We had a wonderful time at Anime NYC last weekend! This was both my girlfriend's and my first time at a big convention, and we had no idea what to expect. She doesn't even watch anime. So we wandered around the packed convention center at random, and we ended up having tons of fun. Some highlights:
- We've been working on her Malenia cosplay since August, and it was so rewarding to finally show it off. I kept losing her because she was being stopped for pictures! (Btw, if anybody happened to snap a pic with us, I would love to see it.) One lovely person led us straight across the hall to the one stand that was selling a replica Hand of Malenia, and another actually had one, and let her pose with it for a picture.
- I was delighted to meet some lovely local artists. I usually have to really search for Silver Sprocket books, but I was able to pick up a copy of Let's Get Burgers directly from @housegoblin.
- Meeting @wendyxu was also lovely. I mentioned that I had read Tidesong during my time reviewing diverse juvenile GNs as a librarian, and she gave me a gift from a stash of posters she had set aside for teachers and librarians. The kids at my branch love comics, and it felt really special, especially as somebody who's been reading webcomics (including Mooncakes) since childhood.
- We met Jacob and Julia from Drawfee (Karina had just stepped away) and they were very sweet. I caught them at what amounts for a lunch break while tabling at a convention, but they were gracious and friendly. We had a nice chat--Jacob, like many of our new friends, found Malenia a challenging fight, and he liked the Kirby toys we had picked up.
- I bought my girlfriend a Jacob Horse from Drawfee and she bought me a plush Pui Pui Molcar, but in the end, we each went home with who we really wanted. His best quality: his wiggles.
- Our favorite dessert restaurant had a booth, and they were running a BOGO sale on Sunday. 😋
- Adam Savage was there. I didn't see him, but like, he was.
Even knowing nothing going in, Anime NYC was a great experience, and we're looking forward to attending more local shows in the future!
