After the two-day Toycon (Read Field Reports for Day One and Day Two) comes “I Ai Anime”, a similar event but much more Anime-oriented than the Toycon.
“I Ai Anime” also comes in a two-day installment, however, due to prior engagements, otaku.ph writer fluffy and this writer was only able to visit the event, regrettably, on day one. So if you’re reading this today, July 10, then you can still try and visit the event tomorrow.
Toys, Manga, more Pirated Anime, plus so much more, after the break.
The Usual
Let’s start of with the usual. “I Ai Anime” was (or rather, is) sponsored by the SM Megamall’s Megatrade Hall (where the event was hosted), in cooperation to anime-oriented magazine Otakuzine (Disclaimer: Otaku.ph is in no way affiliated with Otakuzine, although some of us here buy and read them).
This did not, in any way, mean that there were lesser finds in this event. In fact, I found a Yui Hirasawa action figure with her in her popular K-On! schoolgirl costume. If you read my Field Report about the Toycon, you would know that I tried in vain to find the same toy at Toycon.
Action figures, Manga, and pirated Anime DVDs were abundant at the said event, and although I ultimately only bought one action figure, no manga, and no pirated DVDs, I recommend any Anime-lover to visit this event at least once. You just might find what you’re looking for.
In fact, with the University Athletics Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Men’s Basketball tournament coming up, we found Anime-style ways to support our team, courtesy of The Keybie Cafe (http://keybies.multiply.com/). The following keychains were bought at 65 pesos each.
That’s right, Go Ateneo Blue Eagles! ^_~
The Even-More-Usual
Of course, what’s an Anime event without cosplayers?
Cosplayers, like this pretty Azusa Nakano from Cosplay Photographers’ Guild (CPG), trooped to the Megatrade Hall to express what they love.
I was at one point shocked when I went to the Gents’ restroom and inside was a dude cosplaying as a maid… scary and funny at the same time.
Like in the Toycon, there was a cosplaying contest, but this time, everyone was required to cosplay Anime characters.
Oh, and we met two of the cosplayers we previosuly photographed at the Toycon, the two girls with the hammer and the violin. You can see them in the following sampler, along with Konata Izumi and other Anime characters:
The rest of the pictures of the cosplayers, and everything else we got from that event, will be posted at a later date.
The New Stuff
What made this event unique compared to the Toycon were two particular details.
First was the Anime-singing competition, wherein contestants sang Anime theme songs. Actually, when we first entered the venue, someone was onstage singing the first Fairy Tail opening theme song (and he was good, by the way).
Another contestant sang 1/2 from Samurai X, much to the disdain of some obviously Samurai X fans.
Another new addition is the much-promoted Anime Cafe called “Ozine Cafe”.
Unfortunately we were very full when we went there, so we only tried a Mango Shake. For 60 pesos, it was expensive, but nevertheless, it was good.
Of course since this was an Anime Cafe (sometimes referred to as Maid Cafe), the staff were cosplaying as well, like the following girl who was making Onigiri:
There was also a Jail Booth. We didn’t exactly get to understand how it worked, but every now and then, the Emcee announced that the roving patrol will be capturing visitors with a certain attribute (for example, visitors wearing a wig, or a mask). We couldn’t find out, however, how the captured prisoners can get out.
There was also an advertised Horror Booth, but we didn’t see that anywhere. Maybe at least not on Day One.
Man, how I wish we could visit again tomorrow.
fudepen
Photo Credits: fluffy
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