Crowds, cosplay and consent : Fans weigh in on the controversial Anime Fest at Paradigm Mall

Cosplayers photographed at Anime Fest 2022 in Paradigm Mall

Source: Nurul Huda Bt Ibrahim

A five-day anime dreamscape hosted by Comic Fiesta gradually devolved into a controversial catastrophe.

The anime festival was organized in conjunction with Paradigm Mall from 12 to 16 May at the Concourse Square of the mall.

Fans turned to Twitter to voice their dissatisfaction with the anticipated event's shortcomings.

One attendee tweeted that the event was so congested that she could hardly move through the crowd, speculating that the organisers may have underestimated the number of attendees.

Cosplayer complaining about the event’s venue on Twitter

Source: Twitter

“I was afraid of contracting Covid-19 as the crowd there was uncontrollable and it was impossible to keep a safe distance from others,” said cosplayer Nur Kamilia.

Anime Fest attracted a large turnout to Paradigm Mall, which was overcrowded.

Source: Jun

In addition to the inadequate planning, anime cosplayers, particularly female cosplayers, stated that they were treated disrespectfully at the event.

“As a cosplayer, I felt extremely uncomfortable when people approached me in a strange manner or when they stared at me for way too long in a creepy way,” said Nurul Huda who attended the event in a Shinobu Kochō cosplay.

Cosplayers also revealed that in certain instances they were asked to act out inappropriate fantasies about the character they were impersonating by fans who attended the event.

Cosplayer voicing out her displeasure on Twitter regarding the treatment of cosplayers

Source: Twitter

“I saw people taking advantage of the cosplayers by, for example, patting them on the back without their consent or by just stalking them in general,” said Hikasai, an attendee of the event.

Cosplayer expressed on Twitter that she was harassed during Anime Fest

Source: Twitter

Mohamad Sazli Rizwan, a fan who has been part of the anime community for over 14 years, asserts that some anime shows could instil the notion that consent is unimportant.

“Some people might think that their inappropriate advances are acceptable and will have the same outcome in the real world as they do in the anime world where the anime characters would usually receive a more subservient response to such advances,” Sazli added.

Nur Kamilia agrees with this notion and claims that excessively sexualized anime programmes could lead fans to behave in this manner.

“Yet, we can’t blame it all on the show creators,” Nur Kamilia argued.

“The responsibility is on the audience to control their behaviour and one should stop watching such shows if they cannot be in control of their desires.”