|
In 2002 Tokyo hosted its first anime fair and it has grown in
popularity quickly. The previous anime fair attracted 166 companies in the
anime industry including 31 companies from outside Japan and was attended
by over 70,000 people during the four days it was open. This year should
be even bigger.
The anime fair runs for 4 days, from March 31st to April 3rd. The first
two days will be for business and industry members only. You'll need to be
approved for entry for these first two days. The second two days are open
to the public.
The event is organized by an executive committee of The Tokyo
Metropolitan Government and animation companies with exhibitors such as;
anime production companies, television stations, filmmakers, video sales
companies and manufacturers of collectibles, toys, models, etc.
What's
a fair without a little competition? Several coveted Tokyo Anime Awards will
be given out at the fair and are divided into two categories; nomination
entries and open entries. In these two categories, some of the awards that
will be handed out are; Animation of the year, Notable entry award,
Individual award, Grand prize for open entries, General category, Student
category and Company award.
While Japanese anime has been popular in the US for decades, in recent
years it has really taken off. With some well known animes, such as
Pokemon, made for younger audiences, much of it is very adult. Mature
subject matter and violent visual content are popular themes in some films
and series. Still other anime films have portrayed powerful dramas,
telling realistic tales of war and based in factual details. While purists
may seek out original versions from Japan, many popular films are
available with English subtitles or voiceovers and marketed to the US.
Many can even be found at your local video rental store. There is truly
something for everyone to be enjoyed in this huge and growing phenomenon.
For
more information about anime and the Tokyo Anime Fair see:
|
