AnimeNYC ’24 – Sonic Boom Box: THE AP

Joseph Watkins - Da Watcha

There were many after-parties for Anime NYC ‘24, including a yacht party, an anime mashup at the river pavilion in the Javitz Center, and a party by the ITSF Collective called Plastic Love: A Japanese City Pop Party. There were also many afterparties as well.

As for me, I attended SonicBoomBox’s annual Anime NYC afterparty at Spin 23 on Saturday, and they did not disappoint.

With music by Anime Night Club3 and DJ Taylor Senpai, the crowd never stopped dancing, gaming, drinking, and playing ping-pong.

As I walked in the famed club, anime reigned supreme as many people cosplayed as their favorite characters, ranging from Mashle to One Piece to the Final Fantasy series. With this mixture of fantasy and reality, the gaming section also added to the ambiance as many battled their peers. It was so intense that one person pulled out a Beyblade battlefield and welcomed all challengers.

Anime NYC '24

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Anime NYC '24 〰️

Khleo Thomas also made a surprise appearance as he played pong and danced with content creators.

When it comes to Sonic Boom Box, it’s an underground scene that beats with the passion bounded by the love of pop culture. In this club, where the lines between reality and anime blur, you see this anime culture and its community thriving. For many, strangers become allies, and battles—whether on-screen or with a Beyblade—were rites of passage as many high-fived each other saluting the other person’s skillset. This night was more than expected; it was a celebration of anime, gaming, hip-hop, and cosplay—the kind of night that reminds you why you keep coming back for more.

Respect.