Before then (and especially before we had Suncoast Video in the mid to late 90s and that first wave of localization companies), it used to be that the vast majority of anime was available only through fansubbed VHS tapes. However, the SPJA stated it still planned to hold the 2021 event on its normal July dates. On April 17, 2020, the SPJA announced that it was cancelling Anime Expo 2020, citing 'health and safety' concerns. Nowadays, a LOT of stuff gets officially licensed and localized for a North American audience and it's incredibly easy to get, but that boom didn't really kick off until maybe 15 years ago. In the months leading to the 2020 event, a global coronavirus outbreak created concerns related to large gatherings such as Anime Expo. (Masquerade = a convention's costume contest that involves skits or other presentations on a stage)Īnime clubs used to be a bigger deal back before anime went mainstream. I've seen a few clubs organize masquerade entries. Some cons give admission discounts to large groups, students, and/or clubs, too. Or, members might work out plans to attend a specific convention together, taking care of transportation logistics. Some anime conventions got started this way. A club might do other things though, like hold swap meets or organize small festivals.

Not my thing personally, but some people like the group setting for discovering new shows. You can try checking and see what other events they may be aware of. I highly recommend Anime Los Angeles in January, it's going to be in Long Beach when it restarts next year and it's a solid medium to large event. The biggest one is Anime Expo on 4th of July weekend at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

Most of the SoCal anime cons are in LA and Orange County. The last one was held in 2019, and their 2020 event got canceled even before COVID happened. There used to be a local anime con called Anime Conji, but I'm not sure what its status is now. In my experience whenever I went, there were usually a few non-cosplayers there who just wanted to hang out with other anime nerds, and that's totally fine. While the focus of these meetups is on cosplay, most of the people that typically attend are anime nerds and gamers of varying stripes. There used to be some small local cosplay meetups. No idea what their policies might be about non-students hanging out with them. I've only ever heard of anime clubs on college campuses.

Anime conji 2019