From the 22nd to the 23rd of July, we had the opportunity to attend Omatsuri Time at Atria Shopping Gallery! Having been a mainstay of the local anime, cosplay and gaming community for many years, our team at THE MAGIC RAIN was certainly looking forward to what the event had in store for us.
Here’s some of the highlights:
Cosplay & Doujin Booths
Upon entering the event space, the first thing we noticed was the sheer amount of booths present at the event. Omatsuri Time featured cosplay and exhibitors’ booths on the first floor, which led to more art and doujin booths on the second and third floors. There was even a secondhand cosplay market on the fourth floor, where visitors could purchase cosplay supplies for lower-than-usual prices.
Stage Attractions
For the die-hard anime fans in the crowd, Omatsuri Time featured Kahoot stage sessions where visitors could put their knowledge of anime trivia to the test. It was thrilling to watch as participants tried their best to rack up points, while also bonding with one another over their shared love for anime.
Later on, the dance competition saw teams of participants showing off their best dance moves, all under the watchful eye of judges Crazed Joker, Billy Yap and JY. Team Sotong Ikan captured both the judges’ and the audience’s hearts, as they not only won first place, but also managed to snag the audience’s choice vote as well.
Another stage segment that caught our eye was the Switch Slayer Night tournament organised by Play Access, where participants were invited to battle one another in a game of Demon Slayer: The Hinokami Chronicles. Visitors could cheer on their favourite players as they duked it out on stage during the tournament’s semi-finals and grand finals.
Cosplay Competitions
The biggest attractions of Omatsuri Time were undoubtedly the cosplay competitions, which lit up the stage on both days of the event. Day 1 featured the MBO Barbie – You Can Be Anything kids’ cosplay contest, where over 200 kids and young teens got to strut their stuff while dressed in Barbie-inspired takes on their dream occupations.
Meanwhile, Day 2 of the event kicked off with the Pop Culture Hiroshima cosplay competition. An offshoot of the prestigious World Cosplay Summit, the event featured a suitably star-studded judging panel, which included previous Pop Culture Hiroshima winners Ryukiie and Ajey of Team SiD, as well as veteran cosplayer Reika, who had come all the way from Japan to witness the festivities.
Though the competition was tough, Mohd Nurul Amin and Shah KyoHelios of Team Amoeba managed to prevail as the event’s grand prize winners, earning themselves a trip to Japan and the title of Malaysia’s 2023 representatives for Pop Culture Hiroshima in the process.
Performances
Of course, no ACG event would be complete without some exciting performances, and Omatsuri Time definitely delivered on that front with guests such as Flos, Erika, Taro Lee, and our very own Sarah in a Snowstorm performing their favourite songs from the world of Japanese anime and beyond.
The event came to a close with an electrifying DJ performance featuring not one but three guest DJs, namely DJ Des3, DJ Siren and DJ D4vis. It was a sight to behold as the audience took to the floor to dance along to the songs being played.
We enjoyed our stay at Omatsuri Time 2023, and we’re excited to see what the organisers at Season4Otaku have prepared for their next event, NiMa High School at Starling Mall! Be sure to check out their Facebook or Instagram pages to learn more.
