Lifestyle
11.3.2022
Saudi Anime Expo: Riyadh goes full Otaku
Have you ever seen a Saudi dressed as Naruto? We have, and yes, they pull it off.
Right now it’s Riyadh Season which means that for a few weeks, the Saudi capital dresses up in its best clothes to offer as much entertainment as possible, with two objectives: first, for Saudis to have a blast, and second, to show to the world that Saudi Arabia can be a tourist destination at least as popular as its Emirati neighbor.
It’s in this context that we went to Saudi Anime Expo, a Saudi exhibition dedicated to manga culture. It was a good opportunity to measure the extent of the country’s infatuation with Japanese animation, and also the occasion to discover if the cosplays of the young -and not-so-young- Saudis are as good as those you see at Comic-con (yes).
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A meticulous organization
First observation: the organizers did everything right! No crowd movements, no endless queues. Elaborate, interactive, and playful booths welcome numerous visitors, not all of them dressed up. Here, you can try your hand at dubbing, and there, you can watch an artist work on a graphic palette. And in the stands, you won’t find just anyone! Organized in Riyadh, the exhibition brought together local producers and actors in the animation sector, such as Shueisha, the most popular Japanese publishing house in the world with its series such as Black Clover, Dragon Ball, Naruto or One Piece, and the Saudi company Manga Production, which published The Journey, the first Saudi anime.
On the official side, we noted the presence of the Japanese ambassador to Saudi Arabia Fumio Iwai, and the boss of the Saudi Entertainment Authority Faisal Bafarat, which reminds us how much culture and entertainment occupy an important place in the eyes of the Kingdom.
After a few exchanges with young and passionate professional visual and musical artists, we barely have time to exchange a few words with a whole family of Saudi cosplayers whose father (dressed as Kylo Ren, from the last Star Wars trilogy) confides us his joy to take part in the event, that it is already time to leave. However, there’s no need to get depressed, because you can relive the cosplay contest right here:
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