Recently, the Japanese Club of the International Medical University organised their very own ACG event, Aoharu Matsuri, and we, The Magic Rain team, had the opportunity to attend it. The event was held at IMU on the 18th and 19th of March 2017. It is also the very first ACG event organised by the Japanese Club of IMU.
The premise was relatively big with activities spread throughout the venue which resulted in bothersome and confusing navigation but there were a ton of places where you could kick back and relax. Here’s some stuff we gathered.
Cosplay Competition
The Cosplay Competition was actually quite impressive. The hall was spacious but not too big. It was the perfect size for the audience. There was a decent number of participants and the contestants were amusing one way or another. Some contestants were humorous, some sang or played musical instruments and others portrayed their characters extremely well. Here are a few contestants that we think were pretty good.
Izzat as Kujo Jotaro
This contestant sure didn’t forget to line his performance with a ton of Jojo references such as Star Platinum’s Time Stop, Kujo Jotaro’s Ora Ora Ora punches and Hermit Purple. Not to mention incorporating said character with the recent viral upload, Chicken Attack by well-known yodeller Takeo Ischi. The performance also managed to garner a big and positive reaction from the audience. Who would’ve thought Jojo and chickens would go so well together?
Lim Zhi En as Roronoa Zoro
The skit was well thought out and the costumes looked quite good. The way the contestant played the skit with his villain was pretty well done. I definitely haven’t forgotten how the villain’s costume looked. It seemed like it was pretty hard to make as the actual character was clad head-to-toe with huge armour and that’s exactly what the cosplayer had to wear. One thing that could be taken note of was that the video they played to show the accuracy of their acting actually took the spotlight and more than a few people seemed more focused on the video than the skit.
Purinnie as Harley Quinn
Her performance was very entertaining as it was riddled with humour. She played a skit about Harlene Quinzel’s first encounter with the Joker with her own take to it which was interesting in it’s own way. Something I could really appreciate tho was when she went to change into the iconic Harley Quinn costume, she let the “Joker” dance so she was able to keep the audience entertained and alert. Her portrayal of Harley Quinn was quite impressive, falling when the Joker pushed her harshly. Even though it was her own take on Harley Quinn, she preserved Harley’s original storyline as the Joker’s love interest who has been constantly abused.
Overwatch Competition
The area was surprising as it was comfortable and the setup was professional. Of course, there were latency issues throughout the competition but nothing too big or overwhelming to the point it would disrupt the competition itself.
Maid Cafe
The Maid Cafe was a lot smaller than expected but the maids and butlers looked the part. The anime ears and tails they wore brought a fresh twist to the usual setup.
Performances
The performances were quite interesting and varied, with piano playing, singing and even idol dance performances.
The cosplay performance by a group cosplaying Aquors of LoveLive! Sunshine was very vibrant and interesting. The dances and movements were very energetic and fun to watch. The group made sure the audience was involved while they introduced themselves so it was definitely no boring introduction. It’s very nice to see both the audience and performers having fun.
Booths
The booth area was quite disappointing to be frank. Most con-goers look forward to getting new merchandise to add to their collection so it’s safe to say the booths are one of the most crucial factors one would have to consider when organising an ACG event. With very few things to buy and browse, it wasn’t as good of an experience as expected but there was definitely variety, although minimal. The sellers were very friendly and helpful which gives the booth area a plus point but other than that, there really wasn’t much to look forward to.
All in all, the event was pretty ambitious and well constructed. In fact, we dare compare it to Comic Fiesta Mini and Game Plan 2015! No doubt, there were more attendees than expected and plenty of potential photoshoot grounds. We also saw loads of amazing cosplayers with impressive props. It’s pretty good for a first-time hosting of an ACG event. Kudos to the Japanese Club of IMU for that. We definitely look forward to the next Aoharu Matsuri!
