Anime conventions are finally coming back to life as we slowly return to normal in our lives. Well, at least for now. Anime NYC took place last week from November 19-21, providing a fun filled weekend with several big names involved. According to Wikipedia, the estimated attendance was approximately 53,000 which beat out the estimated attendance of 46,000 for 2019. I could understand that, after all, people have been cooped up for over a year. That’s plenty of time to come up with some new cosplays. Now I of course didn’t attend this bad boy, because I don’t live in New York. The cons around my area don’t typically take place during this time of year either so I’m still going to have a long wait before a convention opportunity arises around here. And you know, that’s alright.
God DAMN I forgot about the amount of people and the lines.
You see, anime conventions are a mix of everything you love and hate about the anime community, boiled down into one place. You’ll have opportunities to play fresh anime games and meet new people at the arcades! But there’s probably going to be one weird guy who clearly doesn’t know how to interact with others yet loves the game who’s hogging a seat the whole time. You’ll be able to see some amazing cosplay! But some people will take it too far and cringe you out trying to be the character. I still remember one year I met some dude dressed as Archer and he kept trying to say jokes to me and my friend that we didn’t understand because Archer is not an anime and I was begging for someone, anyone to fucking get this psycho away from me. GET ME OUT OF HERE!!!! *cough* Sorry, I’m still recovering from my social PTSD. Point is for every super hot girl with an amazingly crafted cosplay, there will be a sweaty weeb boy who smells like shit and probably should be required to hold a license in order to converse with other people. While I’m glad to see Anime NYC boot back up and provide a big party for fans who’ve been dying to get back into a convention center, this time away from yearly cons isn’t nearly as depressing for me as I thought it might be. I’m sure I’ll head back one day… but holy shit in the meantime I’ve got to mentally prepare myself for the cringe that I may witness when I return.
And who could forget the staple DDR machines?
If my memory serves me I don’t think too many of you guys frequent conventions. And trust me, I get it. However, I am curious to hear what y’all are feeling about the situation. Is it still too early for you to be attending events with an estimated 50,000+ people? Have you been dying to go back to conventions and you’re ready to hop in the car this instant? Is your area going to resume conventions soon, or are you still locked down for major events like that? Take a shower, put on some deodorant, and leave a comment below!
