Here, in all of its early morning glory, is the line to get into Wonderfest, Japan's biggest figure and model convention. The first people at the gate had been there as long as 5pm the previous day. Man, it was cold out there! Later inside, you could figure out who waited the longest on the basis of their cracked and scabby lips.
Some video of the 10am opening of Wonderfest 2007. Note menacing zombie-like lurching giving way to a full scale otaku riot.
It is said that holding the official Wonderfest program over your face temporarily renders one invisible as well as irreproachable no matter what kinds of figures you collect.
What makes otaku run: limited edition figures, many of them made up of little girl parts.
"Hos, Thugs, and Scrilla" otaku style. Someone is throwing down around $480 bucks for five figure kits.
As sick and twisted as things get at Wonderfest, you can always count on your old pal Godzilla to bring some relief from cries of "moe!"
This was one of the few flesh and blood young girls brave enough to endure Wonderfest. Her dad, manning a Godzilla booth, looked like a tracksuit yakuza, so maybe she was safe from harm. Still, by the end of the con, she was hiding under the table and wobbling Godzilla's tale around. I am not making this up.
"ShodaiGoji" seemed to be the most popular design for kaiju fans to choose from this season, with "KinGoji" following closely behind. What the hell am I talking about? If you know, go and take a look in the mirror. There before you is a big fucking nerd.
I always wondered who was interested in those creepy giant life-sized figures you see in Akihabara. Turns out, they are a bunch of crazy otaku!
To wit: The strength of "hypercapitalizzm" is the willingness to expand markets without much in the way of moral considerations. In other parts of the world, collectors of lolicon and moe figures would perhaps be marginalized as sexual perverts. But in Japan, they are just another demographic to make a buck off of. End of lecture. You may now shout "moe!"
...and then this gaijin showed up and ruined all the fun and exclusivity of our cool trip to Tokyo! Oh wait, it's just Matt Alt ignoring the ladies, as usual, because robots is around. We also recorded some stuff for a new Hot Tears of Shame podcast that I'll put up soonish.
Oh yeah, I forgot to mention...I was there at Wonderfest with a TV crew from NHK to film a new segment for Tokyo Eye. On top of that was *another* film crew following us around for a "Making Of" special. If I look even more tense and nervous than usual, its because I am standing next to Araki Gentaro, the greatest ero figure maker of his generation. I asked him for an interview and he tried to steer me as far away as possible with his Wave Motion Gun remote control.
Space Battleship Yamato was out in full-fucking force at the con. The high priest of the genre was easily Einosuke Hino who has dedicated his life to making kits of the most minor Yamato mecha imaginable. His webpage is totally cool too.
There was plenty of competition in this department, however. A table nearby was offering dandy models of the Comet Empire (sold out by the time we got there) and Dark Star Nebula war craft.
At the same table were the winners of the "Most Obscure Spacecrafts From a Film or Television Production" award: a selection of ships from "Sayonara Jupiter."
Matt spent a good portion of the con hanging out with a dealer behind this pop culture crash-up of a table.
I hear his retinas are finally beginning to heal from all that sweet superhero eye candy.
Japan's birthrate may be in decline, but the population of nasty figures is ready to burst.
(Insert caption here)
The best thing I saw at the entire show were these foam rubber hand puppets of Godzilla monster heads.
So fucking rad. So fucking expensive.
The show stopper for everyone else seemed to be the one million yen Unit 01 figure. People approached it like it was the crucifix at the Sistine Chapel or something to confess their sins and throw money at.
Over in cell block D, there was an impromptu idol concert held at the massive Max Factory booth. A bunch of Otage (all singing, all dancing, idol otaku) were doing their stuff. Read the fine print on that shirt. As if there could be any doubt!
"Best In Packaging" goes to these loopy Matango and Godzilla on Tricycles toys from M-1.
Do-It-Yourself Doller Kits (handguns not included, sadly)! Lifesized anime masks for you and your buddies to customize and wear! Hopefully, these will go on to become the next craze from Japan to take over the world ala Iron Chef and Pokemon!
Amazing! One of the few none-moe kei coverage of Wonfest.
It appears that there's no pure hardcore sci-fi/mecha/tokusatsu conventions any more.
Btw, is there any buzz among Japanese Macross/Mospeada fans regarding Harmony Gold's release of "Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles"?
Posted by: Zer0 | February 26, 2007 at 08:36 PM
Oh no, I see Suzumiya Haruhi eyes in that last image. Poor Haruhi :(
Also, I am a sexual pervert!
Posted by: wildarmsheero | February 26, 2007 at 08:55 PM
NO EVENT NO LIFE.
Wow. Also, "If you know, go and take a look in the mirror. There before you is a big fucking nerd."
Hahahahaha.
Posted by: Joseph Luster | February 27, 2007 at 01:06 AM
At first I wondered why people would try to shield their faces, figuring that attendees at Wonder Fest would be beyond all that, then I looked closer and realized one of the people in line was Kenji Kosaka.
Posted by: Carl Horn | February 27, 2007 at 11:07 AM
We stand on the shoulders of giants:
http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Late_Noodle_King_Of_Japan_To_Be_Blasted_Into_Space_999.html
Posted by: Carl Horn | February 27, 2007 at 05:23 PM
There's a Gundam mask in that pop culture melange table photo - I bought one like it at Spencer's Gifts in Cumberland Mall back in the 80s. Still have it, the silver paint is beginning to crack and the elastic band has long since snapped.
Wonderfest looks wonderful, except for the sex freaks everywhere. No wonder their birthrate is zero, too much crazy porn everywhere messing with their hormone levels, diluting their precious bodily fluids.
Posted by: davemerrill | February 27, 2007 at 05:30 PM
Where can I get one of those do it yourself doller kits?
Posted by: Misuzu | March 03, 2007 at 06:12 PM
>Where can I get one of those do it yourself doller kits
At Wonderfestival, natch!
Posted by: Patrick Macias | March 04, 2007 at 04:27 AM
That doesn't help me, wrong side of the planet ;-;
Posted by: Misuzu | March 07, 2007 at 10:57 PM
" 'ShodaiGoji' seemed to be the most popular design for kaiju fans to choose from this season, with 'KinGoji' following closely behind. What the hell am I talking about? If you know, go and take a look in the mirror. There before you is a big fucking nerd."
lol... Guilty as charged! I even know who scultped and sells that kit of "ShodaiGoji" (the incomparable Yuuji Sakai).
Too rich for my blood, $$-wise, though. I'll have to settle for the big, 2 foot Paradise version - woo-hoo!
Those box covers of Godzilla and the Matango-man on the tricycles are some of the weirdest images I've ever seen.
Posted by: Jim Peavy | March 11, 2007 at 08:20 PM
"At the same table were the winners of the 'Most Obscure Spacecrafts From a Film or Television Production' award: a selection of ships from 'Sayonara Jupiter.' "
Oh my god: SAYONARA JUPITER just came out on R1 DVD. It's got to be the most demented film I've ever seen. I couldn't even get through it...!
Posted by: | March 11, 2007 at 08:23 PM
Oops - that was me that posted that disparaging post Re: SAYONARA JUPITER above. Just so ya' know...
Posted by: Jim Peavy | March 11, 2007 at 08:25 PM
WANT
WANT
Oh, I am so jealous of you.
Posted by: Renee | March 18, 2007 at 08:39 PM
I really love the country Japan... they have a lot of events going on... I wish I could go there..=(
Posted by: board games | October 10, 2007 at 04:40 AM