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Touken Rambu

Is spending 248,380 yen (US$1,840) on an anime boy doll a wise choice? Our fangirl finds out!

A big love for Touken Ranbu leads to a big expenditure, but is it money well spent?

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Four (actually five) important manners tips for attending anime stage shows in Japan

Our hardcore anime musical fan gives us a quick course in otaku/fujoshi etiquette.

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Touken Rambu chocolates are a treat for anime fans and a test of how well you know the characters

Our resident blade boy supporter doesn’t need to look at the label to know what flavor her favorite characters are.

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The female cosplayers (and their occasionally male characters) of Summer Wonder Festival

Last weekend, it was once again time for Japan’s model and garage kit enthusiasts to gather for the summer iteration of Wonder Festival, held at the Makuhari Messe convention center in Chiba Prefecture. But while the event’s primary goal is to showcase the talents of those recreating anime and video game characters in plastic and resin, you’ll also find plenty of fans bringing their favorite heroes and heroines to life in flesh and cloth, as Wonder Festival has also become a major draw for cosplayers.

But would the soaring temperature during this year’s Summer Wonder Festival keep cosplayers in their air-conditioned homes? Not at all, and we figured if they were going to brave the heat, we would too, so we grabbed our camera and headed for the convention.

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