Comiket 87
Happy new year dear readers! I've been busy so it's a late greeting for me. I started writing for Milkcananime in 2014 and I hope to continuously produce interesting articles :) 今年もよろしくお願いします! (Please take care of me this year too.)
Meanwhile, the anime world ended 2014 with Comiket 87! It is one of the biggest anime affairs of the year, a doujinshi fair that is held twice yearly in Japan.
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| Welcome to Comiket~ |
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| It's huuuuuuge~ |
Comiket (コミケット), also known as Comic Market, started off in 1975 with a modest 600 attendees. Now, it has swelled to over half a million! Items sold in Comiket are very rare thus even secondhand items online are costly!
First of all, a quick explanation on what doujins are. Doujins are self-published works, which technically can range from fan comics to games and videos, but is generally used to refer to manga drawn by doujin artists! Alright, now we've got it, the next question is: Who goes to Comiket?
Circles! I don't mean the literal shape, but groups of doujin artists. Frankly, I've always been in awe of doujin artists. Their work has been recognised enough to be sold in physical format, which is no easy feat! Not to mention the ones who even have their work stocked in Akihabara shops... Their works are treasured because they are self-produced and thus rarely republished.
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| Just a handful of the numerous doujin available |
Attendees make up the bulk of the crowd. As I've just mentioned, the works are rare! As such, there are people who queue hours before the event begins. (I've heard eye witness accounts of fans in Singapore doing the same at AFA!) Personally, I think I would consider doing the same if there is an artist I am particularly fond of. Would you?
There is another group of attendees that I must mention. The cosplayers! They mill around outside the venue and add to the hustle and bustle, many surrounded by a staggering amount of photographers.
Here are some of my favourites that I've spotted on the #C87 tag on Twitter:
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| *o* |
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| This made me giggle :) |
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| I have to say, this one is absolutely stunning. |
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| I really love the design on the fabric she used! |
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| Cute! |
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| My personal favourite: a literal Densha Otoko! |
Depending on whether you go during summer or winter, you'll have to bring either an umbrella with strong anti-UV properties or a coat, but one thing you can't forget is the Comiket Catalog. I've heard that it was required for entrance, but even if it isn't, I would definitely have one on me. It'll be tough to tackle the large scale of the event without a guide! Unfortunately, it's in Japanese, but the maps and directions to and from the venue should be easy enough to understand... Right?
I'm not very familiar with Comiket myself nor am I particularly interested in collecting doujins, but if I have the chance, I'd certainly like to experience Comiket for myself!
Written by Nana
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