Anime Frontier was held on Dec. 6-8 at the Fort Worth Convention Center and showcased a variety of events such as live challenges, cosplay competition, exhibits, exclusive screenings, meet and greet artists, voice actors and directors.
The convention is sponsored by Crunchyroll and is a three-day anime convention held annually in Fort Worth, Texas. Every year, some of the biggest names in the anime and manga industry attend the event to interact with fans.
Anime Frontier is one of the biggest and most exciting events in Texas. The event had a preset schedule for each day varying from cosplay meetups, dance events, cosplay tips, meet the cast, games and more.
Christina Vela, Anime Frontier press coordinator, talked about what makes anime frontier great and why people continue to come year after year. Vela said, “Anime Frontier is the second largest anime convention here in Texas, which is awesome because it gives people in North Texas the opportunity to come together [to] enjoy anime and celebrate creativity together and that inclusivity is what brings people coming here year after year.”
This year there were many great displays in the artist alley. For anyone looking to get merchandise, illustrations and cosplay items, the exhibit hall was a great place to look around. Attendees also gathered in the main hall to support their favorite anime and characters. Kira Nightwing a cosplayer attendee said, “The con has been so much fun taking photos with other people, getting gifts and hanging out.”
Various shops ranging from merch, cosplay equipment and food were available at the Exhibit Hall located on the first floor of the convention center. Some of the booths included: Gashapon, a famous capsule toy brand created by Bandai, that sells toys through a vending machine, which adds an element of mystery and excitement with every purchase; another popular exhibit was senpai squad x VShojo, featuring Itasha car showcase and various car decals for sale.
Attendees also flooded the autographing booth section of the hall where famous anime character voice actors such as Emi Lo, who voiced Lucy from “Cyberpunk,” Mao Mao from “The Apothecary Diaries” and Miri from “Buddy Daddies.” Damien Haas, who voiced Laios from Delicious in Dungeon and Kiyoka Kuduo from My happy Marriage, as well as Kaiji Tang, Dazai from “Bunguo Stray Dogs,” Satoru Gojo from “Jujutsu Kaisen” and Jinshi from “My Apothecary Diaries” were all present.
Xi Tan, a vendor at Anime Frontier, said, “The convention has been a lot of fun. People are so kind; this is my second time coming to anime frontier, and I would definitely come again.” There were also VTubers like Kori-Oujo, a silly raccoon who turned into an ice princess after ‘isekai-ed’ to a distant realm, who was very enthusiastic in greeting her fans. The booth was also selling posters and provided a free sticker for those who subscribe to her channels.
One of the panels held at Anime Frontier was “The Poisons & Aphrodisiacs of Apothecary Diaries” with Director Shawn Gann and voice actors of the main characters: Tang and Lo. In this panel, a trailer of the upcoming season was previewed. Fans were also given a chance to interact with the director and actors through a Q&A. Some topics that were bought up included: what it takes to bring the characters to life, the actors’ favorite lines and a little peak into what’s in store for season two. After the panel, the actors headed to their booth for a meet and greet with fans.
The day continued with more events such as video game tournaments where guests would compete for glory. Other popular activities were dance performances and workshops to learn new moves. Another popular activity was cosplay meet ups from different anime and shows where fans got to see their favorite characters brought to life.
For attendees who are into cosplay or looking to get into cosplay, the convention held workshops, tutorials and tips on how to create wigs and costumes.
For those looking to relax after a day of fun or just to take a quick lunch break, there were designated rest areas, quiet rooms and food and beverage stalls for attendees to revitalize.
Every year there is always something new at Anime Frontier from new artists and speakers to the events taking place. Next year’s Anime Frontier will be held on Dec 12 – 14. “Come, you can be into cosplay, or you may not whatever you’d like it’s welcoming and fun; you’re going to have a really good time here,” Vela said.
