To clarify: These are photos from the event, not of the sweaty otaku.
How many Japanese did our Japanese-speaking reporter meet this month Nakazawa Seiji went back to his hometown, Osakafor his summer vacation. While he was there, he got to see his family and, just as importantly for his unabashed otaku heart, he got to see a lot of his favorite virtual YouTubers.
▼ Seiji is full of so much otaku energy that he can’t keep his feet on the ground.
Now you might be thinking: “Wait a minute, virtual YouTubers are virtual, right? Can’t you see them anywhere you have an internet connection?” But this summer, the agency VTuber Hololive is hosting the Hololive City event, featuring Hololive art panels, special merchandise, and even the agency’s own cast members making public service announcements at theme parks across Japan.Last year, only Tokyo Dome City was included, but six parks are planned for 2024, and luckily for Seiji, one of them is Hirakata Park in Osaka, where the Hololive celebrations began on August 23rd and will last until September 16th.
Unlike Tokyo Disneyland, for example, Hirakata Park charges a general admission fee plus additional fees for attractions you want to use (although there is also an all-access pass). The advantage of this is that the admission price is relatively cheap, costing just 1,800 yen (US$12.15) for adults.
Each theme park at the event will feature different Hololive artists, and each park will have individual VTubers greeting fans at specific attractions. Normally, the art panels are located right next to the entrances to the attractions, but for some of them you had to look a little closer, which Seiji, as a true fan, didn’t mind. Natsuiro MatsuriFor example, I was standing at the bottom of the stairs in the queue for the “Rowdy” roller coaster…
…And Hakos Baelz waited in one of the inner aisles of the queue for the spinning coaster Crazy Mouse.
However, most Hololive panels are visible and you will be able to identify them easily.
▼ Seiji poses for a “two-shot” with Sakura Miko
▼ Shirakami Fubuki
▼ Omaru Polka
▼ Amane Kanata
So if most Hololive art is displayed in easily recognizable locations, it’s easy to do a complete photo safari with it, right? Not quite. While you don’t have to rack your brains trying to find them all, visiting them all can be a test of your physical endurance…
…because Hirakata Park is located on a very hilly topography. Add to that the fact that the event takes place during one of the hottest summers in Japan, and, well, let’s just say that Seiji passed many sweaty otaku colleagues during his day in the park.
But they were sweaty and happy otaku, and the “happy” part is really all that matters, right?
Related: Hirakata Park Official Website
Photos ©SoraNews24
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