For a convention completing its third year of existence, it’s fair to say that Anime NYC 2019 is one of the best cons to go to in North America. Sponsored by Crunchyroll, run by Peter Tatara and LeftField Media, and backed by plenty of the major anime and manga companies, this con still should not be as crazy as it is in just year 3, and yet it was. That’s a testament to a ton of people who did everything they could to make it succeed, and it only means Anime NYC 2020 is going to top this year. Somehow!
Anyways, while I have plenty to praise about this year’s convention, don’t worry, there are still a few things I’m ambivalent about and some bad things that I will point out in another edition of the good, the mixed, and the bad for Anime NYC:
Good
+ Too much to do. Can’t be a good thing when multiple panels occur at the same time and you really want to go to them…if you’re the con-goer! For the convention planners, you basically want this to be the case. There were not only just a bunch of panels that happened at the same time that I wanted to go to, but (at least this year), there were a number of artists I wanted to buy art from at the Artist Alley and that also ate up my time (and this doesn’t count my press duties). Everyone else? You had premiere screenings and concerts, cosplay meetups, and good old video games at the convention. I should note that I didn’t even look to go over to the autograph or video game section because I’m just one person and I had other things take up my time. Heck, I still missed out on seeing all of the artists!
Just a crazy, long weekend. And it only can get crazier next year? Sheesh!
+ Finally solved the security issues by making one good decision. In both 2017 and 2018 write-ups, security was an issue throughout the con. It’s obviously necessary to have them, but having bag checks for every area you go to is not great. So, what exactly do you do to solve this problem?
Well, you take advantage of the Javits Center’s space and put the Exhibit Hall and the Artists Alley in the same location!
At first it was completely weird to have them both together, but as the weekend continued I got used to it and realized this actually saves a lot of trouble since I didn’t have to go upstairs (which is where the Artist Alley was last year). Then, I opened my brain and realized that this was actually smart — security can be set in a specific area, which means there were no delays in getting where I needed to go. And as long as I had my badge, I could get in and out of the convention with ease.
I.e., the convention experience was streamlined with one key decision. It was a very good decision.
+ I could actually walk around the panels area! I think it was clear that having the panels and the autograph section in the same area wasn’t such a good idea. So two things were changed: they moved the Autographs section back to where it was in year 1 (this year with the Exhibit Hall and the Artists Alley), and they had an extra space where people could line up for the panels. I should’ve taken a picture of it, but it was real weird seeing a section downstairs where it’s clear that’s where a panel room should be, but wasn’t. And of course, there still were no bars to properly line everyone up. That actually won’t be a problem as long as attendees line up properly, which ended up happening for most of the panels I went to!
Mixed
- Volunteers. Now here’s where getting bigger as an event will present a new challenge: having enough people to provide assistance around the convention. It at least felt like there weren’t enough volunteers when a person ended up collapsing in the middle of the crowd waiting to get inside on Friday and I couldn’t see a single staffer in the area, and when trying to determine where the line starts for a few panels. It ultimately depends on who wants to volunteer over the con, and maybe I’m thinking about it more since I was around when these happened, but I hope this won’t feel like an issue next year.
- Too much to do! Last year I put this in the bad section because there were panels all together on Saturday and I barely registered that there was an artist alley until Sunday. This year? If there was a gaming area, I had to be told where it was. Was there a manga library? Dunno, but I remember it being replaced by a cosplay workshop this year. Heck, I didn’t even really go and see all of the exhibitors or artists. In short, I’m having my own press and attendee problems, and I’m starting to wonder if three days is enough.
Despite saying this, I’m not sure I’m willing to do four days of Javits Center in November (or anyone else for that matter), so I’m just gonna stop whining now.
Bad
– Javits Wi-Fi (unless you paid). It’s just trash.
– Multiple panels starting late. This year they had extra time to get a room cleared, andddd I think a few panelists took advantage of that — for the bad! Ok, maybe not — there were staffers around to clock the panelists so it shouldn’t be the case, but there were a few panels that didn’t start on time. As someone that (unfortunately) had to be all over the place for most of the weekend, starting late is just not great, and, of course, it does ultimately hurt your panel (one example you’ll see in the eventual Panels overview).
– Me. The only thing I’ll say to this is that there were so many great artists that attended Anime NYC and I DIDN’T even see all of them…and yet, I spent far, far too much money just because I’m unexpectedly addicted to a certain video game. I’m glad this is my main time to spend a bunch of my cash.
Ultimately, I can’t say I left the convention feeling disappointed. To see what Anime NYC has become since year 1 is incredible, and they’re not showing any signs of slowing down. At this rate, the only thing that can harm the convention is if the weather plays a factor, but if it’s not an issue, and if they keep getting the guests they’ve been getting, it really will be a place to head to each and every year if you’re an anime or manga fan.