Cosplayers Sell “Foot-Soaked Lemon Tea” Outside Anime Event For S$10 A Cup
Cosplayers outside a Guangzhou anime convention sold “foot-soaked lemon tea” for S$10 a cup, with long queues and outrage after videos went viral.
When you think of events and conventions, you’d probably expect to see cool collectibles, unique merchandise, or character mascots. But a recent incident at Guangzhou’s Firefly Anime Game Carnival sparked controversy over something far more unexpected.
Held earlier this month, the carnival is an anime and gaming convention featuring cosplay, fan activities, merch booths, and other pop culture-related events. Like many anime conventions, some attendees arrived dressed in costume, ready to mingle with fellow fans.
But here’s where things get weird.
According to reports, several female cosplayers set up stalls outside the exhibition venue at Guangzhou Pazhou Poly World Trade Center Expo, selling drinks they called “foot-soaked lemon tea” or “fresh feet juice” for 50 yuan (S$10) a cup.
The cosplayers were said to have placed their feet directly into buckets containing lemon tea or water in front of crowds of onlookers, before pouring the “drinks” into cups to sell.
As if it weren’t already bizarre enough, some attendees were actually seen queuing up to buy the drinks.
Videos circulating online also showed some extreme behaviour, including a customer lying on the ground to drink the foot-soaked liquid directly from the stream, and even someone licking a cosplayer’s feet. In front of everyone.
Chinese media reported that those at the scene said the cosplayers had put up signs stating the stunt was “for entertainment purposes only”. But that did little to stop curious attendees from gathering.
Some enthusiastic fans were even said to have dubbed it “goddess foot-washing water”.
The trend was reportedly inspired by a similar controversial stunt at the FanimeCon anime convention held in California in May this year.
Clips from the day quickly went viral, with the incident drawing widespread criticism and sparking outrage among many in China’s anime fan community.
Netizens and anime fans alike criticised the act as “vulgar” and “disgusting”, saying that it went beyond simply being an “absurd internet joke” and had crossed into attention-seeking behaviour that could potentially damage the image of the anime community.
Some even said they were “grossed out” just from seeing photos of the incident.
The organisers of the Firefly Anime & Game Carnival later issued a statement addressing the incident, stressing that the stalls were run by individuals outside the venue and were not affiliated with the event.
After receiving reports, organisers said they looked into the matter and removed the cosplayers involved from the area. They also emphasised that they have “zero tolerance” for any vulgar or sensationalised behaviour, adding that they would strengthen monitoring both inside and outside the venue in the future.
Photos: Singtao Headline, Weibo
