On April 10, UMSL hosted the university’s first-ever anime pop culture convention. The convention drew a crowd of over 180 students, staff and children. Everyone joined for this one night to celebrate their love for Japanese anime and manga.
The event was meticulously planned by the Student Program Manager of Community and Belonging, Remy Xa, with the help of his supervisor, Jairo Javier Morales, over the course of eight months. Morales said, “We originally expected 80 people and throughout the event, the total number of attendees was double that. Every room was visited, every vendor had someone stop by and every activity had folks at it.” Michelle Dickerson, faculty member for the university’s Tiniest Triton program, expressed, “I saw more Triton Parents at this event than I have for any other event organized for students (who) are parents.”
The event spanned the entirety of the Millennium Student Center’s Century Rooms, along with five additional rooms. There were mural and craft rooms, a tea parlor with Asian games and a 24/7 anime watch party in the SGA chambers. The Main Exhibition Hall featured local artists and vendors from across St. Louis, including UMSL student artists like myself. The scale of this convention has been unlike any other student programming the university has seen outside of established campus traditions.
The anime convention consisted of three hours of nonstop showcases, activities and games. Students tested how well they knew their favorite shows in rapid-fire anime trivia and learned about Japanese fashion in a panel with UMSL student speaker Vivian Rhodes (artist name Rebie Reverie). Students got a chance to compete for the most creative costume and three winners took home prizes of anime merchandise, plushies and other goods. A fun performance by UMSL’s K-pop dance crew KHAOS, dancing to Hatsune Miku, captured the crowd’s attention. Local St. Louis’ Drag Queen Kapona, made a guest appearance at the convention and gave a fiery dance performance to the excited cheers of students.
UMSL’s first anime convention became a site of significant cross-cultural exchange. Nearly 200 people gained a deeper understanding of the joys that Japanese culture, such as anime, can bring, while also enjoying Vietnamese food and experiencing music and dance, including Vocaloid and Drag. To the UMSL students, faculty, local St. Louis vendors and performers that came to make this first convention memorable, rest assured, there are plans to recreate the magic next year. Morales excitedly proclaimed, “As a huge crowd favorite, anime UMSL will be back by popular demand! Scheduled for April 9, 2027, expect more performances, games, food and a larger stage!”
