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As the scent of sizzling dumplings and sweet mochi drifted through the air, the beat of K-pop echoed through the Central Mall in Port Arthur, setting the stage for a celebration of all things Anime. This year’s Otaku’s Famous Food and Anime Summer Matsuri Festival was more than a gathering for anime fans- it was a full-on immersion into Asian pop culture, complete with vibrant cosplay, high-energy dance performances, and appearances by beloved Anime voice actors that had fans lining up for photo ops and Q&As.

The free two-day event centered around a San Antonio-based dance duo, Mochi and K-Pop.

“Our performances are based on Vocaloid and K-Pop,” Mochi said. “ My girlfriend and I learned the popular dance routines and sing songs. I enjoy entertaining people who share the same interest as me. This is my first time in Port Arthur and auditioning and landing the gig wasn’t easy.”

As the dance routines ended to thunderous applause, excitement shifted from the stage to the autograph tables, where anime voice actors awaited fans eager to meet the voices behind their favorite characters.

“I have voiced over 200 characters in my 25 year-long career,” Lindsay Shepphard, voice actor said. “Some of the fan favorites are S-Snake in “One Piece,” Ju Fufu in “Zenless Zone Zero,” Claire Francois in “I’m in Love with the Villainess,” Jackal and Guillotine in “Goddess of Victory,” NIKKE, Frido and Rio in “Hello Kitty Super Style,” Akari in “More Than a Married Couple,” and Kusuri in “100 Girlfriends.” I love traveling with the Anime District/Otaku Food Festival. Port Arthur has been on my bucket list for awhile and at Otaku, there are a lot of general Anime fans that might not necessarily be familiar with me but then they will recognize a show or game that I’m and they get excited.”

Seated at the table next to Shepphard, Jay Hickman, kept the energy high, chatting with fans about his work and trading laughs with his fellow voice actors.

“I have been a professional Anime voice actor for 30 years,” Hickman said. “Some of my more well-known characters are Joichiro Yukihira from “Food Wars!,” Kaoru Hanayama from “Baki The Grappler,” Choo from “One Piece,” Taneo Tokuda from “My Hero Academia” and Modeus from “Devil May Cry.” I’ve been fortunate to be invited to a number of the events hosted by the Otaku Food Festival over the years. I’m based in Houston, but if they want me to come join them for an event that’s a reasonable driving distance, I’m happy to make the trek.”

Hickman attends several traditional anime conventions and comic cons, and says the Otaku Food Festival differentiates itself from them in a number of ways.

“The first, and significant, one is the food,” he said. “It’s very rare for an anime convention to have food vendors, so that really adds a novel layer to these events; it’s very easy for someone to try something they’ve never had before.”

The next big differentiator is that it’s free – there’s no entry fee.

“Not only does this allow more people to attend,” he said. “But attendees can allot more of their budget to buying some of the art or food that the event is famous for. I’m sure that makes for a more memorable experience.”

Thirdly, he says the nature of the venues the festival is held makes it so that it can be experienced by people that might not normally seek it out.

“This weekend, for example, there were likely visitors that didn’t know the festival was taking place,” he said. “Imagine someone just swinging by the mall to buy some shoes, seeing 30 food stalls in the parking lot, and wondering: “What is that?” If they decided to explore a bit after their shopping chore, they might have become a new fan of a cuisine they’d never tried, or a new artist, or anime, etc. It truly has the opportunity to expand some horizons.”

However, not all the stars were behind the tables- many were walking the floor. Cosplayers, dressed from head to toe as their favorite characters, turned heads and posed for endless photos with community members of all ages.

 

“The costume I created is a combination with the two things I love,” Liliana Ortiz, cosplayer said. “The character herself is Hatsune Miku, but the outfit is from “Avatar: The Last Airbender. I chose this character because I have been listening to Miku’s music since I was 12-years-old. She is someone that I’ve always loved dressing up as. As for the Kiyoshi Warrior, it was from my favorite show Avatar.”  

 

A variant of Hatsune Miku could be spotted throughout the fairgrounds, as cosplayers paid tribute with their own creative takes-each one offering a unique spin on the fan favorite.

 

“My friend Allen James dressed as a Hatsune Miku Variant,” Christoper Orta, Cosplaying Tanya from “Tanya the Evil,” said. “Our other friend, JC Adams, cosplayed as Alucard’s Guard Named Ares. We absolutely loved the festival and we’re happy they brought it back this year. Our favorite parts were definitely the food and seeing the voice actors from some of our favorite Anime shows.”

 

Long after the lights dimmed and the crowds dispersed, echoes of K-pop, clinking boba cups and distant Anime quotes lingered in the air-a testament to the lasting magic of a day when fantasy met reality.