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AFA09: More than just a fad
by Teng Lingying |
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4 December 2009
What do you call a person who spends hours and hours on the computer? A nerd? A geek? Here’s a new word to add to your vocabulary – otaku. A unique brand of “geek”, otakus live the real life – online.
Literally “house” in Japanese, otaku can amount to an insult if improperly used. Just as easily, it harmlessly describes a person who is a fervent follower of Japanese pop culture. Its latter meaning is taken here.
A celebration of all things otaku, Anime Festival Asia 2009 garnered the various genres of animation, manga, comics, music, and cosplay over two days from 21-22 November at the Suntec Singapore International Convention and Exhibition Centre.
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| The excitement began even before fans reached the festival doors. Gathered at the common foyer on the third floor were cosplayers dressed in high boots and coloured hair of their favourite animation characters, complete with matching weapons and accessories. Popular characters posed for hours on end, such as those from Bleach, Naruto and Gundam. The mobile suit OO Raiser swept away various prizes at Regional Cosplay Championships, and had drawn an especially large crowd around it. |
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OO Raiser from the Gundam OO Emotions animation |
| Inside the halls, industry heavyweights, artistes and companies mingled with fans in a colourful alternate reality. For people new to the culture, the sight of a girl in a French maid costume or a wrestler clad in briefs walking about may seem bizarre, but anything goes in this realm of fantasy-turned-reality. Girls cross-dressed as male characters, and others clad in the traditional Japanese yukata blended right in. |
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Skill and hard work is as much a part of this culture as its intriguing characters. Graffiti panels for example, showcased artworks of surprising quality. Your typical otaku is not only knowledgeable, but may also be capable of commendable “fanart” which is just as skilful as the original work.
The extent of influence of this peculiar culture is hard to measure. A visitorship of 52,000 over two days equates to an average of more than 2,000 people streaming into the convention centre every hour. Online communities also include art and written pieces from the United States, Spain, the Philippines and many other countries.
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| Graffiti or art? - One of the many doodles on the graffiti panels set up at the festival |
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| Otaku or not, the worldwide following of this culture is something to be reckoned with. “Geek” might just be the new cool. |
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