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Don’t let the name deceive you, Anime Milwaukee is for fans of Japanese culture in general. That being said, it stands to reason that more than a few of the 7,500+ expected attendees will know the difference between Pokémon and Ponyo – that is to say, they’re fans of the wildly popular cultural phenomenon of Japanese animation known as anime.
“Fans” might be something of an understatement, and there’s no better illustration that we’re talking about full-blown fanatics than Anime Milwaukee itself. From 10:00 a.m. Friday, February 13, until 5:00 p.m. Sunday, February 15, there will be fifty-five straight hours of unadulterated fanaticism unleashed upon downtown Milwaukee. Cosplay combat chess (i.e. becostumed anime-niacs going head-to-head on a life-sized chess board, “armed with swords, fists, energy blasts, and insults”) is AMKE’s main event, but attendees can also expect a charity ball, a Manga (i.e. graphic novel) library, children’s programming, video gaming, an artist’s alley, various vendors, the Symphonic Anime Orchestra and the Rave featuring Japanese DJ Meishi Smile, traditional Japanese drumming (courtesy of Milwaukee’s own Taiko Hibiki group), as well as appearances made by numerous anime voice actors and the lead designer of the popular video game "Pathfinder", Mr. Jayson Bulmahn.
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Interested parties should visit animemilwaukee.com for a full listing of events and locations. Anime Milwaukee is open to the public with daily entrance fees ranging from $25-$40.
