The Anime Impulse convention has been spreading across California, with shows in Los Angeles, Orange County, and the Bay Area. This past weekend, it held its Bay Area event in the Santa Clara Convention Center, but it didn’t come alone.
Anime Impulse Bay Area 2026 was combined with K-Play! Fest and Collectors Expo, making for a full weekend for fans of anime, K-pop, and collectible card games.
So, how was the convention? Let’s explore what worked well, where there’s room to grow, and how the con went overall.
Overview
Anime Impulse Bay Area was held at the Santa Clara Convention Center, a familiar venue for many local congoers. In the past, it’s hosted anime cons like Crunchyroll Expo and Japan Expo, as well as other events like Kubla Con Fall back in 2014.
The convention center is built for events just like Anime Impulse, so it has plenty of amenities, including an attached hotel. However, the venue was also hosting a cheerleading event, which partially blocked off some of the halls, making navigation slightly more challenging.
There was a single line leading into the convention, and at the start of the day, it stretched halfway around the convention center. To the con’s credit, the line moved at a steady pace, as attendees would have their tickets scanned on their way into the convention center and grab a badge from a nearby table. Anyone leaving would need to get their hand stamped so they could come back in.
Inside the convention center, there were a few different halls and rooms. Near the entrance, attendees could go to the V-Tuber meet and greets, or check out the arcade. A little further down, the largest rooms were used for the main hall, which featured guests, vendors, the Impulse Stage, and an artist alley.
Upstairs, the Main Stage hosted some of the larger events for the con, including concerts and panels. A smaller room nearby also hosted some vendors for Collectors Expo, although many of them had booths alongside vendors in the main hall.
While the hall did hold a lot of activity, that also made it very crowded and difficult to navigate. Moving through the artist alley section was often a challenge, and large events at the Impulse Stage (such as the All-K-Pop Random Play Dance) drew large crowds that filled the halls even further.
Shared Events
As mentioned, Anime Impulse shared its event with K-Play! Fest (a K-Pop-focused event) and Collectors Expo, where attendees could buy and sell trading cards . This meant that the main hall featured several booths for various K-Pop groups, as well as multiple vendors selling sealed and graded cards.
For the K-Play! Fest, attendees could buy merch, trade photocards, and participate in scavenger hunts. They also shared programming with Anime Impulse, so many of the panels were K-Pop-focused. This drew a large crowd, although it also meant there was a large crowd doing synchronized dances in the middle of the main hall.
Collectors Expo featured multiple vendors selling cards (mostly Pokémon and One Piece, but there were a few other games here and there). The prices ranged significantly, with many cards being offered for anywhere from hundreds to thousands of dollars, depending on their rarity and grade.
Anyone who plays those card games (or tries to play but finds that scalpers beat them to the punch every time new packs are in stock) can tell you that the price of cards has been skyrocketing lately, making it a lucrative market for those looking to sell (but frustrating for those looking to just get some cards of Pokémon they like and enjoy the actual game).
There’s plenty of crossover between the anime, TCG, and K-Pop fandoms, so there was certainly synergy between the events. However, it didn’t quite help with the crowds.
The Guests
Anime Impulse had an impressive guest list, featuring a combination of V-Tubers and voice actors. The voice actors included talent such as Samantha Béart (Karlach from Baldur’s Gate 3), Charlet Chung (D.Va from Overwatch), Alain Mesa (Chad in Bleach) and Brian Beacock (Takato in Digimon Tamers), among many others.
Even with all the talent, the guest with the longest line was almost always Sean Chiplock, known for roles such as Subaru in Re:Zero and, most recently, Kinger in The Amazing Digital Circus. TADC co-star Marissa Lenti (who voiced Gangle) also drew a crowd, with the two of them sharing a panel on Saturday where they discussed their experiences with and thoughts on the show.
Anime Impulse also had Matt Braly, creator of Amphibia and Clara and the Below. This was a rare treat for fans of the shows, who had the chance to meet the person who made them possible.
On the V-Tuber front, Anime Impulse brought in guests from Nijisanji, such as Doppio Dropscythe, Alban Knox, and Aia Amare. V-Tubers Iluna, Xsoleil, and Noctyx also held meet & greet sessions with fans throughout the weekend, where they would stream their V-Tuber personas onto a large screen with a video feed to meet fans as close to directly as possible.
But the biggest V-Tuber attraction was Club Ironmouse, which held a special concert for attendees, as well as a VIP experience before the show. This was a big draw for fans, taking up the Main Stage all of Saturday.
Events and Panels
Panels for Anime Impulse were split between the Impulse Stage in the main hall and the Main Stage upstairs. The panels themselves were also split between Anime Impulse programming and the K-Play! Fest.
For instance, on Saturday, the Impulse Stage hosted a “Fandom Mayhem” show that catered to attendees for both events, and a panel on The Amazing Digital Circus, but was otherwise focused on K-Pop events. On Sunday, the panels were a bit more balanced between the two, but it also took several hours to stream the FIFA World Cup final (which meant that attendees could enjoy the con while catching the match, but also felt very out of place at an anime convention).
The Main Stage was primarily focused on concerts, with Saturday being reserved for Club Ironmouse and Sunday featuring shows like the RE:WIND or ZZZ New Eridu Live shows. While it did also include a panel for Cookierun: Kingdom, the panel schedule was surprisingly light given the guests the convention hosted.
Outside of panels, Anime Impulse also hosted cosplay gatherings for fans of various series, including My Hero Academia, The Amazing Digital Circus, Genshin Impact, and more. With all the Nijisanji V-Tubers in attendance, it’s no surprise that there was a cosplay gathering for their fans as well. And of course, the entire convention was filled with talented cosplayers dressed as their favorite characters (however, the lack of a cosplay contest/masquerade was also noticeable).
Gaming
One point in Anime Impulse’s favor was its gaming hall, which was filled with a variety of arcade games. There were rhythm games, racing games, shooting games, and much more, providing plenty of options for attendees.
In fact, there was even a section set aside for Beyblade, and competitors did indeed let it rip.
Notably, even though there was an event dedicated to buying and selling trading cards, there wasn’t a room for card games (or any other tabletop games). Of course, that’s in no way a requirement for any convention, and the Collectors Expo was more focused on collecting cards than playing them, but it did feel like a bit of a missed opportunity.
Still, for anyone who wanted to enjoy an arcade, Anime Impulse had that covered.
Overall
There’s plenty to like about Anime Impulse, but there are just as many areas where there’s room for growth.
First: the guest list was great! The convention brought in some amazing voice actors, plenty of V-Tubers, and even a series creator. On the other hand, the guests were also under-utilized, and the convention would have benefited from more panels with them.
Similarly, the Impulse Stage was a great way to let attendees enjoy panels while walking about the con. It’s great when panel stages are placed in easily accessible locations, so attendees can check them out even while wandering and without needing to wait in a line. At the same time, the stage was mostly used for K-Pop events that would have benefitted from a larger space where they could perform, and crowds could dance without crowding the halls and blocking off vendors.
The dealer’s hall and artist alley featured some awesome vendors and fantastic artwork, showcasing local talent and providing plenty of shopping opportunities. But the halls were also crowded, stuffy, and difficult to maneuver.
The arcade featured a great selection of games and remained active throughout the weekend! There’s no “but” there; that part’s fully positive.
Note that none of the downsides are deal-breakers; rather, they are areas where the convention can focus on improving in future years. It’s always great seeing conventions grow and find where they shine over time, and Anime Impulse can certainly to do the same as well if it focuses on improving what works.
