It’s about that time again, Anime Los Angeles comes striking back.
This is the first time that ALA takes the stage by being the first anime convention in SoCal to start off the year. It was held at the Ontario Convention Center in Ontario, CA on January 10th-13th. For the first time as well, it was a 4 day con event, where you were able to drown in all of the goodness that is anime. Tickets were fairly priced and for everything that happens at the convention, it’s totally worth it!
Here is what you could expect.
Special Guests
There were a ton of guests this year, so much that this list would be so long to show them all. A lot of these guests are here having their own panels, doing dub over showcases, and even signings. What’s awesome is that not everyone is actors. There’s even cosplayers and industrialists in the community.
Luckily, you can find the list of special guests and guests of honor at the following ALA link: https://animelosangeles.org/guests/
There are a bunch to check out this convention. If you wanted to check out panels, they had panels throughout the day, such as Woke Weebs Industry Mixer, Chillen’ with Voice Actors, and Special My Hero Academia Cast Signing.
Don’t worry!
It’s not all panels. There are some performances that you can check out too!! You were able to check out The Corps Dance Crew (@thecorpsdancecrew) and S4X. They were both great and definitely felt the vibes!
If performances weren’t your thing, you can also check out different AMVs, anime series, and movies playing in some of the rooms. It was the perfect time to take a breather in between your con experience. Gives you the environment of watching anime in the theaters with fellow otakus. Who wouldn’t want that?!
I’m personally not a panel person, but there was one thing I had to make sure to check out on my schedule…THE FASHION SHOW!
On the second day of the convention, the main room held the fashion show. This event was where you were able to see all sorts of fashion designers show off their artwork in clothing and even get sneak peeks of what clothing they plan on bringing out for the season. These cat walks were supported by the guest DJ Greg Hignight and Black Ros3. In addition to that, they even had the cat walk for fellow cosplayers who wanted to strut their stuff and show off their amazing cosplays. Some people even got really into their character. Props to them!!
Here was the full list of designers:
- ACDC RAG // Rimma Doi (https://www.acdcrag.com/)
- Hamachi (@myhamachi)
- Girl With One Eye (@girlwith1eyefashion)
- Sae Leona (@saeleona)
- Creators Guild (@creatorsguild)
- Ronova (https://ronova.fashion/)
- Beyond The Boundary x Knoxon Dahl (http://www.btb.fashion/)
- Majesti Designs (https://www.facebook.com/MajestiDesigns/)
Here are some of the photos from the fashion show.
You know when you go to anime conventions, you are willing to spend, and what better way is by checking out the vendor hall. In here, you were able to find all sorts of anime/Japanese merch, such as Kinfold Apparel (@kinfoldofficial), Uberloot, and Akibento LLC (@akibento). If those peaked your interests, you’re definitely in for a treat!
Check out below to see what you could of saw at this convention.
After checking out the Dealer’s Hall, you can check out the Artist’s Hall right next door. In this huge room, are a bunch of artists squished next to each, row by row, showcasing all of their artwork. It’s not just prints there. You’ll be able to find enamel pins, keychains, plushies, and waaay more than you expect. If you’re into supporting the anime art community, that’s the place to be! Prepare to spend your money because you will be finding a lot of unique things there.
After making your rounds spending all your money and checking out great panels, you are probably feeling a bit hungry. If you are too lazy to leave the building, there are small cafes on site, but why would you want to pass up all those delicious food trucks outside in the parking area?! There are some food trucks, such as the famous Okamoto Kitchen (@okamotokitchen), ______, and even Fluff Ice (@fluffice) if you’re craving some delicious dessert. If you’re aren’t feeling those, the Ontario Convention Center is actually in the middle of a lot of great restaurants too. If you’re willing to make the walk or the drive, then your set to find what you need.
There were so many cars that were at this event. All of them are part of the car group, Itasha Alliance. If you are a fan of the car scene and especially love anime, you will have a lot to check out!
What’s so great about Anime Los Angeles is the community behind it, especially the cosplayers. What makes this convention stand out more than the typical conventions is that all the cosplayers come out for this event and strut their new cosplays. Tons of photographers are around willing to take photos of you and it’s always a pleasure to see all of the good outfits everyone has made. It’s unbelievable!!
After checking out all that there is to the convention…in the day time, there are plenty to check out at night. ;p
Late Hour Events
During the convention days, there were plenty of late hour events to check out. If you were 18+, you were able to check out these panels or even the after party! Some of the panels you were able to check out is some held by A-to-J Connections where they spoke about the history of Ero Guro to where you can learn about what hentai are worth reading! But if you’re not into panels, there were some concerts and after parties. During that weekend, I was able to check out the Japan Electro Live with Cali Crisis and DJ Merlin, as well as the Cosplay Deviants 3rd Annual ALA Afterparty.
Hope this was enough to get you stoked for next years Anime Los Angeles. Make sure to follow them down on their social media down below, and get your cosplays ready for the next one!
See y’all at ALA 2020. 😀
SOCIAL MEDIA
Instagram: @anime_los_angeles
Twitter: @AnimeLosAngeles
Facebook: facebook.com/AnimeLosAngelesCon
Website: animelosangeles.org
