The chance to peruse through mountains of toys, buy comics at ridiculously low prices, meet silver-screen idols and have photo-ops with the likes of Iron Man, Arale and other much-loved movie and cartoon characters, finally arrived earlier this month at the inaugural Thailand Comic Con.
Kamen Rider Girls.
Hosted by Kantana Group and Milk Studio, the three-day convention held at Siam Paragon’s Royal Paragon Hall from May 9-11, attracted thousands of fans of movies, animation, comics, TV series, video games, toys and popular culture.
“Three days can go by so fast and it’s so enjoyable. It’s something you can’t explain,” CEO of the event, Chanvit Vitayasamrit says in reference to his own memories of attending comic cons in the US. “Nobody is dressed normally and it’s so much fun when cosplayers pose for pictures. This is an event that I, as a fan of comic con myself, really dedicate to other fans out there.”
Ananda Everingham and Ploy Aurthaveekul, stars of Kantana Motion Pictures’s latest suspense, Hong Hoon.
The appeal of comic cons, according to Chanvit, is the frenzy of different things all happening at the same time. “The charm of it is that you have to decide what you love most. If you want to see Ananda Everingham, you’ll probably end up missing one of the concerts and if you want to see Doraemon then you’ll have to duck out of standing in line to buy limited edition toys. So you really have to choose carefully what you devote your time to.”
The most crowd-pleasing of live concerts from the event was from Kamen Rider Girls, a Japanese motorcycle-riding girl band that represent each of the riders from the Japanese TV show, Kamen Rider, known to Thai audiences as Ai Mod Dang. Another highlight was the band Yumemiru Adolescence, consisting of five actresses from a hit Japanese TV series.
An event overtly for the fan-boys was an evening of New Japan Pro Wrestling matches, which welcomed wrestling legends such as Tiger Mask and Bushi to the ring at Parc Paragon. Considering how such events require up to six months of reservation in Japan and regularly pack up to 50,000 people in stadiums, it was definitely an unmissable occasion for fans to witness all the action for just 500 baht.
On the more feminine and dressier side of things was a booth from Tokyo Girls Collection, which showcased fashion items, clothes and make-up, as well as a fashion show. It was not really on a Victoria’s Secret level, but there was still a fair share of kawaii to excite even the most unfashionable of spectators. Cosplay competitions for children was one of the defining traits of Thailand Comic Con; a first, says Chanvit, for Asian comic cons.
While most of the live performances, and many of the cartoon characters came from Japan, and comics and movie characters from the US, a considerable amount of Thai publishing houses were also present to give the event an authentic, local touch. California-based, visual effects go-to guy Tim Coleman was present to share secrets on how Hollywood visual effects are created, but alas, unfortunately, many other American studios, actors and personalities are still reluctant and cautious about coming to Thailand in our times of political turmoil, revealed Chanvit.
Despite that, it was very well attended and card traders and gaming teens were sitting sporadically on floors wherever you turned, especially around various booths that exhibited photo-worthy models. All in all, for a first effort, Thailand Comic Con 2014 wasn’t too shabby and had a business-matching service too. While comic cons in Singapore mostly consist of Western media, ones in Hong Kong heavy with Chinese pop culture and Americans simply sticking to their own thing, Thailand has an interesting mix of participants from both the East and the West.
It’s taken a while for Thailand to be in a position to host such a sizable event, explains Chanvit, “It is just now that the timing is appropriate, especially with the AEC. Four years earlier, none of the Japanese performers would have come, but their own markets have reached a saturation point and they are now in the process of expanding their markets abroad.”
Even more geektastic fun, albeit more Hollywood and HBO-heavy, is coming this July to Siam Paragon, at the country’s first Bangkok Comic Con, hosted by BEC Tero and True Visions.
A scene from Stand by Me Doraemon, where Nobita’s grandson shows pictures of Nobita’s (dismal) future.
Doraemon goes 3D
A scene from Stand by Me Doraemon, where Nobita’s grandson shows pictures of Nobita’s (dismal) future.
Eager to forge business deals, but also incessantly courteous down to every word he utters, Michihiko Umezawa’s talk at one of the seminars at Thailand Comic Con was a peek into the strengths and future of Japanese animation. The CEO of Shin-Ei Animation also brought along an official first look trailer for the 3D computer animated Stand by Me Doraemon, due to be released in Japan on August 8.
Michihiko Umezawa
The buzz that surrounds the film is not only from the fact that it features the final farewell scene between futuristic cat robot Doraemon and hopeless fourth-grader Nobita, but also as it is the animation series’ first foray into 3D, since airing in Japan 33 years ago.
The decision to go 3D was made partly to honour what would have been the 80th birthday of the late Hiroshi Fujimoto, a co-creator of the original manga series.
Umezawa encourages everyone, regardless of sex or age, to come and watch this film. “It’s not something that’s only for kids. Much like with films by Pixar and Disney, it is meant for adult audiences, too.”
Undoubtedly, Shin-Ei Animation, founded in 1976, has been one of the main faces of Japanese anime for decades. Known for producing animations such as Doraemon, Ninja Hattori, Crayon Shin-chan and Perman, to name just a few, the company’s anime (cartoons) have become synonymous with Japanese culture and representative of Japanese identity.
Shin-Ei’s signature touch of only using hand-drawn anime, which creates softer images as opposed to coarse computer graphics, is just one of the many reasons why their works are widely loved by various countries in Asia and beyond.
“The reason why Japanese anime is so popular in Asia is because there are very few other local, original animations and characters,” says Umezawa. “There is also a large volume of episodes and anime that have been continuously broadcasted since the 80s and 90s, with fans from a broad range of age groups, many of which are adults.”
Another strength lies in their diversity and how they manage to offer more than American cartoons, which mainly target children with slapstick humour. “Tom and Jerry is just plain funny. However, Japanese anime, such as Doraemon or Ninja Hattori, resonates with the lives of children. It’s thematic and story-based so the whole family can watch it together because it interests adults, as well.”
The presence of Shin-Ei’s animations are certainly felt in Thailand and in Asia, and will probably be stronger than ever in the upcoming decade. Japan’s child population is only at 17 million and the continuously dwindling numbers have suggested that by the year 2050, 40% of the population will be over the age of 65 and the domestic demand will increase by half.
As of now, family households make up only 28% of Japan’s population and it is now, more than ever, that strongholds of merchandising, advertising and promotional use abroad, support TV broadcasts, theatrical movies and DVD sales, which are no longer enough to ensure survival. India and China are potentially lucrative markets, with 23 times (384 million) and 17 times (282 million) more children than Japan.
In fact, in general, most countries in Asia have more children than Japan, so Thai audiences can surely look forward to even more heart-warming goodies and magic from Shin-Ei Animation turning up on our shores in the future.
Of course, no one is complaining.
