Comike 76 coverage

17.08.2009 by Patrick W. Galbraith

Another Comike has come and gone, and Otaku2 was there from morning to night to bring you the skinny. The line to get in was as usual long, sun drenched and sweaty. It was so hot that vending machines sold out around the venue, Tokyo Big Sight. Stands were set up at various locations with signs and slogans reminiscent of a marathon, which this physically taxing event can at times resemble. So many people were withdrawing money to feed their doujinshi needs that the ATM also was running on empty, and even stopped working on Sunday.



But all in all this year was the most orderly and smooth in recent memory. The mega popularity of “Toho” and “Hetalia” basically meant that the few lines there were inside the venue were bunched together, and the rest of the floor space was easily navigable. Most routes were one way and tightly controlled for a smooth sort of ant-farm experience. Because "K-On!" was not available as a genre during the circle re-registration period after last Comike, there was surprisingly little doujin work to be found. It seemed there was really only two types of booths this year, the super popular ones and the lonely ones, with few strong circles in between. The research area (read: not pornographic, textual criticism and analysis) was slowing down, while live-action doujin porn had a strong showing. That said, Murata Range, JH Kagaku, Azuma Hiroki and so on all made impressive showings.

"We are seeing a lot of new, first-time participants this year," said Oliver M. Bolzer, who has assisted at Comike for 10 years. "They are in junior high or high school, drawn in by `Toho` and `Hetalia,` web-based series that are cheap and accessible. This is new blood and a generation of otaku that will be with us for the next 20 years."

Some crowd control issues arose among those who did not know the rules of engagement, or "that behaving is the fastest way for everyone to get what they want," but this was minor. There was a marked rise in international participation, in terms of circles, buyers and press. The international support this year was the best ever, with multi-lingual paperwork, signs and staff on hand.








The cosplay area was once again in the garden area in front of the entrance to Big Sight, but with a twist. This was the morning cosplay, and in the afternoon a second space opened up, first behind the West Hall and as a special throwback on Sunday on the terrace outside the industry booths. No one was really expecting this, as one of the reasons for moving the cosplay off of the terrace was to make room for the exclusives lines in the industry area. Apparently but Sunday afternoon these lines were no longer an issue and so the space was returned to some very happy cosplayers and photographers. Most of the cosplay was "Toho" (which still has a droopy, bed-sheet look to it) Vocaloids and "Evangelion." There were some pleasant surprises, though, like someone dressed up as hitomi from @home cafe. Many, many guys were out doing crossplay, mostly of "Toho" characters and schoolgirls. Because access to all areas was so controlled and there were two separate cosplay areas, cosplayers were allowed to walk around East and West Halls, as long as they did not stop to pose.








The industry area had some really great things to offer, too. Good Smile revealed the "K-On!" Nendoroids and others in upcoming lines, and had a holographic Miku dancing to boot. The Miku plushy and "Toho" Nendoroids sold out, of course. Eroge distributor Hobibox had Akiba idol Amano Ai out doing PR, though it seemed few people recognized her. Pinafore, Mai:lish and Schatz Kiste were also in attendance, with Schatz releasing doujinshi and other home-brewed goodness. Another pleasant surprise was Sanrio, which officially allowed illustrators to work up Hello Kitty! moe designs. It seemed almost everyone was carrying around the oversized booth bag, emblazoned with a moe character by Okama and filled with goodies like a clear file decorated with an image by Pop.

This year was also the first time the International Conference Rooms inside the inverted pyramid of Big Sight were open to anyone but cosplayers looking to change. Comike used these rooms to stage various events, including an academic symposium on doujinshi creative on Friday, game music on Saturday and live performances on Sunday, including Nakano Fujoshi Sisters. Tickets went fast, and no one was allowed to stand up from their auditorium seats during shows. This kind of put a damper on the live experience, but in all it seemed to be a success.

Finally, there was some interesting talk about the direction of Comike. Not just that all the new blood and outside interest might be watering the event down, but the future of the event in terms of location and logistics. For example, if Tokyo does win the Olympic bid for 2016, then Ariake will be the Olympic Village. Comike would have to take at least a yearlong break. Some people whispered the event might be moved to Ibaraki Prefecture, and others suggested a rotating event, pointing to precedents such as the special Comike to be held in Mito from March 21-22, 2010. Comike is vibrant and entering a stage of transformation. We can only hope winter Comike will be as hot a ticket as this last one!

Comike 76 Flickr Gallery