瞎逛2024年漫畫博覽會 (三) / Wandering Around the 2024 Comic Expo (Part 3)

據我所知，每年的漫畫博覽會，很多人都是衝著漫畫及小說來的，會有現場才能買到的新書、限量周邊商品及好康滿滿的福袋，超多書友會很想以優惠的價格，拿到透明海報、旅行收納組、手機座、零錢包、吊飾等周邊精品，所以，出版社的入口，常常排了長長的隊伍，往往要排個一小時以上，才有辦法進入，像是知名出版社，如東立、角川、長鴻、尖端等出版社，幾乎每家出版社都有多部知名代表作品，讓粉絲們情願花上數小時排隊進入購買，好險，我已經對這檔事不上頭了，只有不需要排隊入場的展攤，我才會進去看看。

現場特成立一個《臺灣漫畫館》，主打臺灣原創內容，有24部漫畫、20部小說入圍今年的原創IP風雲榜，並聯手誠品書店進行作品展示與銷售，還有眾多活動及遊戲暖場帶動氣氛，可惜裡面逗留的人不多，作品也不太出色，休息區及沙龍區的座位很多，很多人只是進去坐下來休息。走動中，我看到某個角落，設立一片塗鴉牆，讓有興趣的過往玩家留下塗鴉，仔細看看，多是動漫人物，有些畫的還蠻不錯的，我看到有很多小女生，畫完塗鴉後，再和自己畫的塗鴉及好友們留影，倒是蠻溫馨的。

野獸國是一家深耕美系玩具與電影商品授權商品的代理商，如同往常，野獸國多會展示美系玩具，如鋼鐵人或奇異博士等，今年也不遑多讓，亂逛中，逛到《超人力霸王卡牌遊戲》現場體驗區，這個區域，由現場工作人員引導玩家們學習如何玩這卡牌對戰遊戲，很像桌游展會看到的景象，我還蠻懷疑，我都不太知道超人力霸王了，年輕人真的知道超人力霸王嗎？在某個角落，居然被我發現到遊戲王的攤位，有遊戲王卡牌對戰教學及各式商品販售，小小的角落擠了不少熱情的玩家，看來卡牌對戰遊戲還是很有市場的。

聽說，隨著疫情興起的 VTuber，已成為近幾年來，動漫產業難以忽視的新勢力，現場闢有一個 VTuber 專區，有遊戲產商宇峻奧汀自行推出的VTuber，橘子集團邀請來的 VTuber 也參與及協作攤位，連電商平台露天市集都找來 VTuber，舉辦見面會，這次也有不少 VTuber經紀公司在現場，舉辦活動來與粉絲互動，但是，我並未接觸過 VTuber，其實也搞不懂為何會這麼歡迎，所以，我只是在現場瞎看罷了。

其實，可能是異業同盟或合作，漫畫博覽會是越辦越盛大了，裝扮參與的 Coser 也是越來越多了，對於生活在網路上的年輕世代而言，這就是一場盛大的次文化嘉年華會，讓同好們有個交流的機會，唯一的缺點就是人太多了，太擠了。

As far as I know, a lot of people come to the Comic Expo each year mainly for the manga and novels. There are new books, limited-edition merchandise, and packed-to-the-brim lucky bags that you can only get at the event. Many book lovers are eager to grab exclusive goodies like transparent posters, travel organizers, phone stands, coin purses, and keychains at discounted prices. That’s why the lines at the publishers' booths are always super long—you often have to wait over an hour just to get in. Popular publishers like Tong Li, Kadokawa, Ching Win, and Sharp Point Press all have several well-known series, so fans are willing to spend hours in line to buy their stuff. Luckily, I’m not that into it anymore, so I only check out the booths where you don’t have to wait in line.

There was a special section called the "Taiwan Manga Pavilion" dedicated to original Taiwanese content. Twenty-four manga and twenty novels were nominated for this year’s Original IP Awards. They teamed up with Eslite Bookstore to showcase and sell these works, along with hosting various activities and games to set the mood. Unfortunately, there weren’t many people hanging around, and the works didn’t really stand out. The rest and salon areas had plenty of seats, and most people were just sitting down to take a break. While wandering around, I spotted a graffiti wall in a corner where passersby could leave their drawings. Most of the doodles were of anime characters, and some were actually pretty good. I saw a lot of young girls taking pictures with their drawings and their friends after they finished, which was kind of sweet.

Beast Kingdom, a well-known distributor of American toys and movie merchandise, was there as usual, showcasing American toys like Iron Man and Doctor Strange. This year was no different. While wandering around, I stumbled upon the Ultraman Card Game experience area. The staff were guiding players on how to play the card battle game, which reminded me of scenes from tabletop game conventions. I couldn’t help but wonder if young people still know who Ultraman is, since I barely know him myself! In another corner, I came across a Yu-Gi-Oh! booth with card battle tutorials and various merchandise for sale. The small booth was packed with enthusiastic players, so it seems like card battle games still have a strong following.

I’ve heard that VTubers, who became popular during the pandemic, have become a force to be reckoned with in the anime industry in recent years. There was a dedicated VTuber area at the expo, featuring VTubers launched by game company UserJoy Technology and ones invited by Gamania. Even online marketplace Ruten invited VTubers for meet-and-greet events. Several VTuber agencies were also on-site, hosting activities to interact with fans. But since I’ve never really gotten into VTubers and don’t quite understand why they’re so popular, I was just aimlessly looking around.

It seems that through various partnerships and collaborations, the Comic Expo has become bigger and bigger each year. The number of cosplayers has also increased. For the younger generation who live their lives online, this is like a grand subculture carnival, giving fans a chance to connect with each other. The only downside is that it’s way too crowded.

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