Osaka Comic Con 2024 begun!

Tokyo Comic Convention 2024 is held at Intex Osaka for 3 days from 3 to 5 May 2024. It has finally started now!

This year marks its 9th time totally, included the the past events in Tokyo, and the long-awaited 2nd times for Osaka Comic Con. Fans who couldn't wait for the doors open at 11:00  formed a long line and the venue was filled with fans from morning.

Grand opening ceremony! 

The opening ceremony marking the beginning of Osaka Comic Con 2024, all seats at the stage was full and the venue was surrounded by the excitement atmosphere from all fans.

The appearance of the main MCs, LiLiCo and Ryohei Odai, drew a huge round of applause, and when they asked, "It's finally starting! Are you all excited?'' the audience cheered and replied "Yeah!'' inside the venue.

Afterwards, NMB48 members who are PR ambassadors, rushed to the podium in a cute manner, and Wakana Abe said, "We are a group based in Osaka, and as PR ambassadors, we would like to expand the circle of Comic-Con together with everyone. We want to make the three days the best. She expressed her enthusiasm as an ambassador, and the other members (Kokoro Sakata, Rei Uenishi, Wakana Abe, Chihiro Kawakami, and Kione Shiozuki) also gave greetings one by one on the stage.

Ambassador Takumi Saito then appeared with the big round of cheers. "This is Ambassador Dean Fujioka. No, it's NMB48. I was nervous and made a mistake, it's Takumi Saito."

After getting a laugh out of nowhere, he continuely said, "With great enthusiasm, I would like to spend these three days sharing my dreams with the stars who colored your lives when you were movie boys and movie girls.", he passionately talked about his thoughts as an ambassador. Then, ambassador Takumi announced the opening "Osaka Comic Con 2024 has begun!", and "Osaka Comic Con 2024" has finally started.

From here, it was time for the celebrities who visited Japan to appear, and the fans who filled the venue greeted them with screaming cheers and loud applause as they took the stage one after another from the center of the stage. 

The first person to appear was Mr. C.B. Cebulski (Editor-in-Chief of Marvel Comics), who is well known at Japanese Comic Con. He appeared with his hands raised in the air and said, ``Hello Osaka! Hello! Let's have fun this year too!'' as fluently as ever. Greetings in Japanese. Next, Mr. Thomas F. Wilson appeared with his camera in hand and took pictures of the audience, saying, ``Hello! Osaka! Cheese! Cheese!'' and creating waves in the venue with ``Wave! Wave!'' and exciting the venue.

Daniel Logan, a celebrity goodwill ambassador for Japan's Comic Con, greeted everyone in Japanese, which he improves each time he visits Japan, saying, "Hello! Thank you for coming! I love you! Osaka!'' Mr. Temuera Morrison appeared with his hands together and bowed politely, and when asked, "How are you, Osaka?'', the full audience cheered with all his might, "How are you!'', and Mr. Temuera Satisfied, he answered with a smile, "Ookini!" Then, when Tom Hiddleston, who is very popular in Japan, appeared, the fans who filled the venue, including those standing, cheered even louder.In response, he waved while watching from every corner of the audience, saying, "I'm so happy to be in Osaka.'' I'm happy, I'm happy to meet everyone,'' he said with a big smile as he spoke in Japanese about his current feelings.

Mads Mikkelsen, who also participated in last year's "Osaka Comic Con 2023" and "Tokyo Comic Con 2023", dashed onto the stage while blowing a kiss, and the excitement in the audience was at its peak! "Hello Osaka! I'll do my best to meet you all!'' he said, looking at each fan individually, and at the end he blew them another kiss, captivating the crowd. Peter Weller, who is participating in Japan Comic Con for the first time in a long time, greeted in fluent Japanese, saying, "I'm happy to be here. Thank you. Hello!'', and the fans who came to the event cheered.

The last person who appeared was Christopher Lloyd. He was greeted with warm applause from various celebrities. Thomas F. Wilson, who co-starred in "Back to the Future," motioned to the audience to clap more, and Christopher Lloyd, although very shy, happily waved to the fans. I responded. Seeing the stage full of gorgeous visiting celebrities, Ambassador Takumi Saito commented, "My heart is a little full. It's too dazzling,'' with an expression of admiration that made him feel like he was back in the movies.

Next, the Kagami Biraki ceremony, which is a familiar event at the Japanese Comic Con opening ceremony, will be held to pray for the great success of "Osaka Comic Con 2024", and Tom Hiddleston and Sophia Di Martino were already seen in front of the sake barrels lined up. Sophia Di Martino started playing chanbara with a mallet, Norman Reedus, wearing a half-cover, took pictures of the fans inside the stadium, and Temuera Morrison, also wearing a half-cover, tried to break the lid of a barrel with a hand sword. The excitement of the celebrities was at its peak as they posed. Once the preparations were complete, the participants all swung the mallets and held the Kagami biraki ceremony, chanting "Yoisho, yoisho, yoisho!'' and the venue erupted in thunderous applause.

At the end of the opening ceremony, Norman Reedus and Mads Mikkelsen stood shoulder-to-shoulder and took a selfie with the audience in the background, and Temuera Morrison and Peter Weller also took pictures of the venue with their own cameras until the end. I left the podium while doing so.

Official Website: https://osakacomiccon.jp/
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