Anime Expo Chibi brings the massive annual LA event down to size in Ontario, CA!
There are no shortage of Anime conventions in Southern California.
The same goes for the rest of the United States, but especially in SoCal. But what do you do when you have one of the biggest Anime and Japanese Culture events in the US every summer? Well, you make more of them.
After battling a global pandemic like the rest of us, lots of cons were struggling to get back on their feet, often scheduling new, stripped down, attendee capacity conscious events in order to get back up and running while not attempting to draw the usual massive crowds and needlessly put tons of people at risk. In 2022, like many others, the folks behind Anime Expo did just that, but in the fall instead of the heat of summer, and at a smaller venue way on the other side of Los Angeles, in Ontario at their convention center.
Thus, Anime Expo Chibi was born! If you don’t already know, “Chibi” is known as a style of “super deformation” art, often depicting popular characters in smaller, cuter ways. This smaller, somewhat “deformed” yet cuter version of the kaiju-sized, LA-based Anime Expo held every July still filled the halls with anime, manga, gaming, and Japanese culture fans far from the big city. And they returned to do it again this year in Ontario with an even bigger crowd, a huge tent full of artistic talent, and an expanded programming schedule, both inside and outside the venue.
Inside, I fed my desire to collect tiny plastic gashapon machines dispensed from full-sized, real life gashapon machines. I’ll soon have enough to run my own tiny shop in my own home-based Akihabara. In the adjacent tents, fans picked through an endless selection of vintage games and the consoles that played them, while others snatched up original artwork from aisle after aisle of talented artists, working mostly within styles that are uniquely Japanese.
Outside, I fed my belly with delicacies from Japanese and Korean food trucks and vendors. No cheeseburgers and pizzas here. From sushi to udon to yakitori, if you had a hankering for authentic Japanese meals and treats, this was the place for you.
Once you grabbed a bite, there were no shortage of activities to keep you busy, from e-gaming tournaments and live concerts to karaoke and workshops on how to craft the perfect rice balls, there really wasn’t an option to become bored over this two day event.
Of course, there are few places better than an Anime Expo to find some of the most outrageous and beautifully designed cosplay, giving us just a tease of what’s to come at Anime Expo 2024 next July.
