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Much like how government and commercial entities in Japan create anime mascots to represent themselves, BART created their own group of four mascots (who’s merch would appear across a few conventions). From there a convention of their own formed in 2025. They return again this year, even bigger. As a free event, this took place at a Bart station itself in Fremont.
The event was primarily made of merch tables, itasha cars, and three small stages. The tables act as the majority of the content, with the artist alley being the biggest area in total. With a few scatterings of tables for other conventions, and a very large booth for BART merch itself (it had a very long line that stretched from one end of the event to the other).
The stages present were the main stage (which primarily played music from DJs), the Neon Stage (which held the cosplay contest and presentation), and Concert stage (which had live band performances).
When it comes to more interactive content, it was sparse but still present. Such as the trinket trade station (a little table where attendees could leave and take small items), a stamp rally, and the manga mobile (a vehicle with books inside, and chairs next to the vehicle where you could sit and read).
All in all, this was quick event that was mostly for hanging out with people. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing considering it was only five hours long , free , and was based around the ease of transportation via the BART system. Unlike Fanime or Anime Los Angeles, this was more so an excuse to spend the day outside and a form of outreach for BART. Let see where BART takes us in future iterations of this event.
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]]>The post Offkai Expo 2026 appeared first on G33K-HQ.
]]>Heyo Humans. Recently, the convention Offkai Expo occurred between July 24-26, in San Jose California. A three event dedicated to the genre of entertainers known as vtubers. So we decided to go in and take a look at how this all works. This is Offkai 2026.
First and foremost, this type of event is focused on the dedication of fans have to their favorite vtuber talent. Whether it’s super well known or small indie vtuber, fans supporting their favorite was at the heart of Offkai. This was evident in the exhibitor’s hall, where you would find many small lines throughout. Zigzagging and sometimes lines for one vtuber will run side by side with lines for a different vtuber. Meet and Greets for vtubers were done via screens turned vertically and microphones /headphones given to fans to communicate with their favorites. In some instances, there was even special booths with 3D glasses.
In addition, many vtubers had cut outs/standees that were featured in certain rooms for attendees to take pictures with. Some were arranged together to make a small, make shift maze. Some standees could even be bid on for ownership in auctions ( some fans could be seen carrying their wins in the halls). You even had a flyer table that was constantly being combed through by attendees in order to find new vtubers to follow. There was even an 18+ section called Yabai Market, to satisfy the many tastes of the vtuber fandom.
This was all topped off by concerts on night 1 and 2 across in the civic center. A wild crowd was ready for the guests of the convention.
The other note worthy element was the interactive element of Offkai. There were such things as puzzles to win prizes, a stamp rally, ribbon collecting, trade decorations for their badges, and group meetups attendees could setup themselves on the Offkai website for whatever reason. The biggest one being the Off Choir. A choir that anyone can join that would sing as an opening act for the main concerts.
So that was the fifth holding of Offkai Expo. The big celebration and gathering of the vtuber fandom, and their strong dedication to it.
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First and foremost, are the 18+ panels. We’ll start of with my own yearly panel of An Uncensored Hentai Review (our tradition of comedy skits and hentai video clips being roasted). This year we had a slightly smaller crowd than previous years but they were the loudest we’ve had in our history (the audience chants taking on a life of their own).
One of my team members on this panel continued with her own panel called Exploring Eroge (a second year of holding this). A showcase of Japanese erotic games and those inspired by them (with an even larger number of games shown this year).
Then there was the JAV panel done by the folks over at A To J Connections. Once again they do their presenting of a variety of japanese adult films. As always they go over all the details, and going into what has become their signature element of presenting the shocking genres of JAV (it has become their tradition of seeing certain parts of the crowd walk out and counting how many remain towards the end).
Then there is the hentai themed merch sold. Over in the dealers, you had the long running booth that always sells hentai doujins behind a curtain each year.
Then over across town to the satellite location of Fanime called The Oasis (located 4 miles away at the Doubletree hotel), you had the night market. A dealers room that was exclusively filled with 18+ merchandise, and booths with cosplaying girls offering peculiar services. You had cosplayer Chyuku sell her used socks, Jennybelly sold photosets packages that also included her personal panties, and Kitty Nguyen had a customer pay to put a leash on him and lead him around the room on all fours. These young women even had a collective raffle that the gift of a canvas image print of their feet. The wild side of anime fandom was really on display at these specific booths.
In addition over at The Oasis was the hentai video room. which shows signs every year of shrinking attendance. In stark contrasts to many years ago when it was located in the convention, and you had very long lines to enter (and very loud crowds yelling at the screen). Equally sparse in attendance is the newly relocated dance. It too barely had people in it. The Hentai Video room even had a sign saying that the panel Bad Hentai was not located there and instead was over at the main convention center. Overall, my impression is that the night market continues to grow while everything at the Oasis regresses.
Then there is the infamous viral moment of the Girl Foot Juice at the unofficial event of Parkcon. Cosplayer Eimi/Chopsticks Chan had her feet soaking in a variety of liquors, lifted them out, and let droplets from the feet trickle down into the mouths of paying customers. Something that made the rounds on social media and went well beyond the community of Fanime.
Overall, Fanime has never been one to shy from the mature content of conventions. Even more so than last year it filled many corners, and something to looked forward to each Memorial day weekend.
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]]>The post Anime Los Angeles 2026 appeared first on G33K-HQ.
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Right off the bat I will say that the convention keeps getting bigger with each passing year. Hotels become even more of a battle to get , as our room was quite a walk from the convention center (with more hotels being added to the block).
In the convention center, the dealers room gets bigger and more diverse. I noticed more big, elaborate booths compared to the previous years. Expanding from the usual merch like figures and shirts, to hair anime themed hair products and candles with characters on them.
Then there was the panels and the ever expanding topics they cover. You had the usual talk of anime shows (such as Uma Musume), and then a panel going over the history of horror films in Japan (done by the bold an daring folks over at A to J Connections), and even a stand up comedy tournament. Of course since I am involved in the show, a quick mention of the Cosplay Wrestling federation at this convention. This marks the 12th year at Anime Los Angeles, and shows no signs of slowing down.
For the guests of honor, this year features the debut of legendary coslayer Yaya Han as a guest. She hosted the masquerade, hosted a panel about navigating social media, and took time to have lengthy talks with fans at her signing booth. Yaya really imparted her years of much knowledge through out that weekend.
Now with guests, there was the very notable absence of the long time repeating apearance of content creator Kaho Shibuya (a topic that is hard to ignore). This all stems from accusations Kaho made about Anime Los Angeles not compensating her hotel cost back in 2024, taking several months to respond back to the complaint, and fumbling the compensation once they initiated it. Whatever the operations behind the scenes are for the convention, we can at least hope any circumstances that may have led to these accusations aren’t repeated with future guests.
Overall, the convention expands, and the most notable part of that is the variety of panels and the dealers hall. That’s where it shines for this year. I look forward to what next year holds and the many cosplayers that are always ever present. Until next time.
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]]>The post Winter Anime Season 2026 appeared first on G33K-HQ.
]]>Heyo humans! Winter slowly approaches, and time for us to get a head-start on seeing what might be good in the coming anime season. So here are six predictions based on what might look interesting and unique. Let’s jump in!
Darwin Jihen
Charlie is a half human/half chimpanzee creature who was rescued from a science lab, and is later raised by a foster family. As he reaches his teen years he finds himself entangled in a terrorist plot by an extremist animal rights group. This one might good based on the fact that it’s a premise that would normally be used for comedy but is the topic of a suspense and drama anime.
Mayonaka Heart Tune
At a young age, Arisu Yamabuki listened to a radio show hosted by a personality known as Apollo. One day she vanished and years passed. One day Arisu finds himself meeting four girls involved in the high school broadcasting club , and one could potentially be the long gone Apollo. A good twist for a mystery of deduction story.
Champignon no Majo
The black witch Luna lives in a mushroom house making medicine, and lonesome due to the belief that her touch is poisonous and deadly. That is until she is drawn into the lives of certain people she observes. This one looks like it has a whimsical charm and appeal.
Kirei ni Shitemoraemasu ka
Wakana Kinme runs a laundry service in the seaside town of Atami. She has no memory of her past but makes many friends and memories while serving. This is a new take on the usual slice of life anime genre.
Kaya-chan wa Kowakunai
Chie-sensei is assigned to look after the troublesome kindergarten student Kaya, but soon discovers supernatural antics surrounding the young child. Billed as a “horror action series taking place in a kindergarten”, this anime is ready to give us something unique right from the get go.
Toumei Otoko to Ningen Onna: Sonouchi Fuufu ni Naru Futari
This story revolves around the invisible detective Akira Tounome and the worker at his agency , Shizuka Yakou . Romance soon begins to blossom. A fresh take on the romance genre in anime.
So there you have it, six anime on the horizon for the winter 2026 anime season. As usual, give them a good three episode viewing to decide if they are worthy of finishing. Happy watching.
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]]>The post Anime Impulse Bay Area 2025 appeared first on G33K-HQ.
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First thing first was entering. There was no onsite registration ,as everything went through paying online through qr code (which has become the norm at some conventions). Another difference was the absence of badges. If you wanted to enter and exit you got your hand stamped.
Another interesting aspect was the fact that is that convention was simultaneously held with the conventions K-Play Fest (a k-pop event) and Collectors Expo. All of which are operated under Impulse Universe inc. This also meant a ticket for one event meant entry for all of them. Which made this whole thing more like one convention with three subsections, instead of three conventions next to each other.
Of course of these events, it was all centered around the dealers halls. The usual vendors, autograph booths from guests, artist alley, arcades, and a stage set up for musical performances all in the same large hall. Most notable of vendors was the sponsor Toyota having a huge exhibit, where people could get inside cars on display.
Another standout was the vtuber section. There were cut out displays for attendees to take pictures with, designated areas for meet and greets, and the vtubers roaming themselves in mobile screens. I was greeted by the mafia themed vtuber The Ron, and given a very hilarious self explanation to who he is.
Then there was the Main Stage. The few places that was not interconnected to the large hall, and inside it’s own room. Most notable event there being the charity auction held by Japanese guest and content creator Kaho Shibuya. She auctioned off personal items to raise funds for The Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California. Audience members bid for such things as completed puzzles done by Kaho and large cardboard cut outs of her in a variety of cosplays. It was a lively event elevated by Kaho’s energetic attitude.
Overall, this convention was primarily a shopping experience. There was heavy focus on having as many vendors as possible but all other programming had very little thought (Kaho’s success with her event had more to do with her planning then by the convention itself). Seeing what was going to happen was made difficult because there was no program/guide app or physical booklet. Instead you had to look at the website to see what is happening at the convention. Most info was available but was difficult to navigate. This was made more troublesome by no signs at the stages themselves displaying the schedule for content. I was only there for day one, but I did speak to those who attended day two and they told me it was more of the same except slower attendance. The verdict, unless you are in the mood to really go on a shopping spree anime and kpop merch, this is a skip.There were moments to enjoy but they weren’t enough to carry the convention as whole.
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]]>The post Fanime 18+ – 2025 appeared first on G33K-HQ.
]]>First and foremost were the 18+ panels. There were plenty Fanime had to offer once the clock inched toward 10 pm. In here we’ll start off with the panel An Uncensored Hentai Review . Full disclosure, this a panel I run( so this is a good view from the inside). At the panel, a comedic video was shown reviewing a hentai series, as well as comedy skits done on stage. In addition , prizes of an adult nature being handed out at a contest. The audience was smaller than the previous year, but the energy of the audience was louder than before (very “lose some, win some” situation). Overall a high energy show that entertained.
This was in contrast to the panel Bad Hentai. Which was more of a straightforward examination of hilariously awful hentai.
In a similar vein but featuring live action, there was the panel of Nothing But JAV. Which talked about the adult film industry in Japan. The panel displayed not only the tropes of the industry, but also the oddball films involving super natural, scifi, and surreal elements. With the latter portion leaning into the much more extreme end of JAV (which resulted in some audience members walking out).
In addition to returning panels, there were new panels such as Eroge. A panel exploring erotic games from Japan. Primarily on the dating sim genre, but also such genres as RPG,first person shooter, and any other type of video game that could have sexual content crammed into it. There was also emphasis on how these type of games entered and influenced the American gaming market.
Not only was there 18+ content as the convention proper, but also simultaneously over Fanime’s satellite location at the Doubletree hotel 3 miles across town. The site(known as The Oasis) primarily featured a market, video rooms, and games centered around an 18+ nature. The Night Market (which heavily focused on 18+ drawn art, and complimented the hentai vendors in the main convention center) was the room mostly attended (extremely packed with people), while everything else very sparsely attended. The location was something attendees checked out for a short while and then exited. Made apparent by the long lines to board the shuttles heading toward The Oasis, as well as long lines to board exiting shuttles.
Overall, Fanime has a very well rounded offering of hentai. Panels, games, and merchandise . Despite 18+ content being divided between the main convention center and The Oasis, there was enough to go around and till fill every corner.
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]]>The post Spring Anime Season 2025 appeared first on G33K-HQ.
]]>Hello humans! A new writer here (that being me, Glitch ), and what better way to introduce my articles then with a good ole anime season prediction picks on what might be good for this spring. I usually look to see what seems interesting and what could stand out from the pack. So let’s take a gander and make some predictions on what could be some good anime shows.
Haite Kudasai, Takamine-san
Below average student Koushi stumbles upon the secret behind the success of perfect and popular student Takane. Which is that when she strips she can magically undo past events.
This fresh take in the ecchi genre is sure to be something to keep an eye on.
Kowloon Generic Romance
In the distant future, Hajime Kudou dreams of the famed walled city of Kowloon, while his coworker Reiko Kujirai dreams of the future of real estate. Soon sparks fly between them in this setting of future and past.
The combination of scifi and romance with the historic location of the walled city in Hong Kong makes this a unique show to watch for.
Apocalypse Hotel
After the collapse of civilization, the location of a Ginza hotel is still maintained by it’s robot staff long after humans have disappeared from the area.
A very interesting, fun, and vibrant take on a post-apocalyptic setting.
Mono
Four girls combine the failing cinema club and photography club to form the CinePhoto club. They test out all sorts of cameras while their friend uses these antics for inspiration for the manga she is drawing.
All of these different things going on all at once in this anime is gonna be interesting to watch how unfold.
Uchuujin MuuMuu
A cat-like alien named Mumu arrives on Earth to learn how appliances work (in order to help recover technology his species has lost), and makes life a chaotic storm for the human he finds himself living with.
A fun take on the trope of an alien landing and getting used to the ways of Earth (this time with a cat and appliances).
Nazotoki wa Dinner no Ato de
Rich heiress Reiko wants to solve murder mysteries and notices her butler Kageyama has a knack for solving them. This in turn leads to him solving mysteries she presents to him over the course of a dinner.
A intriguing twist on the crime drama section of anime.
So those are the anime predictions for this season. Make sure to give them at least a three episode try to see if they hold your interest. Happy viewings.
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