Field Report: Anime Expo 2025 still overwhelms, but in a good way
Ah, Anime Expo. What a beast of a convention!
From what I remember about Los Angeles, CA’s Anime Expo (AX) during the many times that I’ve been throughout high school and college, it has always been THE place to be during the 4th of July weekend for anyone with even a remote interest in anime. Back then, attending AX felt like it was a bit more taboo – it wasn’t something that you broadly advertised to the world unless you wanted to be seen as a nerd or a weeb (derogatory!). Years later, that stigma seems to have dissipated. People wear their love of anime proudly like a badge. Maybe that’s a result of just growing up or maybe it’s a sign that the tides have shifted in terms of a wide embrace of Japanese culture, but it felt more liberating to be an anime fan this year to me.
But even if you somehow ended up at Anime Expo without considering yourself an anime fan, there’s still a lot to love. From the most obscure anime to the mainstream classics of the year, there’s a little something for everyone. Believe me, this is something I tell everyone: even if you think you don’t know anything about anime, chances are you’ll recognize something wandering throughout the convention halls. You can ask Justin about how true that statement turned out to be!
From the Intercom roamed the halls, attended a few premieres, and basically relived Li-Wei’s high school dreams at this year’s Anime Expo. Here’s how our experience went:
Artist Alley is bigger and more crowded than ever
Whenever I go to Artist Alley, there are a few things that I’m looking for: my favorite somewhat obscure anime fanart so I can delude myself into thinking the fandom is still alive (Ouran High School Host Club, Tatami Galaxy, Osomatsu-san), anything Maplestory-related, and honestly… new artists to follow! Well, while this year I was only able to check off a few of those things on my list, the Artist Alley experience overall was… kind of miserable?
That’s not on the artists themselves – just like any other year, everyone brought their A-game, slinging high quality posters, keychains, and things like T-shirts day in and day out. The problem for me was just how many people were packed within the alleyways, making it hard to move or even pause for more than a few seconds to see what artists were offering without getting pushed over to the next stall. Add onto that just how quickly you have to take in an artist’s offerings and multiply that with just how many vendors there were (more than 900+, which is a big step up from the 600-ish figure they approved before) and you could easily spend an entire day just wandering the aisles alone.
While it was hard to catch everything that was going on there, just a quick glance through usually gives you a good idea of what’s popular in pop culture that year. For 2025, I’d say Dandadan made the biggest splash. Other than that, I was surprised to catch fanart of Severance, the LA Dodgers, and K-Pop Demon Hunters (despite only having just been released at the time). Stamp rallies were also in full force – I want to say that quite a few vendors were participating in them (some even doing multiple), adding an additional sprinkling of chaos to the mix. Good luck braving the crowds to get all your stamps!
Oh, and for those keeping score: I saw fanart of everything I was looking for, save Tatami Galaxy and Osomatsu-san. The search continues!
Fan-panels aren’t always a hit
As it is with most conventions, the large exhibition hall isn’t the only reason to visit – panels, and fan-driven panels at that, are perfect ways to pass the time learning about what’s going on in the industry. And even though it was not my first time at Anime Expo, it was my first time attending a fan-driven panel. These programs are put on by fans just like yourself, and for the most part, not put on by a major organization.
Just to get a grasp on the variety of panels happening that weekend, Justin and I went to a few – the Japanese music history one, the Pokemon drawing competition, and the anime vinyl panel. All of them had a fair amount of people attending, with the Pokemon drawing competition boasting the most packed room given the popularity of the IP. As for the music and vinyl panels, while both were not explicitly anime-related, they still had its fair share of curious attendees. In a way, attending both of those panels felt a lot more like AX wasn’t just a place for anime fans, but for general fans of Japanese culture as well. I enjoyed the crossover!
As for the quality of the panels, I’d have to admit that it was really a toss-up depending on who’s putting the panel together. The music panel, for example, felt a lot like a college lecture about the history of Japanese music — not unlike lectures I’ve attended before at school. It was also plagued with its fair share of technical difficulties, so again, just like a college lecture. The Pokemon drawing competition was wildly chaotic and a bit underwhelming. Although the room was packed, only about a handful of people were randomly selected to draw and present their creations to the audience. Everyone else just looked on. The vinyl panel, although it gave a lot of great information about which stores you can go to pick up your favorite anime soundtracks, was also lecture-like. At least there was a cool giveaway at the end! Extra shoutout to the host, who gave everyone who didn’t win a promo flexi-disc. That’s some true physical media love right there.
Unless you’re a really big fan of the panel’s subject matter or have some spare downtime (or are feeling extra lucky!), these fan-driven panels are definitely hit-or-miss.
World premieres are still exciting after all these years
Maybe it’s because I’ve just gotten a lot older now, but I definitely haven’t been keeping up with the latest in the anime scene. Aside from Dandadan (which was rightfully everywhere at the con), there wasn’t much that I was interested in. The time that I usually dedicate to premieres would have to go to something I’d never heard of before… and the world premiere of Sanda managed to fit into my schedule when I had some surprisingly rare downtime.
Set in an alternate future where Japan’s birth rate has dropped so low that children are more rare and treated with more reverence than adults, this anime starts off when main character Kazushige Sanda is suspected by one of his classmates, Shiori Fuyumura, to be the descendent of the mythical Santa Claus. In this universe, Santa Claus is regarded as a sort of powerful demi-god who has disappeared completely. Driven by her desire to find her missing friend, Fuyumura tries to get Sanda to call upon this ancient power in order to get answers. If it all sounds a bit wild and out there… it is. After watching the first episode of Sanda and a post-viewing debrief with Justin, I still had no idea where the storyline of this anime is going.
Sanda is from manga artist Paru Itagaki (Beastars), and it’s slated to drop around the fall-winter season this year due to its Christmas theme. Science SARU is in charge of the adaptation, and as a result you can expect it to be jam-packed with vibrant animation sequences, frenetic energy, and some really funny physical comedy moments. Without giving away too many spoilers about the first episode, I can say that Sanda will audibly make you say “What’s going on?”… but in a good way. Also, is it illegal to draw Santa Claus this hot? I don’t know. I’ve never seen a Christmas anime quite like this.
Additionally, I also attended the premiere of the first episode of Mr. Ginpachi’s Zany Class, a spin-off of the popular anime Gintama. Gintama is a gag/parody anime that I used to watch a ton of back in high school, and seeing it in person was… quite the experience. Much like Osomatsu-san, Gintama is loud, raucous, and not really subtle about a lot of the things that it is parodying. I’d definitely say that for anyone who walked into the premiere blindly, it must’ve been interesting! The two panelists introducing the premiere definitely had a script that was very much in-line with the comedy chops of the show, recreating some very groan-worthy dialogue that probably wouldn’t have landed with any other type of crowd. Ahead of the screening, they also announced a few collaboration surprises, including one with Round1 that will hit the States later on this year. Attendees of the panel also got a chance to pick up a Mr. Ginpachi’s Zany Class branded Round1 card loaded with a few credits on it.
Fans were also treated with a familiar, subtitled still-frame audio-gag dialogue video between Gin, Shinpachi, and Kagura specifically written with this premiere at Anime Expo in mind before they pressed play on the premiere… which was surprisingly the English dub of the show. It was a strange choice, especially since Gintama has such a culturally Japanese-specific comedy style, so much so that I heard confused murmurs in the audience when the English dub started. Though it took some getting used to, the show was still very funny and not unlike what you would’ve otherwise expected from the fourth wall-breaking show. Put the same characters that you’ve already known and loved into a high school setting, and there you have Mr. Ginpachi’s Zany Class. As a show it’s not really anything groundbreaking, but if you’re looking for any excuse to bring back well-established and beloved characters for one last hurrah (and to be honest, who isn’t), this is the show for you. If you’re just getting into Gintama, stick with the original series.
Definitely not a food festival
I’m not expecting much when it comes to convention food and snacks, but for $18+ an entree around the convention center, you’d hope that the food would at the very least be good. Aside from the very mediocre buffalo chicken tenders served within the convention center, some of the food truck offerings were very underwhelming and at times, even inedible (I’m thinking about the spicy, but somehow bland fries that were an actual, physical pain to eat and the underwhelming sushi-rito that Justin picked up).
To be fair, there were two areas dedicated to food that looked interesting but were absolutely packed – one in front of the convention center and one other area at LA Live a few strides away that boasted a Japanese culinary experience. But Anime Expo, from the few things we ate that day, was definitely not a foodie’s paradise – despite Japanese food being such a big part of the culture. No Food Wars! foodgasms here 🙁
I heart Ginger Root
Ginger Root (Cameron Lew) has never been known to hide his love for anime. In fact, a lot of Lew’s aesthetic is largely indebted to 80s/90s anime – that much is apparent with even just a five minute Google search of Lew’s output as Ginger Root. Everything from City Slicker EP onward just doubled down on his love for the craft. It was kind of fun, then, to see Ginger Root play a pop-up show at the unassuming Lounge 21 (located in the middle of the LA Convention Center) in the middle of the day alongside other, more specifically anime music style artists.
Just like it is at some of his concerts, the lounge was teeming with people, and the line outside was pretty long compared to how it was at the other parts of the day. Performing solo, Lew mentioned upfront that his entire set was going to be anime OP covers, so people hoping for songs like “Loretta” or “No Problems” were made aware off the bat. Although I missed a few songs at the beginning, Lew dove into anime classics/fan favorite songs from Ranma ½, Kaguya Sama: Love Is War, Sailor Moon, and FLCL towards the end of the set. Now, I don’t know the specifics of how this came to be, but for an anime fan and a music lover, this was the kind of set that felt solely like a result of love. My man really dressed up as K-ON’s Azusa and put on a show to remember. Go off!
Justin
This was my first time at Anime Expo ever and I heard every bad story in the book leading up to it. Too many people, AC is bad, security is lacking, and yes, it’s going to stink. So you could say my expectations were tempered. Why was I even going? I am not the target demo. I am not actively watching the top charting anime. I didn’t even finish series one of Dandadan when I had the chance.
All that to say, I had a pretty good time and as I recognized more and more cosplay, games, companies, and IP, I realized wait… maybe I am the target demo. T_T
The Crowd
In short, the crowds were big, frustrating, and beautiful. The official website forecasted “over 100,000 fans in attendance” at likely one of the biggest Anime conventions in the world, and it was felt. Thursday seemed somewhat manageable, but Friday and Saturday, crowds absolutely peaked since the Fourth of July holiday coincided.
It was my very first time at the Los Angeles Convention Center, and despite how massive the space was, people flooded the inside and the outside, including the neighboring Crypto Arena, the Peacock Theater, and the JW Marriott. Though it was the Artist Alley in the subterranean level of the convention center that was consistently packed throughout my three days. The crowds did cause me to miss the Lyn Inaizumi Persona 5 performance at the Peacock Theater, along with hundreds of other fans baking outside.
However, it really is hard to complain when you see how excited and enthusiastic everyone is to be there. Whether it’s elaborate cosplay meet ups, attending a niche panel, spending your entire paycheck at artist alleys, the energy was incredibly kind and generous. It helped that the most excited person was Li-Wei, who thugged it out with me and gave me lore of how he used to attend a decade ago, invite his friends out, and thug through the mass of cosplayers together.
I thought security was serviceable. I had heard that prior years, volunteers were tasked with this herculean effort to check people in and out and manage lines on top of that. But I didn’t experience any problems other than awkward bottlenecks with such sprawling expo venues to walk through. Also, I fortunately did not come down with the dreaded Con-Flu. I’m definitely shaking off pandemic trauma plus the fact that the last credentialed event I attended (SXSW 24) is where I finally got COVID. I sprayed my Covixyl, masked up, and only wished there were more people doing the same.
The Cosplay
Truly, this is the real main event. The sheer amount of creativity, passion, and effort put into some of the cosplay is inspiring to witness. I walked by characters brandishing several weapons taller than myself, many sexy Vaporeons, and a ton of Frenchly-dressed folks which were apparently a reference to a costume in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Other franchises with a ton of representation were Dungeon Meshi, Sakamoto Days, Persona 5, and Pikmin 🙂. We were even able to find a MapleStory cosplayer.
Li-Wei and I were able to play a surprisingly less challenging game of Cosplay Bingo than I anticipated. If you spend just ten minutes in the main convention halls, I’m confident you would find your top 3 franchises. It was also nice to see cosplay repair being offered in the convention halls.
I don’t know if I would ever bring something more elaborate than my Pikmin sprout and yellow shirt, but if I did it’s nice to know that the community that facilitates and supports is strong and generous at Anime Expo.
Artist Alley
Man, Artist Alley at Anime Expo is no fucking joke. In preparation for my visit, every person said this is what you need to check out. At the same time, everyone said that the artists sometimes suffer the conditions of either the crowds or the lack of AC. I’m happy to report that the AC worked pretty fine. (And that goes for the rest of the Convention Center too! Ventilation was okay!)
Oh but the crowds, the crowds my friends. This was probably the most congested spot of the entire expo. With 40 – 60 stalls from each lettered section A – V, you could probably spend all 4 days combing through Kentia Hall in the sublevel of the Convention Center. Lines moved at a snail pace on Friday and Saturday, and you need to be able to have a pullover strategy to get to a booth you want to inspect, and zen-like coordination if you are in a party of folks filing in.
But when you finally find the booth that matches your exact taste (and you will), your wallet will fly out of your pocket and start coughing up dough. Stickers, prints, keychains, and custom stationary from every IP you can think of were available. I think I spent over $200 within 20 minutes between three booths. Artist Alley is a financially dangerous place to be if you are a fan of stuff. And everyone is a fan of stuff. I was happy with what I got, but I would be even happier if I had an extra paycheck to spend.
All this plus stamp rally collabs between stalls, an entire 18+ quadrant, and the supreme joy of supporting indie artists makes a visit to Artist Alley justified, unless you are crowd-sensitive. Also shout out to the appearance of items from Balatro, Severance, and KPop Demon Hunters–three franchises I did not expect to see but fully expect to grow in popularity.
The Food
Let’s get it out of the way. The best food at the convention was $19 chicken tenders and fries that were sold by the convention hall itself. While we cannot comprehensively speak on behalf of all the food offerings at Anime Expo (again, another paycheck), my overall impression was that food was overpriced and of middling quality. We were spending $8+ on boba and a minimum of $19 on single portions of food. I think minimum spend on water bottles were $7 and it was Dasani bleah.
Look, whether you are taking public transit to the expo (recommend), driving over here (brave), or flying across the country to visit (wow), I recommend you eat elsewhere–even the $5 hot dog vendors outside the Convention Center. You are already in LA, an undisputed food capital of the world. In a couple metro stops you could be in Grand Central Market, Little Tokyo, or Boyle Heights and spend way less for more food at a higher quality. Anime Expo is not a good representation of its city’s amazing food.
Final Thoughts:
I really enjoyed Anime Expo. I had heard that after a series of bad years following the pandemic, the event really struggled to maintain an organized and enjoyable reputation. I fortunately did not have that experience which either means enough people have decided to stop attending or the organizers have been working really hard to improve the experience.
Whatever the case may be, I would come again and participate in a meaningful slice of Los Angeles’ fandom and Japanese culture exchanges. Thank you to the organizers, friends, and interviewees that shared their experiences and time with us.
And no, it did not stink! (that bad!)
Li-Wei Chu and Justin Ricafort attended Anime Expo 2025 from July 3-5, 2025.
Relevant pages: AX Website