Anime fans build cultural dialogue, no subtitles required

Once a part of a small American subculture, anime, a film genre short for Japanese animation, is catching on.

Four times a year, the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area is inundated with anime and videogame fans. Bedecked in colorful costumes, they gather to interact, shop, game and watch their favorite shows at convention.

These four conventions, titled MagFest, Katsucon, Otakon, and AnimeUSA, bring a total of 50,000 fans anually to the city, according to each convention's Web site statistics.

These conventions are not just about animation. The mingling of these two cultures- American and Japanese- has developed into a subculture all its own. Borrowing from both countries but not entirely mimicing either one, convention culture has brought forth its own new customs.

Observer reporter Lauren Orsini compiled a set of three mini-documentaries at the most recent convention, Anime USA, in order to take a closer look inside convention culture.

Anime USA 2009 from Lauren Orsini on Vimeo.

In this video, Anime USA convention volunteers, Chris Shelton and Mike Czaplinski and visitors, Alex Li and Megan Krause, explain how the three day event fits into their lives.

Anime USA: Host Club and Maid Cafe from Lauren Orsini on Vimeo.

Two of the unique features of Anime USA 2009 were a Host Club, where well dressed young men entertained women while the latter dined; and a Maid Cafe, where women dressed in frilly maid costumes served lunch to customers. Based on actual Japanese dining establishments, both venues brought their exotic customs to East Coast otaku (anime fans).

Anime USA: Vendors and Artists from Lauren Orsini on Vimeo.

The "Dealer's Room" and "Artist Alley" are two staples of anime conventions. In the former, visitors can buy Japanese imports  inspired by anime and videogames. In the latter, fans can view and buy artistic tributes to these same shows and games.

Diana Garcia, a Japanese snack dealer, explains her mission to "get Pocky to the otakus" and Marshall Griffin, a Cleveland based artist, discusses how the proceeds of his anime-inspired work go to help a sick child in his community.

Convention culture rarely reflects the outside world, either in America, where it takes place, or Japan, where the shows that inspired it originate from. Instead, it allows a rare escape from the mundanity of daily life.

"[Conventions are] like a mini-vacation for me," said Alex Li, a 21-year-old college student from New Jersey.