Otaku celebration “Comic Market74（C74)” opened on August 15th at TokyoBigSite at Ariake,Tokyo.
“Comic Market” also dubbed as “Comike” is the world's largest exhibition and sale site that is usually held in August ( a.k.a. Natsucomi) and December (a.k.a.Fuyucomi).Tokyo Big Site is one of the largest convention facilities in Japan, and to have the whole area for 3 days, it is indeed “An Otaku Festival”.
Attendance has become to a half a million in recent years and forcing people to wait for hours just to get to their favorite group or company. For more than some, the event has become “an Otaku Battlefield”
Many comics from Weekly Shonen Jump mainly aimed for girls such as “Reborn!”” The Prince of Tennis” and “Gintama” was the main attraction of the opening day. About 12000 booth of groups and anime/game companies and genre varying from music, entertainment, and heroes(tokusatsu) opened. 17000 fans came to raise the already hot venue, there were people suffering heatstrokes in the summer heat.
Emergency measures such as stopping of the escalators and baggage checks were taken after the Wonfes accident. Having heavy security, no big confusions were reported. But there was a technical difficulty at the cosplay area that was moved from the west hall terrace to the restaurant garden on the 1st floor.
A man who came to buy from a company booth said “I had to wait for a few hours even though I came by the first train, another company booth had people waiting from the night before. It's terrible” “But I'm happy that I reached my personal goal for the first day”
Dojin software/anime/game are scheduled for the 16th, booths targeting male users such as originals/commentaries and Adult contents will be out on the 17th.
(* photos of each aewa on opening day)
