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Anime NYC 2023 was the place to be for all people who love anime, manga, gaming, and so much more—it was all on and popping. The cosplays were out of this world and from all walks of the realm, from anime to games such as Genshin Impact, Fairy Tail, One Piece, Jujustu Kaisen, Attack on Titan, Pokemon, My Hero Academia—the list is honestly endless. It warmed my heart to see so many people walk down to Javits with so many cosplays, ready to celebrate another year of Anime NYC and meet other people who love and enjoy the world of anime.
Friday was an amazing start to the 2023 Anime NYC weekend. Vendors and booths included Offset Shwa, which sold cool tech core clothing, bags, and accessories inspired by different anime shows and characters, including Chainsaw Man, Sailor Moon, and Pokemon. The FUNK (For Urban Nerd Kulture) booth sold Black-inspired anime merch like bonnets, and posters with the Black version of anime characters, which was so dope and absolutely beautiful.
There were also a lot of cosplay meetups, from Attack on Titan to My Hero Academia to One Piece.
Saturday was the busiest and most packed day. To begin the morning, there was the Genshin Impact Cosplay meetup, which I had the pleasure of participating in, cosplaying Lumine. It was such an awesome opportunity for everyone who loved Genshin Impact to show off their cosplays and take group pictures.
Then I headed down to the panel for Oshi No Ko and to interview Daisuke Hiramaki and Ciao Nekotomi, director and assistant director of the anime Oshi No Ko. When asked how long it took to produce the show, they said it took two and a half years to produce just the first season and that the initial interest for the project came from word of mouth. Producer Shimpei Yamashita had never heard or read the manga, but a lot of the people they worked with talked highly of it, causing them to look into the story itself and decide to make it into an anime series.
To end Saturday’s adventure, we had front row seats to the Crunchyroll’s Live Night of Music with hosts Tim Lyu and Lauren Moore, a beautiful night music concert that starred four amazing and talented Japanese artists: Co shu Nie, Survive Said the Prophet, SennaRin, and Hiroyuki Sawano. All these artists have contributed so many beautiful songs to the world of anime and to the world of music in general.
To give a little sneak peek of how electrifying the concert was, Co shu Nie performed some much beloved and known songs, ranging from songs from their own album to songs from different anime openings and endings, from Tokyo ghoul re to JJK and more. When she started her intro to “Give it back” from Jujustu Kaisen, she let the crowd know how dear this song was to her and how it has helped her through a lot. I could not have agreed more, because this song also helped me through a lot. I sobbed, screamed, and held my glowstick up in the air, swaying with the crowd, as she serenaded us with this emotional and beautiful song. It was an electrifying time. People were dancing in their seats while others were up and dancing with one another. Truly a way to end Anime NYC night.
Last, but not least, Sunday started off with the Jujutsu Kaisen Cosplay Meetup, which was a chaotically fun event that I also participated in, cosplaying Kento Nanami. Taking group photos, meeting new people, and making content about the common anime that we love is what these cosplay meetups are about. It was such an amazing experience.
The Crunchyroll hall was an experience, with all things crunchyroll and anime, including Crunchyroll merch, exclusive anime merch, photo ops, the Jujutsu Kaisen experience, and more. What a con it was! Amazing cosplays throughout and amazing panels and guests as well, and an experience that everybody should have the chance to enjoy. If you couldn’t make it this year, that’s okay, because there is always Anime NYC 2024, which will take place August 23–25, with bigger events and panels. Tickets go on sale in January. Make sure to get your tickets so you can experience the event that is Anime NYC.
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