Thursday, July 9, 2026

Anime Expo 2026: Booths

 

Turbo Granny Cat statue promoting DanDaDan. New season next year.

 By Jonathan Bilski

Can love change a girl into a monster? What about a booth promoting it? Kaiju Girl Caramelise, airing now on Cruncyroll, was one of the many booths promoting new series that took steps a bit further. Instead of just being a normal backdrop photo-op, the staff would add a big ol' tail and horns to your head. Just like the protagonist from the new series. See, when she gets a bit anxious from lovely dovey stuff she turns into a kaiju. Great concept for a booth to promote the show. Heck, you got me showing it off here.


 Here's many of the booths that caught my eye at AX this year. 

The SEGA/Atlus booth had big lines, but was giving away great promo good and had fun photo-ops throughout the con.




 
This was just outside of the main hall, a nice reminder of Persona 4 Revival.

MEGA64 might have not had a panel at the convention, it was actually at the Alamo Drafthouse this year, but it's booth kept it's weird energy. 

It was not the Paul Giamatti Fan Club booth so many were hoping for.
 








No idea what Brown Dust II is? Neither did many other people, but the came out in droves for the free bags and the utterly insane boat booth. The font ripping of Final Fantasy, chef's kiss.

 

The gashapon booth was always busy with it's return to West Hall. The capsule toy collection always makes you want to stop and grab a neat little desk toy.

 
 
It had some competition this year from SEGA's brand of Gacha next to it with hanging balls.
 


Love and Deepspace has gotten so big it's a main hall booth this year. It's got a very stong fan base of ladies.
 
 
On love and troubling behavior involving it. There was a cute button masher promoting Needy Girl Overdose. A pretty messed-up anime on idol worship.

 


Two competing Japanese airline booths? They should have been next to each other like the capsule toy booths.



 


Not sure what to make of the Living in a World without Magic booth. Looks like it was a short online that got a lot of views and the people behind it want to make it a feature length film.



 A cute Junes cafe from the Persona series featuring tasty drinks.

 

Many booths were promoting through epic signage, backdrops and places to take photos.




 



The haptics booth Feel Tech was probably the strangest as they're trying to sell feeling characters? Specifically hololive characters through what seemed a tiny ball you pick up. Haptics current tech is to feel physically something programmed to touch you... not emotionally. But, it can help with emotion/ the moment in tone with a concert or let's say movie/performance. 

Think of it more like stereo sound. Something to enhance entertainment and make you feel as though the action is happening around you. I haven't seen anything with haptics that your imagining like a danger room or virtual reality setting where you can feel something on you. 

Haptics tech is more than just ball that passes on feelings of touch. However, in this case, it's still just a ball that lights up and you can feel movement in tandem with characters on screen. It's still so new, but they're trying to promote it.


 

We have a date for new episodes!