AnimeNEXT: 2018 Overview
As some of you may know, this past weekend, we attended AnimeNext, which is an Anime Convention held in Atlantic City, New Jersey. I would like to thank the wonderful staff at AnimeNext for allowing us to attend and for all the hard work they put into making this con a reality. None of this would be possible without you guys and gal. Now that we’ve gotten all the pleasantries out-of-the-way, let’s get down to business.
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One of ‘my favorite things about AnimeNext is the Atlantic City Convention. It was crazy spacious. There was enough elbow room to accommodate guests with larger panel spaces and a sufficient room for vendors in the dealer’s room. We were able to explore the different dealers without bumping into people or destroying camera ops. This might not seem like a big deal but when you’re used to fighting massive crowds of men, women and children. And you’re given the opportunity not too, in a similar setting. you’d be relieved too.
The gaming area also benefited for the spaciousness in getting good ventilation. The smell of musk and sweat that Drey usually associates with these places was non extent. Which was fantastic because we spend a pretty large chunk of our time in Tokyo Attack Arcade. Think Japanese style arcade in the middle of Jersey. Some featured games: Street Fighter V, DanceEvolution and Gunslinger Stratos to name a few. Games I played: Neon FM, In the Groove, jubeat and Initial D 8 Infinity.
Another thing I really loved about AnimeNext is their panels selection. It’s a nice blend between workshops, behind the scenes content and debate style panels. For example: Cosplay workshops , Ultraman (the new iteration) and Japanese Feminism 101. Panels that I was able to attend we’re : Diversity in Anime and Manga, The Business of Cosplay Photography and Twitch Tech Talk. I also attended a funimation panel and a few others that I cannot recall.
This year there were quite a few special events. The Cosplay Formal, AMV Contest, Japanese Streetwear designers MINT’s Fashion Show, ALL OFF ,MARINA KAWANO Concerts and my favorite event the annual Masquerade/ Cosplay contest. This years contest featured some really talented contestants. I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Be sure to follow us on IG, for a sneak peek into some of our favorites.
Then there was Artist alley. There were so many talented creators in one space. Posters, fan art, accessories and etc. Key chains seemed to be pretty popular this year. Just being around so many passionate creatives warms my soul. It’s motivational, and I wish them all the best. I purchased this really cool enamel pin.
All in all, I had a great time at AnimeNext. I was able to experience alot of firsts this go around. And I meet some pretty amazing people. Shout out to AnimeNext for the hospitality. Be sure to follow us on all of our social media accounts. I’ll post the links below.
For those of you who’ve attended AnimeNext. what were some of your highlights? Let us know in the comment section below. For those of you who haven’t, let me know in the section below. Look forward to hearing from you,
Until next time, See you later Space Cowboy
