Game on: From opera to anime

Events like Bilibili World are not only fun, but also serve as platforms for creative expression and cross-generational dialogue, Wang Xin reports in Shanghai.

Zack Zhang, a 31-year-old YouTuber from Taiwan with around 280,000 subscribers, had what he described as a "happy, novel and spectacular" first trip to the Chinese mainland. His destination was Bilibili World 2025, one of Asia's largest gatherings for fans of ACGN — animation, comics, games, and novels — held in Shanghai.

Compared with other ACGN events that Zhang has been to in Taiwan and Tokyo, he told China Daily that he saw BW as one of the best events of its kind worldwide.

"This is my first time at BW and I feel incredibly great here. I saw a lot of global exhibitors, enthusiastic interactions on and off the stage, and 50 to 60 percent of the visitors are in beautifully detailed cosplay. People are friendly and open to chatting happily and share the stories behind their costumes. I love the atmosphere," says Zhang.

Since its launch in Shanghai in 2017, BW has rapidly expanded into one of the leading ACGN events in Asia, offering a blend of exhibitions, performances and hands-on experiences.

This year's edition, held from July 11 to 13, drew about 400,000 visits from participants across over 20 countries and regions, including Japan, South Korea, Russia, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt. The event featured 167 exhibitors, more than 1,000 creators, over 30,000 cosplayers, and nearly 800 Itasha cars — vehicles decorated with vibrant ACGN-themed artwork.

Zhang's first stop at BW was the gaming section, which played a central role in this year's event. A major highlight was the game Wuchang: Fallen Feathers, which officially launched worldwide on July 24 and drew significant attention at its booth.

Produced by Leenzee Games in Chengdu, Sichuan province, it is a homegrown console game inspired by ancient Shu (Sichuan region) culture and civilization. With an original fictional story, it features various cultural elements of Sichuan province, including the Sanxingdui ruins, Sichuan dialects, snacks, face-changing stunts of Sichuan Opera, and folk culture and tales, according to game director Xia Siyuan.

"Following the success of Black Myth: Wukong, we see the market for Chinese console games expanding. Players are growing in number and interest. We hope this game will help enrich the Chinese console gaming scene," says Xia.