The London Anime and Gaming Con 2016 (LAGC) was on this weekend near London Metropolitan University. I had been to several anime and manga cons at the ExCel Centre but never to this one at the Rocket Centre in Holloway Road. So, having nothing to do this weekend I put on my best Tezuka t-shirt, hopped on a train and went into London.
The LAGC had been running for several years now and as a result is very established. There were lots of events running including the usual cosplay, anime voice actors and musical guests. But there was a big emphasis on gaming too. The Heart of Gaming were there with their arcade machines, pushing the retro gaming agenda and giving many youngsters an experience of social gaming that didn't involve headsets or online play. The whole vibe was very relaxed and there was a wide range in ages represented.
I was really into manga and anime in the 90s and early noughties but with the exception of a few notable anime and manga series am behind in the current wave of popular series. The last series I watched was Soul Eater and Death Note. I have Attack on Titan and Sword Art Online stacked in my 'to watch' pile but haven't got around to it, however classic series like Cowboy Bebop and Evangelion were present and correct so I didn't feel too out of my depth.
The Rocket Centre is a wide space and all spaces were packed with things to see, buy and do. I spent a long time with my cousin in the retro gaming area playing R-Type on the Master System and Rival Schools on the PS1.
The market area was packed with anime and manga goodies and I purchased a few bits including a cool Racoon Mario and classic Link figures and a great coaster for my mancave.
The LAGC is well worth the £13 price of admission and a younger me would have loved it more back in my manga prime even though I did enjoy myself, but for anyone with the anime and manga bug it's a great con to go to.