Anime Central returned to the Hyatt Regency O'Hare and the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, IL on May 20-22, 2022. This was Anime Central's first live show since 2019, as both 2020 and 2021 had been cancelled due to COVID-19 concerns (see "Anime Central 2021 Cancelled"). ICv2 covered the event with a visit on Friday May 20, 2022, and this first article explores the floor and focuses on retail booths at the show.

For more ICv2 coverage of Anime Central 2022, see Anime Central 2022 Photos - Part 2.

Click on Gallery below for full-size images!