Anime NYC Returns With A Bang: 2021 Preview

Anime NYC is back with an in-person event for 2021, and they are pulling out all the stops. The convention will be held at the Javits Center this coming weekend, November 19-21, so let’s take a look at what fans can expect to see.

Anime NYC has been New York City’s premiere anime convention since its inception in 2017. That first year was my first anime convention ever, and Anime NYC gets bigger every year, offering a bigger show floor, more vendors, and a jam-packed schedule of events. The event gathers top talent from both the English and Japanese side of anime – voice actors, directors, composers – as well as a number of premieres and live concerts, not to mention one of the most unique exhibition floors I’ve ever seen.

Sponsored by Crunchyroll (which is now owned by Funimation), this is really the event to attend if you’re an anime fan in the NYC area. This year is looking to be another fantastic one, despite everything. Check out some of the awesome things fans will get to experience this weekend!

Panels: Industry panels from Crunchyroll, Yen Press, and GKIDS help fill out a spectacular programming schedule that includes gems like “Black Trailblazers in Anime”, “Anime Goes to Hollywood”, and “Japanese Tea 101”. Make sure you check out the full schedule so you don’t miss anything! (I’m actually kind of excited about the swap meet, which will give attendees the opportunity to trade or just plain get rid of any extra merch they have that they no longer want.)

Premieres: Love of Kill, ODDTAXI (dub), In the Land of Leadale, and Orient are some of the anime that will premiere this weekend at Anime NYC. Attendees will also be able to see the dub premieres of Lupin the 3rd: Prison of the Past and Case Closed: The Scarlet Bullet as well as a special screening of Josee, the Tiger and the Fish for anyone who missed it in theaters earlier this year.

Concerts: The My Hero Academia Official Concert will feature live musicians performing all-new arrangements of select tracks from the My Hero Academia soundtrack. Composer Yuki Hayashi will be in attendance, all the way from Japan.

Special Events: As One Piece approaches its 1000th episode, Crunchyroll is holding a celebration! On Saturday night, guests will be treated to a special screening of episodes 998, 999, and 1000, but there will also be surprises and other fun things like fan videos, a trivia contest, and more! Anyone who attends the event will receive a special commemorative coin for the 1000th episode.

Photo Ops: The Crunchyroll booth (#426) will feature cool photo ops for One Piece, Blade Runner: Black Lotus, and ODDTAXI.

Japanese Food: A variety of food vendors will set up shop in different locations at the Javits, including Go Go Curry, Tea & Milk, and Poke Motion, to name a few.

Gaming: This year’s event features both a tabletop gaming and a video gaming area. Previous years have had an area specifically dedicated to Japanese arcade games as well.

Art: Honestly, Artist Alley at Anime NYC is my favorite. I spend so much money there every year, because most of the art I want to buy is from anime, and the pickings for that are slim at cons like NYCC or SDCC, which cater more to comics fans. But this year, fans will get another treat with the Attack on Titan manga gallery, which will be displayed in the Crystal Palace.

As with any indoor events within the city, proof of vaccination is required to attend, and face coverings must be worn at all times inside the convention center. They seem to be adopting the same method that New York Comic Con did in October, where you show proof of vaccination and then receive a wristband, which you must wear for the duration of the event. This worked pretty well at NYCC, and almost everyone I saw complied with mask guidelines as well.

If you’re interested in attending this weekend but haven’t yet acquired your tickets, you’d better hurry! They’re almost entirely sold out online, but they are still available at various shops around the city.

Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter (if you’re not already) for coverage from the event, and maybe I’ll see some of you there!

Author: Jamie Sugah

Jamie has a BA in English with a focus in creative writing from The Ohio State University. She self-published her first novel, The Perils of Long Hair on a Windy Day, which is available through Amazon. She is currently an archivist and lives in New York City with her demon ninja vampire cat. She covers television, books, movies, anime, and conventions in the NYC area.

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