Japanese media is popular the world over, forecasted to hit a value of US$112.90 billion in 2024 alone. Locally, Malaysia especially has emerged as a vibrant hub for otaku culture – referring to people with an interest in anime, manga, and video games – and fandom in Southeast Asia, hosting some of the region’s largest TACG (Toys, Animation, Comics, and Games) events.
Notably, major events such as Comic Fiesta and AniManGaki host tens of thousands of visitors and are often hosted at some of the largest convention centres in Malaysia including Mines Convention Centre and Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre. In fact, the world’s most popular anime and manga series, Jujutsu Kaisen, even recently shone a spotlight on the beautiful beaches of Kuantan, Pahang.
However, despite the recognition and growing popularity, local event organisers face financial constraints due to limited budgets and resources for cultural events in general, which in turn impacts the TACG space. This lack of funding hinders these organisations’ ability to host large-scale events, and in turn stifles the growth of local small businesses and artists who utilise these events as promotional platforms. So what steps can be taken to empower this passionate community and enable them to do their magic?
Challenges In The TACG Event Space
One of the major factors is simply the limited amount of funding opportunities available to the event space, especially for the more niche cultural space. Within this community, TACG-related initiatives remain even further behind than other events on the funding priority list. With this in mind, an easy solution to this issue would be if organisers could gain easier access to funding opportunities, especially any kind of support by government bodies. From securing larger venues, to offering more space for local businesses and artists to participate in the events, organisers can use this additional funding to provide safe and enjoyable events for all.
Looking a little more internally, there is still a hodgepodge of hurdles for organisers when it comes to the actual event organisation. As TACG events are often under prioritised by event-related authorities, organisers tend to face complicated, needlessly long processes to obtain proper permits and approvals. This level of difficulty can be heavily discouraging, preventing event organisers from expanding the frequency and scale of their events despite such high demands from fans and enthusiasts. With proper recognition and streamlined procedures, organisers can successfully host bigger and better exhibitions in more locations across Malaysia.
The Financial & Cultural Power Of Otaku-fication
From there, these exhibitions and events can then contribute to boosting the Malaysian economy and increase cultural impact accordingly. Hundreds of vendors – from established brands, to small businesses, to local independent artists – vie for a coveted spot at each convention to market themselves to the never-ending flow of visitors. For instance, Comic Fiesta 2023 attracted over 70,000 attendees both locally and internationally. Without a doubt, these conventions can lead to increased revenue for the vendors, which in turn, creates a positive ripple effect benefiting our community and local economy.
For fans and enthusiasts themselves, it is not uncommon to build a flourishing career from participating in these events. One of the most influential cosplayers in Asia, Hakken, is a Malaysian anime fan who started out as a casual cosplayer looking forward to dressing up as their favourite character at a convention. Now, Hakken has over 4 million followers across Instagram and Twitter and has even been appointed as Tokyo Tourism Ambassador by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. Such recognition of local talents have cemented Malaysia’s position on the map in the global otaku community. Clearly, there needs to be a bigger responsibility as a community to create more space for these local talents to shine and represent Malaysia on the global stage.
Of course, such goals cannot be achieved overnight, but they are 100% attainable in the long run. Malaysia’s otaku culture has grown to become far more than just a route of escapism for fans – it has created significant opportunities for economic and cultural growth. The achievements of our local talents as well as our large-scale conventions cannot be understated, and instead should be highlighted to build national pride. Embracing this community, in turn, enhances our cultural diversity, which is what Malaysia has long been known for. So let’s proudly don our cosplays, embrace the fandom, and watch as Malaysia levels up in the global otaku arena – one epic convention at a time.
Attributed to Yap Kai Shuien, Founder of Season4Otaku