Anime Boston: a treasure trove of goodies
Anime has become increasingly popular within the United States, to the point where multiple shops like Newbury Comics have begun to sell anime-based products on their shelves. Heck, there are entire shops in Boston dedicated to anime alone such as Anime Zakka. As a crazed anime fan, I’ve visited the aforementioned stores and bought some merchandise there. However, the problem I come across most of the time is that the merchandise in those stores is often overpriced. I don’t know about you, but I would not spend extra money for something I could’ve gotten for way cheaper had I lived in Japan and shipping wasn’t an obstacle. Not to mention, there is a lack of variety when it comes to the merchandise itself. The stores usually have things from mainstream series like “My Hero Academia,” “Jujutsu Kaisen,” and “Demon Slayer,” but never have any other series represented.
As a long-time anime fan, I know of series that aren’t too popular here in America, although they have big fan bases in Japan. For example, series like “Touken Ranbu” and “Twisted Wonderland” are a lot less known in America and it’s hard to find merch for the series. That is until I stepped foot into Anime Boston.
Anime Boston, having approximately 29,849 people attending last year, is one of the Northeast’s largest anime conventions. Not only is it a place where anime fans can gather together and talk about what they love, but there are also a multitude of panels and lone events to keep people busy. One such event I got to see (and want to dedicate a shout-out to) was Anime Boston’s Idol Showcase, an event dedicated to anime idol lovers alike to cheer on one another on stage, just like an actual concert. I walked in there and took a seat, clueless as to what was about to happen in the next two hours. I found myself immersed in the performances and waving my glow stick in the air like there was no tomorrow. Every performance was super fun to watch and I overall felt uplifted by everyone’s energy. It’s one of those must-see shows when attending Anime Boston, especially since it’s held yearly, so the roster changes time after time again. Not to mention, anime idol culture itself isn’t as popular outside of Japan compared to shounen genres, so the showcase is a good introduction to what I and many other folks enjoy about anime idols. As an anime idol fan myself, idol or music-themed series I recommend are “Paradox Live” and “Aikatsu!”
