The first day of the Japanese pop culture festival kicked off on Saturday with a capacity that ran out at Exponor, in Matosinhos. This Sunday it remains open all day. “We didn’t rely on a lot of stickiness,” the organization tells JN.
“Can I take a picture with you?” That was the phrase the woman in black, with two long tufts of hair, and with sharp teeth, heard the most yesterday. The character played by Sarah Fonseca during the 22nd edition of Iberanime, which has been taking place since Saturday at Exponor, in Matosinhos, is called Yor Forger, from the “Spy X Family” series, and she is a killer.
Since 2015, Sarah Fonseca Iberanim Porto has not lost. As of 2017, it has appeared in the DC edition. “These are two different events and the Porto crowd is special.” Yor Forgen, as it is called these days, was looking forward to the cosplay competition, which, to her, is the strong point of the festival.
There are colorful wigs. long layers. Mini skirt. and props. Many props. Some are expensive, others are handmade, with hours of dedication. And there are those who decide to take this passion to the skin.
We found Ines Martins, 24, at the tattoo parlor. She’s the first customer of the weekend and will have Obanai Iguro from “Demon Slayer” on her arm. For the young woman, who is also distinguished, the wait was not long. “Because I had my tattoo marked, I was able to get in without being in line, otherwise I wouldn’t have gotten here so early.”
More than 30 thousand visitors
The queue at the entrance to the place, which appears all day yesterday, represents expectations that exceeded. “We didn’t count on a lot of stickiness,” says Andre Mans, event organizer. More than 30,000 people will attend the festival, which has returned to Porto after two years of hiatus due to the pandemic. Tickets have been sold out for a long time.
There are no biases here. There are men disguised as female characters, and vice versa. George Caminata is one such case. With his light blue hair, tight-fitting uniform, and miniskirt, the young man says that persuading his friends to join the cosplay was a victory. “We used to go to all versions together, here in the North and in the capital, but it’s the first time they’ve gone undercover.”
But it is not only imitation that is fashion making. The couple Jorge Pereira and Archilla Montero brought an original. “We were inspired by some online teddy bears that represent doctors at the height of the plague,” says the man, dressed in black, walking in the dim light of dim light.
For those who didn’t come to the speech, there’s no shortage of costumes at 70 points of sale in this edition of Iberanime Porto, which remains open this Sunday all day.
The Galicians are a strong constituency in the North
Spanish visitors to Iberanime Porto are the highlight of organizer André Manz. “There is a wonderful expression of the entries from Galicia.”
Although the target audience comes mostly from northern Portugal, there are visitors from all over the country, including the capital, Lisbon, where there was already a release in May. As for ages, there are no outstanding things to stand out, says Manns, with fans ranging from kids to adults.
“Proud coffee junkie. Gamer. Hardcore introvert. Social media trailblazer.”
