Japanese summer festival feels at Otaku Expo
We’re well into typhoon season in the Philippines, but being inside the Megatrade Hall in SM Megamall last weekend had us buzzing with electrifying Japanese summer festival feels.
Aside from cosplaying anime, movie, manga and game characters, attendees walked around in beautifully patterned kimono and yukata while participating in various activities.
Since no other event actively encourages wearing kimono, this is one of the things guests really look forward to when attending Otaku Expo Tanabata Festival, said Ozine Events head organizer Dennis Uy. During the event, organizers give away free popcorn to yukata- or kimono-wearing attendees and even holds a kimono cosplay competition.
Inspired by the Tanabata Festival in Japan, typically held in July and August, the themed event only started as an offshoot of their January Otaku Expo event, which was disrupted a few years back due to a mall incident. To make up for it, they decided to relaunch it in August, which eventually turned into a Tanabata celebration.
Kimono rental
Guests who wished to wear traditional Japanese clothing got to choose from a variety of patterns, colors and accessory combination at the kimono rental. They were also able to enjoy conventional Japanese summer festival activities like writing their wishes on colored paper and hanging them on the Wish Tree; goldfish scooping; target shooting; ring toss; and photo booth. Every now and then, some guests would even break out into song and dance.
Outside the Tanabata Area, there were so many things that kept attendees busy and entertained. At any moment, guests could just plop themselves down in front of the stage and watch bands battle it out playing anime themes. In another corner, a number of photographers had set up their gear (lights and props and all) so cosplayers could have mini photo shoot sessions.
Fan boys and girls also patiently lined up for meet and greet with their favorite cosplayers and content creators, including Krisrey, AmaraTV, Cholo Constantino, Hakao, Jane Yu, Kitz Cua, Lia Bear, Misuru, Solibeau and Momo. While the standard autograph and photos with their idols were already a sweet treat for some supporters, others experienced getting pretty up close and personal with their fave as the fan service edged into hot and spicy territory.
A huge part of the venue gave way to other artists selling their original merchandise, from stickers and prints to jewelry crocheted hats to stuffed toys and shirts. People also flocked to sellers of anime, manga and gaming merchandise, some even selling K-pop items.
Fandoms
According to Uy, there was a time when fandoms didn’t really mix. He asserted that fans back then were a different level.
“These days, the level is also different; the fandom has diversified,” he said. “Anime fans can also be K-pop fans, so there’s a mix now.”
Uy himself is one such fan: He started out as an anime buff but is now also a K-pop lover. He got into anime back in 2001 through his uncle, who was part of the Telesuccess Productions (Toei’s Philippine licensee). “We worked at Questor Magazine. And when it closed, we decided to create our own maagazine.”
“Ozine actually started as an anime magazine,” he added. “Its fan base eventually grew and there was clamor for ‘eyeball’ (meetup), which was the craze at the time. So I said, ‘Let’s organize an eyeball.’ We held the first Ozine Fest in 2005. That’s when it all started.”
These days, there are already so many anime and cosplay convention organizers. Ozine Events itself hold several functions within a year. However, Uy noticed that attending these events—especially when held successively—can be hard on fans’ pockets.
“Participating in these expos can get quite costly,” he said. People already spend much for their costumes, but they also still have to pay for the entrance, their transportation and food, not to mention all the merchandise they’d want to buy.
Free events
“We’ve interviewed some people, and learned that their allowance is just enough to get in, but they won’t have any leftover to buy food,” he added. “So now, aside from paid events like these, we also do free events to cater to attendees who have limited budget.”
Uy explained that instead of using the money to pay for the tickets, participants can just use it to buy merchandise to support the renters. Their free events include the Anime Fair at Ayala Malls and they also plan on holding a Cosplay Fair at SM Malls.
The anime community in the Philippines is really huge, Uy said. And through their free events, anyone can experience the joy of joining conventions. “That’s why we thought of doing free events—because cosplay is for everyone.”
