Anime Expo 2023

Been a while since July 2019 that I had attended a convention. That convention happened to be the biggest Anime Convention in the U.S., the Anime Expo, or AX for short. 2019 marks the 3rd straight years that I have attended this event and 4th year straight in visiting the City of Angels. Back when I was still a Texas resident, I allotted myself a two-week vacation to the State of California to visit family and in 2017 decided this yearly trip to include an Anime Expo weekend. Still remembered that first year I attended where I was a complete noob following other con-goers that led me to line back up outside for an hour and a half to get back inside Los Angeles Convention Center. That second year where almost the whole weekend outside temperature were 100+ degrees. And that 2019, where while on the bus going back to the hotel an earthquake happen. The two years of hiatus due to the pandemic making the 2022 Anime Expo the most awaited return for all AX con-goers, that included me. During this time I have already moved back to California, bought my 4-day pass, have a hotel booked, but had to cancel everything as I was also unemployed at the time and I have to cutback on the finances I am using for that weekend.

Can’t Miss It This Time

While I missed Anime Expo 2022, I felt like I did not. While scouring through Twitch, I found streamers who were IRL or “In Real Life” streaming the event. While a couple of them have problems with “F”-ing (no I am not cussing), or for the laymans term, disconnecting from the livestream, I found one that has a stable connection and had the so-called Gunrun Backpack, where is a set-up that uses a modem to live broadcast like a mini-TV reporter. While I was primarily a “desktop” streamer watcher, this was also the beginning of the appreciation of IRL streamers. And that IRL streamer that I discovered was a Twitch streamer that goes by the name of JonSF.

Just wanting to see how Anime Expo 2022 looks like and on some degree feels like as you are with the streamer. JonSF did pretty well showcasing the event on its first day. Along that first day, I have also discovered other Twitch streamers that JonSF met along the 10 plus hour stream of his. And for the second day, I followed his fellow Los Angeles IRL streamer that goes by Nezst, as he says “N-E-Z-S-T. Nezst like a bird’s nest". Due to JonSF not streaming the second day event, I watched and get to know more about Nezst as being not really into Anime and seeing it on the eye of a certified “weeb”. Having him showcase a Fakku, 18+ booth, to interviewing cosplayer like a Nat Geo reporter. Did the same the third and fourth day alternating between JonSF and Nezst stream. Overall, I really did not miss out but vowed to go to next year Anime Expo 2023. In which is possible, as I get back to the workforce, and have a year to prepare myself.

And the time comes now.

Prep Time

Getting the funds by working, check. Getting the ticket and accommodation, check. Itinerary aka have fun, check.

*Anime Expo 2023 Badge and Map with Poster.*

Now what else do I want to do? I have been meaning to try to ask to take pictures of cosplayer since the second time I attended back in 2018, but just did not have the courage and most of the time I just wanted to admire from the distance. So I will work into doing it this time and I think with a college friend joining me and hanging out on one of the day, maybe I could take up a courage or just admire again from afar. Also because of my discovery of IRL streamers that mad me watch a majority of them this past year, I really wanted to try the walkthrough videos that a bunch of people have been doing on YouTube. With that I bought a GoPro 10 with a couple of memory cards.

Upon finishing this blog, there would be 2 more weeks left until the much awaited event. And, hopefully I am able to do some stuff I wanted to try for the first time. And as usual, just have fun.