime North 2019 E IMG_0478.jpg|Overcast weather didn't stop
dancing in the parking lot
File:Anime_North_2019_E_IMG_0433.jpg|A group of cosplayers perform a
choreographed dance.
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==Related news==
* , June 1, 2018
* , May 31, 2017
== Sources ==
* https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/severe-thunderstorm-watch-toronto-environment-canada-1.5149979
* https://animenorth.sfo2.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/Documents/Full_Pocket_Guide_2019.pdf
.