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Kawaii Kon reminds anime fans that nerd culture can be a safe space

Zoe Dym
/
HPR
Kawaii Kon guests walk through the artist alley where individual artists sell their merchandise from posters to hand-knit stuffed animals.

Watching anime and playing video games are mainstream activities for many — but it wasn’t always that way.

It took resilient nerds, TV appearances and an anime convention for the fandom community to be accepted and grow.

"As I grew up, when you’re considered a nerd, you’re also kinda considered an outcast. But as the years go by, if you watch anime you’re actually considered pretty cool," said Angel Rumbaoa, an administrator for Kawaii Kon.

Kawaii Kon is Hawaiʻi’s mecca for otakus — a Japanese word for nerds. The annual anime convention has played a crucial part in creating a safe space for the fandom community.

"When you show people who you are and not afraid to show it, that confidence grows," Rumbaoa said.

What started as an anime convention with less than 2,000 attendees in 2005, has grown exponentially in size, with 10 times as many guests. About 20,174 attendees and 315 crew members participated in Kawaii Kon this year.

Remy Zane is a local trivia host and said he has been attending Kawaii Kon since it first opened. He is the host for various panels at the convention — from the karaoke competition to cardboard sword fighting.

He was introduced to the otaku world in the early 90s through the English release of video games from Japan. He said he noticed the nerd community grow in the early 2000s when TV stations started to play anime.

"Adult Swim definitely helped with the advent of Toonami and shows like 'Inuyasha,' 'Dragon Ball,' 'Bleach.' Being able to commercialize it in that sense, being able to put it to a much bigger audience I think gave it more easy recognition," Zane said.

The late-night television programming Toonami played anime classics like Sailor Moon and Mobile Suit Gundam during this time. The segment aired from 1997 to 2008 on Cartoon Network before moving to Adult Swim in 2012. It served as a gateway to anime for many people living outside of Japan.

Kawaii Kon’s growth in popularity is one of the most apparent marks to the acceptance of nerd culture.

"Having an event as big and open as Kawaii Kon, lets people know, 'Hey, your interests are valid.' Watching anime, playing these video games, being able to study Japanese because you want to learn more about the culture you love — all of these ideas and concepts are exemplified and personified here at these kinds of conventions," Zane said.

Zoe Dym was a news producer at Hawaiʻi Public Radio.
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