With the COVID-19 pandemic still affecting many parts of the world, it’s no surprise that many anime conventions have had to reschedule or move their events online to cope with the situation. Pop Culture Hiroshima, an annual cosplay celebration based in Japan, was no exception, having recently organised a livestream in place of their yearly event on the 29th of August.
Founded in 2017, Pop Culture Hiroshima is an annual celebration where selected cosplayers from all over the world are invited to perform and spend time in the historic city of Hiroshima. Although the 2020 edition of the event was sadly cancelled due to the pandemic, the show managed to go on in 2021 in the form of a star-studded YouTube livestream.
Missed the event and want to know what it’s all about? Keep reading for all the details!
Guest Appearances
The livestream opened with an anisong performance from Japanese singer HIKARIOLTAS. Dressed as Sailor Mercury from Sailor Moon, the singer treated the audience to her renditions of popular songs from various anime series, including Moonlight Densetsu from Sailor Moon, Connect from Puella Magi Madoka Magica, and Secret Base from Anohana.
This segment was then followed by a series of interviews with cosplay representatives from all around the world, with a total of 11 different countries participating in the event. Hosted by popular cosplayer Reika and translators Taeyeon and Lillian, the segment saw cosplayers from different parts of the globe chatting about their love for cosplay, as well as reminiscing on their experiences with Pop Culture Hiroshima’s previous events.
Workshops
After a short break, the livestream continued with a voice acting workshop from veteran anime seiyuu Show Hayami, best known for his roles in various anime and game titles such as Jinguji Jakurai from Hypnosis Mic, Sosuke Aizen from Bleach, and many more. Through his segment, the renowned actor was able to share some interesting tips and insights on voice acting with the audience at home.
Up next was a segment from Reika, who shared her experiences with conducting a propmaking and costume design workshop at the Sogo Gakuen Human Academy Hiroshima School. We were then treated to an exciting swordfighting performance featuring members from the Academy, where we were able to see the completed props and costumes in spectacular action.
Anisong Concert
The five-hour livestream quickly flew by as we soon arrived at the final segment of the day–a concert featuring more performances of iconic anime openings! From Demon Slayer’s Gurenge to Dragon Ball’s Cha-La Head Cha-La, the concert had something to offer for anime viewers of all ages.
Finally, Pop Culture Hiroshima 2021 came to an end with a touching speech from committee representative Takuya Uenoya. He expressed his gratitude to the audience for supporting Pop Culture Hiroshima, as well as his hopes that the event would be able return to its usual format in 2022.
Conclusion
All in all, Pop Culture Hiroshima was a great opportunity for fans to hear from cosplayers and artists from all over the world. Though it doesn’t fully capture the excitement of watching Pop Culture Hiroshima live, it still proved to be an exciting experience nonetheless.
For more information on Pop Culture Hiroshima, be sure to visit their links below:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pophiroshima
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRgusGxXKA0U1BDcyNosd4w
Twitter: https://twitter.com/hpc_2018
Website: http://www.pophi.jp/index.html
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