Hong Kong's First Comic Con: Toei's Giant One Piece Displays Steal the ShowA · FULL TRANSLATION
- Hong Kong held its first Comic Con on May 29-31 at HKCEC
- Toei Animation's giant One Piece and Dragon Ball installations drew long queues
- Japanese, American and Chinese IP competed on one stage as Hong Kong re-enters pop culture
Hong Kong staged its first Comic Con, and Japanese IP was among the biggest money magnets in the room. The inaugural event ran May 29-31 at HKCEC with Tokyo-comparable pricing and international celebrity lineups. Toei Animation's playbook performed on cue: giant One Piece and Dragon Ball installations, exclusive merchandise with entry queues, and Japanese creators drawing live for fans - the standard export weapons kit of Japan's content industry, victorious in its Hong Kong debut. The wider context: Hong Kong's cultural stage revival and its gateway value to the Greater Bay Area, with Chinese homegrown IP like romance games competing on the same floor, previewing a more multipolar Asian pop culture market. For Taiwan's convention and IP businesses, Hong Kong's pricing and turnout set a new benchmark for the region's ceiling.
Comic Con was held in Hong Kong for the first time, organized by Optics Ventures with One Cool Group as co-organizer, running May 29-31 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. Admission started at HK$150 per day, comparable to Tokyo Comic Con. Despite being inaugural, the event drew actors and voice talent from around the world in the Western comic-con format combining celebrity interaction and merchandise sales. Diverse IP attracted attendees, from American comics to Chinese romance simulation games. Toei Animation installed giant One Piece and Dragon Ball displays and sold exclusive merchandise, with queues forming at the sales area. The creator zone thrived as Japanese artists performed live drawing and engaged directly with fans. Hong Kong actor Louis Koo's appearance and active involvement also drew attention.