The San Jose Sharks home game on November 22 vs. the Ottawa Senators will serve as the organization’s introduction to the Bay Area’s expansive community of Anime and Asian Pop Music lovers. The Saturday game will play host to a series of unique experiences attendees will notice immediately upon entering the arena.
The first tie-in fans will encounter is the all-arena giveaway. All fans attending the game will receive a poster designed by Bay Area artists Sydney Sun and Nelson Kuang, both graduates of San Jose State University. Drawing inspiration from the culture and history rich animation style, the artists reimagined 13 Sharks players as well as team mascot S.J. Sharkie in an Anime-style team poster. The artwork captures the players fierceness, unique characteristics, and grit in their own individual “auras” interpreted and conveyed through the two artists’ eyes.
Upon entering SAP Center, fans will immediately notice the full arena look and sound. Designed and tailored specifically for the night, SAP Center will feature curated graphics, backdrops and digital signage, as well as handpicked music selections from some of the most popular K-Pop, J-Pop & C-Pop artists.
Accompanying the game’s look and sound, attendees will notice a few concourse activations. S.J. Sharkie will be posing in front of an Anime themed backdrop at the Arena’s South Bar for pregame photos. Fans can snag a photo with the team’s mascot from 2:45-3:30 p.m. And for those who fancy trading, a table will be set up for fans and enthusiasts alike to trade photocards, stickers, bracelets, and more.
To tie the night together, fans will be able to download a free anime style wallpaper of team point leader Macklin Celebrini at the end of the game. The image will be drawn live, in-arena by local digital and tattoo artist Vivien Jalapit. Based in Vallejo, the Filipino artist will re-envision a pregame photo of the player through her own anime inspired take and stylistic cues. Fans will be able to see the progress of her artwork throughout the game during timeouts and intermissions of the game with the final wallpaper and time lapse shared on the videoboard in the game. Fans will also have the opportunity to download the live art wallpaper at the conclusion of the game.
Before the game, two lucky fans will be selected at random to enjoy a SharkPOP x Anime-themed suite for the game. The suite will include themed gifts, décor, premium catering, and a great view of the action on the ice. Plus, the fan will be featured on the video board at some point during the game.
With the affinity for anime and Asian pop music growing so much over the past years in the Bay Area and beyond (in recent years, SAP Center has hosted Asian Pop sensations ATEEZ, Seventeen, and Tomorrow X Together to capacity crowds), the Sharks look to welcome the community with a unique and fun experience. The team looks to solidify themselves as a destination for lovers of the music, animation, and artistic style that makes the Anime and Asian Pop Music genres what they are.
