This year’s Anime NYC was a 5th Anniversary celebration! Returning to the Javits Center, New York’s very own premier Japanese pop culture convention ran from November 18-22, 2022 and was complete with a spectacular Exhibitor Hall, top-notch cosplay, panels & programming, and an all-star guest list which includes even more Japanese guests than ever before! Notable appearances included members of Studio TRIGGER and Studio Orange, as well as ‘Attack on Titan’ creator Hajime Isayama, who was honored with a memory wall at the convention:
Among the special guests were also American-based voice actors who have provided the dubs for popular animes throughout the years. We’re talking about talent like Johnny Yong Bosch, Robbie Draymond, Cherami Leigh, and Pixar ‘Turning Red” star Rosalie Chiang. Depending on who you are interested in meeting, Anime NYC organizes these meet & greets via either paid tickets or free lottery-based tickets.
Feel free to bring your officially licensed items to be signed, pick up an item from the guest’s booth, or find something from the 300+ booths in the Exhibitor Hall! Not only were name-brand companies present (like Crunchyroll, Bandai, Viz, and V1 Tech) but a plethora of vendors specializing in official merchandise like toys & statues, apparel, trading cards, and model kits. And speaking of model kits, this year’s Anime NYC collaborated with Bandai Namco for a Gundam-only event called Gundam Expo USA 2022:
All weekend long, the Gundam team was showcasing reveals, exclusives, and on-stage events like a J-rock concert with Alexandros and a successful Guinness World Record by Mythbusters’ Adam Savage! Not to mention all the other amazing panels happening across the Javits Center like industry panels with various anime studios & manga publishers, live podcasts, world premieres, Q&A sessions, and so much more.
While most memorabilia is for sale, not everything costs money at Anime NYC! There are many Insta-worthy backdrops for free photo ops, a display of Japanese-wrapped itasha cars, VTuber appearances, and the fan-favorite free-play arcades (above)! Plus daily freebies from exhibitors (while supplies last):
And, of course, the best Japanese-style Artist Alley around! Browse through hundreds of booths filled with art of all mediums: prints, acrylic standees, apparel, buttons & pins, keychains, cards… all from your favorite franchises like Chainsaw Man, Dragon Ball, My Hero Academia, Pokemon, Demon Slayer, One Piece… the list goes on & on! Take your pick from both indie artists and published creators like Celtis, Artwork by Sarieu, and Ironpinky (below). Some artists are even open for commissions so that you could walk away with an original piece of art!
And what’s a 5th Anniversary celebration without food? Adding to the festivities were Japanese food vendors specializing in dumplings, sushi, onigiri, ramen, curry, and fusion dishes like tacos & sushi sandwiches!
These vendors were located on either side of the convention center, which made it extra convenient to grab a bite to eat while experiencing all that Anime NYC had to offer! You just need to see it to believe it. So be sure to stay tuned for upcoming announcements regarding Anime NYC 2023 which is scheduled for November 17-19, and in the meantime check out our video recap below, as well as a photo gallery!
LesDudis 