We had the opportunity to check out Kodansha's outstanding manga series Kodansha House and it was a fun experience. The event opens to the public on October 4 and is located in SoHo, 45 Grand Street, open Wednesday through Sunday from 12pm to 9pm throughout October. The location is quite difficult miss; the entrance is a giant shelf of comics and the noise around the entrance was, at least for me, noticeable compared to the rather deserted streets.
There are two types of events at Kodansha House. First up is the static portion of the product, which includes several indie art gallery-style displays from popular manga series like Attack on Titan, Akira, and Witch Hat Atelier. This also includes two static installations, including the Akira Slide Photobooth, where fans can wear Kaneda's iconic jacket and goggles as well as pose for photos with a stationary Akira bike and Titan's Fury – Attack on Titan Photobooth, where fans can experience a life-sized model of the Attack on Titan walled village and act out scenes as the titans. The first of these was a crowd favorite the night I visited and the second was my favourite. There's a lot of detail in the Attack on Titan activation process, and there are a number of mini Titan suits you can wear while acting out scenes, which makes for better (and funnier) shots.
The second type of event includes multiple movie nights, manga-focused events, social-focused events such as “Speed-Making” nights, opportunities to meet manga creators and marketers. The comic school opens to trade with fellow fans on the 26th. Unfortunately, registration has closed for the majority of the event (other than, at the time of this writing, the “Toast of Tardiness” scavenger hunt ” on Sunday the 6th and the manga market did not request a response).
Admittedly, looking at the still parts of the offerings at Kodansha House goes pretty quickly. It really feels like an art gallery (or several booths at a conference), meaning you can spend as much time as you want enjoying the installations and watching the activities, specials, and activities. Especially if you're queuing to take photos. However, if you are in the area, I think it would be a great thing to stop by and enjoy the nostalgia of some outstanding classic series along with maybe some interest to newer movies. Furthermore, there is also a social factor; Spaces like these are great places to meet others in the same manga series, and it's definitely an underrated aspect of the event.
To those lucky enough to win the lottery to meet the creators or be quick enough to RSVP because of the variety of events, there are even more reasons to go. In either case, this is something worth checking out if you're in the area.