Despite all of the complaints it received, I enjoyed last year’s Anime Fest @ NYCC. Yes, it had many flaws, like a distant, questionable location at Pier 94 and low attendance. But I still managed to have fun because I was able to get away from the insane hustle of Comic Con, get some air to breath, buy anime merch, and see a few interesting panels. This is why I was so positive in the official review I wrote for ANN.

However, I can’t say the same thing about Anime Fest 2019. To put it bluntly, it was very disappointing. While the new location at the Hudson Mercantile was much closer – only about a block away from the Javits – the place was tiny. It was a single room, about the size of a small apartment. Honestly, it felt like the event was hosted in someone’s garage. To make it worse, there wasn’t much to do, except for maybe staring at the Fire Force pups. There were some anime events being held at the Mercantile but the tickets had to be purchased separately and were pricey.

You can read more descriptions, see more of my thoughts, and view more pictures in this year’s report on ANN ~

I am just gonna leave this here because I find it ironic, and it basically sums up the entire experience:

The only question left to ask is… with its even poorer reception, will another Anime Fest be held again? And if so, will it finally be what fans are looking for? I sure hope so.

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