Courtesy of Anime Frontier
Anime Frontier is a Japanese pop culture convention organized by LeftField Media, creators of Anime NYC.
Before Marvel movies became mainstream, there was a time when geeky interests remained relatively closeted, associated with stereotypes of glasses-wearing teenagers reading comic books in the basement and trading Pokémon cards within their own circles.
Peter Tatara was, more or less, one of those kids. Tatara loved Japanese animation, and during high school, would organize anime clubs to bring together other students who liked the same things.
Little did he realize he'd one day be organizing some of the biggest "anime clubs" in the world.
Courtesy of Anime Frontier
Anime Frontier director Peter Tatara
Tatara is the show director of Anime Frontier, a new Japanese pop culture convention hosting its inaugural event Friday through Sunday at the Fort Worth Convention Center. Anime Frontier joins the lineup of conventions hosted by LeftField Media, creators of Anime NYC, which annually draws tens of thousands of fans looking to meet their favorite show creators while immersing themselves among like-minded peers in New York City.
For Anime Frontier, LeftField Media snagged one of the world's largest anime streaming services, Crunchyroll, as title sponsor. This weekend's event will feature more than 100 anime companies and publishers, meet-and-greets with voice talent and other celebrities, art shows, a cosplay competition, and a "Final Fantasy" concert among a packed schedule of other activities. For anyone who's a fan of shows like "Attack on Titan," "Demon Slayer," "My Hero Academia," or any other anime, this convention is the fever dream — happening in, of all places, a city known for cowboys, barbecue and 10-gallon hats.
So why bring an event like Anime Frontier to Fort Worth?
Tatara says talks of launching a convention in Texas had been ongoing for a while, as two of the biggest anime companies — Funimation and Sentai Filmworks — happen to be headquartered in the Lone Star State (Funimation in Flower Mound and Sentai in Houston). LeftField Media looked at the most obvious Texas cities — Dallas, San Antonio, Austin, etc. — but eventually concluded that one city truly embodied what the world thinks of when they think "Texas."
"We fell in love with Fort Worth," Tatara says. "Fort Worth was this amazing blend of both authentic, cowboy culture together with modern, cutting-edge amenities ... it's phenomenal, especially as we welcome Japanese guests in future years. Fort Worth is the Texas they imagine. We're so excited to bring an event here where they can experience cattle drives but then across the street have a fine-dining meal at a renowned restaurant."
With the venue booked and guests lined up, Anime Frontier circled May 8 – 10, 2020, as the dates for its Fort Worth debut. Of course, we know what happened there.
COVID-19 wound up bumping Anime Frontier to 2021, with a few adjustments — the biggest being a proof of vaccination or negative COVID test required for entrance. Masks are also required on all participants over the age of 5 while in Anime Frontier’s exhibition halls and panel rooms, and guests can also expect plexiglass barriers between themselves and celebrity guests during meet-and-greets. All COVID protocols outlined are here.
Nonetheless, the event still looks to be a big smash (a One-Man Punch, if you will). But on a grander scale, Tatara says, Anime Frontier is meant to give people who otherwise feel alienated in their interests, a place where they can feel like they belong.
"That's what resonates with me," Tatara says. "Anybody that walks through the door, this is their space. This is their party ... this is a place where they get to celebrate who they are and know that everyone else inside the building loves the same things they do."
Tickets and more information are available here.
