I am happy to announce I started 2024 by attending Anime Los Angeles 19, and it was an absolute blast! In January 2023, I attended ALA 18 for the first time and had a great time! If you want to read a recap of my time at ALA 18, click here! I did not know what to expect and was wandering initially, but eventually, I got my footing, explored the entire convention, and had so much fun I had to apply for the following year!
I arrived at 9 AM, in time for the convention center doors to open to the public on Saturday. Unfortunately, the Exhibit Hall was set to be closed until 10 AM, so I had an hour to kill until showtime. I was bummed but patient. I sat down and ended up having a lovely conversation with a girl dressed as Thumbelina from Don Bluth’s animated musical. Thumbelina was one of my favorite fairy tales, so I was delighted by her costume and the detail she put into it. She even had a dandelion staff that was taller than her.
Inevitably, the doors to the Exhibit Hall opened, and people who had been waiting poured in fast, but I had an agenda. First, I sat through the World of Isekai panel hosted by performer and audio engineer Victor Frost. Learning about what did and did not qualify as an Isekai was great, and in the end, I got his autograph, and he complimented my apple ita bag from Sweet Berri Studios. Leave a comment below if you need to learn what Isekai is and want to learn more. I’ll consider writing an article because Isekai media is one of my favorites.
To my absolute delight, I spotted a man dressed as Professor Oak after the panel. Dressed as Ash Ketchum, I felt my destiny calling to me again. Some of you may recall my experience from last year. I participated in a ribbon race hosted by the Indigo League Conference that required me to locate the eight gym leaders and elite four of the Kanto region within a set timeframe and collect “badges” in ribbons. To complete the challenge, I had to complete a game imposed by the appointed trainers. Unfortunately, I failed to become the champion like the real Ash Ketchum. But this time was different.
I approached Professor Oak with a new glimmer of hope, and he provided me with my starting ribbon. I found Brock and Misty. With Brock, I sang the opening theme song of Pokemon by memory, whereas with Misty, we played a game of Rock-Paper Scissors. It would’ve made more sense to play Rock-Paper Scissors with the Rock specialist. I found Surge next, and he instructed me to check the trashcans and tell him what I found. I had trouble finding Erika, so I allied with a player dressed as Belle. I love Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, so pairing up with her was a good choice.
It was a race against the clock. Together, Belle and I found Erika exploring the Exhibit Hall, and she provided us with cards that reflected certain grass types. We had to guess which Pokémon was which. Belle had Sunkern, and I, ironically, had Bellsprout. We inevitably split up, and I was set to find Koga next. As expected from a ninja, Koga was tricky to spot in the crowd, but eventually, I found him. I consulted Sabrina next and tested my psychic abilities. When I found Blaine, his challenge was to show him something that reflected fire. I scrolled through my phone’s photo album and found the perfect photo of my shiny Ponyta from Let’s Go, Eevee! Blaine was incredibly impressed and gave me clearance to challenge the villainous Giovanni.
At some point during my Pokémon journey, I bumped into my buddy Alex, whom I recognized from high school, and he decided to join me on the rest of my trip through the convention center. With a friend by my side, I felt like I was on a real journey from the series. One by one, I battled the Kanto Elite Four. Inevitably, I faced the Dragon Master Lance. His challenge was Pokémon trivia. For example, what is the one Pokémon Ditto cannot transform into? Each question was more complex than the last, but I won after much trial, error, and guesswork.
Lance awarded me my ribbon and instructed me to meet with Gary Oak for my last chance at complete victory. Time was running out. I had to beat Gary in the online battle simulator Pokémon Showdown to win. When I won, Gary instructed me to find Giovanni and present all my ribbons. As one of the first few to complete their challenge, Giovanni awarded me a 3-D printed medal to commemorate my win. I lost last year, but this year I won! I felt like a real Pokémon Master, and it was a beautiful feeling to start the rest of my ALA 19 adventure.
After officially completing my Pokémon journey, Alex and I walked through the Exhibit Hall and explored up to half of Artist Alley. While exploring, I spotted girls dressed as Sailor Moon, Ladybug, Princess Tutu, Boa Hancock, Arietty, and Asuna Yuuki. I could try to name the various other costumes I saw, but these were the ones I recognized immediately. Despite my limited recognition, costumes are one of my favorite aspects of conventions. I don’t need to recognize or name the character to recognize its beauty. Do you?
By the time we reached halfway through the Exhibit Hall, I had bought a Blooper pin from the freelance artist, illustrator, and designer Petal Parade and PokéPride pins from designer and illustrator chunky tomato. I wanted to save the rest of Artist Alley for Sunday, so Alex and I headed for the Arcade and Manga Lounge. We played Pac-Man in the Arcade. In the Manga Lounge, I read the first volume of Alice in the Country of Hearts and bumped into the owner of California’s only manga cafe, La Manga Cafe, as he prepared to shoot a video. I recognized him at the Anime Days event last year in March, which you can read here, and have followed his social media channels ever since. As a lover of comics and manga, I would love to visit his cafe when I’m next in Los Angeles.
Eventually, I said goodbye to Alex and headed home for the day. On Sunday, I explored the rest of Artist Alley. I bought matching Pikachu pins from the artist LazyDayTee and a Sinner pin from full-time comic creator Graveweaver, about whom you can learn more here. I recognized the artist Leah from previous conventions. I admired her paintings, and we chatted about Sailor Moon Crystal for a while before she introduced me to her friend and owner of the game studio, Knight Folk Studio. We shared a love for RPGs, and her studio was producing an RPG I am eager to learn more about. Are you interested in learning more about her RPG game? Tell me in the comments, and I’ll try to arrange an interview with her and her team. I’d love to gauge interest.
I ended ALA 19 by attending the Pokémon Trivia panel with American voice actress Tara Sands and returning performer Victor Frost. The questions they asked had me stumped, but it was fun to watch the contestants try. I volunteered two questions. How many Eeveelutions are there? What is the one Pokémon Ditto cannot transform into? Other questions reflected the official anime, manga, and games. Ending my ALA 19 adventure by testing my Pokémon knowledge was fun.
Overall, it was a wonderful experience, and I look forward to repeating it in 2025!
Will you attend ALA 20 in 2025? Tell us in the comments!
