‘Ultimate expression of fandom’: Imaginative worlds meet reality
In the Best of Anime (BoA) convention, Mikasa from Attack on Titan and Kaneki from Tokyo Ghoul were seen talking just outside SMX Convention Center Manila. All Might from Boku No Hero Academia was spotted joking around with Present Mic and Eraserhead.
Along the halls, fans of different ages mile about wearing gold plated armor with swords strapped to their waists; some wearing soldier uniforms with their hair colored in a bright shade of pink; others wearing golden dresses with red jewels sewn onto the torso area. There are people waiting outside the venue with their suitcases full of costumes and make-up.
Now on its 8th year, the Best of Anime convention encourages individuals from different age groups and social standing to unleash their creativity and freely express themselves.
Held in the SMX Convention Center every year, as sponsored by Prime Trade Asia Inc., BoA holds competitions and activities that have helped developed the skills of the participants. From singing competitions to dance battles, to manga sketching, to battle of the bands – conventions like the Best of Anime had helped individuals cultivate their chosen craft.
In the 21st century, Fan Culture or “Fandom” is a subculture on the rise. It is a community built around a shared enjoyment or liking of a particular book, movie, tv show, band, etc. Fandom is a culture based on the creations of various individuals that fosters critical thinking, skill development, and unique creative perception.
Fandom has encouraged a participatory culture where it has involved fans who act as not only consumers, but producers as well. It has created artists, singers, and writers who have been known to make it big and even be on par with the people they once, and still consider as their idols.
There are comic book and manga artists who are now drawing and sketching their favorite childhood characters.
Jorge Jimenez, Kenneth Rocafort, Greg Capullo, Dexter Soy, Viktoria Ridzel are all artists who, from a very young age, dreamed of drawing their favorite characters and are now the very people responsible for their childhood character’s design.
“I’ve always seen Superman as my hero, and now that I get to draw him as how I’ve always seen him, I feel so honored and thankful,” Jimenez captioned in one of the pictures he posted on social media.
When asked on what were her thoughts about giving up on drawing, Viktoria Ridzel, who is now the official artist for Rick Riordan’s books, said “at first you are going to be bad at it…If you don’t draw because you draw badly, you will never be able to become good at drawing.”
Part of fan culture is costume play, or most popularly known as “cosplay”. It is events like Best of Anime and Comic Convention (held annually in San Diego, California and New York City, New York) that gives the fans the avenue to get creative—one of which is the chance to dress up as characters from the imaginative worlds.
Cosplay is considered by the fans as “the ultimate expression of fandom, an unlimited creative outlet that allows someone to bring their favorite characters to life by becoming them.”
Cosplay started as early as 1939 when a pair of science fiction fans attended the First World Science Fiction Convention dressed in “futuristic costumes."
It was Nobuyuki Takahashi of Studio Hard who coined the term “cosplay” when he attended the 1984 World Science Fiction Convention and saw the dressed-up fans.
Cosplayers spend more than a year to prepare the costumes and props they would use in conventions like the Best of Anime.
“Preparation took us quite a while… It took more than a year to prepare what we’re wearing now,” said Ninko Gene who has been cosplaying since 2015.
One of the necessities of cosplaying is learning how to do all sorts of Do-It-Yourself activities. There’s sewing, painting, sculpting, jewelry-making, and wig-styling involved.
"A lot of what I’m wearing now is made by me [and] it took me around two weeks,” said Aileen Austria, who caught a lot of stares with her well-put-together Mikasa costume.
Fandom culture and cosplaying are often looked down on because of its juvenile and childish elements, but unknown to the majority, this subculture on the rise has helped establish connections among varying individuals as well as shaped some of the great artists of this generation; and while the people belittle them, these fanatics are developing their skills and at the same time, adding more color to the human culture of creativity.