The Sunday of Labor Day Weekend marked my third time attending ANIME Impulse Orange County edition, and once again, I was reminded of why I keep coming back to this smaller-scale convention.
I parked off-site, walked approximately one mile to the Anaheim Convention Center, and got in line for Registration to receive my wristband for entry. I was eager to get inside the showroom floor and, thankfully, the line for wristbands was short. Because there were multiple members of the event staff providing the wristbands, it only took a few minutes to wait for my turn. However, when I identified as Media, I was initially dismissed by two members of the event team and told to “find someone else for help or buy an actual ticket,” which ended up as a wild goose chase. After wandering and being bounced between staff for a while, I returned to Registration, but spoke with a different employee, who immediately looked up my information, confirmed me as Media, and gave me a wristband. I was even permitted immediate entry into the showroom floor.
I will admit, I was upset by my initial treatment since I could have simply been redirected to another employee rather than told to “find someone else for help,” but I do not want that feeling to fester since I was helped eventually, everything was sorted out, and I was ready to explore ANIME Impulse OC. I do, however, want it acknowledged that customer service is super important for events such as these because people come to have fun, and it can ruin the experience when the event staff are dismissive or unwilling to help. I wasn’t happy with the first members of staff I encountered, but I was extremely appreciative of the employee who worked to help me get my wristband and make a smooth entry. He was considerate of my time and efficient.
Upon entry, I was met with a showroom filled with attendees, in and out of cosplay, and booming with songs from popular anime. Like previous years, ANIME Impulse has sister markets that specialize in fandom collectibles and fandom-inspired streetwear. But I was admittedly more interested in the AI aspects, so I maneuvered deeper into the showroom. For starters, I took advantage of the Free Arcade Anime Impulse offers to its attendees. I played rail shooter games, Solar Assault and The Lost World: Jurassic Park. I also attempted to play Dance Dance Revolution, and I did surprisingly well. I have never been well-coordinated when it came to dancing, but I am good at playing video games and recognizing their patterns. There were about a dozen other game options, but I didn’t want to hover or wait around and had more to explore.
Elsewhere, I was able to demo games before their official release. For example, Natsume Inc was offering AI attendees the opportunity to demo Harvest Moon: Home Sweet Home Special Edition, which is available for pre-order but not set to release until October 30th this year. I played Harvest Moon games when I was young, and I am now reasonably obsessed with Stardew Valley, so it was great to see how farming games have evolved since the early 2000s. In-game, I collected mushrooms, got lost, and talked to NPCs. I didn’t have time to complete any quests proposed by the NPCs, but I did enjoy the game graphics and liked exploring the in-game environment.
I also had the opportunity to demo an unreleased indie game called lily’s world XD. Despite its cute aesthetic, it proved to be a psychological horror game where you are meant to investigate the disappearance of a young girl in the early 2000s. In-game, you find an old computer in the trash and search its contents to find out what happened to the original owner. To learn more about Lily, you explore password-protected diary entries, photos, and videos. It is a game that I recommend for horror fans, and can be played via Steam once it is formally released to the public.
I ventured past the Valley of Voices, where the voice actors from iconic games and animated series were stationed, and followed the music coming from the main stage. I listened to a Los Angeles-based band called Isekai Stage, known for bringing faithful renditions of songs from popularized anime and video games, play on the main stage. A large crowd was forming around the main stage, which made sense because the band was quite talented. While I was listening, they played renditions of “Your Idol” and “Soda Pop” from the 2025 animated musical KPop Demon Hunters. Among the crowd, there was also a fair share of cosplayers dressed as characters from the musical, such as Rumi, Baby Saja, and Mystery Saja. There were, of course, plenty of other attendees in costume. However, I did notice a significant amount of KPop Demon Hunters’ costumes, which definitely suggests the impact and influence of the film a month after its release.
While exploring the convention, a booth with a creepy and cute aesthetic caught my eye. They were selling an assortment of merchandise, including keychains, chibi charms, stickers, plushies inspired by the cosmic entity Cthulhu, and a turn-based card game called My Little Horrors. Based on Lovecraftian mythos, Eldritch horrors, and My Little Ponies, the goal of the game is to collect three treasures of power and bring forth the apocalypse. It was totally my vibe, so I had to purchase a copy of the base game. By buying it, I was also given a goodie bag that contained stickers, buttons, coupons for their website, and a super cute headband with a mini Cthulhu on top, which I immediately wore the rest of the day.
Lastly, I explored the AI Artist Alley, recognized a fair share of the artists present, and bought an enamel pin of Luffy Gear 5 from a creator called 2ndDonut. While exploring Artist Alley, I spoke with other attendees and voted in a Yuri vs. Yaoi poll that some attendees had put together via a poster. If I had to choose, I’m typically more a fan of Girls’ Love, so I voted for Yuri, and based on the number of visible votes, Yuri was gonna win this poll. I bought candles from Animoo Candles, which I was happy to see return to Anime Impulse OC, since I am a fan of their fandom-inspired candle selections. As last year, I also purchased hairclips from Goobers Only, as they had released new clip designs. I actually don’t do much with my hair and prefer wearing hats, but these clips work well as hat clips, and I enjoy how they help me stand out in a crowd.
Once I was finished with Artist Alley, I retraced my steps to see if there was anything I missed, and found the AI Wrestling Ring. Yes, this year, there was a Wrestling Ring set up in collaboration with the entertainment company COMPTONMANIA. I’m personally not necessarily a fan of sports, but based on the crowd, there were plenty of AI attendees who happened to love wrestling. I almost got wrapped up in their excitement, but there was nowhere left to sit, and I was ready to go home at that point, so I left the Anaheim Convention Center.
But Anime Impulse OC was not quite through with me yet. Outside the convention center and on route back to my car, I stumbled across the KPop Demon Hunters Cosplay Meet Up. Photographers, other attendees, and cosplayers dressed as characters from the musical were gathered together, talking, exchanging information, and taking group photos. The cosplayers dressed as Baby Saja were just finishing up when I walked by, and up next were the cosplayers dressed as the HUNTR/X manager Bobby. I based this on the fact that the surrounding crowd started chanting “Bobby,” which made it clear Bobby was a fan favorite.
Overall, I enjoyed my time exploring Anime Impulse OC this year, and I hope to attend next year when they return to Anaheim, CA, as part of their con tour. I love that AI provides options for its attendees to enjoy and works to diversify the vendors, entertainment, and attending talent. It may still be smaller compared to longer-standing conventions, but each year, I can see it expanding and growing a more loyal fanbase. I cannot wait to see what this convention will bring in 2026!
