ANIME LEAGUE 2025
THE LOVE FOR ANIME AND WHY WE ALL SHOULD TAKE BREAKS LIKE OUR INNER CHILD
Go check out Anime League here + where to find your next convention
There is nothing like Anime, Manga, and Conventions that makes my heart beat like the drums of liberation. I was fourteen when I attended my first convention, and even fifteen years later, it still feels like I never left my inner child at these events.
This Anime League in August 2025 was a special reunion, and the energy kick I needed to get back to my dreams. Sometimes life has a funny way of bringing us back to what’s most important to us. In my life, most often it’s Anime that leads me back to the roots.
Entering the convention centre, I am surrounded by beautiful people dressed in their favorite costumes of characters who have been with me for several years (shoutout to all One Piece Cosplayers). But likewise, the swamp of Demon Slayer Cosplayers, as well as the few Hazbin Hotel ones, amplify the room with their aura and skill. I love the atmosphere, the joy of people sharing a like-minded hobby, and simply leaning into the fact of fun and enjoyment. Saturday 30th August 2025 suddenly feels lighter and less heavy.
That is the beauty of anime. That is the love and joy of community. Something we often forget in our daily lives. We run from one task to another, one to-do list after another. But what about the people around us? When was the last time you laughed so loud and bright over something silly? When was the last time you hugged someone like cosplayers do when they finally see their friends after months of being apart? When was the last time you dressed up not because it’s Halloween or a theme party, but simply because you want to?
Anime League combines all of these things, just like that. Bring your friends or find new friends. It doesn’t matter. Anime is the bridge that connects us all. And so does the community of Shao Dow.
SHAO DOW, THE NINJA WE ALL NEED ON STAGE
I met Shao for the first time in 2024, when I went to Anime League and even did my own thing as an artist. I had no idea what an energy buzz this guy would bring to the stage, nor did I know about Anime Rap back then. Yes, I’d been familiar with Korean and Japanese rap, having been part of the Korean music industry for years, but Anime Rap? That was a new world to me, and likewise something that I slipped into so easily. Back then, it was LEVI MODE, which caught my attention. Fast beats and on point lyrics, as an homage to everyone’s favorite short king of our beloved Attack on Titan.
This time, Shao opened with his recent One Piece-inspired song OVERTAKE, and I’ve never seen so many people at an Anime convention fall into a group of jumping, bouncing, and simply having the time of their lives so quickly. It didn’t matter whether you were a Cosplayer or simply there to have fun - when Shao starts running his Dojo, everyone moves. What followed was the party highlight of my Saturday and my 100 Push Ups Cardio, yelling to BAKA like I’ve never yelled any other word better before, and of course dancing to Cross x Cross without tripping over myself.
But Shao didn’t just end his performance, leaving the community without a main character speech; he reminded us all to go for our dreams. If he could do it —starting by traveling with his songs in his backpack and selling them —so could we.
Shao is an artist who, despite his success, stays humble and down to earth, always including the community and ensuring everyone has a good time. If Anime Rap isn't something you listen to yet, I dare you to broaden your musical horizons and give Shao’s music a listen. There’s at least one song that won’t fail to amaze you.
With love, hope, and a hella lotta rise,
CAPTAIN LC
