Events
Tokusatsu at Anime NYC 2021 Convention Recap
Team TokuNet staff member Charlie Li attended Anime NYC in Manhattan, New York in November, thus uniting a community of tokusatsu cosplayers and fans.
Anime NYC is an annual 3-day convention at the Javits Convention Center. Anime NYC is one of the largest and most popular anime conventions of the year as thousands of attendees come from all over the world to showcase their cosplays, participate in various events, and have fun with old and new friends.
Starting off near the main entrance, the Bandai Namco/Bluefin Booth in the Crystal Palace celebrated Kamen Rider’s 50th Anniversary with a display case filled with Kamen Rider figures. Kamen Riders seen are Kamen Rider Kuuga’s Mighty, Dragon, Pegasus, and Titan Forms as well as Kamen Rider Agito, Kamen Rider Den-O, Kamen Rider Double, Kamen Rider Ghost, and Kamen Rider Geiz. In a separate display case, the CSM IXA Belt set from Kamen Rider Kiva can be seen. Keep an eye out for more official Kamen Rider western releases.
Going into the Dealers Hall, Image Anime (Booth #222) and Megaroad Toys And Entertainment LLC (Booth #2247) both supplied tokusatsu merchandise for con attendees to purchase. Items for sale included DX toys, DX gimmicks, photobooks, plush toys, figures, Kamen Rider Figure-Rise Standard figures, and CSM Releases.
The tokusatsu community on Saturday afternoon of the convention gathered at the Tokusatsu Anime NYC 2021 Cosplay Meetup, hosted by Heaven’s Gem Cosplay. Fans cosplayed as characters from a myriad of tokusatsu shows such as Super Sentai, Power Rangers, and Kamen Rider. Each cosplayer came to the meet up with cosplays they’ve spent so much time and energy on as well as their undying passion for tokusatsu.
As our 30 minutes allotted time frame came to an end, the final picture was snapped, and we all went our separate ways, I reflected on how much the tokusatsu community has evolved since last year’s convention-less year and how everyone’s love of the tokusatsu genre contributed to the huge success of bringing tokusatsu representation to Anime NYC. I want to thank everyone who attended this fun event as both a fan and a cosplayer. I had a great time meeting others who share our passion for tokusatsu. I can’t wait for what’s in store for future conventions.
All photos are taken by Jason Linetsky/Freeze Frame Foto. Please do not repost or alter in any way without permission and proper credit.
