Los Angeles' Ninja-Con convention brings surprises
By Zen Vuong, Staff Writer
Posted: 06/08/2013 07:34:36 PM PDT
Updated: 06/08/2013 07:43:12 PM PDT
Photos by Keith Birmingham â staff photographer (Keith Birmingham)
Gallery Ninja-con At The Japanese American Cultural & Community Center
LOS ANGELES - Rather than crowding Toys R Us stores, many kids who "don't wanna grow up" have become fanboys of Japanese animation, comics and video games, said the sponsor of a small, new convention in Little Tokyo.
About 200 people attended Ninja-Con, a three-venue event at the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center, Anime Jungle and the Miyako Hotel. While some wore T-shirts and jeans, others were dressed in full "cosplay" attire, meaning they
Ninja-con goers play video games during Ninja-con featuring anime, cosplay, video games and fashion at the Japanese American Cultural & Community Center on Saturday, June 8, 2013 in Los Angeles. (Keith Birmingham/Pasadena Star-News) (Keith Birmingham)
were outfitted as anime, comic book, movie or video game characters.
"I notice a very close-knit community," said Stefanie Warner, the CEO of Creative Chimera, the nonprofit who helped host the convention. "A lot of kids that would normally not be social have a way to be social, and I notice that the cosplay is a way to get out of their shell. They don't feel so shy, so scared."
Many in this community recognize the stereotypic perception people have of them. Oscar Andrade, a 22-year-old Bell resident, said people who are big fans of anime, cosplay or comic books have a tendency to live a "vampire lifestyle" and are "shut-ins," but he said not everyone in this subculture is introverted.
"We're regular people that just like to have fun in a safe, comfortable environment," he said, an appropriate statement for a man wearing a "Ghostbusters" T-shirt. "We're just little kids. We get along with other people just fine."
Japanese, Chinese, Hispanics, whites and blacks played video games such as Mortal Kombat 9 and Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3. Others played card games like Tentacle Bento, whose objective is to "capture" girls before the school year ends. Girls in this stack of cards come in four types: sexy, cute, sporty and smart.
At the convention, the people in cosplay -- Pokemon, Edward Scissorhands, Link from "Zelda," and characters from popular anime series -- turned heads and were often stopped for photos.
Ana Menjivar, who lives in Los Angeles, wore a bright pink wig and a maid costume from "High School of the Dead," an anime.
"Some outfits can be sexual and people that don't get anime might get it as the girls are being ****s or guys are being ****s," said Menjivar, 20. "But for 'otakus' (zealous fans of anime and manga), it's you look great. Your
Homemade jars were among items for sale at Ninja-con at the Japanese American Cultural & Community Center on Saturday. (Keith Birmingham)
costume is amazing! Nothing sexual."
Danny "D-Boy" Gonzales, the 29-year-old founder of Ninja-con, said the inaugural convention sets up a storytelling platform for artists who are usually forced into the peripheral at large conventions such as Anime Los Angeles and Comic-Con International: San Diego. He partnered with Stefanie Warner, 28, to create a welcoming community for youngsters and people on a budget because while Comic-Con tickets are more than $100 each, Ninja-Con tickets cost $25.
Conventions "are just getting pricier and pricier," said Warner, who lives in Tujunga. "A lot of the fans have voiced that. They just can't pay for the airfare or the travel or the hotel."
As a theater director and someone who was an otaku in her teens, Warner said the anime, manga, comic book and cosplay subculture provides young folks with an avenue in which to develop their natural talents.
"I notice the elements of that creativity being applied at such a young age, and it leads to better careers," she said. "A lot of kids start with drawing fan art, and then they move to actually doing fine arts. So it's a great thing."
The eclectic event included Japanese songs, English-Japanese voice-over, a cosplay fashion show, and rap music. Though this crowd of self-proclaimed otakus might be seen as underground, some aspects of their lifestyle have transitioned into the mainstream: Gwen Stefani's "Harajuku Girls," tokidoki, Uglydoll and Munnyworld, to name a few.
Cosplay is a misunderstood lifestyle, said Ryan Almaro, 21. He has been doing it for two years, and on Saturday, he dressed as Avatar, a headstrong female protagonist, from Nickelodeon's "The Legend of Korra." He wanted to exercise his acting skills by playing a female character, he said.
Even though he was in full gear, he said he toned down the acting because he didn't want to be "obnoxious."
"A lot of fans take their costume out to the mall," said Almaro, who drove from San Diego to perform at one of the convention's dubbed shows. People "will look at you funny. Depending on how you act -- jumping on tables and acting as your character -- it can give a negative impression of cosplay as a whole."
Cosplay can be perceived as cross-dressing: Boys become female characters and girls don masculine costumes. But Jocelyn Alcazar said cosplay has no relation to LA PRIDE, which takes place in West Hollywood this weekend.
"It transcends genders," said Alcazar, who has spent as much as three hours to look perfect in her costumes. "It's about expressing your fandom. You have to love your characters to wear leggings, to bind your chest. It's harder than it looks."