Anime Town GVL: Women in Anime
On Sunday, my wife and I took our two girls to Anime Town GVL, a convention dedicated to all things anime. I never went to conventions like this as a kid, but experiencing it with my own children is a lot of fun. More than just a fun event, though, I walked away with two important takeaways.
Like many conventions, Anime Town GVL featured celebrity panels, and one of them — “Women in Anime!” — caught our attention. The panel featured two voice actresses known for their work in anime and animation: Jessie Flower, best known as the voice of Toph in Avatar: The Last Airbender, and Brianna Knickerbocker, who has voiced characters in a variety of series, including Pokémon and Demon Slayer. As the panel name suggests, they talked about their experiences as voice actresses, how they got started, and what it’s like working in the anime industry.
Our girls were incredibly excited to see them — especially since Toph is a favorite character from Avatar. Our oldest daughter was definitely inspired as she sat there listening to them talk. Hearing their stories was fascinating, and it was amazing to learn just how much effort goes into landing a role. They explained that on average, voice actors go through countless, sometimes over a hundered, auditions before securing a part.
But beyond the cool insights into the anime industry, I walked away with two meaningful lessons:
1️⃣ Enjoy what you do.
It sounds simple, but it’s easy to forget. We should genuinely enjoy our work. I know that’s easier said than done, especially these days when job security can feel uncertain. But at the very least, work shouldn’t come at the cost of our well-being. It can be challenging, but it should also be fulfilling — something that brings us joy rather than drains us.
2️⃣ Inspiration matters — especially for young girls.
Seeing and hearing from women who are talented, successful, and happy doing what they love is incredibly important for young girls. It’s inspiring to hear stories of women who have built, and continue building, their careers and followed their passions despite various obstacles. Just as important, though, is showing them the variety of career paths that exist.
So while it was fun to admire the creative artwork and spot the many different versions of Gojo walking around, it was also an inspiring experience — one that left me thinking about the bigger picture.
