The Senpai Project NYCC Afterparty: Toonami Vs. Adult Swim

Adam Wolfe reports from New York Comic Con for Bleeding Cool, this time from the Senpai Project’s afterparty.

If you’ve been keeping up with my NYCC afterparty reviews, you know that the last one was brutal. Thankfully, that was only one half of our night. The Senpai Project: Toonami Vs. Adult Swim afterparty managed to salvage it, which I thought was going to be impossible.

Picture the scene, if you will. We just left what turned out to be a “party” in a “warehouse” as big as a hallway. I was angry, I was sobering up, but worst of all, I was disappointed. I had two choices: call it a night and go to bed mad, or give it one more shot.

Scrolling through my phone, I stumbled across The Senpai Project’s party, and decided NYCC is not the time to go to bed angry. So, I hopped in another $35 Uber (that’s $70 NYCRavers cost me all together) and head to 5th and Mad with high hopes.

Just pulling up to the venue made me feel more at ease, as I saw plenty of people dressed up in costume — or at the very least, nerdy attire. It was $15 at the door for a two-floor bar party. I was pleased by the low entrance fee, but quickly realized it didn’t mean much when two shots and two drinks came out to nearly $35 (seemed to be my magic number). I took a deep breath and just felt thankful that they had a bar, unlike NYCRavers. Besides, it wasn’t that expensive — I was just in a bad mood.

The energy was high, and the vibe was nice. Though the music was, admittedly, a bit lame. A lot of top-40 for my taste, and more rap and trap than EDM. There was a nice little interlude of salsa music that felt refreshing, though. It didn’t matter, really; by this point, I was too drunk to care what they were playing — and that was a good thing.

They were playing episodes of Dragon Ball Z on the TV screens throughout the bar, which was a nice little touch to keep the environment comic con-like. After all, you can go to a rave/bar party whenever, but you can’t always have it be comic con-themed. As time went on, however, the party sort of fizzled out. I looked around to find my dance partner and I the only ones still in costume. This is when she voted to leave, and I obliged.

So, what did The Senpai Project provide? I really fun, nice bar party that was perfect for someone who wanted to do something after the con, but not anything too intense. The music was accessible (just not my taste) and the partygoers were inclusive and friendly. Look for The Senpai Project if you want a nice, solid evening for a more than fair price.

Admittedly, for someone who is into rave culture, this party was a little light for me. But compared to the hell I escaped from before it, it felt like a blessing from the gods. Thank you, Senpai Project, for saving my night and making sure I went to bed drunk, not angry. I’d give the party a 7/10, and would go again.