OTAKUFEST VII: New Golden Age (OF7) will culminate on Feb. 8 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the University of the Philippines (UP) Cebu Lahug campus grounds with heaps of fun activities and new surprises in store for everyone.
Themed, “New Golden Age,” Cebu’s first collegiate cosplay and hobbies event on its seventh year will usher in a new age full of luck, destiny and success.
“Since this is the seventh season of the event, we’ve decided to give it a little twist. The number seven is believed to be an auspicious number in Japanese culture, so the organizing team believes that this will be the golden year, the best year ever,” said Clark Lyndon Alda, overall program head for Otakufest 7.
Since 2007, Otakufest has always been perceived to be an all-Japanese cosplay event by its loyal attendees.
With the new golden age, OF7 employs the new and modern definition of otaku, which refers to people with obsessive interests, as well as embraces more areas of interests, such as Korean and Western cultures.
Karaoke contest
The activities include, among others, the first-ever Japan–Cebu karaoke contest, hit solo cosplay competition, player-versus-player playstation video game tournament, Korean pop dance invasion cover group contest, western characters drawing contest and Yu-Gi-Oh card game tournament. Renowned Filipino cosplayers and cosplaymakers from Team M.A.R.C.H.–Philippines Lyron Aquino and Ae Ri will grace the event.
For a fee of P60 per head, the Cebu community will be treated to a whole day gakuensai (school festival) experience, witness their favorite characters come to life, as well as grab the opportunity to witness Japanese, Korean and Western competitions and purchase related memorabilia.
UP Cebu college students are entitled free entrance to the event upon presentation of their school identification (ID) cards or study load (Form 5).
UP Cebu high school students can avail themselves of the 50 percent off the entrance fee if they present their ID cards.
OF7 is organized by UP Nichibunken and UP Syncho Batch Organization, in partnership with the Association of Nihongo Teachers in the Visayas, Philippine Association of the Japanese Ministry of Education Scholars, Cebu PlayStation Gamers United, Ng Khai Development Corp. and the University of San Carlos Advertising Arts Association.
For more information on Otakufest 7 and the Japan–Cebu karaoke contest, one may check tFacebook pages at facebook.com/otakufest7 and facebook.com/japancebu.karaokecontest.