with 120 It’s finally here, anime and manga fans from all over the world gathered at the big site in Tokyo for the final event: Comic Market . However, compared to previous years,
Comiket is much softer. 
when I think of Comiket , the image that comes to mind is a chaotic swirl of people trying to get to their favorite vendor booths (independent and licensed) with people occupying every One Inch to check out their loot, and Cosplayers to roam throughout the event space — Especially in the Eastern Regional Hall. However, due to SARS-COVID-19 restrictions, all of which are far less common. But that didn’t detract from the many things to see at the event.
One of the main attractions of Comic Market is the licensed vendors, this time located in the South Hall. While not the same scale as events like AnimeJapan (stage events without voice actors), attendees can choose from official vendors. Granted, most vendors are there to sell their latest anime merch, but what’s available will entice anyone to pull out their wallet.
Good Smile Company
was probably one of the more attractive stands with its digital display and large advertisements released earlier 2016. However,
Aniplex, Kyoto Animation
, Wit Studio booth also attracted the interest of anime fans. Fans of , , , and SpyxFamily were especially well served this time around.
There are also a few displays in this area that stand out for reasons other than merchandise. For example, the
Bushiroad booth was promoting the all-female professional wrestling promotion World Wonder Ring Stardom, commonly known as Stardom. It is reminiscent of 2016 An anime series that makes heavy use of pro wrestlers from the popular
New Japan Pro Wrestling – If only because
Bushiroad not only owns the pro wrestling promotion, but is involved in the production.
Another standout booth was ufotable and wish all participants a Happy New Year. While hidden a bit, discovering it was a real treat for attendees as well as fans of the anime and manga series.
However, one of the more interesting displays in Comic Market turned out to be a VR boating game. This may seem strange to many – I definitely looked up when I saw it – but it allows one to experience one of the few sports that can be legally gambled in Japan from the perspective of a racer one. One would think this is an easy game to just hit the gas and drive as fast as you can, but to my surprise, it’s far harder than it looks. Not only because there’s no appreciable traction, but because it takes some precise rowing to control the throttle entering the turn and the angle of the turn. It really gave me a new perspective on Japanese rowing.
In addition to the official vendors, both the West and East Halls are occupied by independent vendors selling their latest books or homemade wares. These vendors are what many people attend
Comiket, but what makes this event interesting is the distinct lack of crowds Hall, it’s nearly impossible to move forward unless you’re completely limping. That’s not to say the lobby isn’t full during peak hours (as indicated by the lines outside the lobby), but it’s not at pre-pandemic levels. This may be related to limitations on the number of attendees and when they can enter the Big Site.
Probably the most glaring absence is the abundance of cosplayers Roam around places. Part of it is of course me, as I mostly focus on the east pavilion, but even those areas outside of the pavilion are usually full of cosplayers Enjoy the event. Again, it seems to me that this might have something to do with the attendee limit, which made the event a bit tedious. But this brings up a good thing: a conspicuous lack of rings for photographers trying to photograph (often female) cosplayers
. This is a welcome change if you ask me, even if it means a part of the
Comiket experience is missing.
and version of felt like a smaller event than it was pre-pandemic, and it was still able to fill the South, West, and East concourses of the big Tokyo site. I hope things will go back to the way they are around 2016 and earlier, if only because
Comiket should be a fun anime Celebrate their hobby with mayhem fans of comics.
Version The goal for next summer is 103, people every day, as long as the government and local guidelines are loose enough by then, this Compare, every day this year, but still below pre-pandemic levels. Maybe via Comiket 19, we will see a fully fledged event with little or no Not even entry restrictions. But only time will tell. 193499
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