Anime Expo 2023 took place from July 1-4 at the Los Angeles Convention Center in DTLA
The pop culture convention is one of the premier happenings for anime, manga, Japanese comics, upcoming films, and beloved television series
The event traditionally happens over the first weekend of July; tickets quickly sell out, year after year
Major artist sightings, huge character reveals, anticipated book debuts, and all sorts of one-of-a-kind shopping opportunities: Anime Expo has become an ultimate go-to for gazing at the good things ahead and at enduring favorites of the past.
And the convention's celebrated cosplay element, which brings together a host of whimsical worlds representing anime, manga, and the fanciful, fan-pleasing flows of pop culture?
It's beyond famous, with attendees spending a considerable amount of time, effort, and imagination on elaborate costumes that pay tribute to favorite characters, stories, and speculative realms.
The 2023 event, which wrapped on July 4, sold out quickly (another feature of the popular convention: tickets have a way of being snapped up in a speedy fashion). But you can see some of the spectacular sartorial choices made by attendees at the recent convention below while planning ahead to the 2024 expo.
Zeng Hui/Xinhua via Getty Images
Anime fans dressed up as comic and animation characters pose for photos during the Anime Expo 2023 at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, the United States, on July 1, 2023. Anime Expo 2023, the largest anime convention in North America, was launched in Los Angeles on July 1, 2023. The show, which runs until July 4 at the Los Angeles Convention Center, brings together fans and industry professionals from over 60 countries and regions. (Photo by Zeng Hui/Xinhua via Getty Images)
Anime fans dressed up as comic and animation characters pose for photos during the Anime Expo 2023 at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, the United States, on July 1, 2023. Anime Expo 2023, the largest anime convention in North America, was launched in Los Angeles on July 1, 2023. The show, which runs until July 4 at the Los Angeles Convention Center, brings together fans and industry professionals from over 60 countries and regions. (Photo by Zeng Hui/Xinhua via Getty Images)
Anime fans look at anime toys during the Anime Expo 2023 at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, the United States, on July 1, 2023. Anime Expo 2023, the largest anime convention in North America, was launched in Los Angeles on July 1, 2023. The show, which runs until July 4 at the Los Angeles Convention Center, brings together fans and industry professionals from over 60 countries and regions. (Photo by Zeng Hui/Xinhua via Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, UNITED STATES - JULY 01: Cosplayers pose for a photo during Anime Expo 2023 at Los Angeles Convention Center on July 1, 2023 in Los Angeles, United States. (Photo by Zhang Shuo/China News Service/VCG via Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, UNITED STATES - JULY 01: A cosplayer poses beside a sculpture of Monkey D. Luffy during Anime Expo 2023 at Los Angeles Convention Center on July 1, 2023 in Los Angeles, United States. (Photo by Zhang Shuo/China News Service/VCG via Getty Images)
An anime fan takes photos during the Anime Expo 2023 at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, the United States, on July 1, 2023. Anime Expo 2023, the largest anime convention in North America, was launched in Los Angeles on July 1, 2023. The show, which runs until July 4 at the Los Angeles Convention Center, brings together fans and industry professionals from over 60 countries and regions. (Photo by Zeng Hui/Xinhua via Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, UNITED STATES - JULY 01: A girl poses for a photo beside Kaonashi or No-Face, an animation character from the film 'Spirited Away', during Anime Expo 2023 at Los Angeles Convention Center on July 1, 2023 in Los Angeles, United States. (Photo by Zhang Shuo/China News Service/VCG via Getty Images)
