Experienced J-rock and pop band Ryuusei has prepared a large setlist of popular anime songs which the crowd will surely be eager to sing along to. Spunky dancer Momo who’s youtube channel has thousands of subscribers will be showing off her energetic moves to some of the hottest anime songs.A talkshow will convince you how age is just a number in cosplay, featuring Serene and Yivon as guest speakers, along with two senior cosplayers.

In our conservative society where many people view outlandish clothing as a sign of oddity, it really takes the older crowd a lot of confidence to do what they want to do, and wear what they want to wear, so do give them your support! In fact, there will be a Senior Cosplay Talent Showcase featuring older cosplayers who are just as passionate about their cosplay as the youngsters.

Proving the point that cosplay is for all ages, the young ones will also have their lime light. The young cosplayers who will strut their stuff in the Youth Cosplay Talent Showcase are Melissaa Reiketsukan, Sayuri Lilia, Sora, Rii-Ki, Kyonnai “Kyo” Taori, Naoffi Lolphes, Aleris, Kuroneko, leXis (21 April only), RE☆A (22 April only) and Sora (Daryl) (22 April only).

Last but not least is Yuan Le, cosplay ambassador for the event. You don’t want to miss her as she’ll be there in costume, posing for photos with event guests as a meaningful souvenir to take home. Photography is by Adrian from Pink Blue Photography, who has done lots of great portraits of cosplayers.

This weekend at Liang Court will be great! Hope to see you there in costumes, touting cameras, and just having lots of fun!

Some food for thought before you head off… a quality article by our guest writer Henrietta Wilkinson on why cosplay is really not a kiddy thing.

Other important links:

Programme and event timings

Storage facilities for cosplayers

Event Facebook Page

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This month, EOY is promoting the Anime Week event at Liang Court near Fort Caning and Clarke Quay. As part of this event, Liang Court will be hosting two Cosplay talent showcases. The first is for young performers and the second for so-called “senior” Cosplayers. This will be followed by a discussion on whether a person can be too old to do Cosplay.

Maybe this is a good time to get the discussion ball rolling and provoke a few discussions or inspire a few questions. Cosplay has often been a hobby and cultural niche that has attracted condescension and ridicule due to being misunderstood by people across the globe. In America, forums for fathers have asked the question, “My kid is into Cosplay, should I be worried?” For many Cosplayers, these questions have been answered more times than anyone can count. One question remains, is it a youth culture thing or does it transcend the ages?

Let’s look at the origins. The term, Kosupure is Japanese in origin, an amalgam of two English words pulled through a Japanese wringer. Costume Play comes from an American idea known as costuming. This seems to have begun in the early 20th century, but may be linked to folk revivals, the wearing of historical costumes and so on. Instead of being historical, people began wearing costumes from science fiction and fantasy books, and later from early movies. This was an adult past time and was not related to youth culture, which pretty much did not seem to exist back then.

In Japan, cosplay grew out of a love of anime and manga, which have stronger sales and a more respected place in culture than in countries such as America. In the 1980s, with the explosion of youth culture, fast changing trends emerged for youths between the ages of 15 and 23, which basically means high school and university students. This became stronger in the 1990s and as people grew up, they often let their Cosplay continue. In Japan, however, there are often strict cultural changes imposed when a person joins a company or becomes a mother that might restrict Cosplaying.

What is the main reason for some people to argue against any kind of youth culture for grownups? The short answer is, appearance. In shallow cultures, appearance is everything. In Britain in the early 2000s, youths recoiled at seeing men in the 50s wearing jeans. Punks grew up, sometimes, and new waves of young punks found the oldies more than a little embarrassing. Wrinkles, rebellion and torn jeans apparently do not go well together.

Is Cosplay that shallow? Think about it. While a stunning-looking cosplayer would undoubtedly turn more heads than the Plain Jane or Average Joe, the quality and likeness of one’s costumes as well as make-up skills wins the most praise at the end of the day. Cosplay is not a beauty pageant, but an art of transformation. With talent, an ordinary person can turn into an extraordinary character regardless of his/her looks, and that is the magic of cosplay.

A variety of people with a variety of Cosplay interests are welcomed into the fold. Even if someone is shy or has no friends that do Cosplay, they are made to feel welcome. Of course, there might be some people who just want to show off, but probably not many. For most it is about the sense of community.

Communities, any social or cultural group will grow up. The problem might come from the next generation of Cosplayers. Sure, they will not be that much younger, but might feel distinct. Is it a case of ownership? Do some groups of Cosplayers think that others are too old or that they are impinging on something that they want to define as theirs? Is it about cultural ownership?

Let’s look at it from another angle. Can Cosplay become a family hobby or interest? If social groups and clubs can start up, why not families too? In November, the Singapore Silver Cosplay club held a contest for senior citizens. This means people aged over 50. Two of those who entered had children and even some grandchildren who also entered younger contests.

This asks another question. Should Cosplay talent showcases or contests be split up by ages? If yes, how many categories should you have? There could be over 50s, over 30s or 20s, under 18s or under 10s. It probably depends on the nature of the contest, the venue and the animes involved. Not all are suitable for kids, but it is a brave person who argues someone is too old for an anime.

As you can guess, there will be plenty to talk about at the live show in Liang Court. The discussion kicks off at 1 pm on both Saturday and Sunday following a live anime band performance by Ryuusei.

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Henrietta Wilkinson is a freelance writer who has traveled extensively to Japan and other countries in the Far East, and is immersed in all the culture it offers from JRPGs to Cosplay. Otherwise, she writes on behalf of a number of good causes including how to find local rehab center listings for people who are looking to break their alcohol and drug addiction habits.

Images from Wikimedia Commons.

There will be a storeroom on Level 2 of Liang Court, opposite the lift lobby, along the alley beside the Japanese Clinic, where you can deposit your belongings from 12.30 pm to 6.30 pm each day.

There are 2 CCTVs covering the storeroom area, and nobody will be manning the room. Anyone can go in and out to leave or take their belongings, and Liang Court has specifically stated that they will not be liable for any loss or damage of belongings.

So please do not leave any valuables in your bags. Keep your luggage minimal. If you need a place to keep your valuables, please use the lockers on the same floor, also near the customer service counter. Those cost $1 per usage. You may also want to consider attaching a name tag to your luggage so that nobody will take your belongings by mistake.

The space is quite limited, only around *4m x 4m large, which may be quite a tight squeeze if there are a lot of cosplayers. Therefore, please only use it if you really need the space. And again, keep your luggage minimal.

*ETA: There’s been a mistake. The space is only 2m x 1.5m large.

This storeroom will not be available on other days of Anime Week, so if you want to cosplay on other days, do bear this in mind!

Here’s the rundown of the event activities at Liang Court.

20 April (Friday) kickstarts the event with anime merchandise and doujin booths. Lovely ladies clad in meido costumes will put a smile on visitors’ faces at Liang Court with their moe greetings. They will also pose for polaroid photos with you, courtesy of Liang Court.

21 & 22 April (Saturday and Sunday) are the highlights of the week.

Programme for both days:

1.15pm – 1.30pm: Introduction about the day’s events and brief intro about cosplay
1:30pm – “Live” Anime Band performance by Ryuusei
2:00pm – Anime Dance performance by Momo
2:30pm – Youth Cosplayers Talent Showcase
3:00pm – Senior Cosplayers Talent Showcase
4:00pm – “Live” Anime Band performance by Ryuusei
5:00pm – Talk Show “Who says cosplay is only for the
young?”

There will also be a cosplay photography booth operated by Pink Blue, renowned for their high-quality cosplay photographs, as well as anime merchandise and doujin booths.

23 to 29 April

Activities related to traditional Japanese games, but nothing remotely related to cosplay.

On 28 and 29 April, the meidos will be back to greet visitors and take photos with you.

The above info may be subject to change on the actual event days.

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 FAQ

We’ve received some repetition questions from several people about Anime Week so I’ve compiled them to answer here.

1) Can I come in cosplay if I’m not in the Cosplayer Talent Showcase?

Yes! Please do! It will really liven up the atmosphere in the mall ^^. However, since the venue is a shopping mall and there will be other regular shoppers, please do not bring costumes / props that may endanger or inconvenience shoppers or yourself.

Free storage space will be provided for cosplayers on 21 and 22 April at the atrium.

If you’re getting changed at the mall, you will have to use the public restrooms. Do be considerate to the shoppers and don’t take up too much time when using it.

Please be aware that shoppers may ask you questions or request photos. If you’re not comfortable with this, you have every right to turn down their requests, but please do so politely.

2) Can I cosplay on days other than 21 and 22?

You can cosplay on weekdays, there’s nothing in our law that prohibits that. It’s just that unlike on 21 & 22, the environment for cosplaying is less conducive – there won’t be facilities for you to store your belongings, and there will probably be less people cosplaying.

3) Why is this called ‘Anime Week’ when anime-related activities are only on 3 days?

No one’s asked this yet but I figured it’s bound to come up once people see what’s happening on the weekdays. Well, short answer is, we didn’t name the event, so please ask Liang Court if it really bugs you XD

Personally I think that it’s because the highlights of the event are the anime and doujin booths and the cosplay and anime related performances. Although they are just 3 days out of the week, they are the ‘meat’ of the event so to speak.

In addition, we all know how deeply rooted and widely embraced the anime culture is in Japan. You can find anime interpretations of many important aspects of Japanese lifestyle, including traditional Japanese customs and culture. And of course, meido has been made more popular than ever by many famous anime series~

If you have more questions, feel free to post to the event wall!

How do you get hold of these precious gift vouchers?

One of the items in Anime Week’s programme requires 10 Cosplayers to go onstage to introduce your cosplay and do some poses, as well as to interact with the audience off-stage, pose for photos, explain about cosplay (if they ask), basically things you do at a typical cosplay or anime convention, except that you’re getting rewarded with shopping vouchers! Total duration for your work is 1 hour long. This cosplay segment will be held for 2 days – 21 & 22 April, tentatively between 2 – 4 pm each day. You may choose to come on only one day, but priority will be given to those who are available on both days. If you come on both days, you will receive $100 worth of Liang Court shopping vouchers.

There will be other Anime-related activities, including a 3-day anime bazaar, cosplay talk shows, bands playing anime music and professional cosplay photographers capturing your glamorous moments on and off-stage. More details about Anime Week will come later, but you’re certainly in for a great time!

Sounds fun right? Now for the requirements.

Since we want to show the best of cosplay, your outfit and props should be well-made, and you should be able to put on decent make-up that befits your character. Age limit is 12 to 24 years old. This is because there will be another segment featuring senior citizen cosplayers (how cool is that!), so the age limit is there to create a contrast. If your age exceeds the age limit but you’re still really interested, just send your application along and we’ll see what we can do.

To sign up as one of our cosplay talents, simply fill up this form. Deadline for application is 10 April, to be extended or terminated early if necessary. We will contact you by the email address you provide. There will be no auditions, so do show us your very best pictures.

Please note that completing the form does not mean automatic recruitment. There will still be a selection process if more than the required number of cosplayers sign up. Applications that did not make the cut will be archived and kept in mind for future events like this. Also, please make sure that you are definitely available on the days that you state you can come. Dropping out later without valid reason will cause you to lose your integrity and possibly be blacklisted.

Do sign up if you can, and pass this around to your cosplayer friends! Let’s spread the cosplay spirit!

Clarification: It has come to our attention that some people have made assumptions that this is an EOY event and the vouchers are given by us. This isn’t true. The event is held by Liang Court and the rewards are sponsored by them. Fei Yue Community Services is spearheading the organising of the event. EOY is promoting their event and helping them to reach out to interested cosplayers. We believe that it is to the benefit of the cosplay community if cosplayers get more recognition for their talents and are engaged by mainstream programmes. Yes, the cosplayers may not be paid with cash, but to actually receive some form of monetary incentive for promoting their passion to the public out of their own accord, this is a big step forward to becoming professional cosplayers who are paid for attending events, like those we see in other countries.

Please try to understand and support this meaningful cause instead of spreading speculations about it. If you have any questions, you are most welcome to leave a comment on the Anime Week Facebook event page. We will be glad to clear up any doubts you may have.

I think this proverb aptly sums up the premise of this movie “Love Strikes!”, the live-adaptation of award-winning manga “Moteki”. Thanks to Encore Films that also sponsored our “Love Strikes!” movie tickets giveaway, I got to watch the movie premiere. Having read the synopsis of the movie earlier but not the manga that it was based on, I thought it was a harem-genre story, but it turned out to be different from what I expected.

The protagonist Fujimoto Yukiyo is basically your typical ‘loser’ approaching middle age, anti-social nerd with no career and no girl. The story begins with Yukiyo attending a job interview for an online magazine. As he is being run down by his potential bosses, a bunch of young girls turn up and accuse the big boss (old chap who looks nothing like a chick magnet) of toying with their feelings. Like the audience, Yukiyo wonders how those girls have such bad taste. An intermission comically attributes this to “Moteki”, a period when someone suddenly becomes very appealing to the opposite sex for no apparent reason. Yukiyo someow ends up getting stabbed by one of the girls, but the good thing that came out of it was, he was accepted by the company to do the job of his dreams – attending and writing about subculture music events and fairs.

His life suddenly improves drastically. While he continues to live in a tiny pigstyle filled to the brim with manga, he has suddenly met the love of his life – Miyuki, a vivacious girl with a killer smile who enjoys hanging out with him, shares the same interests, is everything he desires, and keeps dropping obvious physical hints that she likes him. But there is a complication – she has a steady boyfriend who’s a young and successful event organiser, and looks more charming and handsome than he is. Why then is Miyuki fooling around behind his back, and an even more wretched question is, why is Yukiyo still doggedly smitten by a girl like her, when he has another desirable choice – the lonely and sweet-looking Rumiko who’s virtually throwing herself at him? There is a surprising twist to the messy love affair that eventually leads to a happy conclusion, but I won’t reveal it here to spoil the movie for you.

The movie is touted as “The most hilarious Japanese sex comedy” for good reason. It is hard to control your laughter when Yukiyo’s being a total klutz, and yet proves himself capable of accomplishing various athletic stunts to get himself out of sticky “mokkori” situations. He also indulges in some Bollywood moments by randomly breaking into dances when he is esctatic, at one point of time dancing to a Perfume song with the Perfume girls by his sides. (Perfume fans will love this). The ladies are pure eye candy, especially Masami Nagasawa (Miyuki) who has a truly winsome smile. But in spite of what the movie poster suggests, only 2 of the 4 ladies featured on the movie poster get some actual action; the other 2 ladies are akin to wall flowers, and one of them keeps physically abusing poor Yukiyo (so if you were expecting a harem, you might be disappointed XD).

“Love Strikes” is different from the past movies we have done giveaways for in the sense that it’s made for a more mature audience (the rating is PG13),  probing into adult troubles with a rather generous usage of sexual references. The plot seems farfetched, yet realistic. Afterall, love is sometimes unexplainable.

Behind the silliness and messy relationships, the story presents an important message. If opportunity knocks on your door, or “Moteki” in the case of the movie, grab your chance and don’t waste it. Yukiyo nearly lost Miyuki, but he perservered and got what he wanted. We all have our opportunities and chances. There is always something and someone there for us, no matter how lowly we may perceive ourselves to be, so don’t despair if the going gets tough!

“Love Strikes!” is already screening exclusively at Filmgarde Iluma and Filmgarde Kallang Leisure Park!

-Angie

Title:                     Love Strikes! (桃花期）

Director:              Hitoshi Ohne (Moteki TV Series)

Writer:                 Mitsuro Kubo (Moteki Manga)

Cast:                     Mirai Moriyama, Masami Nagasawa, Kumiko Aso, Riisa Naka

Language:           Japanese

Rating:                  PG-13

“Love Strikes! aka Moteki”, is based on an original manga which sold over 1.8 million copies; and a popular TV series which won many drama awards. Now, with a freshly-penned, completely new and original story by its creator, Mitsuro Kubo, get ready for an unprecedented spectacle of love!

“Moteki” is…a period in one’s life when a person is most attractive to the opposite sex.

Fujimoto, 31, has no money, no aspirations and no girlfriend. Leaving his temp job, he decides to finally

get a life and lands a job as a writer for an Internet news site. But love eludes him. At the height of his

loneliness and social isolation, out of nowhere springs his season of irresistibility – the arrival of “moteki”.

Miyuki, a fun and gregarious magazine editor, who shares a lot of Yukiyo’s interests but has a boyfriend.

Rumiko, Miyuki’s close friend, a pretty but obsessive office worker.

Ai, a gaudy young bar hostess.

Motoko, Yukiyo’s senior colleague, a cool beauty with an acid tongue.

Between these four very different women, Yukiyo gets pushed and pulled in all directions.

But will Yukiyo reach the elusive promised land of true love?

Love Strikes! opens on 15 Mar 2012 at Filmgarde Iluma and Filmgarde Kallang Leisure Park . But before that, 1 lucky winner and his/her friend can catch the premiere screening for free at 7.15pm, 14 March, Wednesday at Filmgarde Iluma. Only 1 pair of tickets available this time due to high demand and exclusivity, so treasure your chance!

The winner will be selected via lucky draw, and participating is really easy!

First of all, ‘like’ EOY’s official Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/theeoy if you have not already done so.

Share this post to your facebook wall! Look at the right panel. Scroll up until you see that Facebook symbol under “Share EOY”. Just click on it when you’re logged in to your Facebook account, and it will be posted to your wall. (you will need the link to your wall post later on)

Fill up this incredibly simple form. (Please only submit it once)

In previous giveaways, we always had a hard time getting hold of some winners just before the premier screenings to submit their NRIC numbers in time to the event organiser. To avoid this, we decided to have all lucky draw participants provide their NRIC numbers in the form in advance. Rest assured that your personal information is safe and private with us.

Next, wait for lady luck to shine! The winner will win a pair of “Love Strikes!” movie tickets. Deadline of the lucky draw is 11 March and the winner will be informed via email by the night of the deadline.

Good luck!

Runway Beat’s theme is centered on fashion design, but its story is much more.

In a regular high school class in Tokyo, Miki Tachibana, a popular teen fashion model gets all the limelight and fawning for her celebrity status and beautiful appearance. Along comes Beat, the new transfer student and a fashion design prodigy, who gives his geeky hikkomori classmate Wanda an impressive makeover that wows everyone into believing that they might actually be sufficiently talented and good-looking for a fashion show. In the process of designing clothes, preparing for the fashion show with his classmates and inspiring them to unleash their ‘potential’, Beat has his share of problems to deal with – imminent closure of the high school, an ailing childhood sweetheart, design theft by a leading fashion company no less, loss of trust and disappointment from his classmates, estrangement from his father, and the love confession of May, his faithful and supportive sidekick.

But eventually, everything works out and the class shines on the fashion stage. And boy, do they shine, literally. The fashion stage backdrop is multi-levelled with flashing neon lights, a work of art more impressive than professional runways. It was constructed by amateurs -  the students and their parents, and designed by the geeky Wanda, who’s actually an architect prodigy. The nerdiest girl in the class suddenly becomes the sexiest girl onstage. All the students have become stars of the show, just like Miki. Yes, there is certainly some amount of exaggeration, but the message is clear – Everyone has potential, quoting Beat, and we can unleash this potential if we believe in ourselves.

I really like the message of the movie. It portrays the spirit of EOY. EOY has always aimed to create a close-knit community where you can find friends and support to help each other and help each other realise our talents. All of us has potential, and we can make a difference to our lives and the people around us if we do what we like, and do it well, be it cosplay, singing, dancing, drawing… Never belittle yourself or think of yourself as a nobody. We are all capable of achieving great things, even if we are just being ourselves and having fun.

Another important point the film conveys is a parent’s love and support for their child, even if the child heads down unconventional paths. If you clash with your parents over your interests, remember that they always have your best interests in heart. Help them to understand you, instead of hating them for trying to ‘ruin’ your life, because that’s not what they are trying to do.

Runway Beat is an endearing and inspirational movie that you really ought to catch if you can. If anything, the eyecandy-filled cast and that amazing fashion show should keep your eyes glued to the screen.

Runway Beat opens island-wide in most theatres in Singapore on 23 February.

Runway Beat screens exclusively at Golden Village Vivocity. Apologies for the earlier mistake.

- Angie

Ah, such a genki poster with lots of pretty faces eh?

“Runway Beat” is adapted from a very popular teen novel in Japan. It is directed by Kentaro Otani, director of NANA in 2005, and stars Koji Seto, Nanami Sakuraba, Mirei Kiritani, IMALU and Kei Tanaka.

The free movie screening will be held on 21 February, 7pm at GV Vivocity (Subject to changes).

Winners will be selected via lucky draw, and participating is really easy!

First of all, ‘like’ EOY’s official Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/theeoy if you have not already done so.

Share this post to your facebook wall! See that Facebook symbol under “Share EOY” on the right? Just click on it when you’re logged in to your Facebook account, and it will be posted to your wall. (you will need the link to your wall post later on)

Fill up this incredibly simple form. (Please only submit it once)

And wait for lady luck to shine! We are looking for five winners, and each winner will win a pair of “Runway Beat” movie tickets. All winners will be contacted via email by 19^th February.

Good luck!

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More info about this movie:

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCFwm2L_CVM

Synopsis:

Fashion, Friendship, Romance. It’s All on the Runway.

You can change if you believe in yourself.

It was a life-altering encounter. High school sophomore, Mei Tsukamato (Nanami Sakuraba), on visiting her mother in the hospital meets two teens her same age, one a wheelchair-confined Kirara Miyamoto (Erina Mizuno) and another interesting young man. The very next day, he shows up in her class as a new transfer student by the name of Beat Mizorogi (Koji Seto), and nothing will ever be the same. When Beat witnesses the bullying of a computer nerd named Satoshi Inuda (Kei Tanaka), he invites himself along with Mei over to Satoshi’s house for a fashion makeover that turns him into “Wanda”, the newly-minted “coolest guy in school”.

When “Wanda” arrives at school the next day, the entire class is astounded and assumes a new attitude toward him, including Miki “Mikitty” who had treated him coldly, and Goda, his “extortionist”. Beat, hailing from a tailor’s family with an abiding love for fashion design, sets about transforming the school from the outside in. The excitement and creativity of Beat’s designs brings the class together and prompts them to launch a fashion show was a new tradition at their annual school festival. But the runway ahead is fraught with snags. First, the students find out that the school had been slated for closure at the end of the current school year. And then an incident involving the theft of Beat’s designs threatens to tear apart the hard-earned class camaraderie. Can they pull together to save their show and school? And what will Beat’s ultimate legacy and impact be on everyone’s lives?

We picked up Hitomi today and she is really looking forward to meet all of you in Singapore.

So how to get to EOY (The Republic Cultural Centre at Republic Polytechnic)?
Address – 9 Woodlands Ave 9, Singapore 738964 (Near Woodlands MRT/ Interchange)

By MRT
Alight at Woodlands Station, follow the map, 10mins walk.

By BUS

Woodlands Interchange, bus numbers
168 169 178 187 856 858 900 901 903 911 912 913 925 926 960 961 962 964 925C 961
Woodlands Ave 9 169 911
Woodlands Ave 2 169 903 NR

By Car (Shortest Route)

PIE (Jurong) >> Exit onto BKE(Woodlands) (Exit 24)
BKE >> Exit onto SLE (Exit
SLE >> Exit via Woodlands Ave 2 (Exit 10)
Woodlands Ave 9 >> Turn right into Woodlands Ave 9 at the 4th junction (after you see Woodlands MRT on your left)
Woodlands Ave 9 >>Turn left into Republic Polytechnic (drop-off/ pick-up point & basement carpark)

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Just a gentle reminder, EOY does not encourage camping and with the recent wet weather, it is advisable for all of cosplayers to enter EOY event venue. As this could be the last time we use Republic Polytechnic TRCC as EOY event venue, the more that we encourage you to purchase our door tickets and enjoy the celebration together.

There will be free usage of a dedicated baggage area for Cosplayer’s use and 1 Free drink (per ticket holder) for you to enjoy.  Not forgetting the chance to take photo with/of our Meido Ambassador, Cosplay Ambassador (Esther), Autograph session with Hitomi, buy exclusive merchandise and watch a 5 hours fully packed show.

“Only with your support can EOY continue to do better and have a chance to showcase local talents in a different light.

See you at EOY ~ <3 Vincent”