​Celebrating the J-Wave Revolution at CharaExpo 2015

SINGAPORE - 16,324 fans attended CharaExpo 2015 over the weekend of June 20 and 21 in Singapore, welcoming more than 45 Japanese stars of anime, manga, games, cosplay and pro-wrestling. Veteran illustrators Yoichi Takahashi (Captain Tsubasa), Mel Kishida (Atelier Rorona, Hanasaku Iroha) were present; voice actor Ryo Horikawa (Vegeta from the Dragon Ball series, Kou Uraki from Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory) and pop stars, Maon Kurosaki, Mashiro Ayano and BACK-ON, among others, treated the audience to exclusive artist showcases as well as mini concerts and talks at the two-day expo.

Wrestling fans got up close and personal with the stars of New Japan Pro-Wrestling who were in town for their maiden showcase.

The Cos☆Stage cosplay competition saw Evie Tan’s entry of Guildmarm from MonHunt, emerge as its winner and Singapore’s representative at this year’s Tokyo Game Show in September. “I really love this nerdy character who is very much like me and loves helping people. It was a really great feeling to be onstage at CharaExpo and seeing all the fans and other competitors. I’m extremely excited about winning and attending the Tokyo Game Show as this would be my very first plane ride!”

Bushiroad’s Spring Fest 2015, had more than 600 participants in their highly competitive trading card game tournament.

President and Chief Executive Officer of Bushiroad Inc., Mr. Takaaki Kidani, elaborated on the popularity of trading cards, “Trading card games remain popular today because they foster personal interaction and community bonding. Players regularly meet for tournaments, to trade cards and also widen their circle of friends. The illustrations have also evolved into collector’s items, with each deck becoming more beautiful and detailed. More and more artists are gaining acclaim for their work on trading card decks.”

First-time exhibitors such as Visual Art’s, Frontwing, bili bili and AniCrush!! treated fans to exclusive merchandise. Good Smile Company’s Representative Mr. Darren Tan, were overwhelmed by keen collectors who are out for exclusive buys. “This is the first time that we’re exhibiting at the CharaExpo and the fan response has been very positive. Fans in Singapore really love our figurines. Our exclusive nendriod figures have been in high demand throughout the expo. We hope that the CharaExpo will grow and that we will grow in together with them over the years.” Exhibitors such as Visual Art’s had merchandises sold out within the first hour of opening.

CharaExpo will return in Singapore in early June 2016 with more artist sessions and cosplay demonstrations. CharaExpo 2016 will also feature discussion panels on how locals can develop their talent in this sector. For more information visit http://chara-expo.com/2015.