Anime Expo, the largest anime convention in North America is only a few weeks away. The annual event takes place over the 4-day July 4th weekend, Saturday, July 1 – Tuesday, July 4.
Its attendance has seen massive growth over the years and now sees over 100,000+ attendees. Last year was the first in-person AX since the pandemic and it was the first time I had seen badges sold out for the entire 4-day weekend. Normally you could walk up to the AX registration booth and purchase your badges, but last year it was different. I had friends that always bought their badges on-site and this was the first time they were not able to attend.
There are so many things to do and see at AX, luckily it spans over 4 days. There is shopping in the Exhibit Hall or Artist Alley. Many panels with sneak peeks at your favorite anime or topics. Get a bite at the Maid and Butler Cafes. Cosplayers all over the Convention Center, inside and outside. There is even activities into the late evening hours to check out, like the masquerade, arcade, concerts, or dance club.
The Exhibit Hall is on the main level of the South Hall where you will find booths from all your favorite anime producers and publishers, manga, retailers, toys, games, plush, cosplay accessories and so much more.
The Artist Alley is located in Kentia Hall, downstairs of the South Hall, which includes The Annex and Autograph Area. This area has always been one of the busiest and most crowded areas and will have over 500+ artists. Here you will find a lot of fanart of your favorite anime, pins, keychains, and handmade crafts. The Annex has been a growing addition to this area.
The Entertainment Hall is located in the West Hall. This area was previously focused more on cosplay and the arcade, but has changed over the years to include more booth space. You can hang out with the Cosplay community as there are a large number of photo set backdrops for photos, a repair station, and the Community Stage. Tabletop and Egaming can also be played here.
Cosplayers will not only be around the Entertainment Hall, they will be everywhere, inside and outside of AX. There will be all types of cosplayers, professional and amateur. One of the best events to see some great cosplay is at the AX Masquerade and WorldCosplay Summit USA Finals. This event is a cosplay and performance competition with cash prizes and competitors go all out.
The concerts and music entertainment are located in and around the Convention Center. Some of these events require a separate ticket to attend.
– AX Summer Fest featuring Cö shu Nie ( Jujutsu Kaisen; Tokyo Ghoul) and mili ( Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045; Goblin Slayer) with Japanese musical guests Yameii Online, Mii, and Mirei
– Shin Megami Tensei 30th LIVE: Band of Shadows Concert at The Novo at LA Live
– Neon District on Monday, July 3, headlined by Taku Takahashi (m-flo) and other DJs
– Maid/Butler Cafes (All Ages and After Dark: 18+) located in the upper floor of the Convention Center
– AX Dance, Auction, Game Shows, Comedy Club, Lounge 21 (21+ lounge area)
Some of the panels and programming announced this year:
– Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Special Event
– Disney: Twisted Wonderland with special voice guests
– Warner Bros. Japan – Record of Ragnarok II
– One Piece – Episode 1000 Dub World Premiere
– The First Slam Dunk North American Premiere
– Rurouni Kenshin Premiere
– Fate/strange Fake – Whispers of Dawn World Premiere
– Vtuber panels
The Special Guests for AX 2023 include:
Kazuaki Terasawa, Kazutaka Kodaka, Toshihiro Kawamoto, Yusuke Kozaki, YOKO TARO, Kohei Tokuoka, Satoshi Kada, Kotaro Takata, Koichi Naruse, Masakazu Morita, Hiroyuki Seshita, Acky Bright, Yoshitaka Amano, Miura Ayme, Kyohei Yaguchi, Satoshi Onishi, Hirotaka Kobayashi, Takayuki Hirao, Kazuya Yamashita, Jin, Shinya Sumi, YOSHIKI, Kafka Asagiri, Masahiko Minami
Other events you can find at AX are the Maid/Butler Cafes (tickets normally sell out quickly), Fashion Show, AMV Competition, fan panels, charity auction, academic programming, and workshops.
If you are into anime and manga, then you can check out the Manga Lounge or one of the many rooms playing some of the hottest anime.
Tickets are still available in four-day and single-day pricing. Events such as the concerts, Masquerade, Maid and Butler Cafe have separate ticketing and must be purchased separately.
For more information, schedule of events and more, visit www.anime-expo.org.
