[Aozaki Aoko Cosplay] Witch on the Holy Night: Chasing New Info & Meeting Voice Actors at Machi Asobi in Tokushima

I traveled all the way from Kyoto to Tokushima specifically to attend Machi Asobi in Tokushima, with a crystal-clear goal: to witness the latest updates on the Witch on the Holy Night anime film with my own eyes. Although the staff didn't announce a specific release window on-site, and ufotable anime's revealed key visual style had a slight gap compared to what I'd envisioned—leaving a tiny bit of lingering regret—as a hardcore fan, my expectations aren't overly picky. Just seeing beloved characters come alive on the silver screen brings complete, genuine satisfaction.

Today's itinerary felt like a tale of fire and ice. The first stage session took place at the outdoor main stage under blistering midday sun—I felt like I was on the verge of fainting and genuinely feared heatstroke. Thankfully, I persevered until the afternoon's second voice actor panel, a session that instantly revived me! Sitting near the front, I saw Aoko and Soujuro's voice actress, Haruka Tomatsu, from an incredibly close distance. Most unexpectedly, Haruka Tomatsu actually noticed me in my Aozaki Aoko cosplay and waved hello! At that exact moment, every ounce of exhaustion vanished, leaving my heart brimming with deep emotion.

For this event, I prepared two complete character transformations. One was Aozaki Aoko cosplay featuring her wine-red color-blocked long-sleeved dress paired with sheer black tights, aiming to accentuate her confident, tsundere, and capable demeanor. The other was Kuonji Alice cosplay, switching into a black straight-bang short wig paired with a white tulle-paneled lace gown to foster a quiet, elegant atmosphere. To do justice to these two distinct personalities, I did extensive homework before leaving home on wig trimming, makeup details, and wig maintenance. Capturing satisfying location photos provided a huge sense of accomplishment.

Beyond stage panels and cosplaying, I swept up a mountain of anime merchandise (gutus). The venue-exclusive cards and postcards felt wonderfully tactile in hand; spreading them across my bed back at the lodging tonight filled me with immense fulfillment. Though carrying heavy bags of outfits, wigs, and props left my arms utterly sore the next day, this is precisely the unique joy only an offline event participant and cosplayer can experience.

On a side note, I only realized during this event that ufotable anime's main headquarters is actually located right here in Tokushima—no wonder they host such rich, frequent collaboration events. Compared to the noisy clamor of Tokyo conventions, Tokushima offers a far deeper studio culture vibe and a uniquely welcoming intimacy.

All in all, making this special trip to Tokushima was immensely worthwhile. I scored fresh franchise news on-site and forged a miraculous real-world connection with a beloved character. As a fan and cosplayer, such passionate, grounded offline experiences are the ultimate driving force that keeps me going.