The Chennai Trade Centre transformed into a living, breathing multiverse as capes, cloaks, wigs and handcrafted daggers shimmered under bright convention lights. What began as a global pop-culture phenomenon unfolded as something far more intimate, a hyperlocal celebration powered by Chennai’s own fandom.
Luffys from One Piece and characters from Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, but they mingled easily with a whimsical Mad Hatter from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, a Judy Hopps inspired by Zootopia, stoic gaming avatars, and even Alfred from Batman.
The universes were many; the geography was unmistakably Chennai. Families, including several foreign visitors with their children, moved through the aisles, pausing for photographs, cheering strangers, and absorbing an atmosphere that felt both international and distinctly local.
Among the cosplayers, identity was negotiated between personality, practicality and passion. Nicasius Thomas Gozmao, dressed as Sung Jin-Woo from Solo Leveling, said, “While my trench coat is sourced from Dubai, the rest of the ensemble was local, including handmade daggers crafted for recognisability. It’s about accessibility.
When Comic Cons come to cities like Chennai, it’s mostly the local community that participates. It becomes inclusive.” Many preferred watching anime in its original Japanese. Nearly everyone returned to one recurring theme: community. “It’s fun to see people who won’t look at you weirdly,” an attendee laughed.
Recognition was the biggest compliment of the day. People passing by saying, ‘Oh my God, I know who you are!’ made our day,” he responded. What stood out most was the seamless blending of imported pieces with locally stitched fabrics, global icons with Chennai sensibilities.
The event did not feel like a borrowed spectacle; it felt claimed and reshaped. In a city often stereotyped for tradition alone, the gathering proved that fandom, too, has found its Tamil heartbeat, global in origin, hyperlocal in spirit, and joyfully, unapologetically inclusive.