The success story of MAGIC RAIN involves volunteerism and passion in what they enjoy. The site is reputable for its coverage and articles related to the ACG scene, as well as the organiser of Cosplay Commuter — a cosplay convention held at the Evolve Concept Mall on Saturday, July 8. Officially supported by RapidKL, the Cosplay Commuter is featured as Malaysia’s first cosplay convention incorporating cosplay and train-riding. Below is an exclusive interview with the crew:
What is MAGIC RAIN? MAGIC RAIN is an acronym for Manga, Anime, Games, Illustrations, Cosplay, Reviews, Articles, Insights, and News. We aim to portray the local ACG community in a positive light through media coverage. We believe the Malaysian scene has a lot of potential talents that deserve to be highlighted, and through MAGIC RAIN, we aim to bring these talents out for the community to appreciate.
How did you get started? We started out in 2016 with just four staff members, only to have expanded to 10 in the span of two months. We currently have 21 members in our staff. It exponentially grew out of unpredictability. We didn’t expect this growth considering we operate out of volition and not based on profit. All of our contributions are on a voluntary basis.
It started out as a response to the stereotypes of the ACG community. We aimed to showcase the local ACG scene’s talents in a positive light. We believe there is more to the community which has yet to be valued by society. Through MAGIC RAIN’s writing and volunteerism, we want to restore hope back to this community.
What are the core values of MAGIC RAIN? We believe in volunteerism and passion. We want to show that one does not need to be a big shot to make a difference to society. You can always contribute to society in your own respective ways, and MAGIC RAIN does in such a way that we give back to society with a do-it-yourself approach. We welcome anyone who is passionate about the ACG community to join us and contribute however they can.
Who does your website cater to? We want to present ourselves as a Malaysian brand to an international audience. We write and express our content internationally while giving a Malaysian feel to our works.
What has MAGIC RAIN achieved so far since its inception? Having recruited 21 members is an achievement on its own. To have that many people who agree with our core values and dedicate themselves to our cause means a lot for us.
We have reached past five-figure hits among readership. That is an accomplishment considering how our target audience may not have the patience to read but to skim through online articles these days. We had articles that had gone viral, including a critique of how the local ACG scene has become stagnant.
And of course, we are making history by organising the first cosplay gathering in Malaysia featuring commuter-riding — the Cosplay Commuter!
Who does MAGIC RAIN appeal to? We target primarily anyone belonging to the ACG community, from teens to young adults.
What was the concept behind Cosplay Commuter? ACG conventions have always been about expressing yourself; showcase your talents to like-minded fans of the subculture. However, the scene has become boring and uninventive in the past 3-4 years.
It has become linear and stagnant for a while — attendees will routinely come to a convention and are expecting contests, vendors, special guests and massive crowds. As time goes on, a sense of elitism began lingering among cosplayers in the community — long-established cosplayers would mingle within their own circles and may not interact with juniors who had recently started cosplaying.
It has come to a point where a segregation vibe became apparent. Cosplay Commuter aims to address these issues. Cosplay Commuter’s approach to running a convention for cosplayers provides everybody a platform of equality — everybody is equal in a public coach, open for mingling.
As an added bonus, it encourages the public in using the public transport to socialise — a common aspect seen in ACG conventions. By uniting everybody offline and in a public area as open as a train, we want to see cosplayers who are willing to step out of their comfort zones and be confident with themselves in public for a change.
We want to showcase the cosplay scene to be a sociable scene. For one weekend, we would want to impress the public commuters with the presence of cosplayers in the train from Ara Damansara — something new for a change. It’s the wow factor of a flash mob that brings marvel to this idea.
Who is participating? Everybody — the public is free to join and participate with the cosplayers on that one train ride. As the Cosplay Commuter does not have any ticket for entry, this event is a public event. Commuters would have to pay for their own train tickets, however.
To help promote the Cosplay Commuter, we have invited cosplay veteran Kino Mikii to attend. There are plenty of food options for attendees; we have collaborated with Food Truck Valley to provide our attendees with food options before embarking.
Is there an entry fee? There is no entry free to participate in the Cosplay Commuter gathering. Attendees who wish to participate are to pay for their own train fares during the commencement of the train ride.
Will the coaches be vacant upon arrival at Ara Damansara (the station where Cosplay Commuter attendees will start embarking)? We cannot guarantee that. The coach provided on that day would operate as usually scheduled; expect the general public commuters to be present at all times. It could either be the two-coach train or the four-coach train. Cosplay Commuter would commence its activity with any train that arrives at the commencement time on that day.
Does it seem like Cosplay Commuter is staging a flash mob and the public is invited to join them? Yes, of course!
What are the dos and don’ts during the Cosplay Commuter?
Realistic weapons and bulky cosplay are discouraged from being worn or transported throughout the train ride. Anything that may obstruct or compromise safety is not encouraged; dress your best to impress the public. We do have security volunteers and medical aid on standby for the safety of our attendees. All rules are provided in our website.
Will this be a one-hit wonder? We definitely hope not. We would consider organising more depending on the outcome of our first in a few days’ time.
How is MAGIC RAIN funded? Having started small there are a few things that need covering. We have financial backers from the ACG community itself. We are self-funded, though we may consider running ads in our websites in the future. We do find sponsors for organising events such as the Cosplay Commuters. We are hoping to garner influence and generate income through our activities as time goes on.
What’s next for MAGIC RAIN after Cosplay Commuter? It depends on the post-mortem results. If there is potential, we would consider running this gathering bi-annually. We have more plans in store to innovate the scene; it’s a matter of how people respond to them.
What inspired the utilisation of the train in the Cosplay Commuter? The idea of utilising public transport to the surprising public was based on New York’s annual culture called "No Pants Day”, where commuters would casually ride the train pants-less. Rather than taking something off, we encourage putting something on instead, i.e., cosplaying in the train.
Are you looking for volunteers? As our organisation is volunteer-based, yes. We are looking for volunteers during Cosplay Commuter in aiding security and guiding attendees. Do fill out our Google Doc posted on our Facebook page or visit our website to know more on how you can contribute to this historic gathering! All relevant information can be found in our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/themagicrain/.
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