Travel Notes | 2023 Shanghai Tour #1 Touching Bilibili Macro Link
Today is July 22nd, and after two years, I have once again started my journey in Shanghai. I arrived in Shanghai yesterday afternoon, but because of the heavy rain, the whole journey was a little unsmooth, and I had to walk to the hotel with water. But after a night of rest, all the problems were solved.
The first stop of my trip to Shanghai was BML on the evening of the 22nd, and there was still some free time to wander during the day, so I decided to go to Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street, the most famous street in Shanghai. In fact, I have walked this road countless times, but it is also very interesting to walk when I am fine.
I have to say that Shanghai's anime atmosphere is extremely strong, there are various interesting anime and comic exhibitions and anime peripheral product shops, and there are also a large number of companies related to anime and games. In Beijing, by contrast, such things are scarce, which is why I have been going to Shanghai almost every year since 2017.
Returning to the focus of our journey, BML stands for Bilibili Macro Link, an annual offline concert with the theme of anime and games held by Bilibili, which is now in its tenth year. Of course, this is my first time attending BML offline, and it is also the first time I have personally experienced the shock of a 10,000-person concert. This year's BML, like previous ones, chose to be held at the Mercedes-Benz Arena. It is located in the former Shanghai World Expo Park, like a giant flying saucer docked by the Huangpu River, and next to it is the former World Expo China Pavilion.
When I entered the venue, I found that the interior was equally shocking. I got the cheapest ticket, so the seat was on top. This location is very far from the stage, basically you can't see the singer clearly, but the atmosphere of the scene is incomparable online, and there are many like-minded companions, even if you can't see the stage, it is very worthwhile.
Every show on BML comes from various fields related to the anime, including anime, games, virtual singers, virtual idols, kichiku videos, and so on. The format of the performance is also tailored to the program, from solo to singing and dancing, from solo instrument to orchestral ensemble, from wota art to song skewers. Although chaotic, the most important thing is the theme and atmosphere, which is the anime that the audience really likes.
This isn't the first time I've been to a live concert, I've heard pop music groups and I've been to Chinese music concerts, but never has it excited me like this one. I think this is a circle, and only when you are really in this circle can you really feel the emotion that this circle brings you.
When the concert is over, you will realize how difficult it is to stick to an ideal decade, whether it is for a company, for a group of people, or for you and me. In any case, no matter how long it takes, I hope that such a group of people can still stick to the love of the year and face life positively. I also hope that such a grand event will never stop all the way forward.