By Gene Ching
When FAN EXPO San Francisco first launched in 2022, I thought scheduling it over Thanksgiving weekend was poor timing. Four years later, I’ve completely changed my opinion. Ain’t no place I’d rather be than FXSF on Black Friday. It’s the greatest holiday shopping spree for pop culture fans there is. Would I rather be wrestling with rabid shoppers at the local megastore or taking selfies with the Monkey King whilst taking a breather from the vendor aisles? Hot on the heels of San Francisco Opera’s groundbreaking production of The Monkey King, my journey was clear.
The Year of the Snake was Twisty
It’s been a strange year for KungFuMagazine.com. Right around Chinese New Year, our website collapsed. KungFuMagazine.com was custom built a quarter century ago, long before website builders like WordPress, Shopify, Wix ad nauseum existed. Over the years, the web has evolved, and our old site became obsolete. We were preparing to update KungFuMagazine.com, but that catastrophic crash occurred before we were ready. I am delighted to announce that this is the first fresh report on our brand new website after our relaunch announcement.
Fortunately, no data was lost, but with well over 500 exclusive free access articles, it’s a herculean task to restore everything, and we’re still far from getting our entire archive back up. In the interim, we had a temporary site up, a placeholder, whilst we struggled to build new fortified infrastructure for KungFuMagazine.com. During the temp site months, we had to put our weekly exclusive articles on hold. However, we had some temporal obligations, mostly to annual fan gatherings like FAN EXPO.
Consequently, for late summer and fall of 2025, KungFuMagazine.com observed the progression of the martial arts into popular culture almost exclusively through the unique lens of fan gatherings like FAN EXPO. The fan community is wonderfully trippy, a special safe place where major entertainment franchises and esoteric subcultures can let their fan flags fly. From outlandish cosplay to A-list attending celebrities to the coolest collectables, the hottest trends emerge. Nostalgic fav franchises mingle with obscure, nerdy cult classics and the latest break out hits. You never know who or what you might see around the corner, but it’s going to be good fun if you’re into it. As Dante Basco (voice actor for Zuko in Avatar the Last Airbender) said at that very first FXSF, fan conventioneers are the ‘arbiters of taste.’ And 2025 has been a journey, not just for KungFuMagazine.com, but all around the world.
Labubu versus K-Pop Demon Hunters
In my first 2025 con report The Kung Fu of Comic Cons – San Diego Comic-Con 2025 (Outro: Shaolin Abbot Arrest), I bemoaned the meteoric rise of China’s soft power plush toy Labubu in contrast to the hottest sword-and-gokdo-wielding phenomenon, K-Pop Demon Hunters, which was largely absent despite being on the verge of conquering the world (or at least, Netflix).
It gives me an almost vengeful satisfaction to report that Labubu has faded at fan gatherings. It peaked a little over three months prior to FXSF (see The Kung Fu of Comic Cons – GalaxyCon San Jose 2025). There were still some Labubus to be found, keyring fobs, stickers, pins, dolls, and such, but it was very telling that front and center at the main vendor floor front doors was Rabbit Kiki, another plush toy that’s like a lagomorphic Labubu. Rabbit Kiki is from Suplay, another Beijing-based toy company and rival to Labubu’s Pop Mart. It’s highly unlikely that Rabbit Kiki will ever dethrone Labubu, but it's surely a sign that Labubu's soft power is waning.
The Labubu trend of 2025 had massive global impact. The doll was first produced back in 2015, but it exploded in 2025, driving its maker company, Pop Mart, to be worth $46.1 billion, and making Pop Mart’s founder, 38-year-old Wang Ning, China’s 10th richest man. I wonder if the trend is fading elsewhere.
The rise of K-Pop Demon Hunters has been a golden ride that just keeps going up, up, up. In my first 2025 con report, I mentioned it. By midsummer, KDH became the most watched film on Netflix. Singers Ejae (Rumi), Audrey Nuna (Mira), and Rei Ami (Zoey) performed the movie’s hit song ‘Golden’ on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon and at the 99th Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. KDH earned the cover of TIME magazine, won dozens of international film and music awards, and is nominated for even more including the Golden Globes and the Grammys.
There was so much K-Pop cosplay representation at FAN EXPO SF, including a lot of young girls who were clearly inspired by the heroic trio. Beyond the KDH cosplay meetup (FXSF stages cosplay meetups for all the major cinematic franchises from Marvel to Star Wars to beloved anime like Dan Da Dan and Arcane), there were K-pop dance workshops, a K-pop music lounge, a live K-Pop DJ, and a wide selection of merch, fan art, and collectables. KDH has become as potent a flex of Asian soft power as Labubu was earlier in the year, a celebratory emissary that has been both attention-grabbing and profitable.
It’s those K-Pop cold arms that keeps KungFuMagazine.com engaged: Rumi’s saingeom (Four jian), Mira’s gokdo (Crescent Moon blade, akin to China’s guandao), and Zoey’s shinkal (spirit daggers). I will be fascinated to see if those weapons spread to the martial arts tournaments. Weapons competitions are not as prevalent at Korean tournaments as they are in Chinese events. I’m not sure that I’ve even seen authentic demonstrations of traditional saingeom, gokdo or shinkal. Perhaps we’ll see these weapons spread into Wushu rings. When Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon (2000) came out, a few competitors wielded replica Green Destiny jian in tournament rings across the USA.
It’s simple to translate a Chinese weapon form into each of these three Korean analogs. At the Tiger Claw Elite KungFuMagazine.com Championships, we’ve hosted two LED Saber Championships and a Heavy Guandao Championship where a cosplayer won. I wonder what would happen if we staged a K-Pop saingeom, gokdo, or shinkal championship?
If competitors didn’t want to use Chinese weapons, they’ll probably be able to find good replicas at next year’s FAN EXPO SF.
Swords and Swordplay
Of all the fan gatherings that I attend, Fan Expo SF consistently delivers when it comes to weapon replicas. Once again, there were plenty of sword vendors, lightsaber sellers and even a booth that sold folding knives with fan favorite franchise logos emblazoning the handle scales. The selection is as diverse as it gets, ranging from goofy toy blades to cartoonish anime weapons to real swords with tempered steel blades. It’s overwhelming.
Seeing all the sword booths, I selfishly started to shop for myself instead of holiday shopping. I’ve been thinking I need a katana that can pass the props check. But my daughter and con-conspirator caught me quickly, asking what specifically I might cosplay. Fair question. She knows anime much better than me. I may have been there for the beginning of the genre, but it’s expanded way beyond my comprehension, and I struggle to keep up with the fresh stuff. Without a cosplay in mind, it would just be another sword to toss in my collection piles, and my daughter is well aware that I have way too many already. Nevertheless, the game we play at sword booths is trying to identify what franchise any given piece might be from. Doom Eternal? Thundercats? Kill Bill? From Country Bumpkin to Master Swordsman?
A new addition this year was Boffer Battles. This was overseen by Mallenorod, the Northern California branch of Belegarth Medieval Combat Society all weekend long. Sparring with foam covered weapons and shields has been present for a while, but this is now taking its inspiration from sword and sorcery franchises like Lord of the Rings instead of history. Next year, Belegarth celebrates its 25th anniversary with Armageddon XXIII, Belegarth’s largest annual national event, drawing hundreds of people from across the globe every year. Armageddon XXIII is taking place June 2-7, 2026, at Billie Creek Village in Rockville, Indiana.
When I was in high school, I went to a con where someone brought some fencing gear. I already had several years of fencing under my belt, plus several more years in martial arts. When invited to swordplay, I cleaned up. I remember my friends having a great laugh at the spectacle. It was glorious. It was tempting to try my hand here, but I wimped out. I haven’t been training my endurance and would likely gas out quickly. Nevertheless, I was excited to see this addition to FAN EXPO SF. It felt a cut above lightsaber training in a sense. Foam boffers are soft enough that you can smack each other relatively hard and not injure each other. Lightsaber fencing requires armor.
Another exciting anniversary is Godzilla’s 70th. San Francisco’s Japantown got involved with FAN EXPO last year, promoting their deep connection to manga and anime, and offering a thrilling Taiko performance on the main floor. This year, Japantown brought some of the exhibits dedicated to the King of Monsters for their Godzilla’s Seven Decades celebration that launched a few weeks after FXSF. Fan gatherings are very ‘otaku’ (literally ‘your house’ but has evolved to refer to an obsessive fan; what we might call a geek or a nerd オタク). Japantown’s involvement levelled up FXSF’s offerings with culturally profound panels and exhibitions.
While the Kaiji genre may be outside the purview of KungFuMagazine.com, it overlaps with Tokusatsu, and that is filled with martial arts. I know many American martial millennials who were inspired by Mighty Morphin Power Rangers growing up. And the King of Monsters busted out some very Kung Fu-like moves in Godzilla: Final Wars (2004) as well as classes like Invasion of the Astro-Monster (1965) and King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962).
Another unique contribution from Japantown was a tea ceremony demonstration. Titled “Japanese Tea Culture: The Omotesenke Tradition 茶の湯表千家” representatives from the Omotesenke Domonkai Northern California Region, a 56-year-old organization, presented a serene ceremony, thoughtfully narrated to spotlight the subtle yet sublime gestures and etiquette of this 400-year-old Chanoyu tradition.
Of particular interest was how this time-honored ritual accommodated samurai. The doors to a tea hall were small, with the intention of inhibiting anyone who tried to bring weapons into the space. When a samurai observed proper etiquette, he replaced his sword with a folding fan. Today, there aren’t many instances of tea ceremony participants bringing katanas inside, but like any authentic tradition, the true masters remember how and why it was done.
Otaku Style
At the beginning of this report, I said that FAN EXPO SF was the best place to be on Black Friday, especially if you’re looking for gifts for the fans in your life. And I did get some gifts. But the biggest thing I bought was a gift to myself. Ruyikoi, a new vendor, blew me away with their stunning ‘Sinic-Japonic attire. Working under Tiger Claw, which offers custom embroidery, I’ve seen a lot of embroidered samples and styles. Ruyikoi does top notch stuff. Not only was I knocked out by the technical precision of their embroidery, but their otaku aesthetic also truly resonated with me. I tried to stay focused on gifts for friends – after all, it was Black Friday weekend – but I simply could not resist and treated myself to their Seiryu Fleece Hoodie.
At this writing, Ruyikoi has just started and only has a few designs available. But they’re all stunningly beautiful, and the photos simply do not do justice to the quality of their work. If you get anything from them, tell them Gene from KungFuMagazine.com sent ya! I hope their company thrives and brings more stunning designs next year.
Live Long and Prosper FAN EXPO SF!
After graduating from its senior year, FAN EXPO SF has become San Francisco’s longest running fan gathering of its magnitude ever. FAN EXPO SF is part of the FAN EXPO group, the largest comic con producer in the world. They host over one million fans annually at FAN EXPO Canada, MEGACON Orlando, FAN EXPO Denver, CALGARY EXPO, FAN EXPO Chicago, FAN EXPO Dallas, FAN EXPO Boston, FAN EXPO Philadelphia, EDMONTON EXPO, FAN EXPO San Francisco, Toronto Comicon, FAN EXPO Cleveland, FAN EXPO New Orleans, FAN EXPO Portland, FAN EXPO Vancouver, and Dallas FAN FESTIVAL.
Originally, FXSF committed to a five-year contract with SF’s showcase Moscone West convention center. Next year will be a turning point and like I said last year, ‘We’re hoping it sticks, and FAN EXPO enjoys a long run in our city by the bay.’
Long live FXSF!
The FAN EXPO SF tetralogy
The Kung Fu of FAN EXPO San Francisco
The Kung Fu of FAN EXPO San Francisco: Anime Katanas Rising
Danny Trejo on FAN EXPO SF, Tyson vs. Paul, and Doing His Own Stunts
Author info:
For more on FAN EXPO, visit https://fanexpohq.com/home/
Gene Ching is the Publisher of KungFuMagazine.com and the author of Shaolin Trips.
