Connichi

Convention
Name:	Connichi
Dates:	2002-present
Frequency:	annual
Location:	Ludwigshafen, since 2003 Kassel
Type:	fan run fancon
Focus:	animanga, cosplay, Visuel Kei
Organization:	Animexx e.V.
Founder:	Animexx e.V.
Founding Date:	2002
URL:	http://www.connichi.de/
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The Connichi (sometimes referred to as Nichi by fans) is a German annual convention for animanga fans and is organized by fan-run non-profit organization Animexx e.V. and is the biggest convention for anime and manga fans in Germany that is completely fan run.

Overview

The event takes place every year in September and over a span of three days (Friday to Sunday).

The convention focuses on Japanese popular culture and attracts fans of anime, manga, J-Rock, Visual Kei and cosplay. Like most German animanga conventions at Connichi anime and films are shown, workshops and panels are held and show act and fannish showacts appear on stage and a Bring&Buy (flea market) and a Dealer's Room are part of the attractions. Also, Connichi holds presentations and workshops focused on Japanese culture (Origami, tea ceremony, etc.). Some areas like the Bring&Buy can be accessed without a ticket.

Connichi was the first German convention to hold a contest for Anime Music Videos, and by now Connichi regularly holds various contests for Doujinshi, a gaming and cosplay.

Connichi Manga-Markt (CMM) modeled after the Japanese Comic Market gives room to sell your own doujinshi, art and crafts.

History

Connichi was held for the first time in May 2002 in Ludwigshafen. The year after, it moved to the Kongress Palais in Kassel, where it was held in September since 2003. The first Connichi was visited by around 1.500 visitors, in 2006 it were already around 12.000 and in 2012 after additional rooms were acquired 21.000 people visited Connichi.

Since 2005 Connichi holds the German Preliminaries for the World Cosplay Summit (WCS) in Nagoya, Japan.

From 2005 to 2009 Visual-Kei and J-Rock bands gave concerts in the ‘’Kasseler Nachthallen’’ club and since 2010 Connichi with the movie theatre “Gloria Kino Kassel” for exclusive showings of anime films and anime film premiers.

2002

03.05. - 05.05.2002, Ludwigshafen.

Guests: Kazuya Tsurumaki (GAINAX)

Animexx links:

• Connichi 2002 Event page
• Picture galleries for Connichi 2002

2003

05.09. - 07.09.2003, in Kassel

Guests: Yasuhiro Takeda (GAINAX), Hiroyuki Yamaga (GAINAX), Toru Tanabe (singer)

Animexx links:

• Connichi 2003 Event page
• Picture galleries for Connichi 2003

2004

10.09. - 12.09.2004, in Kassel

Guests: Yasuhiro Takeda (GAINAX), Hiroyuki Yamaga (GAINAX), Takami Akai (GAINAX), Blood (band), Toru Tanabe (Opernsänger), Rubina Kuraoka (voice actress), Tobias Müller (voice actor), Daniel Schlauch (voice actor), Sebastian Schulz (voice actor)

Animexx links:

• Connichi 2004 Event page
• Picture galleries for Connichi 2004

2005

16.09. - 18.09.2005, in Kassel

Guests: Kazuhiro Takamura (GAINAX), Hiroyuki Yamaga (GAINAX), So-Young Lee, Sanami Matoh, dream (band), Toru Tanabe (singer), Sabine Bohlmann (voice actor)

Animexx links:

• Connichi 2005 Event page
• Picture galleries for Connichi 2005

2006

15.09. - 17.09.2006, in Kassel

Guests: Takami Akai (GAINAX), Yoshiyuki Sadamoto (GAINAX), Shoji Saeki (GAINAX), Hiroyuki Yamaga (GAINAX), Makoto Tateno, Toru Tanabe (singer), Yukari Fuku (voice Aktressi, David Turba (voice actor)

Animexx links:

• Connichi 2006 Event page
• Picture galleries for Connichi 2006

2007

07.09. - 09.09.2007, in Kassel

Guests: Yuji Nunokawa (Studio Pierrot), Hiroyuki Yamaga (GAINAX), Savin Yeatman-Eiffel (director of Ōban Star-Racers), Ayano Yamane, Haruko Momoi (music), m.o.v.e. (music), RENTRER EN SOI (music), Nobuyuki Himeya (voice actor), Tetsuya Kakihara (voice actor)

Animexx links:

• Connichi 2007 Event page
• Picture galleries for Connichi 2007

2008

12.09. - 14.09.2008, in Kassel

Guests: Takami Akai (GAINAX), Hiroyuki Yamaga (GAINAX), Yasuhiro Takeda (GAINAX), Hiroyuki Imaishi, Atsushi Nishigori, Masahiko Ōtsuka, Yō Yoshinari, Ryōji Masuyama, Kazusa Takashima, Haruko Momoi (music), Pornophonique (music)

Animexx links:

• Connichi 2008 Event page
• Picture galleries for Connichi 2008

2009

18.09. - 20.09.2009, in Kassel

Guests: Hidenori Matsubara (GAINAX), Takami Akai (GAINAX), Hiroyuki Yamaga (GAINAX), Haruko Momoi, Robert Labs (German Mangaka), BACK-ON (band), Gothika (band)

Animexx links:

• Connichi 2009 Event page
• Picture galleries for Connichi 2009

2010

10.09. - 12.09.2010, in Kassel

Guests: Hiroyuki Yamaga (GAINAX), Yutaka Uemura (GAINAX, "Dantalian no Shoka"), Gakuto Mikumo (GAINAX, "Dantalian no Shoka"), "Noir" (GAINAX), You Higuri, Olivia Lufkin, Haruko Momoi, Rumi Shishido, Kumiko Uehara (Lead-Design “Baby, the Stars Shine Bright”)

Animexx links:

• Connichi 2010 Event page
• Picture galleries for Connichi 2010

2011

16.09. - 18.09.2011, in Kassel

Guests: Michihiko Suwa (Yomiuri Terebi), Osamu Kobayashi, Hiroyuki Yamaga (GAINAX), Kaya Matsutani (Seiyuu), May'n, Kouhei Tanaka, Cécile Corbel, Kumiko Uehara & Akinori Isobe (Lead-Design and founder of “Baby, the Stars Shine Bright”)

Video shown at the opening ceremony

Animexx links:

• Connichi 2011 Event page
• Picture galleries for Connichi 2011

2012

07.09. - 09.09.2012, in Kassel

Guests: Hiroyuki Yamaga (GAINAX), Yasuhiro Irie, Mamoru Yokota, Ayano Yamane, Hinako Takanaga, Toru Furuya (Seiyuu), Faylan, Yoko Ishida, Chihiro Yonekura, Yaya Han

Fannish Showacts: Shinji Schneider, Mocchi Complexx, Shin-Kai, Kira Kira Hikaru, Ongaku no Kara,

Beside the WCS preliminaries Connichi held three cosplay contests (for single cosplay, pair cosplay and group cosplay).

Animexx links:

• Connichi 2012 Event page
• Picture galleries for Connichi 2012
• Videos for Connichi 2012

2013

13.09. - 15.09.2013, in Kassel

Guests: Yasuhiro Irie (animation director), GuiltPleasure, Hiroshi Kubo and Yūta Toshihiro (Shamisen & Taiko), Nagareda Project, Shuhei Kita (singer), Takayoshi Tanimoto (singer)

Fannish Showacts:

Animexx links:

• Connichi 2013 Event page

Incidents and Controversies

In February 2013 an "Open letter to show groups" was published on the Connichi website in reaction to a (non-public) letter sent and signed by serveral reknown fannish showacts (Daijoubu, Ferushan, GenesiS, Kingdom Mus, Omoshiro!, Rainbow Chiimu, Revolution Smile, Style on Stage, Tsuki no Senshi) detailing some constructive criticism and complaints showacts had about their experience at Connichi. The detailed complaints weren't made public, but the answer implies that groups complaiend about the person in charge of stage organization and about the way the application process was handled. Connichi asked for more communication and stated that working with the showacts wasn't always easy either.