Anime NYC 2023: An Introduction

Note: Due to the time-sensitive nature of this article, it will be published on the main Anime Herald site on November 21. We apologize for the inconvenience.

Author: Samantha Ferreira

For most people, November 16 was just another Thursday, where they wake up, go to work, and just get on with whatever they typically do in those few precious hours before laying down to slumber. For roughly 50,000 anime fans across the United States, though, it was a day to travel, be it by plane, train, or automobile, to hotels surrounding the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. With luggage in tow, they would be settling into their temporary homes, as they counted down the remaining minutes until the start of Anime NYC.

In the six years since its founding, the event has quickly grown, from a show with great potential to a beloved destination on many fans' calendars. With more than 50,000 fans attending in each of the past several years, it's become the second-largest anime convention in North America, dwarfed only by the venerable Anime Expo. That palpable sense of hope that could be felt in 2017 was replaced by a well-earned swagger, as marquee premieres and events headlined by icons like Hiroyuki Imaishi and LYNN dotted the schedule.

It was hard to not be impressed by the spectacle on the morning of the convention, in those scant few minutes that preceded the event's opening. Massive banners for Undead Unluck and Oshi no Ko dotted every inch of the show floor, and anime trailers played on the dozens of monitors set up around the venue. Meanwhile, staffers and professionals scurried about the main concourse as they made final preparations for the weekend, and several VIP ticket-holders lined up at the main Exhibition Hall.

On the ground floor, a sea of people had formed, held back by a half-dozen staff members and a thin ribbon barricade. Their excited chatters formed a low murmur that echoed throughout the Javits Center. The energy was palpable as the clock ticked ever closer to 2 PM. Suddenly, the loudspeakers crackled to life, as an announcer excitedly welcomed the thousands who gathered that afternoon. As the speakers grew silent, the barricades were lifted, and a roaring tide of anime fans crashed forth toward the escalators. Within moments, the concourse was abuzz with activity, from chatting cosplayers to attendees rushing toward the panel rooms.

Though it had only just begun, it was hard to deny that this year’s Anime NYC was about to be one hell of a party.