More People, Less Anime: The Strange State of Anime NYC

At some point, I have to wonder what’s happened with the biggest anime con on the East Coast. There are more people than ever, but less programming. It feels like Anime NYC is still looking for its place while upping the ante at the same time. And while a good con is always full of hard choices, this year it sometimes feels like you’re hard-pressed to find something to choose at all.

Gone are the screening rooms of previous years, replaced with single-show screenings. Those are still nice, but much less interesting than watching a pile of episode ones and finding the one or two gems that stand out from the crowd. That format allowed the most popular shows to feel like genuine hits, with buzz spreading through the con through actual word of mouth. In the past, you had this happen with shows like Tomo-chan Is a Girl!, Yakuza Fiancé, and Sentenced to Be a Hero.

This isn’t to say that the screenings on offer weren’t interesting or fun, but I think the highlighted shows would have benefited from being shown alongside other fare.

First up was TETSURYO!, which was a fun and relaxing little cute-girls-traveling-by-train show. It was genuinely just a pleasant, relaxing time.

Second was the long-overdue adaptation of PSYREN. Having never read the source manga, it struck me as an isekai by way of a public phone call. It has the feel of a classic ’90s adventure series with some modern leanings.

After what I said in my opening, I hesitate to say whether either will be a standout in its season because they were shown in such isolation from the other series that will eventually air alongside them. Still, they’re both a good time.

As for panels, I found myself in three… well, two and a half, really.

First up was Delicious in Data: Anime Market Research with FanServUS, where John from FanServUS, an anime consumer-insights firm, gave us a look at what anime fandom looks like from a numbers perspective and how the company uses that data when working with clients. It was a really interesting way to start the day and gave me a better idea of why so many publishers are finding ways to put anime in theaters, whether through feature films or by playing two to four episodes on the big screen.

After that came food, which can be challenging at conventions but thankfully wasn’t thanks to a small collection of food trucks. Shout-out to Bel Fries.

Then I dove back in with Catching Up with TOKYOPOP! — The Need-to-Know on Manga, Anime, and More!, which I didn’t sit all the way through after it became clear they were playing the “we’re still here, and here’s what we’ve got coming out” game.

Instead, I went to partake in a longtime tradition of going to the Oni industry panel to hang out with Evan Minto while he gave a rundown of what they’ve been up to since changing their name from Azuki to Omoi. This is always interesting because Evan is, like me, an old head, but unlike me, he’s way more focused on manga, which I’ve always felt has been a weak point in my fandom.

Lastly, I want to talk about the cosplay scene at the convention. While I got a taste of it yesterday, today I really had the opportunity to get some amazing shots of incredibly talented cosplayers.

This is an incredibly social part of the con because most cosplayers are willing to drop everything and strike a pose for a shot and, in my experience, will usually talk to you before and after. It turns cosplay photography into something more than simply taking pictures of cool costumes; there’s an interaction happening between the photographer and the cosplayer that becomes part of the convention experience itself. I’m trying to make a point of letting people see their shots and crediting them as much as I can over on my photography-focused Instagram.

In the end, what we’re left with after the first full day is a convention that feels like it’s in the middle of an identity crisis. The fandom side of the coin feels thoroughly fleshed out, with a banging Artist Alley and incredible cosplay everywhere you look, but the professional side feels sparse and increasingly captured by what publishers want to promote rather than what helps fans discover new and interesting shows.

On to day three.