SECAUCUS, N.J. – The samurais and demons wielding swords and wearing metallic headgear in Secaucus are not awaiting a clash of epic proportions.
Actually, their swords are made of cardboard, and the young men and women are known as otaku.
For the non-otaku, the word identifies devoted fans of anime (animation) and mangas (comic books) from Japan.
The fans – many dressed to resemble characters of their favorite animated television series – are convening for three days in Secaucus for AnimeNEXT, the largest independently organized anime convention in the New York metropolitan area.
“I like coming to conventions and meeting with people who have the same interests as I do,” said Scott Lind, a 22 year-old from North Plainfield, N.J. “Anime is a big interest of mine.”
The convention, which began Friday, was the third for Lind, who was joined by a 21-year-old who calls herself Avian Firefly and 19-year-old Maurynna Lescalleet. All wore costumes and were eager to pose for the many fans taking pictures.
These days, Americans are turned on to anime culture at a young age. Just think how many 8-year-olds are obsessed with Pokemon and the ubiquitous yellow mouse Pikachu.
About 5,000 people, most of them in their late teens and early 20s, are expected to attend the convention, which continues through Sunday. A featured event is cos-play – costume play – where participants compete for the closest resemblance to anime characters.
Other events include autograph sessions with voice actors from well-known anime series, and producers, directors and artists of manga. Also, attendees can create anime music videos on computer screens. And there are several panel discussions.
Many of the attendees say they are normally shy but come out of their shell to mingle with fellow otaku.
For instance, seven girls from Mother Seton Regional High School in Clark, N.J., teamed up with a teen from Seattle on Friday to form “the eight deadly sins.”
Two are for lust, they explained.
“We just became friends because we like Fullmetal (Alchemist cartoons) and are dressed in black,” one of the girls said.
Although this is a convention for the fan at heart, it is also a moneymaking venture, with companies selling pins, key chains, toys, games, DVDs, CDs, magazines and manga.
Stefanie Luck, a 23-year-old from Rider University, stared through red contact lenses and said she was willing to spend a lot of money for items she can’t find anywhere else.
“I will most likely spend anywhere from $200 to $300,” she said.
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