Cosplay, Anime, Merch, and More: San Japan 2024
People never cease to amaze. San Japan 2024–the city’s largest annual anime and gaming convention–took over the Henry B. Gonzalez convention center downtown over the weekend, and for a brief moment the riverwalk looked more like a stage from Super Smash Bros; minus the fisticuffs. From low-key bounds of anime and video game favorites (like my yellow-and-blue-striped Ness shirt) to way-over-the-top, multi-person ensembles, the sartorial creativity on display was mind-melting. Gaggles of Gojos (Jujutsu Kaisen) sauntered past plethoras of Pokémon, among many others, headed to participate in a range of unique events and panels, or posing for photos with their fellow fans.
A sprawling 3-day long affair, the density and variety of the events on offer provided for as bespoke an experience as one’s imagination (and time) allowed: gaming tournaments, dance parties, anime studio panels, autograph signings, meet-and-greets, cosplay craft stations, trivia, DnD, hyper-niche merchandise, and a lot more; if it had even a whiff of nerd, it was there. The love for the medium was palpable, from the breadth of the proceedings, to the caliber of guests present. One highlight during a live drawing and Q&A panel saw animator Chigusa Kiyota from Studio Trigger–the acclaimed team behind 2024’s DnD-love-letter/culinary mashup anime Delicious in Dungeon–draw the show’s band of adventurers visiting our San Antonio Zoo (though hopefully not to eat).
It’s clear that this wasn't the San Japan team’s first rodeo. Getting to the event was simple, and moving throughout the spaces was painless, thanks in very large part to a detailed schedule provided by convention organizers, accessible via their website or offline via the Guidebook app. The massive, hallway-congesting crowds between panels of last year’s proceedings were largely gone, replaced by better-scaled rooms for the events, as well as earlier admission for attendees. Convention staff were helpful in directing, and in the instance a panel time was changed, the information was readily available.
By all measures, San Japan 2024 looks to have been a success. With a truly astounding variety of interesting guests, events, merchants, and panels, there’s never been a better time to be an anime fan in San Antonio. Just make sure to get that cosplay for next year started now.
Editor & Photographer: Nick Blevins
