Anime NYC is now on its third year in a row and wow folks, this convention is getting indeed larger! Still held at the glorious Javits Center in NYC, Anime NYC 2019 was even bigger and better than the last few years. We got to witness a ton of cool content from anime themed panels, Lantis Matsuri and several other big events such as the premiere of Tenki no Ko—or better known as Weathering with You—that truly gave us a lot to do! Since we are human—last time we checked we aren’t ninja or omnipotent gods—we couldn’t see all that Anime NYC 2019 had to offer but we did our best and are here to share some of our experiences and knowledge with you readers. Our mission is to prepare you for next year’s Anime NYC and to hype you up by showing what you possibly missed this year! Time for yet another post field report, this time focusing on Anime NYC 2019!
Basic Info:
| WEBSITE | http://animenyc.com/ |
|---|---|
| When it Established | Anime NYC first came to New York, New York last year—2018—thanks to Crunchyroll and fans desire to get a big anime convention into the city. This is now the third consecutive year Anime NYC has been held in the Big Apple itself! |
| Length of Event | Anime NYC 2019 was held for three days—November 15 through the 17th—meaning convention dwellers had three whole days to scour the event for various anime themed panels/events! |
| Place/Location | Jacob K. Javits Convention Center (AKA Javits Center, NY) |
| COST | Here are the following prices for the different days of Anime NYC 2019 as well as special ticket pricings if you wanted to see Lantis Matsuri 2019!
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| Hotels | The beauty of NYC—and most of Manhattan—is that hotels aren’t hard to come by. However, pricing can be quite different based on location! Anime NYC 2019 was indeed bigger—and a bit pricier—versus last few years but the event is still smaller than say Comic Con NY. There were numerous hotels all around Midtown that offered ranges from $150-$200 a night and they were all within walking distance of the convention. For those looking for lower prices—and if you’re willing to use the subway system or taxis—you could always go further up NYC but be warned that some areas can charge extremely high prices that go well beyond a normal budget. AirBNB is still a great option as you get a nice place to rest and recover from the daily convention battle but these prices vary based on location and individual. Lastly, you can always ask friends who might be willing to let you stay—if you know them well enough—and just use public transportation if they live too far away! |
Company/Event Message for Fans/Attendees
The following is a quote directly taken from Anime NYC’s homepage linked here (http://animenyc.com/)
“Anime NYC is a creation of LeftField Media, an event company made of dedicated fans and convention organizers. Anime NYC is built with tremendous support from Crunchyroll and publishers across the Japanese pop culture industry.”
What to Expect
Anime NYC 2019 still hasn’t reached size of say Anime Expo—though that is a pretty difficult task—but it has grown exponentially in comparison to last year. One can still expect to run into a ton of things to do and see that range from purchasing limited edition merchandise from various vendors, buying all things Gunpla from several big Gunpla vendors and enjoying some Japanese themed arcade games to test your gaming skills. We witnesses several big named English dub voice actors signing autographs and tons of artists in the fabled Artist Alley! Anime NYC 2019 also had several special events like the ever popular Lantis Matsuri—which we reviewed in its own article found soon on our site—and a special screening of Tenki no Ko—link below this article—to name some of the bigger events we personally were at. For those who love panels, there were plenty that ranged from meetups of popular Anime YouTubers and several panels dedicated to series like Fate/ Grand Order and Dr. Stone! While these events will change next year—Lantis Matsuri most likely will return—you can always expect something to do every single day at Anime NYC!
What to Bring in Order to Enjoy the Event
One of the most often asked questions for those who don’t go to conventions is how to prepare for such a big event. Luckily, we here at Honey’s Anime are convention experts and we shall tell you what to bring for maximum enjoyment of Anime NYC! The first thing you better equip yourself with is comfortable clothing! Due to Anime NYC being held in November, it can be quite cold outside but inside the convention center it will be quite warm. Make sure to pack some warm clothes—like a medium to heavy jacket—and if you need to, check in your clothes at Anime NYC’s clothes check in found on the second floor! Aside from comfy clothes, you best be ready for the merch hall you’re going to obtain while going through the exhibits/vendors. Bring a backpack or big bag—some bags can be nabbed from vendors for free but due run out depending on the demand—and some holders for posters/art. Always be prepared that bags will be checked by security before entering the main hall of Anime NYC! Bring money—as you might need it—and/or some credit cards so you can purchase goods/food from the various stores in Anime NYC. Cosplayers, be sure to read the rules for what is—and isn’t—allowed in Anime NYC. REAL WEAPONS OR WEAPONS THAT LOOK REAL IS A NO-NO FOLKS!
What to Do While There/What is Available
When you first arrive at Anime NYC, we know you’re going to feel a bit overwhelmed. The huge crowd of convention goers and the multitude of rooms/places to go to can be a bit scary. Fear not though, keep calm and follow our advice on how to best tackle Anime NYC. When you arrive—or before—download the Anime NYC app as that acts as a map/event reminder which will help you make an itinerary to best tackle Anime NYC. You can always use maps or find staff—usually wearing Red Anime NYC shirts—to ask questions if you find yourself lost. The first motions you should make while Anime NYC is figure what do you want to do first? If you’re looking for loot/merch than go to the vendors and buy what you can before it sells out. Those who enjoy panels—something we enjoy as well—should always figure out what panels are being held at specific times and if they overlap with other panels. Honestly folks, you’re probably not going to be able to see every panel while at Anime NYC as many of them are held back to back or around the same time. Choose wisely which ones interest you the most and which ones are okay to miss. Lastly, special events are usually limited in seating. If a special event grabs your attention make sure to nab tickets way before the convention or be prepared to wait in huge lines—the line for Weathering with You was quite large—or you’ll miss out on a special event you won’t be able to see elsewhere! Planning goes a long way to enjoy Anime NYC so be sure to sign up to all the newsletters possible and download the app to best enjoy Anime NYC!
Cosplay
Due to Anime NYC being more anime orientated than most conventions held in NYC, you can expect a ton of cosplayers from amateurs to professionals. We snapped a decent amount of pictures of cosplayers—with their consent of course—and have some of them scattered throughout this article! For a more detailed article focused on the cosplay of Anime NYC keep an eye out on the site as it should be uploaded soon, if not already! Thanks to @hamez.cosplay, @rokaiso, @merkuma and @maggiemaldjian all of which could be found on Instagram! You folks are truly incredible cosplayers!
Final Thoughts
Anime NYC 2019 didn’t fail to show this convention is indeed growing bigger and bigger with each passing year! We eventually hope the entirety of the Javits Center is used one day—like they do with Comic Con NY—but we did notice a bigger section was used this year overall. Anime NYC 2019 was a truly amazing experience that allowed us to see new anime not yet publicly available, meet new friends as well as old and feel the love of the anime community! If there is an Anime NYC 2020 you can bet we here at Honey’s Anime will be there again ready to score limited edition merch and see some incredible panels/events! Did you go to Anime NYC 2019? Tell us what you did there and what you loved about the convention in the comments below! For even more coverage of all things Anime NYC 2019 be sure to keep stuck to our spectacular hive here at Honey’s Anime!
Author: Aaron
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