Arrgh mateys! AniManGaki made its resplendent return on the 27th and 28th of August at the Mines International Exhibition & Convention Centre (MIECC). With a full-on pirate theme accompanied by their adorable lion mascot dripped out in a pirate costume, this event definitely lived up to the hype created by its fans.
As the first in-person AniManGaki since 2019, it was a sigh of relief for all, as fans of all things anime, cosplay and gaming could finally gather as a community once more, and interact with their favourite star cosplayers or even just their buddies. Join us as we reflect on all the joyful experiences we had as we share some of the most memorable highlights of the event with you.
Guest Appearance by Emirichu
One of the most well-received guests during AMG 2022 was none other than Emirichu herself. An Asian-American YouTuber with over 3 million subscribers who needs no introduction, she made her first appearance in Malaysia at AMG, sharing the backstory of her career during her panel, as well as encouraging fellow fans with aspirations to be just like her to keep working towards their dreams.
Surprisingly, during the first day of AMG, it was coincidentally also Emirichu’s birthday. Because of that, not only did the event organisers prepare a bag of gifts for her, but many of her fans also wanted to make her day as joy-filled as possible by bringing even more presents for her!
However, the overbearing amount of fans sadly meant that not everyone was able to fit into the panel room as it was packed to the brim, but still, fans were willing to crowd around the entrance of the panel room standing for a little more than an hour just to see her! That’s some dedication right there.
Emirichu, of course, was aware of this and willingly took some time out of her schedule to allow fans an opportunity to attend an off-the-books autograph/meet & greet session just to make up for it. They were also welcome to return the next day to watch her on stage during her special guest appearance. Overall, her presence on both days of AniManGaki was surely unforgettable for her fans and we’re looking forward to hopefully seeing her appear in Malaysia more often for future events.
Booths
As with any ACG event, booth vendors are at most times what most enthusiasts look forward to as they get to support growing artists while also getting their hands on event-exclusive merchandise. Whether you were just window shopping, or cashing out at that one stall with the super cute acrylic Genshin pins, there was something for everyone.
Workshops
Attendees of this year’s AniManGaki also got the chance to get hands-on with some of the available workshops at the event. The exciting workshops ranged from learning how to play Shogi (a traditional Japanese strategy board game that is closely tied to chess), lessons on flash photography, learning brush lettering, and also a workshop teaching the most essential skill for any cosplayer, prop making, all on Day 1.
Day 2 however, brought a slightly more unique type of workshop to the event that is Wagashi, bringing fans yet another aspect of traditional Japan in the form of delicious confectioneries such as mochi, anko and fruit paired with green tea. In our opinion, after seeing the work put in by the talented artists, the end product looked almost too beautiful to be eaten. Almost, ’cause who can resist good food?
Alongside that, there were also D&D tutorials hosted by local dungeon masters, a sky watercolour painting session, and finally, a pastel art workshop where participants painted with their fingers and could even take their masterpiece home.
Community Booth / Mini Art Exhibit
A brand-new addition to AniManGaki, the community booth area featured a showcase of many different ACG displays. A wide array of custom-made figurines, dolls and even Hatsune Miku collectables were up for any fans to take pictures of. Fans who wanted to learn more could also interact with the collectors themselves.
Shirahama Kamome, a globally renowned mangaka, also made an appearance at the event during her panel talk and signing session, but anyone who entered the community booth area would’ve noticed her artwork being displayed there. It was fascinating being able to admire her artwork up close on rows of canvas during both days of the event.
On the row next to Kamome’s art, there was also a PUBG Mobile art display made by both fans and professional artists, with certain elements inspired by the event’s pirate theme.
AniManGaki Fighting Game Tournament
The tournament of the ages is back, featuring a prize pool of RM 3000 where contestants competed in 1v1 battles in games of Tekken 7, Super Smash Bros and Guilty Gear Strive, with everyone trying their level best to win!
On both days, we witnessed the contestants duke it out, with some equipping themselves with standard console controllers while others brought along their fully decked-out arcade sticks ready to dish out wombo combos on their adversaries. As they say, to the victor goes the spoils, so congrats to those who managed to snag a portion of the cash pool and may we see you compete once again at the next one!
Miscellaneous
Walking into the event, you could easily see how the pirate theme was incorporated into the experience, firstly through a Bounty Wall where attendees could customize their One Piece-styled wanted posters. Anyone who put up a poster would be entered into AMG’s lucky draw, where winners would be randomly selected from the pool of posters. Additionally, fans could participate in AMG’s treasure hunt by collecting stamps from different locations around the event.
We also enjoyed seeing Malaysian VTubers being especially honoured at the event, as they were all featured in a showcase where attendees could get to know them better through distributed postcards. Of note, VTubers Lunaris Urufi, Liliana Vampaia and Virion Kisei also made an appearance at the World of Warships booth in naval officer-esque attire, showing off their playful personalities and even playing the game with some lucky participants.
Finally, if all of that wasn’t enough, fans were guaranteed to be entertained at all times with the many claw machines and arcade games that were spread throughout the event venue.
In short, we fully enjoyed our two days at AniManGaki 2022 and thoroughly experienced all that the event had to offer! With so much to see and do, it’s safe to say that this is the biggest AniManGaki yet, and we can’t wait to see what they have in store for next year.
For now, the adventure will have to come to an end, and we hope to see you scallywags again at the next event.
