“Oshikatsu,” the activity of admiring and supporting one’s favorite two-dimensional characters that appear in anime, manga, and games, has been gaining attention in recent years.
Summer is a particularly good time for long holidays, making it a great time to get active in your favorite idol activities. Many readers are enjoying their favorite idol activities
by taking their favorite idol’s acrylic stand with them to places related to them, or making their own goods of their favorite idol and attending events and concerts
. So Anime! Anime! conducted a reader submission project titled “Tell us about your summer memories with your favorite idol.” The survey was conducted from August 2nd to September 1st, and 60 people responded.
The gender ratio was about 20 percent male, about 75 percent female, and about 5 percent did not respond, so there were more women than men. The age group was mainly young, with about 75 percent under 19 years old.
Many anime movies were released this summer, and many readers reported seeing them at the cinema.
We have received comments from fans who brought along merchandise and were excited by the special offers, such as, ” I watched the game loudly wearing the Nekoma High School uniform from ‘ Haikyu!! The Movie: Battle at the Dump’,” a fan who participated in a cheering screening, and ” I enjoyed ‘Gintama on Theater 2D: Ikoku Keisei -hen’ with plush toys of Gintoki and Takasugi . I definitely want to go to the winter Gintama exhibition! “, “I went to see ‘ Strawberry Prince The Movie: The Beginning ~Strawberry School Festival!!!~’ with a Koron plush toy and a ita-bag,” and “I went to see ‘Touken Ranbu: Kaiden: The Close Samurai’ and got my favorite character as an admission bonus!”
Many fans said they thoroughly enjoyed the events and exhibitions.
” At the Asakusa collaboration event for ‘Love Live! Superstar!!’ , the lanterns on Kappabashi Hondori Street were lit up, life-size panels were set up, and we even got to ride a collaboration rickshaw – it was a lot of fun,” said one person, who added , ” I went to the ‘Dead Account’ pop-up store on its last day. On the panel there was an autograph from Watanabe Shizuka-sensei, and I was moved – it was the first time I’d ever seen a manga artist sign something like that! I usually don’t like crowds so I don’t go to these kinds of events, but I’m glad I went. ” It was an unforgettable memory.
Others made long-distance adventures, saying, ” I live in the Kanto region, but I went to Hokuei Town in Tottori Prefecture, the hometown of Aoyama Gosho, the creator of Detective Conan . I was surprised to see so many bronze statues all over town. I took lots of photos doing the same poses. I’d like to make a pilgrimage to the holy sites of the film in the future, ” and ” I live in Canada, but came back to Japan during the summer holidays and went to Akihabara. I bought a lot of Re:Zero − Starting Life in Another World merchandise .”
Some people said they bought goods because summer is a time when people have more money in their pockets thanks to pocket money and bonuses.
Plush toys were also popular here, with comments such as, ” As a reward to myself for finishing my summer homework, I bought a set of an acrylic stand, clear file, and tin badges of Aoyagi Touya from ‘Project Sekai Colorful Stage! feat. Hatsune Miku.’ I went to see the poster and took a photo with the plush toy ,” ” I bought my first ever plush toy ( Kozume Kenma from ‘Haikyu!!’ ). I was on a tight budget and was nervous about buying it, but it’s a good memory. I had fun taking it with me on trips and when I went home to take photos ,” and “I bought a plush toy of Hagane from ‘ Blue Lock’ and then went around to all kinds of summery places and took loads of photos! In the future, I’d like to take my acrylic stands and itabag to anime events to show off my hardcore otaku vibe .”
創作活動に励んだという読者も複数いました。
「『名探偵コナン』の警察学校同期組が大好きなので、マンガを読みまくったりイラストを描きまくったりしていました」や「『ウマ娘 プリティーダービー』の推しキャラと自分が登場してラブラブイチャイチャする小説を書いてみました。ちなみに誰かに読ませたり、投稿したりするものではありません」と絵や小説はもちろん、「『ポケットモンスター』のキュウコンの等身大パネルを自作しました。これからもいろいろと挑戦してみたい」や「『【推しの子】』のアイちゃんをイメージしたストラップやスノードームを作った」とグッズを手作りしているファンも。
さらに「『聖闘士星矢』にどハマリした夏休み、お盆の精霊馬にキュウリを使って作ったペガサスを飾りました。今年は久しぶりに紫龍をイメージした龍を作ろうかと思っています」と変わり種にチャレンジした読者もいました。
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