What is there to say after one’s first time at an anime convention that hasn’t already been said? With Anime Expo® in its 32nd year– and bigger than ever–, it’s no surprise the overwhelming feeling a con newbie like myself would be experiencing was mostly different shades of “wtf” throughout the day. With a backpack stocked to the brim with con essentials (including backup deodorant), I still found myself embarrassingly unprepared for the overstimulating amount of spectacles. Yet, somehow, the thing that surprised me most was how being at Anime Expo reinvigorated my love for anime.

Day 1 started early in the day after I grabbed our OFF BLXXK press badges. I wandered (got lost) in the expansive Artist Alley and Entertainment Hall. I figured that would be the least crowded it would be all day (I was right!) so I took advantage of the mostly empty pathways to browse and was entranced by the sheer amount of goods and merchandise being offered. I mean I knew I was walking into a wallet trap, but even the most hardened anime villain would find it hard to resist some of the wares that were on display. And God’s Strongest Soldier I am not; I am a weak weak man in the face of Cinnamoroll, so it wasn’t even an hour into the day I found myself sporting an AX24 exclusive drop Cinnamoroll jersey as the perfect addition to my outfit. Now sufficiently suited up to match the vibe, it was super exciting to see what panels lay ahead.

©GoHands/Shochiku, MOMENTARY LILY Production Committee

Some of the most interesting panels from the day for me were the Blue Miburo, Momentary Lily, and Guilty Gear Strive: Dual Rulers panels; all of which OFF BLXXK had been (graciously) personally invited to by the 33 USA and Arc System Works PR teams, respectively. In each, we were treated to exclusive or premiere content by some of the most important people involved with the projects. And one thing about me, I love a good exclusive! As an audience member unfamiliar with all three of the titles, Blue Miburo– or The Blue Wolves of Mibu– was a definite standout in terms of hooking me into the story.

© Tsuyoshi Yasuda, KODANSHA/ “Blue Miburo” Production Committee.

I’m a sucker for action packed shounen with heartfelt found family elements, and our main character is not only a compelling protagonist but a cutie to boot! After the first look at AX, I can’t wait to see how the mentorship and character growth change both the story and Nio overall. Blue Miburo wasn’t the only exciting exclusive screening to come out of the day.  Crunchyroll and Kadokawa did not come to play, jam packing the day with an array of special content. From the easy romcom vibes of Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian to Gensho Yasuda’s exciting debut film Make a Girl, by the end of the day I found myself more interested in anime than I’ve honestly felt in quite a while.

© ASW/Project GUILTY GEAR STRIVE DR

Despite being a self-proclaimed anime fan (and writer), it’s been more than a few years since I’ve been fully “plugged in” to the– usually overwhelming– amount of new releases each year, much less per season. My neurodivergent hyper fixating can only go so far, after all! Instead of being overwhelmed by choice though, day 1 at Anime Expo left me a bit geeked about the variety of titles coming out; and honestly, geeked about anime overall! Jiggle mechanics making boobs sway like hair in the breeze is so ridiculous you have to laugh, but reminds me just how endearingly absurdist the genre can be at times. And honestly, if what you’re watching doesn’t make a bemused– and slightly horrified– bystander hesitantly ask about the unmistakably sus noises coming from your speaker, are you even watching anime bro?

Interesting titles and banging OPs aside, it wasn’t just the shows themselves that made me fall back in love with the medium, the interpersonal and intrinsic growth that anime inspired or fostered was also on display at Anime Expo. Logic’s panel was probably my favorite of the day because it just captured so much of what I love about anime. In addition to being super entertaining– the man made a self-referential biracial joke literally within the first 30 seconds– it was also super heartfelt; despite a Grammy-nominated artist being on stage it felt like a group of weeb-y friends just hanging out and nerding out over anime and its influence on our lives. Anime crossing over into the mainstream culture isn’t anything new; and artists incorporating their nerd culture into their music isn’t either, especially nowadays with Megan Thee Stallion standing firmly on otaku business and repping black girl weeb culture. But that doesn’t take away from how important it is– in my opinion– for artists that look like Meg or Logic to not just enthuse about their MyAnimeList queue, but to openly credit anime for life lessons learned and their personal growth. Because that’s really why I love anime; the expressive voice acting and physics-defying graphics are so much fun to watch, and the community you gain– both within fandom and outside, as you learn more about yourself– is your own seinen or josei adventure!

With so much to experience on just day 1, I can’t wait to see what’s in store for the rest of the convention. Make sure to follow OFF BLXXK to experience the ride with me!