Wendy and Travis have traveled to Japan from Reno (Nevada, USA), are dressed like the Jedi Ahsoka and carry a mandalorian Japanese hat made for the occasion. The goal is to spend this weekend in the halls of a half -world convention center from your home. “It was the journey of our dreams,” they say excitedly under the costume. There is no greater faith than yours. Steve, meanwhile, comes from Hawaii and has spent $ 1,200 (about 1,053 euros) to design an original Bruno Mars Mandaloriano suit with a classic tape Hachimaki in the head. José, Chilean, goes from Freddie Mercury as an imperial soldier. The 105,000 people who have landed here (according to the organization’s data) share an worship: they would give everything for Star Wars. And that goes far beyond a few films in the saga, which does not go through its best moment.
We are in the 17th Star Wars Celebration, which is celebrated during this Holy Week and that the country has come by Disney invitation. Between kilometric tails to enter the stands, buy crazy price figures, virtual reality glasses and even jewels, in these four days ads are also sneaked into the future cinematographic of the franchise. The followers have been able to see a previous series Andor (whose second season premieres on April 23 at Disney+) y The trailer of the next Madoo (The first movie in the saga in seven years). There were shouts when Ryan Gosling looked out to report a new film, for the visit of Pedro Pascal and Sigourney Weaver and also when an animated series of the villain Darth Maul was announced (very present among the costumes). All are received with excitement, but the important thing here is the community of fans. After all, Star Wars is to believe … because the projects announced during the convention may not even end up.
“You won’t give you time to see everything, or buy everything. But you are in a room full of people who love the same as you, so talk to her, make a friend,” they announce before the beginning of the activities, while the public lifts their laser saber to heaven to the rhythm of Don’t Stop Believing, by Journey. “I was on our list of things to do in life. It is all very eclectic, but it is best to find people from Indonesia, Puerto Rico, Canada, Germany …”, comment on the sixties Obi-Wan Kenobi and Leia, who are actually called Michael and Mary Lynch, who have flown 21 hours from Cork (Ireland). There are people from 125 countries that exchange pins, stickers and stamps to identify. Your geek passport. This is the religion that well leads them to worship the same God in Holy Week: George Lucas. So much that there are also many fans disguised by the creator of this millionaire franchise.
And why Japan, and not the US or London, where is it easier to get to the famous names of the saga? Japan doesn’t even need Star Wars To shine. In fact, it already has its own global icons: manga, kaijurobots, samurais … but the galactic saga owes everything to the Japanese country. Lucas himself always recognized the influence of the filmmaker Akira Kurosawa on the origin of the epic, especially of The hidden fortress: “I told the story from the point of view of the least important characters, and I replied it,” he explained in an interview with Criterion Collection. He referred to the perspective of the Droids C3PO and R2D2. His Leia also had a clear reflection of the classic princess. To actor Toshirō Mifune, who knew how to wear a Jedi Kimono, even offered him the role of Obi-Wan. And Lucas returned the favor to Kurosawa in 1980 helping him to finish the production of the film Kagemusha.
Since then, the Jedi (whose name comes from jidai-gekithe time dramas of Japan) have returned to Japanese cinema and samurais over and over again. He was recognized by director Jon Favreau at the Convention: “When I starteds The Mandalorianwe returned to the same references: Flash Gordon, the westerns And especially Kurosawa. ”Not in vain, Bryce Dallas Howard directed an episode of the replicating series The Seven Samurais. In addition, the monsters kaiju They were portrayed in the animated series. And lately Lucasfilm has opened the door to Japanese creatives for the experimental and global animation of Star Wars Visions (where Spaniards Abel Góngora and Rodrigo Blaas also participated). Another that joined pollination between both cultures was the genius Hayao Miyazaki, who designed a short film about Grogu, better known as Baby Yoda (a character of the most kawaii). His Mononoke, in fact, inspired the Jedi Ahsoka. Even director Zack Snyder tried to sell his own vision of Star Wars from Kurosawa, who was rejected became the films Rebel Moon de Netflix.
Both cultures continue to mix today, even in Spain. Granada’s screenwriter and cartoonist Kenny Ruiz has traveled to Japan to present his manga Path of the Lightsaberwhere a young woman finds a lost laser saber that helps him discover the legends of this very distant galaxy: “Star Wars It was always family. First I argued with my brother for the prequels and now my son discovers him in Lost crew… I’ve always asked myself what strength is. And with the manga, what is transmitted is that emotion. ” Star Wars He has been living from the manga since 1998, when he published his first adaptation to Japanese comics.
Since 1977, Star Wars It has also become an industry itself. And the subjects know that this is also going to spend. The first payment is made when you buy the ticket. Some have paid up to 869 euros for VIP passes that give priority when asking for autographs and guarantee admission to the main panels, in addition to gifts such as a bottle of water and some sticks for the occasion. And especially 15 minutes of priority access to an official store that usually has up to three hours of tail. Spend to continue consuming. Out of these luxuries, the basic entrance costs 51 euros per day or 147 for the three that the convention lasts.
The complete experience does not include signatures or photos with the celebrities, because that is one of the biggest businesses of this type of conventions. Hayden Christensen (Anakin Skywalker) has been worshiped for two decades by fans and makes a living with them: “Everything is for them. It has been a Russian mountain that has marked my life,” he tells El País. Its signatures, exhausted weeks ago, cost 267 euros if they include costume, and 377 if you join the Rosario Dawson party. Those of Diego Luna, 173 euros. The cheapest, for 80 euros, are those of Daniel Logan, who played the young Boba Fett in the Episode II.
Every actor who has traveled through George Lucas’s galaxy has the insured future, even when he unleashes rather hate. It is the case of Ahmed Best. His jar jar binks was beaten after the premiere of The ghost threat In 1999, but its role has been resignified today. After confessing his suicide attempt from the Brooklyn bridge in response to the hatred he received then, being a twenty -year -old, his role is claimed by the generation that grew with the prequels. They have even let him interpret a Jedi to The Mandalorian. His signatures cost 136 euros, he has told his experience in the documentary Light & Magic And he has a hole in history: he played the first protagonist of an entirely digital film.
Star Wars He takes it away. AND Star Wars He gives it to you. Stories such as Best or recent campaigns against King Skywalker’s female character or the series of The Acolyte They are constant samples that the saga has some of the most complicated and irascible followers. There is machismo, racism and too much nostalgia wrapped in this game that began as an impossible dream of someone who wanted to pour their childhood on screen. But these three days of face -to -face communion in Japan offer a pause in the hate current that is reproduced on the Internet. Here, in full adrenaline excitement, there are companionship, many women disguised from Ahsoka, entire families and enormous cultural diversity (55% of the guests are from Asia Pacific). Of course, to get in this bubble of peace and capitalism you have to pay a reasonable price. It is what it costs to recover childhood.
