By Chesney Hearst, Senior Contributing Reporter
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – On the afternoon of Sunday, January 12th, the Anime Wings Games Festival will return to Rio for its 20th edition filling the Centro de Convenções SulAmérica with stands and booths; competitions, games, card-games, the music of K-Pop (Korean pop) and cosplayers (costume play attendees) in celebration of Japanese and Asian popular culture.
“Currently, cosplay, anime and card-games are a little bit lower in terms of popularity [due to access], but as time passes, they gain strength and are gaining more fans,” Flavio Luiz de Mello, organizer of Anime Wings, told The Rio Times. “Video games, though, already reach a larger group. There are now something you see in the media and find easily in stores.”
Attendees to Anime Wings Games will have plenty to see and do as festival highlights include; the mini toy Expo; lecture and book signing by Brazilian anime voice over artists Luciano Monteiro and Eduardo Borgeth; and the parade of Japanese fashions including, Lolita and Harajuku.
There will also be a cosplay, a popular term that is short for “costume play”, contest wherein participants dress as characters from popular anime (Japanese animated films), manga (Japanese comics), movies, RPGs (role-playing games) and other video and cards games. Winners will be chosen from each category.
Attendees who bring their Nintendo DSes can participate in the Pokemon Nintendo Ds tournament while others can face off against the dance machine and each other during the Dance Dance Revolution Tournament.
Lovers of card games can also take part in ” Yu – Gi- Oh !”, ” Pokémon ” and ” Magic ” battles, among others. Attendees interested in created their own manga can also attend workshops during the festival held by some of the best teachers in the Brazilian market.
“I believe that the popularity of our event,” Luiz de Mello concluded, “is in fact that it is an event by fans for fans and that makes the public happy to be part of it.”
What: Anime Wings Games Festival
When: Sunday, January 12th, 2PM to 7PM
Where: Centro de Convenções SulAmérica , Av. Paulo de Frontin, n° 1, Cidade Nova, Centro, RJ
Entrance: R$20 (online), R$25 at the event
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