Anime and manga fans returned to the nation’s capital on December 8-10, 2017 for a weekend jam-packed with cosplay, panels, screenings, musical performances, and much more at Anime USA. The convention, now in its 18th year, took place at the Marriott Wardman Park hotel for the three days of the show.

As the convention took place unusually late this year – two weeks before Christmas, where past conventions have traditionally been held in October – Anime USA took on the subtitle of “Christmas in Japan.” The show featured a number of holiday-focused panels, and many cosplayers could be seen sporting holiday-themed variants on anime, manga, and video game outfits.

One of the highlights of the show was the performance by Triforce Quartet, a DC-based music group that focuses on video game music. The string quartet performed some of their most popular pieces, including Zelda and Mario medleys, as well as a special medley of Christmas music.

The show also featured a solid artist alley and dealer’s hall – perfect for some holiday shopping – as well as the Maid Café and Host Club events they’ve held in the past. Though the attendance seemed down this year (probably largely due to the convention’s proximity to the holidays), everyone who braved the cold to make it out clearly was having a good time. Not even the snowfall slowed down attendees, many of whom took advantage of the winter weather for some opportunistic cosplay photos outdoors.

Though not nearly as big as other DC-based conventions such as Otakon, MAGfest, or Katsucon, Anime USA has managed to maintain a foothold in the crowded convention market as a consistently-good show to attend. The low key atmosphere proved to be a great way to wrap up the 2017 convention year, and the show will be continuing on in 2018 – Anime USA will return on October 19-21, 2018.