Anime North 2025: Parking Lot Con Review

Looks like I was in Canada, eh? What a time. [Obnoxious Letterkenny accent] When: May 23-25, 2025 Where: Toronto Congress Centre Mission Statement of Anime North: “Anime North is an anime convention located in Toronto, Canada that celebrates anime, manga, music, games and all other forms of Japanese Culture! Anime North is a proud member of the International Otaku Expo Association 国際オタクイベント協会” Alas, this review is very short due to how little time I was able to spend on the convention grounds. Despite that, Anime North made quite an impression on me.

Anime North 2025: Everything’s Coming Up Miku

I would say that Anime North might be overwhelming for a newbie. The Toronto Congress Centre and affiliated hotels nearby made for an impressive amount of space. For con-goers, there was a sh*t load of things to do. A lot of it happened outside, thankfully. In addition to hundreds of cosplayers chilling and wandering, the lots had food trucks, a stage with various performances including a badass Taiko collective–Nagata Shachu – Toronto-based Taiko drumming and music group. The group were on location to perform from the opening ceremonies on Friday to the outdoor stage on Saturday to closing ceremonies on Sunday. There were plenty of dance groups (Japanese pop and Kpop are pretty popular in Canada too) like MAMESHiBA NO TAiGUN, Oishii Oreos and memorable car show. The Itasha Car Showcase was a treat to behold in the TCC South Parking Lot just north of the Otakubaloo Stage. P…