[See & Be Seen] We Went to RedNote's Anime Comics & Games Fair
See & Be Seen is our semi-regular peek into the people, parties, and pop-ups that give this city its buzz. From gallery openings and rooftop mixers to low-key scene-y happenings, we swing by, soak it in, and share a slice of what went down.It's a light-touch look at where we were, what it was, and who showed up – followed by a gallery at the end most importantly – photo galleries at the end.Scroll through. You might see someone you know. Or yourself. Probably holding a drink.
Look, Shanghai temple fairs are cool. Firecrackers, lion dances, old dudes hawking deep-fried things on sticks... the classics! But what if we did all that, added hundreds of cosplayers, enough anime plushies to bury a mid-sized panda, and set it in a giant shopping mall where you can also get a soy latte? Welcome to the future, friend: Xiaohongshu's ACGN Chinese Fair.
RedNote IRL: Because Screens Aren't Enough
If you haven't been sucked into the vortex of Xiaohongshu (that's "RedNote" if you're fancy, or "the app where your friends are suddenly experts on eyelash perms"), it's basically where Shanghai's Gen Z plots their rise to cultural supremacy. We wrote about the brief phenomenon where millions of American's piled onto the APP last year in protest of the looming TikTok ban, good read! Think of the APP as Pinterest plus Douban, with a dash of "yes, you DO need another tote bag." Now they've taken all that online energy – the memes, the fandoms, the #aesthetic – and turned it into a real-life, flesh-and-blood festival at Push Art Center in Putuo.What's it got? The entire ACGN stew: Animation, Comics, Games, Novels. Yes, it's a festival named after an acronym. No, your parents will not understand. Five themed zones, crowdsourced by the actual Xiaohongshu user base (because of course they were), and stalls where you can buy limited edition Genshin Impact keychains or spend an hour getting your photo taken with someone dressed as a sentient cup of milk tea.
Cosplayers, Dumplings, and That New Year Vibe
Here's what's wild: They've mashed up the classic Chinese New Year temple fair – dumplings, lanterns, red everywhere – with a full-blown anime-con fever dream. On one side, grandmas are writing spring couplets; on the other, a dude in full Demon Slayer regalia is live-streaming to his 60,000 followers. Somewhere in the middle, people are painting tiny cat masks and arguing about who's the best husbando. It's chaos, it's glorious, it's very Shanghai 2026.And because it's Xiaohongshu, there's enough "participatory content creation" to satisfy the most rabid dopamine junkie. You want to help design a fair zone via online poll? You can. You want to watch a live DJ do remixes of anime theme songs while a kid dressed as pikachu whips a yoyo? Also possible. Everyone's a content creator now, including your uncle who accidentally wandered into the photo zone.If you go...Date: Through February 1, 12pm-8pmVenue: Push Art Center, Push Plaza (普熙金融广场PUSH艺术中心)Address: 88 Yunling Rd E. (云岭东路88号)
But Seriously, Just Look at These Players!
Words don't do it justice, so here's a photo gallery: cosplayers giving face. If your Instagram is in need of some content... this is a fun thing to do this weekend. This is what happens when old-school temple fair collides with the terminally-online, and honestly, it's pretty fun to watch:
Credit: Ma Xuefeng
Caption: When the company dress code says "business formal" but your inner wolf god and celestial goddess are both on the guest list.
Credit: Ma Xuefeng
Caption: A wild guess. Could this be from NieR: Automata? If it's a robot, then maybe more specific to the YoRHa aesthetic? What do you think?
Credit: Ma Xuefeng
Caption: If your fiscal year-end report doesn't include at least one wandering cat spirit with impeccable layering and more pouches than sense, are you really prepared for 2026? This year's ACGN audit: 10/10 for accessories, 12/10 for mystical side quests.
Caption: When your 2026 energy is "cyberpunk CEO meets anime villain at quarterly review." This look says: "I didn't come to play, I came to restructure your entire workflow and maybe your reality." Dress for the salary you deserve, not the one you have.
Caption: This is what happens when you mix CNY fortune, Sunday cartoons and maximum Taobao energy.
Caption: Petal power level: Over 9,000... please consult your doctor before approaching this much elegance.
Credit: Ma Xuefeng
Caption: Dripping in Chinese New Year realness, this swaggering prince of silk and sequins looks like he just stepped out of a wuxia (Chinese martial arts) fever dream. #Swoon
Credit: Ma Xuefeng
Caption: Part snack, part spirit animal, this fluffy festival sprite serves peace signs and candied hawthorn like it's a sanctioned Chinese New Year love language.
Credit: Ma Xuefeng
Caption: Cradling a gold ingot like a crypto bro hugs his cold wallet, this red-robed NPC looks ready to manifest wealth through sheer cosplay conviction alone. Share the wealth!
Credit: Ma Xuefeng
Caption: Double trouble in coordinated chaos! These anime sirens pose like they just rolled a natural 20 on charm and are about to wreck your New Year's resolutions.
Credit: Ma Xuefeng
Caption: Posted up like the final boss of a niche Taobao storefront, this brooding swordswoman is selling vibes, stickers and low-key intimidation in equal measure.
Credit: Ma Xuefeng
Caption: Smiling so hard it could power the venue, this emerald-clad enchantress turns a humble lantern into a full-blown rom-com meet-cute moment.
Credit: Ma Xuefeng
Caption: Uh oh! Finger to chin and zero thoughts spared, this lavender-haired cutie is weaponizing kawaii with the quiet confidence of someone who knows the camera loves them. Meow!
Credit: Ma Xuefeng
Caption: Ending on soft pastels, braided hair and fairy wand in hand, this cotton-candy dream looks like she wandered out of a Studio Ghibli side quest. Simmer down now!
