Colourful characters were front and centre in downtown Fredericton this weekend with the return of Animaritime. The annual anime, gaming, and pop culture event was held inside the Fredericton Convention Centre and Crowne Plaza Fredericton-Lord Beaverbrook, also spilling out onto Queen Street. “We have a bit of everything for anyone who may be interested in anything geeky or nerdy,” said Shelbey Mercer, an organizer of the event. “Yes, we’re a convention, but we’re more like a family reunion. People come to Animaritime to see all their friends, and people they see only once a year.” Mika Moore attended her fourth Animaritime event dressed as the character Kaori Miyzazono from “Your Lie in April.” Moore said positive feedback about the look, from both attendees and passersby downtown, added to the experience. “I really enjoy hearing that what I’m doing, people are enjoying,” said Moore. Convention attendees were encouraged to come as their favourite characters, but Mercer said it certainly wasn’t a requirement. “A lot of people are walking around in just their favourite fandom or regular clothes and appreciating all the cosplay,” said Mercer. “You don’t have to cosplay to come. But if you do, we love seeing it as well.” Fredericton’s first Animaritime event was in 2013 but the roots date back to 2004 when a one-day anime convention at Mount Allison University in Sackville, N.B., was tagged as the region’s first gathering of its kind. For more New Brunswick news, visit ourdedicated provincial page.
