Chapter 543: The Second Anime Festival

Chapter 543: The Second Anime Festival

Xing Tage moved out of his female friend's place the very night he made the decision, clearly having waited a long time for this day. Well, if you insist, you could say it was because his body couldn't withstand her relentless demands and he had long wanted to escape—that's not entirely off the mark.

After moving out, Xing Tage settled into the staff dormitory of the romance anime project team, successfully meeting his idol, director Liang Chun. He then stuck to him like glue, diligently working as an assistant director. Leaving aside his professional skills, his attitude was already on the right track.

From playboy to billionaire to assistant director, he swiftly completed his identity transformation.

Of course, having good looks before and now wealth, he devoted himself wholeheartedly to what he loved, maintaining an excellent mindset. He sought neither a needle nor a thread, nor did he scheme for a day or a night. Rather than saying he could endure loneliness, it was more accurate to say he truly had confidence.

He also had a plan in mind: spend a few years mastering the assistant role while familiarizing himself with the work of a director, aiming to eventually take the path of writing and directing his own works.

However, while his identity had transformed, his personality hadn't changed much, especially outside of work. Through some unknown means and chance, he somehow ended up entangled with an actress. This actress had come to dub an anime and was quite accomplished in terms of fame, popularity, acting skills, and looks, and had always been free of scandals.

As for being caught by paparazzi who dug up Xing Tage's romantic history, the actress's bold "defense of her man," and their eventual amicable parting—that would be a story for later.

...

The preparations for the second Shanhai Anime Festival were in full swing, and the online voting activities were heating up.

China's anime market this year was brimming with confidence—arguably the most confident year ever. Besides a blockbuster animated film, there had been significant progress in both manga and animation, with Shanhai Anime playing a crucial role.

Internally, Shanhai Anime had integrated a large number of anime talents while, to some extent, driving talent consolidation and industrial transformation across the industry. The funds and activities it launched and promoted allowed more anime creators to survive, secure stable incomes, and solve basic needs, pushing the entire foundation steadily upward. Shanhai Anime and Meng Fan's personal appeal and symbolic function were immensely powerful—uniting anime talents internally and attracting audiences and fans externally, serving as a perfect link between the two.

Externally, Shanhai Anime also facilitated exchanges between domestic and international anime industries. During and after the previous festival, connections between professionals at home and abroad increased more than ever before, with agreements and collaborations reached in one year surpassing the total of all previous years—though that was partly because the previous total was quite small. As leaders of China's anime industry, Shanhai Anime and Meng Fan played a significant promotional role and showcased their strength admirably.

The Shanhai Anime Festival held immense appeal both within and outside the industry. Even the first edition had been sufficiently attractive, but relatively more industry insiders had been watching from the sidelines. After the first festival concluded, those onlookers could no longer sit still, as the festival's achievements were simply too numerous.

Once preparations for this year's festival began, the number of entries for the Shanhai Anime Awards doubled compared to last year, and the number of exhibitors reached a staggering figure, forcing the management committee to pull out some staff for screening.

As for anime fans, there was no need to mention them—tickets sold out in seconds regardless of quantity.

Then came the celebrities willing to participate in the festival. Without any invitations from the organizers, various talent agencies came knocking on their own. The best scenario was arranging a performance; if not, then at least a role as an award presenter; failing that, at least a spot on the red carpet.

Not to mention these celebrity agents, during this period, various variety shows also approached, most commonly asking Meng Fan to lead a team of manga artists on their programs. Some TV stations even sought collaborations to launch anime-related shows—competitive, reality, interview, and even more absurdly, talent shows!

Voice Actor 101, China's Best Anime, Youth with Anime, Anime Band, Idol Manga Artist... Pick or not?!

Many amusing and funny things emerged, reflecting from another angle the reality of Chinese manga rising from its infancy to prosperity!

The power of a role model is something no one can fully imagine.

If that role model is Meng Fan, it becomes even more unimaginable.

Of course, it's not to say that relying solely on one Meng Fan could solve everything. Strictly speaking, it was in a suitable environment and at an opportune time that a suitable, excellent, and driven role model like Meng Fan emerged, propelling Chinese anime forward faster and more steadily.

...

In the blink of an eye, New Year's Day passed, and soon the end of the lunar year approached. Meng Fan declined an invitation to the Spring Festival Gala, staying put in Hangzhou to continue preparing for the anime festival.

The anime festival was fixed for February 2nd, and the second Shanhai Anime Festival opened as scheduled. There were many differences from the first edition, including the addition of an opening ceremony gala. After the opening ceremony came a seven-day anime festival with various performances and activities, culminating in the closing ceremony and awards ceremony.

Both the opening and closing ceremonies of the second edition were held at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center, while the anime festival itself remained at the Xizi Lake Anime Park.

The opening ceremony gala began at 8 PM on February 2nd, with simultaneous live broadcasts on the internet and television. The red carpet for the opening ceremony started at 5 PM, lined with countless reporters on both sides, and was also streamed live online.

As with the first edition, the Shanhai Anime Festival adhered to the principle of prioritizing anime professionals over celebrity guests, and the red carpet was no exception. Whether at the beginning or the end, the participants were winners from last year's anime awards, while celebrity guests were concentrated in the middle "dead time." Of course, the media and public attention inevitably focused mostly on these celebrities.

Additionally, the celebrity guests walking the red carpet this time were all very cooperative and embraced the spirit of "willingly playing second fiddle." Each person's clothing and even makeup incorporated anime elements, with many cosplaying as anime characters, fully demonstrating their attitude for coming—being "low-key" while earning widespread praise.

The most surprising and stunning cosplay once again fell to Meng Caiwei, just like last year, and it was another cross-gender cosplay. Last year, she was Tuxedo Mask; this year, she was Nezha from *Ne Zha: Birth of the Demon Child*. Her slouching, roguish demeanor shocked everyone except Meng Fan. Additionally, another person was extremely stunning—Wu Tong, who walked alongside Meng Caiwei. Wu Tong naturally cosplayed as Ao Bing, looking exceptionally handsome!

(End of chapter)