Anime With Aloha: Kawaii-Kon Attracts Fans, Families in Hawaii

Now in its fifth year, Kawaii-Kon attracted anime, manga and gaming fans from all over the Hawaiian Islands for three full days of Easter weekend fun. With attendance hovering around the 3,000 - 4,000 range, Kawaii-Kon 2009 isn't the biggest anime convention you'll ever encounter, but it is probably the one with the largest concentration of families celebrating several generations of Japanese pop culture fandom together.

"The fans here are different," said Kawaii-Kon Director Stan Dahlin. "Their parents are with them, so they're well-behaved. On the mainland, some parents think conventions are babysitting services, and just drop off their kids." Sure enough, there were more than a few families enjoying the fun at the Hawaii Convention Center. Several parents got in the spirit of the event and came in costume, and a few confessed to loving the anime just as much as their kids do.

Darnell Gamiao and his son Austin came as Rock Lee and Naruto. "I got into (Naruto) because of him," said Darnell. "I like the storyline and the action." When I asked him what inspired him to dress like 'bushy-browed' ninja Rock Lee, he replied, "Austin was Naruto for Halloween, and I had these green pants, so I figured, why not?"

Meanwhile, 5-year old Hiroko was the inspiration for her parents Bleach-inspired cosplay. "She wanted to be Soi-Fon," said Hiroko's mother, Valerie Harada. "She likes the fight scenes." Valerie and her husband Matthew mentioned that they also like Bleach for the "character designs and the story."

Honolulu is a somewhat unique venue for an anime convention. With its strong Asian-American community, and a long history of exposure to Japanese / Asian pop culture, otaku culture in Hawaii has deep roots, and spans several generations. Cartoonist, Usagi Yojimbo creator and Kawaii-Kon guest of honor Stan Sakai mentioned growing up in Kapalama and watching samurai movies at the now-gone Toyo Theater for a quarter. Throughout the 1970's and 1980's, live-action superhero shows from Japan like Kikaida and Kamen Rider were as popular as Scooby-Doo for island kids. Japanese pop bands, enka and idol singers have been coming here for concert appearances for years. Japanese and Korean TV dramas are water-cooler conversation topics at many offices. The list goes on and on.

So it seems natural for Hawaii to have an anime convention -- but it wasn't always a sure thing. Dahlin is a native son of Hawaii now living in Atlanta. He has managed anime conventions for over 14 years, including Anime Weekend Atlanta and Izumicon. But it took prodding from David Williams from ADV Films to get Kawaii-Kon on the convention calendar. As Dahlin recalls it, "David said, 'You should have a show in your home state.' I told him he was out of his mind."

After a few rough spots, Kawaii-Kon has been steadily growing, and has been getting some attention from the mainstream press in Hawaii. Catherine Toth wrote a full-page feature article in the Honolulu Advertiser, and anime/manga columnist Jason Yadao also filed a multi-page article on the "Kon" in the Honolulu Star-Bulletin. With greater mainstream acceptance, Kawaii-Kon is becoming a much-anticipated annual event for Hawaii fans. "It's kind of like Christmas," raved one fan. "It only happens once a year, so that makes it special."

Kawaii-Kon attracts a modest array of guests, but many of them are back for their second, third or even fifth time. Voice actor Vic Mignogna came back for his third visit to Kawaii-Kon, and Japanese rock band The Emeralds came back for a second year in a row. According to the translator who was with the Emeralds, "Last year, there were a lot of young people in the audience, and for many of them, it was their first rock and roll show. So they (The Emeralds) were very moved to see this." The Emeralds came to Kawaii-Kon after a several-night stand at Japan Nite at South by Southwest (SxSW) in Austin, Texas. "Most times, they play at over 21 venues, but here, they can play for many young people."

For Hawaii-based creators like Audra Furuichi and Scott Yoshinaga (creators of the webcomic nemu-nemu), Kawaii-Kon gives them a chance to connect with friends and fans, old and new. "It's an event that we really put a lot of effort into because we know a lot of our local fans will be at this event and it's one of the few chances we get to see them and talk with them face to face," said Yoshinaga. Furuichi and Yoshinaga also debuted two new books at Kawaii-Kon, Nemu-Nemu Volume 3 and The Art of Nemu-Nemu Volume 2.

For other guests, just being in Hawaii is its own reward. Kawaii-Kon 2009 marked Japanese rock trio TsuShiMaMiRe's first visit to Honolulu. They enjoyed "lots of shopping and eating," including their first taste of Spam musubi and pineapple burgers. "We want to come again!" said the Tokyo trio.

So is Kawaii-Kon destined to be a major event on the anime convention calendar? Perhaps, but Dahlin has mixed feelings about the prospect. "I know a lot of people want this show to be Anime Expo. But grand as that is, that's too much of a headache." Dahlin cited security problems at large conventions, including the recent incident at Ikkicon when a 14-year old girl was abducted. "The bigger (conventions) get, the more problems arise."

Still, Dahlin expressed gratitude for the relatively well-behaved crowd at Kawaii-Kon and its family-friendly vibe. "I do this show for the kids in Hawaii, and I'm thankful for the crowd -- the parents are just as excited as the kids!"

Stick around, because I'll start posting some of my many photos from Kawaii-Kon 2009 very soon.

Image credit: © Deb Aoki / © Audra Furuichi & Scott Yoshinaga