[sourceLink url="https://www.facebook.com/GeshaPetrovichCosplay" text="Yuri!!! on Ice Cosplay"]

Yuri!!! on Ice Cosplay

Victor Nikiforov Cosplay

[sourceLink url="https://www.facebook.com/Reika-315573555144954/" text="Victor Nikiforov Cosplay"]

[sourceLink url="https://www.facebook.com/ZEASonalOfficial" text="Victor Nikiforov Cosplay"]

[sourceLink url="https://twitter.com/wiru_son" text="Victor Nikiforov Cosplay"]

[sourceLink url="https://www.facebook.com/GeshaPetrovichCosplay" text="Victor Nikiforov Cosplay"]

[sourceLink url="https://www.facebook.com/GeshaPetrovichCosplay" text="Victor Nikiforov Cosplay"]

[sourceLink url="https://www.facebook.com/Reika-315573555144954/" text="Victor Nikiforov Cosplay"]

[sourceLink url="https://www.facebook.com/Reika-315573555144954/" text="Victor Nikiforov Cosplay"]

[sourceLink url="https://twitter.com/wiru_son" text="Victor Nikiforov Cosplay"]

[sourceLink url="https://www.facebook.com/green.makakas.cosplay.stuff/" text="Victor Nikiforov Cosplay"]

Yuri Plisetsky Cosplay

[sourceLink url="https://twitter.com/Seol0712" text="Yuri Plisetsky Cosplay"]

[sourceLink url="https://twitter.com/natsudc" text="Yuri Plisetsky Cosplay"]

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[sourceLink url="https://www.facebook.com/kurosakikage" text="Yuri Plisetsky Cosplay"]

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[sourceLink url="https://www.facebook.com/cheshirefoxcosplay" text="Yuri Plisetsky Cosplay"]

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[sourceLink url="https://www.facebook.com/cheshirefoxcosplay" text="Yuri Plisetsky Cosplay"]

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[sourceLink url="https://twitter.com/CerealePomodoro" text="Yuri Plisetsky Cosplay"]

Yuuri Katsuki Cosplay

[sourceLink url="https://www.facebook.com/Shiroku.de?ref=hl" text="Yuuri Katsuki Cosplay"]

[sourceLink url="https://twitter.com/Misao0218" text="Yuuri Katsuki Cosplay"]

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[sourceLink url="https://www.facebook.com/lunaru.cosplay" text="Yuuri Katsuki Cosplay"]

[sourceLink url="https://twitter.com/tomoki827" text="Yuuri Katsuki Cosplay"]

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[sourceLink url="https://m.facebook.com/mia70530/" text="Yuuri Katsuki Cosplay"]

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[sourceLink url="https://twitter.com/yoru10noki" text="Yuuri Katsuki Cosplay"]

About Yuri!!! on Ice

Yuri!!! on Ice Characters Profile

Victor Nikiforov Profile

A skater that Yuri has admired and followed after since he was a junior. His motto is to surprise people and every season he continues to break down boundaries. Has rock-star charisma and is hugely popular with people of all ages and genders. He’s interested in Yuri (Katsuki) for some reason...

Yuri Plisetsky Profile

A next-generation Russian skater, the first junior in history to win the championship three times in a row. He’s known as the Russian Fairy due to his beautiful appearance, but once he steps out of the rink he becomes a delinquent with a bad attitude. An ambitious person who does not doubt his ability to debut as a senior and become the best skater in the world. Admirably, he’s been the main provider for his family since he became a novice skater.

Yuuri Katsuki Profile

A specially-trained figure skater. His ultimate weapons are his characteristic sense of rhythm and unique steps. However, he’s weak under pressure and always self-destructs at the most crucial times… Before he knows it, he’s been a senior for five years. He left his family home and entered a Detroit skate club, but failed massively at his first grand prix, and came back home to Kyushu. Now, he’s betting everything on this last season!

[sourceLink url="https://twitter.com/cary69mono" text="Persona5 Cosplay"]

Persona5 Cosplay

Hero Cosplay

[sourceLink url="https://twitter.com/jayceegiray" text="Hero Cosplay"]

[sourceLink url="http://kamiyaa.deviantart.com/" text="Hero Cosplay"]

[sourceLink url="https://twitter.com/shibobon" text="Hero Cosplay"]

[sourceLink url="http://kamiyaa.deviantart.com/" text="Hero Cosplay"]

[sourceLink url="http://kamiyaa.deviantart.com/" text="Hero Cosplay"]

Ann Takamaki Cosplay

[sourceLink url="https://www.facebook.com/cosplayraul" text="Ann Takamaki Cosplay"]

[sourceLink url="https://www.facebook.com/cosplayraul" text="Ann Takamaki Cosplay"]

[sourceLink url="https://www.facebook.com/sperrens" text="Ann Takamaki Cosplay"]

[sourceLink url="https://www.facebook.com/shirocoz" text="Ann Takamaki Cosplay"]

[sourceLink url="https://www.facebook.com/naly.anasan" text="Ann Takamaki Cosplay"]

[sourceLink url="https://www.facebook.com/sperrens" text="Ann Takamaki Cosplay"]

Ryuuji Sakamoto Cosplay

[sourceLink url="https://www.facebook.com/jenniwrenncosplay" text="Ryuuji Sakamoto Cosplay"]

[sourceLink url="https://twitter.com/bekkusu7" text="Ryuuji Sakamoto Cosplay"]

[sourceLink url="https://twitter.com/jun8grass" text="Ryuuji Sakamoto Cosplay"]

[sourceLink url="https://twitter.com/bekkusu7" text="Ryuuji Sakamoto Cosplay"]

Futaba Sakura Cosplay

[sourceLink url="https://www.facebook.com/LucyXShiro" text="Futaba Sakura Cosplay"]

[sourceLink url="https://twitter.com/NERV87" text="Futaba Sakura Cosplay"]

Haru Okumura Cosplay

[sourceLink url="https://www.facebook.com/cielstrom" text="Haru Okumura Cosplay"]

[sourceLink url="https://www.facebook.com/cielstrom" text="Haru Okumura Cosplay"]

[sourceLink url="https://www.facebook.com/cielstrom" text="Haru Okumura Cosplay"]

[sourceLink url="https://www.facebook.com/cielstrom" text="Haru Okumura Cosplay"]

[sourceLink url="https://www.facebook.com/cielstrom" text="Haru Okumura Cosplay"]

[sourceLink url="https://www.facebook.com/cielstrom" text="Haru Okumura Cosplay"]

[sourceLink url="https://www.facebook.com/cielstrom" text="Haru Okumura Cosplay"]

About persona5

persona5 Characters Profile

Hero Profile

He is the protagonist of this game, and the character you control.You assume the role of a second-year high school student who becomes a Persona\user through an unexpected incident.Having moved to Tokyo just before the start of the school year, he finds lodging at a cafe run by a friend of his parents and is now about to get his first taste of school life in the big city. The protagonist seems quiet and well-mannered at first glance, but becomes a completely different person once he has donned his phantom thief garb.What is the motivation of his alter ego...?

Ann Takamaki Profile

A second-year at Shujin Academy, and a beautiful quarter-American girl.Although she has an innocent and honest personality, she has a hard time fitting in due to her conspicuous looks and spends most of her time in solitude. Because of that, she deeply values her one and only friend at her school. After meeting the newly transferred protagonist, she experiences a certain incident which awakens her Persona ability.

Ryuuji Sakamoto Profile

A 16 year-old boy who attends Shujin Academy.Through he's compassionate and fiery, he is labeled a problem child and avoided at school due to his outwardly rude behavior. A certain incident in the past seems to be the root cause of his misconduct... After meeting the newly transferred protagonist, he experiences a particular event which causes him to awaken to his Persona ability.

Futaba Sakura Profile

A genius 15 year-old girl with otherworldly calculation and programming skills. Her interpersonal communication is extremely poor though, so she lives life as a shut-in with limited to no human interaction. However, she holds a strong interest in the Phantom Thieves and uses an unexpected method to contact them.

Haru Okumura Profile

A third-year at Shujin Academy. She is an affable, kind-hearted girl who likes to take care of plants, but it appears she lacks close friends for some reason. Her speech and behavior make her affluent upbringing evident, but she avoids speaking about her home life, instead preffering to keep that aspect of herself a mystery.

[sourceLink url="https://www.facebook.com/Reika-315573555144954/" text="Uta no☆Prince-sama♪ Cosplay"]

Uta no☆Prince-sama♪ Cosplay

Ren Jinguuji Cosplay

[sourceLink url="https://www.facebook.com/hyko.hakkou.kagaya" text="Ren Jinguuji Cosplay"]

[sourceLink url="https://www.facebook.com/hyko.hakkou.kagaya" text="Ren Jinguuji Cosplay"]

[sourceLink url="https://www.facebook.com/hyko.hakkou.kagaya" text="Ren Jinguuji Cosplay"]

[sourceLink url="https://www.facebook.com/hyko.hakkou.kagaya" text="Ren Jinguuji Cosplay"]

[sourceLink url="https://www.facebook.com/hyko.hakkou.kagaya" text="Ren Jinguuji Cosplay"]

[sourceLink url="https://www.facebook.com/hyko.hakkou.kagaya" text="Ren Jinguuji Cosplay"]

[sourceLink url="https://www.facebook.com/hyko.hakkou.kagaya" text="Ren Jinguuji Cosplay"]

[sourceLink url="https://www.facebook.com/hyko.hakkou.kagaya" text="Ren Jinguuji Cosplay"]

Tokiya Ichinose Cosplay

[sourceLink url="https://www.facebook.com/hyko.hakkou.kagaya" text="Tokiya Ichinose Cosplay"]

[sourceLink url="https://www.facebook.com/hyko.hakkou.kagaya" text="Tokiya Ichinose Cosplay"]

[sourceLink url="http://www.weibo.com/veinoc" text="Tokiya Ichinose Cosplay"]

[sourceLink url="https://twitter.com/wiru_son" text="Tokiya Ichinose Cosplay"]

[sourceLink url="https://www.facebook.com/hyko.hakkou.kagaya" text="Tokiya Ichinose Cosplay"]

[sourceLink url="https://www.facebook.com/YuegeneFayOfficial" text="Tokiya Ichinose Cosplay"]

[sourceLink url="https://twitter.com/m___u__" text="Tokiya Ichinose Cosplay"]

[sourceLink url="https://www.facebook.com/hyko.hakkou.kagaya" text="Tokiya Ichinose Cosplay"]

Haruka Nanami Cosplay

[sourceLink url="https://www.facebook.com/YunaKairicosplay/?ref=hl" text="Haruka Nanami Cosplay"]

[sourceLink url="https://www.facebook.com/HarukaSiebenmeer" text="Haruka Nanami Cosplay"]

[sourceLink url="https://www.facebook.com/HarukaSiebenmeer" text="Haruka Nanami Cosplay"]

[sourceLink url="https://www.facebook.com/HarukaSiebenmeer" text="Haruka Nanami Cosplay"]

[sourceLink url="https://www.facebook.com/HarukaSiebenmeer/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel" text="Haruka Nanami Cosplay"]

[sourceLink url="https://www.facebook.com/HarukaSiebenmeer" text="Haruka Nanami Cosplay"]

[sourceLink url="https://www.facebook.com/lina.hye.1" text="Haruka Nanami Cosplay"]

[sourceLink url="https://www.facebook.com/HarukaSiebenmeer" text="Haruka Nanami Cosplay"]

[sourceLink url="https://www.facebook.com/EvangelineOfficial" text="Haruka Nanami Cosplay"]

[sourceLink url="https://www.facebook.com/HarukaSiebenmeer" text="Haruka Nanami Cosplay"]

Shou Kurusu Cosplay

[sourceLink url="https://www.facebook.com/Tsunako174" text="Shou Kurusu Cosplay"]

[sourceLink url="https://www.facebook.com/seunghyo.syo" text="Shou Kurusu Cosplay"]

[sourceLink url="https://www.facebook.com/yama.ushio" text="Shou Kurusu Cosplay"]

[sourceLink url="https://www.facebook.com/kidahshshs" text="Shou Kurusu Cosplay"]

[sourceLink url="https://www.facebook.com/monpink1215" text="Shou Kurusu Cosplay"]

[sourceLink url="https://www.facebook.com/KandaLaam" text="Shou Kurusu Cosplay"]

[sourceLink url="https://www.facebook.com/Mahouseki" text="Shou Kurusu Cosplay"]

[sourceLink url="https://www.facebook.com/shiinacos" text="Shou Kurusu Cosplay"]

Otoya Ittoki Cosplay

[sourceLink url="https://www.facebook.com/HeiLingKurorei" text="Otoya Ittoki Cosplay"]

[sourceLink url="https://www.facebook.com/monpink1215" text="Otoya Ittoki Cosplay"]

[sourceLink url="https://www.facebook.com/fakesosadoh" text="Otoya Ittoki Cosplay"]

[sourceLink url="https://twitter.com/souha0425" text="Otoya Ittoki Cosplay"]

[sourceLink url="https://www.facebook.com/monpink1215" text="Otoya Ittoki Cosplay"]

[sourceLink url="https://www.facebook.com/monpink1215" text="Otoya Ittoki Cosplay"]

Cecil Aijima Cosplay

[sourceLink url="https://www.facebook.com/Yeii.Hanzhi/" text="Cecil Aijima Cosplay"]

[sourceLink url="https://www.facebook.com/yoshikuniyiu" text="Cecil Aijima Cosplay"]

[sourceLink url="https://twitter.com/CecilRion" text="Cecil Aijima Cosplay"]

[sourceLink url="https://twitter.com/Peng_Kku" text="Cecil Aijima Cosplay"]

[sourceLink url="http://www.weibo.com/dysn84" text="Cecil Aijima Cosplay"]

[sourceLink url="https://www.facebook.com/HeiLingKurorei" text="Cecil Aijima Cosplay"]

Masato Hijirikawa Cosplay

[sourceLink url="https://www.facebook.com/hyko.hakkou.kagaya" text="Masato Hijirikawa Cosplay"]

[sourceLink url="https://www.facebook.com/hyko.hakkou.kagaya" text="Masato Hijirikawa Cosplay"]

[sourceLink url="https://www.facebook.com/hanaandbaozi" text="Masato Hijirikawa Cosplay"]

[sourceLink url="https://twitter.com/myocat99" text="Masato Hijirikawa Cosplay"]

[sourceLink url="https://www.facebook.com/hyko.hakkou.kagaya" text="Masato Hijirikawa Cosplay"]

[sourceLink url="https://twitter.com/takizawa0067" text="Masato Hijirikawa Cosplay"]

[sourceLink url="https://www.facebook.com/hotaru000" text="Masato Hijirikawa Cosplay"]

Natsuki Shinomiya Cosplay

[sourceLink url="https://www.facebook.com/akatsukitsukasa" text="Natsuki Shinomiya Cosplay"]

[sourceLink url="https://www.facebook.com/akatsukitsukasa" text="Natsuki Shinomiya Cosplay"]

[sourceLink url="https://www.facebook.com/akatsukitsukasa" text="Natsuki Shinomiya Cosplay"]

[sourceLink url="https://www.facebook.com/akatsukitsukasa" text="Natsuki Shinomiya Cosplay"]

[sourceLink url="https://www.facebook.com/akatsukitsukasa" text="Natsuki Shinomiya Cosplay"]

[sourceLink url="https://www.facebook.com/akatsukitsukasa" text="Natsuki Shinomiya Cosplay"]

[sourceLink url="https://www.facebook.com/yama.ushio" text="Natsuki Shinomiya Cosplay"]

About Uta no☆Prince-sama♪

Uta no☆Prince-sama♪ Characters Profile

Ren Jinguuji Profile

Decided to pursue music when he learned to play piano. Has an inherently serious personality and depth. He is making the most of his supple voice and branching out into stage plays and musicals.

Tokiya Ichinose Profile

Had experience in the entertainment business even before Starish was formed, and his depth of experience and knowledge means he has excellent singing and dance skills. He may look cold at first glance but is actually eager to learn anything and everything, and has excellent reviews in many areas including dramas and movies.

Haruka Nanami Profile

Wishing to compose a song for her idol, Hayato, to sing someday, Haruka enrolls into Saotome Academy. Prior to her enrollment, Haruka has no experience in reading sheet music despite being able to play the piano. She learned to play the piano from her grandmother, whom she lived with out in the country due to her poor health. She at times feels unconfident in her musical abilities, because she has had no formal training. However, despite her disadvantages she overcomes them with a positive attitude, hard work, and perseverance. Ittoki Otoya, Shibuya Tomochika, and Shinomiya Natsuki are the first people to make friends with her in episode 1. She later on in episode 3 finds Hijirikawa Masato to be a reliable understanding friend.

Shou Kurusu Profile

Is aiming to become an idol thanks to his adoration for Ryuya Hyuga, an upperclassman at the agency. Has a super-manly personality and is the best dancer out of all the members. He is currently making the most of his awesome physical abilities and appearing in many popular action dramas and movies.

Otoya Ittoki Profile

Spent his childhood being encouraged by singing, he is now aiming to be an idol. Has emotion-packed vocals and aggressive dance skills. With his bright and positive personality, he’s recently been making his mark on variety programs.

Cecil Aijima Profile

Comes from Agnapolis, a country protected by the muses, the gods of music. He became a member of Starish because he wants to make people happy with his songs. Honest and innocent, he is quickly making excellent progress as an idol.

Masato Hijirikawa Profile

Decided to pursue music when he learned to play piano. Has an inherently serious personality and depth. He is making the most of his supple voice and branching out into stage plays and musicals.

Natsuki Shinomiya Profile

When he was younger he took viola lessons for gifted children, but decided to become an idol when he discovered how fun singing was. Despite his gentle and sincere personality, his singing voice has the most presence in the group. Recently, he has been modelling for women’s cosmetics, which has caused quite a stir.

[sourceLink asin="" asin_jp="" text="" url="" ]

AnitamaSai (Omiya Station in Saitama Prefecture)

Cosplay Runway Show

[sourceLink asin="" asin_jp="" text="" url="" ]

With an estimated 30,000 attendees on its fourth year, AnitamaSai continues to grow. This is a celebration of anime culture in all its forms. From anime, cosplay, idols, and manga it is an Otaku’s dream. This was the first year that AnitamaSai had an international presence as well. The cosplay runway show featured many international cosplayers to emphasize how Saitama has become a more global community. The show included cosplayers from countries such as China, Australia, the UK, and many more. With this new aspect to the AnitamaSai event, we can only see it continue to grow in the future as it becomes more international.

Additional Info:

In addition to cosplaying, the event included an anime trivia test. Attendees were welcome to put their anime knowledge to the test. The overall winner was declared the “AnitamaSai Animation Exam Champion” until next year’s competition. A live concert was put on by DEPAGUMI.inc. A six member jpop idol group who sang the ending song for “Saiki Kusuo no Nan”, otherwise known as The Disastrous Life of Saiki. They were met with thunderous applause on AnitamaSai’s main stage.

[sourceLink asin="" asin_jp="" text="DEMPAGUMI.inc" url="http://dempagumi.dearstage.com/" ]

There was also a live recreation of several manga by voice actors during the day. Voice Actors and actresses performed reading for several manga short stories. There was a special appearance by Kenji Taketomi who is the creator of the popular story, Suzuki Sensei. The event was attended by many food and goods vendors as well. From fried chicken to rice cakes, AnitamaSai had many of the basic festival food finds. But if you are looking for just a quick bite, there is a convenience store inside the Prince Hotel located next to the event.

[sourceLink asin="" asin_jp="" text="Anitamasai Twitter" url="https://twitter.com/anitamasai/status/785006159992201216" ]

The exhibit area focused on current popular anime and what we can expect to see in the future. Including One Punch Man season 2 sneak peeks. There was a section dedicated to storyboards and screenshots from the first season.

Final Thoughts:

1. The Basics

1 - The Cosplay-Tanabata 4 Official Poster, showing the event’s features and sponsors.

The Tanabata Festival here in Baguio is organized by a local anime/cosplay group, called Otageki Cosplay Association, which was founded in July 2010. The group’s name, Otageki, is a portmanteau of the words Otaku and Geki, making it very appealing to anime fans, veterans and newcomers alike. As a group, Otgeki aims to “promote cosplay excellence, artistry, and quality craftsmanship as a unified team and family while exemplifying discipline and continuing progress while having the time of our lives,” according to the group’s official Facebook page. The festival is also done in coordination with the Japanese Association of Northern Luzon, a group of Japanese expatriates who currently reside in the city. A related article features exclusive interviews with officers with the JANL.

2 – A member and the president of the Japanese Association of Northern Luzon converse as the event transpires.

Length of the Event

Being pretty much a small-scale event, the Cosplay-Tanabata Festival is only held for one day. This year, the event started at about 11:00 and ended by 18:00.

Place/Location

The Cosplay-Tanabata Festival is done in one of the Philippines’ most prominent tourist spots, the city of Pines, Baguio City. Specifically, the event was conducted in the gym of the city’s largest secondary school, which holds about 10,000 students every day.

Cost

One of the advantages of having events in the Philippines is the relatively low cost it entails on the part of the attendees. When the event started, the organizers only charged about 20 Philippine Pesos (about 50 Yen or 40 US Cents) as an entrance fee. This year, due to the event having a little more scale, the event cost 30 Philippine Pesos (about 70 Yen or 65 US Cents). The entrance fee is still quite a steal for an anime event, however.

Hotels

Several hotels are available in the city, and just like the entrance fee to the event itself, the fees are pretty budget friendly. Mid-range hotels cost about 2,500 Philippine Pesos (About 6,000 Yen or 50 US Dollars) a night, complete with free breakfast accommodations. The rooms in these hotels are also large enough to comfortably fit 2-3 people. For the extreme budget traveler however, one can find accommodations for as low as 250 Philippine Pesos (about 600 Yen or 5 US Dollars) a night. The rooms in these budget accommodations are usually good for two people. Oh, and wi-fi is usually available for free too!

2. What to Expect/What to Bring

Being a relatively small-scale event, the Cosplay-Tanbata Festival packs a lot of activities that any visitor can take part in. This year, numerous activities were lined up, from cosplay events, to art contests, eating contests, free kenjutsu lessons, and even some basic sumo contests. Almost all of these are free of charge. So what would a person’s survival kit contain if one wants to enjoy the Cosplay-Tanabata Festival? Here are the necessities.

• Camera
- This is definitely a necessity if one wants to capture the numerous eye-catching moments in the festival. Being a festival that features a lot of activities for every participant and attendee, the moments one can capture are many.
• Smartphone/Tablet Computer
– Of course, once a photo or video is captured, one can easily upload the files to social media sites, thanks in part to the organizers who were able to secure the sponsorship of one of the country’s most prominent telecom companies, Globe Telecom.
• Cash
– Though the activities in the event are free, the food and some games require a very small fee. Thus, if one wants to become a guest in the festival, one must have ample pocket money for them to be able to enjoy the products being offered in the stalls fully. Again, due to the scale, card payments are not yet allowed, so all transactions are done completely by cash.
• The Right Expectations
– Compared with events that are conducted in the capital such as Anime-Con and other prominent anime events, the Cosplay-Tanabata Festival in Baguio City is fairly minimalist and small-scale. Thus, it is best not to expect too much with regards to the spectacle of the event. Rather, one must recognize it for what it is – an event in a small city done by a local group that simply aims to foster and promote the beauty of Japanese culture through anime.

3. The Activities

This year’s festival is fully endowed with activities, from the usual anime fare to the more traditional Japanese ones. Here is a list of the activities which awaited each participant in the event.

• Orihime and HIkoboshi Best in Yukata Contest
– Participants who attended the in the event dressed in traditional Japanese attire received prizes.
• ukinagashi Streamers Making Contest
– The contest was open to all participants, with the winners being displayed during the duration of the event. The winners also received prizes.
• UTAnabata Live! Solo Competition
– Songs from Japanese artists, most especially anime themes, were sung by the participants of the competition. This was a pretty interesting event since more mature contestants sung themes from older anime while the younger ones sung those from newer releases. It was a way for people like me to feel my age.
• On-the-Spot Art Contest
– Sponsored by one of the region’s art schools, the Cordillera School of Digital Arts, the contest was also open to practically everyone in the festival. Another art-based contest, sponsored by the Bag-Iw Art Society, a local art group, was also done.

3 - Anime enthusiasts engage in an on-the-spot art contest sponsored by local art groups.

• AKB48 Fortune Cookie In Love Dance Competition
– Dancing to the tune of AKB48’s popular tune, several groups, from veteran anime fans to junior high students, engaged in a dance competition. Audiences were impressed with the younger contestants, with the junior high participants bagging the contest’s major prizes in a clean sweep.

4 - The AKB48 Dance Competition drew the eyes of everyone in the event, featuring groups ranging from participants in their 20's to competitors from junior high.

5- Groups from the local high school engage in a routine to the tune of AKB48's popular hit. The group was able to bag the 2nd prize.

6 - This group, composed of junior high school students, earned first place, proving that age matters not in an anime dance competition.

• Eating Contests
– Sponsored by local businesses that embrace Asian, especially Japanese culture, Wasabi Burger and Spicy Ramen eating contests were done as well. Numerous attendees participated in the contests, especially since the sponsors were popular food chains in the city, with one of them, Miwishayu Burgers, making the list of one of the most unique burger houses in the country.

7 - Eating contests were well-received, with participants getting free food and bonding with each other, all in the name of fun and camaraderie.

Apart from the contests, several Japanese-themes activities were also conducted, thanks in no small part to the Japanese Association of Northern Luzon. Among the two most prominent ones are the following.

• Free Kenjutsu Lessons
– One of the activities that attracted the most attention, the Kenjutsu lessons were a hit, with anime fans practically lining up to get a feel of the basics of traditional Japanese swordsmanship. A feature on the Kenjutsu teacher that handled the lessons is the focus of a related article.

8 - The Free Kenjutsu lessons were a massive hit, with numerous participants showing great interest in acquiring the basics of traditional Japanese swordsmanship.

9 - Kenjutsu instructor Kenzou Alcala instructs two of the article's photographers on the basics of Kenjutsu.

• Sumo Wrestling Challenge
– Yet another activity that attracted a lot of participants, the Sumo Wrestling challenge featured members of the JANL acting as the Yokozuna and challenging attendees of the event. Some prize money was awarded to the brave, strong souls who opted to step up to the challenge.

10 - A couple of attendees engage in a sumo match overseen by a member of the Japanese Association of Northern Luzon.

11 - The sudden flurry of limbs and bodies crashing into each other gives audiences a little idea of what Sumo Wrestling is all about.

Of course, no anime-related event can be complete without booths! Booths featuring anime merchandise, independent releases, and some Asian delicacies were part of the event’s highlights. A very popular booth was the goldfish catching booth, which was enjoyed by the young and old alike.

12 - Even Spirited Away's No Face cannot resist the allure of a chocolate fountain. This particular food stall proved very popular, mainly due to most of their offerings costing no more than 20 Philippine pesos (about 50 Yen or 40 US Cents).

13 - Trinkets were also quite commonplace, with keychains, mini plushies and the like being sold for pretty fair prices.

14 - Anime-themed pillows, jackets, and other anime-themed merchandise also sold pretty well.

15 - This custom-printed mug with a chibi version of the Rogue Titan from Shingeki no Kyojin was a definite eye-catcher.

16 - Anime posters and prints were also available for the more frugal attendees, featuring images from iconic anime series like Hunter x Hunter and the like.

The Cosplay-Tanabata Festival was also very well-endowed in the entertainment factor, with a number of local bands performing covers of Japanese songs. Anime themes, both classic and new, serenaded the hall as each band performed in full vigor, hyping the audience and keeping the atmosphere light and high.

17 - A local band that plays J-Pop performed a number of covers and served as background music while some of the contests were going on.

18 - This female singer was a definite crown-pleaser, singing her heart out in nigh-perfect Japanese, much to the delight of the audience.

19 - A group of fans cheer as performers belt out anime tunes onstage.

20 - The event had a very light and free atmosphere, as shown by these attendees emulating a Lion King moment with the author's puppy while anime songs serenaded the background.

21 - A young boy (the author's stepson) poses proudly with his prized catch from the goldfish catching booth.

22 - The author's stepson and one of the article's photographers pose with the goldfishes they won.

4. Cosplay Photos

Cosplaying is one of the most prominent ways a fan can show his or her appreciation of anime. By simulating the persona of a character that was brought to life through pen and paper, cosplayers are able to bring the character literally to life. Here are some notable cosplayers I and my photographers were able to capture in the event.

23 - A veteran anime couple dressing up as iconic characters Kenshin Himura and Kamiya Kaoru.

24 - Though young, these middle school students have begun their cosplaying careers by dressing up as Sword Art Online characters.

25 - The Cosplay-Tanabata 2015 features a Yukata competition, and many attendees participated in it. This high school student poses in a yukata in this photo.

26 - This pair of friends both dressed up as the main character from one of the most popular and critically-acclaimed anime that was recently released, Tokyo Ghoul.

27 - Of course, anime conventions will never be complete without cat-girls among the participants.

28 - Another cat girl poses for the camera as the event draws to a close.

29 - Just a random Power Ranger on the prowl, keeping the peace at the event.

30 - Just like cat-girls, no anime event will ever be complete without swordsmen.

31 - Ninjas too, are a popular choice for cosplayers in the Phlippines, pushed by the popularity of shows like Naruto and Basilisk.

32 - At the end of the day, the event is all about having good, wholesome fun.

One of the organizers of the event, Lora Lopez, is also an avid cosplayer. When asked about why she chose cosplaying as a hobby, she states that it originally started as a way for her to bond with her sister. Among the things she loves most is the experience of being able to bring anime characters to life. She also enjoys the process of making her own costumes.

33 - The panel of judges from the Japanese Association of Northern Luzon, Philippines looks as performers grace the stage, together with event organizer and cosplayer Lora Lopez on the far right.

Her story on how she got into anime and cosplaying, as well as the group that organized the event, are featured in a related article.

5. Final Thoughts

Indeed, the 4th Cosplay-Tanabata Festival has gone quite a long way from what it was just a couple of years ago. When I first attended a Cosplay Tanabata Festival way back in 2013, the event was very small-scale, with only a few booths and a handful of cosplayers attending and participating in the events. With the recently-concluded festival in mind, it seems like this humble group of local cosplayers in a small mountain retreat of a city in the Philippines is in the process of continuously making their events more and more intricate. The inclusions of activities such as the Sumo Wrestling challenge and the Free Kenjutsu lessons are proof of that. As an anime fan, events such as these do kindle the fire that anime has started in my heart way back when I was still but a child. By being in a place and in an event that is organized specifically for anime enthusiasts, one can easily feel that this passion that all of us here in Honey’s Anime share, regardless of whether we live in one of the world’s biggest and most advanced cities, or if we reside in a small, humble abode atop a mountain. Truly, this year’s Cosplay-Tanabata Festival was able to capture that feeling, showing its attendees that even an anime event on this scale is able to provide an experience that is quite unforgettable. Interviews with the event organizers, as well as other key people in the event, are featured in a related article. I am definitely looking forward to any other events this group has planned for the future.

Over 550,000 people made the trip to Tokyo Big Sight for Comic Market 88. Similar to other years, 35,000 circles took part, with 180,000 and 160,000 people attending the event on the 14th and 15th respectively. The last day saw attendance rise to over 210,000 people! Comiket, as it is often called, is an event were groups of fans gather to buy and sell manga, novels, game software, and reviews, among other fan-made items. Held twice a year, in the Summer and Winter, Comiket is the largest event of its kind in Japan, with attendance often exceeding half a million people. The temperature soared to over 32 degrees Celcius during the event, but part of that had to be thanks to the hot cosplay on display! With Comiket 88 being wrapped up, here's a nice long look back at the amazing cosplays seen at the event! It's no secret that Comiket is just as much about cosplay as it is about selling comics, so we've got some sexy, cute, and cool shots for all those people who couldn't be there in person. Many cosplayers chose Summer 2015 anime, so there are a lot of fresh outfits to see! Enjoy the cosplay!

Comic Market 88 (Comic Market 88)

Kokusai Tenjijou Station (Nearest station to Tokyo Big Sight)

Road to Tokyo Big Sight

The Venue in Tokyo Big Sight

Lawson(convenience store) near Tokyo Big Sight

LoveLive! Cosplay

ToukenRanbu Cosplay

Hibike! Euphonium Cosplay

Kantai Collection: KanColle Cosplay

Precure series Cosplay

Slayers Cosplay

Fate Cosplay

Gintama Cosplay

Mario and Luigi Cosplay

Persona4 Cosplay

Himouto! Umaru-chan Cosplay

Gakkougurashi! Cosplay

Sailor Moon R Cosplay

God Eater Cosplay

Splatoon Cosplay

Tokyo Ghoul Cosplay

The "Hentai" Prince and the Stony Cat. Cosplay

FF10 Cosplay

Mirai Nikki Cosplay

Rokka no Yuusha Cosplay

Shimoneta to Iu Gainen ga Sonzai Shinai Taikutsu na Sekai Cosplay

The iDOLM@STER Cinderella Girls Cosplay

Durarara Cosplay

Show By Rock!! Cosplay

Street Fighters series Cosplay

Muumin Cosplay

Code Geass Cosplay

Yowamushi Pedal Cosplay

Other Cosplay

Enterprise Booths

Way Back from Tokyo Big Sight

[sourceLink url="http://www.weibo.com/ichinosehikaru?is_hot=1" a_text="Attack on Titan Cosplay" align="right"]

I'm sure we all remember how awesome Attack on Titan was when we first saw the anime 2 years ago! Now that the 2nd season is just a year away, the anticipation couldn't be more intense. So naturally, what's the best way to ease our yearning hearts? Awesome cosplay of course! You may be surprised to learn that most of these cosplayers are of the female persuasion, but honestly, that just makes it so much better! Levi looks cooler than ever, and Eren looks about ready to crush some titans! Of course, you have some Armin and Erwin for some cuteness and ruggedness respectively. :) So anyway, enjoy this smashing Attack on Titan cosplay gallery!

Attack on Titan (Shingeki no Kyojin) Cosplay

Levi Cosplay

Eren Cosplay

Armin Cosplay

Erwin Cosplay

About Attack on titan

Several hundred years ago, humans were nearly exterminated by titans. Titans are typically several stories tall, seem to have no intelligence, devour human beings and, worst of all, seem to do it for the pleasure rather than as a food source. A small percentage of humanity survived by walling themselves in a city protected by extremely high walls, even taller than the biggest of titans. Flash forward to the present and the city has not seen a titan in over 100 years. Teenage boy Eren and his foster sister Mikasa witness something horrific as the city walls are destroyed by a colossal titan that appears out of thin air. As the smaller titans flood the city, the two of them watch in horror as their mother is eaten alive. Eren vows that he will murder every single titan and take revenge for all of mankind. (Source: MangaHelpers)

Attack on titan Characters Profile

Levi Profile

Birthday: December 25 Height: 160 cm (5'3") Weight: 65 kg (143 lbs) Affiliations: Scouting Legion, Special Operations Squad Levi is known as humanity's most powerful soldier. His rank is a Captain in the Scouting Legion division. Levi is also the leader of the Special Operations Squad, an elite team that he hand-picked in order to protect Eren Yeager. While it is said that he is blunt and unapproachable, it is noted that he has a strong respect for structure and discipline. There are rumors that he was originally part of underground crime before he became a soldier. Although he often appears to be unfriendly, he cares deeply for his team and has never undervalued human life. He is also a notorious clean-freak.(Source:MyAnimeList)

Eren Profile

Age: 15 Birthdate: March 30 Height: 170 cm (5'7") Weight: 63 kg (139 lbs) Position: 104th Trainees Squad, Scouting Legion Graduation rank: 5th Eren is Shingeki no Kyojin's protagonist. His adoptive sister, Mikasa, notes on numerous occasions that he acts on impulse without thinking things through, and she often pulls/carries/throws him when he starts fighting with others to protect him from himself. Along with Mikasa, he tends to spend his free time with their mutual friend, Armin. His father is a doctor (whom is well respected by Hannes and potentially many more) whilst his mother is a housewife.(Source:MyAnimeList)

Armin Profile

Age: 15 Birthday: November 3 Height: 163 cm (5'4") Weight: 55 kg (121 lbs) Position: 104th Trainees Squad, Scouting Legion Graduation Rank: Outside the top 10 Eren's best friend, he is physically weak yet emotionally strong. Even though lacking in actual combat, Armin is a genius on theoretical courses and can make plans even under extreme pressure. Even so, Armin kept on thinking that he is weak. He himself does not notice the things he does for Eren and Mikasa, and believes himself to be completely incompetent and hates himself for having to rely of Eren and Mikasa.(Source:MyAnimeList)

Erwin Profile

Birthday: October 14 Height: 188 cm (6' 2") Weight: 92 kg (203 lbs) Affiliation: Scouting Legion Commander of the Scouting Legion, known for his foresight, intelligence and drive. His ultimate goal is for humanity to return to its former glory, and would sacrifice any number of his men for the sake of mankind as a whole.(Source:MyAnimeList)

Recently, Halloween's been getting really big in Japan's large cities. In particular, Tokyo has started seeing grand gatherings on the big night in city centers like Ikebukuro and Shibuya. Part of how the Japanese do Halloween focuses on cosplay, just like in North America, but instead of witches and vampires, the most popular costumes are those of anime characters! Knowing this, we sent a team to photograph the amazing Halloween cosplays at the Cosplay Festival in Ikebukuro. The results are gathered below for you to enjoy! Like the promiscuous vice-president from Prison School? Or how about the terrifying kakuja from Tokyo Ghoul? Those, and other anime favorites were all present, and are in this gallery for you to check out! Enjoy!

Halloween Cosplay Event@Ikebukuro Cosplay

Sunshine City and HigashiIkebukuro central park

Dungeon ni Deai wo Motomeru no wa Machigatteiru Darou ka(Hestia) Cosplay

Prison School (Meiko Shiraki) Cosplay

Tokyo Ghoul (Ken Kaneki, Shuu Tsukiyama, )Cosplay

Kill la Kill (Satsuki Kiryuuin)Cosplay

Date A Live (Kurumi Tokisaki) Cosplay

Love Live! part1(Nico Yazawa, Kotori Minami, Maki Nishikino, Hanayo Koizumi, Eri Ayase, Nozomi Tojo, Rin Hoshizora, Umi Sonoda) Cosplay

Love Live! part2 (Nico Yazawa, Kotori Minami, Hanayo Koizumi, Eri Ayase, Nozomi Tojo, Rin Hoshizora, Honoka Kousaka)Cosplay

Love Live! part3 (Nozomi Tojo)Cosplay

Cardcaptor Sakura(Sakura Kinomoto) Cosplay

Himouto! Umaru-chan (Umaru Doma)Cosplay

Black Butler Cosplay(Ciel Phantomhive, Claude Faustus)

Free!(Haruka Nanase, Makoto Tachibana, Nagisa Hazuki, Rei Ryuugasaki, Rin Matsuoka, Gou Matsuoka, Sousuke Yamazaki, Momotarou Mikoshiba, Aiichirou Nitori) Cosplay

Owari no Seraph(Mikaela Hyakuya, Ferid Bathory) Cosplay

Diabolik Lovers Cosplay

Gangsta. Cosplay(Worick Arcangelo, Nicolas Brown)

Batman Cosplay

Gandam Cosplay

Gate: Jieitai Kanochi nite, Kaku Tatakaeri Cosplay

Original Cosplay

Omake Cosplay

Indonesia Comic Con brings the best pop culture experience from both East and West in celebration of the latest content from comics, anime, toys, collectibles, games, TV, film and entertainment to dedicated fans across Indonesia. Fans will be able to satisfy their utmost desires to meet their favourite pop culture icons in real life and be the first to own limited edition and exclusive items showcased by leading exhibiting brands . Indonesia Comic Con is part of the Reed POP events which includes New York Comic Con, Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo, PAX, OZ Comic Con, PAX Australia, Star Wars Celebration and UFC Fan Expo.

What to do While There

Here are some notable highlights of the events available:

Walk of Fame, this is a wonderful chance for fans to be able to meet and greet up close with your favorite artist! It’s also a perfect chance to have the artists’ sign some of your personal items or just taking a photo together. The schedule of the Walk of Fame artist booth is available on the guide book distributed, make sure to come early or there will be the risk of ending up in a snake of a queue. There’s a Hello Kitty Booth, which resembles a small park with cute benches and tables, a must see and visit place for girls and Hello Kitty enthusiasts. An exclusive photo op was also available for the visitors to the booth.

Re:ON Comics booth, re:ON in short is an innovative re:VOLUTION of the comic industry in Indonesia. Basically, it’s a form of manga original from Indonesia that somewhat bears an uncanny resemblance to those manga in Japan in terms of artwork. It is Indonesia Comic Con 2015, so what better way to showcase that than to highlight an original manga/comic work from Indonesia. It’s encouraging to see creative and innovative original works such as re:ON and hopefully this will help draw out many potential artworks in the comic industry of Indonesia. Mr Kenji Ohba, the Indonesia Comic Con 2015 has invited the legendary actor and former stuntman known for his roles in Space Sheriff Gavan as Gavan, whose designed influenced Paul Verhoeven’s iconic pop culture film Robocop. In an exclusive interview with Mr Kenji Ohba, he expressed that during his time as a stuntman for the Space Sheriff Gavan series, the most memorable moment for him was to be able to hang out together with his fellow cameramen, staffs and crews. Mr Kenji Ohba also explained during the interview that a strong determination and endurance to the special training is what it truly takes for the young generations to be a stuntman.

It was an eye opening experience as the veteran actor stuntman gave some insight of what was the secret behind the success for the tokusatsu series. He revealed that Space Sheriff Gavan has their own set of unique characters, each with their own unique back story and interesting character design.

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Final Thoughts

It was an exhilarating experience altogether! Being able to see so many of the people here bring out their best cosplays and having fun was a memorable experience. Since this was the very first Comic Con ever held in Indonesia, I had the chance to have a close up interview with one of the Head Marketing Communications people, Mrs. Ella Haryanto to answer some burning questions I had in mind about the event that was held. Mrs. Ella revealed that they had done research surveys beforehand to find out whether Indonesia has the market for this kind of event. Whether there will be people or communities willing to go to this kind of event. From the surveys, they found out that Indonesia has a lot of pop culture fans whether it be eastern pop culture or western pop culture. And so it was the right time for them to introduce Indonesia to the “real” Comic Con as they adopted it from New York Comic Con standards. Mrs. Ella also expressed that she was proud of the visitors that came to the event, because they felt very welcomed by the visitors. One of the visitors also stated that this event was “The” comic con because Mrs. Ella and her team filled the event with all sorts of entertainment; from movies, to games, merchandise, collectible items, fan meet-and-greets and so much more. Mrs. Ella hopes that for next year’s Indonesia Comic Con, they can truly integrate New York Comic Con’s standards into the event, so that the citizens of Indonesia won’t have to go overseas to enjoy a true comic convention event as they already can enjoy their very own, in the Indonesia Comic Con.

Indonesia Comic Con -Basic Information-

What to Expect

Experiencing the Indonesia Comic Con for the first time could be an exciting feeling. There’s loads of fan art booths, merchandise, board games, comic books, exclusive collector item figurines and many more! It’s something like a large expo for toys, anime fan arts with the added bonus of cosplaying attendants, which made it super fun!

WHAT TO EXPECT AT INDONESIA COMIC CON?

• Giveaways & Promotions
• Live Sketching
• Panels
• Screenings and Sneak Peeks
• Vibrant Exhibit Floor
• Walk of Fame
• Artist Alley
• Booth Highlights
• Cosplay Phototaking
• Cosplay Competition
• DJ Night
• Exclusives & New Products
• Game Demos

Day 1 (14th November 2015)

• Indonesia Comic Con Opening Ceremony
• Star Wars Panel
• Maybank Auction
• Kenji Ohba Jouchaku!
• V-Project Special Panel
• Hello Kitty Meet and Greet
• Re-On Panel
• International Movie Panel
• Secret Walls x sasakure.UK
• TAMusic Live Special

• Gotham
• Hitomi Okada
• Nicole Marie Jean
• Pinky Lu Xun
• Hello Kitty
• V-Project

• Franki Indrasmoro
• Simone Legno
• Secret Walls
• Touma
• Kenji Ohba
• David Mack

Day 2 (15 November 2015)

• Music Performance by SAE Institute
• Toy Designer Panel
• Talking Comic Panel with David Mack
• Kenji Ohba Jouchaku!
• Creator’s Panel with sasakure.UK & REDSHiFT
• Hello Kitty Meet and Greet
• Starvision Movie Panel with Jagoan Instan
• DJ Night with Yuyoyuppe & sasakure.UK
• Championships of Cosplay

• Jagoan Instan
• David Mack
• Secret Walls
• Simone Legno
• Kenji Ohba
• Touma

• Gotham
• Pinky Lu Xun
• Nicole Marie Jean
• V-Project
• Hitomi Okada
• Hello Kitty

What to Bring in Order to Enjoy Oneself

Go to the NEXT article　↓↓↓

Championships of Cosplay

Do you have what it takes to represent Indonesia in the C2E2 2016 grand finals in Chicago, USA!? Judges: Nicole Marie Jean, Pinky Lu Xun, Octavianus Rizky and Olivie.

Judges

Nicole Marie Jean

Octavianus Rizky

Olivie

Pinky Lu Xun

Indonesia Comic Con 2015 Overall Review

Pinky Lu Xun-- “I happen to love reading re:ON comics, and also I thought that it is the Indonesia Comic Con, so why not cosplay something from Indonesia? I’m using batik, a unique fabric originated from Indonesia as the base material. Being the only guest from Indonesia, for me personally, I think I needed to cosplay something that says ‘Indonesia’.”

Honey’s Anime-- “Being a pioneering cosplayer here in Indonesia, what were the challenges you face when you first started cosplaying?”

Pinky Lu Xun-- “At that time there weren’t many people that knew about cosplay and so people assume we’re freaks. But now thanks to more & more cosplay events being held, the society has learned to accept us more as ‘artists’ rather than freaks.”

Honey’s Anime-- “Can you give us some comments about this year’s cosplay championship contestants?”

Pinky Lu Xun-- “From what I see from the preliminaries judging, I can assure you that the 15 finalist that were chosen are the best because we also want to show the other guests from all around the world that these cosplays are from Indonesia and are the works from Indonesian cosplayers.”

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The cosplay championship was awesome! The winners are as follow:

Firmanda Romas as ED 209 from the Robocop Movie (2014) emerged as the winner of the third place ICC Cosplay Championships

The second place of the ICC Cosplay Championships, Herry Bertus as Prime Evil of Diablo 3.

Abraham Enriquez Cruz as Vicious Summoner of Dekaron, emerged as the winner of Cosplay Championships and will represent Indonesia at the Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo Cosplay Crown championships of 2016.

It was a very interesting experience for me as it was my first time being able to watch a cosplay competition. And it made me realize that there are so many cool cosplayers here in Indonesia. The details of the costumes, the added effects of the costumes, the short performance given by the cosplayers made this cosplay competition a really interesting event to see!

Indonesia Comic Con -Basic Information-

Indonesia Comic Con 2015 Here are the prizes:

1stWinner

• Champion Trophy sponsored by Royal Selangor
• Medal
• C2E2 VIP Tickets –Two (2) VIP tickets to C2E2 2016 (March 18 – 20, Chicago, USA)
• Rp. 8,000,000,- Cash
• 1 Return Economy Airfare from champion's country to Chicago for C2E2 2016*
• 1 Return Economy Airfare from champion's country to Chicago for C2E2 2016 for champion's guest*
• Automatic entry into the final round of the Crown Championships of Cosplay at C2E2 2016
• Shipping – Any additional shipping charges for oversized items related to the costume
• Ground Transportation – Costs associated with getting to and from the airport in champion's country
• Double occupancy hotel room in Chicago for three nights. Check in Thursday 3/17/16. Check out Sunday 3/20/16.**
• Ground Transportation - $ 200 stipend per regional champion to be used for ground transportation to/from O'Hare airport in Chicago
• Rp. 1,000,000,- worth Grab Bike voucher.
• IDR 1,500,000,- products worth sponsored by M&C and ELEX MEDIA KOMPUTINDO.
• Free 3 months magazine Nakayoshi subscriptions

* Airline and air tickets will be decided and booked at the sole discretion of the organizer’s. ** Accommodation will be decided and booked at the sole discretion of the organizer’s.2nd Winner

2stWinner

• Ten (10) Tickets for ICC 2016
• Rp. 4,000,000,- Cash
• Medal
• IDR 1,500,000,- products worth sponsored by M&C and ELEX MEDIA KOMPUTINDO.
• Free 3 months magazine Nakayoshi subscriptions

3stWinner

• Five (5) Tickets for ICC 2016
• Rp. 2,000,000,- Cash
• Medal
• IDR 1,500,000,- products worth sponsored by M&C and ELEX MEDIA KOMPUTINDO.
• Free 3 months magazine Nakayoshi subscriptions

Go to the PREVIOUS article ↓↓↓

Anime Festival Asia 2015 Singapore (AFA 15) - Basic Information

First Day Experience - Nov 27th 2015

Event goers are greeted by myriad of familiar names once they have entered the event hall. Many of the favourite booths have returned such as Good Smile Company, Smart Doll, Pony Canyon, Odex, each bringing new and revamped content and exclusives! That's not saying there's nothing new! AFA 2015 did not fail to impress again with new booths by the good people from CHEERZ!, NHK World and Force Of Will, bringing a fresh outlook and perspective, which we were only too happy to welcome with open arms. For today's feature, we paid a visit to Danny Choo's smart doll's booth. It was such a treat! On display is the 3D printer used to manufacture each smart doll! The line up of dolls this year was of a higher diversity than before, each adorned with new clothes, it was like a mini fashion show for doll aficionados!

Food Street

I love Anisong - AFA 2015 Singapore

Every year without fail, AFA will wrap up the day's events with the Anisong segment. Event goers are treated to popular J-Pop music and memorable Anime tracks. I think this is the AFA way of ending the day with a blast! The Anisong segment is a much anticipated event with front row VIP seats being taken up in a matter of minutes! Despite the hefty sum of S$398 (early bird VIP price) price tag for all three days, it is well worth it for the fans as they are given the opportunity to see numerous of their favourite artistes, LIVE! To put it into perspective, that's about 280 US Dollars or about 34,500 Yen. This year's theme is Anisong Reboot! Featuring new faces, some never before seen on the AFA stage, we are of the opinion that it fits the title perfectly as it is most definitely time for a reboot! This year's line-up sees the most number of fresh new faces joining the grand stage of AFA as well as being the most varied throughout the years!

ZAQ Performance at I Love Anisong

For the Anisong Day 1, Honey's Anime would like to feature ZAQ! Fans would know ZAQ as the artist that sang openings to favourite titles such as Chuunibyou demo Koi Ga Shitai! and Highschool DxD New. This is ZAQ's first time in Singapore and while she may be an unfamiliar face for some, she definitely did not disappoint! ZAQ opened with "Katararezu Tomo" from Concrete Revolutio: Choujin Genso. The upbeat and thrilling tempo excited the fans, bringing their unity as anime lovers to an equilibrium as light sticks started swaying with more zest. Fans instantly recognised the theme ending to Chuunibyou and started to wave their light sticks fervently. The atmosphere intensified as ZAQ started dishing out track after track of familiar openings to some well-known animes. The finale? The opening to Chuunibyou: Sparkling Daydream. A perfect way to end her act!

Second Day Experience - Nov 28th 2015

Cosplayers - The Unsung Heroes of an Event

Final Thoughts

Singapore AFA2015 Article Tour

You are here.

nano

Being the first act is never easy. People’s expectations are high, is the first performer that manage the crowd and set the whole atmosphere for the event. As it is her first time in Singapore, fans and us alike are left in the dark as to what kind of show will bring. Before her act even started, fans were already cheering and chanting. nano's performance did not fall short of expectation as she blasted her fans with her energy and enthusiasm with notable songs like “Nevereverland”, “Born to Be”, “Bull's Eye” and “No Pain, No Game”. A natural crowd pleaser as well, she is funny and is perfectly confident in addressing her large amount of people but yet chooses her words in such a way that it appeals to an individual. Although it was a short act, she left with a short, but powerful message which reflects strongly on her dedication and passion in music. "Remember to smile and smile to others as well. Music is the tool to help us smile. It may not be mine but whenever you feel down, put on music and just smile!". She brought a great start for the final event of AFA 2015.

Bull's Eye / nano

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPshMKAXZro&w=560&h=315]

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Mika Kobayashi

Next to appear on stage is Mika Kobayashi. Her opening act was from the soundtrack of Shingeki no Kyojin’s “ət'æk 0N tάɪtn” or The Armoured Titan's theme. With her captivating vocals, she took the atmosphere that nano was left behind and made it her own. Kobayashi-san brought us back in time by singing yet another hot favourite from the past - “Bios” from Guilty Crown. Naturally artistic, she collaborated with Tetsuro Shimaguchi, KAMUI to put on a show that kind of reminds you of Kabuki theatre. Whilst unnatural for a concert event, this innovative presentation was beautifully executed with Kobayashi-san playing the piano and KAMUI enchanting the crowd with his swordplay.

Bauklötze Live - Mika Kobayashi (OST Attack on Titan)

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXIwaoocr74&w=560&h=315]

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GARNiDELIA

GARNiDELIA was up next. A rising force in the music industry in Japan, GARNiDELIA's duo has a unique style of music and fans became wild when they are announced as the next act. GARNiDELIA's passion for music resonated throughout the concert hall. To showcase their tenacity for music. The set list for this year is almost like a mix of GARNiDELIA's past to present. They've included a song from MARiA’s days in a different group called “Girls” and the ever famous “SPiCa” back from Toku's days as Toku-P! Recent hits includes “Ambiguous” from Kill la Kill, “Grilleto” from Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei and “Daze” from Mekakucity Actors. Fans continuously cheered as the duo dished out hit after hit leaving behind a captivated audience.

GARNiDELiA - “ambiguous” | AFA Singapore Live

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-zo19AIYBg&w=560&h=315]

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Lia

The penultimate act, Lia is known for singing many of the studio Key's anime openings. This year was no exception. The poignant memories of our beloved anime such as Clannad, Angel Beats!, Air, and most recently - Charlotte from last season was elicited, reminding of the feels trips we had to go through all over again as she mesmerizes the audience with her captivating vocals. Lia's alluring voice was not her only gift to her fans that day. She announced plans for a world tour in Asia featuring IA, the Vocaloid voiced by her. Coming in year 2016, she will be featured as a special guest. Look out for Party A Go-Go! a revamped vocaloid concept with the enchanting Lia in year 2016.

"Bravely You" by Lia - Charlotte (シャーロット) Opening / OP

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gB5qUxR6ch4&w=560&h=315]

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May'n

The finale act to close off AFA 2015 was May'n! A featured artist since year 2008, she appears every year on the final day. This year was no difference, May'n dynamism and powerful vocals resonated throughout the whole concert hall. Her set list included a brand new single - “Yamaidare Darlin”, the OP to Aquarion Logo. This year, May'n also sang popular songs from anime throughout her career such as “Chase the World”, the popular “Diamond Crevasse” and “ViVid” before ending off the event with “Lion” which sent the crowd wild! May'n has once again upped the ante and never fails to disappoint.

May'n／ヤマイダレdarlin' MusicVideo

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9ac12AYpDo&w=560&h=315]

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AFA 2015 - Final Day Experience

Walking Around the Booths

It's the last day of AFA 2015! As usual the crowd was relentless! We had to squeeze our way through JUST to get in! For today's portion, we paid a visit to the good people at Good Smile Company. Famed for their brand of products known as nendoroids or more affectionately referred to by fans as 'nendos', they are figurines that range from cute chibi sized to figurine size. Here are some of their best displays!

Isn't the Hatsune Miku just magnificent??

Even if he is a chibi, he still has the blank look on his face!

From the good old times, Dark Magician Girl

And from more recent times, here's Sable ready for marriage!

Doujin Booths

We've also visited both doujin booths and official merchandise stalls. Ranging from anime memorabilia to props to T-shirts, these stalls fulfils the inner otaku in you by letting you own your very own piece of anime! AFA 2015 allocates a space for doujin owners to set up stalls and hawk their wares. This year, we see an increase of space with a new name. This year's doujin area is appropriately named, Creator's Hub. These original creations are cheaper than the original deal from the large manufacturers. However, no doubt that they are cheap, given the originality and appeal of the products, they still sell out within a few hours with some even becoming ongoing trends on site as well. Here are some samples from some of the doujins.

We didn't enter the official merchandise section as these are usually found online on the manufacturer's webpage and usually packed with people. This year's featured official merchandise stalls are...

Cosplayers

And of course, not forgetting our daily dose of cosplayer's of the event..

And with that, we've come to the conclusion of this year's AFA 2015. If you've attended the event, please do share with us your favourite moments and highlights. If you haven't, we hope to see you here next year! Until next year, Honey's Anime is signing off!

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P.S.

We would like to give credit to our resident photographer who painstakingly and without reservation, captured most of the important highlights in this collection. A true artist, he also does cosplay photoshoots with dedication. His sense of artistry propagates the notion of cosplay as an art form. Please do check out his collection at. Breathtaking Photography (theBTphotgraphy) https://www.facebook.com/thebtphotography/?fref=ts

[author author_id="029" author=""]

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Singapore AFA2015 Article Tour

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Interview with ARCC 2015 Winners - Team Indonesia (Devil May Cry)

Interview with Guest Cosplayers

Making the costumes themselves from scratch, changing careers, and dealing with criticism are some of the challenges cosplayers face without losing enthusiasm for their passion. No anime festival is complete without guest cosplayers! Gracing us with their skills, craft, and stunning looks, they're a great addition to any event and help bring the anime experience to life. As the biggest anime event in South East Asia, AFA was able to secure a stellar line up consisting of Angie, Baozi&Hana, Ely, Jun & Neru, Kaname, Liui Aquino, Otogi Nekomu, Sansin, Tomia, Ying Tze, Honey’s Anime was lucky enough to be able to get a Q&A session with Ely Cosplay, Liui Aquino, Tomia & Sansin as they shared their thoughts on cosplay, community and themselves!

Honey’s Anime: -- How is the cosplay culture like in your home country, and do you add any local elements into your cosplays?

Liui: Ok I'll start! Cosplay lately has become more mainstream in the Philippines, more people are starting to try it, you know, teenagers and even old people! They think it's fun. My friends and me are like promoting cosplay to be fun, and it's for everyone. And that's pretty much it!

Tomia: In Korea, there are specialty shops that make cosplay costumes. They prepare them quite fast, unlike Japan, which takes a long time to prepare one costume each time.

-- What's are some challenges you faced while starting cosplay and how did you overcome it?

Ely: I think it was making the wig and costumes, like how to make it as close to the characters as possible. It was quite hard cause we didn't know how to translate the 2D into 3D, hahaha.

Tomia: The costumes were the most difficult to me. I went on the Internet to learn how to make the costumes myself. But it was still very difficult so I ended up attending fashion school. But now I can make any costume!

Liui: To me, as a male cosplayer, there were a lot of difficulties I experienced, not just for costumes, not just for trying to show the girls that us guys can cosplay too. The hardest part for me was trying to get my parents to understand that cosplay was a good hobby. Something like they can accept, and trying to get people to appreciate and that it's very valuable to us cosplayers. It's not just about how the costumes are very difficult but also about how passionate you are, and how much you love your character.

-- Have you been criticized by your family and friends when you started this hobby and how would you recommend new cosplayers to carry on despite similar challenges?

Liui: Yeah actually... We don't really care about what people say about us. For family, especially for older people, they think it's immature and not something like, grown ups should be doing. I think that's one of the sadder things we hear, but we don't really care about what people will say. And, I'm into Disney and Dreamworks cosplay, and there's a lot of cosplayers into that as well and a lot of people criticize me like "Oh you're Asian, you cannot do western characters". And it's kind of painful but we don't really care, cause we're doing this for fun, yeah.

Ely: I think it's cause I love cosplay. When I'm out of this hobby on a normal day with other people, doing normal work. But in cosplay, I want to enjoy it, so I don't really care. I keep it separate so I can enjoy different lives.

Sansin: I started cosplay when I was younger but kinda stopped for two years. When I came back I was 18 and a lot of people were saying that it's a very late age to start. And since I do a lot of male characters there are a lot of limitations to it. So for those who just started cosplay; don't be scared, just go with it. Just do it.

-- How do you feel like when meeting with your all your fans?

Liui: I think it's more of, they support us cause they like the characters we're cosplaying.

Ely: I feel very appreciative of them.

Liui: Oh yeah, I'm very appreciative of them too! It's like because of them we're here. When people are mobbing us, it's kind of scary sometimes but it's also like they appreciate our presence and I think that's priceless for us.

-- In what significant ways has cosplay impacted your lives?

Tomia: I changed my major due to cosplay and like, my career choices? Yeah.

Sansin: I have very low confidence out of cosplay, but when I dress up as a guy I suddenly get a lot of confidence. But one of the negative impacts is that my wallet is always empty!

Liui: Even before cosplay I was already kinda confident? You know, derping around with other people something like that. I think what positive things it gave me was that I appreciate more. Like what I want to do, what I want. I appreciate my family more too, when I go out I miss them. And I appreciate people overall too like, you should not judge people and the way they do things, cause you don't know how hard it was for them to make something or do something. Like, other cosplayers, you don't have to judge them, just appreciate what they have. And I also appreciate little kids, before I didn't like kids but now one of my goals is to make little kids happy or young at heart people. But one of the negative things is that I am missing time with family and friends.

-- How do you manage time between cosplay and work?

Ely: Because of cosplay my main job was changed. I was an office lady, but because I spent so much time on cosplay and travelling, I changed my main job yeah. My main job is an illustrator now.

Liui: I worked as a manager back in the Philippines but after a while I didn't like it so I changed to being in human resources. I started working right after college so I had no time to had fun. But I made an investment in my career so if I ever want to return to what I did before, I can do that but right now I want to enjoy. Cause nobody right now has so many opportunities to travel and meet so many people so I want to take this chance and when I don't like it anymore, return to my old job.

Tomia: I can make the costumes and manage my time cause I'm doing part time work. Like I do web design, logo designs, modeling fitting. I also help people make costumes and direct photo shoots. I get a lot of help from the people around me so I get to do what I'm doing now. So there's no problem with managing my work and cosplay.

Sansin: I major in drawing, so my work is very otaku related. So there's not much trouble managing work and cosplay.

-- What are some interesting or memorable experiences you had during photo shoots?

Sansin: Once, for a shoot with a big team, we rented out a whole hotel suite. In hunterxhunter there is a scene where all the characters gather in a hotel room and we tried to recreate that scene so it was very special shoot for me.

Tomia: This is one of the bad experiences I had. When shooting Elsa, it was very cold, so we went to a rural area to shoot. The driver didn't know the way so we drove around for 5hrs and I caught a cold! I couldn't stand more than 20 minutes for the shoot before we had to go back.

Liui: Memorable? I think everyone knows my hiccup photo, the one on 9gag with only my top half looking into the distance? The real story behind that was my father took that photo on our roof top and yeah, the top half was very good but I was only wearing boxers for the lower half, hahaha. So it's like expectations and reality? So it was very funny cause I didn't expect it to go viral, and I'm very proud but when people ask me "Where is the bottom half?" I'm like "Nope, boxers" hahaha.

Ely: When I was shooting for my photobook I was in Japan, and I was shooting at this mountain with a tengu center. So my character was a tengu, and when I was there I met this little girl and she was like "OOOH! Tengu! Omg tengu!" And when she goes home I think she'll tell her parents about how she met a tengu in the tengu mountains. Honey's Anime was able to catch the winning team as they were celebrating their victory, and were lucky enough to clinch an interview with them and here's what they had to say!

-- How long did you guys take to prepare your performance?

Naru: It took two months of planning and deciding what to do, then another two months to choreograph and practice our set. Making the costumes took another two months.

-- That effort seems to have paid off!

Erlan: Hahaha, yeah!

-- So, how was it like performing on stage after all your preparations?

Naru: We were very nervous. And I was quite sad that I forgot some of my moves. I am a perfectionist! Must always aim to be perfect, that's how you improve, hahaha!

-- But even though you missed some steps you still won! How do you guys feel?

Erlan: I'm very glad that we won, this was our first competition here in Singapore so it's a very big deal to us. Every year since 2013, Indonesia has been winning ARCC so I'm also happy that we were able to be the champions of 2015!

-- How are you guys planning to spend the $800 prize money then?

Naru: To make more costumes! Hahaha!

Erlan: Yes! Cosplay got us here, so it makes sense to use the prize money on more costumes!

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And that marks the end of our Q&A segment with the wonderful Ely, Liui, Sansin and Tomia! Honey’s sincerely thanks all the cosplayers for their honest and well-thought answers. Today’s interview was joined by our fellow media friends. It was an interesting dialogue, rife with so many inspiring stories and advice. That being said, do you feel inspired to start cosplaying yet? Which was your favourite part? Tell us in the comments below!

[author author_id="" author="Suika"]

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Singapore AFA2015 Article Tour

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Touken Ranbu Cosplay

Tsurumaru Kuninaga Cosplay

[sourceLink url="https://twitter.com/12ye_vivian" text="Tsurumaru Kuninaga Cosplay"]

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Munechika Mikazuki Cosplay

[sourceLink url="https://www.facebook.com/Reika-315573555144954/" text="Munechika Mikazuki Cosplay"]

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Kiyomitsu Kashuu Cosplay

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Mitsutada Shokudaikiri Cosplay

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Yasusada Yamatonokami Cosplay

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About Touken Ranbu

Touken Ranbu Characters Profile

Kiyomitsu Kashuu Profile

An Uchigatana sword used by Souji Okita of the Shinsengumi. Possibly because he was born in a poor environment, he thinks that beauty is the way to get affection. Although they seem completely different, he and Yamatonokami Yasusada are so similar that they often end up fighting.

Yasusada Yamatonokami Profile

An Uchigatana sword used by Souji Okita of the Shinsengumi. Like Kashuu Kiyomitsu, he’s difficult to handle and chooses who wields him himself. He may look obedient at first glance, but when the time comes to battle...