You really can't miss Super Brand Mall with the two bulls guarding the front entrance but this time the crowds were taking snaps of the EVA EXPO display. The frontage featured a customized Suzuki sports bike along with an excellent replica of the EVA-001 mecha from the original Neon Genesis Evangelion series. I wasn't sure if most of the parents, kids and passers-by were familiar with the seminal Japanese animated feature. However, many of them had their kids stand in front of the gorgeous and shiny motorbike. What was truly surprising was the number of adults and young women who were as fascinated with the EVA frontage as the manga fans. A security guard kept watch at the popular display and was almost hysterical when a five year-old slipped through the ropes and almost hugged the handblade sporting EVA-001.
After taking a few snaps for J. Jonah Jameson (ahem) I decided to check out the exhibit myself. Unfortunately, my accountant wasn't around to approve a loan for paying for the ticket. Moreover, the lines at 11:45 am stretched to three floors with enthusiasts and dedicated fans holding Nintendo DS, iPhones and smartphones to keep them busy while waiting their turn. The Shanghainese in the queue were unusually patient and I even saw one guy reading a Chinese-translated issue of Mighty Avengers on his iPad. I took the escalator to the 6th floor but a few representatives from NERV prevented me from going to the convention floor - you needed a ticket. However, I have a feeling the convention was extremely well done because fans who rushed inside never came out. I can imagine the thousands of renminbi they were spending to buy EVA memorabilia.
Unlike Japanese fan events in Tokyo or in New York, there were actually very few costumed visitors (cosplayers). Hey, it's Shanghai - wearing Prada and LV is considered casual. I took a hasty snapshot of a couple of lolita-dressed fans and saw one guy who looked like Rayto from Death's Note and another bespectacled lady who resembled the new EVA character from the Rebuild series. I was extremely disappointed there were no Asuka or Rei cosplayers around and then it occurred to me the convention probably hired leggy supermodels that wore authentic costumes that cost more than my groceries for three months.
Hours later, I was watching Sandra Bullock in her underwear in space and kept expecting Angels to appear out of nowhere and destroy the Earth and consume George Clooney.
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