OTAKUFEST 2025: ELYSIUM ON EARTH

Long ago in the Queen City of the South, in a golden age of budding hobby conventions, one of the most promising of these events that began was the mighty Otakufest.

But what is the measure of a true hobby convention? Now, that is what this article seeks to find out. No muses this time though - our group lacks females (to anyone who reads this, please apply). 

17 years after the first Otakufest that was held in the hallowed government taxpayer grounds of the University of the Philippines, Otakufest 2025 finds itself in SM Seaside once more. This time, it was a return to grounds long forgotten to the hobby community since 2020 (hopefully this time, no world-changing events after though, please).

From February 22 to 23, all communities were one, much like all the mythologies from Record of Ragnarok, to enjoy an occasion of cosplay, gaming, merchandise, workshops, vtubers, bands, idol groups, dance groups, and culture.

And, if it wasn’t obvious yet, the theme for the year was all about mythology and thus Otakufest 2025: Mythical Mayhem came to be.

This year made history as the first event to begin a tradition that will last lifetimes as Ara-chan, the mascot and face of Otakufest previously given life to by Diane Sabandeja, was rebirthed thanks to the cosplayer Sollleania. Donning traditional Japanese attire, she portrayed Ara-chan as a character in Japanese folklore as she embodied the values of Otakufest. She was bright, bubbly, polite, outgoing, respectful, approachable, and very professional. Next year, while Ara-chan may again be different, Diane and Solleania have done wonders to provide credence to the name.

Aside from a new Ara-chan, Otakufest was graced by new national and international guests Lia Bear and Mikki. Both guests were stationed near the entrance, really setting the stage from the get-go as congoers could immediately be in the presence of these otherworldly beings (yes, even I am a mortal in the presence of Lia Bear).

After going through the entrance and taking pictures with the guests and Ara-chan, congoers were at a crossroads of sorts. Would they go straight down the center, left, or right?

For those right-handed, they would normally veer to the right and there they would be greeted by the gaming area - the lands Rocket Punch Gaming Cafe and the Yu-Gi-Oh! Community called home for the two days.

Under the banner of house Rocket Punch, the Street Fighter 6 and Tekken 8 tournaments were held. It was indeed a momentous day as, aside from GiGi being the Tekken 8 champion, MICZ21 would be crowned as the first-ever Otakufest Street Fighter 6 champion. Only time will tell if the Fighting Game Community’s victors can hold their title next year.

The day was also historic for House Yu-Gi-Oh! as, for the first time, duelists from Ilo-Ilo, Dumaguete, and Bacolod traveled from their homesteads to enter the mythical domain of Cebu’s Otakufest.

For those not inclined to gaming, continuing on this path would allow you to see the many merchants where one could capture contentment with coin.

And, at the very end of the path, is the stage where you would be greeted by the professional and attention-grabbing hosting of Ericakes and Areksu. This stage was special as it could be seen even from the food and concessionaire realm, meaning more mortals may marvel at all the majesty manifested by Otakufest.

Many a momentous moment happened in the realm of the stage. From Asia Pop Dancing to band performances, the revelry rarely relented with raucous roars. Otakufest out and about moving the needle once more as the international Vtuber Dokibird made her presence felt for the first time in the Philippine record books.

Many of her fans, her “Dragoons”, enjoyed her stage time answering questions, and a number of those Dragoons took it a step further by sponsoring a whole shrine at the venue just for her. Jay Agonoy of Vtuber News Drop even dropped by - all for the love of Vtubers like Viora, Adora, and Chisato who were also there along with Doki.

If the hustle and bustle of the crowd wasn’t your thing, at the crossroads, you could have turned left from the center and you would find yourself enjoying the sight of hundreds of Gundam on display - as well as Labubu and Pokemon plushies.

Continue, and you would then bear witness to the multiple workshops held in Otakufest. If you were into prop making, wig styling, animation, and crochet, you’d be with fellow creatives of the craft.

Return to the center from here, and, aside from the guests, media outlets such as Cebu Daily News and programs such as iAcademy and Bidlisiw were there to entertain any inquiry if you would be so inclined.

Now what happens if you stay in the center and continue the mythical journey? You would merrily find yourself in the lands the Sabersturm and Dungeons & Dragons communities deem as their haunt.

Much like the Fighting Game Community, Sabersturm also held a tournament to crown their Saber Sire of Otakufest. After the platitudes of clashing blades and flashing lights, “The Iceman” Bert held his Saber high.

Much like Orpheus, if you reached this point in your travels, only the light of the exit would remain.

But, much like the Sphinx, you would be blocked by the lifeblood of Otakufest - the Artist Alley. With the moving crowd and the thousands of different items you could buy to inject yourself with happy juice, leaving here was a Herculean task for so so many.

And AND, in a hypothetical situation that you could even call myth itself, let’s say you did leave. What would you do? I’ll tell you what everyone did - they just went around and did everything all over again. Unlike Sisyphus though, everyone did so willingly and with smiles on their faces.

That was Otakufest 2025. A Mythical Mayhem indeed, but the most fun mayhem you could ever experience in Cebu.