When Life Hits You Different: A Reflection of Anime NYC 2024
New York City is nicknamed “the city of dreams”, “the city that never sleeps”, and “the concrete jungle”. NYC, with its grit and glam, always finds a way to provide visitors and residents with magical experiences, offering different energies and events for everyone to enjoy.
NYC, with its huge skylines and eccentric rhythms, continues to grow as a cultural escape providing people with experiences they will cherish and remember......for always.
On August 23-25, 2024, I had the pleasure of attending AnimeNYC at the Jacob Javitz Center and I became emotional and with good reason. For me, AnimeNYC was my little brother. As the years passed, I’ve watched it grow and mature into its own special person. Its roots are familial to NYCC, yet it learned from its parent, using those taught skillsets to become a different person entirely.
As I walked through the convention center, I start to remember, 2017, its first appearance. That quarter section hall, containing more gray than color. Yes, it was that bare. But during that first year, they entertained fans with anime-designed cars, hot new manga releases, and DJs playing music for everyone who was influenced by the culture. It was Lit.
SideNote: Shoutout to the anime car enthusiast group, Senpai Squad!!! First time I’ve ever seen anime characters on cars. Respect!!!
I remember when I walked along the con floors and saw the two Black manga companies, Saturday AM and Noir Caesar Entertainment. These up-and-coming companies saw a niche market, ran with it and became two distinguishable factions.
Additionally, other anime and manga companies had significant battles and continued to gain fame, and while some companies grew to unimaginable heights, others have slowed down, becoming a shell of its former self.
That is the ethos of the business of Japanese culture, “intense commitment, ethics, and extreme dedication to the work, with an extremely high sense of responsibility.” Here, in this culture, integrity is everything, and if the professional chakra is used properly, the results will show......volume, after volume, after volume.
In less than a decade, Anime NYC has now joined the big leagues as the premier comic con for Asian culture. With over 100K+ attendees for 2024, Leftfield media came, saw, and conquered the pop culture market on the East Coast.
So, as I write this reflection, I believe it’s necessary because the genre has evolved into something greater—something grander, more diverse, and loving, with its own set of wins and losses.
Over the years, anime and manga have steadily crept into the mainstream market. As generations upon generations of fans have embraced Asian culture and passed their passions down to family and friends, this shared love has turned into a movement, as each genre caters to a specific demographic, providing an escape for some and assistance for others.
SideNote: Vegeta has gotten me through a lot in life, especially in college.
Manga and anime has helped and healed its fanbase, allowing them to become amazing versions of themselves. For example, for those who struggle with mental health, to those with anxiety, to coping with loss, to never giving up in life, to finding love in the most unbelievable places, anime and manga has helped many by focusing on the above themes by disguising them in the form of story arcs, colorful imagery and intense animation and sketches.
For many, AnimeNYC Is an escape, a Japanese holiday-weekend to dive into their favorite characters, to make new friends and party with like-minded individuals. AnimeNYC, is the cool and helpful friend or family member that always asks, “is everything ok? How are you doing?”
And since 2017, the growth of this con and its magic has amazed fans as they express their thoughts within the digital universe. As I walked through the now massive alleyways and over the top booth areas, I overheard many discuss how the convention has “grown” and provided attendees with “memorable experiences”. I too had to pause and reflect on the growth this convention has achieved...
2017 – 20,000 attendees
2018 – 36,000 attendees
2019 – 46,000 attendees
2020 – Online
2021 – 53,000 attendees
2022 – 55,000 attendees
2023 – 60,000 attendees
2024 – 101,000 attendees.
With anime and manga becoming increasingly influential in all aspects of life, many fans are expressing their love of the culture through their cosplay, fashions, tattoos, and more. And as fans, as diverse as the earth itself, gather here within the concrete jungle, it’s evident that the love for the culture is growing..
Cosplay
The cosplay scene never ends and as fabrics have evolved, so has the characters and the designs. One noticeable feature of anime cosplayers is their attention to detail they put into their designs. As cosplayer, theprincedeguzman says, “Every cosplayer is unique, and so is every cosplay.”
Squad Goals
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Squad Goals 〰️
Anime NYC '24
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Anime NYC '24 〰️
Anime NYC '24
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Cosplay
Anime NYC '24 〰️ Cosplay
Fashion
Anime Fashion is always changing. While some fashions offer the typical anime character on a T-shirt, there are many, MANY fashions that create amazing pieces of nostalgia as they represent their anime’s favorite manga characters, custom ones, video game moments, and more.
Celebs
Last year we were greeted with a host of Cosplayers and content creator veterans. From Dj Dimeech to Fantastic Frankey, to Zeno Robinson to Khleo Thomas, the energy of this convention has increased exponentially as more and more content creators touch down to show love to their fans.
Afterparties
AnimeNYC’s afterparties are legendary. There are more parties than days to have them and depending on your taste, from anime vibes and techno to Hip Hop and theme songs. No matter the taste, and vibe, the afterparties cater to everyone. But when that night falls, depending on where you are, the cosplay gets serious with fans having a second outfit for the night. #shoutout to #sonicboombox for the energy!!!
Gaming
Aside from the arcade games, the Majong tables and consoles, there are indie gamers showcasing their projects for the world to see. Fighters, RPGs, and slices of life, many companies are present showing the next level of entertainment for the next generation.
Tattoos
Aside from the cosplayers and gamers, there are some hardcore fans whose love of anime and manga stretches to the beautiful fabric that is their skin. With pride, many fans rocked some amazing tattoos, highlighting their love of the culture.
Panels and Special Events
Anime NYC’s magic, aside from the music, the fans, the cosplay, and the merch, also lie within the panels and the gems (shared wisdom) that are dropped there. Creators, authors, and entrepreneurs touch down to discuss in their own way how anime and manga educate, empower, and uplift its fans.
Panels
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Panels 〰️
Whether it's a discussion on representation, storytelling, industry insights, or personal journeys, these conversations are both important and necessary as they provide words of wisdom to the next generation of fandom.
An Iconic Moment: ITSF Collective
One of the most iconic moments in 2024 was when the hip-hop group, If The Shoe Fits shot their video Almighty Zeus, featuring Sunzi, & Toasty Marshmallow in the span of 3 days. They shot, voiced, and highlighted the amazing areas of the convention with fans as guest stars and the soundtrack causing mini-concerts within the aisles.
Final Thoughts
AnimeNYC continues to unite generations of fans, from those who grew up watching Toonami, to those who binge watch Crunchyroll, to those running Discords and Reddits for those late-night anime fan theorists, and for those who comment on the fan made AMVs across YouTube, Twitter and other social medias.
For AnimeNYC, they’re proving that anime isn’t just about content, it’s about the love of the community and as this convention continues to grow, our love for it continues, making AnimeNYC more than just a convention...but a movement.
Respect.
