Nigerian anime fans got to have a safe space to gather and interact with each other at the 2022 Eko Anime Fest. And the cosplayers who attended had a lot to say about the joy of finding a like-minded community. Read about it here.听
Emmanuel
This is my first anime event. I love the experience so far. It鈥檚 really nice, and I know it鈥檚 going to get better, so I鈥檓 here for it. The world is advancing technologically, so I hope they have a VR experience next time. But besides that, I love anime, I love HunterXHunter, my number one is One Piece, and I really like Cowboy Bepop. I鈥檝e been watching anime since I was in junior school.
Mine
I鈥檝e been watching anime since I was six, and my first was Naruto. Yes, I鈥檓 one of them; Naruto is my favourite anime. I鈥檝e cosplayed about four times now. I cosplayed Carole from Carole & Tuesday and Yumeko from Kakegurui. I鈥檝e been to about four anime cosplay events, and my favourite thing is seeing other people as enthusiastic about what we love around me. I love the feeling of being around people who understand why we do what we do. It鈥檚 a small-ish community, but it makes me happy.
Femi
I鈥檝e cosplayed just once before this, and I did Itachi. My favourite anime is Naruto, but I like Akame Ga Kill. My big three are Naruto, Full Metal Alchemist and Akame Ga Kill. I鈥檝e been watching anime since 2004, when I saw Ronin Kenshin. This might be my first anime con, but I鈥檓 impressed by how people went all out. They took their time to cosplay their characters, and I see the effort. I also love how this small community helps me meet like-minded people who love anime.
Kammie
I鈥檝e been watching anime for two years. My favourite anime is One Piece and Kuroko no Basket. This is the second anime con event I鈥檝e cosplayed at, and I love how happy everyone is. People come up to you to take pictures because they appreciate the effort you put into your cosplay. It鈥檚 amazing, and I love that we get to have this. For anyone trying to get into anime, it鈥檚 not too late. Watch Naruto, Food Wars, Demon Slayer and Black Clover as a starter. We鈥檒l all be here for you.
Saiki
I鈥檝e been watching anime for two years, since the pandemic. I鈥檇 heard about Naruto from primary school to uni, so it felt like a new starting point. I finally had time to try it because I was at home with nothing to do. I鈥檝e seen almost 100 episodes since then because I kept watching them back-to-back to catch up. I鈥檝e slowed down a lot, though. I love Saiki, it鈥檚 my comfort anime, but my favourites are Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood and Attack on Titan.听
This is my first time cosplaying, so I tried to do something not so risky but still significant. I did Saiki since he鈥欌檚 my favourite character. It was fun to source the material to make it happen. I鈥檓 new here, but obviously, anime is going mainstream, so I love the sense of community we get to have. People on the road might wonder what we鈥檙e doing, but we get each other. It鈥檚 fun to see people excited about something others consider a niche. It鈥檚 just fun to be around people you can relate with.
Bolu
I鈥檝e been a big anime fan for five years now. Not to be cliche, but I love One Piece a lot. Then there鈥檚 One Piece, Haikyuu!! and Dororo. I love cosplaying. I cosplayed as No-Face for the first time last year and actually won the competition. I love seeing other people as weird as me, who share similar interests and love of anime, in the same place. It鈥檚 so cool. Where else will I see these many people looking like this in Lagos?
Crys.chan.cosplay
I鈥檝e been watching anime since primary school; my first was Pokemon. My big three are My Hero Academia, Haikyuu!! and Fullmetal Alchemist. Anyone who wants to start off should try Demon Slayer or Noragami. For romance, try My Little Monster and Say I Love You.
I鈥檓 a regular cosplayer. In 2022, I did about 26 cosplays in total, and I make almost all the costumes from scratch. I love coming to community events like these 鈥榗ause everyone else I know dismisses my interest, but here, everyone likes it as much as I do. And I love it.
