It is chilly and beautiful autumn day for the 2nd annual AnimeNYC expo. Created by LeftField Media, a boutique event company and sponsored by Crunchyroll, AnimeNYC made an outstanding impression with its stellar guests and various events.
Featuring anime industry giants such as Aniplex, Funimation, Kinokuniya Bookstore, Kodansha Comics, Sentai Filmworks, SUNRISE, Tokyo Otaku Mode, Yen Press, Vertical, and VIZ Media hosted various panels and had booths at Exhibit Hall. AnimeNYC is the equivalent of New York Comic Con with less hectic crowds, a wider variety of panels and shows, and definitely more time to meet and greet your favorite cosplayers and artists.
This year, AnimeNYC special feature was the AniSong World Matsuri featuring popular artists nano, TRUE, Luna Haruna and Konomi Suzuki at the Hammerstein Ballroom.
They had also hosted autograph sessions and Q&A panels with fans for both Friday and Saturday. This year, AnimeNYC also highlighted the FateStayNight series as Luna Haruna is the main vocalist for the upcoming film, Heaven’s Feel II: lost butterfly.
As a first timer at the event, the atmosphere is definitely more relaxed with more walking space. I was able to enter each floor with a quick bag check, and whenever I got lost, both staff and security were very helpful. Likewise, since I was late to a few panels, the staff allowed me inside as long as it wasn’t overcrowded.
At the 1st floor of the convention, there was a wide variety of panels and main events. I was able to attend the Aniplex and Funimation industry panels. At the Aniplex panel, they announced the highly anticipated film, the second part to the trilogy, FateStayNight Heavens Feel II confirmed for January 2019 and Natsume Yuji-cho: The Ephmeral Bond film trailer was screened. The film was screened at AnimeNYC before it’s official U.S premiere (unfortunately the panel room filled up before I could get in 😫). There was also more anime reveals for next year by Crunchyroll, VIZ, Arc System Work and others. ( I will update with vlog links as more appear).
At the Funimation panel, trailers for the upcoming DragonBall Z Broly were revealed as well as Eureka Seven Hi-Evolution: Anemone.
Other panels featured informative sessions such as How to Cosplay on a Budget, How to create Anime Vlogs, How to Study and Travel in Japan, featuring experts in each field. There were also panels focused on specific animes or games such as the mobile RPG Fate Grand Order, Mob Psycho, Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood, That time I got Reincarnated into a Slime, Kill la Kill, and Sailor Moon to name a few.
The Artist Alley was hosted in the River Pavilion so it was definitely more condensed in comparison to New York Comic Con but I definitely had more time to chat with artists and to admire the artwork. One of my favorites is Whispwill. Known for Kings Folly, a fantasy action series, she is currently working on Torte and Lacy. It was great to meet her in person and have a quick chat about her projects and the expo experience. Another favorite was Puglie Pup, with adorable pugs in everything, I was able to crack some jokes with the artist.
Last but not least, there was The Masquerade ULTRA DELUXE Presented By Love Nikki, a mobile dress up game with a slice of life story. Cosplayers from beginners to professionals, perform original skits and musical numbers from different animes. Each cosplayer is judged on the quality of their cosplay and performance. Winners at the masquerade recieve gifts and awards from the expo sponsors. The masquerade started off with a dance performance by Magnetism, a dance team made up of performers from across Asia. Considering how there were over 100 competitors, the masquerade ended at 1am therefore I only have the first hour recording available on my Instagram.
In conclusion, I highly recommend the AnimeNYC expo for all ages as the environment is easier to navigate, all panels are respectful and family friendly (unless stated specifically for adults), and there’s more opportunities to meet and greet your favorite artists and industry professionals.
Sweet&SourSun 
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