Food
When it comes to food, MCM Comic Con won’t leave you hungry. With over a dozen stalls dedicated to feeding visitors, there’s plenty to choose from. From burgers to bagels and chocolate fountain desserts, there’s always something for everyone. Also, unique in the PopAsia section are the London Japanese restaurants setting up the stalls to sell karaage, yakisoba, takoyaki, dorayaki, shaved ice, bubble tea, and many others.
As it is important to keep oneself hydrated, there were stalls that provided energy drinks to promote its brand as well as helping the visitors stay hydrated. Some places sold soft drinks and there’s also authentic Japanese green tea if you fancy one.
After the event ended each day, there are nearby restaurants and pubs just a minute away from the west entrance. Most people will eat in the Italian restaurant which serves dishes such as pasta and Italian pizza.
MCM Loves Anime
MCM Loves Anime is cinema screening event from All the Anime in conjunction with MCM. It takes place in The Crystal, which is around 10 minutes walk from ExCel. It is a separate event which you would have to buy the tickets separately from the main MCM London Comic Con event. The tickets were sold at £20 for early birds, which is £5 cheaper than the regular ticket. It is situated right next to the Emirates Royal Docks station which can transport you across the Thames river to Greenwich Peninsula via the Emirates Air Line cable car.
The event screened anime movies continuously one after another. The titles brought this year being Miss Hokusai, Gundam The Origin I: Blue-Eyed Casval + Gundam The Origin II: Artesia’s Sorrow, Love Live!: The School Idol Movie, and Empire of Corpses. Gundam The Origin I: Blue-Eyed Casval had its UK Premiere followed by the World Premiere of the English dub for Gundam The Origin II: Artesia’s Sorrow, which is shown right before the release of Japanese distribution for home releases. The atmosphere inside the screening is mostly silent with a few burst of laughs in some funny scenes. Security guards did warn some fans by not allowing the use of light sticks during the screening of the Love Live! movie. Every single person who attended the screening received an A2 Love Live! poster as a free gift from All the Anime.
Summary
MCM London Comic Con is a place where fans of all sorts of fandom get to meetup twice a year and the range of attractions offered here makes this event one of the most successful event in the UK. Look forward to a comparison article around the end of the year to discuss the difference between conventions in South East Asia compared to European counterparts.
The Indonesian Anime Times | Reporting and Pictures by Eri Gunawan S.
