In the world of anime, angels don’t just have wings—they come with unicorn horns, as seen above. That’s just one example of the visual wonders you can find at the third annual Anime Frontier festival, returning to Fort Worth’s Tarrant County Convention Center this weekend, December 8-10.
The convention’s return visit to Fort Worth is expected to attract 20,000 Japanese pop culture fans from across the U.S. They’ll be gathering to celebrate anime and manga in all their dizzying, fantastical glory. Anime Frontier “seeks to create and foster a space for imagination and creativity,” in a three-day experienced that’s “powered” by Crunchyroll, the video-on-demand streaming service owned by Sony Group.
Since its 2021 launch, Anime Frontier says it has been “intentionally planting roots” in Fort Worth, developing a growing presence in local comic book stores, with local artists, and businesses across the region. That’s in addition to the convention’s collaborations with both U.S. and international companies.
Featuring global DJs, VTuber sensations, live drawing exhibitions, and more
The crowd gets into it at a previous Anime Frontier convention. [Photo: Anime Frontier]
Anime Frontier’s lineup this weekend features guests who’ve flown in from Japan, an internationally celebrated DJ, VTuber sensations, well-known voice actors, manga maestros, exhibits, and more. Promising “an explosion of innovation, talent, and design,” the festival will offer everything hololive’s immersive VTuber experience to “captivating” live drawing exhibitions by Acky Bright.
Best of all: the people and costume watching. Anime Frontier is set to offer “visuals galore” with jaw-dropping things to see and experience all weekend long. The Anime convention expects 20,000 excited guests to walk the streets of FW for three days of excitement, community, and memorable experiences where Japan meets the West.
Scene from a previous Anime Frontier festival. [Photo: Anime Frontier]
Locals will be taking part
The Texas-based Pachinko Festival will be dropping into this year’s convention, bringing the beloved Japanese experience of vertical pinball with over-the-top lights and sounds.
Tom Warfield; President of Keller-based Galactic Gamez—a community hub for video games, tabletop games, and collectibles—will be one of the featured local exhibitors.
You can find out more about Anime Frontier by going here, and purchase badges to get into the event by going here.
A band performing at a previous Anime Frontier festival. [Photo: Anime Frontier]
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