A press conference was held today at the Japanese Association of Singapore to announce the inaugural Anime Festival Asia (AFA) to be held at Suntec City conventional hall on 22nd and 23rd of November. The event is organized by I-Promo and the Singaporean branch of Dentsu and it is sponsored by Bandai. The official site is up at afa08.com. You’ll probably read about it in tomorrow’s news.
Yes, Singapore is finally going to have a real anime convention!
What is it?
AFA is intended to be a regional event that celebrates Japanese pop culture. The long-term goal is a large scale event on par with TAF and Anime Expo, but the current target is 80 thousand people over two days.
After a recent shift in policy, and the appointment of Doreamon as Japan’s Cultural Ambassador, soft power through pop culture is becoming a larger part of the diplomatic toolset of the Japanese government. Although it is kind of funny to picture a bunch of serious-looking Japanese politicians in suits talking about promoting anime, we shall put that aside and accept this. So anyway, as part of this renewed effort to export the hikikomori phenomenon to an international market, the Embassy of Japan in Singapore is building a Japan Creative Centre here to brainwash Singaporeans with moé propaganda. Awesome. This happens to coincide with the Singapore government’s desire to turn this country into a regional media hub, which is a euphemism for an outsourcing animation factory, and everyone is happy.
But I digress. AFA08 (pronounced “ah-far-oh-eight”) is original conceived as a pre-event to the opening of the JCC. It will feature upcoming animation, merchandises, cosplay and performances, some of which is making quite excited about November, almost enough to make me forget that that’s when my A’levels will be. Take a look at the AFA08 website for information.
Why should I care?
I know, I know. We’ve all been here before. “Anime” conventions in Singapore are generally not very appealing to real anime fans. Lack of content and local commercial presence means that the organizers often have to turn to non-anime stuff, ostensibly to appeal to a wider target audience, but mostly just to fill up the booths. But AFA08 might just be different. Here’s why.
Guests
There will be Japanese guest speakers and performers appearing on the main stage during the convention. Currently only Kouji Morimoto and Marimi Sakurai from STUDIO 4°C are named, but more will be announced on the website. (i.e. the organizers want to do it like Anime Expo) I can’t give any specific names because everything was totally off-the-record, but let’s just say that the “song performances” listed in the programme booklet will not be performed by some random guy they found in the park. The names that were unofficially floated around were highly intriguing, to say the least. ;)
Exclusives
There will be exclusive merchandises (including figurines) being sold during the event. Bandai has already confirmed that some limited edition Gunpla will be available, although they are saving the juicy details for a later date. Several other hobby and toy companies will also be involved, but again I can’t name them. All I can say is, this could be the first local event where I end up spending any money.
Organizers
Bandai Asia is a major sponsor, and of course it has a lot of ties with its parent company in Japan and…Sunrise. Dentsu is one of the largest advertising companies in the world, and no doubt its Singaporean branch benefits from Japan-side connection. The event has been in planning for more than a year (I first heard about it last year around this time) and from the looks of it, it is going to be the most well-funded and resourceful attempt at organizing and sustaining an annual anime convention in Singapore.
Also, I could tell that the event organizers were credible because they read my blog, and my Code Geass entries in particular, lol. This will definitely be an event to look out for if you see yourself as more than a casual Naruto viewer. I’m pretty excited about it. :P
Details
Date: 22nd and 23rd Nobember
Time: 10:00am to 9:00pm
Venue: Suntec International Convention and Exhibition Centure, Halls 403 and 404
Ticket: $5 for one day, $8 for two days, children under 6 free
Would consider going to the event… Anyway they should use Moyashimon as a mascot and not Tamagotchi
Cool~ but the mascots’ fugly
Is this by any chance, a trap by XEDO where they round up otakus and save on the postage?
This has nothing to do with Odex. Odex is not even invited. It’s an initiative by Dentsu. Anyway that idea is totally unworkable since Odex would’ve to identify people (from their names and IP addresses?) in a crowd, which would certainly be more costly than postage…
lol, seeing the mascot in the photo reminds me of the AWESOME image macro. It’d be great if it’s actually using that image 8D
Imagine Odex setting camp at the entrance, screening by our faces and identity number before dragging the guilty ones away.
LOL’ed
I’m excited! Very excited!
If they can manage this like an American or European convention, it would rock a lot of socks. Especially considering it’s cheaper to fly people to Singapore than to even California, and that is one of the bigger expenses for a convention like Otakon.
This would come as a surprise, it seems. On the other side of the Causeway, GACC had been successful in roping in named celebrities within the anime circles, albeit with fewer monetary support.
I’m not really ambivalent about the exhibition: rather, this is perhaps a finality that Southeast Asia is recognised as a potential otaku market, and what better to serve this market than to locate it at the heart of otaku-ism in Southeast Asia — Singapore.
(Malaysian/Indonesian fans, feel free to spread the flames (^.^); .)
It’d be uncorteous to nitpick against AFA08, so here’s a pat in the back, Singapore. Your active voice in the international otaku circle has finally paid off.
Cool. I’ll be going XD
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I’m definitely hauling ass down there to check it out. It’d be nice to see how a con like this works out in a local context.
oh crap, exam period! i so want to come lest i have a deathwish or something…
O_O Ticket is only $5 for a day and $8 for two days. Is that pretty normal for these kind of events in Singapore ? Because I pay around $30-$40 for anime convention here in Toronto, Canada.
As this is a first in SG, i think they dont want to overprice it. Anyway SG ppl like the cheap stuff.
Anyway i gonna go for both days. Looking forward to it..
I wonder if I should actually finally board a plane to S’pore for this… dunno if it’s worth it.
Wow, I am sure gonna go for this convention.. Just hope it wont clash with the work I am going to get starting next month… :(
Just asking for those who had attended all the American/Canadian anime conventions: just what are the asking prices for tickets?
Koji Morimoto you say ? Fantastic !
Huh, I’ll probably go but I’ll be comparing it to Japan’s Tokyo Anime Fair. I’d still think I’ll prefer the one in Japan. Unless Japanese cosplayers are coming here as well.
Hi DM
I am looking forward to going, i recently moved to Singapore and have been waiting for a event like this.
It shall be a convention to look forward to.. hopefully there’s some free time from my Final Year Project. :)
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Yes, they should use Oryzae as a mascot. Too bad Doraemon is more popular. And what exactly is with the “Children under 6 attend free” part? Oh, they’re getting them younger and younger, just like pedobears.
OMGWTFBBQ, right at the start of my exam period…..orz
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Omg, I will certainly be there. Interesting development.
Doraemon as anime ambassador? Why not go politically incorrect and use Lucy from Elfen Lied?
Nah, but Haruhi is better.
good luck for your A levels DM, fortunately my big exam will be all over by Nov. ^^
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I’m goin’ for sure :D
@TP: It’s around $30 to $45 for all weekend if you pre register 3-4 months before hand. One day only is usually around $30-$40.
I might just be boarding a plane from L.A. to go to Singapore for this :O. I’m mostly tempted to because I want to stalk DM and other people >_>. That is, if I’ll be allowed to board a plane from California to Singapore just for an anime convention and for like 2-3 days…*sigh* I can’t get a job to pay for expenses because of freaking school :/.
Please don’t tell me Odex will be there.
Morimoto Koji makes me wet.
Great. Right before Final examinations. Lovely.
They probably will be there.
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Who will pay to go? $5? Economic downturn, retrenchements, budget cuts… still gotta pay? Its unclear where that $5 goes to. Honestly, I read their site, don’t see any exhibitor list, layout, how to plan to go for this event? I think its a disastor, but surely, I hope not. Then again, $5… maybe not. May give this a miss.
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wow cool man
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