Shanghai college student Tina Chen never thought that one day her favorite weekend getaway would be to Nanjing Road E, because "it is for tourists".
But now Chen and her friends often visit there – mainly to roam around stores that sell their favorite animation-related products, or what they call "goods" in the fandom.
"Nanjing Road E. is now entirely different from my past memories," she said. "There are so many 'goods shops' in various department stores, and you can find things you love whether you're a fan of Japanese or domestic manga, animation or games."
The road is one example of old commercial zones and industrial plants in Shanghai that have been transformed into homes for new businesses.
Take the Shanghai No.1 Department Store under Bailian Group for example. The 90-year-old mall was once an icon of the road, and it was an all-around place that was not very much different from its other counterparts on the street. But now it has several floors completely dedicated to "otaku" culture, such as animation, manga, video games and cosplay.
"Earlier last year after the lockdown was lifted, we realized that we needed to do something to attract more young people," said Zhao Weigang, general manager of the department store.
"Firstly, we introduced an immersive theater, and this year we found that people aged 18 to 25 are really into subcultures such as animation and cosplay, so we decided to set aside three floors for such stores. And now during the summer holiday and other holidays, we have, on average, 100,000 visits per day."
Chen said that the stores often hold events that cater to fans, and it has become one of her most ideal venues to enjoy the weekend.
"It has also a Sanrio-themed café, whose atmosphere is really soothing and kawaii," she said.
Japanese entertainment brand Sanrio is known for its cute characters. Its themed café in Shanghai has won the favor of many young women.
Not far away, the Bailian ZX, another shopping mall under Bailian Group, resembles Akihabara in Tokyo, which is known as a mecca for otaku. Originally known as Zhonglian Apartment Store and then Hualian Apartment Store, the mall used to be home to many time-renowned brands in Shanghai.
Since last year, however, the mall was thoroughly renovated and all the original brands moved out for new ones.
On the first floor, the Bandai Tamashii Nations is eye-catching with thousands of action figures, statues and replicas. This is the brand's first flagship store outside Japan. While on the fifth floor, the first flagship store of Japanese bookstore Animate in China has just opened in September, in which manga, magazines and books in Japanese language are available.
Meanwhile, the mall also gives opportunities to domestic brands. Blue Moon's Dollhouse is a fine example. Specialized in ball-joint dolls, the brand, run by a woman whose screen name is "Blue Moon," has been running since 2008. Moving to Bailian ZX gave it another chance to expand its business.
Fans can buy Japanese-language products at Animate.
"When new brand come to our mall, our team provides them plans for running and promotion, and we'll see what happens after a period of time," said Qian Junjie, deputy general manager of the mall.
"Some brands will survive – like Blue Moon's Dollhouse, which actually expanded its store after just a year with us, while others may be washed out by the market, with new brands coming in."
The mall also provides a platform for fans to express themselves. The renovation removed most of the floors, creating a huge atrium decorated with huge mirrors and LED screens, whose contents are provided by fans.
"Fans can publish gathering bulletin, promote their favorite characters, or publish their own drawings and self-made videos," said Qian. "We encourage these creations and gradually our place becomes more than a shopping mall but a social venue."
There are such innovative actions outside Nanjing Road as well. In Jiading District, a company producing poker cards has converted its plant into a filming site, especially for mini-dramas.
The poker manufacturer, King Mark, was founded in Shanghai in 1994. For the past three decades, its business expanded from just a poker maker to a comprehensive group that dabbles in high-tech, online games, new media and now mini-drama. It occupied a large plant in Jiading, but over the past few years, it moved its poker production to Qidong in Jiangsu Province, leaving the plant to be renovated into a film set.
In a studio that is especially for inside-the-car scenes, a car is placed on a platform that can simulate the shaking of various angles when driving. A huge screen behind provides different scenarios outside the car window.
According to the China Network Audio-Visual Industry Association, the market size of the country's mini-drama industry will reach 50.4 billion yuan (US$7.02 billion) by the end of this year.
The association said the audience for mini-dramas has reached 576 million, accounting for more than half of the overall Internet user population, and is still growing.
With such a big market, the popularity of King Mark's filming site tells its own tale. After being put into operation earlier this year, it has received nearly 200 companies from movie, TV and mini-drama industries.
"We provide a variety of modern and ancient scenes, such as home, office, hospital, police station and café for the crews, even with virtual outdoor scenes on grand LED screens outside the windows, so that they can complete filming the entire show just in our site," said Yu Yao, deputy general manager of Shanghai Huayu-Mingting Culture Technology Co Ltd, the operator of the site.
"We even provide dining and accommodation here to lower their cost further."
