(Shanghai, China) — From July 12 to 14, 2024, Aniplex (Shanghai) Cultural Art Co., Ltd., a member of the Sony Group, made its presence known at BilibiliWorld 2024 with a plethora of popular anime IPs. Titles such as “Demon Slayer,” “Laid-Back Camp,” “WIND BREAKER Wind Chime,” among others, were featured alongside an array of merchandise. Several pre-sale figure models made their debut in China, while a rich assortment of goods was available for the first offline purchase. Among them, new pins and color paper from “Demon Slayer: Pillar Training Chapter” made their national launch offline. A meticulously crafted cosplay interaction stage recreated iconic scenes from “Laid-Back Camp,” drawing large crowds of fans to take photos.
Aniplex (Shanghai) Cultural Art Co., Ltd. makes its appearance at BilibiliWorld 2024
Aniplex Shanghai booth (Booth No. 1A23, Hall 1.1)
Popular IPs Gather, Debut of Numerous Merchandise
This year’s BilibiliWorld marked the seventh participation for Aniplex Shanghai, aiming to deeply engage with fans of ACG (Anime, Comic, Game) culture, strengthening ties and interactions. As a renowned animation production company, the Aniplex Shanghai booth garnered significant attention. Enthusiastic fans flocked to the stand to check out hot IPs and select their favorite merchandise.
Animation fans selecting merchandise at the Aniplex Shanghai booth
Aniplex Shanghai brought along “Demon Slayer,” “Laid-Back Camp,” “WIND BREAKER Wind Chime,” “Fate/Grand Order,” “Sword Art Online,” “Lycoris Recoil,” and other popular IPs. Among them, pre-sale painted figures from “Demon Slayer,” “Laid-Back Camp,” “Lycoris Recoil,” and others were displayed for the first time in the country. Simultaneously, new pins and color paper from “Demon Slayer: Pillar Training Chapter” made their national debut at BilibiliWorld 2024. As globally acclaimed animated works, the series of “Demon Slayer” merchandise attracted numerous fans for purchasing and collecting. Additionally, merchandise from “Laid-Back Camp” (“Summer Music Festival Chibi Series”), “Solo Leveling,” “Ao no Exorcist: Shimane Keimei Sect Chapter,” and “Puella Magi Madoka Magica” (“ANIPLEX 20th Anniversary Series”) also made their first offline sales. On-site, there were surprise blind box gifts and stickers prepared for animation enthusiasts who purchased a certain amount of goods.
Painted figures on display at BilibiliWorld 2024
Nationally debuted colored paper from “Demon Slayer: Pillar Training Chapter”
*1 Painted Figures: Pre-painted figures refer to high-quality character models that have already been painted and assembled, typically based on characters from animations or games. They are made from materials such as resin or PVC, featuring high detail and exquisite painting.
*2 Colored Paper: Colored paper (Shikishi) is a common type of animation merchandise, usually used to display signatures and artwork by illustrators, manga artists, or animation characters on white hardboard. The standard size of colored paper is typically 24cm x 27cm.
New merchandise from “Laid-Back Camp” at the booth
The variety of merchandise at the booth served as a tangible link between ANIPLEX’s animated works and the real world, responding to fans’ love and enhancing connections. Pins, plushies, postcards, double-flashing pins, random blind box amulets, and other themed merchandise received praise from fans.
Booth Activities Highlight, High Spirits Among ACG Fans
“Laid-Back Camp” is an animated work that tells the story of high school girl Kato Hitori breaking through her shell and finding friendship and dreams in the process of joining a band. It has been widely praised for its touching character development and moving music production, becoming a crossover phenomenon. At this year’s BilibiliWorld, the Aniplex Shanghai booth recreated the classic “Showa Festival” scene from the animation, accompanied by captivating cosplay performances. Cosplayers of the Laid-Back Camp band interacted with fans on site, recreating the emotional moment of the entire band gathering. Many animation enthusiasts visited the booth for photos, including many carrying animation-themed charms or itabags, and cosplayers spontaneously wearing costumes to recreate classic images from ANIPLEX IP works, expressing their love for ANIPLEX’s IP works.
cosplay stage performance of “Laid-Back Camp” at the Aniplex Shanghai booth
*3 Laid-Back Camp Band: The Laid-Back Camp Band (Ending Band) is a female high school band that appears in the TV animation “Laid-Back Camp,” consisting of guitarist Kato Hitori, drummer Ijichi Koharu, bassist Yamada Ryou, and lead vocalist/guitarist Kita Ito.
*4 Itabag: An itabag is a bag decorated with a large number of animation, manga, or idol merchandise, often festooned with pins, plushies, etc. Due to the exaggerated decorations on these bags, which give a visually “painful” impact, they are named so.
As an important channel for direct communication with fans, Aniplex Shanghai also planned a series of exciting booth activities. For example, posting photos of booth check-ins and sharing viewing experiences on social platforms like Weibo and Xiaohongshu could earn limited edition stickers exclusive to the BilibiliWorld booth. Moreover, ANIPLEX’s popular IPs “Demon Slayer” and “Solo Leveling” had specially designed booths set up by Bilibili in Hall 8.1, attracting many animation enthusiasts to visit.
Animation fans participating in booth activities
*5 Stamp Collecting: At conventions or events, stamp collecting refers to the act of taking photos with companions or cosplayers. Later, it was extended to mean taking commemorative photos.
Sony Product Surprising Collaborations, IP Content Empowering Creation
The Aniplex Shanghai booth at this year’s Bilibili World also featured a special “Sony × Laid-Back Camp” collaboration zone, showcasing multiple limited-edition Sony product sets and collaborative merchandise. Meanwhile, the Sony (China) Co., Ltd. booth also presented ANIPLEX’s captivating content. Gathering communities interested in technology and entertainment, the Sony booth fully displayed “Laid-Back Camp.” Special scenic stages and cosplay interactive performances were simultaneously presented in the Sony exhibition area. Visitors could experience professional portrait photography through Sony imaging products. Additionally, in the audio product display area, they could try on the ULT WEAR subwoofer noise-canceling headphones participating in the summer “Sony × Laid-Back Camp” collaboration and listen to the “Laid-Back Camp” original soundtrack through the Sony Select Hi-Res music app. During the exhibition, completing booth check-in activities allowed participants to win prizes such as “Laid-Back Camp” animation postcards, “Sony × Laid-Back Camp” fridge magnets, or collaborative tote bags.
*6 “Sony × Laid-Back Camp” Collaboration: A joint project planned by Sony Direct Stores and Aniplex Shanghai. From July 10 to August 11, 2024, participating in activities or purchasing designated Sony products on specified platforms could earn limited “Laid-Back Camp” merchandise.
“Sony × Laid-Back Camp” collaboration display at the Aniplex Shanghai booth
Sony booth display of “Laid-Back Camp” content
“Sony × Laid-Back Camp” collaboration display at the Sony booth
cosplay stage performance at the Sony booth “Laid-Back Camp” stage
Koutarou Hirayama, General Manager of Aniplex (Shanghai) Cultural Art Co., Ltd., stated: “Through collaborations and co-exhibitions with businesses such as Sony Electronics, Aniplex Shanghai rapidly extends popular IP content to broader interest communities. As content for creative expression, ANIPLEX’s animation IP content not only comprehensively permeates creative capture and appreciation but also continuously provides inspiration to creators and audiences. Sony always adheres to the vision in China of ‘Inspiring creativity and evoking passion, co-creating emotion with dream chasers,’ and is dedicated to driving changes in creation to maximize IP value, allowing creators’ creativity and entertainment capabilities to be fully unleashed. In the future, ANIPLEX will continue to create more scenarios close to creators, infusing enthusiasm and emotion into their lives.”
ANIPLEX Booth Information: Booth No. 1A23, Hall 1.1, National Convention and Exhibition Center, Shanghai
