Anime Milwaukee Review: As Bad As You Probably Guessed

Baird Center? More like the BAD Center. (I had a very bad time)

Last week on behalf of Anime Freedom I made my way out to Milwaukee to attend the 2026 edition of Anime Milwaukee. Now after a week of review and meditation I can confidently say it's hard to understate just how poor Anime Milwaukee was this year.

The problems began even before my arrival. I requested a press pass for Anime Milwaukee noting that I was a writer for the new up'n coming news site: Anime Freedom. After being left in the dark for a couple of days, I was dismayed to be told that we were a "joke,""not real journalists," and that my"writing left much to be desired." I was denied a press pass and forced to buy a badge like mere commoners.

I found myself quickly agitated with the other con attendees. Most visiting Anime Milwaukee appeared to be attending with their friends, reminding me of how my own friend circle dwindled to zero in 2018 shortly after I started spending all my free time watching youtube videos telling me (truthfully) how the world was going to end if High Guardian Spice was ever released.

This photo should prove beyond any doubt that Anime Milwaukee is filled with wokeness. (photo courtesy of Anime Milwaukee.org)

I attempted to relieve the stress by hugging and touching several of the female cosplayers, but they pushed me off and I was chastised for being a perverted jerk. They also attempted to hypnotize me with some sort of woke communist chant that sounded like "cosplay is not consent." Security showed up to kick me out, but I did manage to escape and hide in the Artist's Alley district.

Artist's Alley was arguably the only decent part of the convention. Strong whiffs of B.O. frequently wafted through the air, helping me feel like I belonged. I'm glad the convention didn't have a mandate that deodorant be worn. There were a few cool shops, admittedly. Several were selling figurines of various waifus in provocative poses. A few others had posters and related items depicting hotties that I could lust over in my bedroom once I got home. Unfortunately, for every cool booth like those I also bumped into two or three socialist booths. These booths were selling pins or keychains with gay or trans colors on them. At this point it was beyond clear that Anime Milwaukee had been taken over by the SJW agenda.

An abandoned Anime Milwaukee booth is truly a metaphor for the care taken by the convention staff. (courtesy Anime Milwaukee Facebook)

The final nail in the coffin was the cosplay contest itself. It took nerve for me to get on stage in my Trubbish costume, but I did it! I received a few applause, but any hope I had of being remembered was dashed by the duo who followed me on stage. The pair did a dance routine as (cucked) Hazbin Hotel characters, but after they did their jig one of them proposed to the other. Needless to say I was completed, rudely, upstaged and forgotten in an instant.

Overall, it hard to say just how disappointing the entire experience was. I was routinely treated like garbage, and not just because I was dressed up as a trash bag Pokemon. The Anime Milwaukee staff should be ashamed for putting up such a sad display, and I would encourage everyone to avoid this convention in the future.