Anime Expo (AX) was in full swing at the Los Angeles Convention Center over the July 3-6 weekend. The event is North America’s largest annual convention celebrating Japanese pop culture, particularly anime and manga. The non-profit Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation (SPJA) organizes the event, which draws over 100,000 fans to the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, California.
TOHO Animation offered attendees a fully immersive experience at their booth, as well as a store with fan-made merch of beloved series. Temple of Geek toured the booth and was able to partake in the activations.
TOHO Animation Experiences at Anime Expo
Walking through the TOHO Animation booth was like stepping into your favorite series. The team worked hard creating something exciting. There were fun games to play as well as detailed photo opportunities.
TOHO began the preparation process six months ago. Planning each series took time. Plus, they brought in an All Might statue from Japan that had to be carefully situated at the event.
Jujutsu Kaisen Experience
The first experience fans walk through is “Jujutsu Kaisen.” Travel to Shibuya Station, where the infamous battle between sorcerers and cursed spirits takes place in the second season of the anime, to take photos with the box that trapped Satoru Gojo. Defeat the villainous cursed spirit, Mahito, using Yuji Itadori’s signature fighting move “Black Flash” in a movement-based video game.
SPY x FAMILY Experience
Next, fans moved from “Jujutsu Kaisen” to “SPY x FAMILY.” Here, attendees worked on their skills as a spy with a memory game. There were hidden items in locker boxes, and fans needed to remember which doors they opened to match the items together. However, they only got sixty seconds, and after three mistakes, the mission was over! Strike a pose in front of the secret spy wall, or have a seat at Loid Forger’s desk for fun photos.
My Hero Academia Experience
After “SPY x FAMILY” came the “My Hero Academia” experience. Encouragement for the beloved hero, All Might, was written all over the walls. Fans were given a paint pen and the opportunity to write whatever they wanted around the phrases “WE LOVE YOU ALL MIGHT” and “PLUS ULTRA!” The All Might statue photo-op was the star of this experience, towering over attendees with its radiant smile. This was the first time the statue was in the states, brought over specifically for the convention.
Kaiju No. 8 Experience
Finally, fans walked into the “Kaiju No. 8” experience. One of the walls looked as though a kaiju battle had just taken place. The photo-op here offered a variety of props for fans to hold and pose with, including Captain Ashido’s giant gun. Take on the kaiju in a whack-a-mole style game that got progressively more difficult as time went on.
The TOHO Animation Store at Anime Expo Provided an Assortment of Products
There is a lot of fan-made merchandise at the TOHO Animation store. They have a team of designers who research what sorts of clothing people are wearing and listen to what they are looking for. Far too often, fans only have basic T-shirts as options to represent their favorite series.
TOHO Animation created stylish pieces for everyone to wear. From windbreakers to a Toji-inspired compression tee, the options here were much more exciting than other stores.
If you were unable to attend Anime Expo, then head to their website to pre-order pieces from your favorite anime!
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