I have been attending Anime NYC off and on since the convention’s inception in 2017, and if I can be (completely and respectfully) honest – I think at this point we have lost the plot concerning the overall goal of what this fan experience should be.
Anime NYC 2026: A Candid Reflection on a Shifting Fan Experience
As I stated in the intro, I have been attending this convention since it first started. I attended in 2017, 2018, and 2019 as a fan. Then, for the past three years (2024, 2025, 2026), as press. I know that the company behind this convention is for-profit, and I have been following the online discourse surrounding the (lack of) programming, consistent theming, industry guests and exhibitor attendance, and the speculation surrounding whether or not this visible decline in quality is due to the move from November to August.
While I confidently have my own personal speculations, ultimately as a member of the media I try my best to separate my personal feelings and document the convention experience as-is. As such, I take a lot of photos of different things I observe, speak to an array of convention goers, staff, and even exhibitors, and usually try my best to post an unbiased, authentic overview of the experience for whatever event I attend in any official capacity.
Given what I have observed this year on the show floor, during panels, and the general atmosphere of the convention – I have come to the (unfortunate) conclusion that Anime NYC may no longer be for people like me.
And honestly, that is okay.
I have said the same thing about other conventions I attended for years, then I took a break for a few years, and returned back once the things I disagreed with were improved. This may be the same situation with Anime NYC for me personally, at this time.
Programming, Panels, and the Lost Art of Fan-Talent Connection
As somebody who loves the craft of cinema, animation, and filmmaking, I have always prioritized panels when I attend these sorts of events. It doesn’t even necessarily need to be something exclusive – I just want insight into the production, or news for things I enjoy.
A big second drawing factor for me is the possibility of meeting production staff, animators, voice actors, etc.
A huge highlight I will never forget was meeting Masashi Kishimoto at NYCC in 2015 and getting a signed shikishi. Another recent highlight was having a nice conversation with Vinland Saga creator Makoto Yukimura at Kodansha House in 2024.
At Anime NYC, my most memorable experience as a fan was winning an autograph signing for Hell’s Paradise author Yuji Kaku in 2025, where (through a translator) we had a brief conversation about the Island of the Eight Immortals, and I saw firsthand the passion Kaku had for his work, as his face lit up with enthusiasm once the specific phrases I was saying were finally translated to him.
I know that autograph sessions or even meet-and-greet experiences are not guaranteed, and that even if it does happen, sometimes it is a very mechanical process for both the talent and the fan.
It is hard to capture lightning in a bottle, but when it does happen, it is an almost ethereal experience that makes memories a fan will cherish forever. I truly just can’t express enough how exciting and refreshing it is when a fan is able to meet an author (mangaka), director, producer, voice actor (seiyuu), etc. for the first time (usually on their first overseas fan event to the States) and you can actually feel the gratitude, and hear their excitement over the work you may have followed and legally supported for years, despite it probably being easier to just pirate it.
Evaluating the Show Floor: Where Did the Key Exhibitors Go?
Being a long-time fan of Japanese pop culture was a labor of love until fairly recently when things went mainstream, and until companies like Crunchyroll, Viz Media, Kodansha, Aniplex, Bandai Namco, Good Smile Company, etc. started showing up to events and giving fans a legal channel to engage with concerning licensed series, anime production news, official fan experiences, and an outlet to support their hobbies by purchasing merchandise created exclusively for North America or offering merch rarely found outside of Japan.
But if the exhibitors, industry talent, and legal merchandise largely stop showing up, where does that leave fans who still want to engage with their beloved fandoms?
When the convention exclusives start disappearing, and key exhibitors stop showing up, what is left for fans? Prop (plastic) swords that look like they came from Spirit of Halloween, resold merchandise from Japanese UFO catchers brought (unpackaged) overseas to be marked up for unsuspecting fans?
In the era before Anime NYC took over most of the convention center, it used to be paired with a pet show or some sort of animal convention. Back then, it was a common joke that they “put the anime fans with the animals” in the same way another popular convention (that has since course-corrected) moved the anime fans to the back of the Javits Center that smelled like popcorn and B.O.
Now, the exhibitors that have helped bridge the gap of legal fandom for fans of Japanese anime and pop culture in America are slowly disappearing from this convention as Friskies – the Purina cat food brand – is a featured exhibitor that handed out (from my understanding) wet cat food and supplied your pet on a trading card…at an anime convention.
The largest anime convention on the East Coast had an hour-plus line wrapped around the booth for cat food because there weren’t many other exhibitor booths to frequent for interactive activities, freebies, or even tote bags aside from Yen Press.
And again, I know freebies and canvas bags or tote bags aren’t a given at conventions anymore, but when Crunchyroll – an official sponsor of the event – had a big empty booth that handed out a poster, a card, and sold absolutely no merchandise, gave no exclusives to their paid subscribers, and even left their infamous anime plushie claw machine and interactive experiences in storage for this event…I have to wonder what exactly is going on.
The Vendor Hall Disconnect: Resell Pricing and Unlicensed Merch
When I walk around the convention and see Pokémon plushies licensed by a South Korean company that primarily creates for crane machine prizes being sold by vendors, anime figures being sold OUTSIDE of unsealed boxes at exorbitant prices, a mass of blind boxes for random anime franchises at triple their usual prices, full tables filled with clear totes of generic character erasers brought in bulk from AliExpress, and DnD dice at more than one table…I have to wonder what is going on.
Contrast on the Lower Level: The Scholastic Family Zone vs. Play NYC
When I stumble into the Scholastic Family Zone and find a well-ventilated room packed with freebies, books, Anime NYC branded stickers and pencils, and a full, well-thought-out weekend of programming for a handful of toddlers and adolescents, I have to wonder why the same level of care was seemingly omitted from the rest of the convention’s programming.
(Also, the disconnect of librarians and educators hanging out in segregated groups in the lower level rooms while earning CTLE and COA credits through certain panels, juxtaposed with the belligerent drunks that could be found in the basement area of Play NYC in the Gaming & Community Hall [potentially at the courtesy of the Anime NYC Izakaya] was jarring, to say the least.)
Come to think of it, I don’t even think the military had a presence this year, despite their presence being controversial the previous two years…or the itasha cars.
The Anime Boston and Castle Point Anime Convention satellite booths were present again, though.
When I entered the Ito En Tranquili-TEA Lounge, I had to wonder why there were never enough full bottles of drinks for even a fraction of the convention attendees, and why the giveaway times were so hit or miss when it came to day-to-day consistency…
Identity Crisis or Growing Pains? Looking Ahead to the 10th Anniversary
As I write all of this, I do not do so to disparage Anime NYC’s convention, its staff, or the entities behind it in any way, shape, or form. I truly do love this anime convention, and the changes I’ve witnessed that have slowly snowballed into what we were presented with this year kind of upset me as both a fan and a member of the press.
(Hololive and VTubers had a large presence at Anime NYC again this year…)
I don’t want to tear down this anime convention, because I still feel like it has great importance to those of us who do not want to travel to DC or LA to engage in fandom.
There are many local partners and institutions this convention has partnered with, and I (personally) believe it was a good move, but I’m not sure where the disconnect is concerning why the programming, activities, events, and exhibitors (amongst other things) are failing to show up or even prioritize this particular convention over others as its attendance continues to grow.
Or why the anime convention itself doesn’t seem particularly bothered by the lack of anime at said event, in my opinion.
Which leads us back to my initial statement: I don’t know what this convention is doing anymore, and I’m not sure if it’s growing pains, an identity crisis, or a lack of care at this point, but I hope Anime NYC is open to the fans’ comments and concerns in the post-convention survey on how to improve for its 10th anniversary next year.
Throwback: Anime Fest @ NYCC 2018: Anime NYC Responds to NYCC x Anime Expo Collab – A look back at how Anime NYC navigated early competition on the East Coast.
Strict Press Restrictions and the Kagurabachi Screening Atmosphere
Otherwise, I’m not sure really what else to say concerning my thoughts and opinions on this year’s convention. I will have a separate article with photos from the floor, panel recaps, and cosplay, but I won’t have any photos from the screenings and major panels I attended.
There were no photos allowed, and announcements were made during the Kagurabachi Anime World Tour screening that literally said independent journalists could not comment on the screening and fans couldn’t either, unless it’s just a positive hype statement.
And as there were production staff and crew members literally monitoring the aisles of the panels and screening (to the point that they were blocking the subs onscreen for extended periods of time) searching for cellphones that were literally locked away in a paper bag while holding large signs that said no recording or photography…even as a member of the press I couldn’t even take a photo of the crowd size or atmosphere of the room before the panel without fear of being kicked out of the room and the convention….
Which doesn’t leave me with much meaningful information, exclusive news, or access to show for my Anime NYC experience this year.
But, tell me your thoughts: did you attend Anime NYC this year? What do you think could be improved for the 10-year anniversary celebration?
🏮 Read More In Asian Spaces
- The Best of Anime NYC 2025: Panels, Cosplay, and Is It Worth the Ticket? – Compare this year’s floor layout and exhibitor lineup with our complete breakdown of the 2025 experience.
- Anime NYC 2024: An Ephemeral Day – Read our initial press reflections from the convention floor during its transitional year.
- Anime NYC 2019: Adventures at the Convention – Look back at the pre-expansion era of Anime NYC when industry exclusives and community atmosphere peaked.
- Was AFNYCC Worth It? – Anime Fest @ NYCC Convention Review – Explore our past commentary on East Coast anime convention growing pains, programming shifts, and attendee value.
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☆ In Asian Spaces ☆ Ephesians 6:12 ☆
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