It was another lazy Sunday in Singapore, but instead of just lying in bed and waiting for the sun to set, I was preparing to go out with my camera in tow. Suntec International Convention Center is holding the Anime Festival Asia 2008.
Okay, maybe 2008 is a little misleading. This is only the first time the festival is being held. Singapore, like the rest of East Asia, has a lot of exposure to Japanese media and anime is certainly no exception. It watched by a lot of people from kids to professionals who grew up with them. Anime is also shown on certain channels on TV and is either dubbed in English or in Mandarin. Even cable TV has a rich selection of anime channels to choose from.
I, while not exactly follow every single anime series out there, also have a soft spot for anime. The engaging stories, and brilliant animation are all very difficult to resist. The festival is being held at the fourth floor of the convention center. Not surprisingly, there were a lot of people there. There was no queue at the ticket booth, probably because everybody was already there. This was already the second day of the festival.
There were different activities at the festival and real enthusiasts can participate in them. Most notably the cosplay competition, Gundam model building competition by Bandai. There is also a separate ticket for fans of the singers of the them songs of certain series. I’m not really very familiar with the theme songs so I decided to give it a pass.
Anyway, the concert area was not really blocked out so even if people didn’t pay for the concert ticket they can still see the concert, abeit a little further away. Photographers with powerful zoom lens should be able to see the singer up close.
Upon entering the convention hall, one would see the results of the Gundam building competition. They were really impressive and everything is all there for everyone to see. It really takes skill to be able to build models such as these. Skill which I do not possess.
Just behind the Gundam models are the booths of several retailers of anime merchandise. Most notable are the booths of ToyNToys and La Tendo. The ToyNToys booth is more of a display booth for everyone to see their products. And they were very impressive indeed. It was also a good marketing opportunity for them too as they can showcase their new and upcoming products.
Along the way, I would see a lot of youngsters dressed like anime characters. Characters from series like, Gundam, Bleach, Naruto and Code Geass were roaming around the grounds. Obviously, these guys really love anime and would gather regularly to cosplay. The costumes themselves were also nothing to sneeze at. It was obvious that great time and care was put into the costumes.
Probably the most impressive costume that I saw was the one which dressed up like the Gundam Exia from Gundam 00. The custom was something like a Gundam model come to life. It comes with weapons and even LEDs for the eyes. The GN engine at its back was also lit up in green just like the series. However, it was obvious it was hot inside that costume so you will not see the Gundam Exia walking around the convention hall the whole day. It must be a pain to slip in and out of that costume without damaging it.
There was also an arcade area where fans can compete in the latest Japanese games available. On another side there were talks held about the anime industry and even a talk from one of the designers of the Gundam machines. It was a really interesting gathering and hopefully there would be more of this next year.
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