From the 26th to 28th of April, the organisers of Comic Fiesta held their first event in 2024 at Tropicana Gardens Mall Convention Centre, bringing back one of their smaller events – Anime Fest! Plus+.
Anime, cosplay and gaming fans could be seen cosplaying or carrying their beloved collections around in their bags as an expression of love to their favourite characters or series. Since it was also the Hari Raya festive season, some cosplayers added a touch of traditional Raya clothing into their outfits. We saw Stark from Frieren wearing a Baju Melayu and Makima from Chainsaw Man wearing a Kebaya, just to name a few.
The event featured an artists’ alley with over 90 booths for art creators showcasing and selling their unique handicrafts and artwork. There was something for everyone who visited the event, with endless variety ranging from popular Hoyoverse games like Honkai Star Rail and Genshin Impact, to VTubers from Hololive and Nijisanji, and even anime series like Frieren and Jujutsu Kaisen.
Another major highlight from the event were the VTuber guest appearances. Throughout the weekend, a few Hololive VTubers were invited to the main stage of Anime Fest Plus+ as a part of the Hololive Meet program. The guests included Koseki Bijou, Airani Iofifteen, Gavis Bettel, and Machina x Flayon. Various games like charades and panels were conducted during each session, where fans got a chance to interact with the VTubers.
Aside from Hololive members, OniGiri from GeeXPlus was also invited to the event. It was her first time being a guest in a Malaysian event, and she was happy to share her experiences with her fans. The renowned foodie and chef VTuber also played a guessing game, where she had to guess famous local foods on stage.
For the gamers in the crowd, Anime Fest! Plus+ partnered up with Predator to host a Tekken 8 tournament, inviting participants to go head-to-head against friends and fellow fans in the latest instalment of the iconic Tekken series. Participants battled out for bragging rights and a chance to claim their share of the RM5,000 prize pool. Aside from the tournament, the booth also offered 50% discounts on select exclusive apparel and accessories.
Aside from the tourney, PlayStation Asia also offered a hands-on area, where attendees had the unique opportunity to try out the newly released Stellar Blade on PlayStation 5 consoles. Participants also stood the chance to win a limited-edition Stellar Blade USB Memory Stick and an official Soundtrack Vinyl Record by joining activities held by the booth.
Finally, what is an ACG event without performances? Various local stars like Ristelle, Ellemonade and Ryukku-K performed on stage across the weekend, keeping visitors entertained throughout with their renditions of popular anime songs and dances. Sana of the Japanese music group sajou no hana also treated fans to her first ever solo performance outside of Japan.
Another performer that stood out to us was an up-and-coming Indonesian singer, Djalto, who showcased her versatility by singing a mix of covers. These included both Japanese and Indonesian song covers, as well as her own original compositions, ending off with the main song from her mini album Gerhana.
Overall, it was great to see Anime Fest! Plus+ making a comeback in 2024 with its variety of event offerings for ACG lovers. We can’t wait to see what else Comic Fiesta has in store for us this year!
Article guest written by Faidhi. Pictures courtesy of Tommy Lim.
