Tag: Ozine Fest

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Otaku Expo Tanabata Festival 2023 Coming this August 19-20

Otaku Expo Tanabata Festival is back, covering all of Megatrade Hall this weekend!

Most people know Tanabata as a star festival held on July 7, but a conversation with Allineus had me Google the keyword “Tanabata season.” After a few clicks, I saw this post from Japan Guide which reads:

Because the 7th month of the year roughly coincides with August rather than July according to the formerly used lunar calendar, Tanabata is still celebrated on August 7 in some regions of Japan, while it is celebrated on July 7 in other regions.

The organizer of Ozine Fest and Otaku Expo had its Tanabata Festival Special event at Ayala Malls Manila Bay on the weekend of July 15-16 (I was able to capture snapshots there). To follow that is the main Otaku Expo Tanabata Festival to be held this weekend at Megatrade Halls 1 to 3 of SM Megamall in Mandaluyong City.

Knowing that Otaku Expo has been a name in Manila’s convention circuit since its first edition in 2010, I’m pretty sure that it’s been a constant staple of the cosplay crowd as time passed by:

  • Currently, Otaku Expo has two editions—an Anime and Manga Drawing Special held at the start of the year, and the Tanabata Festival which we are to talk about. Preceding the Tanabata Festival concept was Otaku Expo Reload which ran for some time.

  • In 2020 we are fortunate to ask DMYO / Nao Shirahane a few questions. I know DMYO best for her illustration of Culture Japan (Danny Choo)’s Mirai Suenaga.

  • I interviewed Hanari from Hong Kong, a cosplayer recognized by hololive Production’s Akai Haato, for VTuber NewsDrop. That interview happened at Otaku Expo Tanabata last year.

  • Otaku Expo has invited cosplayers from nearby countries, such as Miu and Shimo (in 2018), as well as Luffy and Tsubasa in 2016. At the Tanabata Special last July, I met Misaki from Thailand.

What’s In Store at Otaku Expo Tanabata Festival?

Otaku Expo already has a detailed guide on Facebook, but to make it brief and concise, the venue is going to make good use of its three halls for all visitors:

Hall 1—Most of the time, we’ll be here to capture photos of cosplayers in their best poses. We may also have our interviews done in this area. (keepsakes. is a media partner for the event.)

  • Photoshoot Area (Organizer’s note: “We will be dividing the space to accommodate more photographers. Just a reminder to the photographers to discuss amongst yourselves so that we can give a chance to other photographers as well.”)

  • Tanabata Area featuring the games you’d usually see in an outdoor fest in Japan. Note that if you are dressed up in a kimono, you can get treats like free popcorn and cotton candy. You can also rent kimonos in the area, or browse through these kimonos on display.

  • Cosplayer Guests Meet and Greet Area

  • Baggage Area (Charges may apply)

  • Busking Area (featuring surprise performers singing to the tune of your favorite anime songs)

  • Food Stalls and Refreshments

Hall 2—The largest hall at Megatrade in terms of space will host a lot of exhibitors as well as the stage area.

  • Stage Area—We’ll be here for the Battle of the Bands, Singing Competitions, Cosplay Competition and the like.

  • Sponsors such as Japan Foundation Manila, Ragnarok Origin Online, Razer Gold, Mineski Slash, and Fuwa Fuwa are here.

  • Ragnarok Origin Online Cafe—I remember that one time I went to what was supposed to be the last Ozine Maid Cafe, only to see that they’ve revived this again and this time teamed up with Ragnarok Origin and Razer Gold.

Hall 3—This is where you go for merchandise and fan arts.

There will also be areas at Halls 1 and 2 allocated for people with disabilities and senior citizens called Ozine Cares:

  • Hall 1—near the busking area

  • Hall 2—near the side of the stage

Sskait, a comic creator of today’s generation and now a staple in most conventions, will be releasing a limited edition “Shiny Sakura Talong” plush at Otaku Expo Tanabata Festival.

Guest Cosplayers

This year’s Otaku Expo Tanabata Festival brings together 5 guest cosplayers from here and abroad:

  • Tomia from Korea, a cosplay legend who has a stellar lineup of cosplays ranging from video games to anime;

  • Joining Tomia is Sansin, who is also from Korea, and a first-time visitor to the country;

  • Tsubasa from Hong Kong, a past cosplay guest who I now remember the most through his cosplay of Redo of Healer‘s Keyaru alongside his cosplay harem composed of Hong Kong’s cosplay legends.

  • Hakao, local cosplayer and official content creator for Hoyoverse’s Genshin Impact with 1.5 million Tiktok followers;

  • and Boozt.io co-founder and chief creator Charess, whose life is divided between her corporate role, guest appearances in the Philippines and overseas, and being a mainstay for Brand New Company’s Irregular Programing network.

Tickets Available On-site

From the organizer: “Online Ticket purchase via Mineski Slash are already sold out but we will be selling at the event […]” Those who are yet to still purchase tickets will still have the chance to get in.

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What’s Up for Ozine Fest this 2023?

Ozine Fest, Anime Fair organizer: We need to keep Anime and Cosplay fun and for everybody to enjoy

What's Up for Ozine Fest this 2023?

Fresh off the largely-attended second run of Anime Fair at Ayala Malls Manila Bay, the organizer reached out to keepsakes. to share their plans as well as to address some concerns within the ever-growing anime and cosplay community.

Dennis J. Uy—some may remember him as GM Ukiya of Otakuzine, and is definitely someone unique to the community—leads Ozine Events, the organizer of Ozine Fest, Anime Fair, Otaku Expo and other related anime and cosplay events.

Why there’s an Anime Fair?

I didn’t even know that Ozine would be organizing events in malls, because we’ve been accustomed to their events being organized at the SM Megatrade Halls. What’s the reason behind building Anime Fair?

It’s our way of giving back to the community, since Anime and Cosplay events are for everyone; so they can enjoy the hobby. We know na some attendees, budgeted lang sila when it comes to anime events. Some struggle pa para sa ticket price, tapos pamasahe and food nila. By doing an open/free event, mas madaming pwede mag enjoy.

(It’s our way of giving back to the community, since Anime and Cosplay events are for everyone; so they can enjoy the hobby. We know that some attendees have a set budget when it comes to anime events. Some struggle for the ticket price, then they have to spend it on transport and food. By doing an open/free event, more people can enjoy.)

Breaking Even?

During my prime time as a culture blogger, only a few people have the balls to openly share feedback with event organizers; but as the community grows, so are the people who are publicly curious if an event breaks even or not. When asked about whether an event profits, here’s what the GM has to say:

About naman sa profit, it’s not how much or how big yung profit margins are. Exhibitors, artists alleys and merchant alleys also play a big role. Kaya sana sa attendees, support them as well by promoting their shops, and if may budget kayo, buy from them. 🙂

(About profits, it’s not how much or how big the profit margins are. Exhibitors, artists alleys and merchant alleys also play a big role. So, we hope the attendees support them as well by promoting their shops, and but from them if you have the budget. 🙂)

We’ve seen the Calendar of Events Ozine Fest and Otaku Expo has, but the question is this: Will there be another run of the Anime Fair? How long can Ozine keep up with providing events in open areas without ticketing?

How long can we keep up on free events? As long as Anime and Cosplay Community is supporting us. In fact, Ozine Fest Summer will be a 3-part event, and it will be free as well. Gagawin namin siya sa Ayala Malls, proposed venue are Trinoma, Glorietta and Manila Bay. So, stay tuned for more updates!

(How long can we keep up on free events? As long as Anime and Cosplay Community is supporting us. In fact, Ozine Fest Summer will be a 3-part event, and it will be free as well. We will hold it at Ayala Malls, proposed venues are Trinoma, Glorietta and Manila Bay, so stay tuned for more updates!)

What a surprise. Given the confidence the community has in building Anime Fair, they hope to branch that concept out and into more crowds. These details were only disclosed to keepsakes., and as of this writing we have yet to see if this plan becomes the real deal.

What’s Next in the Events Calendar?

In the next two weeks, the weekend of January 28-29, Otaku Expo’s Anime & Manga Drawing Special will be held at SMX Manila with guest cosplayer Miu. We’ll let Dennis share the rest of the events:

Mini Ozine fest which is held last June of 2022 will be at SMX this year. Otaku Expo Tanabata Special will be on August 2023 at SM Megatrade Halls.

(Mini Ozine Fest, held last June 2022 will be at SMX this year. Otaku Expo Tanabata Special will be on August 2023 at SM Megatrade Halls.)

As for the buzzkills in the crowd, the organizer is requesting one thing:

Siguro request lang naman to keep Anime and Cosplay Fun and for everybody to enjoy. Respect the hobby and the people around them. Minsan may mistakes kami but we are always open to listen and do better. 🙂

(Maybe our request is to keep Anime and Cosplay Fun and for everybody to enjoy. Respect the hobby and the people around them. Sometimes we make mistakes, but we are always open to listening and doing better. 🙂)

Thank you very much Dennis Uy of Ozine Events for reaching out to keepsakes.

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Ayala Malls Manila Bay Anime Fair 2023

Happy New Year! I’m going back to basics of life-blogging and sharing photos from my recent trip at Ayala Malls Manila Bay for Anime Fair 2023. This post will be in a mix of English and Filipino.

So ayun nga po, balik-Ayala Manila Bay tayo for Anime Fair. Byahe uli sa bus carousel, konting pahinga, and then ayus na. It took me a while to get to the destination lalo na at atat ako bumaba—yun pala ilang kanto pa bago ako bumaba. Napa-exercise ng di oras.

Syempre may neuron activation tayo—at the first glance na may mapansin ako na Salome, I asked agad if I can take a photo. Apparently yung kasama niya ay si Suisei. Nagoyo ako ng mata ko, akala ko ibang VTuber.

After taking this photo, usap kami ng konti ni ate na naka-Ike Eveland na cosplay, sabi ko sa kanya nakita ko yung red alter-ego na si Eki (and it turns out, andun din talaga si Eki sa venue).

Cute ni Sowi as Kaheru. She even reminded me na Kaheru 2.0 will be aired at 8pm pagkatapos ng Anime Fair. She spent the rest of the day as the only Kaheru there.

Astel Leda! Apparently kilala ko (at kilala ako) ni kuyang naka-Astel. Magkikita pa kami sa events ni Red Cloud Interactive—especially sa Pinoy Otaku Festival.

Hindi mawawala ang cosplay competition. May nag-Harlem Shake, may nag-demonstrate din ng misa—may naka-cosplay ng pari sa event, much to the dismay of some religious on Facebook who found it offensive.

For the first time in my life, I saw an actual Chihya plushie! Puchim@s talaga ang una kong sabak sa Idolm@ster, which feels similar sa entry ko sa Nasuverse with Carnival Phantasm.

On the rightmost is Scarlette, who after a long ordeal with his parents eh lumayas na. Take note, He started to get my attention as he won last year’s Anime Fair cosplay competition. Syempre iba get-up ng ati nyo.

Eighty-Six! I skimmed the show and have seen the best parts. I mostly see Lena na solo lang, pero wala yung partner na si Shin. Syempre kilig ako.

I met some friends, who in turn introduced me to some of his friends who are all Nijisanji mutuals. They taught me how to do a Tiktok skit, which made me wonder kung ano ang magic ni Charess at Kitz when they do their own skits.

Ensemble Stars! Sila lang ata ang mga naka-cosplay ng EnSta that day.

…at nagkita rin uli kami ng mga cute na Hololive cosplayers. The last time I saw them nuong Cosplay Matsuri natutuwa talaga ako. Hindi pwede mawala si Anne (Rushia) of Setsu-Ani who also covered the event.

Inulan kami pag-uwi and I hope everyone’s safe and well. It’s great na halos dami ko nakasabay sa bus pauwi, parang alam mo na kung saan nanggaling. :D

Otaku Expo will be held at SMX Manila in the next two weeks, so I expect to be there as well. More photos from Anime Fair Day 3 are posted on Facebook. Thank you for reading!

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Ozine Fest 90s Retro Anime Event

It’s the first time I’m posting here on the site in a long while, so let me start the year right by sharing this video I did before the year ended—Ozine Fest 90s Retro Anime Event.

What kicked the Cosplay Week in the Philippines was a nostalgic, feel-good event. The dress code has set the tone for the event—90s Anime—and the cosplayers followed suit. Those who have complaints of seeing cosplays from a major game should have been here to relive their childhoods, as they will see only a few of such.

Understanding that the audio quality may not be at par with the rest of the videos, I still made sure that the audio is audible. That said, enjoy around 19 minutes of me asking cosplayers some questions or checking out the variety store.

Check out more photos from the event on Facebook.

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Otaku Expo presents Anime and Manga Drawing Special on January 25-26, 2020

It’s been so long since Otaku Expo has established itself to be one of the much-awaited hangouts for the casual otaku at SM Megamall’s Megatrade Hall, and they will be there once again.

On the weekend of January 25-26, coinciding with the Lunar New Year weekend, Otaku Expo presents its “Anime and Manga Drawing Special.”

In the invitation sent to keepsakes., the Ozine Team which also organizes Otaku Expo said that this event is focused on creation:

The event focuses on creativity. Specifically activities that highlights artistic skills such as tutorials and onstage demonstrations from experts. There will also be games that attendees can enjoy as the event unfolds.

Art Antz PH is among the co-organizers of this event. Over the years, the said group of artists has been an active merchant of art materials and participant in various art events and exhibits. With such background, rest assured that all contributors and attendees will definitely have a blast.

Guests

This year’s Special is set to have esteemed artists from Little Things and Culture Crash Comics:

Renowned special guest artists will also be gracing the event. The lineup includes Elmer Damaso who worked for the popular culture Crash Comics, Black Ink and currently for Titan Comics. Little Things PH who won the hearts of many with his quirky short comics on social media sites. A Japanese Illustrator named DMYO who illustrates for Danny Choo’s Culture Japan and popular Japanese games. More artists will be added in the official roster as the day approaches and will all be conducting live tutorials.

Activities

Aside from the Singing, Eating, Art, Trivia and Cosplay contests that Ozine Fest events hold on stage, they will also have a set of games with prizes related to the Lunar New Year:

In observance with the celebration of the Lunar New Year, games with red envelopes and tikoy as prizes can be played at a gaming booth.

In addition, over 50 artist and merchant booths for you to whale out.

See you there!

Once again, Otaku Expo presents Anime & Manga Drawing Special will be held at Megatrade Hall inside SM Megamall on the weekend of January 25-26, 2020. Tickets are available on-site for Php180.

This event is presented by Uni writing instruments and Art Antz in partnership with Huion and Oishi. keepsakes. is a media partner for this event.

Previous event features

To cap off this post, let’s look back at last year’s Otaku Expo held last February 2019: