ABSTRACT
The first fan convention that I ever visited was Animecon in 2005, a festival devoted to ‘manga’ (Japanese comics) and ‘anime’ (Japanese cartoons). From the entire country, fans had come to a hotel in the Dutch town Almelo to celebrate their joy for fiction. Supposedly, over 1,000 people attended, as visitors and as volunteers. Fans arrived by car and train. Some were quite recognizable since they had dressed up as fictional characters, a practice that many anime fans engage in as a homage to their favourite fiction. Because the convention was not large, these fans stood out from the local citizens and their space of play was infiltrating everyday life. My best friend had sewn me an outfit of Aerith, a fictional character from a game that I liked (Final Fantasy VII). I did not want to walk around town in that pink dress but, when I saw more people in their costumes I felt that maybe I should. It would have been a visible sign of anticipation and belonging.
