Growing subcultures

KARACHI: The youth in the provincial capital city met on a unique cultural platform recently to exhibit their favourite characters of the Korean and Japanese pop subcultures at a convention titled ‘Karachi Anime & Comic Con (KACC)’ that was organised by the city’s Geek Haven society at the Arts Council of Pakistan.

The convention brought together members of a subculture where the participants wore flamboyant, colourful costumes representing the popular Japanese animation (colloquially known as anime) and Korean characters and pop stars.

The Japanese and Korean subcultures have grown in popularity over the past few years. The rise in the acceptance for foreign visual cultures has gripped the city’s youth, as they continue binge watching their shows, gain inspiration and religiously follow news about their favourite characters. The cultural platform serves as an annual get together for those artists who take out time from their busy schedules to indulge in artistic endeavours.

Moreover, the convention also offers a meet and greet opportunity for those new to the local community as well as like-minded K-pop and anime enthusiasts who may be familiar with each other on digital platforms but need a chance to collaborate on stage. This reportedly helps the Karachi pop scene discover other members of their ever-growing community whom they have been looking to share values with.

How it all started

Speaking to Bol News about how Korean pop and anime influenced the youth in their early days, KACC founder Haris Khurrum commented that as a child, he was exposed to many elements of Japanese culture even before he was aware of it. “To be honest, I do not even know how little I was when I started watching my uncles play The King of Fighters and Street Fighter. We used to have these cute, monster-like creatures stuck at the mirrors of our homes and I always wondered why these characters looked so different from us; why they were not part of reality”.

He added that in his early teens, he was introduced to Pokemon, Digimon and Dragon Ball Z. “Soon after, Naruto started airing on television and became the talk of the town. This reignited my love for anime and I realised how prominent this subculture played a role in my life and of those around me”.

Khurrum stated that “It was not so easy for us to watch Japanese animation. My family thought I was a lunatic for watching something that was not in my native languages Urdu and English. Dealing with bullies became the norm and I was often ridiculed for watching the very shows that had an enormous impact on my wellbeing”.

Both anime and Korean pop have made me who I am today, he asserted. “I have picked the best from both these vivid subcultures and instilled it’s values in me wherever I go”.

Flawless cosplay

The convention provides a platform for cosplay, a practice within the subculture that involves the wearing of elaborate costumes.

Talha Waseem, part of the KACC management team, said that while growing up, his obsession with anime meant he had to gradually distance himself from the peers who had no understanding of this art. “I was nearly always mocked, belittled and even thought of as mentally ill-equipped to deal with reality. But what our society does not understand about these subcultures is that our deviance is also reality.”

The judgment of my own people resulted in the development of an inferiority complex within myself and this worsened my social anxiety, he added. “Nonetheless, the love and the support of my friends and college peers gave me a chance at life to embrace my passions and be valid.”

Moreover, the convention also offered souvenirs, music albums, and the merchandise of comics, manga and stickers. A variety of food was available for the guests and participants on different stalls at the cultural exhibition.

Waseem elaborated that as with any medium, anime too, can be utilised to impart ideas and messages that are generally very hard to convey through traditional means. “A prime example of this is the work of the animator Hayao Miyazaki and his Studio Ghibli. His team’s pacifistic stance in the face of man-made evils plaguing our world is commendable, to say the least”.

The K-pop phenomenon

Filzah Baig, an anime and K-pop enthusiast, remarked that the Korean visual culture has a deep impact on every follower. “What we learn from our favourite pop stars are ideals not seen in our own society. Self-expression and self-love are rare in today’s world and they teach us to understand its importance in our lives and of those around us”.

These subcultures shape our morals and give us a glimpse into the world of the lives of those we usually do not understand”.

Baig further said the K-pop subculture is quite significant in Karachi. “This subculture is growing with the passage of time and right now it is at a stage where we can say that more and more people are learning about it and also embracing it”.

Ayesha, another Korean culture enthusiast, told Bol News that K-pop culture meant following pop stars who are flamboyant and feminine. “Discrimination against flamboyance is rampant in our society so we have to stay closeted about this subculture in Karachi, keeping our opinions and expression to ourselves. Even cons were kept secret as cosplayers were seen as grown-up individuals dressing up like ‘cartoons‘. We see that same prejudice today from the 2021 Gujranwala incident where a billboard of BTS’ Jungkook was removed for its perceived vulgarity.”

The cultural platform was not limited to the fandom as relatives and friends of the active participants also attended in support of the growing subcultures. This support allowed the K-pop, gaming and anime enthusiasts to express themselves openly and strengthen their identities through affirmation of their new, distinct social values.