Anime Expo Once Again Comes to LA LIVE and the LA Convention Center
Most likely, if you have been out on the streets of South Park over the long 4th of July weekend, you will have marveled at how a huge contingency of cartoon characters have literally taken over our quaint little town!
Anime Expo, the largest convention of its kind in North Americas has landed and has taken up residence at the LA Convention Center. Anime is a world-wide phenonium of animated cartoon characters produced by or influenced by Japanese culture. Since the 2010s Anime has become a global multibillion industry setting a sales record in 2017 of ¥2.15 trillion ($19.8 billion), driven largely by demand from overseas audiences. In 2019, Japan's Anime industry was valued at $24 billion a year with 48% of that revenue coming from overseas (which is now its largest industry sector). By 2025 the anime industry is expected to reach a value of $30 billion with over 60% of that revenue to come from overseas. Driven by the internet and streaming, there are literally millions of followers who want to dress like and act like their favorite Anime characters – at least for a weekend. Anime Expo has been held for several years now at the LA Convention Center – always the first weekend in July. This year’s Expo was totally sold out and hosted 120,000 attendee/character want-a-bees from pretty much all over the world. The Expo featured over 800 hours of programing, panels, discussions, workshops, and theatrical and entertainment venues all centered around the world of Anime.
Every one of the over 120,000 visitors seemed to be having a wonderful time playing out personal fantasies and socializing with fellow enthusiasts throughout South Park. It was indeed an entertaining show and one I look forward to every year. Hotels in the area were at 100% occupancy and judging by the number of shopping bags clutched in cartoon hands and the appearance of hordes of costumed diners and coffee drinkers throughout South Park and beyond, Anime was a tremendous economic hit! Look for Anime again next year around July 4.
By: John Nilsson