LIFE is tough, and he is just an ordinary person, says Rio Ho.
“That’s why I need to see things that motivate me: art stalls, cosplayer booths, stage performances, offline events, freebies or goods exchanges.
“These are all great experiences,” says the 36-year-old logistics executive, who has been regularly attending large ACG (anime, comics and gaming) conventions such as Comic Fiesta and Animan-gaki, as well as smaller themed events, for the last three years.
Ho was initially drawn to these events because he mainly wanted to see “beautiful cosplayers”, he says with a laugh.
“But later, it became a way to feel involved and have fun. Occasionally, I also meet new friends and expand my social circle.
“Isn’t it great to meet people who are on the same channel and we can chat easily?”
“Chatting with vendors or event organisers about things we all enjoy shows that the anime convention community is very loving,” he says.
Attending these events has now become a part of his life, broadening his horizons, Ho says.
These events often draw an international crowd, both in terms of the featured cosplayers and visitors, widening the community network, he says.
He also gushes about how larger-scale events often boast a lineup of Japanese singers and voice actors as well.
“This is also why large-scale anime conventions are worth attending,” he says.
He laments the time he missed out on when his favourite Japanese voice actress, Rie Taka-hashi, came to Malaysia as a guest of one of these conventions.
“I endlessly regret that I couldn’t get in due to long queues,” he says.
As an avid attendee of ACG events, Ho says he plans his travel and leave around these conventions.
He recalls travelling to Kuching specifically to attend an event to meet one of his idols making an appearance at a convention.
“The atmosphere at the anime conventions there is completely different! I love that feeling of travelling; it still brings back many memories,” he recounts fondly.
For Ho, these events are about more than just the entertainment and community; they are also an opportunity for growth.
“I think it can make people braver. People who are usually reluctant to take the first step, when they encounter something or a cosplayer they like, can muster up the courage to ask to take a photo, which makes them grow a lot.”
Ho may have discovered conventions as a way to broaden his horizons, but Razziah Rashid, 40, has grown up alongside the scene itself.
Better known in cosplay circles as Vinca Kazuki, Razziah attended the very first Comic Fiesta in 2002.
What began as a teenage interest sparked by her friendship with a Malaysia-born transfer student from the United States would eventually shape not only her social circle but also her career path and even her marriage.
The year she started cosplaying, she remembers her mother helping her sew costumes while her father would drive her to events, even when the hobby was still unfamiliar to many Malaysians at the time.
Over the years, the hobby evolved into something more serious.
She decided to further her studies in Art and Design (Graphic and Multimedia), taking a break from attending events to focus on her studies.
She later co-founded the cosplay group Team Blood consisting of herself, her siblings and her now-husband, began judging competitions and was later invited to appear at conventions in Taiwan and Singapore.
While she has made a name for herself in cosplay circles, she still regularly attends events like Comic Fiesta and Animangaki as a fan, as they often feature celebrities and cosplayers from abroad.
Sometimes, she attends just to support her friends who join the cosplay competitions.
“Cosplay is already a part of me and my identity.
“As a cosplayer, I feel like ACG events are where I belong. We get to know new friends, gain new knowledge about costume and prop-making, and get the latest information about newly released anime, comics, games, cosplay celebrity gossip and all the geek stuff.
“You name it, we got it,” she says.
Similar to Ho, Razziah says she plans her leave in advance to attend these events, especially as she needs several months to prepare her costumes if she is taking part in a competition.
She’s not the only one who needs to prepare; she recalls there was a pet cosplay competition at the Animagaki convention one year, where she entered her cat Woofie dressed up in armour from the Monster Hunter game series. Her cat turned out to be just as successful as her, handily winning that competition.
“It took me about a week to make the tiny armour and a month to train him to be comfortable in it. He’s kind of chill wearing it,” she adds with a laugh.
The sense of belonging runs through both Ho and Razziah, but for Razziah, the attachment runs deeper – conventions are not just annual escapes but milestones markers in her life, of friendships, creative growth and family life.
