AniMetro x WaConne AniFest, billed as Odisha’s largest anime event, drew a substantial crowd of anime enthusiasts to the Rail Auditorium in Bhubaneswar on June 30, 2024, marking a yet another successful instalment of the event.
Close to 1000 people had attended the event this year. This was a marked improvement compared the previous one in November 2023, which saw an attendance of approximately 420 people.
Organized by DBS Chronicles and FunHub Odisha, the event featured a variety of activities, including cosplay, anime music video (AMV) edits, and art competitions with a total prize pool of ₹15,000.
Attendees also enjoyed merchandise shops, food stalls, and panels with popular YouTubers, creators, and voice actors.
A major highlight of the event was the introduction of VTubing, powered by WCP India. WaConne Project (WCP) India, a Japan-based VTubing company, aims to create a market in India while promoting Japanese culture through anime.
Attendees had the opportunity to interact with their favorite influencers as anime characters through a virtual YouTubing platform. Mayo Japan and Rara (leading Cosplayer) represented WCP India at the event.
The event also featured panels with Aish Khar, Pranik, Badal, AnimeTM talks (Tarun, Rajat), Nandini, Sanket Mhatre (voice of Deadpool, Ben 10), Parul Bhatnagar (voice of Shizuka, Kazama), Lohit Sharma (voice of Gojo), and Nachiket Dighe (voice of Ash from Pokémon, Ron from Harry Potter).
Regional influencers like Mrinmay and Satya (Logokuhe) also added to the excitement of the event.
The event ended with the prize ceremony honoring the winners of the competition.