I went to Anime Expo this year to participate mostly in the exact same things Anime Expo always offered: top lineup of seiyuu presenters at their industry anime stages, one good anisong concert, and midnight mahjong. On the side, we all know this is my one con to see Rinahamu and eat at Yard House. Also, there are international IM@S Producers gathering every time for some reason.
I said “always” but we know this is all just recent history. A couple years ago, it would take a whole village to camp for some Guest Of Honor autograph, literally, because that’s how those Funko Pop rings worked. This year it only took me a minute to reverse-engineer the wrong URL AX used to list Peach-Pit, in the comfort of my office chair. I really don’t know what to say other than, maybe this is the real lasting legacy of Anime Expo–that it screws fans, industry and staff alike, out of just near-competence and bad luck.
Of course credit is still due where it is due–I had a blast at Anime Expo this year, they made strides to improve the con. Outsourcing their autograph thing to Epic (or now part of Leap, like Growtix) may have made some things weird (I hear you Bannam) like other changes, but it’s a net positive overall. Everything on site worked smoothly once you figure out what is happening as it is new to me. The new layout of the JW ballrooms is new to me but we figured it out quickly. There are fewer volunteer staffs than ever, for better or worse, which means everyone is somewhat more rehearsed but also gaps of comms did exist in the few places I had to communicate with the hired hands at the con. For the most part the crowding is managed this year other than the day one linecon to get in.
This year they blocked off even more areas outside on the streets, and there were basically 3 or so food court/beer garden areas that are separated. At least two of them also have a stage. I wonder how much it would take for AX to put some anikura up on stage instead of random karaoke or whatever. I think once the sun sets outdoor grassland activity can be a real nice fit. Adding the Peacock theater for AX’s largest stages is also a great move I think. It still capped from a couple events, which is impressive.
I also think the attendance sort of flattened a bit from last year. There should be more people at the con this year than the last, based on my cursory observation, but it’s hard to see the masses all at once because AX has fully spread out all over LACC and LA Live. It was hard to actually canvas the entire con just due to the crowding at certain time/points and the sheer large area you have to go through.
The dealers were even more distributed between the South Hall (Exhibition Hall), West Hall (Entertainment Hall), and Kentia Hall (Artist Alley). I saw booths selling fanart in the Exhibition Hall. Usual suspect Retro Saikou is out in the Entertainment Hall along with all the Chinese mobile game booth hells. Everything is kind of scrambled. Also TIL Intel was sponsoring a glow-up experience at one of the PC gaming brands. Times have changed.
As per usual, AX this year had a lot of random stuff happening. We were half expecting a surprise Mariya Ise to show up at Panty Stocking S2’s premiere, but I didn’t think it happened? Instead we got surprise Asami Seto-chan at the Apothecary panel with the ever-not-AX-size Yuki Aoi. The seiyuu list is pretty star-studded this year compared to even the last, given how many more of them are here. I think I finally got to see Suguta close up this year, and also, lol, Sora Amamiya? Her famous cheeks made their Continental US debut at an event.
I somehow was not able to see Isobe or Shimayuki, probably because of conflicts, which is kind of unthinkable 5 years ago. Carin Isobe at AX and I didn’t go see her? LOL. Anyways, lots of people enjoyed the two of them who were dishing out fan service during the Proseka panel, or so it seemed.
Personally, I had a blast at AX. This mostly stem from seeing all the love for Umamusume, a really good “AWM” Jpop Sound Capsule show (largely thanks to Togetoge having like 9 songs and being good), and seeing and hanging out with people I know (and barely know). Midnight Jong has been a great blessing and it’s the best offkai every year in the USA (I guess, short of Offkai-expo?). I went super hard during Togetoge’s set, and having front row seats it gave us a lot of space. Somehow a lot of people I know are at that show? What a surprise.
For astute observers, every Anime Expo the magic only happens when it forces everyone to bring something to the village stone soup pot. AX itself (infamously) does not do a lot of lifting. The Guest of Honor list for AX is always pretty short compared to what the industry brings. I am nonetheless thankful it’s doing something at all, even if it’s riding on the coat tails of the industry, being based in LA and all that. AX’s fate at DTLA is in the balance, sort of, but there are not many really viable option–just one, Long Beach. And before people whipping out convention size comparisons, we need to realize AX has made LACC work because half of the con is outside the con center, across its parking lots, in LA Live, inside Peacock, and even the Novo the entire weekend. That outdoor vibe works well for a consumer con, being in LA, and actually is kind of Not The Worst. As long as you don’t need to wait in line for long, anyway…
The fact remains that while every JP industry is trying to get a seat at the AX table, it just feels like a waste of money. There are a lot of eyeballs at AX, sure, but 2025’s number is less than last year’s ANYC. And you are fighting literally against every other company for eyeballs at AX, across a giant area that probably a lot of people don’t even make it to all of it. Considering the number of other large (20k and up) cons across the USA/Canada that barely have any industry presence, it still boggles me why companies spend so much at AX, and what other events need to build to take a chunk of that business.
I guess for Japanese (and increasing, Chinese and others) companies trying to do business in the USA it could be a barrier in itself that has been worn down through repetition of annual AX tradition by the said companies. But if I had a US branch I would tell them to spread out. Well, maybe except Hulu/Disney, Netflix, and Crunchyroll? Truth is SoCal is saturated and most American live far away from any given city in the USA. Eighty Percent of Americans live in the Eastern half of the country. It’s way past time to escape from SoCal. I mean, after all, anime did it decades ago.
PS. I guess it’s not a good thing that ANYC is becoming more like AX in that regard. I just hope ANYC remember its roots and still pay for the things that only it can bring to its attendees (like, iono, anisong concerts not Ado or Yoasobi?).
PPS. Grats 3000th strikeout etc Kershaw
PPPS. Umamusume was great. Cygames did a booth, brought some huge things of figures, crane games for giveaways, long lines, merch, all that. I didn’t get anything because lol lines and didn’t want to spend the time. It’s the summer con that coincides with its 15 minutes of fame.
Leave a Reply