コミケ

For the first time in my life I went to コミケ(comic market) at Tokyo Big Sights yesterday. Don't get me wrong. I am not a オタク. I grew up with comics but it's only because I'm a Japanese and mangas are already Japanese culture. Even you think you know much about comics, if you go to comic market you'll know you were wrong. Surrounded by half million geeks (half million! that many ppl join the comic market held for 3 days. it's a population 5 times bigger than that of Guelph), you'll feel like you are loser (and I'm glad to be a loser this time).

Tokyo Big Sights consists of many halls (like East Hall, West Hall...) and each of them are huge. These huge halls were full of people who are selling their self-printed comics and ppl who are buying these "Doujinshi".
I didn't buy any comics and I just kept browsing their 同人誌 but I felt a kind of awkwardness in even this browsing action cause it seems that there are certain manners for everything. Each booth is really small but when you check the magazines you have to be careful not to hog the next space, some of the sellers were so absorbed into reading comics which makes you wonder if you can disturb them, and you are allowed to take pics only at specific site.....

So I coudln't spend much time in checking the comics themselves(anyway it is impossible to check all. there are too many) but instead I enjoyed watching ppl in their costumes. Girls wore costumes of ancient Japan, nurse, hardgay and various characters from manga.... Guys in costume of SailorMoon, french cafe maid and TigerMask..... It was a shame that I run out of time to go to Costume Play Hall to take their photos. Yesterday was so hot (air conditioner was not working good in some of the halls) and I was impressed to see they decided to wear those heavy layered costumes. A lot of guts.

Things I found out from this event....
- comics in trend drawn by girls is "boys on boys". Soooo many comic about boys fall in love with boys. There is a specific name for this kind of comics but I forgot. Like comics about Wolverine from X-Men had crush on Cyclopes, Lupin the third on Jigen..... Some of them were even non-stop hardcore.
-I don't mean to offend Otaku ppl but there are so many real real geeks at Company booth sections. You'll know what I mean if you go there.
-ppl here look so energetic and focused. They don't mind getting lined up for everything (if you want to make it to door opening time, the average lineup time is 5 hours!), don't mind carrying heavy magazines with them...... I wonder what do they do for the rest of things. Is there any energy left?
I think we can create new power system using these air of excitement from them. the temperature in the halls were raised by at least 2 degree from their ferver and sweat.....

Anyways it was an experience. Thank you Paulさん! I would never had a chance to go to this kind of event in my life if you didn't ask me to join. すごかったねえ～。