Manar Elbaz

DUBAI: Dubai’s Wafi City is welcoming an exclusive anime pop-up until Jan. 31, featuring a collection of officially licensed merchandise from some of Japan’s most beloved anime titles, such as ‘Jujutsu Kaisen,’ ‘Dandadan,’ and ‘Chainsaw Man.’

The official opening was marked with a cosplay catwalk highlighting Dubai’s talented cosplayers and an interactive Kahoot trivia challenge hosted by pop culture community groups.

The pop-up is hosted by Experience11, a Hong Kong-based company that specializes in hosting anime pop-ups and exhibitions, in collaboration with Sunrise Pop, an online brand specializing in selling anime merch. 

Jonathan Leung, Experience11’s General Manager, told Arab News Japan that he picked five renowned anime shows due to their popularity in the Middle East. 

“Experience11 operates malls in Hong Kong and China and we found out that it is important to catch on to the most recent trends and, more importantly, understand different target groups,” he said.  

“This time we are only focusing on anime but soon there will be more to come,” he added. 

While the pop-up is concluding in Jan., Leung shared that he would love to expand the limited pop-up further to attract diverse crowds.

“We don’t want to just expand in the UAE; we want to expand beyond in the GCC region. For reference, Saudi Arabia has the Dragon Ball Z theme park coming soon and Abu Dhabi hosts Comic Con annually. We first started here in Dubai but we see a lot of prospects in terms of the GCC region,” he shared. 

“The crowds we are attracting here are certainly the people we want to target. Nothing beats an in-person experience and cosplays. That’s why these activations are important,” Leung added. 

The pop-up is showcasing exclusive, limited-edition pieces that are not available in any other store in Dubai, ranging from blind boxes to stationary items.

Some of the items include a golden figure of Turbo Granny from ‘Dandadan,’ premium action figures of Yuji Itadori, Satoru Gojo, and Suguru Geto, as well as ‘Chainsaw Man’ night lights and plush toys inspired by ‘Kaiju No. 8.’