Anime NYC 2018 Friday Roundup and Cosplay Gallery
When Anime NYC, a creation of LeftField Media, debuted last year, they came out of the gate strong, bringing in approximately 20,000 attendees to the Jacob K. Javits Center in Manhattan. Not long after the convention ended, the organizers mentioned plans to expand the convention and bring in even more fans the following year. Did their ambitious plans come to fruition in 2018? After attending their convention last weekend, I can say that answer is a resounding yes.
Anime NYC brought in approximately 36,000 attendees this year, which amounts to a growth of about 80 percent over last year’s turnout. Between the exhibit hall, artist’s alley, and programming rooms, Anime NYC occupied 350,000 square feet of the Javits Center this year; 90,000 square feet more room than last year’s event.
Due to the large spike in attendance, there wasn’t quite as much breathing room in the venue as there was last year. However, the venue didn’t feel so packed that I ever felt uncomfortable, and I would say the space generally felt adequate for the amount of people in attendance. The only time the growth in attendance seemed a bit problematic was early Friday afternoon, as many fans had to wait a bit longer than they desired to get into the exhibit hall due to the surprisingly large volume of people that had lined up prior to opening. The organizers revised their queue plan for the rest of the weekend, which helped alleviate that issue.
Once fans got in, there was plenty for them to enjoy at the convention. Panels and programming are of course a staple of any anime convention, and Anime NYC was no exception. There were dozens of panels covering a wide variety of topics across the three-day convention, including anime, manga, television, and video gaming.
Speaking of video games, Anime NYC featured an arcade area courtesy of Tokyo Attack!, which featured arcade cabinets including BeatStream, Dance Dance Revolution, Initial D Arcade Stage 7 AAX, Street Fighter V, and Soulcalibur VI.
There were also a number Japanese and American voice actors in attendance for fans to meet and greet, including Todd Haberkorn, Masakazu Morita, Christina Vee, Vic Mignogna, and Kari Wahlgren.
With the expansion of space at the venue occupied by the convention this year, there were even more dealers, vendors, and artists in attendance, offering a wide variety of wares for sale to fans.
With a strong first year, and substantial growth in its second year, Anime NYC could very well be the gold standard of what is achievable for a new convention. The event seems to be a huge success, and I would expect it to become a staple of the anime convention scene for years to come.
Speaking of the future, the organizers have already set the dates for next year’s convention. Anime NYC will return to the Javits Center November 15-17, 2019.
Cosplayers in the gallery below include Lady Kayleen, Avacyn Ava, Harliquinjester, Miss Gidget, Chemical Boy, Forest Dude, Belle Rêve Cosplay, Sakuraharunogirl, Super Savage, ryurei_chan, steviestitches, nijbro, viktorykat, kay_san_cosplay, typicalcyd, humplling, issamebebe, overpowered.otter, ryemiw, jaraevel, rebzdeladisco, officialmisscheng, and many more.
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