Well, this is new.
After going back and forth on it longer than I should’ve, I made a tough call on something that actually means a lot to me as an anime fan: I’m skipping Anime Expo (AX) this year.
Typing that out still feels weird.
For the longest time, AX has been automatic. No debate, no overthinking—it just happened every summer.
Which is probably why this decision took way longer than it should’ve.
To be clear, this has nothing to do with the con itself. The last couple of years have actually been great. Crowded? It’s the largest anime convention in North America, after all. But it never felt as overwhelming as it could’ve. Just good energy, good vibes, and a lot of great memories…whether that’s wandering the Exhibit Hall way longer than I planned or ending up at a random late-night panel that somehow becomes the highlight of the day.
The real issue this year came down to timing.When I actually looked at what I’ve got coming up, reality hit:
Fanime? Locked in.
Dragon Con? Locked in.
Japan? Pretty much locked in.
Anime Los Angeles? Already locked in.
Katsucon? Looking very likely.
If you’re keeping score at home, that’s four conventions and an international trip over the next year. At some point, something has to give. For the first time in a long time, I didn’t default to “do everything and deal with it later” (which, historically, has been my brand).
I actually stopped and asked what I wanted to prioritize—and what was worth the time and energy. As much as I like AX (and my attendance streak definitely backs that up), it just didn’t make the cut this year.
Which surprised me—not the decision itself, but how okay I am with it.
A few years ago, I would’ve forced it. Told myself I had to go just to keep the streak alive. Squeezed it in even if it didn’t really fit—and that’s usually when something that’s supposed to be fun starts feeling like an obligation. I didn’t want AX to turn into that.
Planning out this year—especially with Japan—has made me a lot more intentional about how I spend my time and energy. This just feels like an extension of that. Skipping AX this year doesn’t mean I’m done with it. It just means I’m not forcing it.
And the streak ending?
It doesn’t feel like a loss the way I thought it would. If anything, it feels like a reset…one that is probably long overdue.
