AM²
Encyclopedia
AM² is a three-day anime convention
that was held on July 1–3, 2011 at the Anaheim Convention Center
in Anaheim, California
. It is notable for having no compulsory membership purchase. Instead, an optional attendees can buy a "Passport" which grants various perks, such as priority access to major events. To date, no events have been announced for 2012.
events, an AMV
contest, an exhibits area/dealer room, an "Artist Alley", GoH and fan panels, workshops, video screenings, tabletop gaming
, console gaming, a karaoke
, an arcade
, and late night dance. Some examples of less common events include a Summer Festival, Maid cafe
, and the hosting of a preliminary round of the World Cosplay Summit
.
Erina Mano
was announced as a guest at Anime Expo
for the world release of her acting debut Kaidan Shin Mimibukuro Kaiki. When AX cancelled this appearance, an alternative event was created at the nearby Club Nokia. The person selected to organize this premiere was a PR and marketing contractor recently terminated from Anime Expo. Through personal friendships, several other people who had also left Anime Expo for various reasons joined the organization.
In addition to Mano-chan's appearance, several other attractions were added. The expanded 1-day event was named Club 2 the Max in reference to the choice of venue. Some of the added attractions included a Maid Cafe, a charity concert & music video shoot by X Japan
, and autograph session with Power Rangers stars. Club 2 the Max (aka MAX) was deemed largely successful by its sponsors, who decided to further fund it as an annual convention. MAX announced a name change in November 2010, choosing to be called AM².
Anime convention
An anime convention is an event or gathering with a primary focus on anime, manga and Japanese culture. Commonly, anime conventions are multi-day events hosted at convention centers, hotels or college campuses. They feature a wide variety of activities and panels...
that was held on July 1–3, 2011 at the Anaheim Convention Center
Anaheim Convention Center
The Anaheim Convention Center is a major convention center in Anaheim, California. It is located across from the Disneyland Resort on Katella Avenue. Much of the Anaheim Convention Center has been renovated in recent years with state-of-the-art facilities...
in Anaheim, California
Anaheim, California
Anaheim is a city in Orange County, California. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was about 365,463, making it the most populated city in Orange County, the 10th most-populated city in California, and ranked 54th in the United States...
. It is notable for having no compulsory membership purchase. Instead, an optional attendees can buy a "Passport" which grants various perks, such as priority access to major events. To date, no events have been announced for 2012.
Programming
The content provided by AM² covers a range typical to anime conventions along with a few less traditional additions. Examples of this content include concerts, Masquerade (costume/talent show), various smaller cosplayCosplay
, short for "costume play", is a type of performance art in which participants don costumes and accessories to represent a specific character or idea. Characters are often drawn from popular fiction in Japan, but recent trends have included American cartoons and science fiction...
events, an AMV
Anime music video
An anime music video is a music video consisting of clips from one or more animations set to an audio track ; the term usually refers to fan-made unofficial videos. An AMV can also be a set of video game footage put together with music which is known as a GMV...
contest, an exhibits area/dealer room, an "Artist Alley", GoH and fan panels, workshops, video screenings, tabletop gaming
Tabletop game
Tabletop game is a general term used to refer to board games, card games, dice games, miniatures wargames, tile-based games and other games that are normally played on a table or other flat surface...
, console gaming, a karaoke
Karaoke
is a form of interactive entertainment or video game in which amateur singers sing along with recorded music using a microphone and public address system. The music is typically a well-known pop song minus the lead vocal. Lyrics are usually displayed on a video screen, along with a moving symbol,...
, an arcade
Amusement arcade
An amusement arcade or video arcade is a venue where people play arcade games such as video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, merchandisers , or coin-operated billiards or air hockey tables...
, and late night dance. Some examples of less common events include a Summer Festival, Maid cafe
Maid cafe
Maid cafés are a subcategory of cosplay restaurants found predominantly in Japan. In these cafés, waitresses dressed in maid costumes act as servants, and treat customers as masters in a private home, rather than as café patrons...
, and the hosting of a preliminary round of the World Cosplay Summit
World Cosplay Summit
, also known as WCS, is an annual international cosplay event that promotes friendly international exchange through Japanese pop culture. The event is hosted by TV Aichi and held in Nagoya, Japan...
.
History
In April 2010, Japanese Pop idolJapanese idol
In Japanese culture, are media personalities in their teens and early twenties who are considered particularly attractive or cute and who will, for a period ranging from several months to a few years, regularly appear in the mass media, e.g...
Erina Mano
Erina Mano
, born April 11, 1991 in Kanagawa, Japan is a Japanese pop singer associated with Hello! Project. She joined in 2006 as a member of Hello Pro Egg, as a trainee. In 2007, she became a member of the Hello! Project futsal team Gatas Brilhantes H.P. and its musical group Ongaku Gatas...
was announced as a guest at Anime Expo
Anime Expo
Anime Expo, abbreviated AX, is an American anime convention held in Los Angeles, California and organized by the non-profit Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation . With rare exceptions, the convention is traditionally held on the July 4th weekend and lasts for four days...
for the world release of her acting debut Kaidan Shin Mimibukuro Kaiki. When AX cancelled this appearance, an alternative event was created at the nearby Club Nokia. The person selected to organize this premiere was a PR and marketing contractor recently terminated from Anime Expo. Through personal friendships, several other people who had also left Anime Expo for various reasons joined the organization.
In addition to Mano-chan's appearance, several other attractions were added. The expanded 1-day event was named Club 2 the Max in reference to the choice of venue. Some of the added attractions included a Maid Cafe, a charity concert & music video shoot by X Japan
X Japan
is a Japanese heavy metal band founded in 1982 by Yoshiki and Toshi. Originally named X , the group achieved their breakthrough success in 1989 with the release of their second album Blue Blood...
, and autograph session with Power Rangers stars. Club 2 the Max (aka MAX) was deemed largely successful by its sponsors, who decided to further fund it as an annual convention. MAX announced a name change in November 2010, choosing to be called AM².
Event History
| Dates | Location | Atten. | Guests |
|---|