By: Rubber Ninja Vadim Govorov and Pink Poodle Marlene Sharp
Anime Pasadena surpasses expectations
The toy and game facets of respected fan con Anime Pasadena – which whizzed through the LA-adjacent Pasadena Convention Center on the weekend of November 8-9 – contained the ah-ha moments of an unboxing video . . . x 10 million (at least!). Neurodivergent animation artist Leo Romero – alongside the Pink Poodle herself – visited the packed premises on both days and list these among the highest of the highlights (in no particular order):
LUPIN III playable, free-of-charge retro arcade games – SEGA-owned TMS Entertainment’s iconic LUPIN III character manifested in a few places throughout the 2-day event; however, cozy, complimentary turns at a couple of the vintage arcade cabinets were a most welcome respite off the beaten path in Dragon Hall H!
Stuck at work in the Florida Everglades, Rubber Ninja Vadim Govorov certainly was at Anime Pasadena in spirit! The LUPIN III encounter called to mind the time that Govorov carved and presented clay figures of the cartoony, fictional anti-hero to licensing pro Nihal Rahman in the TMS Encino, California office.
Sonic the Hedgehog-iverse Bath Bombs by Jayy (‘Handmade with love!’) – Happy 4 year anniversary to talented, generous soap artist Jayy! Made in the kitchen but meant for the lavatory, these intricate museum pieces seem too pretty for use! At the Bath Bombs by Jayy booth, Sonic the Hedgehog was a real attention-grabber, and Jayy spontaneously gifted him to us. Thank you, Miss Jayy!
Toy-Zilla pop-up featuring original Funko figure box art by Dahveed Kolodny-Nagy – Nagy brought his uncanny business model to the Con outskirts, where he sold packaged Funko POP character figures that are ‘professionally painted, fully-colored original images done by a trained graphic artist with contributions to the art from the voice actor. Each painted image is a unique one-of-a-kind work of art that spans the side and/or front windows of the box! Includes a special Art Series Sticker and COA’ (from the official Toy-Zilla website).
Vintage console gaming lounge and its inhabitants – For a blast from the past and air conditioning on the unusually warm November days, Con attendees could chill with old school tube televisions and game consoles of yore. This oasis proved to be one of the best spots to see the dogs of Anime Pasadena.
K-POP DEMON HUNTERS overall infiltration and domination – In conclusion, the days belonged to Netflix’s hit film musical K-POP DEMON HUNTERS. There were voice actor appearances and autographs, a show-stopping GOLDEN cover rendition by Siena Bella and backup band, a movie sing-along revue, a coronation – of sorts – for honorary HUNTR/X group members, cosplay in spades, and so much DIY’d merch! It’s still early days since the film release, so one might assume that licensees were/are in mad scramble pre-holiday mode to push stuff out to retail. However, indie artisans certainly picked up the slack and toted their wares to the Anime Pasadena show floor. It mattered little that this franchise was a) brand new and 2) more Korean/Japanese-adjacent, as opposed to 100% Japanese. The Con crowd embraced it and seemed eager for more.
More about Anime Pasadena – a Southern California attraction since 2013 – is available on the official website: https://www.animepasadena.com/
