Connichi
Encyclopedia
Connichi is an annual, 3-day anime convention in Germany
and one of the largest of its kind in the German
-speaking world with over 18,000 visitors in 2011. It is held by the German anime association Animexx e.V.
with visitor numbers having grown quickly beyond 12,000 in 2006.
cosplay events are held at the nearby venue Nachthallen.
A park next to, and an area at the entrance of, the Kongress Palais, as well as the surrounding architecture offer cosplayers space and background for photo shooting. Food and drinks may be purchased at the Palais, as well as at shops and supermarkets in the vicinity a number of which have in recent years begun to open for extended hours even on Sunday during the Connichi weekend.
During the event, the Connichi ticket allows to use public transport within a certain tariff zone for free.
and culture such as how to wear a Kimono or how to draw manga-style. The latter are regularly held by Guests of Honour working in that area (see below for a list of guests).
Cosplayers can participate in separate contests which allow either one or two persons at a time, or up to five persons at a time. Since 2004 Connichi also holds the preliminary contest for the World Cosplay Summit
to determine the German finalist. Besides the chance to participate in the WCS, the winner receives a flight ticket for the trip.
A cup of instant ramen
noodles, usually sponsored by Nissin Foods, is freshly prepared, quickly cooled to prevent scalding, and to be eaten in the shortest time possible. Current record (2010) is 8.7 s.
In several categories, winners are determined whose videos will be shown.
Further staple contests include a console games competition, tournaments in Go, TCG and CMG
, a hard Anime quiz, as well as Karaoke
and Dōjinshi
contests. Usually, the winners are announced and rewarded at the closing ceremony.
has been enjoying attending every Connichi since 2003.
Connichi 2002 (May 3–5, 2002)
Connichi 2003 (September 5–7, 2003)
Connichi 2004 (September 10–12, 2004)
Connichi 2005 (September 16–18, 2005)
Connichi 2006 (September 15–17, 2006)
Connichi 2007 (September 7–9, 2007)
Connichi 2008 (September 12–14, 2008)
Connichi 2009 (September 18–20, 2009)
Connichi 2010 (September 10–12, 2010)
Connichi 2011 (September 16–18, 2011)
Various scenes from anime are dubbed by visitors. The result is presented at the closing ceremony.
Visitors can get familiar with the game of Go or improve their skills.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and one of the largest of its kind in the German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
-speaking world with over 18,000 visitors in 2011. It is held by the German anime association Animexx e.V.
Animexx
Animexx is a German voluntary association for promotion of Japanese popular culture, in particular anime and manga. It was founded on 30 January 2000 in Munich when two other groups, 1. Sailor-Moon-Online-Fanclub and Animangai, merged...
History
Connichi was first held in 2002 in Ludwigshafen, counting 1,500 visitors. Ever since, Connichi has been held every September in KasselKassel
Kassel is a town located on the Fulda River in northern Hesse, Germany. It is the administrative seat of the Kassel Regierungsbezirk and the Kreis of the same name and has approximately 195,000 inhabitants.- History :...
with visitor numbers having grown quickly beyond 12,000 in 2006.
Location
The Kongress Palais Kassel and parts of the adjacent Hotel Ramada host the majority of events. The concert hall, "Festsaal", offers seating for about 1,500 people. Additional events such as Japanese rock concerts and visual keiVisual Kei
is a movement among Japanese musicians, that is characterized by the use of make-up, elaborate hair styles and flamboyant costumes, often, but not always, coupled with androgynous aesthetics. Some sources state that visual kei refers to a music genre, or to a sub-genre of Japanese rock, with its...
cosplay events are held at the nearby venue Nachthallen.
A park next to, and an area at the entrance of, the Kongress Palais, as well as the surrounding architecture offer cosplayers space and background for photo shooting. Food and drinks may be purchased at the Palais, as well as at shops and supermarkets in the vicinity a number of which have in recent years begun to open for extended hours even on Sunday during the Connichi weekend.
During the event, the Connichi ticket allows to use public transport within a certain tariff zone for free.
Agenda
Connichi offers a variety of attractions typical to anime conventions, such as shows and concerts, contests, video rooms, console games rooms, karaoke, vendors and exhibitors, and Bring'n'Buy flea markets; as well as workshops in Japanese languageJapanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
and culture such as how to wear a Kimono or how to draw manga-style. The latter are regularly held by Guests of Honour working in that area (see below for a list of guests).
Contests
Participation in any contest is free for every visitor but may be subject to prior registration or even submission of artistic material. While the actual range of contests may vary from Connichi to Connichi, the following contests are staple.- Cosplay
Cosplayers can participate in separate contests which allow either one or two persons at a time, or up to five persons at a time. Since 2004 Connichi also holds the preliminary contest for 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...
to determine the German finalist. Besides the chance to participate in the WCS, the winner receives a flight ticket for the trip.
- Ramen Eating Contest
A cup of instant ramen
Ramen
is a Japanese noodle dish. It consists of Chinese-style wheat noodles served in a meat- or fish-based broth, often flavored with soy sauce or miso, and uses toppings such as , , kamaboko, green onions, and occasionally corn...
noodles, usually sponsored by Nissin Foods, is freshly prepared, quickly cooled to prevent scalding, and to be eaten in the shortest time possible. Current record (2010) is 8.7 s.
- AMV Contest
In several categories, winners are determined whose videos will be shown.
Further staple contests include a console games competition, tournaments in Go, TCG and CMG
Collectible miniatures game
Collectible miniatures games or CMGs are a form of miniature wargaming that is also similar to collectible card games — the primary difference being that while CCGs are card-based games, CMGs feature miniature figures....
, a hard Anime quiz, as well as 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,...
and Dōjinshi
Dojinshi
is the Japanese term for self-published works, usually magazines, manga or novels. Dōjinshi are often the work of amateurs, though some professional artists participate as a way to publish material outside the regular industry. The term dōjinshi is derived from and . Dōjinshi are part of a wider...
contests. Usually, the winners are announced and rewarded at the closing ceremony.
Guests of Honour
Connichi Guests of Honour come from a wide range of characters notable for their contributions to Japanese pop culture both in Germany and internationally, such as manga and anime artists, voice actors, as well as singers, idols and bands. Notably, Hiroyuki YamagaHiroyuki Yamaga
is a founding member of the Japanese animation studio Gainax, and a anime director. He wrote the screenplay for Gundam 0080 . He is best known for directing the film "Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honneamise" at age 24, directing Mahoromatic & Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi , and an episode...
has been enjoying attending every Connichi since 2003.
Connichi 2002 (May 3–5, 2002)
- Anime: Kazuya TsurumakiKazuya TsurumakiKazuya Tsurumaki is a Japanese anime director. He was born on February 2, 1966 in the city of Gosen, located in the Niigata Prefecture.He is the protegé of Hideaki Anno, and a longtime animator at Gainax...
(GainaxGainaxis a Japanese anime studio famous for productions such as Gunbuster, The Wings of Honneamise, Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water, Neon Genesis Evangelion, FLCL and Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann which have gone on to critical acclaim and commercial success, as well as for their association with...
)
Connichi 2003 (September 5–7, 2003)
- Anime: Yasuhiro TakedaYasuhiro Takedais a Japanese anime director and founding member of Gainax; for most of his career, he was General Manager. He is also a two-time chair of the Nihon SF Taikai...
(Gainax), Hiroyuki Yamaga (Gainax) - Music: Toru Tanabe (Japanese Baritone singer)
Connichi 2004 (September 10–12, 2004)
- Anime: Yasuhiro Takeda (Gainax), Hiroyuki Yamaga (Gainax), Takami AkaiTakami Akaiis an illustrator, game creator, character designer and animator born on November 21, 1961 in Yonago, Tottori Prefecture, Japan. He was a board member of Gainax, and runs his own company titled NineLives. His wife is Kimiko Higuchi...
(Gainax) - Music: BloodBlood (band)Blood is a Japanese band that has been active from 2002 to 2009, returning in 2011. Blood's aim is to create music that expresses the meaning of human emotion that breaks the musical frame...
, Toru Tanabe (Baritone) - Voice Actors: Rubina KuraokaRubina Kuraoka-External links:...
, Tobias Müller, Daniel Schlauch, Sebastian SchulzSebastian SchulzSebastian Schulz is a German voice actor from Rostock.-Television animation:*Angel Sanctuary *Avatar: The Last Airbender *Cardcaptor Sakura...
Connichi 2005 (September 16–18, 2005)
- Anime: Kazuhiro Takamura (Gainax), Hiroyuki Yamaga (Gainax)
- Manga and Manhwa: Lee So-youngLee So-youngLee So-young is South Korean manhwa artist. Her works include Model and Arcana are licensed by Tokyopop.- Works :* Model * Check * Arcana * Horror Collector * Blue Bird...
, Sanami MatohSanami Matohis a popular manga artist and writer. Hugely popular in Japan, especially among teenage girls. Matoh debuted as a manga artist in 1990 with Next to an Angel published by Akita Shoten. Her other works include -Fake-, By the Sword, and Black x Blood. She has also written quite a few dōjinshi, mostly... - Music: dreamDream (Japanese band)Dream is a Japanese pop girl group signed to the Avex Trax since 2000 and Rhythm Zone since 2009.In 1999 Avex Trax organized a huge talent contest, called "Avex Dream 2000", with the aim of finding the right and talented girls for a new group. The result was dream, a three-piece group consisting of...
, Toru Tanabe (Baritone) - Voice actors: Sabine BohlmannSabine BohlmannSabine Bohlmann is a German actress and dub voice actor, perhaps most famous as the German voice of Lisa and Maggie Simpson on The Simpsons....
Connichi 2006 (September 15–17, 2006)
- Anime: Takami Akai (Gainax), Yoshiyuki SadamotoYoshiyuki Sadamotois a Japanese character designer, manga artist, and one of the founding members of the Gainax anime studio. Before the studio was founded under the official name , he served as animator on the second animated project, the Daicon IV opening animation...
(Gainax), Shoji Saeki (Gainax), Hiroyuki Yamaga (Gainax) - Manga: Makoto TatenoMakoto Tateno, who also uses the penname Shinjuku Tango, is a Japanese manga artist who made her debut in 1986. Tateno regards her influences as being Go Nagai and Osamu Tezuka. Two of her best known works are Yellow and Happy Boys...
- Music: Toru Tanabe (Baritone)
- Voice actors: Yukari FukuiYukari Fukuiis a Japanese voice actress known by the nickname in Japan.- Personal :Yukari was born in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan on 28 October 1982.Her career includes movie and TV drama roles, radio DJ, and gravure model. Yukari is currently employed by Versatile Entertainment.Yukari's voice actor roles are...
, David TurbaDavid TurbaDavid Turba is a German voice actor. He is the son of voice actor Frank Turba and the brother of voice actor Magdalena Turba. He is best known as the voice of Jun Manjōme in the German dub of Yu-Gi-Oh! GX.-Television animation:...
Connichi 2007 (September 7–9, 2007)
- Anime: Yuji Nunokawa (Studio PierrotStudio Pierrotis a Japanese animation/animation studio, founded in 1979 by former employees of Tatsunoko Production. Its headquarters is located in Mitaka, Tokyo.The company has a simple logo of the face of a clown...
), Hiroyuki Yamaga (Gainax), Savin Yeatman-Eiffel (Director Ōban Star-RacersOban Star-Racersis a French/Japanese animated television series created by Savin Yeatman-Eiffel of Sav! The World Productions. It aired in more than 90 countries including Japan. In the US the series aired on ABC Family and Jetix/Toon Disney.-Presentation:...
) - Manga: Ayano YamaneAyano Yamaneis a Japanese manga artist, known for specializing in yaoi manga. She debuted as a professional manga artist in 1996 and since then has published several yaoi series and illustrated many light novels. Ayano Yamane is known for her humour and detailed art. She is one of the top selling yaoi manga...
- Music: Haruko MomoiHaruko Momoiis a Japanese voice actress and singer/songwriter. She was born in Tokyo, Japan and is affectionately referred to as 'Halko' by her fans, a nickname she gave herself which is inspired by HAL 9000, the onboard computer of the Discovery in 2001: A Space Odyssey....
, m.o.v.e., Rentrer En SoiRentrer en Soiwas a visual kei rock band from Japan. In French, the band's name can be literally translated as "to return to oneself," although this is not grammatically correct. The band was composed of five members, and had seen only one member change... - Voice actors: Nobuyuki HiyamaNobuyuki Hiyamais a Japanese voice actor currently affiliated with Arts Vision.-Profile:* Sometimes credited as: Shuji Hiyama , Osamuyuki Hiyama * Year Enrolled into the Voice-Acting Industry: 1987...
, Tetsuya KakiharaTetsuya Kakiharais a Japanese voice actor who is affiliated with 81 Produce . Until the age of 18, he resided abroad in Düsseldorf, Germany.He is currently affiliated with "Kiramune" in 2010, a music label by Bandai Visual Co., Ltd...
Connichi 2008 (September 12–14, 2008)
- Anime: Takami Akai (Gainax), Hiroyuki Yamaga (Gainax), Yasuhiro Takeda (Gainax), Hiroyuki ImaishiHiroyuki Imaishiis a Japanese key animator and anime director. His style is marked by fast and frantic animation combined with elaborate storyboarding and punchy direction.-Early career:Imaishi began his career at Gainax in 1995 as a key animator on Neon Genesis Evangelion...
(Director Gurren Lagann), Atsushi Nishigori (Charakter Design Gurren Lagann), Masahiko Ōtsuka (Storyboard Gurren Lagann), Yō Yoshinari (Mecha Design Gurren Lagann), Ryōji Masuyama (Artist Gurren Lagann) - Manga: Kazusa TakashimaKazusa Takashimais a Japanese manga artist, famous for her yaoi manga. After being a doujinshi artist from 1999–2000, she became an official manga artist in 2001 with her series Harlem Beat wa Yoake Made being serialized in Monthly Asuka. It was later published in 2002 by Kadokawa. In addition to this, she has...
- Music: Haruko Momoi, PornophoniquePornophoniquePornophonique is a German electronic duo from Darmstadt, Germany. It was formed by Kai Richter and Felix Heuser. They use a C64 and a Gameboy to produce their trademark 8-bit electronica sound. While guitarist and singer Richter also handles the C64, Heuser is responsible for the Gameboy sounds...
Connichi 2009 (September 18–20, 2009)
- Anime: Hidenori Matsubara (Gainax), Takami Akai (Gainax), Hiroyuki Yamaga (Gainax), Haruko Momoi
- Manga: Robert Labs
- Music: Back-OnBack-OnBack-On is a four-man Japanese rock/nu metal band from Tokyo, Japan. They are recognized for creating anime opening themes such as the Air Gear opening theme, "Chain"; Murder Princess opening theme "Hikari Sasuhou " and Eyeshield 21s "Blaze Line"...
Connichi 2010 (September 10–12, 2010)
- Anime: Hiroyuki Yamaga (Gainax), Yutaka Uemura (Gainax, Director Dantalian no ShokaDantalian no Shokais a Japanese light novel series written by Gakuto Mikumo and illustrated by G-Yuusuke. The series started serialization in Kadokawa Shoten's light novel magazine The Sneaker on February 29, 2008. A manga adaptation by Chako Abeno started serialization in Kadokawa Shoten's shōnen manga magazine...
), Gakuto MikumoGakuto Mikumo' is a light novelist from the Oita Prefecture in Japan. He studied the English language at Sophia University, where he graduated. In 1998 Mikumo won silver in the fifth Dengeki Novel Prize with his debut novel, Called Gehenna. He went on to win the Japan SF Rookie of the Year Award in 1999 with...
(Gainax, Writer Dantalian no Shoka) - Manga: You HiguriYou Higuriis a Japanese shōjo and yaoi manga artist who has made several appearances at anime and manga conventions in the United States, as well as in Germany. Her first U.S. appearance was at the initial Yaoi-Con in San Francisco in 2001...
- Music: Olivia Lufkin, Haruko Momoi, Rumi Shishido
- Misc: Kumiko Uehara (Lead Design for fashion label Baby, The Stars Shine BrightBaby, The Stars Shine Brightis the name of a Japanese clothing boutique chain created in 1988 by Akinori Isobe and his wife, Fumiyo. The original fashion house is located in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan. Baby, The Stars Shine Bright specializes in Lolita fashion, and like Manifesteange Metamorphose temps de fille, their main focus...
), Noir (Gainax, Director Market Research)
Connichi 2011 (September 16–18, 2011)
- Anime: Hiroyuki Yamaga (Gainax), Osamu KobayashiOsamu KobayashiOsamu Kobayashi is the name of:*Osamu Kobayashi , animation director and founder of Ajia-do Animation Works*Osamu Kobayashi , director of BECK: Mongolian Chop Squad and Paradise Kiss...
(Director), Michihiko Suwa (Yomiuri TV) - Music: Kouhei Tanaka, Cécile CorbelCécile CorbelCécile Corbel is a French-Brettone singer and harper. She has released four albums of original music and worked for Studio Ghibli as a composer for their 2010 film, The Borrower Arrietty...
, May'n, Novala TakemotoNovala Takemotois a Japanese author and fashion designer. His real name is . His pen name is translatable as "The Wild Rose."Known as the "Lolitas' Bard," he is a heterosexual man self-described as having the charisma of a young maiden. He has been one of the most active promoters of the Lolita lifestyle...
(Dantalian no Shoka ending song writer) - Misc: Kumiko Uehara (Lead Design for fashion label Baby, The Stars Shine BrightBaby, The Stars Shine Brightis the name of a Japanese clothing boutique chain created in 1988 by Akinori Isobe and his wife, Fumiyo. The original fashion house is located in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan. Baby, The Stars Shine Bright specializes in Lolita fashion, and like Manifesteange Metamorphose temps de fille, their main focus...
), Hideki Kenmochi (VocaloidVocaloidis a singing synthesizer application, with its signal processing part developed through a joint research project between the Pompeu Fabra University in Spain and Japan's Yamaha Corporation, who backed the development financially—and later developed the software into the commercial product...
chief developper for Yamaha) - Voice Actor: Kaya MatsutaniKaya Matsutaniis a Japanese voice actress from Sapporo. She is often cast as female characters that are noted with extremely well developed body...
Show acts
Apart from Japanese artists that go on stage, Connichi hosts a variety of amateur performers showing plays and musicals, singing and/or doing standup comedy with anime-related themes.Workshops
The workshops vary from event to event. The following workshops are staple to Connichi.- Fandub Workshop
Various scenes from anime are dubbed by visitors. The result is presented at the closing ceremony.
- Go Workshop
Visitors can get familiar with the game of Go or improve their skills.
External links
- http://www.connichi.de/ Official Homepage (German)