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Name: Abidul Islam

Student ID: 21103030

Official Email: abidul.islam1@g.bracu.ac.bd

Course no: ANT101

Section no: 3

BUX ID: 21103030

Assignment 1

The Rise of Anime Conventions in Bangladesh

When the word animation is cut down it becomes the familial word anime which has received

worldwide recognition. Animations are moving pictures created from layers of artwork.

Although it is extremely tough to make in detail and can be quite a time-consuming thing to

make. It has become a staple part of everyone’s life as a means of entertainment. And as a way to

celebrate anime people have created gatherings between people with similar interests. The

animations largely celebrated come from a small island nation known as Japan or Nippon in

Japanese. These Japanese people are known to be quite tedious and dedicated to their work so

even though they are not paid much in the end they still create anime. Anime becoming widely

popular has also affected the small developing country in East Asia called Bangladesh. Anime

which the Bangladeshis have never heard about has made a deep impact on the youths of the

country. Fans of anime in the country enlarged in number with the increase in internet access.

But the active youth cannot keep their enthusiasm for anime in control so as a result, they started
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creating conventions that focused itself based on anime. And thus the term anime-con came into

being. It is a unique event that has become a rising part of the lives of Bangladeshi youths.

Normally, any event in Bangladesh happens because of some festivities or national holidays

however for these youths who love anime these special days are of no concern. The typical

Bangladeshi wears average clothing but in some cases, they wear black and white or red and

white. Even rarely it is possible to see them in yellow. It is really a mystery how colourful these

countries people can get for cultural events. And this is reflected in the anime-cons that have

started happening over the past couple of years. But there is no specific colour scheme rather

everyone is a different person. Their clothes are mixed patterned and made of a completely

different material. Some can be recognized as humans whereas others seem alien. It is a strange

event that has let the youths express themselves without anything holding them back. Gender,

sex, and class are these socially constructed ideas that have no place in anime-con. What was

fiction came to reality so in a way the individual transformed into another being.

Additionally, anime-con becomes a place for other like-minded people to get to know each other.

Bangladeshis have the habit of drinking tea while putting up a conversation however in this new

environment they take a different approach. Instead of talking about their mundane lives, they

have a discourse about fictional people and the world. Hearing them talk seems very strange.

They talk about fiction as if it may be a reality. But not only this whenever they meet up with

another person they start making strange poses. In front of the camera, it is possible to see groups

of them in one place. They dress like their favourite fictional character and put in a lot of effort

just to look the part. Indeed their behaviour also changes along with their clothes.

The events are not bland by any means just to make it engaging they have multiple sub-events.

Starting from costume play competitions to dramatic role-play, multiple booths with personally
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drawn artworks and musical events. Each activity makes the event feel livelier and people feel

more engaged. There is no such thing as other in the event and it plays an important role in

maintaining this stance. People are free to look however they want to. The only thing stopping

someone is their imagination and self-confidence other than that anime con is an open place for

creative people to gather around.

It may seem positive to see the aspects of anime con that give out personal benefits to people but

the negative side is also present. Humans are unpredictable although the event tries to stay safe

for everyone some may come and ruin the atmosphere. As this event is not of any religious

background the country’s extreme religious groups may interfere and cause havoc. Secondly, the

culture of anime con does not originate from Bangladesh rather it was adopted from Japan. So to

practice the culture one may have to separate from their own. People can meet up at these events

but there is no such thing as a positive outcome. It is possible to see heated discourse between

anime fanatics who have different tastes in the genre. But just saying genre would cover the

biggest hole. People cross-dress so it is hard to define gender by physical appearance and some

cannot be recognized even by their voice. But the most unique thing to see is the debate about

choosing the best girl. As these people who love anime come together their interest in fictional

girls comes to light. Indeed they are separated from reality in the anime con space.

Bangladesh already has a strong culture considering its vast history and much of it might not

have come from its own. So even if something that has come from a distant country gets into the

main culture it would be adopted. Culture gives people an identity of their own, it is something

that can be shared and adopted. People who are not accustomed to it may find it difficult at first

to realize its potential but they will learn over time. Anime con as a cultural phenomenon is very

small in this culturally rich country but it is a culture that many people recognize.
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People dressing as strange creatures that are human and sometimes talking in a different

language shows the diversity it has. The undiscovered gems hidden away become visible and

new people are intrigued to find out more about them. People whom ones felt uncomfortable

about something relating to the social structure or norms can escape to a temporary realm. Here

the person is free from these metaphorical chains. However, it can get annoying at times to look

at these anime fanatics. Their behaviour is nothing like that of an adult or a child. It is alien in

nature and most people call it going crazy. Dressing up different looks fine but overall when

people change their tone or dialect to seem like the real-life incarnation of the character may

induce people with psychological pain. It is very unusual to see and experience such a cultural

event.

To conclude, anime con is an overall experience for people. It is new and unknown yet it has a

lot of potentials. Where people with power could not change the social problems a cultural event

from another country can. Maybe not completely but there is progress and result. Men dressing

up as women and vice versa can only happen in anime com where it is completely normal. But to

do this in real life would be social death. So people have a sort of freedom created in this new

upcoming phenomenon. With its benefits and flaws, it is an exceptionally fun thing to enjoy for

those who seek something new. A new identity is there for Bangladeshi youths. And some adults

also enjoy it and understand its meaning.