Anime Japan 2015 retrospective

Written by Ross Locksley on 22 Mar 2015

So, back from Japan, and for the first time ever, we went in Spring instead of Autumn. Though we do try and cover the Tokyo Game Show when we can, we decided it was way past time that we explored Japan's premier anime event, Anime Japan.

Much like MCM Expo, the event is a mix of public access events and stage shows, with a lot of business being done in other areas. Being the homeland of anime, Anime Japan is the premier location for broadcasters and anime production houses to sell their shows to foreign interests - it's where the deals that secure the anime you'll be watching next year are done in private booths by men in suits. Our ability to mix in as press gave us a rare insight to this horse-trading affair, and we even bumped into a Mr Andrew Partridge from Anime Ltd too, looking very dapper as he mingled with the big guns of the anime world (we even found time for an interview which we'll post later!)

The team, the location, the coffee...

My travelling companions on this trip were James Taylor (fluent in Japanese and is essentially my version of Tony Stark's Jarvis when I come to Japan - I don't leave for the country without him!) and Sophie Wales, occasional cosplayer and lolita fashion guru. Together we set out bleary-eyed and took on the show, fuelled only by Premium Boss, a coffee you can get hot from dispensing machines and was my fuel for this year's trip.

The iconic Tokyo Big Sight is the equivilant (though much cooler) version of London's Excel centre, with multiple massive hallways, conference facilities and restaurants. Despite having visited Japan on numerous occasions, this was my first experience of the distinctive building. While I was in awe at the builidng, I was slightly confused by the lack of cosplayers walking up to the centre. MCM Expo is always a myriad of colour and outlandish costumes, and it took James to point out that riding public transport in costume is prohibited in Japan, which explained away the huge number of attendees wheeling suitcases around!

Once we had our press badges we made our way into the main hall. Well, one of them at least! I'd estimate that Anime Japan is around 5 times the size of MCM Expo, and although we made out like bandits with the show exclusives and photos during the early-access session before the main doors opened, once the general public were allowed in it soon became clear that, expansive as the show is, it's still capable of being overwhelmed by the visitors. 

Finding our way around

The 2 main halls were huge, and populated by the studio booths, many of which were very elaborate, and stores. One of the interesting deviations from ourexhibitions in our own country are the store "menus". Here, everything on offer at the stall is listed and photographed, and then covered up when sold out. It made it much easier to understand what was available and really came into its own later when we wanted to know where to queue! The goods on offer ranged from the usual character branded goods of t-shirts, mugs, keychains and the like, and more elaborate stands selling original canvas art.

In no particular order, here are a few of the highlights from the show - despite our press passes, we couldn't see everything while there, but we certainly covered a lot of ground.

The Takara Tomy booth

Let's get this one in first, seeing as I'm a huge Transformers fan! This was a huge stall with a few massive display figures from the most popular lines. G1 Optimus Prime loomed large, surrounded by some G1 toys, while the new Masterpiece Star Saber was given pride of place next to the ultra-cute Choro-Q figures (super-deformed transforming penny-racer toys in the G1 style). There was also a giant movie-Bumblebee figure and a screen shwoing the latest cartoon series (and for some reason a hot girl in a cowboy outfit - strange!). There wer eother character figures on display too, but mostly I was transfixed by all the robot goodness on display.

Angel Beats Blu Ray stand

This gets special mention for being cool, but not somnething I'd want to own - a BMW tricked out with decals from the show. While it looked very cool I think I'd be mildly embrarrassed to drive around in it!

The Anime X Traditional Handicrafts stand

This was a fantastic stall which brought together the best of traditional Japanese craftsmanship with a fantastic anime flavour. For my money the best of the lot was the pair of FATE cup and saucers, which used the principle colours of Saber and Archer to create a lovely and subtle set. The queue for this stand was insane!

The Goodsmile Booth

We all know when it comes to figures that Goodsmile don't move aside for anyone, but the booth was something else. Featuring all 500 hundred Neonderoids released to date, it was a fabulous display and really shows how far the company has come since inception.

Okay, so there are some awesome booths, some entertaining stage shows and lots of exclusive goodies, but is Anime Japan an event YOU should visit?

Well, there's no doubt that the spectacle is considerable. Everything at the show is a step beyond anything we get in the UK, with some truly spectacular designs and cutting edge release information. The cosplay alone is worth the price of admission; both stands and the public go all out to create some awesome costumes, and so long as you can through the crowds, you're going to have plenty of great photo opportunities.

There are only two real downsides to the show. The first is pretty obvious - this is a Japanese show and as such, considerations for those who can't read or speak the language are virtually nil. That, of course, is also true for UK shows where English is the only language that gets a look-in, but do be aware that even a smattering of Japanese phrases will get you a long way. Thankfully the show brochure contains a modicum of English, but I was very glad to have James with me for this one.

The second issue is the sheer demand for this show. I was fortunate enough to pad around before it actually opened, but once the gates allowed the masses through, even for the early-bird entry, it got very busy, very quickly. I had thought that MCM could get swamped, but it's not a patch on this. 120,000 people bustling through the halls and queuing for merchandise (often for hours) was really quite intimidating, so have a game-plan if you're going in a group. Regular meet-ups, bottled water and the minimum of baggage to allow you to slip through the crowds is a must.

For all that, Anime Japan is a blast. It's lively, fun, extremely well organised and like nothing else. All of the industry's creative might is harnessed to make the show colourful and unique - the real joy, thanks mostly to the efforts of the streaming companies, is that many of the shows on display won't be far off being available subtitled, and as such it's a fabulous preview of what's to come.

Lastly, let's not forget that Anime Japan is just a weekend event, and as a part of a trip to Japan, it's a very worthy addition to any itinerary. You have the full-scale Gundam just around the corner in Odeiba and you're only half an hour away from Akihabara, so there's plenty to see and do just outside the show's confines too. Hell, you can even watch the Sakura blossom in Ueno and visit the zoo.

Overall, this was an eye-opening experience. A chance to see how the motherland of the industry promotes itself to it's national fans, and while I hope the pictures I tweeted at the event and the images spread across this article help to convey a little of what this show is about, it really does benefit from a personal visit. Be bold, learn a little Japanese and consider it for a visit next year.