Hello, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to what do you say
anime? I am your host Peter.
And if you cannot tell by my voice, the boys had one hell of
a weekend. We have just returned from an
amazing New York City. And we are here to do our recap
on one of the largest Anime conventions in the new in the
United States. That is joining me today, we
have Pat and Cat and we are going to be going over some of
the things that we did during the convention things that we
like things that we didn't like so before, Get into jumping into
it. Pat, how are you feeling today?
Yeah, yes, that's how I feel like today or maybe no, is a
better answer? I don't know.
Um, I feel awful to be honest. Like, I already told my family,
like, I'm not eating dinner with you guys.
The next few days just to be safe.
I think I have the Conn flu and doesn't feel like covid symptoms
from what I've done my research on.
So I'm glad about that, but I feel terrible and my voice is
shot still. If you guys can probably hear
it. Yeah, we could hear it.
Okay, I'm glad to know that because I can't tell when I
listen back or I guess I will be able to tell him.
I listen back then. So I'll be fun to hear ya.
What about you, buddy? What are you up to?
Oh man, I this is the first time I've actually been on a bit
today, like everyone. Terrible, mom, my throat feels
like there's razor blades in it. It and like moving more than 25.
Feet gets me exhausted. And I go into another like two
hour nap. So like, I feel like a 85 year
old right now. Yeah, well, we are happy.
We are all struggling, whether it's our voice, how we feel
physically, but boys, I'm not gonna lie.
I had one hell of a weekend, and I would trade it again in a
heartbeat. I agree.
I had a very long, a little bit longer.
Trip than most of the other people too, but I would gladly
do it again. That was a, that was quite the
trip. It was so great to see to solve
our friends in person and meet people that we've only seen on
Discord, you know again, but cat is an example.
I've never met him before in real life and neither, did
anyone else here? So it's really cool.
He's a little weird. But, you know, you know, you
figure it out. He's a, he's a character.
He is, he's Cat. And he's back.
And and it was great really great to see him.
And some of the other Discord members that we have and some of
the other friends that we have, whether that's other through
other discords, our other podcasts or related stuff.
That was, it was really cool. It was a good collection of
people in the second coolest City in the Northeast.
So there yeah, yeah, behind Worcester, Massachusetts.
But I lied Hertford. But yeah, but I want to give a
shout out to everybody that came through meeting cat for the
first time. Doping you and your wife.
Brian came down, got to meet him along with all of the sump.
I talk show people also shot the like, huge shout-out to AK for
something up. All of the events, she was the
MVP of the week. If you're watching us on our
visual formats, there's a picture of all of us in our, in
our cosplays, I'm cosplaying now because I'm an idiot, and I
forgot a third of my cosplay in my in my closet because my My
brain doesn't like to work sometimes and I packed
everything except for my my shirts, my tie in my vest.
So I ended up not cosplaying the second day.
I did do tsukishima on the first day, but let's talk about
Cosplay since I'm bringing this up, as our first thing, a cat, I
know you cosplay to who did you cosplay, as?
And let's say, we like satisfied with, like, how it came out
because I thought your cosplay was pretty dope, especially your
second one. I was sick.
Yeah, yeah. So my first one is actually
cause played one of my, one of my favorite D&D characters.
Mainly because of the D & D lab streams and podcasts, all that I
cosplayed as my character Dillion death rich and I did
that. So funny story about the
cosplay. I forgot to mark my staff as
part of my like Part of my baggage, that Allah wills it.
So when I actually got back to the TSA line, they were like you
can't take that back there. And I looked at the top and we
were like 15 minutes before we're about to afford it.
So I ran back to the to check baggage, I was like, hey can you
put this in check baggage for me and remember like, no and, you
know, like you gotta figure out a way to like, put that away and
I'm like Shit. So I just like to go to trash it
ring back and I was like I'll find another fucking books
that's New York, I didn't and like my my cosplay was mostly
like uncomplete for the first day because that that staff had
a lot of shit on it and I was like oh fuck now I gotta get
another bow staff and put some shit on.
It wasn't really opposed to have those of bucking.
Walking stick but semantics, the second day I the second day was
the most fun that I got blade because I cosplayed Nico from
non bukka. The, the I think it's either the
second or the third lowest rated show as one of our, as a reviews
Go songs and it's still one of my favorite shows of all time.
So I was like, you know what? Fuck it.
Beware this and oh my God, that was one of the most interesting
days I've ever had at a convention in my life.
Because what, I went, I was expecting nobody to understand,
who I was expecting people to be like, what the fuck is that
dude, wearing? And like, the, the response was
overwhelming. In fact, the first day, because
we took an Uber from, from my hotel, which is like three
blocks, Locked away from the convention.
And I forgot about that when I got out of the Uber, I do not a
bike past me like all like barely almost ran me over and,
like, stopped next to me and he started cat calling me, and
because I had the mascot, right? So I was like, oh, thanks, dude,
I can't, I can't believe I didn't know that my ass look
good and then it was like, oh, shit.
And Exactly. And then I went in and we just
And I met up with you guys and like, you guys saw like two or
three of them, but, like, two or three people, I think, over over
the hold over that whole day, eight or nine.
People came up and took pictures of with me because like, non
bucko was like, one of their favorite anime if not their
favorite anime, but bad taste. It's common wall when people
have bad taste. Yeah, yeah, that's a lot to me.
But yeah, fair enough but like, the thing is, like, they were
extremely excited like they and another thing is, like, a lot of
them were were neurodivergent like from just being able to see
them because I saw the with it act because my wife is
neurodivergent also, she's she's on the autism spectrum so they
had let's same type of feel or they were like Or they were part
of the LGBT community and like the the atom a really touched
them because, you know, there's a lot of shipping, there's a
lot. And like, also there there's a
lot of Sparkle that grabs your attention during the show and
even if like the base content of the show isn't great, like it's
just a really fun watch to a lot of people be included.
So I really, I was honestly almost really Should buy it
because you know I'm just a cosplayer but like nobody else.
Cosplayed as any of the characters I think you're the
only non Baca that I saw weekend.
Won't be honest. Yeah.
And I was definitely the only
Nico and I feel like I could pull it off.
So it was really well done. I give you props on your on your
cosplay. Pat I know you.
Cosplayed. What did you go as yeah?
Yes. Oh God.
Yeah my throat is really that bad today, huh?
So on I day I cosplayed as Kaji its name right from Evangelion.
I think that's as you watch and of evil yet.
No come on I don't want to I will maybe when I'm Yeah I don't
even have any tonight. Yeah, I know I'm going to bed
tonight. I am too tired too.
I'll be watching YouTube tonight because that way when I fall
asleep watching it doesn't matter.
You know like I'm not obligated to try to keep my eyes open.
Um but yeah, so I cosplayed as ecology which was really fun and
helpful on the first day especially because when I was
walking past all these lines of pissed-off weeds who are trying
to get into a convention that didn't have their wristband.
Yeah, let's talk. About that before.
Wouldn't we could talk about that?
Yeah, well that what I've done, I could definitely about that.
Um, but like, you know, I looked like I was there on business
because I was worried as dress pants a shirt and tie.
I did, I kept my badge in my pocket, so they wouldn't be
suspicious mirror-like. Think that I was one of them,
but that, I just basically, like walked right in, you know,
which, of course, I to be Claire was supposed to do because I
already have my pre-screening badge done or whatever, but I
had Al people were get death. Giving other people look sir
being like oh what the hell? Yeah like what are you doing?
But yeah so that was that and then on Saturday I went as iron
wood from Ruby. He.
I think it went pretty well. I saw a couple Ruby cosplayers I
was able to talk to one of them that was doing a gender bit
version of a character that is like that I command or that iron
command so that was really cool. Got some photos with them and
then yeah the cosplay it Stealth wasn't great.
Like, I know I'm throwing away the dress shirt, the the dress
shirt that it came with that. I had to wear some buttons fell
off the, when I pulled it out of the bag that I got it from, but
at the end of the day, they got the job done.
It was a it worked and it was fun to talk to a couple of the
Ruby fans that I saw at the convention.
And then, yeah. Sunday.
I didn't get to go to the cam, but that's all different story.
So, yeah, Pete, what are you wanna would you cosplay as on
Friday? And then we can talk about, I
guess the Friday. Yeah, yeah, what.
We'll talk about some of our maybe the what we didn't like
about the con afterwards but I want to tsukishima from Haiku
the first day, pretty casual cosplay, just were like their
track their warm-up tracksuit. Then the second day, I was
supposed to go as kotaro aka the manager from Zombieland Saga and
forgot a third of my cosplay. So I'm doing that right now.
If you are a visual Watcher, speaking of visual washing, we
are now a video podcast. Podcasts on Spotify.
So if you're watching us on Spotify.
Hello. So yeah, I was kind of bummed
but it's not that big of a deal to me to be honest.
I was just mad that I spent money on it more than me, not
actually getting able to cosplay so but they'll meet you.
They'll be future Cummings. You poor thing you got to be
comfortable at a convention. This is this is pretty comfy.
I'm not gonna lie. It's just like a, I mean our
dress shirts like every day. Work and whatever.
So, like and bow ties are a million times more comfy than a
normal tie. So it's actually a pretty, it's
a pretty easy cause played pretty comfy and I just really
enjoyed the character. I thought I could pull it off
and I wish I could show people but I'm a show-off now.
So but now I get to do the zoom thing where like right now you
can see me like wearing the suit, but I'm not wearing any
pants underneath. So I'm happy.
I'm comfortable doing the recording as well.
But yeah, those were my plan to cosplay as but You know what
sometimes it doesn't work out but but I'll also talk about the
actual con. Pat brought up as well, the
logistical nightmare that was getting your vaccination card
are your vaccination status like confirmed at the con and if
you're on social media on Friday, you were able to do this
ahead of time and get you show your vaccination card to get a
wristband on Wednesday or Thursday.
You can do The head of time and people not everybody did that
because people maybe weren't able to and they have the could
only come in on Friday but the lines for the vax thing were up
to about 4 hours look like so. A lot of people got absolutely
screwed over. They had one day passes where
sometimes you just not able to do that, and I felt really bad
for the people who may be, like, drove in from wherever, because
this is the only day that they could do that type of thing.
And I stood in line with Brian for almost 2 hours.
I did mine on Thursday but Brian, he's one of the guys, you
couldn't get into town until 7:00 on Thursday.
So he missed a cutoff for Thursday.
So, Kat, I know you wait in line, tell me about your whore
experience of that. Oh, so for me.
Oh my God. So I didn't know that.
We could actually do it on on Thursday.
I probably should have been, I probably should have inferred
that kills like you know, people want to get into the car into
the Yeah, check my email next time yeah but for sure anytime
there's a convention up, I will check my email a lot more, but I
was like, you know what? Let's do it.
And then I went with you and with Pete and Pat or know what
Pete? And Brian Ryan.
Yeah. Sorry, Kobe Bryant Or maybe
because it right. I'm not sure but like we went to
We went to the convention, we waited in Lon and it was while
line moved a lot quicker. The first time.
And then my wife called me, she was like, Hey I don't feel
comfortable going to the salon and then I was like, oh God,
we're gonna have to come back later.
So I went back and and I went back to her met up with her, we
went back to the convention and then the line had quadrupled.
So At the first time the line was around the corner from the
convention. Like it was around the
convention at this point, the that line that was around the
corner from the mentioned, had snaked around back up around
like Heist one block and then sneak around and back up another
building. So we had to walk from one
building From the convention from the the building where the
convention is to another building, and then go into that
line. Go from that all the way back
around over to the over to the convention building, get back
over to the over to the the odors of the convention building
we get like maybe halfway around the first line.
The third flan is facing the back of the community building,
which if you've ever been To to the Japs Convention Center on
that side where we were is where like there's an intersection and
there's water. So we were facing that, bro,
you're confusing me. And I was there, okay.
So let's say that the basically the line for my, what I walked
past it, which was earlier into the very early into the
afternoon. Because I came a little bit
later on the first day because I had some work to do before hand,
but it was Yes. Like in four blocks long that
yet self and wrapped around another block, so it probably
would have if it was like a straight line, it probably would
have gone up 10 but I probably would've gone up to like like
45th. Therefore, I would say it's
about I would say it's about it was about half a mile long on
the street and then inside of like the actual parking lot of
it, I would say is probably close to another half a mile.
So it's about a mile long of line.
That was maybe one at a time. It was pretty.
Slow. Yeah.
And like so after we had gotten to like, basically, like over
half of the line from war from my understanding because it's a
longer line inside but Rapper. We've got half the line, the
line where we were had stopped because apparently they had,
they would needed to get the people that were on the other
block out. Because the police and people
that were like, people that were walking were complaining.
And somebody from the NYPD said that, you need to get these
people out from this from this block, and put them towards the
and get them over towards the However, it was like get them
into the convention or wherever you need to get them.
So our lines stop for solid hour because they were getting
because they were getting into the committed first.
Yeah, it was good. Logistical nightmare to the fact
where they like they were sending out emails like hey this
is our plan of attack for tomorrow.
I'm like you need to do the plan of attack for right now.
It was it was insane. And then Not only that but like
by the time that we actually got to, by the time, our line
started moving. Apparently, they had learned
something and they were like, okay, people with badges are
going here, people without badges are going there.
People with a one-day pass or going here, people that are
looking for tickets because apparently, they were selling
tickets at the door still. Yes, our joy there and yeah.
Yeah. And then one of the craziest
things that happened was somebody went to Party City and
got a bag like a got a got a bunch of the like the vaccine
card bad like or enlist fans. Yep and walked and walked around
I was selling them for $5. A pop and I was like that's not
going to work if your wedding in this goddamn lawn for that long
did. Like and people try to do it and
apparently they got kicked out of the con and as they should
off for good. Like and everybody was like,
you're a fucking idiot and he was and he was walking around
saying five dollars to five hours.
It's like 30 degrees outside like he he took a shot and he
did it but he's still a piece of shit.
Yeah. So I mean if you can't tell the
line was in Insane. Brian waited over three hours.
I know some people weighed close to four, but that was like four
and a half. As I just, I just hated that the
fact that like they had one line, one entrance.
And then the next day that they had like four, I'm like, why
couldn't you do this? The first time type of thing.
It was like, you're literally tried to get tens of thousand
people through one door for me, I had the Press badge for my
first ever event, and I walked it in one second.
So it was prayer. I'll just like, How poorly
logistically ran the first day was cannot, it was like, whoever
was running the kind made seem like they've never ran a
convention before. Because they've held when they
did New York Comic Con, they had the same thing.
You had to have proof of Acts and order to enter and that was
like an hour weight that has told me to get the vaccine thing
because he went and so just like how you had an event similar to
this and you weren't able to Really handle the logistics of
it made no sense. I do feels like Staffing, but it
didn't seem like Staffing because the second day was
perfectly fine. So I was just like really
baffling but I think we should move away from the - maybe we
should start talking about the positive.
Once we actually got into the convention.
What we're saying? I was right - I'm Patti.
Yeah, because I have so much more positive but I definitely
want to bring up at least one - that I felt at least.
This was talked about by a bunch of other people on Twitter and
everything else too. But artist alley, which is my My
Hub. It's where I spend 80% of the
con the first day to be honest, was the best day for it because
I got to walk around and it was crowded but it wasn't like too
crowded because everyone was still waiting Outlaw outside
like, yeah, to be honest, but Dad the sky and I can't speak
for the Third Day by. Now, on the second day when I
tried to walk in there, I was just overwhelmed as I said, it
was human thoughts. And there's no way you're
getting to stop to look at things or to stop by things.
Or could you even see over people?
I'm lucky, I'm a big tall, dude. I can see over people but like I
can't imagine being like, I'm know.
Because that's rude. But you know like someone this
short and and trying to like see art that they want to buy.
Like it's like again the first day I was able to get most of
what I wanted, which I can't wait to show you guys later but
like, I don't know. It felt like artists alley and
then also the booths that, you know, the vendor booths
themselves to the the non like, the more license stuff.
All that was on top of itself. Like it felt so.
So cramped. And it was just, I was sweating
just walking in there, like, just and I sweat a lot anyways,
but like, I just felt uncomfortable with it.
I, I know that if frustrated frustrated me a lot because
like, again, I'm glad I got most of my shopping done on Friday,
but Saturday again, I would have loved to have bought more art,
but I went in there bought two things and I was like, man, I
can't stand this way. I need to go sit down.
I, I kind of just went home after that actually because I
was like, man. I feel overwhelmed.
I'm hot. Yeah, is too many people.
It was really hot in the cotton itself.
Yeah. And and I don't understand too,
because, like this, another thing that I saw there were so
many bathrooms that weren't open and so many like what you call
rooms, that weren't panel rooms or maybe even panel rooms, but
just rooms for people to sit down and that I could never find
a place to sit other than on the floor in the way or along the
walls and stuff. So that I know that to me is
extremely frustrating because I'm very lucky that I am not
physically impaired or disabled to the point where that matters
to me at the because, like, at the end of the day, I just had
sore feet and tired legs. But I don't know if I was, I
would have been. I mean I guess I probably would
have gotten priority seating or whatever.
But you know what, why do, I why should they have to ask for that
one? Again, it just seems like this
is not definitely not the biggest convention that Javits
is it. Held in terms of like maybe it
is but it's not like significantly bigger than
anything else they are at. Yeah so I don't I don't think
that this that again we can move on because that's like a whole
other issue you talk about for 20 minutes but it just felt like
there was so many tight panels to that like why were the rooms
so small? Why weren't they double the
size? And then you know what, who
cares about having a half-empty paneled room?
Just because the panel doesn't do well, you know, like, why is
I don't even like In peace. Why is One Piece not on the main
stage? Yeah yeah episode one thousand
that was not on the main stage or in multiple rooms like what
the fuck. Like we'll just in general.
The on Saturday they had Pat's camera.
There we go. Yeah they had almost thought we
could transition this into the things I enjoyed because one
things I really enjoyed with the main stage panels.
I didn't get to see already, see World on Friday.
But from what I heard the pain was incredible and on Saturday,
I was able to see Chris a bot who does Vegeta and I'm blanking
out the top of the Sean something who does not wish him.
Oh yeah, he does the voice of Goku, the English dub of Goku,
and that was wonderful. And then that ended at 3:15.
And then the next event wasn't until 8:00 and like you could
utilize so much of the space that you have.
Have available. This is my also one of my major
criticisms of Crunchyroll Expo which is also run by
Crunchyroll. Obviously and Anime NYC is also
run by Crunchyroll is while there are a lot of panels there.
They had the opportunity for so much more and what it seems like
they like to do is to control the content that they produce at
these conventions. And not give not shine light on
smaller communities. Cool, that we saw like was it
begin? The robot podcast was there and
the other guy on the box and I think in the robot was there as
well. They were there on Friday.
I think so it was cool that they were able to Showcase some of
these as well, but like, there were gaps were rooms weren't
being used, not just the main stage.
There were gaps, were rooms, were being used for hours and it
kind of drives me crazy words. Just like let people sign up for
these like, panels that At your unused.
It's more content for you and it makes it.
So it's not like 90,000 people are in some Concourse or
whatever because there's other stuff going on.
But I do want to say that the pails that I went to was
probably the Highlight for me just in general.
I thought the content that they did have was high quality, it
was entertaining. It was fun.
I did it. Like, I wish they utilize, I
just wish they Just the space better because like things like
the berserk panel. I went to, I was an hour and 15
minutes early. and, The room is already like half-full.
I'm like, you have like a mural for Mira.
They're like, you know, that this is going to be a very big
panel and it was full, like, 35 minutes before the panel
started. I'm like, how do you not realize
like these certain panels? And this isn't the only example
that just one that I was personally there for These
panels are going to be full and you have the space to utilize.
So I do also think that the content that was there was
great. I just I wish to utilize the
better Pat. What was some of the favorite
things that you enjoyed about the con?
Yeah. So I guess let's talk about some
of the positives the first off getting to see off all my
friends and people have known for some four year a year now or
months, whatever. The amount of time is it was
great to get to know people get to meet some some people that I
did not Expecting me as well. So that was really cool.
I'll quickly just show the art that I got especially now that I
fixed my camera. It sounds like first, I'll show
these to these. I was able to find these little
pop-up figures that switch back and forth of Pete's cosplay and
get slapped by best girl. So good, so good.
And it's like their zombie. You can't really tell the
details of this, but I'm sorry for this great audio content by
the way, fantastic idea. Yeah, thanks Pat.
The they have like the zombie makeup on one side and then Anon
zombie on the other. I was so tempted to buy the full
set but I said to myself, no, I'm getting best girl and
manager. So that's what I did with that
found one of the most adorable stickers, I think I've ever seen
in my life, it's a little Yoshi riding with Samus riding and
like a Chibi art style. So that'll get stuck on my my
work computer. Next to me and then I got a
couple posters first of my boy Kenshin in Japanese water style
or watercolor Style. It's not hand drawn on this
page. It's a print but it's still the
initial. First print was on the
watercolor style obviously like by hand same way, but this one
of Weiss from Ruby, you know, best girl chilling back there.
This was great. Again, another one that the the
style and they like colors really bloom in this art style
because it's what Allah black and white and then they added
that like, red engine I guess people so it looks good.
Let's see, a couple more posters.
I got got this cutesy like chibi.
Ruby one which again, shows off a lot of the characters
personalities really well. Like I know Lake up there be in
a cat just hanging out. If you don't know the show you
might not get the idea that well, but I thought it was
adorable. And then this is probably my
favorite poets that I found of the weekend.
This one I have looked at for probably 45 minutes and I'm
still not done, let me see. Am I showing it correctly?
So it was super thrash Cat, Super Smash cats V ailment and
it is literally every character in Super Smash Brothers,
ultimate including we're sort their Sora the newest one, the
final one, it's every single character.
Drawing is like a cat. So there's like some of my
favorites. The little Pacman cat is
adorable. There's so many I get I can I
look I've looked at this and I've so you got caught so what
you're saying for? Well I'm here and you go to
college for the merch for the artists alley for.
I go from artists alley, not even, not even merch because I
died walk down a little bit of merch sections and I was like
and it's alright I go for yeah this is the the main thing I go
to cons to see friends and to buy Stick art and support other
people like me who just have a lot of passion for you know,
shows that they like and everything else like that.
So I have a ton of wall space back here, but I do plan on
putting these up somehow, I'll figure it out, maybe I'll put
them in, like the background of there or there might end up with
my on the ceiling. Oh yeah, yeah.
I don't know how well that would work.
Unfortunately, the way the ceiling is set up.
But yeah, so that's what I loved about the con that's my main
thing again. Just being able to go out in New
York was a lot of fun. And we'll talk about that next,
yes. Yeah, the con itself I'm not a
big panel guy, maybe I was just not as into the panels that were
available, this Con, But in general, I've never been that
big into that. I had so much rather spend the
time walking around talking to friends.
Seeing what cool. Our people have brought to the
brought to it. Seeing a cool cosplay is taking
photos with people and making new friends.
So that's the that was my goal and I did a lot of that.
That's awesome. As you can tell by my voice.
Yeah. So by all of our voice.
Yeah, we're struggling Ikat. What were some of your favorite
things about the con? Oh my God.
So my some of my favorite things about the convention.
Were so I go to conventions for like the crowd interactions.
I go to like, hang out with people in like the board game
section. I go to walk around, see, what
kind of cosplays people are doing course, I go for some of
the merch Force, I go like to look at certain things, but one
of my favorite things because I'm a little bit of a card
inert. They had a A, they had a group
there called called fucking, I think it was like, then pie.
It's called the Senpai Squad, Senpai Squad.
Yes. They had a group there called
the same pod squad and they had two different places and the
convention, they had a place where they were to place in the
back of the artists alley Where well not artists alley but where
the meet and greets were and then they had a place in the
front of the artists alley. Both of them had DJ booths and I
was looking at some of the cars, my favorite one was looking 09,
Lancer. It's you who's also your
favorite too right beside that Lancer.
Was also like a 07 Corolla and it was like one of the weirdest
ones because they had a GTR Supras, they had like, old
tuners that were like, so like iconic and then you had Lancer,
which is extremely iconic. One of the most prominent rally
cars in existence, and then you had a fucking girl, I loved it.
It was like one of the most mid cars for guess what?
One of the most mid characters because around that car was
Deco. So of the Deccan car was insane.
What is it? Like he's 30 Deku figures in his
car like and welded. Yes, it was in Saying it's like
TJ spots to right where they had.
Yeah, that would that that can we interject real quick.
So Pete and I am the first day together.
We're trying to find each other. You're like, hey because you
know I showed up a little or we walked at different times.
I was like Hey so where are you? And I told him to meet me at the
car the anime cars with the waifus and the DJ and we did not
find out until after we were both like where the fuck are
you? To each other, that there were
two sections that happen. And I'm a wife who cars with the
DJ in those in the cotton that were, I'm like the opposite
sides. So I just thought that that's
always good. That was yeah, that was like, it
was like, oh shit. Yeah, they do have another DJ
and another set of cringey anime cars that are cool well blocks
It was a perfectly balanced as all things should be, but yeah.
Sorry, Kat please, what else did you see?
Other than the the cars. Oh, the so for this first day
I've I don't think I actually I don't think it was actually able
to meet everybody the first day because like first of all you
know I didn't get into like three quarters of the day work
was done but like I was soap it out.
That was like, you know what? Fuck it going to the DJ booth
and I'm fucking dancing because like I don't fucking give a shit
anymore. So me and my wife, we went over
to a DJ booth and we just started like dancing too.
Well, I think was the first day that we danced to a bunch of
animated music. And then the second day there
was they started raving and it was so fun like the first First
day they were doing like some anime music and then some like,
you know, generic dance music, you know, like cupid shuffle
Electric, Slide stuff like that. And it was just, it was fun all
around. But other than that, like, being
upstairs playing games with some of the people that was actually
kind of fun. I'd actually didn't really get
to play many games because like it was full.
And they didn't have any more room for any for like all of the
games they had like this is this is going into like a really good
thing in a really bad thing for the con because like you had so
many people like there were people lining the walls that
wanted to play games. That some of them had like or
magic tournament. Son of them had like their full
magic decks ready and they weren't able to get in even
though they signed up which was insane.
Like they had been waiting all that like they A full magic
tournament ready to go and they only had like the top room and
they only had half of the top room because the other half was
saved for photographs in the back of it and food on the sides
like that. Was it like it was one of the
most Botched magic tournaments. I've seen in a while and then
but other than that What the last thing that I really, really
loved about the convention? I think the first day was just
me and barely walking around and seeing a lot of the cosplays
that she really liked, because she isn't watch that much anime,
and she would just go around and just like freak out at some of
the animated, some of the cosplayers that fancy and
sometimes she'd walk up to him, take a picture.
And if she like for first Convention, as bad of an
experience, as that convention was, it was a really, really fun
convention. Yes.
And before we move away from the
non constant off, I just want to undo like a 90 second review
with cat, we both were able to see the premiere of bell.
The guy. So it's from the director who
did like boring the Beast wolf children's summer Wars Mirai.
And I just want to say that, I thought this movie was
beautiful. It was fantastic.
I thought I was going to be like a Beauty and the Beast style of
movie and I kind of was, but they kind of flipped it on its
head and then flipped it again. It was a wonderful movie.
I give it a 9 out of 10 cat. What's your quick review on
bail? Oh my God, Bell, like you said,
it was a beautiful. I love the way that the directed
The Animation because because of the to dip, are we doing like
spoiler-free? Let me absolutely spoil it for
you. Okay.
So some of the animation quick, a quick night like whatever and
Cameras bugging. Oh, okay sorry.
Um, some of the animation is done very, very like actually
all of the animation is an extremely well, the music is
amazing and the character growth in the movie.
It felt like I was watching a 12-episode series and like in
like two hours and it was like it was one of the greatest
things greatest pieces of media. That That I had consumed and a
long time, not only that but during the movie, I was crying
which is hard for a movie to do. But Burley was crying like a lot
and it was so what was your rating of mine?
Was like a it had to be like at it.
Okay. Yeah, I got it.
It got I don't think I like a standing ovation but a lot of
people were clapping. I was a big fan of the B-boss
people were crying in a good way.
I'll put that way. It was a really fun and
enjoyable film to watch but that was the actual con itself but
part of the con is also experiencing where you are and
we were in New York City and it was my first time in the big
city. Pat has been there a few times I
believe and I'm not entirely sure about cat but my first
experience to a metropolitan area of this size.
And we were able to do a lot of things together, so I thought we
could just go around the room and saying like what our
favorite parts were the activities that we did because
we did do a lot of things together, sometimes we did some
solo stuff but whatever. So Pat what was some of the
favorite things that we got to do in New York City outside of
the con? Oh yeah, well, I know I was
there partly on work as well. So I was able to see a bunch of
my co-workers beat them for the first time since I started
working on my company five months ago, so that's pretty
cool. Get to do that again in a few
weeks to so I'll be really exciting outside of that.
I got a lot of bars, a lot of great restaurants, a lot of
walking, which was fun. I also on my own, I went out to
meet a bunch of my PlayStation in like online friends that I've
met before met them out on the island.
So a terrible hockey game. But at least it was fun to be
with my friends and check out the brand new Arena that they
have and they're basically in their Hometown.
So that was really cool. Yeah, really.
I was just more the every night was a Different like experience,
excuse me. Um every night was a different
vibe, you know, every every night had its own like ups and
downs, or swings, Ebbs and flows, whatever you want to say.
But, um, I do, I so much good food and I drank so many
expensive drinks and true and yeah the B&B was 8 out of 10.
Yeah. If we could just if it just had
a working shower then I think it would have or water pressure
General water pressure in general they even just a shower.
Yeah. That you know you felt clean
after getting out of that would have been nice.
Maybe some better doors and insulation.
So Every time, every time I talked or breathe hallway,
couldn't hear me or vice versa. But, you know, we may do it was
very spacious, and not what I expected after seeing.
What, how in my opinion. How awful the hotels were?
Yeah, I don't know. They looked it looks like it
would be hell to me. Yeah, you'd be was definitely
the correct Choice. Yeah, of course.
Yeah, even for some of the things, is there anything else
that otherwise I could take it, I could take it over.
Yeah, please take it. All right, well, for me,
Thursday night meeting everybody for the first time was
absolutely incredible. We were able to meet up at like
a Mexican restaurant and get drinks.
So we met all of a sudden he talked about like 30 people
there that was an absolute blast.
Just after interacting with some of these people for over two
years that I got to see them in person and it was exactly I
pictured. It Hogs drinks laughter.
It was a whole bunch of fun. What else would we do?
We got like, we did karaoke on Saturday.
That's why I like a lot of our throats are just absolutely
destroyed. That was the first time I ever
did karaoke. But that was nice.
Last patted Fly Me to the Moon. He did a Vita.
I did. I'm on a boat.
Captain John Mayer. Yes.
And he had no me and Pat did Viva la Vida.
Yes. Was fun.
Yeah so we had a whole whole Squad.
We got Korean BBQ on Sunday. That was all my God.
I was my first time getting that was my first time ever getting
Korean barbecue and now I sent for pork shoulder because I was
like my favorite meat of all time.
Now that was absolutely incredible.
We did so many fun things we didn't have kind of like a
Horror Story on Saturday that hopefully Brian doesn't get too
mad at them telling them, but I thought was hilarious went to a
bar and the bouncer. Brian's ID and he wasn't able to
get in and then they tell me, like, step out of the line and
we were all in the bar, except for Brian, the because Brian was
like, last in line. It's like, where the hell is
Brian? Go outside.
Find Bryce together, I the bouncer took my ID.
This being Brian is and of age individual from New York area of
age from New York, with the proper ID.
Yeah, proper ID. So this is a club to, was it a
bar? So maybe that might have been
with the issue was but I don't know.
The guy likes can my ID from kinetic.
Yeah, it was like, oh, you know, this, your, you know, it's your
address or like he's, he caught was gave me a weird vibe, but
it's like, it was, it was like, where you can literally, you can
literally see that glass. So, yeah, we need to talk to One
bouncer, to talk to another bouncer, to talk to the line
manager to talk to the owner, to talk to the, this guy ends up
getting Brian's ID back. But that was the end of that
night instead of going out to the bars and getting some
drinks. We just had to like we just like
You know what? After this, like I don't want
any more drama tonight. So that was Saturday.
So that was like now just like a story to tell but at the time it
was really frustrating. Yeah.
But man just like just seeing everybody again or not even
though I've seen you pad and seeing Emily and has but like
I'm meaning everybody again and just having a good time was just
like it was everything. I wanted more, what a great
group of people that we were with no drama.
Just hugs and laughs and cries and And tears of like, you know,
missing each other after after the fact.
But that's how you know, you have a great Community is when
you guys can come together and a moment's just you hug each other
and it's just like you're talking to each other on
Discord. So that was something that I'll
never forget. And I think that this is why I
am so fond of this community, the anime community in general,
where everybody is so welcoming we had I mean just think of like
the group that we had a bunch of different races we had.
What ages? From 21 to 40 in our group.
Everybody was having a great conversations, married single.
It didn't matter like everybody was there together just having
like a wonderful time and everybody was perfect.
So just shout out to everybody in our community.
The Senpai talk community that we were able to meet in.
Just just have a wonderful time cat.
What were some of your favorite things?
Outside of the cond? Oh my God.
So, outside of the kind, Thursday, I had to say like
meeting everybody was so was like, I wasn't, I was not sure
what to expect. I knew that meeting Pete and Pat
was going to be really fun. I knew that meeting has was
going to be interesting. I didn't know what to expect
from Brian, but I knew he'd be welcoming but like everybody
else. I never met before, except for
Barbara Lee, but I mean that not in real life.
But like yeah, like I wasn't Wasn't sure what to expect from
everybody else. And then like I get there and
everybody's just like, I'm like I wasn't even.
I didn't even know what these guys guys who these guys names
were and like they were just so welcoming and it made it made me
feel warm maberley and feel welcome and a community that she
largely never met before which is unheard of for her.
So she she Played hentai games with us.
That one time. There's no rush.
Yeah I'm kidding. I'm kidding.
That's all. It was very nice to meet her.
Glad to see the person that the the wonderful person that
supports you. So there you go.
Yeah, we like on Friday night. That was that was really fun.
I don't think we met two too much.
I think we met once for note Friday night was the night that
you guys. For steaks, everybody else went
for something else and then me and Burly would to all my God.
So there is this hole-in-the-wall Ramen place
called hand-pulled noodles too and it was amazing.
Like it's very very small. It's like you're being packed in
the Sardine Can but like God for Yeti had been there and they had
those pictures on the wall and like the it is like a five-star.
Place to eat New York City, like top pick, we went there the
noodles, there were life. Changing my God, like, Burly has
been trying to say that she would go back to New York City,
just for those noodles. And I was like, we don't have
the money for that, but I, I almost agree with you but like,
We like that night was just a night where we explored
everything as much as we could, and then we met up with you guys
afterwards and we went to wait. No.
That was I think that was Thursday night.
We went to a bar Thursday night that bar.
She got track. And I wasn't laughing about it
then, but I'm laughing about it. Now, I had taken one carrier
back from the park, that was unlike 30th Street and 82 40th
night, like, it was a long walk, and it was cold, it was rainy.
But now I can laugh about it. My throat isn't but like you
know that it is what it is. I think my body just held the
held the sickness off until I got back home.
Yeah, I can feel it on Saturday or Sunday and field song.
It's a Monday and I was just like here it comes here.
I'm ready. Let's get hos con flu.
Yeah, meeting all those meet, all the neckbeards who just
never wash that's that's where normally pretty good.
I thought I was pretty good in terms of the hygiene.
I thought it was pretty solid. There was definitely the neck
beards were in attendance. But yes, but Whenever I was born
between, but like, you still be, so you see, it's still useless
him around. But, hey, that's also half, not
enough. That's all I've got him out of
the anime fan base. But up to this weekend, I will
say, made me feel a little better about being a weave or
being called the we'd enjoy. Yeah.
It's not the people that I saw saw a lot of people kind of
saying fuck it to the mask policy, which was annoying, that
was super annoying. It was like, hey bro, either do
it or do it or leave, you know? I don't want to be wearing this
either but I'm doing we are so here we are.
I didn't see anyone get stopped for it well.
So didn't really watch anyone that long either I guess so
maybe they were, I don't know. Also more people get stopped for
running in the convention that I'd saw get stuff for maths.
Yeah I feel like but 99.9% of people most people were wearing
right for sure I think again. It just, it did feel the
overcrowded but it was, it was fun.
I just wish they again, made it more accessible for people who
aren't as fortunate as like me for sure to be able to walk
around and hold in a hole in a pee.
You know, if you want me you know or stand on my feet for
God, what was it on Friday? I was standing for eight hours
straight, you know, like yeah or I sat down at one point to to
eat with you guys but It was only like 30 minutes and I'm
standing the rest of the day or walking to, and from the Kong,
like, it just that was frustrating.
But again, the rest of it was beautiful.
I really so glad I went, I forgot a story that I wanted to
tell that. I thought it was hilarious.
I was walking to karaoke and as I wasn't able to go to Times
Square yet, I wanted to check it out.
You know, do touristy shit and to get the karaoke I could walk
through Times Square. So I was walking through Times
Square on the way to karaoke. And there's like this group of
people that are doing like acrobatics himself in are
looking for people to jump over and they're looking for tall
people. And I was just minding my own
business. I was walking down the street
and my headphones in and they were calling out to me, but I
couldn't hear it. Guy runs out and he grabs You by
shows, like, hey, do you want someone to jump over you?
I'm like, yeah. So I got, I got pulled into a
Time Square acrobatic stunts where we have like five dudes,
like lined up. And they all jumped over us.
They did like baffles and stuff so I don't tell that sort of
that that was like such a random New York experience of just
getting pulled into Times Square and having these like amazing
like acrobatics just like hey you 642 white guy, can we jump
over you? I was like fuck yeah let's do
it, that was great. So I just think well yeah big
box really want to tell that steamer taping.
We did not sleeping long enough this weekend.
I know even when the next one I didn't say Bing Bong.
Now that's funny because like my experience with Times Square was
a little bit the opposite where I was like I'll walk to the
karaoke or I'ma walk to the Ramen Shop was actually the
first night we went to Times Square and I like I was walking
and then suddenly I'm like oh I'm in Times Square like I
looked up and I was like, oh shit.
I see where they dropped the ball.
I had no idea. I guess I knew I was in the area
but it just didn't. I don't know.
Just went from like, well, you know, still a New York.
Yeah. Regular Street to suddenly Times
Square. And I was like, That's cool.
You know? Like that's cool to see.
It was fun. It was really, really cool.
Like I'm Square itself was just fascinating to me as someone
who, you know, I went to school in Boston but I just was like
this so many. Yeah, it's it's a different
Beast. So now that we are Pat, you've
been to larger console for. I've been to one larger Calm
before. If you ever went back to animate
in New York City, what would be something that you would?
Would want to do or didn't get to do or something that you
learn from it from like the next time that you would want to do.
I would love to have more diverse panels in terms of like
content. I felt a lot of it which of
course, is how it has to be, right likes a lot of shown in.
It's a lot of like, Voice actors because those are the big names,
right? Those are gonna be the people
that get the attention. I would love to see maybe just
some more Niche topics again. I don't think it was like,
glaringly bad. But like what we talked about
earlier, that it would have been cool to see a few more panels
filling the rooms that were empty or more rooms in general
for stuff. Like, again, the one-piece 1000
episode, you're going to tell me you don't expect, like, out of
the tent. Let's say there's 10,000 people
there, which I think there was more there.
You know, 53,000. So you're telling me you expect
out of those 53,000, only what? Like 2002 want to watch it or
not. He wasn't even in the main room.
So it's probably 300, probably about 300 people.
Probably in a famine. Yeah, so there you go.
Like your tell me, you expect only 300 out of 50,000.
I can weaves want to watch One Piece without like, I know.
Yeah, about that. Rob, that we met what, two hours
early and wasn't able to get into To the one piece thing, it
just like, yeah, that's you want two hours early.
For, if you go two hours early to a panel, you should be able
to get in. And that's just like I mean one
half the cost not even has 90% of the cosplays are shown in
like yellow. Hello.
Yeah, that was bad. So another thing that I would
love to see them do related to panels as well.
Or just the kind of General I guess would be I do.
Anyway. Boston does this.
I know it's like a 20 21 + like from like 8:00 p.m. on and they
do hentai panels which are funny.
They're like you know panelists playing a hentai game live on
screen and it's funny as hell. Like I went to a couple of them
when I went to Anime Boston. And I was like pleasantly
surprised by how funny they were.
I didn't know what to expect and yeah, sure.
A lot more of the The people that I constantly shit on at
anime cons where that, you know, the ratio of leveled out a
little bit and at those events, but there were still, plenty of
normal well-adjusted funny people that were fun to talk to.
They do like bar stuff to which, of course, with covid.
It's hard for them to do that for sure, but I think that yeah,
more 21 121 plus panels would have been fun.
I think I'll run it. We have been really good cat.
How about you? Same question.
Something that you would want to do differently or something.
You would like to see from. Like, if you would say next
year, Oh, oh. Let me, let me tell you
something. I, so, I, the biggest convention
that I had gone to before animate was he was Galaxy kind
of Raleigh and gal, could con. They have something called, the
just forgot its name. Um, the Masquerade thing, Yeah.
I'm gonna forget it. Basically, it was stripping and
cosplay and they had a, they had a, like, a legit stripping like
get out strip club surfing. So there they have like a bunch
of people's like, sitting on the floor watching.
Cosplayers rip. And like its legit just very
basically a strip club but they're now dressed up in
Cosplay, like, get only clad cosplay, a lot of that might be
just for you. Cal be honest with you that
sounds like an awful thing to see.
Yeah. Con actually, really, really no
sweaty. That place would be, ah, like,
it would be funny to watch from, like, the distance, like
standing with your back to the wall.
So, no one's behind you and just watching like from a distance.
It, how? Oh, yeah.
And I'm not judging being, like, in the panel room, sitting there
like in it shares with other people, I would not want to do
that, I'm sorry. So that this is not just me.
You. Yeah, so I had never actually
been into the I've actually never bit into the battle, I've
only been like on the outskirts of it so like oil or exactly and
because like they have to check for your for your like license
and all that. But another thing is like having
the actual nightclubs and doing like the cosplay doing like the
full-on Like Walker like not Walker but like runways and it
has contest they I did. Yeah.
Oh Saturday at 8 p.m. that's probably why I didn't see it.
But like I I wanted to be I wanted to have those be a lot
more prevalent like I wanted to go and do a cosplay and get a
fucking like rum and coke and then party with a dude dress
It's this fucking I don't know. Girls dresses Goku?
Yeah like just have fun. That's what I go to cosplay
cards for I go because it's a huge party and like I definitely
had a few of those instances there but like it just wasn't it
wasn't as prevalent, you know what I mean?
Yeah, I got you things. I would do for next time.
I visit my actually seems kind of silly out.
Actually trade my body more. I was very physically exhausted
from walking I think I was averaging around eighteen
thousand steps a day so it was close to like I think it was
close to like 10 miles a day and my feet were just exhausted.
I would honestly just like we're combined conditioning some more.
But Kylie everyone saying, I think I would, I would hope they
would utilize the space more give time available to
Independent content creators up incoming.
Content. Creators, allow people to submit
ideas for panels because that convention was massive.
They had room for so much and I felt like it really wasn't
utilize in a way that they could have but I don't like that.
Being said, I did think the convention center itself was
pretty solid. It had a lot of options in terms
of like food coffee stuff like that, where I haven't seen a lot
at other cons. They also have like individual
food vendors inside of like the merch area, which was great.
So, Props to the options available, in terms of that
sense because a lot of conventions dulac that like
really hard AKA Crunchyroll when I was insane, Jose.
That was like, a really big issue for me, and, and I would
also budget better me being the naive Midwestern.
ER, budgeting, I don't know. You thought you'd pay less than
$15 for your trip. Yeah, so first, first night out
first, I doubt we go to a hotel bar.
I order five tequila sodas very basic drink hundred and four
dollars. I'm like, fuck.
Okay. That's how the weekends going.
Luckily part was the MVP and buy me some honey for 30 bucks from
Virginia. So I was able to do a lot more
pre-gaming and also shot out to Gotham market for selling a Bud.
Light, what they call, Nayarit has y Martinez for three
dollars. Even though I did get gut-rot
one night and almost threw up after eating steak.
But spending $3 on a drink in New York City, was that was a
treat but yeah, I would definitely budget more the The
food was a little. Oh my God, we even talk about
it. I was like, five, Pizza spots,
you do. York, Pizza sucks.
Like, she's growing up. We had, I had one like good
pizza. I would even say it was great.
Everything else was hot, dog water.
Like it was, so, yeah, one issue.
And this is gonna be weird coming from the guy who always
says, Connecticut pizzas better. And, you know, maybe I'll have
to prove that together someday because I As a hill, all die on
in that New York Pizza is definitely overrated, but we
were in the wrong part of New York to get like the authentic
New York, okay? I mean you were getting we were
getting shitty Corner Store slices.
You know, we were in Hell's Kitchen.
For those who want to Google Map?
It. Yeah.
You really the places that you'll get, like, I got to use
this example, this, let you know the places that Portnoy does,
one bite reviews at like, those are all upper New York or in
times. Square or, you know, somewhere
that is not our spot. Which again are we were, it's
not entirely residential, but Hell's Kitchen is pretty.
And it's like where we were. I think Midtown West is right
next to Hell's Kitchen. Like that is a little bit more
residential and restaurant Hotel e than it is.
Yeah. Like you know, Pizza play a
place that you'll get a New York slice baby.
Ya know I feel like I had terrible Pizza on Friday night
and I do. Yeah, picked it up at like, 2:00
in the morning and it was just like, I see.
That was the best. What I had a weekend and you
guys, you did like it. That just says, how shows how
bad the other Pizza I had was. Oh yeah, well, I mean, it was
terrible again, compared to what I know, New York Pizza can be,
so maybe that's why. But we again, come to
Connecticut if you want real authentic.
New York Pizza, okay? That's kind of for authentic,
New York, Pizza. Go to Connecticut.
You're here for Pat, okay, you hate it.
You guys want to talk about anything else before we get
into, like our final thoughts on the card.
Oh, I wanted to talk about our weirdest moment of, like the
whole week. Yeah, doesn't that?
Yeah, it does that mean, what, what happened?
Can tell me what it is is actually surprisingly, my
weirdest moment and And the convention was actually, when I
was coming back from the convention, I think it was
Saturday night. We were going out to a bar.
It was out there, Bart know where we going to the karaoke,
we were going back. Me and my wife and we had gotten
in and I was in like Nico Causeway.
I was in fucking knee commode. I was like inside of the
character and like I get into the, into the Later because we
were on the 19th Floor, best thing about the Hilton Hotel,
the fucking elevators greatest thing that I've ever been in,
like, just so fast. I know I wrote it was so fast.
It was like oh 17 floors. Yeah, that's not that in.
And like I'm into segments. It was so like whoa you know, I
owe ya like I think the worst elevator had been in New York
was the one at the convention. Ironically.
It. And that is another story though
wanted to tell but I but I get the time so I get into the
elevator and there's there are like after we get into the
elevator there's four other people.
You get into the elevator Mi Jus New York City.
I am like oh my God, I'm in the middle of fuck.
I'm in the middle of fuck somewhere and I don't know what
the fuck is going on. I get into the elevator, I hear
All four of these people with the same accent that I here,
almost every day in North Carolina, I'm like, where are
you guys from? And they all say that they're
from like, like, eastern North Carolina.
I'm like, oh my God, I'm from Greenville.
And they're like, oh my God, you're from Greenville.
And we start talking, you know, like why the hell did you come
here? If you're not coming to the
convention and they're like, oh um yeah.
We just came here because we wanted to get drunk and I'm
like, what the fuck. Hey, you don't need to come to
New York, to do that. And you can do that.
And I do you probably you don't spend $15 on a drink in
Greenville. You spend, that's exactly what I
said. Like, in Greenville, we can get
a rum and coke for like 5 bucks like as cheap as hell.
Like they came to New York City to get drunk and I'm like, bro.
How rich are you? And they're like, oh I work at
Walmart and I'm like, why are you here?
It must be saved a lot for that trip or damn me and being kind
of very different definitions of weird stories.
I'll tell you that much. All right.
I like it. That was fun.
All right, let's get to our final thoughts in terms of like
the Khan. Would you recommend people going
here? That, you know, that sort of
thing that we like normally do Pat?
I'm a, this is this is Anime recap.
One eye closed. I see why it's like
that me that's not a big con at all.
What would expose like massive? But like would you like if
somebody had to pick like A big con to go to this, like you've
been the enemy bossin would like, which one would you prefer
if somebody someone was traveling to it or something
like that? Like, give me your thoughts on
the, on the, you know, like the Khan in general because I do a
lot of people. Only do, like, local cons and
stuff like that. Maybe they do.
Maybe when covid hasn't less restrictions, they can travel
more. They can pick and choose which
cons of going to go to is this one that you would recommend to
people? Yeah, I think overall I would
recommend it. As long as you're willing to
again, walk as long as you're Kate willing or capable, I
should say of walking and understanding that you're in the
city. Knowing the expenses that come
with it because again the content it was 150 bucks but you
buy six rounds of shots at a bar and it goes $120.
So you know like they there you go like that's the sad reality
of where you are, right? So um As long as you're able to
afford it, I'd say yes, you should do it because it was a
good time. Make sure you go with friends.
Make sure you go with the right group of people, I can never
give an unbiased answer for this because I will always say Anime
Boston, because I know Boston and live there and got to go out
there. So I would 100% be able to you
know, have that home field advantage so to speak.
And and also I got I do. I do enjoy like the 18 plus The
early 21 plus panels that they would do.
I am a Boston as well, but it's different Different Strokes for
different folks. Get it because it's 21 plus, but
I don't know. Anime Expo, should be a really
good time, right? Like that's, that's a huge
conda. Go to, I haven't been to any of
the others I've heard dream. Khan is bad, but I also heard
that from has so who knows if that's true or not?
We'll have to see, but I am I'm I would recommend this overall
like it was even if I pretend I didn't see any of my friends
there that made it all worth it. I would say that artist alley
even with it being cramped was so, so fun.
And so full of talented artists. The vendors were kind of cool
too crowded for me to really go up and talk to them, but I would
have liked to of but I just chose not to for my own
tiredness and whatever. Sure.
But yeah that's that's what I say.
I saw would recommend it overall, it was pretty cool,
right on cat. How about your your final
thoughts and recommendation? Oh, so for me, I so with
everybody with meeting everybody, there like I go to
cons for or just reiterate, I go to cons because it feels like a
party. And with everyone there it felt
like such a party. I had so much fun and with
Everyone there. I would completely recommend it,
like, going with that many people, that many people you
could call friends or that many friends.
Like just people, like, it's so fun.
Now for me, not being like, removing myself from having,
like, 30 different friends that I can hang out with, that's a
little different because, like, I can really I couldn't really
find that many people to hang out with and like at like at the
convention because like at Galaxy Cod, and maybe this is
the difference between the local con or quote unquote, local con
and a and a huge con like it's harder for me to like to sit
down and make friends at like, at those huge conventions
because Like, it feels so daunting to me and like you reek
of it too. I'm sorry I interrupted.
Did you go to Gaviscon pre-coated?
Because that also, yeah, like wearing wearing a mask like you
said made me feel like I just was like, I am not here to talk
to people. I know Darrell like, I am here
to drink and hang out with the people.
I know that I'm comfortable with, right?
So I think maybe that might be why you felt that way, but I do,
like, what? It's good.
Example is might be with Pete. When we were sitting and eating
on Friday, multiple people came and sat at the table with us and
like we chatted a little bit, you know, or we have fun talking
and sharing things. So I don't think that it
definitely might be like a local cop thing but it's also I think
covid is like the main contributor for that.
Yeah that that might be true and like I think with everybody
being there and us all playing games and like stuff like that,
like being able to talk talk a little bit with that but not
being able to like talk at length.
Like I made so many friends at Galaxy con.
The first year I went and this here was just kind of but it was
very very fun especially with like the the DJs and all that.
It would have basically saying about Out about this convention
versus the conventions that I've been to is that this one just
it's a little bit it's a little bit harder to say like if you
are going for certain things, like if you're going for the
artist alley, definitely like you should go because it's
artists Ellie is huge. Not only that but you've also
got the crunchy roll booze and you've got the the aniplex
booths and then you've got those heat like it feels like an anime
convention. It just feels like an anime
convention but then you've got places like, if you, if you're
going for the panel's, great, if you can get in one and then for
the party like if you if you're able to be as outgoing as you
need to be perfect, like you're going to have a lot of fun.
But if you're not like if you go to conventions to meet people
who are a little bit more introverted like you You are and
you go. I guess during covid is going to
be a lot harder so I would personally recommend it but it's
a little bit harder to I got you, I got you.
I feel you for me. I would I would recommend this
if you're planning on going to New York City in general, and
this being like a side thing, to be honest, I was a little
disappointed in some of the things that the con presented in
terms. Other cons, I've been to just
for something of this magnitude. I was expecting a little bit
more. I think, in terms of our zalien
merch that was top-tier s tier. I loved it.
I do wish that the they could do a little bit more spacing.
I did think that they had the room to make ours A Lie, wider
more accessible to other people, and that really wasn't the case.
That's but that's something I think that they could easily
learn going forward. Like my big issues like the
Connie, Itself, the, the cat mentioned as well.
Be able to get into those like panels were was exhausting,
sometimes we waited I mean just like about hold it up just
because it meant a lot to me, but like the berserk panel, show
you up an hour and 15 minutes early to what I mean, just think
of like what if Oda the guy who did one piece passed away and
they did a one-piece panel, like do you think that would be
popular? Like yeah, like come on.
Like some of these things were just like no-brainers to me that
I thought that they kind of dropped the ball.
A if I was like giving you like a rating, I'd say, A 5 out of
10, to be honest, I thought it was just they really missed,
they really dropped the ball in terms of the con aspect of the
whole event. But if you want to go to New
York City and do a whole bunch of other stuff, then it's
totally worth it. Like the experiences outside of
the content, we were way more impactful than what I actually
saw inside of the con. I think for the most part in to
me, I would think I would really like, to go somewhere.
Like we're able to do more for Less, I'll put it that way.
I feel like we really had to use our options in terms of like
carrot, like karaoke was a cheap option to do but like not every
night it was like that. I would love to go somewhere
like when I went to like Dallas, where there's more feasible
options for us to do where we have more space with more
people, in terms of the group you want to, I Feel Like New
York City wasn't the best location for a group of 30
people. If we could go to, like, I think
a Might be a little bit better but that's also crowded but like
what if we were to add it to ya but like we want to like Atlanta
like what if we went to pretty pretty crowded probably to I
really took place is huge in terms of like geographical size
as well. Like what I get what you're
saying, I read. New York is like the worst
offender of this, but I think that this is just like a.
Like you said, it's a problem of having correct 30 people?
Yeah, pretty friends, New York, definitely expediate, or prices.
Exponentially makes that worse. Yeah, but like I think that that
would be a problem. Yeah, I'd be a problem in
Boston, probably a problem in rally and Seattle, and I think
even La, even though it's like very land heavy, it would still,
you know, we're trying to get to the restaurants, you know, like
we're trying to get some. Yeah.
Wherever and getting a room with like 20 people in just well I'll
be there are things that are way more accessible to larger groups
as Like what I'm getting at in terms of the group that we went
with Bob. It's also trying to think, like,
in terms of like going with, like either like a smaller group
or solo, I feel like anime in New York City was the type of
con where the city comes first. The con came second and to me
where I see something, like, Anime Expo where it's the
biggest convention in the world. I would hope the Cod would come
first, and then, the city would come second.
That's just my two cents. I didn't think it was a terrible
kind of all. I think it just is flawed a
little bit and I'm hoping to see some improvements.
What I go back. Absolutely, I was a big fish.
Even though New York City was super expensive.
I enjoyed my time there, I enjoyed the people that I was
with the events that we did I would do it all over again in a
heartbeat. So - Pat but like that was just
like that's just like that's how I felt about it just in terms of
like what was offered what we could have had what was like
missed? I didn't I'll know.
I feel like that because on Friday, but the doors open at
10:00 in panels and start till 1:00.
Why don't panel start like 11? Like why do we have to wait so
long for some of these things and it kind of time drives me
crazy. Like I'm such a nitpicker when
it comes to time and stuff like that.
So that's just my two cents. But I would go back again, I
appreciate and make New York City.
Give me a press badge. I was able to not use it once
really. I didn't really utilize it as
well. I did have access to like a
different line for some panels that I was too busy, just saying
in line with like Brian and Cat, and stuff like that, to actually
use it. So Props to them, I do, I'm
looking forward to maybe covering it more, but I do want
to say, like the Bell was amazing, the crystal bought
panel was incredible. The berserk panel that I went
to, and I one little bit limited Japanese merch.
They get, they had five There should Japanese Bird Sings
available for raffle and I was the last one called and I won
and I won that was just what a wonderful panel.
The panel guy started doing was crying during it and like half
the room started crying. It's just an emotional thing for
my favorite piece of media of all time.
So that was great. So I am glad that they did do
something like that. So Props to the crew of anime in
New York City and thank you for letting me have a press badge
and I hope next year. Maybe I get another one, so
we'll see. It's get panel.
Yeah, when we when we call do these things, it's like, I don't
want to be a dick because I've only done one Peril in my life
and I felt like I did a really decent job.
I would love love to do like a live recording, or a certain
type of pain all about podcasting or something like
that, in general, with other people who are interested in
this fear, expressing your feelings, expressing your
passion with AMA. And I would love to be on that
and just talk more about, like, my experience and our
experiences, in general, as well.
So maybe one day, we'll get there.
We'll see. I'll know where I am a podcast,
God's will land us, but hopefully we are.
I do down the road, but I'm here for fun.
We're having fun. And that's what matters I have
in mind. I mean, I mean we've been a part
of other anime podcast discords and I feel like, like, we have
like a real Community where other podcast lack that.
So that's one thing I will always take away from what we
do. I think so.
So well and say what's a, we talk thank you for letting us
into your community as Well, and merging and people from their
side coming over to us, our side, going over to them, and
we're just like one big, happy family, so Props to them as
well. In if you're unfamiliar,
somebody talk show is a weekly I'd say like, variety show on,
Twitch on Sundays, are they selling am a podcast.
There was ever a POC as they're more like a twitch or something
like that. So yeah, great Community.
A great group of like, young adults, getting are there in the
enemy as well. So shouts them, Boys that we're
wrapping up any last thoughts before I started plugin?
Man, all I gotta say is that I loved meeting everybody there.
This is probably the most fun that I've had with other people,
since probably like my junior year in high school.
It was so, and it even tops that like, this is probably the most
fun that I've had with other people that are who aren't
family and probably my whole life like that I love Being
there with you guys. It was so fun.
Thanks cat. That means a lot.
Um, I don't really know what to say.
Just thank you to all my friends and try and stay healthy because
God damn it. I am dying.
Yeah, oh, dying. If you're, if you're watching
the pot, the visual Pockets, I am sweating like a pig right
now, this flu is kicking my ass, but, you know, I pushed through
because I love you internet, but that being said, Said that wraps
up our anime New York City recap.
Thank you so much for listening. If you've made it this far, if
you want to support the podcast, the best way to do that is like,
comment, subscribe, leave a review on whatever platform you
are listening on next week. If Tyler pays the steak Bill, we
will be watching one piece for watch Club, but if he doesn't
pay the steak Bill, we will not be watching.
So until then, thank you so much for listening and we'll see you
next time.