Vancouver Anime Evolution Con 2009 - Part 2

Written and photographed by Ben Tsui

Anime, manga, cosplay, gemu, pasokon & gunji otaku 4 ever! I didn’t actively seek out any pop-cultural diversity while visiting Vancouver to attend my niece’s wedding; Anime fans found me instead!

Part 1

It was several tedious hours before the grand wedding reception at Point Grey Beach on June 12th. So, I decided to wander along the downtown Waterfront district to pass the time. The trek from the youth international hostel gave me the opportunity to contemplate my favorite west coast city’s morning sight, smell and sound. By the time I reached the luxury Canada Place Centre at the foot of Burrard Street, I’ve already experienced a rude racist Caucasian driver’s obscene cursing at me for crossing the road too slowly, the melancholy sights of homelessness, and the constant shrieking cries of flying sea creatures above my head.

As I tried to avoid a sudden dropping of sea gull pellets, the glassed doors to the nearby Convention Centre burst open. Three giggly figures dressed in Anime Cosplay costumes attracted me to their hang out spot. One lady was dressed in black as the teen witch from Hayao Miyazaki’s movie classic MAJO NO TAKKYUBIN… better known in America as Kiki’s Delivery Service. Another was in pink as Nia Teppelin, while their male friend was semi shirtless as Simon the Driller. Both were from the series TENGEN TOPPA GURREN LAGANN.

Simon the Driller (Victor) explained, “This is an opportunity for otherwise reclusive people like us to socialize.” Nia (Emily) continued, “I want to be outspoken and be noticed.” Kiki (Alica) agreed, “Anime Evolution is for us everyday people to be celebrities!”

They told me it was the starting day for the annual Vancouver Anime Evolution Convention and that I should go down to check it out. Several confused European tourists also started to grab these costumed players for souvenir snapshots.

Just before I reached the entrance way to investigate further about the convention, another trio appeared in cosplay wears. Amanda was dressed as Alice from the cartoon ALICE IN WONDERLAND. She exclaimed, “It’s just for plain fun. This is like Halloween everyday!” Her male friend Taylor was quick to added, “This is my first time to come to the convention. I’m here to see what it’s all about. I like anime. Japan is over the ocean and the people come through to Vancouver. It’s so nice to have different cultures here. It makes you a more rounded person.” Taylor was adorned in a bright green tunic with orange trimmings as the character Li Syaoran. Next to him was Sakura (Taryn) who loved the idea of dressing up and see what others wear at this year’s event. Both characters were from the series CARDCAPTOR SAKURA.

A steady stream of cosplay enthusiasts continued to come and go through the entrance way. I stopped Vega (Corey) from STREETFIGHTER, Yuri (Another Alicia) from RED RIVER and Ren (Ashley) by the exterior square. Corey laughed, “I’ve come to the convention to improve my acting skills by taking on characters I dressed up as. I love the attention. I’m expecting remembrance!” His friend Alicia told me that she was a local costumes and weapons designer. It’s the fourth year of attendance for her. “It’s a nice break from wearing conventional outfits. It’s a lot of fun and you get all the stares!” Ashley added, “I dress up in extremely weird ways to escape reality and enjoy some memories.”

I finally stepped inside the newly renovated convention center. I was in awe by its juxtaposition of majestic architectural height and conservative décors. It was a wise choice to invade corporate Vancouver with such pop-culture event before summer officially begins!

Anime Evolution has grown over the year from a one day event at the Simon Fraser College to the largest three-day convention in Western Canada with over 4500 attendees. Sponsors included local businesses and organizations in the Vancouver area, as well as industries and other such groups in North America and Japan. This year, Anime Con offered everything from merchandising booths, artist alley, exhibits, music concert, panel talks, trade demonstrations, costume and talent contests, as well as countless video screenings. The convention has also donated part of their proceeds to the local Children’s Hospital.

To be continued…

Ben was born in pre-Communist British Hong Kong a long, long time ago. He was raised and educated in the Canadian Prairies since his family immigrated to Canada in the early seventies. His main interests in life are movies and pop cultures from around the world. He works as a media assistant and film appreciation instructor at a tech college in Calgary, Alberta. During his spare time, Ben works as an actor and filmmaker for the local independent film and television industry. He was one of the co-founding Board members for the Calgary International Film Festival, Global FilmFest and the Calgary Asian Film Festival. Currently, he is also serving as the curator and programming director for the upcoming 2009 Vancouver Singapore Film Festival in September.