Cosplayers offered a taste of freedom

Cosplayers can visit this year's Ani-com & Games for free at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre between July 28 and August 1, but only on the last day of the event after 3pm will they have to pass through a check of their costumes.

This year's fair features 122 exhibitors or about 600 stalls with 29 of them from overseas toy manufacturers from France, Japan, Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, and the mainland.

Fans will be able to see the "Godfather of Hong Kong comics" Tony Wong Chun-loong at this year's event.

Three types of tickets are available online and at convenience stores - HK$42 standard tickets, slightly increased by HK$2 from last year; a total of 5,000 sets of HK$150 ticket comes with a fast pass and a set of postcards; and HK$300 tickets which contain three fast entry passes.

Enthusiasts who wish to purchase limited products at the event can participate in a draw that allows 300 entries to the first two days of the event.

"To encourage more interactions between cosplayers and audiences, people who cosplayed will be allowed free entries on the last day of the event," said the chief executive of the Ani-com & Games Leung Chung-pun.

The organizer has invited famous Chinese opera artist Susan Tse Suet-sum to present awards at the Asia-Pacific Cosplay Carnival - which features cosplayers and artists from Japan, France, Malaysia, Philippine and Taiwan - after missing the carnival for three years due to the pandemic.

Tse will also cosplay to make more gimmicks and generate a festive atmosphere.

There will be numerous exhibition areas, including Creative Paradise, where 242 stalls will sell self-made products, Original Comic Contest, which aims to gather passionate Chinese comic artists from across the world, and the World of Mobile games where a few esports competitions will be held.

Moreover, the event will feature Hong Kong's maiden Japanese idol selection competition, which will host its finals on July 31 with ten selected local contestants.

Many innovative technologies will be applied at the carnival, including Web 3.0, NFT and virtual streamers "VTuber."

"Cosplaying is something that gives you more confidence and will make people more self-motivated," Leung added.