For me, the AniMC in Chemnitz has become a small but meaningful tradition. It’s not one of the huge anime conventions in Germany, but that’s exactly why I like it. AniMC is cozy, relaxed, and has a familiar atmosphere that makes it a perfect soft kickoff for the cosplay season each year.
After the quiet winter months, when conventions are rare and many cosplayers are still working on new costumes or recovering from the previous season, AniMC provides a gentle re-entry into the community before things become hectic again. Later in the spring events like Mag-C or the real major season opener, the Leipziger Buchmesse (LBM), will follow. Compared to those large conventions, AniMC feels almost like a warm-up session where everyone can slowly get back into the rhythm of convention life.
Unfortunately, this year the real challenge wasn’t the convention itself.
It was simply getting there.
Deutsche Bahn vs. Winter
The journey to Chemnitz once again demonstrated something many travelers in Germany already know far too well: winter and Deutsche Bahn do not mix well.
My route led via Geithain, which quickly became the center of the travel chaos that day. Delays piled up, trains were cancelled, and reliable information were hard to get. At one point I found myself waiting for over an hour with no clear indication of whether the next train would even run.
The frustrating part is that this scenario feels almost routine. Every year the same pattern repeats itself: once temperatures drop or snow appears, the German railway system seems completely overwhelmed. Whether it’s snow, ice, heavy rain, or even just “difficult weather conditions,” disruptions become the norm rather than the exception.
It’s difficult not to feel a bit cynical about it. Winter arrives every year, yet the railway operator still appears unprepared for it every single time.
Eventually I came up with a rather unconventional workaround to escape the waiting game. Instead of spending another freezing hour on the platform in Geithain, I boarded a train back toward Leipzig, remained seated, and simply rode the same train again when it departed back toward Chemnitz.
It felt slightly absurd — taking a detour in the opposite direction just to move forward again — but it was still faster than waiting endlessly for the delayed connection.
Finally Arriving at AniMC
Once I finally reached Chemnitz, the stress of the journey quickly faded.
AniMC is not a giant convention filled with massive crowds and endless halls, but rather a small, charming event with a welcoming and almost family-like atmosphere. Many visitors know each other, and the overall vibe is far more relaxed than at some of the larger conventions later that year.
For me personally, it marked the official beginning of my cosplay and convention season for 2026.
Over the past months I had mostly been focusing on photography while traveling, particularly landscape photography in Japan. Switching back into convention photography mode takes a bit of time — remembering how to interact with cosplayers, finding interesting photo spots, and simply getting used to the dynamic atmosphere of conventions again.
AniMC is perfect for that transition. It’s busy enough to meet people and see great costumes, but calm enough that everything doesn’t immediately feel overwhelming.
When Cosplay Causes “Face Blindness”
One amusing side effect of modern conventions is something I jokingly call cosplay face blindness.
Some costumes are so popular that you encounter them repeatedly throughout the day. Recently, characters from Genshin Impact seem to appear everywhere. That alone wouldn’t be confusing, but many cosplayers also use very similar makeup styles, wigs, and costume details or simply wear the same product which they bought on the identical webshop, if they don't DIY it.
The result is a strange situation where you see a costume you recognize and briefly assume it’s the same person you talked to earlier — only to realize that it’s actually someone completely different wearing the same character. Especially when the stature seems quite similar from far away.
For a moment you feel slightly disoriented, wondering whether you’ve forgotten a previous conversation or whether you simply mixed people up. It usually ends with a laugh once the confusion clears.
It’s just one of those quirky aspects of modern cosplay culture where certain characters become so widespread that they almost create a kind of visual déjà vu at conventions.
Cutting the Trip Short
Originally I had planned to stay for both days of the convention. However, given the ongoing train disruptions, I decided to skip the second day entirely.
The journey home already confirmed that this was probably the right decision.
Late in the evening I once again ended up waiting in Geithain, this time stranded in the cold because the S-Bahn simply didn’t arrive. There was no clear announcement about delays or cancellations, and the loudspeakers remained silent while passengers waited and tried to figure out what was happening.
Situations like that are particularly frustrating because they highlight a larger issue: declining reliability and service quality while ticket prices continue to rise year after year.
The Inevitable Comparison with Japan
After spending extended time traveling by train in Japan, the difference becomes almost impossible to ignore.
Japanese railways — from small regional lines to the Shinkansen high-speed network — are famous for their punctuality, efficiency, and extremely clear communication with passengers. Delays are rare, and when they do happen they are communicated immediately and transparently.
Once you have experienced that level of reliability, it becomes difficult not to feel disappointed when returning to the constant uncertainty of train travel in Germany.
Sometimes, during the cold months of January and February, it almost feels easier to simply stay home and avoid the entire system until spring arrives.
Still a Great Start to the Year
Despite the travel chaos, AniMC 2026 still fulfilled its role perfectly.
It was a relaxed, enjoyable start to the convention season, full of friendly encounters, creative costumes, and the familiar feeling of returning to the cosplay community after the winter break.
Now that the first event of the year is behind me, the rest of the season suddenly feels much closer — and the big conventions like MagC and the Leipziger Buchmesse are already on the horizon.
AniMC may be small, but as a cosplay season kickoff, it does its job wonderfully every year.
