Anime NYC returned for its third year in 2019 at the Jacob K. Javits Center in New York City. Boasting a wide set of guests, panels, and events, I was excited to participate in the convention as a member of the press. 

It was my first time traveling to New York City on my own. I managed to book my own flight and hotel room for this special three-day occasion. While navigating through the Dealer’s Room and Exhibit Halls, I saw a lot of the big Japanese companies showcase their upcoming products. Here’s some things that I managed to see at Anime NYC. 

Crunchyroll

Crunchyroll was a big supporter of Anime NYC and they made their presence known in their own exhibit hall. Aside from their showcase in the main Dealer’s Room, they had several Crunchyroll Games booths nearby. 

I took a picture of this awesome One Piece display nearby. It was pretty popular as some people had lined up to take some selfies with it. Right next to it, there was a special game based on The Rising of the Shield Hero. The aim was for people to use a paper shield inspired by the anime and use your body weight to try and pop as many balloons as you could. I was somewhat successful at it, but my knees ended up aching quite a bit. 

Nearby, they also had a special photo booth promoting the anime Dr. Stone. Attendees had their selfies stylized into a collage of the anime’s key visual and people were also sent copies of it via email. 

If you stopped by their booths and confirmed your Crunchyroll account, you were also given awesome freebies which include a Dr. Stone paper crown and a drawstring bag of Rimuru Tempest from That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime. 

Funimation

Funimation had a pretty big booth and dealer’s table, where they sold mainly anime DVDs and Blu-Ray discs. 

Right next to them was a life-size replica of Shigure’s living room from Fruits Basket. Fans of the anime could take a picture with the standees of the four main characters: Tohru Honda, Yuki, Kyo, and Shigure Soma. If you wanted, you could also kneel down and enjoy an imaginary meal at the dining table.  

Funimation also had a good number of promotional banners around Anime NYC. Here’s one that promoted the English dub of the hit show Dr. Stone. 

Sentai Filmworks / HIDIVE

Sentai Filmworks and HIDIVE had incredible booths of their own which neighbored each other. Like Funimation, they had plenty of anime DVDs to sell, as well as premium edition box sets and exclusive apparel. They sold some cool T-shirts (which I don’t have photos of, unfortunately) and a pretty pricey bomber jacket. 

One person sold me an adorable Umaru squishy that he balanced on his head. He told me that they were selling out quickly and recommended I snag one before it was too late. I was glad I made that decision. 

Meanwhile, HIDIVE was promoting the currently airing Ahiru no Sora pretty heavily nearby and had a good crowd of people stop by their display booth. They had a special basketball game set up, where you had to shoot a tiny ball into a hoop within a 60 second time limit. You had to provide your contact info first or sign up for a free HIDIVE trial.

I was already a longtime subscriber, so they gifted me a special tote bag and an Ahiru no Sora poster and let me try out the game. Out of ten or twelve attempted shots, I managed to only make one in. I wasn’t much of a great shot in basketball, but I was glad that I tried it out. 

There were other things people could take photos with like the No Game No Life Zero and Haikyu! displays. 

Madoka Magica Side Story: Magia Record

Aniplex had a special booth promoting the Magia Record anime of the Madoka Magica franchise. To showcase the premiere of the anime’s first two episodes at Anime NYC, special posters were set up to highlight main characters like Iroha Tamaki and Yachiyo Nanami. 

They also had a Madoka Kaname standee as well, and she had been signed by Madoka’s voice actress Aoi Yuki herself!

And who could forget Homura? She’ll most likely play a role in the Magia Record anime as well if they adapt the game’s story. 

Right next to this statue of Kyubey, guests could actually write down a wish of their own and post them up against a wall to have them granted. Just be careful if that wish is to become a magical girl. Kyubey is not to be trusted. 

Yen Press

Yen Press had a table to promote some of their upcoming manga and light novels to be published later in the year and in 2020. If you stopped by, they also had some freebies to give away like special anime pins, promo cards, and mini posters. 

Fate/Grand Order 

If you went to Anime NYC, there was no avoiding Fate/Grand Order. The mobile game’s presence was everywhere thanks in part to the currently-airing Fate/Grand Order Babylonia anime and various contests and giveaways they had. Aniplex was promoting it pretty heavily and was even selling exclusive merchandise that was selling out quickly.

If you stopped by their booth, you could take a picture with Saber Alter and her dark swords. 

Or if you’re feeling adventurous, you could snap a picture with Sakata Kintoki’s Rider class motorcycle. You could actually sit on the vehicle and feel like a rebel. 

Pony Canyon – DEEMO

Pony Canyon had a special booth to promote a new theatrical anime film based on the rhythm game DEEMO. The mobile game is inspired by the piano and features over 200 songs of many genres. The film is described as a gentle story that will touch your heart and follows a young girl named Deemo who meets a girl that falls from the sky. 

Weathering With You

GKIDS had several banners up promoting the screenings of Weathering with You next month. The newest film from director Makoto Shinkai is finally debuting in the West and Anime NYC attendees were fortunate enough to catch its East coast premiere on the last day. 

To celebrate the release of the film, GKIDs had a special booth where you could pose with the main characters Hina and Hodaka. They had replica clear umbrellas you could take in your hand and pose with, as well as some promo cards nearby. 

Bandai Namco Arts 

Bandai had some special Gundam statues on display along with a special raffle giveaway. Seeing these figures up close was amazing and lots of Gundam fans took pictures with these two mechas. 

Love Live Sunshine! 

With Guilty Kiss appearing at Anime NYC’s Anisong World Matsuri, it would only make sense that there was Love Live stuff everywhere. Animate had some of their merchandise on sale and they sold out pretty quickly. 

BanG Dream! 

Love Live wasn’t the only Japanese musical girl franchise at Anime NYC. Fans of BanG Dream had great representation as well when voice actress Miku Ito arrived to great fanfare. She participated in a limited meet-and-greet with her fans and held a mini concert at the convention’s masquerade. 

Lantis Matsuri Anisong Concert

Overall, my first time at Anime NYC was a phenomenal experience and I’d definitely come back if given the chance. I saw a lot of great things, met some wonderful people, and got some freebies along the way. I also had the chance to interview some of the convention’s high profile guests, which was an awesome experience. 

Anime NYC will return to the Javits Center on November 20-22, 2020. Be sure to grab your tickets for next year’s event, as it will promise more awesome events and guests.