Unlocking the fan-verse – Chinadaily.com.cn
Unlocking the fan-verse
International musicians and cosplayers converge at Bilibili World 2026, proving global pop culture knows no real borders, Wang Xin and Wu Wanzhen report in Shanghai.
Viktoria Chernenkii and Denis Chernenkii — better known as Medovvika and Armeyes — are among Russia’s best-known cosplayers. Recently in Shanghai, they transformed into Rapunzel and Flynn Rider from the Disney movie Tangled, bringing the fairy tale to life at the intersection of fantasy and reality.
Making their second trip to China, the couple flew from Moscow to attend Bilibili World 2026 from July 10 to 12 in Shanghai.
The event is one of Asia’s largest gatherings for ACGN (animation, comics, games and novels).
They began preparing for their BW debut months before departure. Determined to portray her favorite character as authentically as possible, Medovvika commissioned a seamstress to handcraft her “historically accurate” costume six months in advance.
As for Rapunzel’s iconic long, gorgeous blonde braid, Medovvika turned to China. About a month before leaving, she did what many Chinese cosplayers do — she reached out to a Chinese platform and placed a rush order to customize the wig.
“Only Chinese wigmakers know how to make the wig light, beautiful and detailed,” recalls Medovvika excitedly.
The couple also researched BW’s traditions and discovered that attendees often exchange handmade gifts. They prepared their own freebies for Chinese fans: beautifully printed cards featuring their cosplay photographs, paired with pieces of Russian chocolate.
Although they are leading cosplayers in Russia, they were still amazed by BW’s scale, inclusiveness and the creativity of Chinese participants.
“Chinese cosplay is on another level when it comes to craftsmanship and detail. We don’t have a venue this large in Russia. This festival isn’t just huge — it has something for everyone, from gamers and photographers to anime fans,” she adds.
Despite the language barrier, the eye-catching pair was frequently stopped by fellow attendees asking for photos.
They described Chinese fans as “polite, friendly, lovely and always ready to help”, and hoped to meet more Chinese cosplayers in Russia in the future.
This year marked the first time BW sold tickets to overseas fans. The three-day event attracted a total of 400,000 visitors from over 30 countries and regions across the world, and featured 170 global exhibitors, more than 60,000 cosplayers and nearly 1,000 itasha exhibits — vehicles decorated with vibrant ACGN-themed artwork, according to video-sharing platform Bilibili, the event’s organizer.
Among those spotted in the crowd was Cambodia’s Princess Norodom Jenna. Kevin Feige, president of Marvel Studios, dropped teasers for the highly anticipated Avengers: Doomsday, drawing large crowds of fans like South Korean YouTuber Kim Chae-ho, who joined enthusiastic audiences eager for every new reveal.
Allison Franco and Alberto Franco, a couple in their 30s from the United States, even applied for passports and traveled abroad for the first time specifically to attend BW.
Wearing matching custom outfits inspired by video games, they spent six weeks preparing for the Shanghai trip and were particularly struck by the warmth and hospitality of the local people.
“We haven’t had any issues that we thought we might have. Everyone has been so kind and gone out of their way to make sure we have a great experience … I wanted to be one of the people who come over here (at BW), experience it and show my fans what it’s like,” says Allison Franco, a content creator with over 1.2 million social media followers.
She adds that Chinese ACGN-themed productions, such as Heaven Official’s Blessing and Link Click, are “insanely popular” in the US.
12345Next >>|
1/5Next
Related Stories
Photo
Xi on building a strong military
Coal-fired power falls below 50%
Chinese beauty brands enjoy a surge in popularity
Time for a cool change
Most Popular
Columnists
About a bottle of tea that is not really my cup of tea
EU fines AliExpress 550m euros under Digital Services Act
So much food in my fridge, but am not complaining!
Editor’s Pick
Airbus-China partnership drives a
Molly’s 20th anniversary exhibition kicks off in Shanghai
Special
Russia-Ukraine conflict: Three years on
Global Edition
Copyright 1994 – . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site.
- 中文
- Desktop
BACK TO THE TOP
China Edition中文
Copyright 1995 – . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site.
License for publishing multimedia online 0108263
