Going to the Genshin Impact Tour at Fan Expo 2022

I’m currently editing the video from my visit to Fan Expo 2022 on Sunday, and as usual, it was extremely crowded. Whenever I attend Fan Expo, I always appreciate the media passes they provide in exchange for a video or post. However, my opinions remain honest.

Genshin Impact Booth

The main attraction for me at Fan Expo 2022 was the Genshin Impact Tour, which promised food trucks and video game booths. Unfortunately, the Genshin Impact booth didn’t deliver on those promises. Instead, they only offered a photo op with a few impressive Genshin Impact cosplayers. After the photo op, you receive a special edition Genshin Impact gift bag that includes a poster.

E-Sports

Just past the Genshin Impact booth, Bell hosted an E-Sports tournament for Valorant. I didn’t stay to watch, but I’ve always been intrigued by E-Sports. Although I’ve never intentionally watched a tournament in person, I’ve walked by quite a few. My interest in E-Sports has mainly been sparked by fictional stories in C-dramas about the gaming industry. With Toronto building an E-Sports arena, I might attend a show there in the future.

World of Studio Ghibli Booth

This year at Fan Expo, I noticed some new booths, including TikTok, which I’ll feature in my Fan Expo video, and the official Studio Ghibli booth. These licensed booths give me a feeling reminiscent of San Diego Comic-Con. Some of them were particularly impressive, like a really cool LED booth that I’ll also include in my video.

Vendor Hall

One thing Fan Expo does better than Anime North is having a massive vendor hall and Artist Alley. Fan Expo had many of the same artists as Anime North but with twice as many vendors offering high-quality products. Loungefly bags, plush toys, and Genshin Impact merchandise were everywhere.

Unique Items

I picked up a candle from Geek Studio that, in hindsight, kind of smells like my hair products. I saw a lot of unique items, including Animal Crossing-themed Starbucks cups, candles, and keychains.

Japanese Snacks

Pocky variants were also available.   

Here are some of my favourite pieces from the Artist Alley: I loved the Avatar: The Last Airbender poster, as well as the watercolor Inuyasha and Kagome artwork.

Stickers

The Artist Alley was full of stickers. Since I’m a digital planner enthusiast, I don’t buy as many stickers as I used to.

Overall, Fan Expo was okay. I probably would have had more fun if I had gone on Thursday. Next time I attend, I’m either cosplaying or creating a cosplay video.