Thousands of fans throng 5-day animation, comics and games fair in Hong Kong

Thousands of visitors have flocked to an animation, comics and games fair in Hong Kong, drawn to Hello Kitty plush toys, Spider-Man figurines and spinning top contests, among other collectibles and interactive activities.

The five-day Ani-Com & Games Hong Kong fair opened on Friday at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai, with many attendees seeking to buy limited-edition merchandise arriving early in the morning before opening hours.

The first visitor to enter this year’s convention was 21-year-old university student Eric Yip, who arrived at 7am after being selected in a lucky draw as one of the first 300 visitors. He bought a standard HK$50 (US$6.40) admission ticket.

“I was really happy and couldn’t believe I was selected,” he said.

Yip, who has attended the annual event almost every year, said he was prepared to spend more than HK$1,000 on merchandise. He was among the first visitors to get his hands on Sanrio products, including Pompompurin and Cinnamoroll items.

Hongkongers Verna Liu and Kasa Liu, both in their twenties, also came specifically for Sanrio merchandise. The pair paid an additional HK$100 for fast track tickets and waited in line for more than an hour before entering.

They said they were especially looking forward to Sanrio’s long-legged Hello Kitty products, which were only available through limited sales channels.