Courtesy photo Attendees of Setsucon dress as characters from the anime “My Hero Academia.”

Anime is a type of Japanese animation. The characters’ wide-eyed faces are popular with adults and children. Setsucon, a convention that celebrates anime and Japanese culture, is returning to the area on Jan. 25-26 at the Blair County Convention Center in Altoona. This will be the fourteenth time the event has been held locally.

This will be the third year the Blair County Convention Center will host the convention. Setsucon began in State College in 2007, and gained popularity and momentum — and more room. It found a home at the Convention Center.

“We needed more space with the ability to grow. We draw about 1,200 to 1,500 people,” said Michael Tartaglia, director of public relations at Setsucon.

The event is a big draw for local people; about 60 percent of attendees are from the area. Many come from elsewhere to celebrate the special anime art.

“We’ve had people from 27 different states, including Florida, California, New Jersey and New York,” said Tartaglia.

He said the weekend is family-friendly and noted how many families return each year, with their children growing older and still enjoying the convention.

“Some families started bringing their kids when they were 2 or 3 and now they are 12. We get to see families grow up and kids get older. It’s great they keep coming back every year to share it with their family and friends,” Tartaglia said.

There is an array of activities for families to participate in at Setsucon. According to its press release, the weekend includes, “entertaining and informative panels, exciting workshops, cosplay competitions, video gaming tournaments, tabletop gaming and anime viewings.”

Ellie Seber will be running two panels at the event. She said, “The first, ‘Doki Doki Dungeon Club’, is an anime inspired, audience interactive Dungeons and Dragons-esque game. I ran it for the first time last year, and it was crazy how involved and excited the audience was. I am hoping to bring back that same energy this year.”

She will run the second panel with her friend, Alex Pace. “The panel is called ‘Oh, I know that one!’ and in it we try to explain the plot and characters for various popular animes. The only issue is we don’t know the shows we will be describing. The panel will have a bit of a game-show type feel, as we are going to try and win the audiences favor for who has the better description. We have no prize for a winner, but we do have something in store for the loser,” said Seber.

This will be Seber’s fourth year at Setsucon, and she is anticipating this year’s event. “I go to quite a few conventions throughout the year, but Setsucon is one of my favorites. As a convention, Setsucon does everything right when it comes to providing a great experience. They provide a ton of activities, from the dance, to the gaming rooms, to panels and workshops. I have a hard time finding downtime, as there is always something exciting happening. It also has a great atmosphere, and I feel I get a better chance to connect with other congoers at Setsucon compared to any other convention.”

Tartaglia agrees with that sentiment. He said, “It’s like a family reunion, but every year rather than seeing cousins, aunts and uncles you get to see 1,200 family members from year-round conventions. The special thing about this one is that everyone is coming to your house. You are hosting so you get to see their joy from your work. I like to see the smiles on people’s faces.”

Along with smiles, there will be famous anime actors at Setsucon. Attendees will have the opportunity to meet the cast of The Rising of the Shield Hero; voice actors Billy Kametz (Naofumi) and Faye Mata (Myne) will host panels and autograph sessions during the weekend.

Setsucon is packed with familiar voices and with activities. Tartaglia encourages new people to attend the convention and to see what it is about.

He said, “It’s a unique experience and involves something for everyone. From video game tournaments to enjoying the panels. There are a lot of fun events and it’s a nice way to spend a weekend. It’s fun and entertaining and is a unique experience.”