Program 2018

Kuso Taisa is a superbly artistic and wonderfully productive creator from Indonesia! Pick up a new digital art tip or even more during her Digital Art Demo!

Mstrmagnolia is a uniquely creative and highly popular creator from Malaysia! Check our how she does her digital art pieces during her demo!

kiDChan is a hugely talented and massively popular creator from Malaysia! Come watch her Digital Art Demo and learn a new thing or two!

Prostituting Jimin: On the ethics of shipping real life K-pop idols

Within this presentation, I explore one facet of a recently emergent media fandom phenomenon: the integration of the fandoms of the Korean Wave and Japanese “boys love” (as well as the largely North American tradition of slash fandom).

Beginning with a cursory discussion of the pleasures underlining the practice of “shipping” or “coupling” (kappuringu) male K-pop idols, within this presentation I explore the ethical dilemmas inherent to “RPS” or “real person slash” practices. I particularly draw upon the massive worldwide fandom of the Korean boy group BTS (Bangtan Sonyeondan) to ask what are the ethical problems that may surround the decision to “prostitute Jimin” (one of the popular members of this group), a common trope in fanfiction concerning the band.

In particular, I reflect upon my own fan practices and fannish consumption to think through the ethics of “extreme fandom” and relate this to recent work emerging in the disciplines of Japanese pop culture studies and porn studies that have sought to explore the legal implications for such practices. To conclude, I briefly discuss my broader work exploring Japanese gay male fans of K-pop idols and compare this to my experiences in Australia and Manila where fan practices surrounding K-pop idols dramatically differ.

The best BL comics of 2017 are so hot that it leaves a singe under your bed. This presentation examines these titles, its “problematic” themes, and how Omegaverse became a part of BL’s landscape.

What makes a series wow, amazing? What inspires an audience to stay close more than one year down the line? Was Yuri!!! on ICE born to make history?

The team behind Born To Make History: A Yuri!!! on ICE Fan Gathering 2 presents their answer to these questions through a panel discussion on the sport, style, and story of Yuri!!! on ICE. Through the painstaking attention to detail given to the depiction of figure skating as a sport, the conscious creative decisions and homages present in the art style of the series, and the complex, tasteful, and emotionally engaging stories and journeys of each character on the show, the #yoiconph2018 team asserts that yes, we were born to make history.

Longtime anime fan and professional events organizer Rochelle Dumlao of JPOP Manila shows fellow fujoshi the fine line between fan merchandise and bootlegged goods! Come see her talk about Doujinshi & Piracy!

Professional comic creators Ace Vitangcol and Tintin Pantoja talk about turning your story into a steamy comic.

Jin is a popular cosplayer and highly sought after creator from the Philippines! Peggyshrooms is a multidisciplinary creator and highly-talented cosplayer! Come watch Jin and Peggyshrooms talk about cosplay!

Youtuber Calimack seizes the opportunity to immerse in Herculion’s latest kickstarter game where the masseuse can give an extra service! This live Let’s Play can get messy!

Line-Up and Schedules are subject to change without prior notice.