I came here at around 4pm and the bustling atmosphere of the convention hall was intense as I went down the elevator, seeing the lower level of the Vancouver Convention Centre now a vibrant hub of fandom, with energetic crowds milling about. Fan Expo Vancouver 2025 took place only in the lower level of the Vancouver Convention Centre building, making its scale smaller than the Anirevo convention which rented the whole building. 

The crew was very friendly. Some people here had remarked that they were surprised and pleased to see the attentive volunteers circulating through the space, handing out detailed maps to ensure attendees could navigate the expansive event with ease, which was a thoughtful, refreshing change from other chaotic conventions. 

I began weaving through the diverse array of exhibitors and panels, taking notes and capturing the sights, sounds, and feelings that made Fan Expo Vancouver 2025 a remarkable event. There were many cosplayers with costumes so awesome, they made the Cosplay Red Carpet show the most interesting attraction to me at the convention. Many proudly shared that their suits had taken months of patient work to bring to life.

If you've been around to the different conventions, this is not like the biggest show available. There were around four to five show panels to provide some kind of activities to do, which weren’t much if I didn’t spend my time going through the crowds to visit every vendor at the convention. I found that simply wandering the vendor booths and immersing myself in the vibrant fan community was more than enough to keep me entertained and inspired. 

Everything selling here was just… pricey, which was totally predictable. The dreaded convention markup is a tale as old as time when it comes to these fan-centric events. As I wandered the vendor booths, I couldn't help but notice the staggering prices on display. It seemed the organizers had given vendors free rein to push the limits of what attendees would be willing to pay. Still, you might find something really unique here because most things were hand-made. Costumes, posters, or comics for sure… However, I was equally baffled by the exorbitant prices slapped on mass-produced collectibles, such as action figures and Funko Pops. I found some Marvel Legends figures of characters such as Deadpool and Wolverine with the prices of 100 CAD each, doubling the retail values. 90% of the Funko Pops in the convention were selling for more than triple their standard cost, yeah, we can definitely save much money just buying them in Metrotown instead. There were also D&D dices selling for over 300 CAD for a mere handful of 8 or 10 pieces… That was just a lot! It bordered on the absurd. I couldn’t believe there were actually people who were willing to buy them. Nonetheless, I didn’t leave without scoring something cool. I spent very little of my hard-earned cash buying some old Lego sets for a relatively okay price. Sometimes, we just have to dig a little deeper to uncover the true bargains, you know. The biggest vendor at the convention must be Toy Trader’s, they had some rare Megazords and Power Rangers’ toys that were less than retail prices in which I wished I had the means to buy them. While the prices in general may have left some fans feeling a bit deflated, the experience was still one worth savoring.

Most of the time, I had gone to come up and talk with the celebrities here. It is usually so rare to find someone who pay attention to the latest shows, movies, anime, and comics. And here, it was so much convenient and refreshing to find and chat with famous creators, artists, and actors. They were esteemed experts in the industry. I had spent hours just chatting to them about their shows, Marvel and DC heroes, also Invincible, cartoons, G.I. Joe and Ultraman, freely sharing our insights and passion. The best chats I had was with many creators talking about the downfall of the Power Rangers franchise. I love Power Rangers and I love the Japanese version which is called Super Sentai even more! But Hasbro and the production executives clearly did not know what they were doing with the brands. Many creators expressed the same sentiment with me; I couldn’t say who did though because I wouldn’t want this to affect their jobs. As a fan and writer, I certainly appreciate the thrill of engaging in substantive discussions with the very people who breathe life into the characters and stories we hold dear. The opportunity to rub elbows with the creative luminaries of the entertainment industry is just truly the hallmark of a convention experience! 

The human element - the passion, the expertise, the creative vision - is what truly brings the convention experience to life. I hope the stories and insights I had gathered would make for a truly captivating report resonating with you audience of CJSF and offer a glimpse into the thrilling world of fiction fandoms.

-- This is written for CJSF 90.1 FM, Burnaby. Thank you Fan Expo Vancouver 2025 for the support as well. --