The Best Anime Convention in Ohio? Matsuricon

Matsuricon is nearly here and we can’t wait. It might not be the largest anime convention of the year or even the most well known. That’s one of the many reasons it’s possibly the best anime convention in the state of Ohio. From an astounding selection of voice actors to charity auctions. It does so many things right that it is hard to not notice how well run the convention is.

Matsuricon is an anime convention held at the Hyatt Regency Columbus and the Columbus Convention Center. Over the years it has slowly grown in size to a little over 6500 according to their web page. We have been able to attend for the last five years and each year we are always counting the down the days till the next one. With the guest list that they have conjured up from previous conventions, we are sure they will continue to grow. It’s always been referred to as a smaller version of Ohayocon. Although the only real connection between the two conventions is that they both happen in the same place. Other than the location, they are nothing alike. Ohayocon is just larger and has a totally different vibe to it than Matsuricon does. 

With Matsuricon being held in Columbus, Ohio there are so many other things to do while not at the convention. From the plethora of food and drink choices, parks, sporting events or shopping. There is something for everyone to enjoy while in the city. Across from the convention, you have nearly any type of food you could desire. You could have anything from your all American burger, sushi, Greek, Italian, Belgium or Mexican at the North Market or nearby the convention center. If you need something to quench your thirst, there are plenty of watering holes to stop at and try. If you wanted to see some of the local parks, you have a handful all within five to ten minutes away. The two that we recommend seeing while in town is Goodale Park, which is a five-minute walk and Battelle Riverfront Park that is a thirteen-minute walk. If you wanted to possibly check out some sports during the convention the two best places to possibly catch something is at the Nationwide Arena or Huntington Park. Both are within walking distance at five minutes for Nationwide Arena and fifteen minutes for Huntington Park. There is nearly something for everyone to do before, during or after the convention. 

Matsuricon always seems to get a great selection of guests to attend the convention. Some of the best ones of the last five years in our opinion were in 2016 when nearly the entire One Piece voice actor list attended and last year when around eight voice actors from the Fate series showed up. There are years when the list is not as amazing as others, but most of the time, they have been able to keep a decent list of guests that won’t disappoint. This year they have some amazing voice actors/actress and other industry guests. Just to name a few; Erica Mendez, Ian Sinclair, Brandon McInnis, Caitlin Glass, Toshifumi Yoshida, and Jezeroth. The range in anime that is covered by the voice actors/actress covers nearly all of the genres you can think of. With Toshifumi Yoshida you get to meet someone that helps bring together the east to the west, as he helps with the English translation of anime. Whether you are into some older anime or the newest anime out there, one of the many voice actors/actresses are more than likely part of it. 

The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute

One of the other big things Matsuricon is known for is the charity that it has been doing for nearly ten years. They collect money throughout the year in order to donate it to the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, The James. At the end of the convention on Sunday, they hold their annual auction. The auction of amazing items that they have collected over the years and most of it has been signed by many people within the industry to make it even cooler. Throughout the years they have donated nearly $80,000 from what they have posted on their site. Every year it brings us great joy to see what they were able to raise up and donate. We always tell people to attend the auction as it is great fun and goes to a good cause. 

With everything this anime convention has going for it, it really is one of or the best anime convention in Ohio. Some will say ColossalCon or Ohayocon but something about Matsuricon just makes it feel more complete. Yes, the others are larger and have a lot more things go on, but bigger is not always better. With it being a simple and still a smaller convention, for the time being, it’s more welcoming and more laid back. The guest interaction is better and the charity auction gives a sense of accomplishment that some other conventions just have not filled. Matsuricon is one of the most go to conventions when visiting Ohio and we can not wait to see what it grows into over the many years to come.

We hope to see you there!