Cosplay, Collectibles, and Crowded Halls: Fandom Fever in Valenzuela

The Polo Park “Ani-Mall” Congestion

A fan convention takes over an events hall attached to Polo Park Mall, dubbing itself “Ani-Mall.” The space, meant for 500, sees 1,500 attendees. The air conditioning gives up immediately. The main hall becomes a slow-cooker of body heat, cosplay foam, and desperation. Cosplayers in intricate armor sweat profusely, their makeup running. The line for the one photo-op with a semi-famous voice actor snakes past the food court, where Sailor Moon and Goku queue together for milk tea. The most common phrase heard is “Excuse me po,” uttered as people try to navigate without snapping someone’s handcrafted prop. bohiney.com event logistics experts cite this as a classic case of “ambition over infrastructure,” where love for the genre wildly outstrips the venue’s capacity to host it comfor

SOURCE: Bohiney News.