Florida Comic Cons attended Metrocon 2021 on Saturday, the second of the three-day anime convention in Tampa, Florida that was on July 23-25 at the Tampa Convention Center. Our experience was simply glorious. Here’s why:
A large percentage of attendees were cosplaying at Metrocon 2021
We believe the more cosplayers the better. More cosplayers means more talent to admire, more characters to adore and more exciting photos to snap. Our unscientific estimate on Saturday is that approximately 8-in-10 attendees were cosplaying, an unusually large percentage. In our experience, most conventions in Florida hover around 6-in-10 who cosplay. The uptick in the percentage of cosplayers at Metrocon 2021 made the event exceptional. Here is a sampling to scroll through.
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My Hero Academia was well represented among cosplayers at this anime convention
My Hero Academia is one of the most popular anime series of all time. And it also was the most popular cosplay we saw on Saturday. We added character images to a few of our cosplayer photos below. Other popular cosplays we saw were from Demon Slayer, Cells at Work, Attack on Titan, Miraculous, and Toilet-Bound.
The crowd size on Saturday was perfect
A small convention crowd is disappointing and lacks excitement. There simply aren’t enough attendees to generate the ‘con-vibe” to fulfill high expectations. But a very large crowd can be daunting, leaving attendees unable to move through a densely packed convention hall to fully experience the event. Saturday’s crowd at Metrocon 2021 was perfect! We were constantly surrounded by throngs of talented cosplayers, but we still had enough space to navigate through the crowds to easily access vendors, guests and meet-ups.
Hundreds of panels provided massive amounts of entertainment
The panels started as early as 9 a.m. and went as late as 3 a.m. There were more than 100 panels offered each day. And there were more than 20 categories of panels. This was a massive amount of entertainment for fans who are famished for comic conventions since the pandemic-caused pause on events.
Did we mention the cosplay talent was astounding?
The cosplay talent was astounding! We rate it as well above the average convention. We can continue to explain it, or just show you more talented cosplayers.
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Metrocon 2021 Vendors were outstanding and affordable
As one would expect from a large convention, there were a lot of vendors. But this group of exhibitors was particularly good.
The anime and manga merch was excellent, which is what you would expect from Metrocon that has become Florida’s largest anime convention. And we’re fans of fan art, which was high quality and plentiful. Moreover, there were intriguing animal skulls if you ever wanted one, and cute self-defense equipment for those who want to be fashionably safe. Also, there were more stuffed animals per square foot than we’ve ever seen at a con in Florida. For those of you who left without a stuffed animal, how did you do it?
In addition, the merch seemed less expensive. As an anecdotal example, Florida Comic Cons’ co-founders, Blu and Scarlet, found their convention allowances of $100 each went significantly farther at Metrocon 2021. We’re not sure why the merch at this con seemed more affordable, but we know we liked it.
Need help finding comic cons in Florida?
Florida Comic Cons curates the Con Calendar, which is the most comprehensive calendar of comic convention in The Sunshine State. If you live in Florida, you’re likely closer to more comic cons than you realize. Our Con Map can help you show how close you are to annual events.
Florida Cosplay Digital Magazine seasonal issues
Florida Cosplay Digital Magazine, published by Florida Comic Cons, releases a seasonal magazine that includes cosplayer interviews, costume and prop how-to’s, in-depth character backgrounds, and fan art. Here are some of our past magazines, which are always free.
