Last year, I attended ANIME Impulse for the first time. I attended panels, watched a few anime-inspired dance routines, used the free arcade options, and watched cosplayers and other attendees kill it on Dance Dance Revolution. You can read about my 2023 experience here!
Similar to last year, I attended Day One of ANIME Impulse, but there were some minor differences from last year’s attendance that I would love to share.
Instead of parking at the convention center’s official parking structure, I parked at the Anaheim GardenWalk and walked from there to the convention center. I highly recommend this parking structure if you’re touring downtown Anaheim. Parking at the GardenWalk costs four dollars per hour. I spent five hours at ANIME Impulse and parking ultimately only cost me twenty dollars. I walked half a mile and arrived on-site, wearing one of my favorite graphic tees featuring a strangely fit Snorlax.
Upon entry, I was delighted to be given a wristband and press badge. The badge came with no lanyard, so I had to attach it to my purse, but it felt official to have a badge that identified me as press to the vendors and the general public. I felt like a VIP, a wonderful way to start any event.
The line for entry was long, but ANIME Impulse staff and security kept it moving efficiently. I spent less than thirty minutes in line. When asked questions or directing the attendees, the staff were kind and patient, which was appreciated. Sometimes, it can be painfully clear convention staff don’t want to be working at said event and it shows.
Last year, I wore my Ash Ketchum gender-bend costume, but because only a quarter of the attendees were in costume last year, I felt out of place. This year, I wore a graphic tee instead of a costume or cosplay. Much to my surprise, a larger portion of the attendees were in costume. In line, I stood behind a pair of girls dressed as Princess Peach and Princess Daisy from the Super Mario Universe and a trio cosplaying as Death the Kid and Liz and Patty Thompson from Soul Eater.
After approximately twenty-five minutes in line, I entered the area housing ANIME Impulse and its sister markets. Admittedly, I avoided the Sneaker Expo area (which was nearest to the entrance) because I am fan a big fan of streetwear and was more interested in experiencing ANIME Impulse’s Artist Artist and Exhibit Hall. I played a few games courtesy of the free arcade installed and watched some cosplayers and other attendees kill it on Dance Dance Revolution. One of the dancers was ironically dressed as Super Mario, which made me think about the infamous Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix, a game I would only recommend if you’re looking for mild exercise and a laugh. In my opinion, the storyline doesn’t make much sense, but I was also eight when it was released.
I explored the Valley of Voices, which stationed a multitude of voice actors from animes, video games, movies, and more. Attendees lined up to chat with their favorite VAs and get exclusive merchandise signed. While exploring the Exhibition Hall, I was surprised to see Flex Comics, who are known as servants of the geek-fit community, as a vendor. Do you remember that graphic tee I mentioned to be wearing earlier? I was wearing their SnorFLEX shirt, and the vendor was excited to see me showing off their merchandise.
The next vendor that caught my eye was Goobers Only, which sold the cutest and funniest merchandise featuring renderings of SpongeBob Squarepants and Patrick Star. I bought three of their emote hairclips, which I plan to wear to work, and then came across the McDonald’s booth, which was providing free coffee and frappuccino samples to the attendees. Like last year, McDonald’s gave away samples, raffled away merchandise, and hired caricaturists to draw attendees for FREE, and like last year, I sat down and got my caricature. It turned out adorable!
Next, I spotted Animoo Candles. I have recognized them from previous conventions and events and wanted a whiff of their anime and pop culture-inspired candles. I bought Sleeping Demon Sister (inspired by Nezuko Kamado from Demon Slayer) and Rose Whip (inspired by Yoko Kurama from YuYu Hakusho) candles. I highly recommend Animoo Candles if you are a nerd, weeb, or otaku who has a knack for collecting candles. Their candles are handmade and have a variety of scents that will appeal to any nose!
I also bought a variety of anime and pop culture-themed sugar cookies from Pop Umai, a pop-up shop that specializes in anime-themed desserts. I am more of a chocolate chip fan, but I love their cut-out cookies and bought cookies that reflected my favorite characters. If you love sugar cookies with an anime twist, stay tuned to their event schedule for the coming months!
Walking around, I recognized more costumes, such as Ai Ohto from Wonder Egg Priority, Juliet Starling from Lolipop Chainsaw, Raven from Teen Titans, and a trio cosplaying as Lucifer, Alastor and Charlie from the hit adult animated series Hazbin Hotel. As always, I loved the intricate details in every costume and adored the enthusiasm the attendees presented. It made me wish I dressed up this time around!
Similar to last year, I attended panels that were set for the main stage and there were no chairs to sit in, so I had no choice but to stand. It was difficult and a bit painful for my back, but my main complaint was that outside food and drinks were not allowed inside the event hall and the food stalls were almost criminally expensive for an event that size, so I either had to use the money I stashed for Artist Alley or go hungry. If you choose to attend ANIME Impulse in the following year, eat a decent-sized breakfast and pack snacks for the road if you don’t want to waste your Artist Alley money on over-priced food stalls.
But my favorite part of ANIME Impulse was its Artist Alley, which housed a very decent amount of anime-inspired artists I recognized from previous conventions and events, such as chunky tomato, Runee, and Lauren Yu who identifies as Missdoodlesalot online. By the time I was finished walking up and down the aisles of Artist Alley, I spent a lot of time chatting with the vending artists and buying anime-inspired affirmation pins and ink prints. I came with a budget and I am proud to say I spent below my assigned budget and had enough left to pay for parking.
In the end, I spent up to five hours exploring what ANIME Impulse had to offer. I explored Artist Alley, talked to vendors, and played arcade games. Like last year, ANIME Impulse was smaller compared to the large-scale conventions I had grown accustomed to, but that was precisely what made it enjoyable and refreshing. The aisles were never cramped and I always had room to breathe. Veteran convention attendees may become bored or displeased with its small scale, but I highly recommend ANIME Impulse to first-time attendees, looking for something less intimidating and fun to enjoy with friends and family.
Admittedly, ANIME Impulse has a lot of room to grow in terms of size and vendor diversity, but for an event that debuted eight years ago, it has come a long way! I can see it developing a loyal fanbase over the next few years and highly recommend ANIME Impulse to those new to the convention scene. It is a wonderful breath of fresh air!
Overall, ANIME Impulse may be a two-day event, but you can easily explore, inspect, and enjoy it all in one day. Will you attend ANIME Impulse next year based on this review? Tell us in the comments!
