Tonight: NYAF kickoff party

The New York Anime Festival (NYAF) and Del Rey Manga today announced a party taking place from 5:30 to 7:30 PM on Thursday, September 24, 2009 at Dave and Buster’s (234 West 42nd Street) in NYC’s Times Square.  Jointly produced by NYAF and Del Rey Manga, this special event held on the eve of the 2009 New York Anime Festival is both a celebration of this year’s NYAF as well as a celebration of Del Rey Manga’s Fifth Anniversary — and to mark this special occasion, NYAF and Del Rey Manga invite fans and professionals to partake in food, drink, giveaways, and a cake crafted by Baltimore’s famed Charm City Cakes specifically for the NYAF and Del Rey Manga party.
 
Free and open to the public, the NYAF and Del Rey Manga party welcomes NYAF attendees, anime fans, manga readers, industry professionals, and casual New Yorkers interested in the world of Japanese pop culture.  The party will take place in two parts…

 
Manga and Anime Raffle (5:30-6:30 PM) – Typically you give the birthday boy or girl gifts; however, to mark the occasion of Del Rey Manga’s fifth birthday, we’re giving gifts to the party’s attendees.  Come during the party’s first hour to be entered to win a selection of manga spanning Del Rey Manga’s five years as well as DVDs from NYAF partners including Bandai Entertainment and FUNimation.  Further, the Charm City Cakes Del Rey Manga birthday cake will be on public display during this time, so fans, press, and pros interested in taking pictures of the party centerpiece should do so before the raffle ends.
 
Charm City Cakes Cutting (6:30-7:30 PM) – Once the raffle ends, the real party begins as representatives from Del Rey Manga and the New York Anime Festival will cut into the Charm City Cakes Del Rey Manga birthday cake.  Created by the talents of Food Network’s Ace of Cakes TV show, the Del Rey Manga birthday cake will take the form of a towering stack of manga, showcasing some of Del Rey Manga’s landmark books from 2004 to today. 
 
At 7:30, following the formal end of the NYAF and Del Rey Manga party, attendees are free to stay and enjoy Dave & Buster’s or attend a special one-night-only screening of Bandai Entertainment’s Eureka Seven – good night, sleep tight, young lovers – animated motion picture, presented at the AMC Empire 24 theater neighboring Dave & Buster’s.
 
“We’re excited to offer fans and pros this party on the eve of the New York Anime Festival,” NYAF Show Manager Lance Fensterman said.  “And, even more so, we’re excited to partner with our friends at Del Rey Manga to help them celebrate such a momentous milestone in their history!”
 
“We’ve been planning this party with NYAF for a long time,” Del Rey Manga Marketing Manager Ali T. Kokmen said.  “We’re thrilled to see it now all come together, and we invite fans to come and celebrate five years of Del Rey Manga, three years of the New York Anime Festival, and one delicious cake!”