Parent's Guide

What are your kids interested in?

At Kaiga Convention, we recognize the importance of supporting parents in their journey of navigating our subculture world with their children. We strive to provide resources, initiatives, and a welcoming environment that cater to the needs and concerns of parents.

Our commitment is to ensure that parents feel supported, informed, and empowered during their participation in Kaiga Convention. We strive to create a family-friendly environment where parents and children can enjoy the event together, fostering a positive and enriching experience for everyone involved.

What is Anime?

Anime refers to Japanese animated productions that encompass a wide range of genres, from fantasy and sci-fi to romance and action. It has gained a global following and has become an integral part of pop culture.

To ensure that anime is appropriate for your kids, you can take several steps. Research and preview anime content, checking reviews, ratings, and trailers to assess its suitability. Setting age restrictions and engaging in open dialogue with your children about the anime they watch allows you to understand their perspective and address any concerns. Anime is available for varying levels of maturity, just because it is a 2D drawing / cartoon does not automatically make it child-safe. There are many animes that feature excessive gore and adult content.

What is Cosplay?

Cosplay, short for "costume play," is a form of performance art where individuals dress up as characters from anime, manga, video games, movies, or other pop culture sources. Cosplayers put a great deal of effort into creating intricate costumes and portraying their chosen characters with enthusiasm and dedication.

Sometimes cosplay is done just to have fun as the character, or as a way to connect with the character on a deeper level. Mostly it's just something fun to do with friends, but many people also use their costumes in competitions!

What is Pop Culture?

Pop culture encompasses the trends, interests, and activities that are popular and widely embraced by society. It includes various forms of entertainment, such as music, movies, television shows, fashion, and art, that reflect the current interests and tastes of the masses.

Sometimes pop culture trends are very viral and brief such as Squid Game, and others are long-lasting and  become very nostalgic for your children, like Bluey and Pokémon. Your kids can continue to connect with people that share their interests by attending events like Kaiga Convention. This provides them with a safe space to explore things outside of what is accepted in the mainstream, therefore giving them confidence in themselves.

What is Gaming?

Gaming refers to the act of playing electronic or video games, involving interactive entertainment experiences that typically involve strategy, skill, or exploration within a virtual world. It can also include roleplay, tabletop, and board games.

The gaming community consists of individuals who enjoy playing video games across different platforms and genres. This community is often highly engaged, participating in online multiplayer games, attending gaming conventions, and discussing gaming-related topics on forums and social media.

Kaiga Convention is safe for all ages

At Kaiga Convention, we take pride in creating a family-friendly environment where everyone can feel comfortable and safe. We have a strict policy against displaying NSFW (Not Safe for Work) products or items with overly sexual or gory themes.

Additionally, we kindly ask our attendees to refrain from cosplaying in costumes that are too horror-themed or raunchy. By maintaining these guidelines, we prioritize the well-being and enjoyment of all ages, ensuring that Kaiga Convention remains a welcoming space for everyone to celebrate their love for anime and pop culture.

Start with Studio Ghibli

Studio Ghibli is a Japanese animation studio and has amassed a wide following of fans and enthusiasts, for good reason. They have beautiful imagery, immersive stories, and character design and development to the highest level. Not only is it a wonderful example of art and creativity, something we deeply value here at KaiCon, but it also is an easy transition from western media. If you haven't watched any Anime these feature film length movies are the perfect introduction, there is no commitment to ongoing seasons, filler episodes or meaningless plot. Just let the music take you to another world, all you need to ask your kids is which one do we watch first?

Here are some of our favourites:

SPIRITED AWAY

HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE

PONYO

KIKI'S DELIVERY SERVICE

An additional note, not all studio ghibli movies are 'beginner friendly' many still have very serious themes, violence, and death. Please still follow the earlier guidelines and look up reviews first!

Easy games you can play!

Some beginner-friendly games and consoles for you to learn and play with your children and for non-gamer audiences include Nintendo Switch with games like Mario Kart and Animal Crossing: New Horizons, PlayStation with games like LittleBigPlanet and Ratchet & Clank, and Xbox with games like Minecraft. They are extremely easy to understand and adapt to. In addition to this engaging with these games offers the added benefit of continuous learning, keeping your mind sharp, and providing stimulating brain exercises, which is very important as we get older.

Here are some of our favourites that offer co-operative play:

MARIO KART

STARDEW VALLEY

MINECRAFT

POKEMON GO

Want to know more?

The best thing you can do for your children is being pro-active in their interests. Take the time to research their hobbies, join online communities to talk to other parents, and monitor the content and media they consume. There are plenty of active groups which you can join in order to discuss these topics more and gain further advice.

At Kaiga Convention, we value the role of parents and strive to provide a supportive and inclusive environment for families. We understand the importance of nurturing the interests of children and fostering meaningful connections within the pop culture community. With our wide range of resources, activities, and events, we aim to create memorable experiences for both parents and children alike.

If you know of ways we can further improve your experience as a parent at kaicon, feel free to reach out to us at info@kaigaconvention.com