Anime NYC 2023: Overview
It is TheLinkedOne aka JayLink, reporting from SOULCIAL DREAMIN’ ENT. You give us your time, we will give you our insight as we express our vision by remaining soulcial with you all. I am back into the Jacob Javitz Center and entering into the convention was seamless. It feels good to return and be back. It has been a rough few years, but this isn’t my first rodeo.
Special thanks to Drey and Lizzo for being so helpful throughout the process. For those who aren’t familiar with what a convention is, think of it as an event where everyone gathers together for various reasons. No matter how different we are, we are supposed to benefit from it positively. After we were stationed and planning our approach to which events we would attend, we all diverged into the convention where we went to scout into our respective interests. As for me, I went off towards the arcades and tried out two different machines.
The controls were unique for this game. You have top and bottom sensors that detect your movement. Someone passed by and said to move your hand over the sensor and your input will be detected. Most tapped and waved their hands over the sensor, I punched over the sensor and felt comfortable. It was a full-body workout and I was making combos throughout the game.
The next game that I was playing is called Hyper Bishi Bashi Champ which is a game that is similar to Warioware or Mario Party in the sense where 2 players and a CPU compete in a series of rounds to see who wins. I am playing against Drey who enjoyed the game as well. There was a European port which was also released for the original Playstation console. The name of the game was called Bishi Bashi Special which ported the arcade variants to home consoles.
The next game I decided to play is where I take control of the main character Yohane as she ventures into a mysterious dungeon alongside her partner Lailaps. She must challenge the monster-infested labyrinth to rescue her missing friends. As Yohane crafts new equipment from the items she finds and gains the power of her comrades, she’ll be able to explore more and more of the dungeon. You’ll encounter some areas in the dungeon that change randomly each time you visit, mileage may vary. The footage wasn’t captured on the first day, however, the footage will be provided on day 2 of the con.
While venturing across the show floor, I came across these life-like dolls which looked amazing. These dolls are known as SmartDoll which are crafted to the liking of the consumer and representation is everything. These dolls are very detailed, and I was instantly captivated. These weren’t your mother’s Barbie dolls, but next-level dolls.
Day 2 at Anime NYC 2023
As I walked into Anime NYC, I received a call from Drey and she asked if I wanted to check out a panel and if there were seats. I said sure, so I left the show floor and went into the special events hall. I made it in time to the Kill La Kill x Gurren Lagann The Movie anniversary event by Studio Trigger. Me, I am a big fan of Kill La Kill, and that anime has helped me through some tough times. Taking my mind away from reality and placing me in their world. There is going to be a post by Drey that goes into detail about the whole experience of the panel and how she felt about it. As for me, it inspired me to want to watch Gurren Lagann. It was a good experience being part of a panel. The content that you are familiar with is other content you never gave the time of day to look at but decide to watch due to it being part of the initial experience.
I returned to the Inti Creates booth from day one where I played Yohane the Parhelion: Blaze in the deep blue and realized that I didn’t complete the 2nd part of the demo. I played the 2nd part of that demo and the game is very immersive. From the soundtrack to the saturation of the colors along with the feel. I will purchase this game when I get around to it.
As Drey and I traveled over to the booths, we were looking over at the pins in the Pin Club booth. The Weregarurumon pin caught my eye and it caught my attention. From the details to the Golden borders, it has a premium feel in comparison to a typical pin which is usually in this format. I was not aware that there are pins that have a premium finish outside of FigPin.
To end off the 2nd day was the Cosplay Masquerade and it was amazing. I disliked the fact that I had to depart early, but I would love to attend the Cosplay Masquerade and enjoy it in its entirety. The vibes were good, the hosts were very entertaining and it was broken off into its respective tiers.
Day 3
On the final day of the convention, I had to make the last day count. I was starting on this post while it was still fresh inside of my head. I got my ideas together and the post started to take off. I was going to attend a Life in Japan panel, but changed my mind and went to the Cased Closed panel. No regrets and it was Cased Closed: The Scarlet Bullet. I haven’t watched Cased Closed/Detective Conan in years and I was so happy that I didn’t have to catch up to anything. Granted it was subbed as opposed to dub, but I have no complaints with a language preference. As I got seated, I got a decent spot to view the movie.
Some technical difficulties occurred, that were rectified, and the time was occupied with the sweepstakes giveaway. The Host of the panel was very nice and apologetic and the whole room started to speculate on what happened. By the end of the panel, a lot of news dropped, and it was for the best. The premiere stretched out later than the time intended, and the convention was officially over. Leaving the panel and walking out the doors. Once you leave through the exit area, there is no return.
As I turned back to look at the Jacob Javitz Center, the sunset was amazing. Seeing the massive convention for what it is, I will return along with Drey and Lizzo. To seal the deal, we decided to take a final picture which was the end of the experience. Placing our badges together, signifying a trinity amongst us. We wouldn’t have wanted our band any other way.
Special Thanks to Anime NYC for providing us with the opportunity to cover the convention. None of this could have been possible without these badges. Stay tuned for more content as we are covering our experiences through the view of our lens. Staying Soulcial couldn’t have been anymore easier.
