Hailed as a must-see for Taiwanese anime creators and readers, Petit Fancy (PF), a biannual fair featuring the work of local authors, opened in Taipei yesterday, attracting huge crowds.
People, many dressed as anime characters, stood in long lines outside the National Taiwan University Sports Center the venue of the biannual event, hours before it opened.
It is estimated that 40,000 people will visit the two-day fair, according to a staffer surnamed Chiu (邱), who works in public relations at Fancy Frontier, one of the main organizers of the exhibition.
Photo: Wang Yi-sung, Taipei Times
Chiu said that unlike other anime exhibitions, the PF, launched in 2004 and held every April and October, is dedicated to encouraging local anime authors to present original work. Most of the exhibits are Taiwanese productions she said, alluding to the fact that the Taiwanese anime market is currently dominated by Japanese work.
About 1,000 exhibitors are taking part in this year’s exhibition, which will give fans a chance to see a wide range of styles in local comic books and animation work, she said.
Other attractions include performances, a charity sale and a talk by famous Japanese voice actor Katsuyuki Konishi today, she said.
Standing in line outside the fair, a 19-year-old college student surnamed Chien (簡) dressed in a -military uniform, said his costume was inspired by one of his favorite online games. Chien said he had been a big fan of anime since junior-high school and had saved up to buy the costume he was wearing.
A male staff member at the fair, who prefers to be known as “Half Moon,” was dressed as a female character from a Japanese manga. He said he had spent an hour doing his make-up.
“It’s fun to portray a female character — you don’t get much chance to do this on other occasions,” he said.
Jonathan Kane, 21, from Seattle, said he was enjoying his visit to the fair.
“You don’t see anything like this in US,” he said.
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