I am sorry I am very late with this. I have been trying to make these intros like mini-reviews, and so far, they have been positive. That is what makes this one a little bit difficult to write. The long story short is that I am worried about JAFAX.
JAFAX is the second convention I have ever attended. My first year was in 2009, back when the convention was still held at Grand Valley State University. JAFAX was a great first con for many back then, in part because it was free. Sadly, they had an agreement with the university that if they grew too large, they would have to find a new venue. This happened back in 2014, and the convention had to reorganize.
Since then, the convention has not been the same. The first few years, the transition was rough, and registration was not easy. JAFAX has managed to iron out these issues, and everything seemed back on track. With that said, something still seemed off.
This year, I was only able to attend on Saturday. I noticed that there seemed to be far fewer people than in years prior. I did not take any 360 videos in part because there was no crowd. It just felt like there were not that many people there. I was hoping it was just me, but I talked to a friend who attended on Friday who felt the same way.
Thankfully, I do not think this is the end of JAFAX. They will need to make some changes. Hopefully, they can find a way to attract attendees and keep people interested. They might have to move to a smaller venue, but going back to a smaller more intimate con might not be a bad thing. JAFAX holds a special place in the hearts of many West Michigan Otaku. I for one want to see it succeed.
ssj3fox Saturday
