Summary of “said” Event
Even in Asia, the very continent that Japan is in, the amount of large scale anime events outside of Japan is few and far between. That’s why the few that exist are very important. And one of the biggest events in Asia is Anime Festival Asia, whether it be in for Thailand, Indonesia, or Singapore. In this particular instance, we are talking about the Singapore version of the event.
The culture of anime in Singapore is very simple; watch but don’t own. Despite the large amount of hard core fans in the country, there are very few that own any form of anime merchandise on a large scale is very few, unlike the culture in Japan. This is due to the high level of import prices that come with each product, causing many to shy away from the general cost. When an event like AFA comes up, they start selling products at a lower rate, partly because they can buy in bulk and also because they just specialise in this kind of thing.
AFA is also literally only almost the only event in Singapore that brings with it such a large amount of cosplayers, international or local, as well as performing artists like Aimer or TM Revolution to Singapore. Most Singaporeans would have never seen these artists perform live in their whole lives if not for AFA, as they would have to go to Japan to watch these concerts and even then, the tickets are hard to get if you’re not a local.
So what is AFA to a Singaporean? It is basically that once a year event where they get to indulge in anime on a larger scale and get to come together as a whole community for once. There is something for everyone, whether anime is a casual part time or an integral part of their lives. It could go from as little as the exhibition price, for those who just want to take a look, to the 3 day VIP package, for those who can afford it and want to get the full anime experience.
Like every year, AFA is a much anticipated event in Singapore, and Anime Festival Asia Singapore 2016 won’t be any different!
Anime Festival Asia Singapore Official Website: http://animefestival.asia/afasg16/
Events/Panels
CANON : Canon Imaging Experience Zone
This year, CANON is taking the front stage and having on of the largest panels in AFA. In fact, it’s so large it can hardly even be called a panel. Under the sponsorship of CANON, a second stage other than the main stage called the Akiba Stage will be opening this year in AFASG 16. The Akiba Stage will be presenting an opportunity for audiences to view their favorite things up close, like Rilakkuma, cosplayers and more!
The stage will be occupied throughout the day, and there is a full schedule up on the site for those interested in very specific events, but needless to say, whichever time or day you arrive at the event, you can experience the panel all you want, all day long. And the best part? It’s free.
There will also be an autograph booth for you to catch your favorite celebrity cosplayers for an autograph. You would be able to see them up close instead of taking a picture from afar, and in that scenario where you are so close together, even have a small conversation with them, if you are into that kind of thing.
Suffice to say, this will be one of the largest panels available and you wouldn’t even have to pay to experience it.
Kotobukiya
Kotobukiya is one of the largest hobby stores in Japan. That’s otaku code for: it’s heaven for anime fans and you can get all your figurine and model fixes there at a decent price. First opening 60 years ago in Japan as a toy store, Kotobukiya has continued to thrive since then and started going into manufacturing model kits around 30 years.
It all started with their original series, Armament, and they have only continued to increase the variety of their range ever since then. Over the years, Kotobukiya has expanded more and more to the many otakus that exist in Japan, and today, a trip to Akihabara will not be completed without a trip to Kotobukiya.
It is only fitting that a company that has made so much of their model kits to come to AFASG 16 for that very reason, to announce their model kits. Exclusive to AFA, Kotobukiya will be announcing and going into detail about their new line of model kits, the Frame Arms Girls.
These are a line of highly customisable and beautiful bishoujos that anyone can own, coming from their original series Frame Arms. The parts from both lines are fully compatible as well, adding a larger amount of variety to the model that you own. More will be announced at the convention, so stay tuned till then!
Who is Coming?
SWORD ART ONLINE THE MOVIE - Ordinal Scale –
Special Guests
With the Augma, players can take part in one the most popular Augmented Reality Games to ever exist, Ordinal Scale. Ordinal Scale allows players to go around the real world and collect items, defeat monsters and engage others in PVP. The more you play, the stronger you are and the more likely you are to win against other players. The gang finally convinces Kirito to join in, but they soon learn that all is not what it seems…
With the unveiling of the event, the seiyuus Yoshitsugu Matsuoka and Kanae Ito will be making an apperaence as well.
Yoshitsugu Matsuoka
Kanae Ito
HoneyWorks / CHiCO with HoneyWorks
-Presenting-
I’ve always liked you -Confess Your Love Committee-
Honeyworks is a very familiar name to the many fans of anime who have crawled through the internet for every bit of anime they can find, to the point that they have even arrived at Nico Nico Douga and come across the works of Honeyworks. They are a creative group that has garnered over 200 million views on video sites like NND and Youtube over only 2-3 years.
Their popularity is not unwarranted. Much of their style is very original and youthful, bringing about solid hits to the table like SukiKirai, Hatsukoi no E Hon, Kokuhaku Yokou Renshuu, all of which should sound familiar even if your Japanese isn’t perfect. And this year at AFASG 16 they will be bringing their hit movie to the stage.
HoneyWorks will be presenting the movie, “I’ve always liked you –Confess Your Love Committee-“. Natsumi has a crush on her friend Etoguchi. But because she’s too afraid to confess directly, Natsumi gets him to let her practice her confessions on him. And all the while Etoguchi is unaware that she is just confessing to him under her false pretences. It is a movie that uses the songs of HoneyWorks, especially the story presented in the Confession Executive Committee Love Series, so be sure to catch it this year!
Basic Information
| Place / location | AFASG 16 will be held at Singapore Suntec Convention and Exhibition Centre on the 25th, 26th and 27th of November, 2016. |
|---|---|
| Length of Event | In total, the event will be 3 days long, not including however long the after party will take on the 27th of November. |
| Cost |
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| Hotels & Transportation | To get to Suntec Convention Centre where AFA is held, you could take a cab, take a train to Esplanade Station, or take a bus to Suntec Convention Ctr Bus Stop. Hotels that are near Suntec include Conrad Centennial Singapore, Conrad Centennial Singapore and Mandarin Oriental. |
| Established | Anime Festival Asia was first established in Singapore in 2008, wherein it was still in its infancy and many things needed to be tweaked and the amount of artists attending wasn’t the most overwhelming. Over the years it has only grown in scale and its management has gotten better, pulling an even larger crowd year after year. It has even gotten the casual watchers interested in going, which allows it to draw in more revenue and thus bring in more exhibits and performing artists. It has also since opened up satellite conventions in other Southeast Asian countries like Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand. This propagation of AFA to other countries can only be good, because anime is love and love must be shared across the world, including the other countries of SEA. And this year, it can only get bigger and better! |
What to Expect
The best days to go really depends on you, but Saturday will definitely be the most crowded due to its position in the Weekend Category. Sunday will likely be the least crowded, as everyone has work the next day, but the products and goods might be sold out by then, so it’s a good idea to go on Friday or Saturday first if you want loot.
What to Bring in Order to Enjoy Oneself
Most of all, bring yourself, this is an event that you can’t afford to miss as a citizen of the Anime Kingdom!
Author: Aria