AGF is the event that makes us ask, every year, how much further we can push it. 5–7 December 2025. At AGF, held at KINTEX, we worked with a studio for the first time to plan a large booth worthy of the name "cosplay." It called for a different role than simply running our own booth, and the preparation differed accordingly. Three days at AGF with 18 creators in motion — we'd be glad if you looked around with us.
A booth built together with a studio
For this AGF we partnered with an outside studio to build the booth for the first time. We handled planning and creator operations; the studio directed the space and the shooting environment. With roles clearly divided, each side could focus on what it does best. Things we had previously solved on our own — lighting placement, background setup — came together far more cleanly. For visitors it became less about simply seeing cosplayers and more about stepping into a space.
Finding each of the 18 their place
Coordinating 18 people is about much more than just assigning positions. Because it was our own booth built with a studio, matching which creator would take which character took a good while in itself. We had to align direction with the studio, go through their reference material, confirm which characters each creator could carry — and check costume production or rental availability one by one.
The group chat never stopped through the preparation period. Costume progress updates, wig styling photos, makeup concept references. Even preparing separately, we gradually tuned ourselves to the same anticipation for AGF. When everyone finally gathered at KINTEX on the day, seeing all 18 standing in the costumes they had prepared was quite something.
Three days at KINTEX
On the first day people flooded to the booth the moment the doors opened. Some came knowing the Mystic Muse booth was there; others were passing by, spotted the cosplayers and stopped. The distinctiveness that came from working with a studio seems to have been a key draw, setting it apart from other booths. Representatives from game studios also came to see the response first-hand. Fans lined up to take photos and posted them to social media, and the front of the booth stayed busy throughout.
Traces that continued after the event
Posts kept appearing for a while after AGF ended. Photos and short-form videos taken by visitors. What people who had been there shared spread more widely than what we posted ourselves. Tags naming the games' characters carried some of it into game fan communities as well.
The fact that cosplayers were actually there is, in the end, what gives the feeling of a character stepping off the screen into the real world. That, we thought, is the real reason to use cosplayer models at offline events.
If we stand at AGF again
One thing this AGF taught us is that how thoroughly you communicate with creators during preparation directly shapes the result. Even preparing apart, the direction has to align for the whole to look like one piece.
We felt grateful all over again that 18 people spent three days together and stayed in character at the booth until the end. If we get to stand on this stage again, we want to come better prepared.