Community-focused convention Animé Los Angeles called anime and manga lovers to gather at the Long Beach Convention Center from Jan 7-11. The event not only features spaces for artist ally and cosplay gatherings, but also offers unique events such as open karaoke and a formal ball. Many gathered in the hall to share their passion for costume, music and dance.
Madison Friedman, a California State University, Long Beach student, has been frequenting anime-centered conventions since 2022. Though she only started cosplaying last year, she said she is committed to crafting her own costumes.
Friedman created her red frog headgear with styrofoam and a bike helmet, then painted a thrifted lacrosse stick, spending over 10 hours on all the pieces of her look as Yuri Otani from the 2001 Japanese anime “Alien Nine.”
“I love that it’s a multi-talented hobby where you have to sew and sculpt and do makeup, so many other people do it,” she said. “When I was younger, liking anime was very stigmatized, like you just were a nerd if you liked it. But you come out here, and there are hundreds of people who like it too, and it feels very much like a certain camaraderie.”
Friedman’s college friends, Lauren Roehl and Jasmine Jordan, also designed and decorated their own costumes — 8-year anime convention enthusiast Roehl made her skirt and tie for her Twilight Sparkle set from “My Little Pony.” Jordan wore a self-made spiked wristband and a self-painted, spider-web-decorated denim jacket to complete her look as Spider Gwen from “Spider-Man.”
For them, ALA is the place for free self-expression and a sense of belonging.
“We went to the Chili’s down the street, and we ran into some characters that we recognized in the bathroom, and we were like, ‘Oh my god, Hi! You guys have a great weekend,’” Friedman said. “You don’t know anybody, but everybody’s in a great mood, and you know why they’re dressed up like that. So it’s just really awesome.”
In addition to cosplay appreciation, an evening dedicated to both costume and dancing has become a distinct attraction of the convention. The Twilight Gala is a prom reimagined: a formal social dance for cosplayers. It has been a tradition at ALA for five years. As a featured event on the first evening of the four-day convention, attendees come to join the crowd on a Thursday for an immersive experience of elegance and passion.
“Since prom felt like a one-time-only thing in high school, that’s what we try to fill the gaps,” said Craig Yamaguchi, co-founder of California Cosplay Gala and head of ALA Formal Dance. “A lot of people want to be like Prince Charming and Cinderella, so this is the best, closest thing we could experience.”
The gala required attendees to dress in formal attire upon entering the hall, and promotes cosplayers to form bonds with acquaintances on the dance floor. It is inclusive of all, no matter their prior dancing experience — before the formal ball at 7 p.m., the programming provided coaching sessions on the basics of ballroom and social dances throughout the afternoon. It prepares newcomers for everything from nightclub two-step and salsa to waltz and swing.
After planning for four months, Ciel Favre-Smith and Emile Asuncion finally joined the formal ball evening for the first time. Having been dancing ballet and a variety of styles since a young age, the two said they were excited to spend the night on the dance floor. Favre-Smith said they would have prepared more to show off some moves if they had known there would be dance performances.
“I think everyone’s just really friendly, and that’s something you can find here,” Favre-Smith said. “We can just be nerds, and it’s like our second Halloween.”
Yamaguchi said he took a dance class and immediately knew he wanted to share his delight with a larger crowd. He explained the gala drew about 1,000 people at ALA last year, and the California Cosplay Gala is striving to expand the space for cosplay lovers and dancers to more conventions.
“It’s just cinematic, you know,” he said, “I’m just a guy who wants to dance with people.”