If I told you I went to an anime convention for four days and barely attended any programming, you’d probably assume it was a terrible con.
Honestly? Fair.
But that’s the thing about Anime Los Angeles (ALA)—it’s not the kind of convention where your weekend lives and dies by how many panels you hit. ALA has programming (mostly fan-run, aside from guest events), but for me, it’s always been about something else entirely: the people.
ALA is a social con in the purest sense, and if you’ve ever been, you already know the biggest giveaway: badge ribbons. By day two, everyone’s badge is covered like they’re trying to unlock an achievement, complete a side quest, and win the con all at the same time. It’s basically the convention version of collecting Pokémon gym badges—except instead of battles, you earn them by being mildly brave and talking to strangers about anime, cosplay, or whatever fandom has taken over your brain that week.
This year marked my 17th ALA (which feels both impressive and mildly alarming) and my second year as con staff, and I can honestly say it was one of my favorite years. After a rough few months prior to the convention, ALA 21 ended up being the exact kind of reset I didn’t realize I needed. It was a weekend where “real life” felt like it got put on pause for a bit—and I got to just exist in a space where everyone’s there for the same reason: to have fun and be unapologetically nerdy together.
After helping with Day 0 setup and an all staff meeting discussing the rules for the weekend and other important information, it was officially time to enjoy the con. One of the coolest additions this year was ALA partnering with the historic Queen Mary for a reception in the Observation Bar. I wasn’t even planning on going at first, but I made a last-minute decision to check it out—and I’m really glad I did. Even though I didn’t stay long, it was the perfect way to kick off the weekend and instantly set the tone: this is going to be a good ALA and honestly… it really was.
The best part of the weekend was just getting to talk to so many people, meet up with friends, and make new ones along the way. I even ran into a few first-time ALA attendees who mentioned how different the vibe feels compared to other cons—in a genuinely good way. It’s hard to explain unless you’ve experienced it, but ALA has this laid-back charm that sticks with you. Even with the con growing into a mid-size event (and this year hitting a record 21K attendance), it somehow still manages to feel like the same ALA I’ve loved for years. Bigger venue, bigger crowd… but it still keeps that “hotel con heart.”
The programming I did make time for—like another excellent AMV contest—was great, but it was honestly just the bonus content. The real main event for me was the community: ribbons, conversations, fandom bonding, and that perfect ALA feeling where you can just wander around and something fun will happen. If I skipped every single panel and spent the entire weekend just talking to people, I still would’ve walked away happy.Because that’s ALA.
Yeah, this recap is belated… but I’m still riding that post-con glow (and recovering from ‘con crud’, so I’d say it counts.
