If you have followed us on our socials you would surely have noticed that we are hooked on the geek culture here in Malaysia. Video game conventions, esports events, you name it and we’ll be there. We’ve been to quite some of these and the one we’ve just attended last week blew us off the water. It truly has set the standard for future events to come.
Yes, we’re talking about The Great Era of Piracy Exhibition, a One Piece event that is said to be the largest one ever hosted here in Malaysia. Before we get into the experience, we just want to say how brilliant it was for Ace Media Network to set this event up in the Genting Highlands.
Sure, getting up there might be a little tricky when compared to, let’s say, going to a mall, but it takes the immersion to a different height. Combined with the misty cold air and the sense of fun that the Highlands exude, they truly make their audience feel like they are in the One Piece universe themselves.
Photos, Photos, Photos Everywhere
As one would’ve expected, going to an anime exhibition would mean there will be a lot of photo-taking. Right from the start, there will be photo-op booths for us to take pictures with the One Piece theme.
This is followed by the Character Intro hall where we get to enjoy the iconic Straw Hat Pirates model. The one that caught our eyes was the 1:1 statue of Gol D. Roger. Being one of the most legendary characters in the game, seeing a life-sized model of it was something of a dream come true.
Don’t expect this to be the last though. Throughout this entire journey, there will be many moments for you to use your camera. So, be sure to have your phones, cameras and camcorders fully charged before you arrive at this event!
Also, before entering the exhibition, we were asked to download the Great Era of Piracy app where you can collect Berries that are used to redeem merchandise at the end of the event.
A Trip Down Memory Lane
Some moments in anime just last forever. They are immortalised and this event has a specific section that materialises them.
We were reminded of these scenes in the Mini Theatre section. The iconic scenes were played here and it truly gave us a “step-back” moment. Each scene gave us a waking call to how far One Piece has come. These are reminders of how lucky we were to be able to walk this arduous journey with Luffy to find One Piece.
Towards the end of the tour, we will also get to revisit the most significant battles fought by Luffy and his crew throughout the series. Revisiting these battles brought back a lot of hyped memories of when we were kids cheering on our heroes. Some of our crew who have not watched One Piece at all were also awestruck by the quality of the battles displayed in this section.
Brilliant Interactiveness with AR Implementation
Going in, we thought we’ll be in this exhibition taking photos and looking at huge sculptures only. While these are all good and dandy, once we are asked to download the app we mentioned earlier, we know that we’ll be in for a treat.
We really need to give top marks to the organisers for attempting to make this entire exhibition an interactive one. The inclusion of AR and mini-games made this event feel alive. These interactive booths are also based on the iconic locations set in the One Piece universe.
Our first experience with an AR in this event was the Going Merry Cabin. Entering Luffy’s famous pirate ship, we were treated to an AR slingshot game where we can score points and collect Berries using the app we downloaded earlier.
This is not the last of it though. Places like Fishman Island and Dressrosa all have their own AR games for us to indulge in and we personally enjoyed the Whole Cake Island one the most. It is not the most competitive game but a creative one. A few of our creative members were able to churn out some outstanding pieces by colouring the projected cake under the time limit.
There were also non-AR games that we enjoyed as well. At the end of the tour, the organisers have also set up carnival games. This is situated at the Wano Country Shopping Street and like with the AR games, we were able to collect Berries here as well.
Our Personal Favourites
We don’t want to dive too deep into all the nitty-gritty details of this tour. Not just because of spoilers but because this is an event you have to experience for yourself to get ultimate satisfaction.
We would however like to share with you our personal bests. They are our highlights for this tour and section that we wished our readers didn’t miss out on.
Skypiea
Despite being a place to just shoot photos, the booth design here is spectacular. If you’ve been to the Van Gogh exhibition here in Malaysia, this is somewhat similar but with One Piece vibes. Gorgeous to say the least.
The 3D2Y Special
There is just some anime characters’ death we just can let go of. The memorial for Portgas D. Ace and Edward Newgate left many of us speechless. We know that anime means a lot to many but we never expected the love to go to this degree.
Some of us non-One Piece fans were very touched by the scenes of people putting down flowers in the memorial for these fallen greats. Despite them being fictional characters, it’s clear to see that they have made an impact on these people’s lives.
Wano Country Shopping Street
While we do love the AR games and all but it is the liveliness of the Wano Country Shopping Street that we loved the most. This carnival-like booth is almost like an event itself, giving other dedicated carnivals in Malaysia a run for their money. It’s a great change of pace and the perfect way to end this event.
Final Thoughts
Honestly, if this is Ace Media Network’s first attempt at something like this, we will be having high expectations of what’s to come in the future. The location was perfect and the execution was lovely. It’s the stuff of dreams for any anime fan, not just One Piece followers.
Whether you’ve managed to make it to this event or not, we can say for sure we’ve enjoyed it from personal experience and we’re more than ready for the upcoming ones AMN got in stored for us.
