Cosplayers Removed from Event After Selling “Foot Juice”

The so-called “foot juice” trend ended up causing chaos at an event in China, as several cosplayers were removed from the convention after trying to recreate what had started in the United States but quickly spiraled out of control.

Cosplayers Removed from Event After Selling “Foot Juice”

During the Firefly Comic Convention, held in Guangzhou from July 17 to 20, a group of cosplayers decided to copy a trend that had gone viral months earlier.

The participants sat outside the venue with their bare feet submerged in containers filled with lemon water and cola. Their companions then poured the liquid into disposable cups and sold them to attendees for around 50 yuan (approximately US$7).

According to reports from the Chinese press, demand was far greater than expected, with lines of men forming to buy a cup.

The situation became even more controversial when videos began circulating showing some attendees drinking directly from the containers or even licking the liquid off the cosplayers’ feet.

The idea first appeared in May 2026 during an event held alongside FanimeCon in San Jose, California. On that occasion, a Hatsune Miku cosplayer went viral after selling cups of the so-called “foot juice” for as much as US$15 each. The supply reportedly sold out in less than an hour, causing the idea to spread widely across social media before eventually reaching Asia.

Organization Banned Similar Practices

Following the backlash and the growing disorder at the venue, the Firefly Comic Convention organizers removed the cosplayers involved and announced that this type of activity will be explicitly prohibited at future editions of the event.

This is not the first controversy involving anime conventions in China. In 2025, one of the country’s largest events drew criticism after announcing, at the last minute, a ban on anime, manga, and related cosplay.

source: South China Morning Post
via Dexerto