Anime NYC Day Two Reminded Me Why We Go to Cons

I’m fortunate enough to to attend Anime NYC as Press and with guests and panels in full swing on the conventions first full day it was a packed day Kicking off with a Press Confrance style interview with Hiroyuki Imaishi and Hiromi Wakabayashi. Then it was time to hit the con floor and feel the true crush of Anime NYC’s attendace first hand.

with more people and a full roster of panels the show feels like it should right down to the scalpers outside offering to buy your badge. in addition to the press conference and a small meet and greet with the shows first press sponsors (a digital Manga platform called Niuhi) I got a little Genshiken esque and bought a poster and pin from a long time aquatence a favorite artist of mine Ukyo-e Heros along with some dojinshi and a little key chain from other more “mature“ booths.

After that I checked out the dedicated cosplay area in the pavilion. It wasn’t open yesterday but, now that I was it was packe like everything else. The range of cosplayers is always greate at anime NYC although, I think they might want to dedicate areas for shooting TikTok videos since people are setting up phone tripods in every corner the can find.

Then it was down to the gaming hall where by far my favorite thing was this charming scooter game. After that Lunch. Then I took a brief breather to drop my con haul off in my hotel.

The evening was dominated by by two panel for me. First was AnimEgos panel hosted by Justin Sevakis the owner and former founder of Anime News Network. It was the company’s first panel at the convention but they’re known for there stunning releases of older titles like Time of Eve or Otaku No Video.

Last but not least was the AMV Contest where over 300 anime music videos were submitted and paired down to 27 entries for us con goers to vote on. You can find the full list and videos by clicking the button below the ballot I’ve include.

Day two was a great time all around with something for everyone reminding me why I and every anime fan should go to conventions. There is such a feeling of community and togetherness that you don’t get from online expressions of anime fandom. back before the pandemic I used to run several panels at a now defunct convention called Liberty City Anime Convention. While the most popular was about shitty anime parents the one I started with and am still the proudest of was called Fullmetal and beyond: disabled representation in anime. That panel was my baby, I loved it. As a disabled person it was my way of giving others with disabilities a guide of where to look for positive and powerful representation. at the end of the of the AnimEgo panel a person who used to attend that panel came up and thanked me for doing that panel back then.

Moments like that are why conventions matter. They’re not just about trailers, merch, or even the panels—it’s about connection. Connection to the shows we love, the creators who make them, and most importantly, to each other. The chaos of the show floor, the packed cosplay pavilion, the joy of discovering a silly scooter game, or even a heartfelt thank you from someone who remembered a panel years later—all of it reminds me why I keep coming back.

Anime NYC Day Two didn’t just feel like a return to form, it felt like a reminder: anime is more than content, it’s community. And that community is still alive, still thriving, and still worth showing up for.