VTubers or Virtual YouTubers is a digital trend that started in Japan around the mid-2010s. Unlike other YouTubers, however, employ virtual avatar created by computer graphics using a combination of hardware and software in order to simulate animated speech and movement. Most VTubers have anime-inspired avatar designs and are so popular that by 2020, there were more than 10,000 active VTubers worldwide.
In the Philippines, Cosplay.ph, the organizers behind some of the biggest anime conventions in the country including Cosplay Carnival, Anime and Cosplay Expo, Cosplay Matsuri and the nation-wide Cyberzone Cosplay Craze brought the Japanese VTuber Mirai Akari to the Philippines during Cosplay Mania 2019.
Cosplay.ph is continuing this trend with its virtual event Fanfes Online 2021 where Special Guests Lyrica and Kaheru, two amazing VTubers from the Philippines will appear as well as have their own Virtual Meet and Greet sessions with event-goers.
The online event will also feature most of what you’d expect from live conventions with stage games like Anime Mob Mentality and Shadow Play, cosplay contests like Cosplay Karaoke and Cosplay Remote Runway with their own take on the concepts to translate the experience to the virtual stage.
There’s even a Freedom Hall hosted on Cosplay Mania’s Facebook Page, a free event precursor that simulates the con-goer experience as they prepare to enter the convention hall such as reuniting with old friends, checking out the amazing casual cosplayers and reminisce about live convention days.
The event also has the support of Manga Planet and Futekiya from Japan as well as local partners Nissin Yakisoba, Nissin Cup Noodles and LightForce.
Tickets are P199 a day, but you can get them for only P149 per day with the Super Saver discount! Plus, get P50 off when you buy Day 1 and Day 2 tickets with the promo code FanFes21SS50 upon checkout. The Promo code is valid until May 28, 2021. You can buy them at https://cosplay.ph/fanfes-online-2021.
Aside from participating in Cosplay.ph’s online events, you can also support them by subscribing to their Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/cosplayph. You’ll be able to get exclusive scoops and content from the company while, at the same time, accessing exclusive content for as little as $3 a month. Higher tiers even allow you to access all their online events for free.
VTubers could be the next big thing in anime conventions as they turn to virtual events until live events return to the fold. Lyrica and Kaheru’s special guest announcement in the Cosplay Mania social media pages have exploded showing that there’s definitely a demand for VTubers in conventions. How will these guests fare in conventions? You’ll have to check out Fanfes Online 2021 to find out!
