Alright let’s do this, let’s go to NYC again, this time this is my fourth year in a row mainly for animeNYC and some more bonus tourist stuff at the end. The main difference this time is that this time my sister decided to join me this time, let’s see how these few days of insanity starts.
Pearson arrive at like 7am, flight boards at like 9:55am, we got time. It’s unusually busy at pearson for some reason, maybe because of end of summer events elsewhere.
After dropping of luggage which is pretty standard, we go into the security clearance part for US and it’s super busy, like wayy more than normal. I don’t remember it being like this last year at the same so why? Some other shit must be going on.
Clearing the painful slow security checks, take shoe belt and shit off, laptops man, it sucks. Putting on shoes near bench and see this left behind plush of Pomni, from the popular animated 3d web show, the amazing digital circus which apparently is the hottest shit with the kids, which recently finished, I actually watched all of this too via watchalong via hololive vtubers and it’s alright, kinda mid but sure. Too bad noe.
Boarding the plane ready to go proof of existence.
Like last year, this is an express plane and very small. Gotta board the plane like this.
The flight is literally only like 1 hour in the air and 30 min waiting time takeoff and landing. I got a bit of extra sleep which was nice but it was over before I knew it.
And here we are arrive safely at almost exactly 11pm, perfect timing good shit.
We talked about being lazy bitches taking camp, but I say nah, it’s not raining yet so let’s do the public transit subway way. It’s so much cheaper so we did.
Gotta board the free shuttle bus Q70 express to Jackson heights rosevelt again to get to the subway. The bus was packed.
After about 20min packed bus ride, we arrive. Fortunately navigating the stairs wasn’t so bad this year, they fixed the elevators but still didn’t use but nice to have, maybe use when go back home, noice.
Pretty busy on the subway but I am not afraid of the subway, never was although it can be intimidating at first because it’s so much larger and complex than Toronto but once you get used to it it’s easy.
In no time at all we are out, with nice empire state building on our background, noice.
Once again, for the third year in a row, I have booked the same hotel, the Courtyard by Mariott next to the White Castle lol, it’s a good hotel and location man.
No problems checking in, prepaid a few months ago so it’s just a matter of getting our card keys. Room was ready immediately which is always great. I never once had to wait for my room to be ready at this place, unlike other places like Vancouver. Looks the same but bigger with 2 queen beds now.
Same but bigger instead of the one king bed I usually get. Got that nice mini fridge and table going on too.
Solid good stuff as usual.
As per my tradition, gotta start off the day with some 2Bros cheap pizza. Dollar pizza but it’s mostly $1.50 now these days. This place is my go to based on hotel location.
Gotta get that $4 two cheese slices and can of pop deal, so good. I don’t thick I’ve actually had this deal with just two pure cheese slices? Maybe my first or second year? I can’t remember.
Good shit, nice and crispy npc cheap ass slice, it isn’t the best quality in the city but it certainly is the most affordable and somehow still way better than Pizza Pizza that we have at home.
My sister generally agrees. This is her second time in NYC and her second time trying cheap dollar pizza and while she says 2Bros is good, she prefers the one she had on her first visit, near times square, hmm ok.
A short walk and we are here at the Javits again, looking pretty swank today again.
For the past few years I picked up my badge at Kinokuniya in the city and did other tourist things for the day but this year, we decided to go to the con directly and pick up our badges since we would actually go to the Thursday, which is a new day that they started last year. AnimeNYC used to be 3 days, it is now 4 days so yea, why not.
Badge get, unlike other past years, easy 4 day pass. The overall attendance this year is the same, if not lower since badges for thur, sat and sun are still available.
We enter and it looks good but realize they didn’t give us lanyards for our badges, opps, so we try to find our way out again to get them where they usually are.
Lanyards gotten outside. We decided to put on the Hololive Happis I ordered online last year, both are mine since they are both my favorites but today I am going to war the Irys one while my sister will wear the Biboo, one, brand new straight from the plastic wrap fresh yea boi. I’ve been a hololive fan for this long might as well commit to the look I guess.
He died a Pawn. He Returned a King. Tru dat.
Hololive booth is where it’s at again, the same place it’s been I think for at least the past 4 years or so, good shit.
Lining up to get our stamp rally card for Hololive goods and shit proof of existence.
Nice card for this years hololive meet talent reps. 5th year in a row at AnimeNYC.
Stamp rally let’s go, some shit we gotta buy some stuff, others, just visit their booth and what their stuff, sounds good to me. Get a small clear bookmark set too once completed ok.
The hololive booth this year is heavily promoting their recently released music rhythm game Hololive Dreams, which is apparently doing very well, hit like the most revenue in the past month for gacha games I think . I mean I play casually aswell even tho I suck at music games, game’s polish and quality is the best I’ve ever see honestly.
My sister had a side mission on behalf of her boyfriend, to say hi to and get some magic card signed by some indie vtuber he follows which just so happens for some reason to be working at the goodsmile booth during the convention. Uh, ok, that is quite a unique mission I suppose.
I was lining up to get AnimeNYC official merch while this was happening as it was just beside the good-smile booth but she came back with this. A magic card signed by this small indie vtuber that only streams on twitch, hmm interesting. She was chatting with my sister just before the con started on discord and such apparently, just introduced or so. Hmm, I mean sure. I saw her from a distance, just looks like a normal white women you would never think is a vtuber, but I suppose that’s part of the charm fun of vtubing I guess, anyone can do it. Cool.
Lining up to get into the Kinokuniya booth, I mean, I suppose here instead of the shop in downtown NYC. They have banners promoting Rosuuri, a popular illustrator which has done many illustrations and work for Hololive and other vtubers, including Ironmouse. She apparently is also here and has her first artbook being sold from here, cool.
Once inside, it’s super cramped already. Extremely overpriced ghost in the shell shirts and shit from concerts and stuff. I think the t shirts were $100. So shit since it’s just text logo shirt, but since it was japan a limited, expensive price.
Oh shit, I didn’t know they were republishing Mushishi managa again for collectors volumes. This one is already volume 3, damn, where is 1 and 2? They had a deal where if you buy vol1 you get a special board card, but they didn’t have any at all? What? they only had vol 3 and when I asked the guy he said they were already sold out so yea, no board card. Damn, well decided to buy this anyways, going to buy the whole set eventually since I still consider this one of the best shows ever made.
Wow, bringing it back with records huh, of lucky star too and of final fantasy tactics, wow oh shit. Will probably buy this.
Large box full of hololive talent music and albums, pretty good shit.
More info on the Rosuuri autograph deal. If you buy a certain amount of her books/merch, you get an autograph session with her to sign her stuff. Noice.
They had 3 pre made set packages you can buy which would auto qualify to get autograph ticket, the cheapest one is $50 which includes her art book and 2 keychains, sounds good to me.
Some more info, letting people know that she has done lots of work for hololive and vtubers.
So yea, I brought the $50 set, noice got that nice autograph session, they ask you what time you want it, might aswell be today I guess. It’s a bit funny because I remember Rosuuri from previous years, she just had a normal artist alleys booth, guess she upped her professional game and is now considered a ‘pro’ worthy to be labelled as a proper guest at the convention and have this treatment, hmm interesting.
After went to the J18 booth where they mainly sell 18+ books and goods but also pull in alot of known artists from elsewhere to sign shit aswell if you buy stuff from the booth. This here is some korean artist who is also a main guest but is just here mainly because of J18 brought him over to sign shit if you buy his stuff, ok.
Similarly, they brought over Nagashiro Mito, the illustrator who designed Fubuki from Hololive at their table too signing shit too. If you buy his two artbooks he will sign them for you. What a deal, it’s early so yea boi.
Only a few people doing it but yea boi, for only $40 two artbooks and two autographs from a known illustrator, good shit. Signed on the outside which is interesting, you had a choice but most people chose the cover. I mean he only draws mainly white haired fox girls, so has also designed characters in Azurlane and probably arknights and other shit too, good shit. Pay to win.
Ironmouse booth was pretty cool. Didn’t really explore it really but he had paid ticketed concert tonight which is a thing at the con. We are not going however, I don’t really follow her really even tho she’s big on twitch, I don’t watch twtich so yea.
For some really odd reason beside the hololive booth they have this friskees catfood booth? Lol why? I mean most anime peeps like cats but it’s bit of a stretch. Apparently you can upload a photo on their app and have your cats photo printed out here like a magic card for jokes. Nice gimmick I think.
Tried lining up for omocat booth but denied since line was capped, will try again later since it’s one of the stops for the hololive stamp rally.
Not bad, prize figures are really good these days but still overpriced for con standards in general. This is USD too.
I thought about maybe buying this miku figure which was illustrated by rurudo, another popular illustrator/vtuber who desigend Towa from hololive but nah, might buy cheap online I think. Still excellent quality for lottery prize figure.
Pretty nice uma figures too of Cheval Grand and oguri cap, good shit.
Gotta get something from the Ohmonah booth too since it’s on the list of stamp rally.
You technically didn’t have to buy anything to get a stamp but the amount of interesting merch ends up I think that many will still buy something.
Sleeptime plushies are cute, both big and small sizes.
Not bad man. Ironmouse looks nice.
Damn, even sleeptime plushies of fuwamoco too. Good shit. I brought the takodachi mini last year from them for the stamp rally too. In any regards, got the first stamp here.
When to another booth to get a stamp. You have to buy something this time for sure and these guys also made plushies of hololive and other IPs, cool.
Most people did this tho $29 gacha plush roll in order to get the tamp. Nice, 4 talents from hololive.
My sister and I both did it and got these, pretty good pulls. I ended up with bae and she with kronii but we just swapped because she was trying to make a bae itabag so sure.
Nice cutouts of hololive and such.
Their mascot and or their vtuber I think.
Trying to line up to omocat again, this time it was a success and brought some shit, got the stamp, noice.
On the side another booth was arknights enfield and they had nice cosplayers and shit, plus also a stamp rally kind of thing. They had nice giveaways of these huge circular bags, so might want to try and get them, even tho I don’t play arknights enfield.
It was about time to get my autograph from Rosuuri so we went to the below hall to get them. This was a new thing this year, they had autographs before in the main hall which was honestly pretty bad, so it’s a welcome change and much better use of space.
After a decent wait, got her autograph, noice. It was interesting because the staff managing her line were Japanese and spoke Japanese but she herself spoke perfect English, so yea, a bit odd. I am not entirely sure her background but I think she’s just Japanese with really good English and or she’s Japanese American who lives here, I mean, it would not be the first time this kind of thing happens, anime and illustration is worldwide after all.
Singed the second or third page that had space of her artbook, good shit. She’s also a vtuber too which is also a common thing among many illustrators/artists these days.
While this was going on my sister was just chilling and organizing her brought merch, looks like that bae itabag is complete, looking good.
Phase connect also has a booth here for goods but it’s very small compared to holo and others. I wasn’t that busy either but still commendable.
The latest gen of phase connect, I only know of the green one which is supposed to be like an alien alligator, she’s from south Africa so her accent is very unique.
Back at today’s holo booth for today’s main event, well only event really. The live chatcast stream session into the convention.
The three talents Irys, Bae an Cali make their duty known and entertain the audience with some drawing games for half an hour.
The other half was some interactive game with the audience of a classic would you rather nature. Hmm interesting. Whichever one you proffered, you would raise your penlight if you had one, in which I did.
Voted for ocean man. There is nothing on the dark side of the moon, just more of the same shit.
Purple all the way man all the way. Pink only if you want to kill yourself early and die early.
The ad hoc panel eventually got to the end in which they announced the chadcast podcast would officially be starting again after like 2-3 years of inconsistent cadence lol wow, has it really been that long? Wow. Well, they are starting it up again formally and they made a new song for the intro. They showed clips of it for a early preview to the audience here.
New logo and new song, cool shit. Worth attending this thing at the booth. They also took a photo of the audience too from staff and cali posted it on twitter. My sister says that you can kinda see the side of my head from a distance but it’s too far and i’m looking at the screen instead of the camera anyways so yea, hmm.
After the panel we were going to visist the last few remaining holo stamp rally stops, this one selling holo member themed dice, wow, cool, nice art but damn they are really expensive, like over $100 for a pair of themed fancy gaming dice, shitt. Not for me.
They also had not bad shirts which was also cool.
Oh shit, it’s Agamemnon from Nolan’s odyssey. Good shit.
The last booth for the holo stamp rally you had to see these nice themed jackets from holo talents, cool but when am I going to wear this? Expensive too. More for girls maybe, not bad tho.
With our quest almost complete just a few more things to do at the holo booth to finish the rally. They had one area just teaching people how to actually play the TCG instead of just pulling for cards which was nice.
If you download the game/prove you play the game, you get a stamp and a random hololive fan. Wow cool, not mentioned on the card. Got holo ID’s Anya.
My sister got Towa fan, pretty good.
The last task/rally was to prove you subscribed on twitter to the TCG EN account, and once you do you get your final prize, a set of plastic bookmarks. Lol, well better than last year I suppose but the real prize is actually the fan, nice. Guess we are done for the day mainly.
Nice Umamusame mejiro dober figure, thought about it but too expensive man. It’s a kuji prize but it’s $100, so nah, maybe can get elsewhere cheaper, we’ll see.
The area was being slowly cleared out, there was another hour before the con ended today at 8pm but yea, just checking some stuff like this Macross stuff before leaving.
Chainsaw man had a whole section for stuff but not sure went on here.
Gigi murin cosplay on her way out too I guess.
Peak coming soon, but not really, I thought it would be fall but I guess not.
As we left we took off our happis and but them in the bag, looked outside and shit it was raining hard. Fuck, what can we do. Just walk I guess.
Rain walk proof of existence, this was a good day today other than this rainstorm damn it rained alot. Luckily all of our paper books and merch were protected by the happi’s we took off, still raining bad.
We dropped off our goods at our hotel and rested for like 20 min or so before heading out for dinner. We had originally had something else in mind but when we saw it earlier today we changed our mind for dinner.
Oh shit Go Go Curry is here! Apparently it’s been here for at least 7 years now just that I never knew it was there, it’s closeby our hotel too so damn, why not. Just like Japan again!
American prices are expensive but what can you do.
Proof of gorillaz existence, go go curry bonus I had no idea edition.
Grand slam looking pretty good to me.
My sister’s home run looking solid to.
Overall this is a welcome find for me. Honestly, just like japan and the workers/owners are also Japanese too which was cool. Although quite expensive, it was worth it for a taste of Japan curry again from go go good shit.
Gotta walk off that curry so decided to aura farm in times square since the rain let up a bit. Nice cheap pizza here too. Apparently this was the one that my sister had before which she says is better than 2Bros we had today, hm maybe one day.
The rain makes the lighing more atmospheric indeed.
Almost blade runner not really, but minus kinda.
Proof of times square existence again double edition. I didn’t go to times square at all last year because of so many holo concerts everyday so it was nice to aura farm and see it again despite the rain.
As we were making it back it started raining hard again damn.
You can even see the rain in the photos here.
We hard umbrellas but some people brought ponchos from gift shops nearby which was a thing hm.
Trying to cover all political bases lately it seems on the souvenir front.
Not sure it was worth the hassle for rain times square photos but it was certainly an experience with significantly less people in the area and no scammers or spider man trying to take photos with you.
Gotta bring it back, have some of that 24h dessert shop shit again.
That caramel flan that I liked 2 years ago I think, nice.
Open 24h, NYC truly the city that don’t shut down.
Picked up some fancy sodas from the CVS cause why not.
Let’s see what our youtube search history was recently about from previous guests, hmm, I dont’ know about this one.
Desserts were had. Solid caramel flan and chocolate cake for my sister. Did we need this? Not really, but it’s a vacation so why not. Their prices have increased quite a it, both of these things together was like $20 damn that’s very expensive, but I guess your also playing for convenience and accessibility, 24h man. Solid but not really worth, but honestly would have again if craving the sweet.
It was a very long day, travel and then my first Thurs con day. Damn, it’s a chill day where people just buy their shit, happy to be able to come today early and beat the crowds coming on Fri/Sat. We didn’t even explore the main hall at all lol, just do our missions and stamp rally, buy shit and that was that, very productive and good merch but no exploring. Hopefully we plant to walk around properly and explore but let’s see how things go.