That Time I Went to AnimeNYC and Became Disenfranchised by Conventions Altogether~ AnimeNYC 2026

It's like Comic Con...kinda

AnimeNYC is proof that bigger might not always mean better, and if it does, it will certainly come with some growing pains. AnimeNYC's extreme growth shows us that cons are evolving, whether we like it or not.

THE VIBE

Hosted in the Javits Center, AnimeNYC boasted about 150k guests this year, which is double the size of something like GenCon (which I’ve previously covered), but it’s still dwarfed by New York Comic Con’s quarter million, which is held in the same venue in a few short months. The Javits Center is one of the most straightforward of convention venues I've personally attended, as it's just a massive box. Despite this easy-to-navigate layout, the vendors' floor is wall-to-wall packed and so overcrowded that many veterans may ignore it altogether for three of the four days.

AnimeNYC's vendor hall and artist alley are side by side, and while it was packed with a ton to see, the consensus among those I spoke to was that it felt MORE lackluster than in previous years. One third was the artist alley, one third was the dealers hall, and one third was just underutilized space and overpriced food options that all leaned pretty similar in theme, but limited in actual selections. There weren't many large exhibitor booths, and the ones that were there were walled-off labyrinths of lines. A lot of the focus on the floor went to VTubers, and there were a ton of vendor booths selling a little bit of whatever they could find (AI and 3-D printed slop included). This mishmash of fandoms is fun, but it takes away from the identity of the con and, in a way, the experience overall.

The con does have a DJ and features fan favorites like DJTAYLORSENPAI, but it could benefit greatly by also including those who’ve helped its afterparty scene (Such as DJ KYON or DJ Some Kid of Otakus with Attitude), or people who’ve even DJ’d at booths in previous years. The music in the Crystal Ballroom was inconsistent in nature and sometimes missed the vibe of an anime convention. One minute you'd find it hard to talk to the person beside you because it was so loud, and then when the DJs were on break, there’d be a completely unrelated elevator music-type playlist. Some areas of the con that would greatly benefit from more music– such as last year’s Valenza booth adding a mini-party and livening up the dealers hall.

AnimeNYC doesn't showcase music anywhere, but the Crystal Ballroom and there aren't often a ton of decorations, but downstairs did feature a showcase of little fans' artwork over the weekend, and that was cute.

In addressing programming, ANYC had a few fun AAA-type events, but they were separately ticketed on top of the price of the badge. The Club Ironmouse event did seem promising, but at $65 for GA to see a VTuber, I question whether or not animeNYC knows what it wants to truly be branded as.

The community panels were mostly scrapped, and while the meet-up area was in a better location than in recent years, there’s still loads of spots that are better than what was provided. In general, while the con has expanded and upgraded areas like Cosplay Central in the past few years, AnimeNYC suffers from a lack of planning and space optimization. Many reviews online also have come to the consensus that if you don't already come with friends, and do not REALLY put yourself out there, you likely will find yourself being one lonely fish in the huge pond that is ANYC.

Mostly New York natives, there are always cosplayers who keep the party alive with music and tunes in the quieter parts of the con that still boast heavy traffic. During a time when the concept of community is nearly being stripped away, local cosplayers (especially the Black cosplay community) keep this con alive with the music in smaller areas, dance battles, and runways they improv. It shouldn’t be the job of the cosplayers who aren't affiliated (or supported) by the con to provide such a critical lifeblood. AnimeNYC would greatly benefit if it supported the local scene more, and has already been criticized for only doing so based on follower count, not actual community involvement or outreach.

This year, bumping into people, mindlessly taking photos in the middle of aisles, and walking against the crowd were insanely popular. Typically, any crowd at a con is widely friendly and just happy to be there, but so many attendees were just more focused on things like filming their content. It's definitely not an issue unique to ANYC, but it becomes more prevalent year over year. One section of the main Javitz floor also seemed to solely exist for TikTokers and cosplayers to film and record interviews. It would be nicer to firmly delegate this to its own area.

The identity of this convention is in question, and it's evident when considering the vibes of its attendees as well. Con-goers are friendly, but many interactions are just quick photo moments and somehow feel more rushed than something like NYCC. If you are in cosplay (as I was 3/4 days of this year), you may find that a lot of photographers (or even regular fans) are a bit demanding/rude/inconsiderate when stopping you for a photo or two, don't care if you are eating, or have hands full of bags. Overall, the highlight of the con is cosplay, but anime-themed cosplay is less important. As ironic as it may seem, this convention doesn’t know if it wants to be an anime convention, which introduces a larger problem and leaves one wondering: Is the commodification of cosplay and popularity of cons/fandom changing the scene altogether?

Who is this convention for?

AnimeNYC feels like a con with more cosplayers than not at times, which is great if you are outgoing enough to get photos and share excitement for the fandom. If you are a photographer, it may be a different story. This July, one month from the con, ANYC made the announcement that it would charge photographers who book paid shoots with cosplayers and require them to get a pro badge. If they don't pay, they risk being banned altogether. This decision tells attendees that the photographer/cosplayer economy is the lifeblood of the convention, and that ANYC will capitalize on that while also making it inherently prohibitive at the same time. Financially, many fans understand the decision, but doing so with little notice alienates photographers who put a lot of time and effort into their art, and may just want to make some extra cash for that time.

The convention did listen to fans' outcries of giving cosplayers more space than in previous years. However, much of the floor in one wing of the con ended up being essentially a TikTok and YouTube interview maze to get through. If you're somebody who isn't comfortable being on camera, there's essentially an entire area you are best off avoiding because of this. It’s clear the organizers of ANYC spend a lot of time discussing cosplayers and want to focus on them, but they don’t know how to go about it, or who they want this convention to be for.

AnimeNYC isn’t the only convention in recent years to suffer from an identity crisis. If you don’t cosplay or aren’t a photographer, there are only a few options for what to do, and if you didn’t book any of the panels ahead of time, the main option is to spend your money. If you have a family, there’s even less available for kids to do, and a quarter of the dealers hall was dedicated to 18+ work where you had to be ID’d just to look at the tables. The convention is the home of Play NYC for the second year in a row, and hosting the gamer-room in its own space does prove promising for the devs, as well as ANYC as a whole.

What CAN you do there?

Where it struggles in identity, it thrives in community. As a New York City staple, AnimeNYC has potential to be a hub of community for cosplayers, gamers, artists, and altogether enthusiasts. The con has good bones, and if you were an attendee of its earlier years, you would know how much it strives to keep that community element present and happy. Fan input mattered, and the show evolved based on feedback it received. The more corpo the con got, the less focused it became, but it can bounce back, and there’s still fun to be had despite its pitfalls.

The previously mentioned gamer space is an outstandingly underutilized selling point of ANYC, and many fans still don’t even know it exists as it’s in one of the further away sections of the Javits. PlayNYC has existed since 2017; it began as a small show featuring a couple of indie game devs and studios, and now it’s nested in the games section of AnimeNYC. The fun part about this is that it also is a spot for artists and small businesses to sell their wares amongst gaming fans. Even if you don’t plan to buy, vendors like ((SHOPITEMGET)) have quests for you to complete, and chatting with the owner of Console Yourself soap never gets old, as the enthusiasm for their crafts and appreciation for gaming is unmatched. Of course, the highlight is getting to test and demo dozens of homegrown games of all sorts, and this year’s showcase knocked it out of the park.

PlayNYC shares its space with HEX & CO, a local game store, and the arcade area seen in previous years of ANYC’s past. While the choice of having this stuff in the basement is a bit confusing for some attendees, having large rhythm games where lines can pile up fast, it’s actually a breath of fresh air. There were also booths for other conventions, but the lack of traffic there seemed to be a bit disheartening for those tending to the booths. With the arcade, Hex & Co, and Play NYC, the basement hall still had a ton of underutilized space. Moving the cosplay central or even the food section down here may be a better idea, as it serves as a nice escape from the vendor hall and allows new eyes on the game selection. There’s a lot of promise to this fun hang-out section, and fans would undoubtedly enjoy the extra breathing room.

ANYC is the place to be if you’re a fan of VTubers, as streamers like Ironmouse had numerous events and meet-ups, and Hololive had its streams going throughout the weekend. It may be a bit confusing for some, but there were even VTubers rolling around greeting fans throughout the con. The VTuber fans’ enthusiasm is unmatched, and even if you don’t like the…genre…it’s undeniable to say that their fandom does breathe life into the convention center. The VTuber presence also gives a unique activity option to con-goers, as you can stop and watch a stream or do a meet-and-greet for free in some cases, and maybe even swing by a panel or two. The audience interaction breathes life into the vendor hall as the cheers can be heard from all over when a fan-favorite hits the screen.

The typical panel options were a bit lighter this year, and fans I spoke to seemed a little unenthused about the selection. Many members of the local community were confused as to why there were so many fewer options, and it also seems like the con focused less on celebrating diversity than it has in previous years, despite the phenomenal turnout for things like “cosplaying with an invisible disability” and panels focusing on natural hair, or cosplaying as a BIPOC.

Hopefully, with the 10th anniversary around the corner, ANYC decides to celebrate the fans that helped to create the con. Of course, in terms of activities, AnimeNYC also hosts a cosplay contest and all of the other typical Anime convention staples. The presence seems to be less prevalent each year, but the skill of the contestants is a sight to behold. This shortfall is a missed opportunity because this con does truly bring out the best of the best, and the Crystal Ballroom is a stunning place to showcase artistry, modeling ability, and photography skills.

Speaking of Cosplay….

As previously mentioned, ANYC is a place for cosplayers, but fans can wear whatever they want and feel welcomed. If you’re a beginner cosplayer, doing so at a con of this size is great because people are so celebratory. The Paladins of Cosplay were there as always with their ever-so-popular cosplay repair booth, which provides an extra layer of reassurance for any wardrobe, wig, or craft malfunctions. This year I tested my first casual cosplay in well over 12 years and was welcomed with open arms by the Jojo community, and while I missed the meetup, the love was all the same. I didn’t feel like a fool for just wearing a wig, makeup, and shirt, and still had just as many fun interactions. We live in a time where cosplay photographs measure people’s self-worth and value when it comes to the hobby, and I feel like it was equally as celebrated as my previous year’s full-costume Jolyne.

Photographers at ANYC are widely respectful, and while the more seasoned cosplayers have their favorites, there’s always new and exciting people to meet. This year it seemed as though many photographers I met came with a friend or two, and everyone just hyped one another up. ANYC is one of the main cons where I’ve seen people hold creeps accountable in real-time, so whether donned in armor or scantily clad, cosplayers can feel comfortable taking advantage of the convention center's gorgeous natural lighting. The only time photography may seem a bit overwhelming or daunting is in the main entrances and during meetups where things get crowded, and it gets hard to breathe, much less take dynamic photos. One benefit to casual and smaller cosplays is that navigating these key spaces in a larger costume is nearly impossible.

The biggest grievance I have with ANYC as a now cosplay elder comes as no surprise: a lot of cosplay feels performative, not in that it’s for playing, but that it’s for content. As I’ve alluded to previously, there are numerous sections in the convention center where attendees are tasked with navigating tripods, microphones, dancers, and more. There’s no real problem with filming at a con, but when it becomes the main activity, it does feel like we are avoiding the social element that makes conventions so great. If the con could amend this by making filming zones or celebrating cosplayers who post about the convention, perhaps this could be twisted into something more positive, but as it stands, it does take away from the inherently playful nature of the hobby.

In The End….

The community of ANYC still pumps through the veins of this convention, despite an increasingly corporate and overcrowded experience. If ANYC can embrace the audiences, cosplayers, creators (small and big), it can let the community define what the con is, instead of suffering from lackluster programming and planning.

AnimeNYC excels in celebrating its cosplayers. Beginners, casual cosplayers, and fandoms of all sizes will be welcomed and cheered on by other attendees. Paladins of Cosplay give support, and fans at their booth will even hype one another up. While cosplay is becoming more content-focused, the community element is something that can always be built upon at a real-life event of this size.

The local cosplay scene especially excels in actively creating energy for the con. The impromptu dance battles, runway photoshoots, and even push-up battles show that people still want to make this con their home convention. AnimeNYC has a chance to be a little slice of paradise in the heart of New York City, and the con can hone that if it chooses to embrace its local cosplayers the same way it embraces the ones with large followings, especially the BIPOC and Latino community that are so passionate in this section of the states. There are pockets of community already existing in the con, and if ANYC chose to give them a platform and a space to be championed, it could create something magical for uplifting the next generation of convention attendees, cosplayers, and fans.

While it is an anime convention, celebrating game devs and gamers with a makerspace-like section can be genuinely exciting. Very few events of this size can host indie developers, small businesses, playable games, an arcade, local game stores, and vendors with time to actually engage with attendees. The relaxed nature of the space also invites opportunities for meaningful connections with those with shared interests, and it hosts a participatory experience that the con at large is severely lacking in. PlayNYC partnering with ANYC should be heralded more, as it is truly one of its most promising aspects and could benefit vendors and attendees alike if it’s utilized and marketed properly.

The heavy focus on VTubers and nameless vendors leaves fans questioning what the con wants to be, as much as it leaves them questioning why they should attend the con at all over ones of a similar scale. Content creation feels like it’s competing with actual participation at the con, and if that’s the direction it’s going, that needs to be prioritized. If it’s not, the con needs to provide attendees with a reason to be there that other cons do not already have in droves.

  The post-pandemic ANYC has prioritized growth at the expense of its community. Fan feedback is mostly ignored in all areas except cosplay; the programming and panel options have become lighter, and the space optimization leaves people feeling like they’re in a moshpit rather than under one roof with people who have common interests. The con doesn’t celebrate its fans and doesn’t engage with the community in any meaningful way, and could learn from things like PAX, GenCon, or even NYCC when it comes to its response to fan outcries. It grew as a con, but lost all the elements that make a con feel like its own little community.

AnimeNYC is for you if….

• You love cosplay, or want to dip your toes in the water.

• You’re outgoing, want to share your fandom IRL, and don't mind the energy of a 150k-person con.

• Love VTubers.

• Want to discover indie games and smaller artists.

• Don’t mind creating your own experience if you cannot reserve your panels ahead of time.

  
  

If you want an anime-focused con, care about the community, can’t handle big crowds and navigation, or if you’re on a budget in terms of your experiences, AnimeNYC might not be your cup of tea. Overall, this year I give it a 6.5/10.

AnimeNYC can bounce back from a few questionable decisions, and by no means is it a bad convention at all. The biggest problem with the con is that the community and they alone are doing the work of making the convention feel like a communal experience, and not just a buyers' hall. A convention doesn’t need to be small to feel personable, but AnimeNYC needs to remember what made it successful to begin with: the passion of the community that made it.