Nijigen Gives Free Booths For Cosplay But Not Artists, Drawing Criticism From Fans

Nijigen, the organizers of the upcoming Nijiket convention has come under some criticism after it was found that the event would be offering free booths for cosplay but not artists.

Registrations opened last week, with separate Google forms for cosplayers as well as artists– though many were quick to point out that while the Artist Alley charged RM300 for booth rental, Cosplayers had no charge associated with signing up.

In a statement to GamerBraves, Nijigen said that the cosplay booths were sponsored by the venue space.

“The reason why cosplayers are eligible for free booth is due to the sponsorship from the mall as they are keen to attract more cosplayers into the event”, the event reads. “We apologize again if ever you felt being treated unfairly on this matter and we’re hoping for your understanding”.

On Facebook, many commenters said the options made the artists feel unwelcome, since they had to pay for a privilege you’d otherwise get for free if you did cosplay.

One user, Aya, said it would have been preferable if Nijiket had simply forgone the tradition of having an Artist’s Alley if the organizers would rather focus on Cosplay.

“Artists get charged RM300, Cosplayers are free of charge”, they said. “Just have the event be fully cosplay, there’s no need to have an artist’s alley. Be straightforward about it”.

“Just open an event specifically for cosplayers if you’re so intent on promoting cosplay, no need for artists”, writes another Facebook user, Nico. “Even the cosplayers they picked are going to have thousands of followers and be sexy anyways”.
Artist Alleys have been seen as a staple of convention scenes, allowing amateur artists to sell self-published work ranging from fanart to original work.

In particular, a lot of the ire for Nijiket also comes from the name itself- which evokes imagery of Comiket, an event focused on self-published art.

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