Many anime fans are so attached to their fictional character that they continue to participate in any activity to showcase their passion, such as Ink Cosplayer, a name adopted by one of the anime fans.
“I am drawn to characterising Rem, and she is one of the two fictional heroines living in a magical world,” said Ink, 23, who is from Kedah but lives in Penang because she works there.
Ink, who quipped that her own Chinese name is too difficult to pronounce, was among hundreds of anime fans from Sabah, Sarawak, and Penang who gathered on the final day of the two-day biggest Anime, Comics, and Games (ACG) event in East Malaysia — Chibi Otakyun — at Boulevard Shopping Mall in Kuching on Sunday.
“I began cosplaying in middle school after seeing it on the internet. I was immediately drawn to cosplay because there are so many different characters,” said Ink, who was dressed as her fictional character in a white dress, a silver blue bob wig, white high heels, and blue eyes when met at the event.
“So, having been involved in cosplay for the past seven years, I’ve also attended road shows like this for the past four to five years throughout Malaysia.
“I’ve been to many states, including KL, Sabah, Sarawak, and Johore, and at these events, I set up booths selling Rem’s posters or my other posters, as well as taking instant photos with my fans,” she said, adding that this is a part-time work as she works full-time in Penang.
Ink described her anime character, Rem, as an oni or ghost in Japanese, whom she will portray this season.
“In the fictional storyline, Rem, a maid with superpowers, falls in love with the hero who has the ability to reincarnate, despite the fact that he was in love with the main heroine character.
“It’s very sad for her to be involved in the love triangle, and many fans, including myself, felt for her. Despite the setbacks, Rem is always ready to fight for the hero. It’s a fictional action and romance story, and Rem possesses a variety of powers,” Ink said.
Carol Chin, the event’s organising chairperson, said that in addition to the anime participants from other states, other retail stores in the shopping mall also took part in the weekend event, which began last Saturday.
“There are 44 booths in total, and the public is welcome to buy and meet their favourite anime characters,” Carol said.
The event ran from 10am to 7pm, and in addition to the opening of the Chibi Otakyun, it featured a panel talk on Career in Cosplay/Livestreaming by Nessarose and a kid’s colouring competition.
