When it comes to anime conventions in New York City, the biggest event that always comes to mind is New York Comic Con at the Javits Center. Of course, NYCC wasn’t always dedicated to Japanese manga and anime. From 2007 through 2009, New York Anime Fest was its own separate convention. The Fest later merged with NYCC in 2010, and gave New York’s comic event the anime and manga feel that it so proudly holds today. But now a newcomer is coming to Manhattan: Anime NYC is headed to the Big Apple in 2017.
Created by LeftField Media, Anime NYC plans to bring “anime fans and publishers together for three days of unique exhibits, exclusive screenings, extensive panels, and appearances by some of the biggest creators in Japan.” The page notes how many events around New York pride themselves on Japanese pop culture, but that Anime NYC plans to be specifically for the anime and manga community.
Interestingly enough, LeftMedia was created by NYCC’s original founder, Greg Topalian. New York Anime Festival veteran Peter Tatara is also organizing Anime NYC, meaning the show hopes to bring together the best of both conventions. They have quite a list of sponsors, too. With banners noting that the event is “powered by Crunchyroll,” sponsors include Funimation, VIZ Media and Kinokuniya. The sponsorship also comes just weeks after Crunchyroll and Funimation announced a partnership to bring subs and dubs to anime fans through both services.
With Anime NYC featuring some major support and experienced convention planners, it’s safe to say that LeftField Media’s convention is going to hit the ground running when it begins next year. The convention will be hosted at the Javits Center on Nov 17th through 19th, 2017, with more information headed on its way this November. Expect more news about events, panels and exhibits as 2017 draws closer.
