Located at the Jacob Javitz Convention Center, day two of New York Comic Con was in full swing Friday afternoon. It’s one of the most expensive gaming, anime, and comic book conventions in the world. But there was a smaller event just one block away that was completely free. It’s called Kodansha House, and it’s basically a museum that showcases Kodansha’s best and most popular anime and manga.
The pop-up shop is open until October 18 and features a retail store, library, photo opportunities, special events, and more. One highlight of the experience is that each of their popular series gets a wall of manga panels and artwork. This was done for Blue Lock, Fairy Tail, Gachiakuta, Witch Hat Atelier, The Ghost in the Shell, and more. Within these walls was a sort of mini library where hundreds of manga volumes could be picked up and read freely.
I loved this room because it was a museum of their history. I picked up the first volume of Wistoria and skimmed through it, then I stared at the Fairy Tail and Witch Hat Atelier walls for a little bit. But the rest of the exhibit was way cooler. My two favorite exhibits where a booth full of Witch Hat Atelier props and a giant Gachiakuta graffiti wall. The Gachiakuta wall was honestly one of the coolest looking pieces of artwork that I ever saw in person.
There were also multiple places to take cool photos. You could sit on the Akira motorcycle and strike a cool pose or test your skills at a Blue Lock themed activation. I didn’t bother with the Blue Lock activation, but there was a replica locker next to it that looked so cool. There were also a couple arcade games, an Attack on Titan replica, and a few smaller things going on. You can check out all the photos we took here.
Kodansha House is a completely free event, and if you plan on going, expect to spend at least an house there. The activations are fun and there’s a lot of cool stuff to see. If you plan on shopping or want to take some time to read through a new manga, expect to waste a little extra time. Kodansha House is open until the 18th so you have time to visit if you’re in New York City.
You can also see a list of special events that are being held at Kodansha House here. Many of them are sold out already. You can also read about last year’s event here.