THE ninth Shenzhen Cartoon and Animation Festival will run from July 20 to 24 at Hall 1 of Shenzhen Convention and Exhibition Center. The five-day festival features cosplay contests, street dance and otaku dance competitions, as well as cartoons and animations. The highlights of the festival this year will include a VR experience, children’s park and creative bazaar which will not only attract anime lovers but also provide a multi-cultural experience for families, according to the organizer. On top of that, anime voice actress Pile who is known for her role as Maki Nishikino in “LoveLive!” will be at the festival to present a mini concert to visitors. As the number of cartoon and animation lovers continues to grow, anime exhibitions have become a gathering place for many self-proclaimed otakus. The festival consists of different exhibition areas ranging from a competition viewing area, a gaming zone, an original work exhibition area and a relaxation area. Shenzhen Cartoon and Animation Festival, one of the largest animation events in Shenzhen, is rated by the Ministry of Culture as one of the four main animation festivals in the country. Since the first time it was held in 2009, it has attracted hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. In the eighth rendition last year, the exhibition area was extended to 30,000 square meters and a total of 200,000 visitors attended the festival.(Chen Xiaochun) ? | 