Another Anime Convention is a small con that I love attending every year.  The con is memorable because of the friendly environment and creative touches in its theming. . AAC returned for their 2025 year at the Westford Regency in Massachusetts with an alien theme. 

 Ari Rockefeller picked me up on Thursday morning. After some shenanigans with my hyperactive dog and fun with quick rounds of video games,  we ventured off.

Read more: Another Anime Con 2025: An Anime Con … in Space!

AAC is a long drive for the staff at Anime Jam Session.  The road trip on its own is an adventure in itself. As DJ Ranma S mentioned in the podcast review, it is worth the schlep! We went through highways across bridges, up winding roads, and played catchy music along our journey. Ari Rockefeller and DJ Ranma both have great taste in music.  Nerdy conversations filled the time. Our group also caught up with each other and had some casual banter.

We made some stops along the way for our weekend provisions. But in case any of us needed to pick up more snacks,  Market Basket (a grocery store), and several food options were by the venue. I ate acai bowls throughout the weekend from a place called Godly’s. Those bowls kept me going throughout the weekend. 

Attendees received shocking news before the event started: the venue would be closed and replaced by the end of 2025. Stepping into the convention center had a bittersweet feel. In about two months after the con, the building would be demolished.The building would be torn down, yet it’s still a place where memories were made. I took extra pictures of the venue for archival purposes. 

Going through the con halls felt bittersweet.The venue had signs of age from prior years. I adored the old signage, such as faded  floor guides in popular colors of decades in the past. I  adored the dated yet cozy chairs in endearingly busy patterns which may have been around since the hotels’ opening in the 80’s. Cosplayers who walked around the halls Thursday looked excited for the weekend to begin: I wondered to myself if they shared similar connections to the venue. I like talking about memories in my con reviews. Conventions are places where I’ve made great memories even if venues change. Conventions make connections, many of which stay along with memories. 

AAC is a relaxed con that reminds me of conventions from my first few years as an attendee.  The convention is friendly and warm. There’s also a  beautiful creativity that makes this con feel magical.  I loved walking through a con hall and feeling a sense of wonder again. It’s nostalgic and a time capsule of old-school cons,  yet brand new!  I also loved the outdoor tent where some events such as a flea market and the idol festival take place. The decor is also a major plus. The ufo inflatable is a focal point in the hotel lobby and a perfect photo opp!. It’s a cute and prominent reference towards this year’s  alien theme. The decor builds on the nice atmosphere. 3-D printed sculptures of popular anime characters like Anya from “Spy x Family” and Mao Mao from “Apothecary Diaries” are placed in one of the main halls where panels take place. A roll away television scrolled through various events the con offered throughout the weekend, including a lost and found.

On Friday, I put many of my more nostalgic thoughts in the back of my mind. We were ready to officially start the convention!! The hotel offered breakfast for around $20 in a lobby. It was a usual hotel buffet fair with bacon, eggs, fruit, and some familiar staples from what I heard.I’m limited with food options–breakfast especially due to my allergies to gluten and dairy. I skipped out on this one, getting an acai bowl down the road instead.

I saw parts of two  panels.  The first was about ranking anime openings. I saw some papers around as a means for people to participate in voting. However, folks did openly express their thoughts on the openings… I liked that the papers were included with ratings. They were likely for the purpose of being an ice breaker. Participants seemed excited when they rated openings out loud. The openings on screen fell into the shonen genre. Animations and songs worked in tandem here; seeing openings in succession made me feel pumped to watch more anime myself.  The second panel was a workshop about ita bags. Ita bags are an expressive way to show a nerdy collection with fan made merch, official merch, or a combination of the two.  The bags typically have clear windows and are used to show  appreciation for characters and fandoms.  The panelist explained ita bags in a quick panel and showed some examples of their own. People in the audience got the chance to swap buttons and work on their own ita bags. 

I attended a panel about imposter syndrome and cosplay. I liked the academic approach to the imposter syndrome topic. A surprising stat in the presentation mentioned that about 80% of people struggle with imposter syndrome in various severities. The two panelists were award-winning cosplayers who competed in contests. I mention this in some of my posts, but I do not compete in cosplay contests and was really anxious to sit in the panel. Would the panel be all about competitions and competing? How would the panel approach the topic?  I liked how the judges talked about their own experiences in an open way.  I didn’t realize until the panel that  judges had struggles and similar anxieties to my own. The panel was a solid, yet gentle reminder that cosplay is a fun hobby. People can experience the hobby and approach it in different ways. 

On Saturday, the convention held its first flea market of the weekend. Attendees sell items in their own collection for great prices! Plushies were common offerings The Saturday flea market was smaller in scope and vendors in comparison to what would be out on Sunday. I  love miniatures and saw an adorable Kirby re-ment figure for just $8!

Saturday ended up being a day which started off with some mishaps and shenanigans. After my quick trip to the flea market, I changed into Ami Mizuno from Sailor Moon. I went to a cosplay meetup with DJ Ranma who cosplayed as Mamoru Chiba. The meetup ended up being small but cute, and we had some extra time to get some photos taken! A Sailor Pluto cosplayer headed the meetup. But my time in Ami Mizuno didn’t last long. As I walked back into the room, the chunky heel on my shoe began to clatter. The heel had snapped off! I decided to change out of Ami and into Ness at that point, baseball bat prop in hand.

After wandering around the con center halls, taking some pictures of cosplayers, and browsing the wares over the Exhibitor Hall, I relaxed in a chair and recharged my phone. More shenanigans ensued, as my baseball bat went missing. The con staff were lovely and tried to look out for it but alas, the baseball bat remained lost.

The day only went up from there, thanks to the awesome idol festival! The festival had a feel that reminded me of idol anime itself with its outdoor setting. Attendees stepped into a tent, sat down, and watched their favorite idols onstage. Penlights lit up in the colors of people’s favorite idols. The stage was decorated with the names of individual performers and groups.. “Vocaloid”’, “Project Sekai,”, and “Love Live” are still quite popular! At the same time, new idols are also stepping onto the scene alongside veteran ones. “K-pop Demon Slayers” is a newer film with idols which skyrocketed in popularity after its release. I could see this film  becoming an additional mainstay in idol fest in the near future.I adore idol festivals and have praised them in previous con reports.. They’re typically  a non-competitive  option for attendees, something I really like as a non-competive cosplayer. 

The day wrapped up on an even better note, thanks to the delicious ice cream I had. A nearby Coldstone Creamery offered a newer, allergy friendly ice cream made from almond milk.

Our group stayed later than usual at the con on Sunday. We enjoyed the entire duration of Sunday because we didn’t leave the con until the following day. By the time Sunday rolls around, so does my fatigue. 

But this is the type of con which is worth staying each day in full.   Sunday’s flea market had a greater variety of wares. I walked from one table to the next and felt nostalgic. The flea market had some older merch that’d fit right into dealer’s rooms in my earlier con years. I was happy to see regular and plus sized cosplays offered, too. I had my hands full by the end of my shopping trip, and held a beautifully handmade blue cape with thick and cozy fabric. 

After getting sushi for lunch later that day and coffee to fuel my morning, I made my way back to the con with plans to attend a panel called This ________ is no Longer Available. The panel would discuss limited edition merchandise from Japan. The panel ended up being cancelled. A con staff member checked in on us and communicated updates about the panel until its cancellation. I was a little bummed about the cancellation, but understood. 

The con dwindled to a close throughout the day. Attendees had their suitcases on carts. They pulled boat loads of luggage and tubs with cosplays.

I sat and waited with others in the room. After some time passed,  planned on vegging out in the hotel. But I heard a clip from “Mew Mew Power” play in the background as I considered leaving, and got into a conversation about the anime.  “Mew Mew Power” is the dub of “Tokyo Mew Mew,” a magical girl series. The conversation went from anime, to the “Touhou” franchise, cosplay, and even differences between their state and my own. I liked learning more about the New England area and meeting cool and nerdy people! DJ RanmaS, Ari,  and I  finished our time at the event at a local Korean restaurant. We met up with two other awesome nerdy folks! The hot bowls were cozy and comforting. I craved more ice cream and after mentioning it, so did much of the group! Many of us went to Cold Stone Creamery, ending the con on a great note. 

At the start of my report, I mentioned the closure of the venue. AAC did secure a venue for the 2026 convention and is moving from Massachusetts to Manchester, New Hampshire! AAC was once in New Hampshire and I didn’t experience it yet in this location. The news from the community who attended in New Hampshire was very positive. I am looking forward to visiting the con in 2026!

I am wrapping up this post with some photos from the Massachusetts venue and a thank you to the staff for making 2025 a wonderful year to remember.