Anime Expo to SDCC: An On-the-Ground Exploration of Anime’s Booming Popularity

The summer convention circuit may be winding down, but the fallout of its shows has yet to dissipate. With Comic-Con International finished, fans and critics alike are ready to figure out who had the best showing at the event, but a popular answer to that question may surprise some. After all, it arguably wasn’t Sony Pictures or even Marvel Studios who won. Anime came in hard at SDCC on the heels of Anime Expo, and it came out a clear victor.

At the beginning of July, more than 100,000 fans came to Los Angeles to celebrate all things anime at Anime Expo. The annual event took over the LA Convention Center as studios, stars, and fans from around the world came together. And, once the huge show closed, things kicked into gear once more for SDCC.

ComicBook.com was able to attend both conventions, and one thing became very clear: after decades on the fringes, the anime fandom is surging into the limelight, and the world is taking notice.

With comics having taken over Hollywood, the industry’s aversion to all things geek is shifting. Iron Man is a superstar, Spock is an icon, and cosplayers have turned into celebrities. At long last, the characters and stories anime fans fell for years ago are being picked up, and fans are ready to take their interest public.

This year, Anime Expo brought in more than 110,000 attendees not counting preview day, and that number puts it in the same arena as SDCC. Major studios like Toei Animation descended up Anime Expo to test the waters of anime’s international popularity, and they surely found it ran deep.

Even at SDCC, anime’s presence was impossible to overlook. For every Captain America shirt seen, another would walk by with Naruto or Goku on their back. The booths for Viz Media and Funimation became designated hot zones as fans crowded the set-ups, forcing them to shut down at times due to traffic. For an event known for loving comics, manga and anime made a bold push into SDCC’s bubble, and the gamble got fans talking.

Series like Dragon Ball Super and Attack on Titan have ignited an interest in anime not seen since the 1990s, and geek-chic culture has given people the safe space to own their fandoms. So, if you want to hear about some of the best things ComicBook saw at Anime Expo and SDCC this year, you can check out the slides below:

Do you think the rise in anime’s popularity is a simple fluke? Or is there more to it? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to talk all things comics and anime!

Love Live! Sunshine!! Aqours

K-pop may be sweeping the nation thanks to acts like BTS, but don’t let J-pop slide past your radar. At Anime Expo 2018, Anisong World Matsuri came to the Microsoft Stage, and it gave some of the convention’s best moments. The three-night event featured nine acts from Japan such as AKB48 Team 8, THE IDOLM@STER CINDERELLA GIRLS, and Aimer.

ComicBook.com was lucky enough to catch one of these shows in person. Love Live! Sunshine!! Aqours did their first full-length solo concert in the U.S. at the convention, and it was as bubbly as you can imagine. The packed house coordinated musical fan-chants with ease, bringing an electric energy to the idols performing on stage. And, when the audience performed a special farewell at the concert’s end, the girls of Aqours made everyone teary when they shed a few tears on stage. 

Anime Pls Brings Affordable Otaku Threads

If you haven’t heard of Anime Pls, it is time you became acquainted with the special brand. Like any fandom, anime can be an expensive one when it comes to buying merchandise, and all those extravagant shipping fees from Japan can make your wallet that much worse.

These days, Anime Pls is here to give fans an affordable shopping experience to get the anime accessories they need. From licensed T-shirts to chibi socks, Anime Pls is a must-visit site for fans, and their presence at Anime Expo made attendees plenty excited. So, if you want in on the brand, then you can sign up to learn more about its exclusives here.

A Chat with Devilman Creator Go Nagai

During Anime Expo, the event flexed its ever-growing scale with a special appearance by one of manga’s most-gifted creators. Go Nagai was invited to the event as a Guest of Honor, and ComicBook.com was given the chance to speak with the Devilman creator at a roundtable event. 

It was there Nagai spoke openly about his early career and how he has been surprised by how popular Devilman has become with international audiences. Of course, this was only boosted by Netflix’s popular adaptation Devilman Crybaby, and Nagai remarked he remembered a time when only one of the manga’s volumes was translated into English. 

“I think it’s Netflix that has driven my reputation in the United States,” the artist said. 

Continuing, Nagai said he felt Devilman Crybaby was a very relevant adaptation of his original story given the ways modern society has adapted social media. While the artist’s work was considered progressive for its time, Netflix’s adaptation further that reputation, and Nagai admitted he is pleased with those moves forward. 

“[Social media] can help spread good that we wouldn’t otherwise know about. We see people coming out as gay or trans … and there’s a greater opening up and acceptance of different opinions and lifestyles.”

With Nagai back in Los Angeles, Anime Expo allowed thousands of fans to meet with Nagai at a dedicated panel and learn more of what went behind the creation of series like Cutie Honey. And it goes without saying but fans were plenty excited to see the legendary artist up close and personal. 

The Wide World of Collectibles

Between Anime Expo and Comic-Con International, plenty of anime exclusives have started flooding the market. Plenty of booths at AX came in from around the world, bringing a slew of exclusive merchandise from Japan which were sold directly to fans for the first time.

As for SDCC, the event made a big showing with its exclusive Funko items. Not only did the event bring out exclusive Broly and Yamcha pop figures, but Sailor Moon joined Dragon Ball in that spotlight. Oh, and that isn’t even to mention the lines that paralyzed Funimation’s booth as fans tried to get an exclusive metallic Whis pop. Right now, sales for the coveted collectible have been halted, but you can always buy one secondhand for a few hundred bucks…

‘Dragon Ball Super: Broly’ Hits Hall H

If there is one anime franchise that knows how to do things big, then it is Dragon Ball. The iconic franchise has been around for decades now, and it made a stunning blitz into SDCC this year. Not only did the first stop of Dragon Ball‘s North America tour hit up the massive event, but fans had to pass a building-sized Dragon Ball Super: Broly banner to enter the convention. That hype led to the anime’s Hall H panel being one of the most talked about of the weekend, and Toei Animation delivered by releasing the epic first trailer for Dragon Ball Super‘s first film. 

Get a Behind-the-Scenes Industry Peek

For those lucky enough to attend Anime Expo’s industry panels, fans got an inside look at how the community is operating worldwide in the U.S. and overseas. Companies like Netflix and Kodansha Comics held panels where they announced new licenses, giving fans a chance to learn how properties are taken from Japanese producers and turned into international franchises. As for studios like A-1 Pictures and Sunrise, the firms showed up to give fans a direct look at their upcoming slate, and the latter generated headlines as Sunrise confirmed a live-action take on Gundam is in the works within Hollywood. 

Get Up Close With ‘Fate/Stay’ Through VR

When it comes to big-time franchises, Fate/stay has become a household name. Its brisk pacing and timely fan-service have endeared its heroines to many, and Aniplex wanted to give fans a chance to meet the title’s characters up close. As such, the company brought Fate/Grand Order VR Experience to Anime Expo to give attendees the chance to meet up with Mash and Saber. So, if you have ever wanted Saber to rescue you from a fiery dragon’s ambush, then you need to find a way to try out this stunningly real game.  

So. Many. World. Premieres.

Fans might expect anime world premieres to go down in Japan without question, but the medium’s growing popularity abroad is changing things. This year, Anime Expo hosted more than a dozen premieres, and several of them concerned household names. Funimation and Toho brought the world premiere of My Hero Academia: Two Heroes to the event before Flavors of Youth, Liz and the Blue Bird, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind, and Overlord III came into play.

Oh, and Attack on Titan‘s third season shared its first episode on the convention’s final morning. How can you beat that?

‘My Hero Academia’ Creator Comes To Town

To say My Hero Academia is popular is to downplay the anime’s presence. Not only is the title one of Japan’s most popular, but Izuku Midoriya has become a hero who manga and comic book lovers alike champion. To celebrate the franchise’s booming growth, creator Kohei Horikoshi made his first North American appearance at SDCC this year. The artist appeared at two panels where he answered fan-questions and did live drawings of Izuku. Kohei also found the time to do autographs sessions for some very lucky fans, giving him his first-ever opportunity to meet his U.S. fans in person.