Season4Otaku held their first Anime, Comic, Games (ACG) event to start off the year, which was held at Atria Shopping Gallery throughout the last weekend of January on the 27th and 28th. This time round, the event was named Nimakoku Monogatari and a Chinese culture or Hanfu theme was also tied into the overarching theme.
Many attendees dressed in cosplay, some people even dressed according to the theme of the event which was Hanfu-inspired. Let’s see what went down during the event!
Doujin, Merchandise, Sponsor & Cosplayer Booths
As with all ACG events, it’s undeniable that the booth offerings are one of the drivers of foot traffic. Though the event was fairly small in scale, it was nonetheless packed with talented individuals boothing on-site. Different variety of merchandise from a multitude of fandoms were offered by the different booths, from keychains to art prints, plushies to handcrafted jewellery. There was something different for everyone to pick up!
Chinese Cultural Performances
Nimakoku Monogatari following the Chinese culture or Hanfu theme, which was a refreshing take especially when it came to stage activities and performances. This included traditional performances highlighting a part of Chinese culture, for example the Chinese Bian Lian Performance by XueFeng Mask King, Traditional Dance performance by Qian Hui, Chinese opera performance by Estee亲姐, Gu Zheng performance by Caryn Lew.
These special acts were fresh and exciting, and definitely helped level up the attendee’s knowledge of Chinese culture. Not forgetting the awesome performances by honoured guests like Rina Tan, King Angel, Victoria Wey, Keito慧人 and Taro across the two-day event, displaying their performing arts on stage for all to enjoy.
An event is not complete without some competitions. Nimakoku Monogatari not only offered one, but two competitions for the ACG fans to join and showcase their talents. On Day 1, the Dance Competition allowed new and rising dancers to demonstrate their moves and group choreography to the judges for a chance to finish on top as the dance champions of the event.
The singing competition was also held on the same day, where the attendees got to witness a medley of melodious and talented vocalists competing in a tough battle to win over the judges’ favour. The Hanfu Catwalk Competition held on Day 2 served as a great and rare opportunity for traditional Chinese wear enthusiasts to showcase their Hanfu collection and style to the world.
Chinese Ghost Themed Haunted House
Last but not least, one of the most unique activations tied to an ACG event — a Chinese ghost themed haunted house. The story takes inspiration from the cultural practice of ghost marriage, a ceremony where people marry a deceased person to ensure that they have a companion in the afterlife. Many screams could be heard from outside the enclosed haunted house space, a good sign that many had a good scare!
In addition, Team 7th Sense also did special performances in the event space to further promote the gimmick. This consisted of the entire haunted house cast crew walking around the event space, mimicking a Chinese death ceremony, and the team even going on stage for a dance performance.
Overall, Nimakoku Monogatari was a refreshing experience, bringing in Chinese culture into the mix of your typical ACG event. What are your thoughts on this event? Share with us in the comments below.
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