Congratulations to all the winners.  Wanted to give a Big Congrats and Shine some light to all the amazing cosplayers that Particpated and Won at the 2025 Edition of the Dream Con Cosplay Contest. Every Year the Skill Ceiling raises and we get blown away by some of the most Amazing cosplays we have seen (and we be outside alot seeing 100's of cosplays every year) .   Pictures by a.shen_media  and planegangpilot   This years outing was Hosted by tiffiestarchild   The MC and DJ -  New yorks Very own timtrilla   it was Judged by 3 Heavy Hitters in the Space Cutiepiesensei  NeverendingDreamz  and Sunflow3rsamurai   A Photo of The Cosplay Contest Contestants    The Winners of the Cosplay Contest  Cosplay Runway MVP  as Sun Wukong  Judges choice -  lbthesage As Guts Best Novice - draxxisa As Sailor Ekko (a Mashup of a Sailor Scout from Sailormoon and Ekko from league of legends ) Best Journeyman -  Casualgoof as Guardian Set from Monster Hunter  Winner of the Master Cosplay Tier -  Nerdy Builds as Rajang from Monster Hunter  Best In Show - mega.mite  as Belle from Beauty and the Beast   We cant wait to see what next year looks like!  

Urban Anime Lounge will be there for the 3rd time at AniTOMO Convention.   Incase you dont know its a Free Anime and Manga Convention that Happens Yearly in the Japan village located in Brooklyn New York .  We will be there taking pictures and video and having fun.   Stay on the look out - Saturday July 19th 2025 Be ready for a day jam packed with activities, food, events and shows. you never know what will happen.  Keep up with them on IG Here (schedules and activations will be posted week of)  Tickets can be found Here  

Experience the precision and artistry of Japanese swordsmanship! Members of the New York Budo Association showcase their Kenjutsu and Iaido training, providing a fascinating look at the Ryushin Shouchi Ryu style  (discover more about it here)   This is their 2nd time at Anitomo convention and we hope to see them again this year! Enjoy her or on our youtube channel. 

The Baby Bottle Boys are a collective of Eight from the tristate area (NYC) In case you are unfamiliar, Take a look at what they did last year to win the "Advanced Performance" award during the 2024 Anime NYC Mascarade. They Literally took over the show. The energy that was brought had the entire audience cheering for almost 7 minuites straight.  Masterfully weaving through series from Demon Slayer to One piece to Jujutsu Kaisen it was one of the best anime adjcent dance performances we have seen in quite some time.  If you didn't know, our media team has two members who are really engaged with the Dance Community in NYC, so we quickly became fans! You can't achieve moves like this without some serious choreography and practice.  So you dont know how hype we were to find out they will be returning this year not as compettiors but as the Official Half Time Performers for the 2025 Anime NYC Cosplay Mascarade. We seriously cant wait to see what they do this year. Be on the look out if you are in attendence, it will be "Must See TV" *Charles Barkley Voice*

  Curious about living or working in Japan long-term? Check out this open panel forum from the Black Japan podcast at Anitomo Con! Join Shadrach Reid and Kiaranycjp as they delve into the realities of life in Japan, from navigating the job market and paying bills to finding an apartment and even choosing the right shampoo. They also break down the essentials of securing a job or work visa/permit and even explain the role of a guarantor. We hope that you gain some insights and can weigh the pros and cons to what to expect to living in Japan or stretching out your vacation with an extended stay with a little bit of work sprinkled in.  Please enjoy our video coverage of this event here  below or on our YouTube channel     shadrachreid   is the host of the Black Japan Podcast and a Musician Check out his soundcloud here https://soundcloud.com/daniel-reid-337828721  or listen to some of their older episodes of his podcast here https://open.spotify.com/show/72bTP7EpdnssDxCOKOhuUo   kiaranycjp   is Media personality (in Japan and in NYC)  and a proficient Japanese speaker and she gives tips to those that wish to level up. Be sure to check out her website, https://kiaraspeaksjapanese.com/, follow her on Twitch for her live learning session’s   https://www.twitch.tv/kiaranycjp

The team members at Urban Anime Lounge have always had some involvement with Dream Con since year 0. From Waco to Arlington and we are glad to sponsor some component and for this year we are back at it again this year for 2025. This is a big change for dream con as it will be in a whole new location and in a whole new city and new convention center, you already know be on the look out for some of our coverage, Pictures and Videos Coming by September, We Promise. For this year’s contest. It will be Hosted by Tiffie StarChild With Judges Our Communities Very Own Cutiepiesensei alongside Never Ending Dreams and Sunflow3rsamurai If you want to apply, Be Sure to Hurry Application Deadlines closing In May https://www.dreamconvention.com/cosplay-contest-2025  

(this article will be updated as new media is added) One of Our favorite local anime conventions J1 Con is back for the 2025 anime convention season.  Urban Anime Lounge will have some involvement. We will be doing media coverage and some panel coverage alongside some photography and maybe some creative reels, maybe even.  More We finna be outside in New Jersey coming soon September 27 - September 28 2025. Be on the lookout for tickets and the website updates coming soon, The live video on Instagram also Dropped and can be seen here where he answers questions and answers from the audience talking about where he's been what he's been up to and some of the major changes coming to J1 con for 2025.    In case you didn't know it, Jason Richardson (the owner of J1 Con and J1 Studios) had a heart to heart in this video (coming out soon) where he goes over the hardships and stresses with running an anime convention. The fees and the cost that it has on your mind and body.  

Urban Anime Lounge was one of the sponsors for the Blerdcon Cosplay Contest (2025). To mark the occasion and congratulate the victors, we produced reels and after-show promotional content. This article features the contest winners.  Be on the Lookout for the "Blerdcon Kids Cosplay Contest 2025"  and the "Blerdcon Cosplay Contest 2025" Video dropping by the end of May.    All Pictures are by ashenmedia.   This years Judges  @jinafiire, @scificheergirl, and @exuberantcosplay. The Hosts mythril_arts and Cookiee Kawaii   The New 2025 Black Cosplayer of The Year blaqueknyght Cosplay Directors Choice  bishi_boshi Best Journeyman urfavtaurus.cosplay @jinafiire judges Choice   _pythonvsx_ Best Presentation Mysteeree Best Novice Kisses Kay @scificheergirl Judges Choice  Honey Butter Cosplay   @exuberantcosplay. Judges Choice youradearr   See our spotlight Reel on Instagram View this post on Instagram A post shared by Urban Anime Lounge (@urbananimelounge)  

We Made a Black Fae Day Edit, Shot Edited and Produced by Our In house team  View this post on Instagram A post shared by Urban Anime Lounge (@urbananimelounge)      Black Fae Day is an annual celebration that takes place on the second Saturday of May. It was created in 2021 by Jasmine Le Fleur to promote the positive representation of Black fairies in fantasy, and to celebrate the depth of Black folklore and the fantastical. The day is celebrated around the US and UK See More Here    Thank you to the following for allowing us to capture your Fae looks  Kris J | The Sparkle Coach ✨  Mercedes Snyder star_galaxie sixth_raikage_6 joetsg theblackmccoy Tiffany ❤️ MzzSkittles mamamiyacosplay mikami_cosplays The Sparkle Goddess Kris J Cocoakage Cosplay

We will be adding a running archive on our site. But wanted to give a Thank you and Shout out to those that were in our line up this year .   @sixth_raikage_6  @vernievrn  @yukicrissy  @swaggycosplayer @delta_major @rotten_yams  @lolagbenjo @kawaii.fatu @stargotsole @kai.esh_black @velvethoneybee @ecsentric_ @mikedastardly87 @ani.negaverse @roboyokostar @ospreycosplay @jammin_jenee  @ani.negaverse @skyofthehiddencloud @madimorphosis_ @jay.roseeee  @gl_fresh_k @exuberantcosplay @tafkardesign_@roux_fee_ohh@teeniecosplays  @minigremlincupcake @mz_mecedes_cosplay @nostalgiajunki3 @stunt4cedesigns      

Peep the Gallery on our Facebook Like Page 

The grand finale of our summer tour is here!!! UAL's meetup has become an annual pilgrimage for members of our Community. It serves as a testament to the enduring power of anime and a strong community to bring people together and create a sense of belonging.We recently held our anticipated 5th annual meetup in the vibrant city of New Orleans.

For our 5th Annual meetup

This year we tried something different and Had an Event in the Dream Lounge At Dream Con.  We had a DJ and a Bar and a time was had.  Next Year we gonna try to make a whole movie. 

Just like we did for blerdcon we plan on pullin up kinda heavy for dreamcon. Here is our tentative schedule for some of the activities for the weekend. 📍This weekend catch us in Austin, TX at the one and only Dreamcon ☁️🌐 From twerk and cosplay contests to our pregame lounge and post dinner meetup- come party with us all weekend 🤸🏾‍♀️🥳🎉  

The cosplay competition at Dream Con has returned, and this year it promises to be elevated to new heights. Esteemed cosplayers CutiePieSensei, AllieCatCosplay, and Midnightpursona have been invited to serve as special guest judges and the event will be hosted by Rinnegoddess. It is with great pride that Urban Anime Lounge announces its sponsorship of this event, and we eagerly anticipate the display of  cosplay talent.

We really pulled up heavy.  Cant wait to see what we do for 2024

  Blerdcon is finally here & UAL finna be outside! ☀️🎉 Pull up, pregame, & party w/ us all weekend! 🍾💃🏽 Times are tentative but make sure to check our Discord & Facebook Group to stay in the loop!

In case you didn’t Know Urban Anime Lounge aka UAL, is a prominent organization in the anime community that is 100% Black-owned. We are pleased to announce our continued sponsorship of the cosplay contest at Blerdcon. As a leading advocate for diversity and inclusivity in the anime space, UAL recognizes the significance of providing opportunities for cosplayers to showcase their talent and creativity. This year the event will be recorded and posted on our YouTube Channel. Additionally, the judges for the cosplay contest will be Cocoasugarcosplay, Blueclarice (2022's Black Cosplayer of the Year), and Masked Dad Workshopp. They will be heavily involved with picking who will be the next Black Cosplayer of the Year. Also, for the first time ever, there will be a Kids Cosplay Contest, with guest judges Karan Ashley, Afrococoapuffs and Doyouspeakgeek Dono. If you are going to be at Blerdcon 23 We encourage you not to miss out. Saturday, July 8 @ 6:00pm.

We had a chance to cover Anime NYC & y'all know it’s our mission to highlight all the Black geeks & spotlight Black representation ✊🏽So shoutout to Crunchyroll for giving Many Content creators and outlets a chance! It was dope to see all of us doing our thing this year. From being featured guests, panelists and to main stage Cosplay Contestants & judges 🙌🏽          

Urban Anime Lounge (UAL) spent the month of July proudly supporting two major Black-owned conventions: Blerdcon and Dreamcon Blerdcon, held in Washington, DC from July 7th-9th, provides an inclusive environment and celebrates Blerd culture. For the second year in a row, UAL sponsored their annual cosplay contest by providing $1,000 in cash prizes and gifts. This year's first place winner is @blueclarice for her Joylne Kujo (JJBA: Ocean's Stone).  Dreamcon, held in Arlington, TX from July 15th-17th is devoted to anime and gaming related experiences. UAL provided the first place prize for their cosplay contest. The winner, Malika, was awarded $1,000 for their Neliel Tu (Bleach) cosplay. Additionally, UAL walked the event floor interacting with attendees and interviewing guests, including the con's creators' RDCWorld1.  To ensure you never miss a sponsored event, follow us on Instagram and join our Facebook community. Be on the lookout for both con recaps on our Youtube channel. 

Urban Anime Lounge is back at Dream Con and sponsoring the cosplay contest this year. It is a mission for Urban Anime Lounge to support Black-owned organizations and the black geek community, so what better place to be than Dream Con? Dream Con has a growing cosplay community, so it was important for us to support the cosplay contest with a $1,000 cash prize. We look forward to seeing all of the creativity and see the guest judges in action.  There's still time to enter the contest! Sign up here.     

Urban Anime Lounge Partners & Pledges $500 to HBCU Con 2022! One thing about Urban Anime Lounge, we are always gonna support the Back Geek community! We're very happy to have been able to pledge $500 to HBCU Con 2022 and become part of the "Fellowship of the Quad."  Not only did we pledge, we are now official partners with HBCU Con! We truly value supporting creatives, and we really had to show up for their first kickstarter and live convention. HBCUs are critical to the Black community and HBCU Con provides a unique way to enhance the intersectionality between HBCU and Black Geek experiences. Two of our Co-founders, Stefanie and Tiffany, have also attended HBCUs :) HBCU Con 2022 was on April 29-May 1st at Bowie State University in Maryland.  More information: https://hbcucon.org/

On February 14, 2022, Urban Anime Lounge held its sweetest event yet - the 5th Annual Sweet Valentine virtual exchange. The event, which promotes friendship, love and cheerfulness, invited group members to exchange heartfelt and humorous messages with a bag of assorted sweets. The event culminated in over 60 participants and 350 messages mailed all over the U.S.  Sweet Valentine started as a way to uplift platonic love during a holiday dedicated to couples. It has become especially important during the COVID-19 pandemic as it is a way for members to physically connect in the absence of live gatherings and events. We look forward to next year!  To learn more about this and other upcoming events, find us on Facebook at Urban Anime Lounge.

New year, new UAL Slay Challenge! Urban Anime Lounge held its annual winter theme challenge "Winter Glitz: New Year, New Me" from December 26, 2021 to January 9, 2022.  This time, over 20 participants were tasked with creating a look that reflected how they wanted to enter the new year. Members had free reign to use any color scheme with the only criteria being that their look must include one shiny element. Winners were awarded beaded jewelry, earrings, or hair accessories to match their personal style from Black owned Businesses including: HoopMobb, SelfCare BTQE, and Marcelles Designs. To view the winners and participants, check our Instagram! Want to participate in our next seasonal challenge? Make sure you’re following our #UALSlay tag on social media. 

What Facebook group do you know that gives our annual awards for their outstanding members? Urban Anime Lounge, duh. :) Each year, our co-founder Cedric, invites group members to vote on their top contenders for the year. Categories include everything from Anime of the Year, Movie of the Year, Cosplayers of the Year & more 🎬🎭🦹🏾‍♀Check out our 2021 winners and additional categories on Instagram. 

On Saturday, December 11, 2021, Urban Anime Lounge (UAL) hosted its second virtual "Ladies’ Night" via Zoom. This event was open to women, femmes, and non-men group members only.  As a way to combat the effects of the feelings of loneliness brought on by both the pandemic and seasonal depression,UAL’s Ladies’ Night promised something akin to a pajama party, with a night of fun and fellowship. Whereas our first "UAL Ladies Night 2020" offered twerk lessons and drinking games, this year’s event focused on self-care and goal setting. Attendees followed a shared recipe for a signature cocktail, participated in a homemade face mask tutorial, and created 2022 vision boards all while discussing everything from dating to world travel. To follow women focused events and topics be sure to follow the #UALSlay hashtag in our Facebook group.

Urban Anime Lounge held our 5th annual Secret Santa event for December 2021. This is one of the most anticipated virtual events for our community with over 150 members participating. “UAL Secret Santa” is a special time for Black geeks to come together and spread holiday cheer with gifts that really highlight their love for anime and other nerdy interests.  To make this event most efficient, Urban Anime Lounge’s IT team has built our very own website exchange system tailored to our needs. Members are matched based on tiers, able to communicate with their Santas anonymously, and receive updates and reminders. We also use a private Facebook group for members to interact with each other, engage in holiday activities, and to openly reveal their gifts.  One of the major highlights for the Christmas season is our “UAL Secret Santa for Kids” where members sign up to sponsor families within our Facebook group to alleviate holiday stress. For 2021, we raised over $1,200 in sponsorships and gifted 50 children. Special thank you to all of our sponsors and members for making this such a great time of year! 

Urban Anime Lounge's Virtual Meetup Recap On August 27-28, 2021, Urban Anime Lounge had the privilege to host our second virtual annual meetup with a 90's twist. Group members were invited to a socially distant, fun party experience from their homes at no cost.  We kicked things off Friday night with our VIP Patreon Social, where patrons were able to spend some time getting to know our collective admod team and bond with each other via Zoom. The social was followed by an in-group game of "Plead the Fifth, which was open to all members; and, we topped off the night with Jackbox games in our Discord.  Saturday evening we returned to Discord, for our Super Smash Bros. Tournament, where the winner was awarded a $150 gift card for e-games. This event was followed by our virtual 90s themed party held on Zoom. We partied late into the night with music provided by DJ Senpai. Members were encouraged to craft their favorite cocktails and dress up in 90s-styled clothing. Themed backgrounds were also made available for download to further add to the party atmosphere. Sunday afternoon, we concluded our meetup with Astronym's Draw & Sip, hosted in-group on Facebook Live. Members were treated to a step-by-step drawing session of the member selected 90's character, Yusuke Urameshi, from the anime, Yu Yu Hakusho.  Thank you to all attendees for celebrating with us during these challenging times! We look forward to resuming our 3-day in person annual meetup in 2022.

Dropping a throwback article of one of our favorite interviews!  Urban Anime Lounge had the pleasure of interviewing Nai Br.XX, one of the amazing singing voices behind the new Black female-led anime, Carole & Tuesday. Check out the interview!

Casual anime watchers, it’s time to get your rankings up!! Urban Anime Lounge’s Village of the Hidden Elites has spoken! Kemey, Cedric, Wright, William, and Victoria have picked the most slept on anime for the latest seasons. Some of the anime listed have high MyAnimeList (MAL) scores & some don’t. However, don’t let that discourage you from missing out on the good stuff.  Here's the sleepers from fall 2018: 1. Run with the Wind Residents of a college dorm team up to enter a prominent university race in Japan. Only catch is that most of the residents have never ran in a race. Genre: Comedy, Sports, Drama                                                                        MAL: 7.96 2. Zombieland Saga What do you get when you mix Comedy + Idols + Zombies? You get a fun series about a team of historical idols trying to "save" the Saga province of Japan. Genre: Music, Comedy, Supernatural                                                                  MAL: 7.78 3. Release the Spyce A group of female high school students who gain power from spices join a spy organization and secretly fight against crime syndicates to protect the city. Think Mission: Impossible but with high school girls. Genre: Action, School                                                                                          MAL: 7.09 4. Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai Main character's  life takes a turn for the unexpected when he runs into a girl dressed in a bunny costume that no one else can see. This episode starts as a mystery about a phenomenon called "Adolescence Syndrome" that only seems to affect the bunny girl and other girls around the MC. Will he ever solve this mystery? Genre: Comedy, Supernatural, Romance, School                                              MAL: 8.56 5. UzaMaid! Tsubambe Kamoi, a former Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) pilot, takes on a job as a maid to look after a half-Russian/half-Japanese girl who recently lost her mother. The series follows the little girl constantly having to deal with the maid's dubious behavior while occasionally seeing some of the good in her. Genre: Slice of Life, Comedy, Shoujo                                                                  MAL: 7.20 6. Bloom Into You A young shoujo manga fan gets a confession of love but she doesn't feel anything. Unsure how to respond, she happens to see the student council president elegantly turn down a confession. Inspired to ask her for advice, she finds out that the student council president has never accepted a confession because none of them have ever made her feel anything in particular. The two bond over their similarities. But the closer they get, the more feelings start to appear. Genre: Romance, School Shoujo                                                                        MAL: 8.02 7. Hinomaruzumou A "small" new student appears before the weak little sumo club of Oodachi High School! The words "big" and "heavy" are the rules to this sport, which does not fit this newbie in any way, but this guy goes and does what...?! Ushio and the small sumo club climbs their way to the top of the sumo world. Genre: Martial Arts, Shounen, Sports                                                                MAL: 7.49 8. Karakuri Circus A kid has just inherited a big fortune after the death of his father. However, people are trying to get their hands on it by any means necessary, even if that means killing him. He gets help from being kidnapped after fighting strange beings. He finds out that they're not humans, but wooden puppets with amazing strength. Right when he starts to think that he will be captured, a girl with silver hair arrives with a weapon, the puppet Arlequin. Here begins the story of Karakuri Circus. Genre: Adventure, Mystery, Shounen                                                                MAL: 7.38 Be on the lookout as we drop more anime sleepers! Also, don't forget to follow our FB Like Page or join Urban Anime Lounge to participate in discussions and grow your anime list. - Cedric Charles, IT Specialist & Moderator for Urban Anime Lounge  So what do you plan on watching first from this list?  

Netflix’s newest anime, Carole & Tuesday, is set to air on April 10, 2019. This futuristic story takes place fifty years after humans migrated to Mars, in a culture now dominated by artificial intelligence. The series will follow two girls, with differing backgrounds, who find friendship through their love for music. “The two met and created a song. No one knew what a miracle it would bring.” 

Rejoice, sci-fi fans! Netflix’s Love, Death, & Robots has come to save us all. Check out Urban Anime Lounge's Review!  

Urban Anime Lounge had the pleasure of interviewing former NFL Green Bay Packer’s All-Time Leading Rusher, Ahman Green. But did you know that Ahman is also a Gamer, Content Creator, and Comic Enthusiast? See how Ahman has managed to merge his professional and personal passions into one!

Spending the holidays alone can be rough, especially since it’s a time so heavily focused on togetherness with friends, family, a significant other, and even, coworkers. But the reality is this: sometimes, that’s not always possible. People are often parted by physical, and sometimes, emotional distance. These feelings can be tough to navigate during such a festive time. Hopefully, this list of fun things to do can bring you some holiday cheer or at least ease the solitude.    

Urban Anime Lounge had the pleasure to interview the very talented illustrator and comic artist, Marcus “TheVisual” Williams. If you’re an aspiring artist or just a fan of his work, this article has everything you need!    

October is here and we’re basking in horror, so here’s a list for you manga readers who are always put on the back burner for those damn anime watchers! Anime watchers don’t be mad, check out some new titles within the last year: Yamishibai, Junji Ito, Devil’s Line, Tenrou: Sirius the Jaeger, B: The Beginning, andDevilman: Crybaby (2017) Now about that manga list!  Side note: This list is in no particular order but our horror guru, Victoria Snowden, picked the top must reads.  

It’s easy to get frazzled, disenchanted, and completely jaded with the entertainment industry. As millennial moviegoers, we have also become about as cynical of our movies as we are about the meaning of life itself. And as superhero movies continue to ride this chariot of monopolizing the hell out of the box offices, it’s easy to become an armchair critic. And Venom (2018) is on that hit list.  

Let’s face it…live adaptations for anime/manga series don’t have the best track record. When you have flops like Dragonball: Evolution, Blood: The Last Vampire, Attack on Titan, and Fist of the North Star, the mere mention of a new “live adaptation” sends anime fans running in the opposite direction. Bleach however, appears to be one of the rare exceptions. [Read More] 

If you don’t know the original Voltron anime, it’s a space opera about 5 young adults that pilot giant robot lions that can combine into one giant humanoid robot for battle. Urban Anime Lunge provides more details. [Read More] 

Exciting news Quirktastic has just announced a partnership with Urban Anime Lounge! [See More]  

What happens when 100 Blerds from one Facebook group get together for an entire weekend for a memorable experience? Voila, magic. Urban Anime Lounge (UAL) hosted their second annual meetup in Washington, D.C. on August 10-12, 2018 during one of the largest anime conventions in the U.S., Otakon. Read article here.