Anime NYC 2024 was a focal point for many areas of Japanese pop culture, but the one that caught my attention the most was the massive presence of hololive, the world’s biggest VTuber agency. Because I wanted to miss out on as little of it as possible, I prioritized it above all else, and this con report reflects that fact.

A New Date

2024 saw the first summer Anime NYC, as it moved from the weekend before Thanksgiving to the tail end of August—a controversial move because it brought potential advantages and disadvantages. Being at the tail end of the summer con season could also carry some of the momentum of other events, and according to the showrunners, LeftField Media, was that they would now be able to utilize more of the Jacob Javits Center. However, this drastic change could disrupt people’s planning for cons. Also, summer in New York City can be very hot and humid—even dangerously so if attendees have to wait outside.

Luckily for Anime NYC, weather was on their side. The weekend was probably the most pleasant the city had been all summer. The good fortune didn’t stop there either: It also narrowly avoided the curse of the missing 7 train.

Averting Train Trouble

For many years preceding Anime NYC, the closest subway to the Javits still necessitated a 15–25 minute walk (depending on how quick you were). The 34th St. Hudson Yards station on the 7 Line was specifically built to get people closer to the Javits area, making it ideal for conventions. However, every Anime NYC up through 2023 occurred on weekends where the 7 was shut down for construction, making the stop pointless. With the move to the summer, it seemed as if Anime NYC was finally going to avoid this fate—only for construction on the 7 to be announced.

Thankfully, the MTA at some point changed it so that the 7 Train would run as a shuttle from Time Square to Hudson Yards (a total of two stops). Thus, while the loss of most of the 7 Line was a real inconvenience for those coming from Queens, there as at least this little bit of good news. 

This one small change mattered a lot for VTuber fans: That same weekend, hololive’s second ever English concert, Breaking Dimensions, was taking place in Brooklyn. While not terribly inconvenient due to the presence of public transportation, traveling between boroughs could still be a hassle that required some time management and perhaps sacrificing some events to get there on time. Had that shuttle train not been there, it would have been a real struggle.

Phase Connect + Mint Fantome

Before getting into the hololive content, I want to shine the spotlight on another VTuber agency that had a presence at Anime NYC: Phase Connect.

A couple weeks before the start of Anime NYC, the Canada-based organization announced that they would be holding their own 3D concert on Sunday, and that it would feature talents from their first generation, Phase Origins: Tenma Maemi, Pipkin Pippa, Fujikura Uruka, and Lia. They also revealed as a special guest the indie darling Mint Fantome, adding some significant star power. 

Aside from Mint, I was only passingly familiar with a couple of them, but it was overall enough to convince me to plunk down some more cash despite expecting a busy weekend. Tickets came in two price tiers, but they did not affect the quality of the seat. Instead, the slightly pricier option meant an attendee could get a special gift, which turned out to be a random polaroid-style image (of Uruka) and a random keychain (of Maemi). 

(I also bought a Dizzy Dokuro keychain on Saturday at the Phase Connect Booth.)

Though not completely sold out, there was still a sizable live audience. All the Phase girls had 3d models that matched their default appearances, while Mint (who I believe doesn’t have an official standard 3D design) went with a chibi look. The acoustics weren’t great (that’s the Javits for you), but between Uruka’s rich singing, Maemi’s versatility, Pippa’s energy, Lia’s confident dancing, and Mint’s idol spirit, all of them brought something memorable. I also got a real sense that Phase Origins set the tone for the rest of Phase Connect’s talents and their generally unhinged presentation.

The event felt less polished than hololive’s concerts, but I knew that would probably be the case going in. The moments that stood out to me the most were Uruka’s darkly comedic Self-Introduction song (about having to go against her family to pursue music), and a huge chunk of the live crowd getting up and forming a circular dance line as Mint sang the Hamtaro opening. Apparently a lot of the crowd was familiar with wotagei culture. (Security was also clearly visibly confused by what was going on.)

There’s one last thing I want to mention about Phase Connect. One unique aspect of the company is that they sell VTuber-themed coffee beans. Though I didn’t plan on getting any, I was curious about it. When I asked, though, it turned out that they had completely sold out by Saturday.

The hololive Meet Booth

The most visible hololive presence of the Exhibit Hall booth. Like last year, it featured exclusive talent streams for con attendees. Participants included members of every branch (including Holostars JP and EN), and ran the gamut of topics. Kureiji Ollie taught the crowd fan chants for popular hololive songs, Haachama and Roboco tried to make edible insect gelatins from insect powder, and various karaoke sessions had the crowd singing along throughout. The least popular times were during showcases of Holoearth—not surprising, given how those were the least interactive, and that the game still has no clear direction.

One very conspicuous thing about the booth was the large crowd that would form in front of it (which sometimes included myself). It was located near the front of the Exhibit Hall, and it would actually sometimes bleed out past the entrance. This could cause traffic flow issues, and while I don’t blame the attendees for wanting to see their favorites in this unorthodox environment, I do have to wonder if there’s a better option.

Other hololive events, like the panels and the in-person concerts, have IRL audiences, but these Meet booth showcases are like an interesting halfway point between those and the standard online streams. The physical presence of the crowd combined with the less structured and more informal setup of the broadcasts themselves made for an entertaining and comfortable interactivity that both the VTuber and the people watching could feed off of.

I find that there are certain talents who thrive in this environment. Ollie’s unmistakable enthusiasm for all things hololive was infectious. Momosuzu Nene had to overcome the language barrier, but she also showed her best side through her karaoke.

As big a fan of Haachama as I am, I ended up leaving hers early in order to catch the train to the Breaking Dimensions concert. Given that the latter started an hour late, I could have made it in hindsight, but I didn’t want to risk the possibility, the NYC subway being infamously inconsistent.

hololive STAGE World Tour ’24 Soar

Photography was not allowed at the concert, so look at these standees instead.

Ever since hololive announced that their 2024 world tour would be kicking off at Anime NYC, I’d been anticipating it. Not only was it a rare opportunity to see something that wouldn’t be streamed, but the lineup was stacked: Baelz Hakos, Moona Hoshinova, Takanashi Kiara, AZKi, Nimomae Ina’nis, Kobo Kanaeru, and Tsunomaki Watame. 

Each number got the audience pumped and eager for more, and there were plenty of personal highlights. I was pleased to see Bae bring out an exciting new choreography for her song “RxRxR”; when she debuted the song for her birthday concert earlier this year, Bae simply freestyled it. Getting to hear AZKi’s singing was a real treat—she never sounds anything less than amazing. I cheered when Kobo came out for her original song (and one of my favorites in hololive) “HELP!!” And when Bae, Kiara, Moona, and Kobo performed Kiara’s “DO U” together, it made me wish that everyone else could someday, somehow get the chance to see it and be amazed.

The official call-and-response chant was: “The world is the stage!” “Soar, soar, soar!”

My only complaint about the concert was the space itself: As with the Phase Connect event, the Main Events Hall for Anime NYC is simply not great for seeing music acts. Not only are the acoustics lacking, but the seating isn’t elevated, so if the people in front stand, it forces everyone else to do so as well if they actually want to see what’s going on. Combine that with the harsh concrete floor of the Javits, and your feet may not forgive you. I actually purchased a new pair of sneakers this year to help deal with situations like this (the New Balance Fresh Foam More, if you’re curious), but I still think that’s a lot to ask of people.

holoEN Justice

It’s become tradition for the newest generation of hololive EN to make their US convention debuts at Anime NYC. Elizabeth Rose Bloodflame, Cecilia Immergreen, Gigi Murin, and Raora Panthera—collectively known as Justice—joined the event remotely, talking to the MC and answering trivia questions about New York City. It was in many ways similar to Advent’s panel from last year, except rather than doing audience polling, they would ask a few attendees up. Later, it became questions about themselves that the audience had to answer, where a correct answer would make one of the talents do a random embarrassing voice line, and a wrong one would mean the audience had to do one instead.

A couple moments that really stood out to me both involved Gigi, the self-proclaimed “Fister” of Justice. First, when in the second part with attendees answering, Gigi quickly suggested a rule amendment to avoid cheating. I think it gave an interesting glimpse into her thought process. Second, at one point Gigi had to do a tsundere roleplay, and it turned into an improv skit where she tried to pass off a cake she baked for Ceci as one she picked up off the floor after a rat had already been on it. Ceci then hit a reversal by saying she’d only eat a nibble if Gigi ate the rest of it. 

I think it ran a bit more smoothly compared to 2023, and I wonder what might happen if there isn’t a new generation to showcase next year. 

Shirakami Fubuki and Ookami Mio

The pair from hololive Gamers also had a Main Events panel, and it followed a similar format to Justice’s, with the added element of an interpreter for these Japanese VTubers. Fubuki and Mio asked members of the audience trivia about hololive Gamers, including the order of all four members’ birthdays. They also invited people for an English language challenge that they themselves had to answer. Every so often, Fubuki would bring out a mask of Yagoo (the hololive CEO) to get a laugh out of the audience.

The two also had a nice treat for the audience at the end, with a mini karaoke session featuring their signature songs. It made the hour feel more special.

Final Thoughts

It’s interesting to see hololive gradually turn into a bigger part of Anime NYC, and to treat it as a major event. To have both a concert at the con and a separate one in the same city on the same weekend made it feel like things are only getting more intense. The downside I see is that I actually did want to check out other aspects of the con (like the appearance of three members of the group Liella! from Love Live! Superstar!! and manga scholar Frederick Schodt), but I had to pick and choose. I don’t regret my decision, but I do wish there was more than one of me sometimes. I’m also kind of giving up on the idea of Anime NYC ever having regular hololive meet ’n’ greets.

One very important takeaway I had from Anime NYC (and Breaking Dimensions) was that it’s beautiful to see people gathered who want to bask in what they enjoy. It might sound a bit generic, but when you look at online spaces and social media, there can sometimes be an atmosphere of negativity surrounding both the VTubers and their fans. But being there live and seeing people just having good times—it feels like that is the actual core of the fandom. That doesn’t mean you’re only a true fan if you attend in person, but that this loving energy and positive enthusiasm should ideally be the driving force of VTubing.