San Diego Comic Con 2014

For many self-ascribed nerds, attending San Diego Comic-Con is a rite of age. Whether it's the chance to snag exclusive merchandise in the seemingly endless exhibit hall, or glimpse an A-list Hollywood celebrity from afar—in the infamous Hall H, perhaps, or quietly dining in the nearby Gaslamp District—or rubbing shoulders with some of the comic book industry's biggest rising stars, San Diego Comic-Con is The nerd event of the year. Even if just ing is a Hunger Games battle worthy of Homeric epics.

Of course, SDCC's status as the ultimate geek destination also depends a lot on your interests. The average attendee likely has many ions—superhero comic books, perhaps; Adventure Time or Legend of Korra, maybe; Doctor Who or The Walking Dead; maybe Game of Thrones with a little slice of anime and manga fandom thrown in for good measure. The same people you'll see at the Sailor Moon can often be seen later at the Avengers —provided they can get into either.

But say, for the sake of argument, you're just an anime fan. Say you've done the anime circuit—big boys like Otakon, and maybe some of the smaller or mid-size regional conventions, and you wanted to check out the SDCC hype for yourself. The question then becomes, is SDCC worth it for an anime fan?

For the most part, no.

Like other conventions, SDCC has its reasonable share of industry s, for those who enjoy hearing about the latest releases and being on hand for new acquisition announcements. But given how much anime is downplayed at SDCC versus, say, the next big Marvel Cinematic Universe property (the difference in room size between a 200-seater and a 6,500-seater), many of the anime companies save their biggest announcements for AX and Otakon, which bookend the summer convention season. Those who are coming fresh from AX might even recognize a Powerpoint presentation or two, as companies rarely change their slides between shows, minus some fresh releases and a small announcement or two.

For manga fans, it's a little more plush. Companies like Kill la Kill. The upside, of course, is that fans who are interested in hearing from stateside manga publishers will not only get a chance to do so, but because of the relatively small numbers of attendees who are vying for seats in these s, there are virtually no lines. Udon, for instance, had a largely empty room—great not only for those exhausted from waiting in SDCC's endless lines (this year's Hall H lines easily numbered in the thousands, while those simply wanting to cross the street sometimes had to wait upwards of 15 minutes), but also for those eager to take advantage of SDCC's no-room-clearing policy for later s.

Where SDCC also shines in of anime and manga content is their moderated round-table discussion s, with topics like "Worst manga" s. (For those who missed the first three, they are transcribed in the bulk of their entirety and can be accessed from the links above.)

This year also saw a Sailor Moon , hosted by dub clips can check them out on Hulu or Viz.com. If reaction on social media and in the room was any indication, fans were excited to hear confirmation that indeed, the relationship between Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune would be restored.

Anime fans who can't get enough of cosplay can usually have a good time at SDCC as well, although if you're there simply to gawk, the cosplayer-to-normal attendee ratio is much lower than at anime conventions. Likewise, there is a higher percentage of film and Western comic book costumes, although that won't deter many cosplay enthusiasts, who simply enjoy the craft and the ion. Nerdist hosted a cosplay Friday evening, featuring Jessica Nigri.

And of course, there's Stuff. As in, stuff to buy, and stuff to try, and stuff to watch and play with. Those wanting anime and manga merchandise, or to speak with company representatives and check out new wares could swing by booths by companies like Microsoft, and more. Then again, the vast majority of booths are dedicated to Western interests, with the show floor largely dominated by large studios. Though—a tip for anyone who's planning on battling the SDCC crowds in the future—Thursday and Sunday are the best days to wander the exhibit hall, as the crowds are the least dense and aggressive (although many of the guests gs don't take place until Friday and Saturday). By Sunday, also, any chance of getting any kind of show exclusive is out the window, as most sell out within the first day or so (or even first hour).

Programming-wise, the anime content is present, although not overflowing. Those interested can view this year's screening schedule here. While series new and old were featured, fans who want to see world premieres of new movies, shows, or dubs will likely not see them at Comic-Con—that kind of programming is reserved for dedicated anime conventions, where those events not only draw an impressive audience, but also special guests from Japan like directors, artists, voice talent, and even musical guests. While Japanese industry stars do make their way across the ocean for SDCC—it is ripe ground for business meetings, after all—they are less publicized, and certainly less accessible than at dedicated anime conventions, where production staff and actors not only give s and Q&A sessions, but also lengthy autograph sessions.

For those who just want a taste of the spectacle, though, without sinking in the time and money to go to Comic-Con, there are increasingly large amounts of things to see outside of the convention center, including displays by some of the Hollywood studios, as well as large-scale ments for TV shows and video games.

Undoubtedly, San Diego Comic-Con is worth attending if you're a fan of Western comics and Hollywood films and TV shows—and maybe even fringe interest in anime and manga. It's not without some headaches, of course—first-time registrants will find the online system brutal and unforgiving, and even with a new wristband system, those eager for a peek inside Hall H will definitely find themselves in sleeping bags outside the convention center and fighting line-cutters—but there are few events in the world where one can say, "This weekend, I saw Scott Pilgrim fans from Italy."

As an anime fan, though, which is what this all circles back to, is the kerfuffle worth your time? Perhaps not. Many would argue that these days, there are only some who profess to only be fans of manga and anime and nothing else, but for those who are, you're better off battling the crowds somewhere else besides Comic-Con.

Gallery images by Matthew Downen; in-text images by Bamboo Dong