In November 2022, I attended Anime NYC for the first time. The annual convention takes place at the Javits Center in Manhattan and lasts for three days. The large venue is filled with art, music, merchandise, panels, video games, and food. There were cool set-ups and photo ops for a lot of the major animes, like Naruto, Hunter x Hunter, One Piece, and Dragon Ball Z. I went with my girl Leah V, who dressed as Shego from Kim Possible, and it was her first time at Anime NYC too.
I don’t really consider myself a cosplayer or a huge anime fan, and I think that’s important to note because I still had a great time! That said, I do enjoy anime! I grew up obsessed with Sailor Moon and Pokémon (I had a binder full of trading cards). And I have watched some more recent ones on Netflix, like Food Wars! So, in my opinion, anime conventions can still be a lot of fun no matter what your “level” of fandom is. Even if you go with less knowledge than me, you still get to experience the cosplay community and see some pretty amazing outfits. While we were exploring the convention, we got the chance to chat with other Black cosplayers, other plus size cosplayers, and I even met other moonies.
My Sailor Moon Cosplay
This was my first anime convention, so I figured it was only right to go with my original favorite anime character: Sailor Moon. I wore this look once for Halloween in 2021 and I was excited to wear it again. Growing up, I loved the Sailor Moon dubbed cartoon. I had the movies on VHS and I was always watching reruns on Cartoon Network. The friendships, romance, and magic felt so exciting and it was nice to revisit that feeling as an adult. Plus, I love opportunities to be carefree, nerdy, and dress up (of course).
It can be challenging to find plus size cosplay looks, especially if you don’t sew your own outfits. Luckily, I found this amazing look on Amazon! The Sailor Moon bodysuit and skirt set is less than $50 and available in sizes XXS–5XL. And then I added the choker, hair clips, white gloves, and red boots — all from Amazon. My red tights, which matched perfectly, are from Snag.
The After Party
After the convention, my friends and I hit up an after party. It was thrown by Lan Party Group, which one of my besties, Anuli, is apart of. I switched into a casual mini dress I got from Forever 21 and added some black tights and black booties. We ended the night dancing and having a good time.
What’s your favorite anime?
