The 99th edition of Comiket – short for “Comic Market” – marked an onsite return to the massive Tokyo Big Sight exhibition center for the first time in two years. Pandemic restrictions limited attendees to a strict 55,000 people on each day of a two-day event from Dec. 30-31, 2021. If that still sounds like a high number, note that Comiket usually is a four-day affair that draws in, at last count, 750,000 participants – far eclipsing numbers at other comparable events such as San Diego Comic-Con.
The return of Comiket to Big Sight also meant a (limited) return of cosplayers to the outdoor terrace. While the 30th welcomed mild temperatures, on New Year’s Eve all sorts of costumed characters braved the frigid air and snow to pose for the cameras. All of the outdoor photos shown below were taken on the 31st.
Strike a pose. (photo by Yuan-Kwan Chan / Meniscus Magazine)His sign says, “Overweight.” (photo by Yuan-Kwan Chan / Meniscus Magazine)This man’s costume is an ode to teleworking, ensuring that no task too big or small is left hanging. His glasses: the words “corporate slave.” (photo by Yuan-Kwan Chan / Meniscus Magazine)An attempted interview with reporters. (photo by Yuan-Kwan Chan / Meniscus Magazine)No make-up required: a grooving @daihukunakanojo (大福くん) plays the character of the same name from the anime series 日常 (Nichijou). His head is not an egg but a giant daifuku (大福), a round mochi (rice cake).To explain the meaning behind Dappi would mean meandering into a massive speculation into what or who he is. Instead, start with the origins of Dappi: a Twitter account at https://twitter.com/dappi2019 that was last active in October.@soro_86 (link goes to Twitter account) is a talented cosplayer who made his debut at Comiket 99. He portrayed Shinei Nouzen of the manga and anime series 86 -Eighty Six.A veteran cosplayer with more than 18,000 followers on Twitter, @hata_beats999 portrayed Tartaglia (タルタリヤ), a character from the video game Genshin Impact.This is actually an official cosplayer, if one can be labeled such a thing. The Japanese convenience store chain FamilyMart is well known for its Famichiki, or its boneless breaded fried chicken cutlets. These deliciously greasy snacks are served in miniature versions of the life-sized paper bag shown here. The FamilyMart at Tokyo Big Sight tends to get really busy during large conferences and events, so this fellow just wanted to help.
Your Guide to Surviving* Comiket (* = there is really no way to survive Comiket, but hopefully this advice on how to tackle the semi-annual fan convention in Tokyo will help)...
