Anime NYC was a blast as usual

Anime NYC 2024 was unforgettable. The moment I stepped into the Jacob Javits Center, the place buzzed with energy—cosplayers, artists, and fans all in one massive creative swirl. Attendance skyrocketed to 101,000 this year, up from 65,000 in 2023, and you could feel that growth in every corridor.

All weekend long, the River Pavilion hosted meetup after meetup: Soul Eater, JJK, JoJo’s, One Piece, Demon Slayer, Genshin Impact—you name it.

Crunchyroll rolled out a fresh batch of premieres, too. We caught Yakuza Fiancé: Raise wa Tanin ga Ii, MF Ghost Season 2, and Mashle: Magic and Muscles. Aniplex of America’s special panel was a standout: Aleks Le (the English voice of Mash) joined director Tomonari Tanaka, composer Masaru Yokoyama, producer Sota Furuhashi, and Creepy Nuts—who brought down the house with the new opening theme.

And just when we thought we’d caught our breath, Crunchyroll surprised us again with Tower of God Season 2 and episode one of Goodbye, Dragon Life. From start to finish, the weekend was a whirlwind of fandom at its best.