Day 1 Of THE BEST OF ANIME 2011 Is Heaven In Disguise

September 17, 2011 – The Best of Anime Night (BOA) 2011 is my only second animation convention and it’s the best one so far. I’ve attended I Ai Anime held at the SM Megamall way back in July 17, 2010, but I have never felt the kind of electricity and talent overflow as to what I’ve experienced today at the SMX Convention Center. There’s a lot to talk about this year’s BOA and it’s kind of challenging as to where I should begin to start my story during my eight-hour expedition in the upper level of the convention center.

BOA is basically a unique gathering of animation, video games, comic books, and cosplay enthusiasts spotlighting the different aspects and tastes of their chosen crafts. There was so much kinetics inside Function Room 4 and 5 of the SMX Convention Center, so much dynamism and there was no switch or buttons present that could stop the participants (including me) from enjoying the flamboyance and ingenuity demonstrated by the cosplayers who entered the room armed with over-the-top, highly-detailed props, which I will be posting pictures later after the smokes of Day 2 of BOA clears.

Day 1 of BOA exhibited the creativity of not only the cosplayers (who forayed Mall of Asia’s scorching concrete half-dressed and artificially wigged with hair color and…wigs), but also the venue itself brimming with booths and kiosks catering mostly to Japanese popular culture. Present in Functions Room 4 and 5 are stalls selling Angry Birds purses and beanies, the always lovable Maid cafeteria, a special hall for Gundam hobbyists, a video game depot for Hatsune Miku fanboys, and tables marked exclusively for toy collectors.

What sets BOA apart from other animation gatherings in the Philippines is the fact that the approach is widely based on the enthusiasm of Filipinos to access the nation’s growing animation industry. As we all know, the Philippines has soared as a premiere destination for offshore outsourcing, and animation is among those that have contributed to the 100 million revenue growth of Business Process Outsourcing (BPO).

Piloting this desire among Filipinos to get into the animation groove was a series of animated vignettes and voice-overs teaching the audience on the basic principles and premise of animation. Participating animators also had the chance to display their unique drawing and animation skills through iAcademy’s booth. I could consider BOA as the bedrock for young animators with a multi-faceted approach to the country’s decorated popular culture chained together by animation, cosplay, and video games.

Speaking more about video games, GAMEYEZ, one of the latest companies to storm the country’s MMORPG, was present to giveaway DVD copies containing Blade of Destiny (BOD) and Carian. After my first three-hour forays at the SMX Convention Center, I’ve decided to fill my stomach with carbohydrate sludge thanks to HERO sausages and frankfurters.