Saturday, November 27, 2010

Anime Festival Asia 2010

- Family Friendly

Who says you have to go all the way to Japan to experience the cosplay culture? ??? Pictures, Images and Photos
Answer is: You don't have to! There is an Anime Festival Asia held in Singapore to spread the love for Japanese Pop Culture, mainly Anime yearly. It is a time where Japanese lovers of Anime, can dress in costumes portraying their favourite character from a show and have a small get together in this annual festival and meet their fellows fans of Anime.

Don't be in awe when you see the detailed and colourful costumes of the cos-players!
(You might think it's exaggerating but in fact, this is just the way they should be!)
Last week, the we visited the Anime Festival Asia 2010 held at Suntec Convention and Exhibition Halls 401-402, on Sunday, 14 November 2010.

Basic Ticket Price (Festival Only): $8 per day
This ticket will grant you access to the exhibition grounds, including exclusive merchandises in Akiba Town, Maid Café, Butler Café and other fun activities in AFA X main exhibition grounds.
* Does not grant access to main stage activities.

Festival + Stage Access - $15 per day
Grants full access to exclusive main stage activities and content, such as Special Guest Appearances, Movie Screenings, AFA Regional Cosplay Championships and more!
* Does not grant access to I LOVE ANISONG concerts.

F+S(upgrade access) - $10
Those who have bought the Festival-only Access tickets will have to purchase these tickets if they wish to access the Stage area. Your Festival-only Access ticket will have to be presented at the ticket counter during the time of purchase.

*Note that all prices are in SGD currency.
For more information please click HERE

If it's your first Anime Festival, be prepared to be fascinated and be in complete shock when you stepped into the exhibition. You'll expect it to be very crowded, full of people that are as young as 6 years old to 50 years old visitors. This festival is something you've never seen or experienced before.



You are bound to see many cosplayers around. Everyone is wearing different types of costumes as they are playing different characters. What will surprise you is unexpected! You might see males dressing up as a female character and they would be wearing skirts or dresses. So keep your eyes peeled for special cosplayers like them. Attending this festival will bring you to greater heights and feel as though you've just been transported to another world.

There are lots of photo opportunities. Cosplayers there are extremely sociable and friendly. If you have any questions about their customes or who they are portraying, feel free to ask them. They're definitely more than happy to answer your queries. It will be a truly amazing sight, seeing Japanese and locals getting along well.




If you are interested in taking part in this exhibition, and meeting fellow cosplayers, feel free to dress up and come down to the exhibition!
We say it is a must to come and feel the vibrant atmosphere of the Japanese pop culture all gathered here, once in your life time.

A second corner you shouldn't miss in the exhibition is called Cool Japan Experience. Talks are made by well-known experts in some industries like the music and technology industries, in Japan. Their main purpose was to let you know how the various sectors worked and managed to promote their Pop Culture overseas, especially in Asia.

And this year, Mr Go Nakanishi, and Animation producer of King Record,gave a talk and explained to the audience about how animations were created. He also shared with the audience his future predictions on how well Animation business would be successful in the markets of other Asian Countries like Singapore, Korea and Malaysia etc.

hungry Pictures, Images and Photos
If you are thirsty and hungry, you can always pop by at the MMK Meido Café & Atelier Royale Butler Cafe, in the exhibition.

That's right! There is a mini cafe inside the exhibition, and there would be actual waitresses and waiters. Though the waitresses and waiters are cosplayers, you can trust them for their excellent service! These themed cafes are extremely popular in Japan but now, you don't have to fly to Japan to experience this dining experience, you could come to Singapore too!

This corner is a very special and 'kawaii' (cute) corner that's constantly buzzling with customers throughout the time we were there. The place's main attractions were the females dressed in Japanese school uniforms and males dressed as waiters. If you've never been to a themed cafe, this is your chance.

Although the food is mediocre and might take some time to arrive due to the crowd, the service you get from the waiters and waitresses will guarantee you a great dining experience like you've never had! With servers dressing up in japanese schoolgirls uniform and butler suits, what more can you ask for? Servers would even offer to help you pour sugar into your tea and are extremely helpful during your visit to the cafe! You will definitely be impressed with their hospitality

So, you must be wondering now, why were the female cosplayers dressed in Japanese school uniforms instead of the Meido costumes.
Well, this is because the theme for this year was 'School Days'.
*Meido = French maid


Click HERE to have a summarised view of how it was like in the Cafe, during the Anime Festival!

So, what are you waiting for? If you are not here for this event this year, be sure to come down to the same event next year in 2011 in Singapore! Be it to share your love for cosplay or to gain a whole new experience in the anime world with just a small amount of money! With a new theme every year, you will receive nothing but pleasant surprises!
We are sure that you will not regret coming down and the best of all, you get to meet new people that are really cool and all dressed up to the nines and learn what the Japanese Pop Culture is all about!

Tips:
  1. Travel happy, travel light! Refrain from bringing a lot of belongings so it would be easier for you to run after that cool cosplayer to snap a photo with!
  2. Do bring an extra battery along with you just in case your camera dies on you. You wouldn't want to miss a great opportunities to take memorable photos with the cosplayers!
  3. Take good care of your belongings. With the amount of people there, it's safer to keep your bags in front of you where you can see it.

So, who says Singapore is boring now? There will be more events and festivals coming right up on this blog! Watch this space and start booking your flight to Singapore now for a great deal of fun by participating in the countless events and festivals that's held right here!

Till then!

Credits to Google for the photos

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