Otafest packs downtown in 28th annual celebration of anime and Japanese pop culture

Fans of Japanese Anime are in Calgary this weekend to celebrate animation, fine arts and pop culture.

Otafest, the annual celebration of anime and all things Japanese pop culture, was back in town this weekend.

The festival launched in 1999, said Otafest organizer Stepnanie Mok, “as a bunch of you have seen students watching bootleg VHS anime videos in a classroom at the campus.”

In the ensuing 27 years, things changed.

“Now we’ve expanded to close to 30,000 fans that come through here on the weekend, ” Mok said, “(We’re) sold out every day, and I think it’s the universal language of storytelling, and there’s something about nerds - we just find each other, and so I think there’s a little bit of that too.”

Each year the festival raises money for a different charity.

This year, they are hoping to raise $25,000 for the Canadian Cancer Society in memory of one of their organizers.

“I think the popularity just goes to show that there’s something kind of magical about storytelling through different mediums, video games, card games, anime films, comics, you name it,” Mok said. “I think people really connect on a variety of levels there, but anyone can come here and have a great experience.”

As for what to wear, Mok said Otafest is flexible.

“We tend to be a place where people really can come as they are, and you will see that comes in many colors, shapes, forms,” she said. “I’m also not in a costume. You do not have to wear one to come here, but if you admire them and are impressed by the craftsmanship of a costume, Otafest is your spot.”

With files from CTV’s Darren Wright