A blue qipao, white combat boots, brown tights, silk brocades and ribbons. Chun-Li, the “queen of fighting games” is one of the most recognizable characters in gaming history. Many a fan boy and girl were left weak-kneed and full of excitement last weekend as she made a “live” appearance at the fourth edition of Animekon.
For the rest of us – cynics and casual fans alike – it was still a treat to see and meet Cosplay royalty Yaya Han and Jayem Sison who were flown into the island to participate in Animekon 2013, aptly themed The Living Legends.
Han, cosplaying as the prominent Chun-Li, and Sison, as the fairytale character Gray Fullbuster, were greeted with raucous applause whenever they appeared, be it for the panel discussions or meet-and-greet sessions with the fans.
First-time participant Jamon Roberts bellowed gratitude for the work of the organizers: “Seeing an actual physical presence of individuals interested in gaming, anime, comics and cosplay is a treat. Especially learning one of my all-time favourite cosplayers [Yaya] would be here made it even better. Meeting her was a total experience.”
But that was not all on offer at what is quickly becoming one of the region’s most anticipated pop culture conventions. The over 100 exhibitors drew participants from Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, St Lucia and the United States.
This year’s edition also saw the return of science fiction author Tobias Buckell and Thundercats writer Brandon Easton, as well as a host of talented local writers who participated in the Book Source Writer’s Corner and panel discussion.
“[Animekon] was pretty super,” exclaimed first time exhibitor and designer of the Evolve Brand, Rhaj Paul.
“What I like most is the creativity and openness that cosplaying generates. As a fashion street-wear brand meeting such a large variety of curious creatives in a fun setting is just great.”
This year’s cosplay competition and parade was once again the highlight of the two-day expo, and featured depictions from comics, anime and folklore, including Geisha, Judge Dredd and Afro Samurai. Trinidadian queen of Caribbean cosplay, Jossette James retained her crown with her costume depicting Demona from Gargoyles fame. Her detailed craftsmanship included red glowing eyes, a sculpted body-suit and moving wings with a frame made from PVC.
Even in financially difficult times, the expo continues to garner the support of corporate Barbados, gaining sponsorship from companies such as Sagicor, Digicel, Olympus Theatres, the United States Embassy and Wibisco. But Roberts urged others to see the benefit of the expo. “Animekon has some serious potential to also attract tourist interest. I can see it becoming a significant event on the Barbadian calendar, since everything seems to come to a lull after Crop Over,” he said. “The degree of skill and talent shows a serious capability to access international niche markets.”
The sentiments were echoed in Artemis Arts creator Jessica Reynolds’ statements as she spoke about the diversity of people that visited her booth.
“I didn’t just talk to the people you would expect to see at Animekon like the teens and young adults. I spoke to people in their 30s and older, some with children in tow, some with grandchildren. I even spoke to some visitors to the island as well. It was great. They really seemed to appreciate my work, from the tees, stickers and badges, right back down to the posters and prints that I drew for the event.”
